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The legendary Bayreuth Centenary production of Wagner's Ring is distinguished by Patrice Chéreau's once-shocking production, which has acquired the status of the most trenchant modern interpretation of the cycle. Götterdämmerung is the fourth and final Ring opera. Brünnhilde now has the Ring, given to her by the hero Siegfried. But the evil Hagen dupes Siegfried into betraying his love for Brünnhilde, and the Ring is returned to Siegfried. On the banks of the Rhine, Hagen murders Siegfried. A distraught Brünnhilde takes the Ring from her dead lover and rides into her funeral pyre. Hagen snatches the Ring but is drowned in the flooding Rhine, and the Ring is returned to the river. Meanwhile, Valhalla burns, marking the end of the reign of the gods. Pierre Boulez's penetrating interpretation supports a cast led by the powerful Siegfried of Manfred Jung and Gwyneth Jones's magnificent Brünnhilde.



CAST:
Brünnhilde - Gwyneth Jones
Siegfried - Manfred Jung
Hagen - Fritz Hübner
Alberich - Hermann Becht
Gunther - Franz Mazura
Gutrune - Jeannine Altmeyer
Waltraute - Gwendolyn Killebrew
Woglinde - Norma Sharp
Wellgunde - Ilse Gramatzki
Flosshilde - Marga Schiml
1. Norne - Ortrun Wenkel
2. Norne - Gabriele Schnaut
3. Norne - Katie Clarke

REVIEW:
Joe McLellan, Amazon.com


According to director Patrice Chereau, "Götterdämmerung undoubtedly presents a world in which no values exist any more... a world in which it is difficult for anyone to believe in anything any longer." It is truly, as its title proclaims, "The twilight of the gods." Siegfried is tricked, drugged, and treacherously murdered by power-hungry humans, deceived into betraying Brunnhilde, who remains faithful without hope. An air of weariness and decadence pervades the action and much of the music (though the score includes two of Wagner's finest instrumental inventions: Siegfried's Rhine journey and his funeral music.) A new note is the introduction of a chorus of humans (effectively used by Chereau) for the first time in the cycle. The heyday of the gods is over; now, world domination is sought by a human family, the Gibichungs.

The cursed ring is stolen from Brunnhilde, who has kept it as a token of Siegfried's love. Siegfried, who has taken the ring in disguise, has been drugged and deceived into wooing Gutrune, a Gibichung. Brunnhilde is forced to marry Gunther, another Gibichung, but still faithful to Siegfried she commits suicide on his funeral pyre. The fire spreads to destroy Valhalla. The ring, snatched from Siegfried's dead hand, is dropped into the Rhine, where it is restored to its rightful place, and the situation returns to the normality of the time before Das Rheingold.

The Gibichungs, new to the cycle, are well-portrayed by Franz Mazura and Jeanne Altmeyer, and Fritz Hübner is impressive as the treacherous Hagen. Gwemdolyn Killibrew stands out as Brunnhilde's ally Waltraute. As always, Pierre Boulez conducts with a clear vision of the total work.

Works on This Recording
Götterdämmerung by Richard Wagner
Performer: Gwyneth Jones, Manfred Jung, Jeannine Altmeyer, Fritz Hübner, Hermann Becht, Katie Clarke, Ilse Gramatzki, Fritz Hübner
Conductor: DPierre Boulez
Orchestra/Ensemble: The Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1871-1874; Germany