Die Walküre

By Richard Wagner

Part 2 of the Ring cycle, featuring the unforgettable “Ride Of The Valkyries”, is equal parts heady romance and high-stakes family drama. Deep in the forest, love blossoms between the dashing nomad Siegmund and the unhappily married Sieglinde. Believing that this union holds the key to lifting the ring’s curse, Wotan instructs his Valkyrie daughter Brünnhilde to defend Siegmund in the ensuing duel. The adulterous pairing draws the ire of Fricka, goddess of marriage, who demands the interloper be killed. Wotan defers to Fricka, but Brünnhilde, moved by Siegmund’s overwhelming love, defies the gods and protects him. The duel ends messily, Sieglinde is spirited away to bear a son, and Wotan and Brünnhilde have a fiery father/daughter showdown on a towering cliff.

In German with English Captions
Approximate Running Time: 4 hours and 30 minutes, with 2 intermissions
at McCaw Hall

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Features

Sights & Sounds

Die Walküre Video Preview

Watch a video preview from the 2009 Seattle Opera production of Die Walküre. Footage includes many of the favorite scenes from this opera.

Artists

The Cast for Die Walküre

Meet the artists who will bring Wagner’s epic to life, including Seattle Ring veterans Greer Grimsley, Stephanie Blythe, and director Stephen Wadsworth, as well as Janice Baird, Stig Andersen, and Stuart Skelton in their company Ring debuts.

Synopsis

The Story of The Ring

Read the saga of Wagner’s gods and goddesses—the ring that tears them apart, the Valkyrie who dares to disobey, the boy who knows no fear, and the downfall of the gods.

Photos

Photos from Die Walküre

See images of the 2009 Ring, featuring both newcomers and familiar faces, plus the beautifully naturalistic sets of Thomas Lynch, costumes by Martin Pakledinaz, and lighting designed by Peter Kaczorowski.