For the first time in Estonia, the full cycle of Richard Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung will be presented to local opera audiences through a collaboration between Eesti Kontsert and Theatre Vanemuine. The first part of the saga will be included in the programme of Saaremaa Opera Festival 2026.
Completed in 1874, Wagner’s Nibelung cycle is considered one of the most awe-inspiring works in the classical opera repertoire. It consists of four separate operas — Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung.
The full musical material of the tetralogy spans around 15 hours. Its central figure is Wotan, the king of the gods, drawn from Germanic heroic mythology. The saga is a grand, otherworldly adventure, both in terms of its libretto and its musical complexity — a must-experience for every true opera connoisseur.
The opening opera, Das Rheingold, tells the origin story of the Ring of the Nibelung. Alberich, a Nibelung dwarf, steals enchanted gold from the bottom of the Rhine River and forges a powerful ring from it, proclaiming himself ruler of the Nibelungs. When the ring is stolen from Alberich, he curses it and all its future bearers. The following operas — Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung — unfold a tense battle among gods, heroes, and mythical creatures over the ring, which grants the power to rule the world. The dramatic and intrigue-filled story spans three generations of characters.
Risto Joost, Music Director of Theatre Vanemuine explains the motivation behind staging The Ring:
After producing Tristan und Isolde at Vanemuine Theatre, we wanted to further explore Wagner’s music. Since The Ring of the Nibelung has never before been staged in full in Estonia, we felt a strong desire to bring this cycle to our audiences — especially with Estonian singers, many of whom have performed Wagner roles internationally. The scale and expressive power of Wagner’s music feel like discovering a whole new world, one that never loses its fascination. The themes in The Ring’s libretto — the lust for power and the hatred that power can bring — are incredibly relevant today.
Aivar Mäe, General Manager of Theatre Vanemuine also describes the ambitious project:
This is a major event in the history of Estonian musical theatre – Wagner’s Ring Cycle will be staged in its entirety in Estonia for the first time. It is a unique undertaking, as each opera will be performed only once – at the Saaremaa Opera Festival. I am delighted that we joined forces with Eesti Kontsert for this project. This monumental work will reach the audience thanks to the collaboration of two esteemed organizations – it would not be possible to stage it in a repertory theatre. To bring all four operas to the stage, we have reached an agreement with Dutch director and designer Michiel Dijkema. Thus, through the collaboration of Eesti Kontsert and the Vanemuine Theatre, a beautiful evening at the Saaremaa Opera Festival will come to life, where the finest Estonian opera singers will share the stage.
Das Rheingold will premiere on July 18, 2026.
Followed by the remaining parts of the tetralogy in subsequent years at Saaremaa Opera Festival:
Die Walküre on July 17, 2027, Siegfried on July 22, 2028, and Götterdämmerung on July 21, 2029.
Music Director Risto Joost
Director, Set Designer, and Lighting Designer Michiel Dijkema (Netherlands)
Cast: Ain Anger, Koit Soasepp (Finnish National Opera), Annely Peebo (Wiener Volksoper), Monika-Evelin Liiv, Liene Kinča (Latvia), Sandra Laagus (Berlin State Opera’s Studio), Kadri Kõrvek (Estonian National Opera), Mati Turi, Rauno Elp (Estonian National Opera), Juhan Tralla, Roland Liiv (Finnish National Opera), Taavi Tampuu et al.