Götterdämmerung, Twilight of the Gods: Character Map
Götterdämmerung, Twilight of the Gods: Roles
| Humans | ||
|---|---|---|
| Siegfried | son of Siegmund and Sieglinde | tenor |
| Hagen | son of Alberich | bass |
| Gunther | Hagen’s half-brother | baritone |
| Gutrune | Hagen’s half-sister | soprano |
| Valkyries | ||
|---|---|---|
| Brünnhilde | daughter of Wotan via Erda | soprano |
| Waltraute | mezzo-soprano |
| Nibelungs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alberich | Power-hungry dwarf | baritone |
| Norns | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Norn | goddess of Nature | contralto |
| Second Norn | mezzo-soprano | |
| Third Norn | soprano |
| Rhinemaidens | ||
|---|---|---|
| Woglinde | River-nymph | soprano |
| Wellgunde | mezzo-soprano | |
| Floßhilde | mezzo-soprano |
- Native title: Götterdämmerung
- Composers: Richard Wagner
- Librettist: Richard Wagner
- Based on: Nordic and German legends
- Language: German
- Premiere: August 17, 1876, Bayreuth Festspielhaus
- Running time: 4 hours 30 minutes (Act 1: 120 minutes, Act 2: 70 minutes, Act 3: 80 minutes)
Götterdämmerung, Twilight of the Gods: Short Synopsis
Siegfried is about to leave Brünnhilde and set out on a journey to establish a military career. He gives Brünnhilde a ring as a token of his love. Brünnhilde remains on the rocky mountain.
Gibich’s mansion on the banks of the Rhine, Gibich’s son Gunther and daughter Gutrune are there. They trust their half-brother Hagen. Hagen encourages Gunther to marry Brünnhilde and Gutrune to marry Siegfried. Hagen suggests that Siegfried be drugged with a forgetting potion so that he will forget about her even if he already loves another woman.
Siegfried meets Gunther and Gutrune, Hagen. He is drugged into forgetfulness and falls in love at first sight with Gutrune. He and Gunther become brothers-in-law. He goes to the rocky mountains of Brünnhilde for Gunther.
Siegfried comes to Brünnhilde disguised as Gunther with a hidden hood. She refuses him, but the disguised Siegfried takes her ring.
Brünnhilde is brought to Gibich’s mansion. She is met again by Siegfried, who has forgotten who she is. In her anger, she tells Hagen that Siegfried’s weakness is his back. She encourages Hagen and Gunther to defeat Siegfried. Two marriages take place.
The men go hunting. Hagen stabs Siegfried in the back. Siegfried dies. Hagen admits to killing him in front of the people and claims the right to the ring. Brünnhilde takes it from Siegfried’s body and puts it on her finger.
Brünnhilde orders the people to pile the wood high. In the wood is Siegfried’s body. She throws a torch on the wood pile and enters the flames with her beloved horse. The Rhine overflows. The Rhinemaidens take the ring in the burning ashes. At the same time, the castle of Valhalla of the gods is in flames.