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Overview

Synopsis

In the third installment of Wagner鈥檚 Der Ring des Nibelungen (or The Ring Cycle) we meet our hero Siegfried, the son of Sieglinde and Siegmund, and grandson of Wotan, the king of the gods.

After his mother died in childbirth, Siegfried was raised by Mime, one of the Nibelung. Now a headstrong young man, Siegfried knows that Mime cannot really be his father, and he is desperate to find some connection and companionship in the world. After he defeats the dragon Fafner on Mime鈥檚 behalf, Siegfried learns that Mime had planned his whole life to use him for this purpose, and now he intends to kill him. Siegfried defends himself before it is too late, and kills Mime with one blow.

He now sets out in search of some companionship. A bird in the forest tells him of a beautiful woman lying on the mountainside, wreathed in fire. Only the most courageous man could possibly claim her for his own. Siegfried has never felt fear in his life. He follows the bird to the mountainside to claim the woman, Br眉nnhilde for his own.

Show Information

Music
Richard Wagner
Libretto
Richard Wagner
Category
Opera
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1876
Genres
Fairy Tale/Fantasy
Settings
Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Mythological, River Rhine, Germany
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
None
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
Professional Opera, Star Vehicle Male, Star Vehicle Female, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Elderly, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Siegfried

Lead

Male

Tenor

Wotan / The Wanderer

Lead

Male

Bass-Baritone

Mime

Lead

Male

Tenor

Brünnhilde

Lead

Female

Soprano

Erda

Supporting

Female

Contralto

Alberich

Supporting

Male

Bass-Baritone

Fafner

Supporting

Male

Bass

Waldvogels / A forest bird

Featured

Female

Soprano

Songs

Author鈥檚 Note: As with many of Wagner operas, this piece is through-composed. The breakdown below is to give indications of changes of scenes or character movement, and may differ from other breakdowns.

Act One

  • Prelude

Scene One

  • Zwangvolle Plage! M眉h ohne Zweck! - Mime

  • Hoiho! Hoiho! Hau ein! Hau ein! - Siegfried, Mime

  • Als zullendes Kind - Mime

  • Da hast du die St眉cken - Siegfried, Mime

  • Vieles lehrst du, Mime - Siegfried, Mime

  • Wo hast du nun, Mime - Siegfried, Mime

  • Einst lag wimmernd ein Weib - Mime, Siegfried

  • Und diese St眉cken - Siegfried, Mime

Scene Two

  • Heil dir weiser Schmied! - Wanderer, Mime

  • Hier sitz鈥� ich am Herd - Wanderer, Mime

  • Nun rede, weiser Zwerg! - Wanderer, Mime

  • Nun, ehrlicher Zwerg - Wanderer, Mime

  • Dreimal solltest du fragen - Wanderer

Scene Three

  • Verfluchtes Licht! - Mime

  • Heda! Du Fauler! - Siegfried, Mime

  • F眉hltest du nie - Mime

  • Sonderlich seltsam muss das sein - Siegfried, Mime

  • H盲ttest du fleissig, die Kunst gepflegt - Mime, Siegfried

  • Nothung! Nothung! - Siegfried, Mime

  • Notung! Neidliches Schwert - Siegfried

  • Hoho! Hoho! Hohei! - Siegfried

  • Den der Bruder schuf, den schimmernden Reif - Mime, Siegfried

Act Two

Scene One

  • Prologue

  • In Wald und Nacht - Alberich, Wanderer

  • Durch vertrages Treue Runen - Alberich, Wanderer

  • Fafner! Erwache, Wurm! - Alberich, Wanderer

Scene Two

  • Wir sind zur Stelle - Mime, Siegfried

  • Dass der mein Vater nicht ist - Siegfried

  • Aber wie sah meine Mutter wohl aus - Siegfried

  • Du holdes V枚glein - Forest Bird, Siegfried

  • Haha! Da h盲tte mein Lied - Siegfried, Fafner

  • Ist mir doch fast - Siegfried, Forest Bird

Scene Three

  • Wohin schleichst du eilig und schlau - Alberich, Mime

  • Neides Zoll zahlt Nothung - Siegfried

  • Nun sing! Ich lausche dem Gesang - Siegfried, Forest Bird

Act Three

Scene One

Scene Two

  • Dort seh鈥� ich Siegfried nah鈥檔 - Wanderer

  • Mein V枚glein schwebte mir fort! - Siegfried, Wanderer

  • Bleibst du mir stumm - Siegfried, Wanderer

  • Zieh鈥� hin! Ich kann dich nicht halten! - Wanderer, Siegfried

  • Interlude

Scene Three

  • Selige 脰de auf wonniger H枚h鈥�! - Siegfried

  • Wie weck鈥� ich die Maid - Siegfried

  • Heil dir Sonne! - Br眉nnhilde, Siegfried

  • So starb nicht meine Mutter? - Siegfried, Br眉nnhilde

  • Dort seh鈥� ich Grane - Br眉nnhilde, Siegfried

  • Ewig war ich, ewig bin ich - Br眉nnhilde, Siegfried

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

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Scenes

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Guide Written By:

Wendy Silvester

Wendy Silvester

Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.