The Chéreau Ring: Die Walküre (Bayreuth, 1980)

One of the most beautiful images of this "Ring of the Century" adaptation is the Valkyrie Rock in the final act of the second opera of the cycle, created while revising the production: stage designer Richard Peduzzi based the fairy-tale monumental structure on Arnold Böcklin's painting of Toteninsel. Patrice Chéreau, who had begun his career as a director of spoken theater, encourages an unusually intense portrayal of siblings and lovers Siegline (Jeannine Altmeyer) and Siegmund (Peter Hofmann) and there remains controversy over the fact that Wotan, the father of the gods, is not only morally responsible for Siegmund's death, as in the original, but pierces Siegmund himself with his spear.

Soloists: 

Jeannine Altmeyer (Soprano), Katie Clarke (Soprano), Elisabeth Glauser (Mezzo-Soprano), Ilse Gramatzki (Alto), Peter Hofmann (Tenor), Gwyneth Jones (Soprano), Gwendolyn Killebrew (Alto), Donald McIntyre (Baritone), Karen Middleton (Soprano), Carmen Reppel (Soprano), Matti Salminen (Bass), Marga Schiml (Mezzo-Soprano), Gabriele Schnaut (Mezzo-Soprano), Hanna Schwarz (Mezzo-Soprano)

Ensemble: 

Bayreuth Festival Orchestra

Conductor: 

Pierre Boulez