Götterdämmerung is the fourth and final opera in Richard Wagner’s tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen, and premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 17 August 1876 as part of the first performance of the entire work. The first three operas tell the story of the overthrow of the old world order of the gods, who rule through order, contract and treaty, by the mortals whose power derives from morality, reason and, above all, love. The moment that encapsulates the...

In January and February 2021 the London Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski, will be presenting Richard Wagner’s tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen twice at the Royal Festival Hall. It began performing the operas individually two years ago, with Das Rheingold being presented in 2018, Die Walküre last year and Siegfried appearing now. This is the opera that moves on from the failed attempts of the chief god Wotan to retain control of the world for...

The London Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski, is currently in the midst of presenting Richard Wagner’s tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen over a three-year period. The first opera Das Rheingold was performed in January 2018, with the second Die Walküre appearing now. While in the initial instalment, the chief god Wotan manages to retain his status and magnificent castle Valhalla, albeit at a terrible price, in this one things unravel at an alarming rate...

There is always something happening in William Kentridge’s staging of Wozzeck. It can be hard to know what to look at—the supernumeraries creeping around in gas masks? The improbably piled-up junk that serves as a set? The charcoal drawings projected as backdrops? The little videos than range from absurd cartoons to scenes of abuse? It almost doesn’t matter. All these elements work together to create a cohesive atmosphere haunted by war and poverty. The production has...