Lauren McNeese

The Met assembled an ideal cast for François Girard’s acclaimed new production of Wagner’s final masterpiece: Jonas Kaufmann in the title role of the fool “made wise by compassion”, René Pape as Gurnemanz, the veteran Knight of the Grail, Katarina Dalayman as Kundry, Peter Mattei is Amfortas, the anguished ruler of the Grail’s kingdom, and Evgeny Nikitin sings the evil magician Klingsor.

Get ready for Das Rheingold, the first chapter in Richard Wagner’s four-part epic, The Ring of the Nibelung. Travel to a world where gods, giants, and dwarves vie for control over the realms of myths and mortals.

As the end nears for the gods, and human ambition rules the world, Alberich’s son Hagen hatches a plot to take control of the ring, threatening the union of Siegfried and Brünnhilde. Fueled by greed, Hagen’s actions lead to chaos and destruction, until Brünnhilde steps forward to return the world to its natural order.

A father’s blinding ambition and a daughter’s profound defiance drive the story forward in the cycle’s dramatic second installment. This Ring production is partly #MeToo, partly environmental—and almost entirely American.