Philharmonia Orchestra: Wagner 200 in London

Sir Andrew Davis conducts a concert celebrating the exact 200th anniversary of Wagner’s birth, showcasing the British Wagner tradition and featuring one of the composer’s finest achievements. The Walküren (or Valkyries) of the title are an army of maidens who ride through the air on horseback. We see twin brother and sister, Siegmund and Sieglinde, fall in love, thereby committing both adultery and (unwittingly) incest. The former is subsequently killed by Wotan, although Brünnhilde (Wotan's warrior Valkyrie daughter) saves Sieglinde in the nick of time. The opera reaches a blazing climax during the unforgettable Third Act, when Brünnhilde is punished by Wotan, who surrounds her with a ring of fire that can only be crossed by a fearless hero destined to be none other than Sieglinde's eventual son, Siegfried.

This concert also launches Wagner 200, a wideranging, London-based festival to celebrate the bicentenary of Richard Wagner’s birth, featuring events from May to November 2013 in association with leading venues and producers. It is the culmination of a day of activity at Southbank Centre, including pop up open-air performances on the riverside terraces and balconies featuring young singers and performers.

Sung in German with English surtitles; the performance of Die Walküre, Act III, will be semi-staged

Malcolm Rivers Artistic Director of Mastersingers

Richard Wagner: The Sorcerer of Bayreuth by Barry Millington (Thames & Hudson, 2012) will be launched at this concert. Click on the link for more information.

Click here to view an interactive online version of the 2012/13 season brochure

Presented in association with