Home > Twilight of the Gods Wagner, R. (1813-1883) Gotterdammerung Twilight of the Gods Composed 1865-1874. First performed August 17, 1876. Libretto by the composer (in German). A Summary of “Gotterdammerung (Twilight of the Gods)” Prologue Siegfried and Brunnhilde live happily, but Siegfried set out on a journey to gain glory. Act 1 Gunther, lord of the Gibichungs, asks his half-brother, Hagen, how the family can flourish. Hagen advises him that Gunther should marry Brunnhilde. Siegfried who does not know anything arrives at the Gibichungs. He is made to drink a potion to cause him to lose his memory, and he asks Gunther’s sister, Gutrune, to marry him. Gunther tells Siegfried that he will permit the marriage between Siegfried and his sister if he can marry Brunnhilde. In order to make Gunther’s marriage possible, Siegfried disguises himself as Gunther, safely jumps into the circle of fire, and removes the magical ring from Brunnhilde’s finger. Act 2 In the Gibichung Hall, there are two wedding ceremonies, Siegfried and Gutrune, Gunther and Brunnhilde. Brunnhilde gets angry with Siegfried who forgets their happy days. Hagen asks her for Siegfried’s weak point. She teaches Hagen that he must attack Siegfried from behind in order to kill him. Act 3 Hagen and Siegfried go out hunting. Hagen makes him take antidote to the potion. Siegfried recovers his memory and his time with Brunnhilde. However, Hagen stabs Siegfried in the back with a spear. Brunnhilde is told all by three Rhine maidens. Brunnhilde sets fire around Siegfried’s body. The fire causes the river, Rhine to flood. In the flood, three Rhine maidens recapture the magic ring, and Hagen dies from drowns. Brunnhilde’s fire burns the castle of the gods, Valhalla, and the glory of the gods ends. A Comment on “Gotterdammerung (Twilight of the Gods)” This opera is the fourth, and the last opera of the “Ring Cycle.” Brunnhilde plays an active part in the second opera, “Die Walkure (The Valkyrie).” Siegfried plays an active part in the third opera, “Siegfried.” And, a key role in this fourth opera too, “Gotterdammerung (Twilight of the Gods),” is… the villain, Hagen. Hagen is a true villain. He stabs Siegfried in the back with a spear. And, he enthusiastically persists in trying to get the magic ring. He is the worst villain in the world’s operas. The “Ring Cycle” is made up of 4 great operas, and to perform it needs more than 15 hours. This gigantic opera can be interpreted as several ways. How do you read this opera, and when you finish enjoying it, what do you feel from it? To perform these 4 operas, “Ring Cycle,” Richard Wagner tried to build an opera house in Bayreuth. However, his funds were insufficient. Then, King of Bavaria, Ludwig II, appeared in front of Wagner. Thanks to substantial resources which Ludwig II possessed, a new opera house was finally completed. In 1876, the Bayreuth Festival was held, and these 4 operas, “Ring Cycle,” that is, “Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung),” were performed for the first time. Today, this Bayreuth Festival is one of the most famous opera festivals in the world. Gluck, C. W. (1714-1787) 　- Orpheus and Eurydice Mozart, W. A. (1756-1791) 　- The Marriage of Figaro 　- Don Giovanni 　- Cosi fan tutte 　- The Magic Flute Beethoven, L. v. (1770-1827) 　- Fidelio Weber, C. M. v. (1786-1826) 　- The Magic Bullets Rossini, G. (1792-1868) 　- The Barber of Seville Donizetti, G. (1797-1848) 　- The Elixir of Love Verdi, G. (1813-1901) 　- Macbeth 　- Rigoletto 　- Il trovatore 　- La Traviata 　- Un ballo in maschera 　- Don Carlo 　- Aida 　- Otello 　- Falstaff Wagner, R. (1813-1883) 　- The Flying Dutchman 　- Tannhauser 　- Lohengrin 　- Tristan und Isolde 　- Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg 　- The Rhinegold 　- Die Walkure 　- Siegfried 　- Twilight of the Gods 　- Parsifal Offenbach, J. (1819-1880) 　- The Tales of Hoffmann Strauss, J. (1825-1899) 　- Die Fledermaus (The Bat) Bizet, G. (1838-1875) 　- Carmen Tchaikovsky, P. J. (1840-1893) 　- Eugene Onegin Massenet, J. (1842-1912) 　- Werther Humperdinck, E. (1854-1921) 　- Hansel and Gretel Puccini, G. (1858-1924) 　- La Boheme 　- Tosca 　- Madama Butterfly 　- Turandot Leoncavallo, R. (1858-1919) 　- Pagliacci Mascagni, P. (1863-1945) 　- Cavalleria Rusticana Debussy, C. (1862-1918) 　- Pelleas et Melisande Strauss, R. (1864-1949) 　- Salome 　- The Cavalier of the Rose Copyright (C) 2005-2017 Yusuke Kamiki. All Rights Reserved.