Das Rheingold is Artistic Director IIMORI Taijiro's first production for the second season. WAGNER spent 26 years of his life composing the four-part music drama, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), and this work comprises the first part of it. The libretto, written by WAGNER himself, took its theme from the German Nibelungenlied (The Song of the Nibelungs)and Nordic myths.

The opera was directed by the internationally famous Götz FRIEDRICH, who was general director at the Deutsche Oper Berlin for nineteen years. This 1996 production is one from the last years of FRIEDRICH's life, and was staged at the Finnish National Opera, Helsinki. The opera is sung by tried and true performers such as Jukka RASILAINEN, playing Wotan, and Stephen GOULD, playing Loge. It is conducted by Artistic Director of Opera, IIMORI Taijiro.