Oper

Richard Wagner

Das Rheingold

2 Termine

Das Rheingold

Cast at Wednesday 28. May 2025

Regie

Sven-Eric Bechtolf

Bühne

Rolf Glittenberg

Kostüme

Marianne Glittenberg

Video

Friedrich Zorn
Area 1 255 €
Area 1

255 €

Area 2 209 €
Area 2

209 €

Area 3 180 €
Area 3

180 €

Area 4 122 €
Area 4

122 €

Area 5 94 €
Area 5

94 €

Area 6 69 €
Area 6

69 €

Area 7 45 €
Area 7

45 €

Area 8 30 €
Area 8

30 €

Area 9 18 €
Area 9

18 €

Standing room
Standing room

U27   Included in: Cycle »Ring 1«
Cycle »Ring 1«

Season 2024/2025

The Ring cycle is a musical marathon that takes the audience on a journey through mythology and human drama. This monumental opera saga, composed by Richard Wagner, combines breathtaking music, a captivating plot and impressive stage sets to create an unforgettable work of art.

28. May 2025: DAS RHEINGOLD
2. June 2025: DIE WALKÜRE
8. June 2025: SIEGRIED
15. June 2025: GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG

Das Rheingold

Cast at Friday 20. June 2025

Regie

Sven-Eric Bechtolf

Bühne

Rolf Glittenberg

Kostüme

Marianne Glittenberg

Video

Friedrich Zorn
Area 1 255 €
Area 1

255 €

Area 2 209 €
Area 2

209 €

Area 3 180 €
Area 3

180 €

Area 4 122 €
Area 4

122 €

Area 5 94 €
Area 5

94 €

Area 6 69 €
Area 6

69 €

Area 7 45 €
Area 7

45 €

Area 8 30 €
Area 8

30 €

Area 9 18 €
Area 9

18 €

Standing room
Standing room

Included in: Cycle »Ring 2«
Cycle »Ring 2«

Season 2024/2025

The Ring cycle is a musical marathon that takes the audience on a journey through mythology and human drama. This monumental opera saga, composed by Richard Wagner, combines breathtaking music, a captivating plot and impressive stage sets to create an unforgettable work of art.

20. June 2025: DAS RHEINGOLD
22. June 2025: DIE WALKÜRE
25. June 2025: SIEGRIED
28. June 2025: GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG

Short Summary

The dwarf Alberich, ridiculed and rejected by the three Rhinemaidens, steals the Rhinegold,

curses love and uses the gold to forge a ring that bestows great power. From then on, everyone lusts after it, but it brings death and destruction, laden with a curse.

Storyline

In the depths of the Rhine, the three Rhinemaidens guard the gold. The dwarf Alberich, Lord of the Nibelungs, watches them and tries to grab one of the girls - in vain.

As the gold shines in the morning sun, Alberich learns that the gold can only be stolen by those who renounce love forever. He could forge a ring from the gold that would give the wearer immeasurable power. Alberich then renounces love, steals the gold and forges the ring. The giants Fafner and Fasolt have built Valhalla Castle for the gods. Wotan, the supreme god, has promised them the goddess Freia as a prize for their building work.

When the giants demand the prize, they are denied it by the other gods, but Wotan knows that as the lord of contracts, he must remain true to his word. Everyone waits for Loge, the cunning god of fire, to find a way out. He finally arrives and tells them about Alberich's theft of gold and his gain in power. The giants listen attentively and agree to give up Freia if they receive Alberich's gold in exchange within a day.

But first they drag Freia away with them as a pledge. The gods immediately begin to age, as Freia is the only one who knows how to look after the golden apples that bestow eternal youth. Wotan and Loge then go to Nibelheim to take the ring from Alberich. He makes the Nibelungs work for him and gathers an immeasurable treasure of gold. Alberich wants to use the gold to gain the highest power in the world and overthrow the gods.

His brother Mime has to forge a cloaking helmet for him, with the help of which he can immediately assume any desired form. When Wotan and Loge ask Alberich for proof of the cloaking helmet's effectiveness, Alberich puts it on and transforms himself into a toad, among other things. He is immediately seized by Wotan and Loge, tied up and dragged away. In order to regain his freedom, Alberich must hand over the gold, camouflage helmet and ring to Wotan. But as he leaves, Alberich curses the ring, saying that it will bring its owner death and misfortune as well as power.

Wotan reluctantly gives the gold to the giants, but only gives the ring to the goddess Erda, who warns of the misfortune that the ring will bring. Freia is released, but the curse is already apparent: Fafner kills his brother Fasolt in a dispute over the gold. The gods enter the castle, but the Rhinemaidens lament the loss of the Rhine gold. Only Loge foresees the end of the gods despite the magnificent entry into Valhalla.

Scene 1 - 4 150 min

The production of the Ring tetralogy at the Vienna State Opera is by Sven-Eric Bechtolf, who has created a series of directorial works at the Haus am Ring. Wrapped in a timelessness, he tells the Ring story as a model of the world, whereby the director does not want to set any concrete contemporary political or social interpretations: "If one refrains from beautiful blue-eyedness and refrains from moving smoothly from A to B, the Ring is worldly even without a "message". Despite or through abstraction. Rich in conflict, not stringent. Completely contradictory, but effective. In my eyes, it touches on the big questions and issues of our existence in a richly associative way, without having answered anything or held out the prospect of anything."

Much of the musical dramaturgy of Das Rheingold is based on the idea of vividly depicting the transition from nature to history and the associated polar opposites between love and power, freedom and lack of freedom, childlike play and brute force. For example: Wagner juxtaposes the cheerful world of the Rhinemaidens in the first scene with a contrasting counterpart in the third scene, whose tonal characteristics - garish instrumental colors, extreme registers - already infiltrate the unclouded natural sound with the appearance of Alberich in the first scene. In the third scene, the free flow of natural sounds contrasts with the futuristic machine music of the 16 anvils of the Nibelungs. Finally, Erda's announcement of the end of the gods reverses the ascending nature motifs of the prelude into descending movements, no less symbolically. (Tobias Janz)

The ring is bizarre and immoderate, in the end more romantic than socially revolutionary. More akin to dreams than to daytime consciousness. And the dream does not have its meaning in the morning commentary. It has its nocturnal, subterranean use. (Sven-Eric Bechtolf)"

© Wiener Staatsoper
© Wiener Staatsoper
© Wiener Staatsoper
© Wiener Staatsoper
© Wiener Staatsoper
© Wiener Staatsoper
© Wiener Staatsoper
© Wiener Staatsoper

This production is sponsored by

FAQ

Tickets for our standing room can be purchased online or at the Bundestheater box office from 10 am on the day of the performance. BundestheaterCard holders can book standing room tickets online the day before the performance.

In addition, a fixed contingent of standing room tickets is available for regular evening performances from 80 minutes before the start of the performance at our standing room box office (Operngasse entrance).

Our operas are sung in the original languages - these vary depending on the work.

At each seat, subtitles in different languages can be switched on or off via a separate subtitle screen. In addition to the original language of the opera, you can choose from up to eight languages: German, English, Italian, French, Russian, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin).

In the event of a change of performance, you can of course return or exchange your tickets.

As changes to the cast cannot be ruled out due to illnesses or other hindrances of artists, there is no entitlement to a refund of the ticket price or exchange in this case.

Tickets cannot be returned or exchanged if you are not admitted to the auditorium due to being late (even after the interval).

About Your Visit

Cloakroom

The cloakrooms are located next the the entrances at the Operngasse. You can find additional cloakrooms on the left and right side of the balcony and the gallery and in the boxes. All cloakrooms are free of charge.

Be on Time

We kindly ask you to arrive on time for the performances. Latecomers can only be admitted during the intermission. After the intermission, re-entry will not be possible.

Food and Drink

Our gastronomy opens at the same time entry is permitted. You can enjoy some snacks and drinks before the performance starts or you can book a table for the break.

Practical Information

You can find more practical information regarding your visit (e.g. Dresscode, barrier-free-access, …) here.

 

Discounts, Subscriptions, Cycles

Discounts

The Vienna State Opera has the following offers for discounted tickets:

  • U27
  • Children's & youth tickets
  • BundestheaterCard
  • Ballet Bonus
  • Ö1-Club
  • Culture pass "Hunger for art and culture"
  • Disabled pass
More Info

Subscriptions

Choose a day of the week and your favorite seats and enjoy five performances.

  • 4x opera, 1x ballet
  • spread over the whole season
  • total savings of up to 30 % compared to the normal price
More Info

Cycles

Buy several performances bundled in a package!

  • large selection of different cycles
  • summarized according to composers, performers or themes
  • spread over the whole season
  • up to 10 % discount compared to the normal price
More Info