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Today in History: Wagner’s Das Rheingold premieres in Munich

By Drooid · Sep 22, 2026, 10:35 AM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Story summary

On 22 September 1869, Richard Wagner’s *Das Rheingold* debuted at Munich’s National Theatre, launching the first act of his four-opera Ring cycle. The work, drawn from Norse and Germanic myths, introduced Wagner’s “music-drama” concept, uniting text and score in continuous singing, and set the stage for the full Ring performances at Bayreuth.

1 of 1

Story summary

On 22 September 1869, Richard Wagner’s *Das Rheingold* debuted at Munich’s National Theatre, launching the first act of his four-opera Ring cycle. The work, drawn from Norse and Germanic myths, introduced Wagner’s “music-drama” concept, uniting text and score in continuous singing, and set the stage for the full Ring performances at Bayreuth.