The new staging of Richard Wagner’s “Des Ring der Niebelungen” in Latvian National Opera 2006-2009
A reflection of Richard Wagner’s youth is incomplete without mentioning his years in Riga. And the Latvian metropolis cannot call itself Wagner’s city unless the Latvian National Opera stages the most famous of the composer’s works. More than a century has passed since last full-blown staging of the Richard Wagner’s grand theatrical creation “Des Ring der Niebelungen” at the Riga Opera Theatre. The time to test vigor and mastery has come again!
Riga can be proud of the fact that the first Kapellmeister of the Riga City Theatre from 1837 to 1839 was the energetic composer Richard Wagner. A true cult of the art of Richard Wagner has prevailed in Riga since the middle of the 19th century, uniting the somewhat estranged Latvian and German communities.
On the very next day after the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia on the 18th of November, the citizens of the new country were offered a Wagner opera.
Furthermore, at the time that Latvia, after a stellar period of rapid development was usurped by the struggle of the big powers and tragically lost its independence, the Riga opera company was the first after the Second World War having the courage to bravely perform works by Wagner in the Soviet Empire, motivating it with the historical ties to the outstanding composer.
However, a century has passed since the last full-scale staging of the “Des Ring der Niebelungen” in Riga in the original language. The creative team of four directors shall be in charge of the new staging project and present “Des Ring der Niebelungen” in the Latvian National Opera during the 2006 – 2009 period. Riga, the city of Wagner’s youth, shall devote all of its efforts to re-create his cosmogony beauty.
Richard Wagner “Der Ring des Nibelungen”
I “Das Rheingold”
Conductor: Andris Nelsons
Director: Stefans Herheims
Set and costume designer: Heike Šēle
Playwright: Aleksands Meiers-Dercenbahs
Premiere in Riga: 21.04.2006.
Premiere in Bergen: 31.05.2006.
II “Die Walküre”
Conductor: Andris Nelsons
Director: Viesturs Kairišs
Set and costume designer: Ilmārs Blumbergs
Premiere in Riga: 02.03.2007
III “Siegfried”
Conductor: Andris Nelsons
Director: Oskars Koršunovs
Set and costume designer: Jūrate Paulekaite
Premiere in Riga: 25.04.2008
IV “Goterdammerung”
Conductor: Andris Nelsons
Director: Andrejs Žagars
Set and costume designer: Ilmārs Blumbergs
Premiere in Riga: 24.04.2009 |
