Speight’s Wagner Memories: 87 RING

Speight remembers his first great success with the RING.

2009 Götterdämmerung

From 2009 Ring cycle performances.

1974/75 Gotterdammerung Program

Explore the 1974/75 Gotterdammerung Program!

PARSIFAL Enters the Grail Temple

Listen to Asher Fisch conduct overwhelming music from the first show in McCaw Hall!

DENNIS BAILEY as Froh

Hear the voice of Seattle Opera’s resident tenor in the ’70s!

1981 Ring

A new Siegfried added to the excitement of Seattle Opera’s most ambitious summer program yet.

2000 Das Rheingold and Die Walküre

This preview of our third RING production featured the first two operas in the cycle, presented in full one year later.

1978 Ring

Johanna Meier and Alberto Remedios joined our cast this summer.

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 89 DUTCHMAN

Speight learns to listen to young people at final dress rehearsals.

2010 Tristan and Isolde

Watch Video: Music with Maestro Asher Fisch

The Road to Valhalla Part 5: Orchestra & Chorus

The making of the Ring

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 03 PARSIFAL

Speight remembers consecrating McCaw Hall with Wagner’s most Wagnerian opera.

2007/08 Flying Dutchman Program

Explore the 2007/08 Flying Dutchman Program!

The Road to Valhalla Part 4: Special Effects

The Making of the Ring

1975 Ring

The first Ring performed complete within a week in the U.S. in a generation.

1984 Ring Program

Explore the 1984 Ring Program!

Joseph Horowitz on Wagner in Seattle

From the book, “Classical Music in America”

Artist of the Year: GREER GRIMSLEY as Wotan

Listen to the voice of Seattle’s reigning king of the gods.

1987 Ring Program

Explore the 1987 Ring Program!

2009 DAS RHEINGOLD Preview

Three-minute complilation of footage from the final dress rehearsal of 2009’s DAS RHEINGOLD.

1984 Tannhäuser

For Seattle Opera’s only production of this masterpiece, we projected titles above the stage for the first time.

2009 The Road to Valhalla Part 2 – Costumes

The making of the Ring

1977 Ring

Simon Estes was a strong Hagen, and Ute Vinzing joined our Ring for the first time as Brünnhilde.

1976: Seattle Opera’s Early Valkyries

“Ride of the Valkyries” — sung in English!

GLYNN ROSS Welcomes You To The RING

Hear the voice of Seattle Opera’s founding General Director!

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 84 TANNHÄUSER

Speight remembers how supertitles came to Seattle Opera.

1986 Ring Program

Explore the 1986 Ring Program!

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 84 RING

Speight’s story of saving his first-ever RING from disaster.

1984/85 Tannhäuser Program

Explore the 1984/85 Tannhäuser Program!

2003 Parsifal

The unforgettable opera that opened McCaw Hall!

1989: Ben Heppner as Walther von Stolzing

Hear the great Canadian tenor sing one of his most gorgeous roles.

1984: Dale Duesing as Wolfram

Duesing implores the Evening Star to bear his love to the lady of his heart.

RING in English: Paul Crook as Mime and Raimund Herincx as Wotan

Hear the SIEGFRIED Riddle Scene–in English!

2009 Ring

The “Green” Ring looked better than ever this summer.

2010 Tristan and Isolde

Watch a Video Excerpt

1983 Ring Program

Explore the 1983 Ring Program!

1980 Ring Program

Explore the 1980 Ring Program!

1977 Ring Program

Explore the 1977 Ring Program.

From the TRISTAN UND ISOLDE Prelude

Hear Asher Fisch conduct the TRISTAN Prelude!

1998 Tristan und Isolde

Wagner News: “An opera experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 94 LOHENGRIN

Speight gets the swan just the way he likes it!

1985 Die Walküre

The moment when the difference between Speight Jenkins and Glynn Ross became apparent!

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 85 WALKÜRE

Speight remembers when the “Shiite Wagnerites” demanded his head.

2006 & 2008 International Wagner Competitions

Hear the winners of our International Wagner Competitions!

1989/90 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Program

Explore the 1989/90 Master-Singers of Nuremberg Program!

2009 RING – Road to Valhalla Part I: Rehearsals and Artists

Part one of our series previewing 2009 RING Cycle focused on the artists involved and their rehearsal process.

1971/72 The Flying Dutchman Program

Explore the 1971/72 Flying Dutchman Program!

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 01 RING

Speight finds a new Siegfried–with two days notice!

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 98 TRISTAN UND ISOLDE

Speight’s dreams come true with a match made in operatic heaven.

1975 Götterdämmerung

The first time the world ended at Seattle Opera!

1966 – Wagner’s Seattle Opera Debut

The first Wagner production at Seattle Opera!

1982 Ring Program

Explore the 1982 Ring Program!

2013 Ring Program

Explore the 2013 Ring Program!

2007 Der Fliegende Holländer

“Gloomy captain, go on land; seek a faithful woman’s hand! Another seven years rush by; another woman soon must die.”

2004 Lohengrin

Revival of the 1994 production directed by Stephen Wadsworth.

2009 Das Rheingold

From the 2009 Ring

1998/99 Tristan und Isolde Program

Explore the 1998/99 Tristan and Isolde Program!

THE RING in English

Listen to excerpts from Seattle Opera’s English-language RINGS!

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 89 MEISTERSINGER

Speight remembers how Nuremberg came to Seattle.

1994 Lohengrin

Greer Grimsley’s first Wagner opera—complete with giant animatronic swan!

2009 Ring Program

Explore the 2009 Ring Program!

1994/95 Lohengrin Program

Explore the 1994/95 Lohengrin Program!

JULIAN PATRICK as Alberich

One of our favorite baritones sings Alberich’s curse.

Siegfried’s Bear

Perhaps the wildest animal ever to appear on our stage…

1981 Ring & Tristan Program

Explore the program for our Summer 1981 Wagner festival, featuring the Ring and Tristan and Isolde.

Ride of the Valkyries

The most familiar music from Wagner’s RING!

1972 Der Fliegende Holländer

Wagner’s rollicking sea yarn came to Seattle with a famous cast.

2003/04 Parsifal Progarm

Explore the 2003/04 Parsifal Program!

The Road to Valhalla Part 3: Sets and Props

The Making of the Ring

Two Languages in the ’76 WALKÜRE Death-Announcement Scene

A cast substitution with unexpected results.

1978 Ring Program

Explore the 1978 Ring Program!

1966 Lohengrin

It’s love at first sight (and hearing!) when Seattle Opera meets Richard Wagner.

1974 Siegfried

A second Ring opera is added to Seattle’s repertory.

1980/81 Tristan and Isolde Program

Explore the 1980/81 Tristan and Isolde Program!

2001 Ring Program

Explore the 2001 Ring Program!

Artist of the Year: JANE EAGLEN as Isolde, with Ben Heppner as Tristan

Hear two of the great Wagner voices of our time, at the peak of their powers.

1986 RING

The first complete presentation of the imaginative Rochaix/Israel Ring 2.

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 05 RING

Speight: “A remarkably easy RING!”

1995 Ring Program

Explore the 1995 Ring Program!

1982 Ring

A game of musical chairs ensued when several Ring singers switched parts.

1988/89 Flying Dutchman Program

Explore the 1988/89 Flying Dutchman Program!

2010 Tristan und Isolde

A minimalist new production directed by Peter Kazaras that was inspired in part from the Ambrose Bierce short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.”

1976 Ring

A new Brünnhilde headlined our second complete cycle.

Five Decades of Wagner in Seattle: 1966-2013

A complete list of Wagner performances in Seattle.

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 95 RING

Speight finds a new Siegfried–after the final dress rehearsal!

2009 Die Walküre

From the 2009 Ring cycle performances

“The RING Goes to School”

Wagner’s mighty epic performed for–and by!–kids all over Washington State.

1989 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Seattle Opera’s only production to date of Wagner’s sunny comedy.

Asher Fisch Conducts Siegfried’s Funeral March

The orchestra mourns the death of a fallen hero.

1985-1995 RING 2

Watch clips from our imaginative second production of Wagner’s Ring.

HENRY HOLT On Opera In English

Hear the voice of Seattle Opera’s first Music and Education Director!

“His energy and ideas built Seattle Opera”

R. M. Campbell’s obituary recaps the remarkable career of Glynn Ross.

1983 Ring

The final cycle produced by Glynn Ross.

“Seattle Opera took gamble on the grand scale to launch Wagner epic”

A 1982 article about Glynn Ross and Seattle’s Ring.

PERRY LORENZO on Wagner’s “Ring”

Listen to a clip from Perry Lorenzo’s famous RING lectures!

Artist of the Year: STEPHEN MILLING as Gurnemanz

The award-winning performance in the first opera in the renovated McCaw Hall.

2005 Ring Program

Explore the 2005 Ring Program!

Roger Roloff as Wotan

Hear the bass-baritone who often sang Wotan in Seattle in the ’80s.

1995 Ring

The final outing of Ring 2 was a great success, artistically—and financially!

2000/01 Das Rheingold, Die Walküre Program

Explore the 2000/01 Das Rheingold, Die Walküre Program!

2010 Tristan and Isolde

Watch Director’s Talk Video with Peter Kazaras

RING in English: Archie Drake as Gunther and James McCray as Siegfried

Hear Archie Drake sing Gunther–in English!

1987: Leonie Rysanek as Sieglinde

The great Viennese soprano’s only Seattle appearance!

1973/74 Siegfried Program

Explore the 1973/74 Siegfried Program!

RING in English: Noel Tyl as Wotan

Hear the voice of Noel Tyl, one of our first Wotans.

1973 Die Walküre

Glynn Ross begins introducing his favorite opera tetralogy to Seattle.

1975/76 The Ring Program

Explore the 1974/75 Ring Program!

1984 Ring

The last summer for Ring 1!

1989 The Flying Dutchman
Glynn Ross on Forging a Ring

Excerpt from The Journal of the Wagner Society of Northern California

2004/05 Lohengrin Progarm

Explore the 2004/05 Lohengrin Program!

1979 Ring Program

Explore the 1979 Ring Program!

2010/11 Tristan and Isolde Program

Explore the 2010/11 Tristan and Isolde Program!

WILLIAM WILDERMANN as Hagen

Hear the bass who was with us from before the beginning.

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 2000 Half-RING

Speight remembers how the “Green” RING began its life.

Geraldine Decker as Erda

Hear the voice of Seattle’s original Ur-Mutter.

MALCOLM RIVERS as Alberich

Hear Seattle’s first malevolent Lord of the Ring.

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 91 RING

The once-controversial “Ring 2” finally earns complete acceptance.

1985/86 Die Walküre Program

Explore the 1985/86 Die Walküre Program!

MARVELLEE CARIAGA as Fricka

Hear the mezzo who was Seattle’s original Queen of the Gods.

1991 Ring Program

Explore the 1991 Ring Program!

1980 RING

By 1980, Seattle’s Ring was a well-known west coast cultural phenomenon.

1991 Ring

RING 2 achieved widespread acceptance this summer, and the number of performances increased to three.

1976 Ring Program

Explore the 1976 Ring Program!

JULIAN PATRICK as Beckmesser

A serenade gone hilariously wrong!

1979 Ring

Edward Sooter made a great addition to our Ring cast at its fifth consecutive summer.

1981 Tristan und Isolde

Our first production of Wagner’s great song of love and death.

Seattle Opera’s Heroic Prop Master

Pete Olds’ quick-thinking saves the day.

2001 Ring

The first full performance of Seattle Opera’s beloved “Green” Ring.

1972/73 Die Walküre Program

Explore the 1972/73 Die Walküre Program!

2005 Ring

Our first RING in McCaw Hall–and Greer Grimsley’s first Wotan.

Speight’s Wagner Memories: 86 RING

How the first go-around of “Ring 2” had some strengths and some weaknesses.

1987 Ring

Leonie Rysanek’s unforgettable Seattle appearance!

2009 Siegfried

From the 2009 Ring cycle performances