In Le Crépuscule des dieux, the final installment of Richard Wagner’s L’Anneau du Nibelung (the Ring cycle), Siegfried departs from Brünnhilde to explore the world and accomplish great deeds. These will be his last, as he becomes ensnared in a dark scheme plotted by Alberich and his son Hagen during his journey along the Rhine. The downfall of the gods becomes unavoidable, marking the end of the mythical world Wagner has built over the course of the cycle. Wagner’s Le Crépuscule des dieux is the most philosophical and emotionally intense of the four operas in the Ring cycle. The music is grand and dramatic, mirroring the fiery climax in which Brünnhilde sacrifices herself on a pyre. The emotional depth is also evident in Siegfried’s funeral march, a powerful orchestral passage that stands as one of the most memorable moments in the score. This production of Le Crépuscule des dieux was first created in 1876 during the inaugural Bayreuth Festival, a venue specifically designed for Wagner’s operas. The current staging, by director Calixto Bieito, concludes his interpretation of the entire Ring cycle for the Paris Opera, which began in 2025. Bieito’s vision brings a modern and intense perspective to Wagner’s legendary work. The performance features a cast of internationally acclaimed singers, including Andreas Schager as Siegfried and Tamara Wilson as Brünnhilde. Conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado, the opera will be presented by the orchestra and chorus of the Paris National Opera. The staging runs at the Opéra Bastille in Paris from 8 to 18 October 2026.