Composer

:

Richard Wagner

Genre

:

Opera

Style

:

Opera

Compose Date

:

1869 - 1874

Average_duration

:

258:25

Movement_count

:

50

Movement ....

Die Götterdämmerung, also known as The Twilight of the Gods, is the fourth and final opera in Richard Wagner's epic cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen. The opera was composed between 1869 and 1874 and premiered on August 17, 1876, at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus in Germany. The plot of Die Götterdämmerung continues the story of the previous three operas in the cycle, following the downfall of the gods and the destruction of the world. The opera opens with the three Norns, who weave the threads of fate, discussing the past and future of the world. They are interrupted by the arrival of Siegfried, the hero of the previous opera, who is on his way to marry Brünnhilde, the Valkyrie he rescued from a magic sleep. Siegfried gives Brünnhilde the Ring of the Nibelung, which he took from the dwarf Alberich in the previous opera. However, he is soon tricked by Hagen, Alberich's son, into drinking a potion that makes him forget his love for Brünnhilde and fall in love with Gutrune, Hagen's half-sister. Hagen then convinces Gutrune to marry Siegfried, and the two are wed in a ceremony that is interrupted by the arrival of Brünnhilde, who is furious at Siegfried's betrayal. Brünnhilde reveals the truth about the Ring to Siegfried, and he sets out to return it to the Rhinemaidens, who have been seeking it since the beginning of the cycle. However, Hagen kills Siegfried and takes the Ring for himself. Brünnhilde then sacrifices herself on Siegfried's funeral pyre, causing the gods to be destroyed and the world to end in a cataclysmic flood. The music of Die Götterdämmerung is characterized by its use of leitmotifs, or recurring musical themes, which are used to represent characters, objects, and ideas throughout the cycle. The opera also features some of Wagner's most famous music, including the "Ride of the Valkyries" and the "Funeral March." Die Götterdämmerung is divided into three acts, each of which is further divided into scenes. The opera is typically performed over the course of four hours, making it one of the longest operas in the standard repertoire. Despite its length, however, Die Götterdämmerung remains one of Wagner's most popular and frequently performed works, and it continues to be a staple of the operatic repertoire to this day.

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