Wotan
Wotan is a character in Richard Wagner's opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (first performed in 1876), who appears in the individual parts Das Rheingold , Die Walküre and Siegfried . The name Wotan is Richard Wagner's (Longobard) variant of the Germanic god Wodan (Odin) . Wagner himself described the essence of his character as the sum of the intelligence of the present . As a singer he is a baritone .
Wotan's role in the opera story
Wotan only appears in the respective operas after the basic plot has developed.
In the first part of the Ring of the Nibelung, Das Rheingold , Wotan and the other gods await the completion of Walhall Castle , the construction of which he commissioned the giants Fasolt and Fafner to build . When they claim the agreed wages, the goddess Freia , Wotan tries to negotiate a replacement wage. The demigod Loge reports on a treasure of the Nibelungs, and the giants get involved. Wotan and Loge move into the realm of the Nibelungs. In fact, they manage to steal the treasure from the dwarf Alberich by means of a trick, as well as a power-giving ring and a cloak of invisibility. The giants demand everything they have brought with them and forego the goddess, but get into an argument and one kills the other.
In the second part of the opera cycle, Die Walküre , Wotan instructs his daughter Brünnhilde , a maiden (shield maiden) to carry the warrior, Siegmund in battle. Siegmund faces a fight with Hunding , whose wife Sieglinde he had previously kidnapped. Siegmund is the son of God and at the same time his hope to regain the magic ring that was lost to the giants. Wotan's wife Fricka , as the goddess guardian of marriage, forbids Siegmund's victory. Wotan then has to withdraw the order placed with Brünnhilde. In the later fight, however, she defends Siegmund, whom Wotan therefore has to kill with his own hands. Brünnhilde initially flees, but is caught up by Wotan. He announces a severe punishment for her. Brünnhilde is said to be sunk to sleep, from which she will be awakened by the first man passing by. In the dispute, Wotan explains to her the conflict in which he lives and finally lets himself be softened to soften the punishment. Brünnhilde is surrounded with a mighty fire.
In the third evening of the opera, Siegfried , Wotan's name is Wanderer . He seeks out the blacksmith Mime , who raised the son of Siegmund and Sieglinde, Siegfried , who was now born . Mime wants to get to the ring herself, which is guarded by the giant Fafner in a cave. Wotan announces to Mime in a parable dialogue that Siegfried will kill the giant and Mime too. Wotan hopes to find a way out of his situation from the wise Erda , but in vain. In front of the giant's cave, Wotan meets Alberich, from whom he had stolen the ring in Rheingold. Alberich also hopes for the ring. After Wotan's prediction came true, Siegfried moved to the Valkyries rock with the trophies, ring and invisibility cap found on the giant. Wotan stands in his way, but Siegfried smashes Wotan's spear and crosses the fire.
In the fourth part, Götterdämmerung , Wotan no longer appears, but the plot makes reference to him, especially when Brünnhilde meets her sister Waltraute .
Wotan's appearances (chronological)
- the Rheingold
- 2nd scene: The gods, lodge, the giants
- 3rd scene: Wotan, Loge, Mime, Alberich
- 4th scene: The gods, lodge, the giants
- The Valkyrie
- 2nd act, 1st scene: Wotan and Brünnhilde, Wotan and Fricka
- 2nd act, 2nd scene: Wotan and Brünnhilde
- 2nd act, 5th scene: Siegmund, Sieglinde, Hunding, Brünnhilde, Wotan
- 3rd act, 2nd scene: Valkyries, Brünnhilde, Wotan
- 3rd act, 3rd scene: Brünnhilde and Wotan
- Siegfried
- 1st act, 2nd scene: Wotan and Mime
- 2nd act, 1st scene: Wotan and Alberich
- 3rd act, 1st scene: Wotan and Erda
- 3rd act, 2nd scene: Wotan and Siegfried
Cast at the Bayreuth Festival
All Wotan's singers at the Bayreuth Festival . The list is still incomplete and initially extends to 1961.
| From | To | Singer |
|---|---|---|
| 1876 | Franz Betz | |
| 1896 | Hermann Bachmann , Carl Perron | |
| 1897 | Carl Perron , Anton van Rooy | |
| 1899 | Anton van Rooy | |
| 1901 | 1902 | Anton van Rooy , Theodor Bertram |
| 1904 | 1906 | Theodor Bertram |
| 1908 | 1914 | Walter Soomer |
| 1924 | Carl Braun | |
| 1925 | Friedrich Schorr | |
| 1927 | 1928 | Josef Correck , Friedrich Schorr |
| 1930 | Friedrich Schorr | |
| 1931 | Rudolf Bockelmann , Friedrich Schorr | |
| 1933 | 1934 | Rudolf Bockelmann, Jaro Prohaska |
| 1936 | 1938 | Rudolf Bockelmann |
| 1939 | 1941 | Rudolf Bockelmann, Jaro Prohaska |
| 1942 | Rudolf Bockelmann, Jaro Prohaska | |
| 1951 | Sigurd Björling | |
| 1952 | Hans Hotter , Hermann Uhde | |
| 1953 | 1958 | Hans Hotter |
| 1960 | Jerome Hines ( Valkyrie ), Hermann Uhde ( Rheingold , Siegfried ) | |
| 1961 | Jerome Hines ( Rheingold , Walküre ), Hans Hotter (only 21/22 August: Rheingold , Walküre ), James Milligan ( Wanderer ) | |
| 1963 | 1975 | Theo Adam ( Das Rheingold , Die Walküre ) |
Individual evidence
- ↑ Wagner on Wotan [1]
- ^ The cast of the Bayreuth Festival 1876-1960. Edited by Käte Neupert, Edition Musica Bayreuth, 1961; Pp. 89, 90
- ↑ http://auffuehrungsdatenbank.bayreuther-festspiele.de/fsdb_en/lösungen/1/index.htm