The Chéreau Ring: Siegfried (Bayreuth, 1980)

What remains uncertain in Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen is whether the figure of Siegfried actually symbolises hope for world salvation through fearlessness and heroism, or whether his brutality and amorality are central components of doom. In Patrice Chéreau's production, Siegfried can also be considered a harbinger of fascism. The political interpretation, however, along with mythical, psychological and fairy-tale elements, forms only one level of the multi-layered interpretation, which partially situates the plot in the time of the work's creation (1980). Manfred Jung as Siegfried, Gwyneth Jones as Brünnhilde and Donald McIntyre as Wotan, in the guise of the Wanderer, provide vocal brilliance and expressive acting.

Soloists: 

Hermann Becht (Bass), Fritz Hübner (Bass), Gwyneth Jones (Soprano), Manfred Jung (Tenor), Donald McIntyre (Bass-Baritone), Norma Sharp (Soprano), Ortrun Wenkel (Contralto), Heinz Zednik (Tenor)

Ensemble: 

Bayreuth Festival Orchestra

Conductor: 

Pierre Boulez