Cycle 1

In the final part of the tetralogy, the theatrical devices that dominate Stefan Herheim's version of the RING also come together for the grand finale: the concert grand piano, where the play once began, is just as present as the white cloth, which, among other things, mutates into the shroud of the murdered hero. And, of course, the suitcases are also present, which in the course of the tetralogy have repeatedly created new landscapes and play situations. In the end, this world sinks, only to be reborn in the next play ... 

The final part of the tetralogy sees another broadening of the horizon. Siegfried sallies forth »to new glories«, encountering people driven by a desire for power and riches and without scruple in their determination to acquire them. Without Brünnhilde on hand to help him, the hero succumbs to a conspiracy at the Gibichung hall, also triggering the beginning of the end of the old world, which is still beset by the curse placed by Alberich in THE RHINEGOLD on the ring, which confers great power on its wearer. With Brünnhilde realising what has happened, she sees self-sacrifice as the only path to redemption: by eradicating herself through immolation and returning the stolen gold to the Rhine, she will be clearing the way for a new beginning for all. From Brünnhilde’s ashes Wagner rekindles the love theme, which until then has only been played in Act 3 of THE VALKYRIE. This charges the final moments of TWILIGHT OF THE GODS with an atmosphere of hope rather than simply the gloom of destruction. The game can begin again; will it take a different course next time?