Episode 1 - Familiar Strangers (Act 1) Artwork

Soft Valkyrie

Can someone whisper Die Walküre in your ear? With opera, you do not think of whispers or sighs but of strong classical voices in grand, spectacular set pieces. But the composer and game designer David Kanaga has turned Richard Wagner’s famous opera into a podcast. In Die Walküre, the second part of Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen, the supreme god Wotan punishes his daughter Brünnhilde for not following his orders. He makes her mortal and locks her up in a mountain surrounded by fire. While closely following Wagner’s notes and storyline, Kanaga’s background in the world of gaming can be heard in his use of electronic instruments and sound effects full of humour, drama and mysticism. The parts are sung by an atypical cast, ranging from classically trained vocalists like Claron McFadden to the demonic voice artist Attila Csihar – sung to be listened to on headphones rather than in an opera house. The result is intimate, light and less domineering than the original. One might even say: soft. A warm narrating voice turns Wagner’s stage instructions into a magical radio play in which the entire drama takes place in listeners’ imagination.Each of the three acts of Die Walküre will be divided into several podcast episodes for Soft Valkyrie. The episodes of the first act will be released on June 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th. The episodes of the second and third acts will follow later.

All Episodes

Soft Valkyrie

Episode 1 - Familiar Strangers (Act 1)

June 02, 2021 • Season 1 • Episode 1

Note: to hear Soft Valkyrie with live English, German or Dutch subtitles, please go to Youtube.

Click here for the full-score and for the libretto.

Welcome to Soft Valkyrie, a podcast version of Die Walküre, the second and most intimate opera of Wagner’s Ring cycle. You are entering a realm of gods, dwarves, giants, horses, money, contracts, and dogs.

In this episode, we meet Siegmund (Bryan the Mensah). On the run from his enemies, he seeks shelter in a house in the woods. There he meets Sieglinde . He does not immediately recognize her as his long-lost twin sister, but the two feel an instant emotional connection.

Previously on The Ring

Need a quick recap of the events of Das Rheingold, the first installment of the Ring? We’ve got you.

Supreme god Wotan has hired two giants to build a castle for him in the sky, Walhalla. But when they come to collect their pay, Wotan has nothing to pay them with and the giants take his wife’s sister, the goddess Freia, whom he has offered as collateral.

Wotan then travels to the Nibelheim, where the Nibelung Alberich has stashed a large amount of gold stolen from the Rhine, as well as a magical ring he has forged from it. Wotan steals the gold, including the ring, and hopes to pay off the giants with just the gold. They also demand the ring, and Wotan reluctantly hands it to them. Then Erda, mother Earth herself, makes an appearance to warn Wotan that the end is near. Slightly confused, the company of gods crosses the rainbow bridge into Walhalla.

Between the events of Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, some years have passed and Wotan, the supreme god, has had some time to decide on strategy. His chosen route? Procreation. Apart from nine divine Valkyries born of his affair with Erda, he has fathered twins with a mortal woman to whom he called himself Wolf. From his mortal offspring, Wotan hopes a hero will arise who, unencumbered by the treaties that bind the god himself, will obtain the ring for him.

These mortal siblings, Siegmund and Sieglinde, have grown up separately and completely unaware of each other. And that is where we start off…

Soft Valkyrie

Presented and commissioned by Holland Festival in collaboration with Staatsoper Hannover and Dutch National Opera.

Full Credits

Music and libretto - Richard Wagner

English translation - Frederick Jameson

Direction & MIDI arrangement - David Kanaga

VOICES

Siegmund - Bryan the Mensah

Sieglinde - Hailey Clark

Hunding - Attila Csihar

Wotan - Mattijs van de Woerd

Fricka - Nadine Secunde

Brünnhilde - Claron McFadden

Valkyries - Mercedes Arcuri (Gerhilde, Helmwige), Clara Nadesdin (Ortlinde, Siegrune), Weronika Rabek (Waltraute, Grimgerde), Monika Walerowicz (Rossweisse, Schwertleite)

INSTRUMENTS

MIDI Piano, Act 1 - Marc Evanstein

MIDI Piano, act 2 and 3 - Ernst Munneke

Additional Flute on Siegmund’s “Winterstürme” - Jonas Pologe

SFX packs - Ableton, SOPHIE, Spectrasonics

PRODUCTION

Casting - David Kanaga, Christian Carlstedt

Dramaturgy - Laura Roling, Manon Schreurs

Commissioned and co-produced by Holland Festival, Dutch National Opera, Staatsoper Hannover

With the support of NTR Radio 4

Special thanks to Sound department Staatstheater Hannover, Soho Square Studios London, Splendor Amsterdam, Jochem Valkenburg, Jasper Berben