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Scorned by three beautiful Rhinemaidens, the dwarf Alberich renounces love and steals the Rhine’s magical gold to forge a ring granting its bearer absolute power.
Composed by Richard Wagner
Sung in German with English supertitles
A father’s blinding ambition and a daughter’s profound defiance drive the story forward.
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A fearless young hero battles otherworldly challenges on a journey to discover his destiny.
The cycle's transcendent climax—a suspenseful tale of bravery, sacrifice, destruction and renewal.
In the cycle’s prelude, greed and vengeance trigger a chain of events fraught with corruption and struggle.
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The inspiration behind this Ring production is partly #MeToo, partly environmental—and almost entirely American.
If Wagner’s Ring could be reduced to a simple slogan, it would resemble something like the power of love versus the love of power.
Richard Wagner’s interest in the East was stimulated by German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s The World as Will and Representation.
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* San Francisco Opera debut
A co-production with Washington National Opera.
Previous performances of Das Rheingold can be found in our Archive.
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