The story so far…

Wotan has created a treaty-based world order and, in so doing, established himself as its supreme ruler. He has had himself a splendid castle built by the giants Fasolt and Fafner, which he paid for with gold stolen from Alberich the Nibelung. However, he not only stole the treasure, but also a ring forged from Rhinegold, which bestows immeasurable power upon its owner. Alberich cursed the ring so that it might bring death to anyone touching it. Following a stern warning from Earth Mother Erda Wotan finally agreed to surrender the troublesome ring to the giants. It immediately caused an argument and Fafner killed his brother Fasolt. Since Wotan is unable to seize the ring himself without violating the laws of his own world order, of which he is Lord Protector, he devised a plan. He fathered a pair of human twins, Sieglinde and Siegmund, who he intended should act on his behalf. For Siegmund he created the divine sword ‘Nothung’ with which this seemingly free hero would kill Fafner and take possession of the ring for Wotan.

Then, Wotan’s wife Fricka made it unambiguously clear to him that the plan constituted an attempt at self-deception. He could not allow Siegmund to enact his will without undermining his own position of authority. What is more, he also needed to ensure that Siegmund fell in battle. However, Wotan’s favourite daughter, the Valkyrie Brünnhilde, tried to save Siegmund against Wotan’s wishes. Following an intervention by Wotan, Siegmund did ultimately fall, but Brünnhilde helped his sister and bride Sieglinde, already pregnant with Siegfried, to escape. As punishment for her disobedience, Wotan was forced to put Brünnhilde into a deep sleep on Valkyrie Rock. This robbed her of her godly status and meant she could only be awoken by man to whom she would then have to submit as a simple woman. Still, at Brünnhilde’s request, Wotan did surround the rock with a ring of fire which only the most fearless free hero would be able to break through. They both knew this hero would be Siegfried.

Act One

A long way from the world, near the Cave of Envy into which the giant Fafner has retreated in the form of a huge dragon, Siegfried has been raised by Alberich’s brother Mime. In the hope that the young hero will slay the dragon and snatch Alberich’s ring for him, Mime has always kept Siegfried in the dark about his true origins. Nevertheless, the boy recognises that Mime cannot be his father, even less his mother and forces Mime to reveal what he knows about how Siegfried came to be born. Mime tells, under duress, of how one day he found an exhausted woman by the name of Sieglinde outside his cave and brought her inside. There she gave birth to a son and then died. Before expiring, the mother gave her child the name Siegfried and left for him the broken pieces of the sword Nothung which his father had wielded in his final battle. Siegfried demands that Mime repair the sword and storms out. However, Mime knows he is not up to the job, since the boy has broken all the swords he previously forged for him without exception.

Wotan, who has left Valhalla and now restlessly roams the world as a wanderer, appears before Mime and coerces him into playing a dangerous guessing game. He pledges to forfeit his own life, should he be unable to answer three questions Mime poses. The Wanderer wins the game easily but then turns it against Mime who must also answer three questions or else face the same consequences. When Mime fails to answer the question as to who will reforge the sword Nothung, the Wanderer leaves him with the mysterious prophecy that only one who does not know fear will succeed in this task. And this person will also be the one to take Mime’s life.

Having returned, Siegfried is bewildered to see Mime cowering in the corner. Mime explains that the reason for this is fear, a desirable attribute without which nobody should set out into the world. Siegfried is curious, so Mime promises to take him to Fafner who can teach him to fear. The young hero is elated and resolves, as soon as he has learnt this lesson, to finally leave Mime and go forth into the world. Since Mime has clearly not succeeded in reforging Nothung, Siegfried takes on the task himself.

Siegfried is able to completely recreate the sword by filing the pieces down into splinters, melting them down and casting a new weapon. For Mime, this is the fulfilment of the Wanderer’s prophecy and he realises his dilemma: Though the Fearless One is reforging the sword and can thus defeat Fafner, he will inevitably also kill Mime, unless Fafner first teaches him to fear. However, should the Fearless One learn to fear too soon, he will be unable to vanquish Fafner, leaving the ring, which Mime hopes will make him ruler of the world, still unattainable.

To save himself, Mime decides to administer a sleeping draught to the boy following his successful duel. This will render the young hero helpless and enable Mime to kill him.

Act Two

Alberich is biding his time outside the Cave of Envy. He knows Fafner will eventually fall foul of the curse allowing him to take back the ring. There he encounters the Wanderer, heaping mockery and abuse upon him. The god considers himself so powerful yet cannot seize the ring himself and is hounded by the fear that he, Alberich, could reclaim it as its rightful owner. The Wanderer warns him about Mime and Siegfried who are on their way to overcome Fafner. He proposes that Alberich make a deal with the dragon. Fafner shall grant Alberich the ring in exchange for the dwarf averting the attack on his life. Before Alberich can react, Wotan wakes the sleeping giant. But Fafner is not interested. He is content to lie on his treasure trove and enjoy his prize.

Mime shows Siegfried the lair of the dragon from whom he is supposed to learn fear, then withdraws in order to await Siegfried’s triumph.

Siegfried’s mind is distracted by thoughts of his parents and regret at never having known them, when a bird of the forest catches his attention. He tries to communicate with it, first by blowing on a reed and finally by blowing his horn. This unintentionally wakes the dragon who promptly vows to eat the bothersome boy for breakfast. Siegfried, however, kills the dragon who, with his dying breaths, reveals himself to be Fafner, last of the giants and warns Siegfried of Mime’s plan to murder him.

As Siegfried retrieves his sword from the dragon’s corpse some of its blood touches his lips. Miraculously, he can now understand what the bird is saying. He follows the advice of the little bird to fetch the ring and cloaking helmet from the cave, though still oblivious to their capabilities. Mime and Alberich are arguing over the dragon’s treasure when they notice that Siegfried has already claimed the two most valuable pieces. Alberich retreats to a safe place while Mime proceeds to put his plan into action. He attempts to ensnare Siegfried with saccharine words and persuade him to drink the sleeping draught. However, the dragon’s blood also has the effect of enabling Siegfried to hear what Mime is thinking but does not say, leading to him divulging his murderous intentions without realising it. He too falls victim to Siegfried’s sword.

The bird tells Siegfried about Brünnhilde, alseep on Valkyrie Rock and leads him there.

Act Three

One final time, Wotan seeks out Earth Mother Erda to ask whether and how his downfall and that of his world can be prevented. Her answer is not the one he was hoping for. There is no alternate course; the end of his dominion is inevitable, just as everything that comes into existence will perish. Only the earth itself is eternal. Wotan understands and resigns himself to his fate. He will happily pass on his legacy to the two free people whose love will usher in a new era: Brünnhilde and Siegfried.

Still, when he soon afterwards encounters Siegfried who is on his way to liberate Brünnhilde, it leads to an unexpected altercation. When his long-awaited grandson Siegfried refuses to afford him due respect he blocks his path. The fearless free hero, though, breaks Wotan’s spear with the sword which once shattered against it and continues on his way. Wotan is forced to concede that he has at last been relegated from the world stage.

Siegfried passes through the ring of fire encircling Valkyrie Rock and believes he has found a sleeping warrior. Upon discovering it is a woman, he finally learns to fear. He then plucks up the courage and wakes her with a kiss…