Das Rheingold opens Friday 12 June at 7.30pm
Semi-staged version of Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold in a chamber composition by British composer Jonathan Dove, with 22 musicians and 12 singers on the parking deck of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. In German without surtitles. (90 mins/no interval.)
Das Rheingold
Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Conductor – Donald Runnicles
Scenic setup – Neil Barry Moss
Wotan – Derek Welton
Donner/Froh – Padraic Rowan
Loge – Thomas Blondelle
Alberich – Markus Brück
Fasolt – Andrew Harris
Fafner – Tobias Kehrer
Fricka – Annika Schlicht
Freia – Flurina Stucki
Erda – Judit Kutasi
Woglinde – Elena Tsallagova
Wellgunde – Irene Roberts
Flosshilde – Karis Tucker
Celebrated by the British press as a ‘wonder’ and a ‘masterpiece of replication”, (for a Seen and Heard review click here) British composer Jonathan Dove composed the work titled The Ring Saga in 1990 on the basis of Der Ring des Nibelungen. Created with the goal of making Wagner’s tetralogy performable at smaller venues and festivals, this version – ten hours in length and with an orchestra of 18 musicians – has since taken the world by storm.
The coronavirus-induced postponement of the premiere of Das Rheingold, newly staged by Stefan Herheim, gives the Deutsche Oper Berlin the opportunity to present the first part of Dove’s adaptation in a semi-staged setup. With its 90-minute duration, Dove’s adaptation of Das Rheingold is an impressively dramatic concentration, the chamber music reduction of which still retains the vividness and clarity of Wagner’s score.
While adhering to the current distance and hygiene regulations, we would like to take the first step toward resuming the performance schedule. The outdoor venue will be the parking deck of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, which has already been successfully used for a stage production of Iannis Xenakis’ Oresteia in 2014.
Due to the relaxations of anti-coronavirus measures announced by the Senate of Berlin, it is now possible to hold an open-air performance. It will be played without intermissions, and the audience is quite limited due to the distance requirements.
The performances follow a ‘pay what you want’ concept, meaning that in order to get a seat, visitors are invited to book one or two seats online, over the phone or at the daytime box office for a protective charge of €5.00. Donations will also be requested after the performance.
Tickets can be booked from Friday, 5 June at 12 noon. For more information and to book for one of the five performances click here.