In Wagner’s Ring Cycle, which opera is performed first?

In Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Das Rheingold is performed first.

Das Rheingold is the preliminary evening, or Vorabend, of Richard Wagner’s four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. It introduces the Rhine gold, the ring forged from it, and the central conflict among gods, giants, dwarfs, and other supernatural powers. The opera establishes motives and relationships that continue through the next three works.

The remaining operas are Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung. Although Das Rheingold comes first in the dramatic sequence, Wagner composed parts of the larger project in a different order, so composition history can cause confusion.

The title means “The Rhine Gold.” Unlike the other three parts, it is not divided into traditional acts; Wagner described it as a continuous drama. Its opening scene takes place beneath the Rhine, where the Rhinemaidens guard the gold.