Alberich pleads with his son, Hagen
“The gnome has gone crazy”
—the Rhinemaidens
If there’s one line that sums up Wagner’s Ring operas, perhaps that’s it. The Nibelung, Alberich, has had it with love and decides to ruin it for everyone else. Of course, afternoon soaps have nothing on Wagner; how Alberich’s curse works its poison only just out-paces the follies of all the other characters. It’s an epic and highly addictive tale that begins again on Tuesday night at 8:00 PM on WFMT.
2013 marks two bicentennials and a centennial: Wagner, Verdi and Britten respectively. For WFMT’s The Tuesday Night Opera, the math works out perfectly to broadcast all the operas of these three masters. Thus, it’s Wagner’s turn. Das Rheingold airs tonight (Tuesday). View the libretto below.
