Washington National Opera (WNO), under the leadership of General Director Plácido Domingo, presents two concert performances of Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung, November 7 and 15 at the Kennedy Center Opera House. The climactic close to Wagner's Ring cycle, Götterdämmerung-In Concert features an international cast of acclaimed Wagnerian singers, including Ian Storey, Gidon Saks, Iréne Theorin, Gordon Hawkins and Alan Held. Led by French conductor Philippe Auguin in his WNO debut, Götterdämmerung-In Concert is performed in German with English supertitles. See below for production information, performance dates and ticketing information.
Götterdämmerung (translated as "Twilight of the Gods") is the final opera of Wagner's epic Der Ring des Nibelungen. Based on the legend of the Norse hero Siegfried, the four-opera cycle weaves a tale of the struggle between the gods of Valhalla, mortal heroes and mythical characters to claim an all-powerful ring and rule the world. Scored for a massive orchestra and demanding unprecedented power and stamina from its principal singers, with Götterdämmerung Wagner achieved profound musical and dramatic complexity.
Featuring some of today's leading Wagnerian singers, the cast of Götterdämmerung-In Concert includes several artists known to WNO audiences from previous productions, including WNO's American Ring cycle (Das Rheingold, 2006; Die Walküre, 2007; Siegfried, 2009). British tenor Ian Storey joins the Ring cast for the first time, portraying the tragic hero Siegfried. Swedish soprano Iréne Theorin reprises the role of Brünnhilde, having received high praise for her portrayal in Siegfried, and Gordon Hawkins sings the role of Alberich, which he performed in Das Rheingold and Siegfried. Israeli bass-baritone Gidon Saks sings Hagen, having portrayed Hunding in Die Walküre and Fafner in Siegfried, and American baritone Alan Held sings Gunther, having played Wotan in Die Walküre and Siegfried.
Hailed as "a superior musician" (Opera News, London), French conductor Philippe Auguin makes his WNO debut with Götterdämmerung-In Concert. The former Music Director of the Nuremburg State Theater, Maestro Auguin has longstanding relationships with the world's leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera and Teatro alla Scala, and is well known for his interpretations of Wagner.
TICKETS AND PATRON INFORMATION
· Tickets range from $40 to $210 and are available through WNO Audience Services, 202.295.2400 or 800.US.OPERA, or online at www.dc-opera.org.
· All performances of Washington National Opera's Götterdämmerung are held in the Kennedy Center Opera House, located at 2700 F Street NW, Washington, D.C.
· Casting, program, schedules and pricing are subject to change without notice.
