Historic Wagner in Ravello: Dresdner Festspielorchester and Concerto Köln Present Götterdämmerung

On 31 July 2026, the Dresdner Festspielorchester and Concerto Köln, under the musical direction of Kent Nagano, presented the Prologue and Act I of Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung in a condensed two-hour version at the Ravello Festival in Italy. Performed in the gardens of Villa Rufolo, closely associated with Wagner's visit to Ravello, the concert formed part of The Wagner Cycles, a project of the Dresdner Musikfestspiele.

Based on musicological research and historically informed performance practice, The Wagner Cycle explores Wagner's original sound world. Following performances in Dresden and guest appearances in Lucerne, Paris, Prague, and Ravello, the project will continue with further performances in the coming months.

In Musik in Dresden, Michael Ernst wrote on 3 August 2026:

"Kent Nagano and the musicians trained in historically informed performance practice were undeterred by the challenging conditions. They set the strings shimmering, let the brass strive for resonance, while woodwinds and harps created a chamber-like sonority, before the timpani ushered in the darkness of the night."

"Kent Nagano once again achieved what he has already demonstrated elsewhere: a highly dramatic account of Götterdämmerung, unfolding from daring pianissimi into gripping climaxes, supported by a fascinating cast that embraced the project with profound dedication."

Further responses to the Ravello performance appeared in the Italian press.

In an article in Corriere della Sera on 3 August 2026, Valerio Cappelli wrote:

“In pursuit of the original sound, Kent Nagano conducted the Prologue and Act I of the final part of the Ring with great success, 150 years after its premiere.”

In Giornale della Musica on 5 August 2026, Mauro Mariani wrote:

“Hearing Wagner performed on period instruments was extremely interesting. In discovering certain inevitable influences from the music of the immediately preceding period, one found confirmation of everything brilliantly new that Wagner wrote, suggesting that he inhabited a completely different world from the other opera composers of his time.”

In Tuscia Times on 10 August 2026, Cinzia Dichiara wrote:

“An interesting performance for many reasons, demanding in terms of the quality of its philological work.”

“In the end, as they made their way down the steep terraces of the garden, the audience was able to take with them the experience of the astonishing and perhaps overwhelming grandeur of Wagner’s world. A world that, on this evening, was not far from here.”