Episode 1 - Familiar Strangers (Act 1)

Note: to hear Soft Valkyrie with live English, German or
Dutch subtitles, please go to Youtube.

Click here for the full-score and for the libretto.
 
Welcome to Soft Valkyrie, a podcast version of Die Walküre, the
second and most intimate opera of Wagner’s Ring cycle. You are
entering a realm of gods, dwarves, giants, horses, money,
contracts, and dogs. 


In this episode, we meet Siegmund (Bryan the Mensah). On the run
from his enemies, he seeks shelter in a house in the woods. There
he meets Sieglinde . He does not immediately recognize her as his
long-lost twin sister, but the two feel an instant emotional
connection. 


Previously on The Ring


Need a quick recap of the events of Das Rheingold, the first
installment of the Ring? We’ve got you. 


Supreme god Wotan has hired two giants to build a castle for him
in the sky, Walhalla. But when they come to collect their pay,
Wotan has nothing to pay them with and the giants take his wife’s
sister, the goddess Freia, whom he has offered as
collateral. 


Wotan then travels to the Nibelheim, where the Nibelung Alberich
has stashed a large amount of gold stolen from the Rhine, as well
as a magical ring he has forged from it. Wotan steals the gold,
including the ring, and hopes to pay off the giants with just the
gold. They also demand the ring, and Wotan reluctantly hands it
to them. Then Erda, mother Earth herself, makes an appearance to
warn Wotan that the end is near. Slightly confused, the company
of gods crosses the rainbow bridge into Walhalla. 


Between the events of Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, some years
have passed and Wotan, the supreme god, has had some time to
decide on strategy. His chosen route? Procreation. Apart from
nine divine Valkyries born of his affair with Erda, he has
fathered twins with a mortal woman to whom he called himself
Wolf. From his mortal offspring, Wotan hopes a hero will arise
who, unencumbered by the treaties that bind the god himself, will
obtain the ring for him. 


These mortal siblings, Siegmund and Sieglinde, have grown up
separately and completely unaware of each other. And that is
where we start off…
 
Soft Valkyrie

Presented and commissioned by Holland Festival in collaboration
with Staatsoper Hannover and Dutch National Opera.

Full Credits

Music and libretto  - Richard Wagner

English translation  - Frederick Jameson

Direction & MIDI arrangement  - David Kanaga

VOICES

Siegmund  - Bryan the Mensah

Sieglinde  - Hailey Clark

Hunding  - Attila Csihar

Wotan  - Mattijs van de Woerd

Fricka  - Nadine Secunde

Brünnhilde -  Claron McFadden

Valkyries  - Mercedes Arcuri (Gerhilde, Helmwige), Clara
Nadesdin (Ortlinde, Siegrune), Weronika Rabek (Waltraute,
Grimgerde), Monika Walerowicz (Rossweisse, Schwertleite)

INSTRUMENTS

MIDI Piano, Act 1 - Marc Evanstein

MIDI Piano, act 2 and 3 - Ernst Munneke

Additional Flute on Siegmund’s “Winterstürme” - Jonas
Pologe

SFX packs - Ableton, SOPHIE, Spectrasonics

PRODUCTION

Casting - David Kanaga, Christian Carlstedt

Dramaturgy - Laura Roling, Manon Schreurs

Commissioned and co-produced by  Holland Festival, Dutch
National Opera, Staatsoper Hannover

With the support of  NTR Radio 4

Special thanks to  Sound department Staatstheater Hannover,
Soho Square Studios London, Splendor Amsterdam, Jochem
Valkenburg, Jasper Berben