State Opera - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 2009 - 100 Euro Cent

To the content: In the depth of the Rhine the Rhine daughters guard the gold. When Alberich, the Lord of the Nibelung, who tries in vain to conquer one of the girls who finds gold, he learns that this is only to be robbed of the one who renounces love - and that the bearer of the ring forged from this gold has immeasurable wealth Power was conferred. Alberich opts for the gold and is therefore dangerous for all - even for the gods, who have just been built by the giants Fasolt and Fafner, a new home, "Walhall". Wotan, the supreme god, promised the giant, as its prize, the goddess Freia, who was the only one who could breed those apples that give eternal youth. When Loge, the cunning god of fire, tells the two giants of Alberich's gold robbery and the associated gain of power, they are ready to exchange Freia for the gold treasure. When Wotan and Loge arrive at Nibelheim, the subterranean kingdom of Alberic, Mime, Alberic's brother, has just finished making a cloak of incarnation capable of transforming the wearer into any shape. When Alberich turns into a toad after being provoked by Loge, the gods seize him and drag him away. His freedom to be regained he pays with a cloak of invisibility and a ring - not without cursing the ring beforehand: in addition to unlimited power, he should also bring death and misfortune to his owner. Then Wotan hands over the dwelling to the giant, he refuses the ring first. The goddess Erda appears and confronts him with his own finitude. Wotan follows her advice, separates from the ring around whose possession Fafner slays his brother Fasolt, and draws Valhall, who may return to him the lost certainty of victory. Loge, however, does not join the gods, but considers to dissolve into the element of fire and to devour Valhall together with the gods.