The epic story begins on the banks of the Rhine, where three maidens guard the sacred river's magical gold. The cunning dwarf Alberich, angered by the Rhinemaidens' scorn, steals the precious metal and forges a ring that gives its bearer unimaginable power. The struggle for its possession drives this fantastic drama, in which the stakes—control of the entire world—could not be higher.

Francesca Zambello's production colorfully evokes the California Gold Rush era, drawing provocative parallels between Wagner's mythical kingdom of gods and goddesses and the Industrial Revolution's entrepreneurs and tycoons. Conducted by Donald Runnicles, the world-class cast is headed by internationally acclaimed baritone Mark Delavan, praised by London's Financial Times for his "extraordinary power, clarity and intelligence" and, after his June 2010 performance in Die Walküre, hailed by the San Francisco Examiner as "both majestic and heartbreakingly human. A great new Wotan has arrived."

The Story:

The dwarf Alberich futilely attempts to seduce the maidens who guard the Rhine River's gold. If forged into a ring, it would give its wearer universal power, as long as he renounces love. Alberich steals the gold and fashions the ring. Meanwhile, Wotan, king of the gods, must find a way to pay the giants Fasolt and Fafner for the construction of Valhalla, the immortals' opulent new home. Using trickery, he steals Alberich's ring to settle his debt. The bitter dwarf places a curse on the ring and anyone who possesses it.

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