Richard Wagner (1876)

Of all the operas in Wagner’s monumental music drama ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’, the third, Siegfried, tells a story that most resembles a fairy tale. Bold and fearless, the young hero Siegfried seeks ever increasing challenges and adventures. Forging an unbreakable sword from the shards of the weapon that belonged to his father, he slays the dragon Fafner and seizes from the dragon’s hoard the ring that gives its bearer power over the world. But when he awakens the sleeping Brünnhilde after penetrating the magic fire surrounding her, he encounters his greatest challenge – to win over her love.

Wagner’s unparalleled orchestral scene-painting reaches new heights in this work, and the closing love duet for Siegfried and Brünnhilde, completed after Wagner had composed Tristan und Isolde, has a blazing erotic intensity in common with that work.

Siegfried is conducted by Richard Farnes, who, following the first two instalments of Opera North’s Ring, has been praised as the country’s eminent Wagnerian. The unrivalled power and vividness of Wagner’s music will again be translated into evocative and atmospheric lighting and film projections by Peter Mumford.

An international cast is headed by the Estonian tenor Mati Turi and the Swedish soprano Annalena Persson; and Michael Druiett returns to sing the role of The Wanderer following his acclaimed performances of Wotan in Das Rheingold in 2011. 

Bringing alive the full scale and splendour of Wagner’s magnificent conception, this is the perfect occasion to celebrate Wagner’s bicentenary. 

The performance will finish at approximately 10.20pm
Please note: performance time includes two intervals, one of 30 minutes, and one of 1 hour 15 minutes.

Approximate timings:

Act 1: 16.30 - 17.50
interval: 17.50 - 18.20
Act 2: 18.20 - 19.40
interval: 19.40 - 20.55
Act 3: 20.55 - 22.20

Sung in German with English titles.

A collaboration with The Sage Gateshead and Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

Financially supported by the Opera North Future Fund and The Ring Fellowship.