Das Rheingold Is the March 9, 2019, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Das Rheingold is the March 9, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast, numbering as 15th of 24 in the 2018-2019 season’s schedule.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season presents Wagner’s Das Rheingold as the first of the Ring cycle’s four epic music dramas: Metropolitan Opera @MetOperavia, Facebook Feb. 15, 2018

Das Rheingold is the March 9, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as 15th of 24 scheduled Saturday matinee radio broadcasts during the 2018-2019 Met Opera season.

German composer and librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883) wrote the libretto and composed the musical score for Das Rheingold. Wagner composed the opera as the first of four epic music dramas composing Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). Germanic and Scandinavian folk tales and myths are the inspiration for Wagner’s cycle of four operas.

Wagner’s literary sources include Nibelungenlied (Nibelung Song) and the Icelandic Eddas. Nibelungenlied is a Middle High German epic poem of unknown authorship, written in the 12th century. The Icelandic Eddas date from the 13th century and include folk and mythic details from earlier traditional sources dating back to the Viking Age (793-1066 C.E.).

Wagner’s Das Rheingold premiered Sept. 22, 1869, at Königlichen Hof- und Nationaltheater (Royal Court and National Theater) in Munich, Bavaria, southeastern Germany. The premiere took place in the second of the National Theater’s three buildings, all sited on the east side of Max-Joseph-Platz in central Munich.

The Metropolitan Opera hosted the United States premiere of Das Rheingold on Jan. 4, 1889. In the 1888-1889 Met Opera season, Das Rheingold received 17 performances.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season offers one performance of Das Rheingold. The Ring cycle’s first installment takes place Thursday, March 14, at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The performance airs earlier, on Saturday, March 9, beginning at 1 p.m., as the 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s 15th Saturday matinee broadcast.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s Das Rheingold has an estimated run time of 2 hours 30 minutes. There are no intermissions.

Philippe Jordan appears as the production’s conductor. The Swiss conductor’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Dec. 19, 2002, in the opera house’s 196th performance of Die Fledermaus by Austrian light music composer Johann Strauss II (Oct. 25, 1825-June 3, 1899). In the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Philippe Jordan also conducts the cycle’s three additional operas.

Wendy Bryn Harmer appears as Freia, the goddess of love and beauty, whose guardianship of golden apples ensuring the gods’ eternal youth is disturbed during her hostageship by giants Fasolt and Fafner. The American soprano’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Nov. 2, 2005, as a Peasant in the opera house’s 419th performance of Le Nozze di Figaro by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791). During the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Wendy Bryn Harmer also appears in the Ring cycle’s second and fourth cycles, as Ortlinde in Die Walküre and as Third Norn in Götterdämmerung.

Jamie Barton appears as Fricka, Freia’s sister and wife of Wotan, ruler of the gods. The American mezzo-soprano’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Sept. 23, 2009, as the second of three ladies in the opera house’s 393rd performance of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. In the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Jamie Barton reappears as Fricka in the Ring’s second cycle, Die Walküre.

Karen Cargill appears as Erda, goddess of the earth, who warns Wotan against possession of the gold ring forged from Rhinegold by Nibelung dwarf Alberich. The Scottish mezzo-soprano’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened April 24, 2012, as Waltraute in the opera house’s 231st performance of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung. During the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Karen Cargill also reappears as Erda in the Ring’s third cycle, Siegfried, and also performs as Mother Marie in Dialogues des Carmélites by French composer and pianist Francis Poulenc (Jan. 7, 1899-Jan. 30, 1963).

Norbert Ernst appears as Loge, demi-god of fire, who suggests Rhinegold as an alternative payment for giants Fasolt and Fafner’s building a fortress for the gods. The Austrian tenor makes his Metropolitan Opera debut with his appearance as Loge.

Gerhard Siegel appears as Mime, Nibelung dwarf Alberich’s brother, who forged the Tarnhelm, a magic helmet the shape-shifts its wearer. The German tenor reprises his Metropolitan Opera debut role, which happened March 20, 2004, in the opera house’s 147th performance of Das Rheingold.

Greer Grimsley appears as Wotan, king of the gods, who is warned against his fatal attraction to the Rhinegold ring forged by Nibelung dwarf Alberich. The Austrian bass made his Metropolitan opera debut Dec. 23, 1994, as Colline in the opera house’s 56th performance of Puccini’s La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). In the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Greer Grimsley reappears as Wotan in the Ring’s second cycle, Die Walküre.

Tomasz Konieczny appears as Alberich, whose forging of Rhinegold leads to conflict for possession of the Nibelung dwarf’s treasures. The Polish bass-baritone makes his Metropolitan Opera debut with his appearance in Das Rheingold. During the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Tomasz Konieczny reappears as Alberich in the Ring’s third cycle, Siegfried, and also performs as Abimélech in Samson et Dalila by French Romantic Era composer Camille Saint-Saëns (Oct. 9, 1835-Dec. 16, 1921).

Günther Groissböck appears as the giant Fasolt, whose killing of his brother, Fafner, is the accursed ring’s first death. The Austrian bass made his Metropolitan Opera debut Dec. 1, 2010, as Colline in the opera house’s 1,224th performance of Puccini’s La Bohème. In the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Günther Groissböck appears as the Old Hebrew in Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila and as Hunding in the Ring’s second cycle, Die Walküre.

Dmitry Belosselskiy appears as the giant Fafner, whose disputes fatally with his brother, Fasolt, over Alberich’s accursed ring. The Ukrainian bass made his Metropolitan Opera debut Nov. 5, 2011, as Zaccaria in the opera house’s 54th performance of Nabucco by 19th century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901). During the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Dmitry Belosselskiy also appears as the Old Hebrew in Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila; as Ramfis in Verdi’s Aida; and as Commendatore in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s performance of Das Rheingold revives staging by John Lepage. The Canadian playwright and stage director’s staging debuted as a new production Sept. 27, 2010, in the opera house’s 156th performance of Das Rheingold.

Robert Lepage’s production team comprises Neilson Vignola, associate director; Carl Fillion, set designer; François St-Aubin, costume designer; Etienne Boucher, lighting designer; and Boris Firquet, video image artist. The production’s revival stage director is J. Knighten Smit.

The takeaway for Das Rheingold as the March 9, 2019, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is that the Ring cycle’s first segment airs as 15th of the 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s Saturday matinee radio broadcasts and ushers in the season’s Ring cycle productions.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season presents Wagner’s complete Ring cycle: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 15, 2018

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season presents Wagner’s Das Rheingold as the first of the Ring cycle’s four epic music dramas: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 15, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160137122415533/

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season presents Wagner’s complete Ring cycle: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 15, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160137122420533/

For further information:

“Debut: Dmitry Belosselskiy.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354136 Nabucco {54} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/05/2011.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354136

“Debut: Greer Grimsley.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 318860 Peter Grimes {56} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/23/1994.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=318860

“Debuts: Bernard Labadie, Matthias Klink, Jamie Barton, Georg Zeppenfeld.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353076 Die Zauberflöte {393} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/23/2009.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353076

“Debuts: Dimitri Tiliakos, Günther Groissböck, Brandon Mayberry.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353654 La Bohème {1224} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/01/2010.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353654

“Debuts: Karen Cargill.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354490 Götterdämmerung {231} Ring Cycle [109] Uncut. Metropolitan Opera House: 04/24/2012.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354490

“Debuts: Mark Wigglesworth, Maurizio Muraro, Joyce DiDonato, Wendy Bryn Harmer, Leann Sandel-Pantaleo.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351338 Le Nozze di Figaro {419} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/02/2005.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351338

“Debuts: Rosemary Joshua, Peter Coleman-Wright, Christine Abraham, Phiippe Jordan.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 350438 Die Fledermaus {196} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/19/2002.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=350438

"Debuts: Yvonne Naef, Gerhard Siegel." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID:350938 Das Rheingold {147} Ring Cycle {103} Uncut. Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 03/20/2004.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=350938

Marriner, Derdriu. "La Fille du Régiment Is the March 2, 2019, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, Feb. 25, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/02/la-fille-du-regiment-is-march-2-2019.html

Mesa, Franklin. Opera: An Encyclopedia of World Premieres and Significant Performances, Singers, Composers, Librettists, Arias and Conductors, 1597-2000. Jefferson NC; London, England: McFarland & Company, Inc. 2007.

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Opera's supreme experience returns to the Met for the first time in six years with a cast of magnificent Wagnerians, led by the thrilling Christine Goerke, Soprano making her Met role debut as Brünnhilde. Philippe Jordan conducts Robert Lepage's breathtaking production, which faithfully presents every detail of Wagner's immortal libretto. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2GelzGG Photo by Ken Howard / Met Opera.” Facebook. Feb. 15, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160137122420533/

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Wagner’s visionary initial installment of the Ring depicts the original sin of the theft of the sacred golden treasure, the vanity of the gods, the greed of the Nibelungen, the fratricide of the giants, and the building of Valhalla. Greer Grimsley and Michael Volle share the role of Wotan, the conflicted lord of the gods. Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton sings her first Wagner role at the Met as Wotan’s embattled wife, Fricka. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2o9fmo2 Photo by Ken Howard / Met Opera.” Facebook. Feb. 15, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160137122415533/

“New Production: Das Rheingold.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353563 New Production Das Rheingold {156} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/27/2010.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353563

“United States Premiere: Das Rheingold.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 6970 United States Premiere Das Rheingold {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/4/1889.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=6970