Das Rheingold

SCENE 1

In the depths of the Rhine, the Rhinemaidens—Woglinde, Wellgunde, and Flosshilde—cavort happily. They’re surprised when the Nibelung gnome Alberich appears. Each Rhinemaiden is wooed by him, which quickly turns to teasing mockery. Suddenly Alberich’s eye is caught by something that glows mysteriously. The Rhinemaidens ecstatically hail it as the Rhine gold. Though they protect it, they inform Alberich that anyone willing to renounce love and make a ring from the gold will become ruler of the world. Having concluded that he will get no love from the Rhinemaidens, Alberich seizes the gold and rushes away.

 

SCENE 2

In an open space, Wotan, king of the gods, is awakened by his wife, Fricka. He gazes at a magnificent fortress on a rocky summit in the distance and hails it as the god’s new home. Fricka, however, is dismayed about the payment for its construction: the giants Fasolt and Fafner have built it, and Wotan has agreed that their payment would be Freia, Fricka’s sister and the goddess of youth. Wotan assures Fricka that Freia will not be handed over to the giants.

Freia rushes in, begging for Wotan’s protection. When the giants appear, Fasolt informs Wotan that he and his brother have worked to give Wotan what he wants and he must now keep his part of the bargain. Wotan is relieved by the arrival of Loge, the demigod of fire. Loge disappoints Wotan by revealing that, having wandered the earth searching for a possible ransom for Freia, he found nothing to equal her beauty and love. He tells Wotan that Alberich has stolen the Rhine gold, and that the Rhinemaidens are pleading for Wotan to restore it to them. The thought of possessing Alberich’s all-powerful ring instantly intrigues Wotan. Loge declares that he can obtain it through theft, but that will mean finding a way to subdue Alberich. The giants inform Wotan that they will accept the ring as an alternative to Freia, but until it is in Wotan’s hand, Freia will be their hostage. The instant they drag her away, the gods begin to age. Wotan and Loge descend to Nibelheim, Alberich’s lair.

 

SCENE 3

Down in Nibelheim, Alberich yells at his brother, Mime, who has failed to finish the magic helmet that Alberich had ordered. Realizing that Mime intended to keep the helmet for himself, Alberich grabs it from him and puts it on. Now invisible, he is able to pummel Mime mercilessly.

Alberich departs, and Loge and Wotan appear. They encounter Mime, who laments that he and the other Nibelungs are now Alberich’s slaves. Mime scuttles away as Alberich returns. The two gods flatter him, letting him know that they have come to Nibelheim to admire everything he has created, now that he has the king’s power. Alberich demonstrates the helmet’s magic by transforming himself into a dragon. When Loge asks him to become something smaller, he changes into a toad that Wotan then traps beneath his foot. Loge takes the toad in his hand, while also seizing the helmet. Transforming back, Alberich sputters with rage as Wotan and Loge drag him away.

 

SCENE 4

Back above, Alberich is now Wotan’s prisoner. When ordered to relinquish the hoard he had amassed in Nibelheim, Alberich calls to the Nibelungs, who drag up all his gold. The two gods now have the ring. Alberich resists mightily, but Wotan finally pulls the ring off his finger. Loge then informs him that he is now free, but he mocks that freedom bitterly and places a curse on the ring: that it will bring only misfortune and death to its owner.

Fricka, Donner, and Froh all now appear, welcoming the return of Wotan and Loge. The giants arrive with Freia and insist that the gold be piled before her until it blocks her from their sight. This is done, but Fasolt insists that there is a void, through which he can see her eyes. Fafner orders Wotan to fill the gap with the ring, but he refuses. Suddenly a mysterious glow brings the appearance of Erda, the earth-goddess. She urges Wotan to yield the ring, since keeping it can only lead to disaster. Wotan then agrees to the giants’ request, and Freia is restored to the gods.
The giants argue over who should take the hoard, with Fafner insisting that he should have the greater portion. At Loge’s urging, Fasolt pulls the ring away from Fafner, who strikes his brother dead, adds the ring to the hoard, and drags it all away.

Donner, god of thunder, raises his mighty hammer to dispel the mists. When the clouds lift, a rainbow bridge appears, leading to the fortress, which Wotan greets with joy. Naming it Valhalla, he invites Fricka to live with him there. Loge suddenly hears the Rhinemaidens in the depths of the river, singing for their gold. Loge orders them to stop their wailing, suggesting that they let the gods’ new radiance shine on them instead. Wotan, Fricka, and the other gods cross the bridge to Valhalla, their new home.