To celebrate the upcoming hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Ring (1876-2026), the Opéra Royal de Versailles has asked the Saarland State Theatre of Saarbrücken, which has been staging each of the four Ring operas since last season, to come and present them at Versailles in a concert version: the singers will perform their roles without a score, and the orchestra and chorus will also be on stage.

Since it was founded in 1786, the Saarland State Theatre has become one of the most renowned theatres, ballet and opera houses in Germany, with seven hundred performances and 200,000 spectators every season. Its National Orchestra, founded in 1912, has been led by great resident conductors, especially in recent decades, such as Jiří Kout, Christof Perick and Jun Märkl. France’s Sébastien Rouland has held the role since 2018, and will be conducting the entire Tetralogy.

It is a tradition for every German opera house to regularly stage a production of the Ring. The singers of the permanent troupe, for whom it represents a core element of the repertoire, are joined here by guest soloists who perform the major roles in all German-language operas. As such, the Saarbrücken Theatre will be presenting a project, rooted in one hundred and fifty years of practice, at Versailles over a four-year period. After the success of The Rheingold in May 2023 comes the second instalment – and the first day – of the cycle.

With The Valkyrie, Wagner reached the peak of lyric art: the hero stands out for his exceptional force, while the famous Ride of the Valkyries earned the work a place among the world’s best-known pieces of music. A true masterpiece!

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