Overview
Synopsis
In the third installment of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen (or The Ring Cycle) we meet our hero Siegfried, the son of Sieglinde and Siegmund, and grandson of Wotan, the king of the gods.
After his mother died in childbirth, Siegfried was raised by Mime, one of the Nibelung. Now a headstrong young man, Siegfried knows that Mime cannot really be his father, and he is desperate to find some connection and companionship in the world. After he defeats the dragon Fafner on Mime’s behalf, Siegfried learns that Mime had planned his whole life to use him for this purpose, and now he intends to kill him. Siegfried defends himself before it is too late, and kills Mime with one blow.
He now sets out in search of some companionship. A bird in the forest tells him of a beautiful woman lying on the mountainside, wreathed in fire. Only the most courageous man could possibly claim her for his own. Siegfried has never felt fear in his life. He follows the bird to the mountainside to claim the woman, Brünnhilde for his own.
Show Information
- Music
- Richard Wagner
- Libretto
- Richard Wagner
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1876
- Genres
- Fairy Tale/Fantasy
- Settings
- Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- Mythological, River Rhine, Germany
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- Professional Opera, Star Vehicle Male, Star Vehicle Female, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Elderly, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
The third opera in the quadrilogy, Siegfried had its premiere as part of the first complete performance of Der Ring des Nibelungen (or The Ring Cycle) at the Bayreuth Festival Theatre in 1876. As with the first two installments, Das Rheingold and Die Walkure, much of the inspiration for this opera came from German and Norse mythology, including the Völsunga saga and the Thidrekssaga, in which the legends of Sigurd
to read the context for Siegfried and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
The plot of this opera is set 20 years after the events of Die Walküre.
Sieglinde escaped from Wotan with the help of Brünnhilde, and found refuge in a cave in the forest. There she found Mime, brother of Alberich (who features in the first installment of this series Das Rheingold. Sieglinde gave birth to her brother’s child, and named him Siegfried, as Brünnhilde requested. She died during childbirth, leaving Mime
to read the plot for Siegfried and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Contralto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
Songs
Author’s Note: As with many of Wagner operas, this piece is through-composed. The breakdown below is to give indications of changes of scenes or character movement, and may differ from other breakdowns.
Act One
- Prelude
Scene One
-
Zwangvolle Plage! Müh ohne Zweck! - Mime
-
Hoiho! Hoiho! Hau ein! Hau ein! - Siegfried, Mime
-
Da hast du die Stücken - Siegfried, Mime
-
Vieles lehrst du, Mime - Siegfried, Mime
-
Wo hast du nun, Mime - Siegfried, Mime
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Einst lag wimmernd ein Weib - Mime, Siegfried
-
Und diese Stücken - Siegfried, Mime
Scene Two
-
Heil dir weiser Schmied! - Wanderer, Mime
-
Hier sitz’ ich am Herd - Wanderer, Mime
-
Nun rede, weiser Zwerg! - Wanderer, Mime
-
Nun, ehrlicher Zwerg - Wanderer, Mime
-
Dreimal solltest du fragen - Wanderer
Scene Three
-
Verfluchtes Licht! - Mime
-
Heda! Du Fauler! - Siegfried, Mime
-
Fühltest du nie - Mime
-
Sonderlich seltsam muss das sein - Siegfried, Mime
-
Hättest du fleissig, die Kunst gepflegt - Mime, Siegfried
-
Nothung! Nothung! - Siegfried, Mime
-
Hoho! Hoho! Hohei! - Siegfried
-
Den der Bruder schuf, den schimmernden Reif - Mime, Siegfried
Act Two
Scene One
-
Prologue
-
In Wald und Nacht - Alberich, Wanderer
-
Durch vertrages Treue Runen - Alberich, Wanderer
-
Fafner! Erwache, Wurm! - Alberich, Wanderer
Scene Two
-
Wir sind zur Stelle - Mime, Siegfried
-
Dass der mein Vater nicht ist - Siegfried
-
Aber wie sah meine Mutter wohl aus - Siegfried
-
Du holdes Vöglein - Forest Bird, Siegfried
-
Haha! Da hätte mein Lied - Siegfried, Fafner
-
Ist mir doch fast - Siegfried, Forest Bird
Scene Three
-
Wohin schleichst du eilig und schlau - Alberich, Mime
-
Neides Zoll zahlt Nothung - Siegfried
-
Nun sing! Ich lausche dem Gesang - Siegfried, Forest Bird
Act Three
Scene One
-
Prologue
-
Wache! Wala! - Wanderer
-
Stark ruft das Lied - Erda, Wanderer
-
Die Walküre mein’st du, Brünnhild’ die Maid? - Wanderer, Erda
Scene Two
-
Dort seh’ ich Siegfried nah’n - Wanderer
-
Mein Vöglein schwebte mir fort! - Siegfried, Wanderer
-
Bleibst du mir stumm - Siegfried, Wanderer
-
Zieh’ hin! Ich kann dich nicht halten! - Wanderer, Siegfried
-
Interlude
Scene Three
-
Selige Öde auf wonniger Höh’! - Siegfried
-
Wie weck’ ich die Maid - Siegfried
-
Heil dir Sonne! - Brünnhilde, Siegfried
-
So starb nicht meine Mutter? - Siegfried, Brünnhilde
-
Dort seh’ ich Grane - Brünnhilde, Siegfried
-
Ewig war ich, ewig bin ich - Brünnhilde, Siegfried
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.