The Valkyrie is the second and most popular act of Richard Wagner's monumental tetralogy, The Ring of the Nibelung. This work masterfully blends Norse mythology with profound human drama, telling a powerful story of impossible love, betrayal, and the struggle for freedom.
The main plot revolves around the forbidden love of twin siblings, Siegmund and Sieglinde, who are the children of the god Wotan. Separated in childhood, they meet years later, unaware of their kinship. Their genuine affection for one another, however, violates the divine order.
THE VALKYRIE at the BALTIC OPERA FESTIVAL
The year 2026 marks the 150th anniversary of the world premiere of the tetralogy The Ring of the Nibelung, which took place in Bayreuth in August 1876. Through the presentation of The Valkyrie, the 4th Baltic Opera Festival joins the international celebrations of this jubilee.
The staged performance of the second part of Richard Wagner’s tetralogy The Ring of the Nibelung will be the central event of this edition of the festival. It is one of the most demanding and monumental works in the history of opera, lasting nearly five hours and posing immense artistic and logistical challenges for both its creators and the audience.
Although rooted in Germanic mythology, The Valkyrie is not merely a story about gods and heroes. By drawing on myth, Wagner creates a universal reflection on power, fate, morality, and human nature. Archetypal figures become a mirror of contemporary tensions—conflicts of values, crises of authority, and the anxieties accompanying rapid civilizational change.
An exceptional context for this work will be the Forest Opera in Sopot—a historic open-air Theatre of Nature, where Wagner’s myth will resonate with extraordinary force. The natural surroundings will serve not only as scenery but also as a symbolic backdrop for a story about the primordial origins of world order and its fragility.
The production is a co-production of the Royal Danish Opera (Copenhagen) and the Greek National Opera (Athens).
