A wounded deity comes to realize the limits of his power in the heartbreaking second installment of the cycle. Wotan, king of the gods, strives to undo the curse of the ring by fathering a pure-of-heart hero by a mortal woman. But he finds himself torn as events spin out of control and his offspring defy his will. Wotan’s deeply loving but disobedient daughter is sung by soprano Nina Stemme, who makes her cycle debut. Stemme is a performer of "fearless emotional intensity," said The New York Times. Following her performance in Die Walküre (June 2010), the San Francisco Chronicle praised Stemme as "a superb Brünnhilde, bringing buoyancy and verve to the role." Saturday, August 31, 1 to 4 pm.
http://youtu.be/gOC6RLL5JzA
The Story:?? Wotan has fathered a mortal son, Siegmund, in order to recover the ring. Siegmund stumbles upon the home of Sieglinde, his unrecognized twin sister. Although Sieglinde is the wife of Siegmund’s sworn enemy, the two are mutually attracted and consummate their incestuous relationship. Wotan’s outraged wife Fricka, protector of marriage vows, demands that Wotan order his daughter, the warrior-maiden Brünnhilde, not to protect Siegmund, but to let him die in battle against Sieglinde’s husband. Disobeying Wotan, Brünnhilde tries in vain to prevent Siegmund’s death but rescues the pregnant Sieglinde. To punish Brünnhilde’s disobedience, Wotan puts her into a deep sleep, surrounded by fire, to await a mortal husband.
Cast:
Brünnhilde: Nina Stemme
Wotan: Mark Delavan
Sieglinde: Anja Kampe
Siegmund: Brandon Jovanovich
Fricka: Elizabeth Bishop
Hunding: Daniel Sumegi
CONDUCTOR: Donald Runnicles