In 2025, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo and the Royal Opera and Ballet each launched new Ring cycles with Das Rheingold. In 2026, Part Two arrives with Die Walküre. Directed by Davide Livermore, the Monte-Carlo cycle immediately distinguishes itself through spectacular video projections by D-Wok, clearly surpassing the visual ambitions of the RBO. These grand digital tableaux invigorate the musical experience and feel emblematic of opera’s future. Forests transform from winter to spring, the Ride of the Valkyries unfolds in cinematic splendour, and Valhalla rises amid moving clouds — all genuinely awe-inspiring.
The orchestra, Les Musiciens du Prince under Gianluca Capuano, is unusually small for Wagner. Yet the use of original instruments enhances the texture of the Gesamtkunstwerk. Tempi are often strikingly swift — frequently effective in driving the drama forward — though the famous Ride of the Valkyries arguably sacrifices some weight at this pace.
As in Das Rheingold, Wotan, Brünnhilde, Siegmund and Sieglinde are doubled by child versions of themselves, appearing at key dramatic moments. Each act opens with a child seated at a desk, writing a phrase that foreshadows the action — ‘Let’s play at flying’ preceding the Ride of the Valkyries. Are the gods merely playing games with fate? A launched projectile triggers the music, transforming into a burning WWII-era aircraft battling a storm. In Rheingold the wreckage lay submerged in the Rhine; in Walküre it is omnipresent, even intruding upon Valhalla.
American baritone Daniel Scofield joined the production just two days before the premiere following the sudden withdrawal of Matthias Goerne. Despite never having sung Wotan before (though he covered the role in 2023) and having minimal rehearsal time, Scofield makes his debut with remarkable assurance. Watching him, one would never suspect the circumstances. He becomes the dramatic anchor of the production, dominating the stage while giving coherence to Wotan’s deeply conflicted psyche. His German is excellent and intelligently delivered.
Wotan is an exhausting role, from the 15-minute Act II monologue to the long Act III farewell with Brünnhilde. Scofield negotiates the full emotional spectrum — frustration with Fricka, tenderness, fury and compassion with Brünnhilde — with seemingly effortless command. His legato is strong, his vocal palette ample, and his use of nuance and dynamics finely judged. The Act III confrontation is a highlight, each repetition of ‘gegen mich doch’ (‘against me’) carrying a different inflection. That this is his first outing in the role makes the achievement all the more extraordinary. It is a towering performance.
The supporting cast is of uniformly high quality.
Swedish tenor Joachim Bäckström and American soprano Libby Sokolowski portray the Wälsung twins with passion and sensitivity, forging a convincing emotional connection. Bäckström’s clear, dramatic tenor is equally suited to lyrical repertoire such as Hoffmann and Rodolfo. One might wish for more resistance as Siegmund draws Nothung from the ash tree — it emerges rather too easily. Sokolowski’s powerful soprano, already heard in Turandot and Lady Macbeth, is thrilling. Their physical resemblance is persuasive, though Sokolowski’s Little Red Riding Hood–like costume perhaps points too literally to their lineage from Wälse/Wolf (Wotan).
German bass Wilhelm Schwinghammer, impressive as Fasolt last season, returns as Hunding with a booming bass that has developed significantly; his future now warrants close attention. Russian superstar mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk, heard as Erda last year, possesses a richly powerful dramatic mezzo and delivers a sensational Fricka. The eight Valkyries — as noisy as ever — all boast excellent voices.
This is a thrilling night at the opera, vocally and visually, heightened further by the tension of a last-minute cast change. Performances are sold out, and next year’s Siegfried will be highly coveted — book early.
Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Salle Garnier
Music and libretto by Richard Wagner (1813–1883)
Conducted by Gianluca Capuano
Directed by Davide Livermore
Videos by D-Wok
First performance: Theatre Royal, Munich, 26 June 1870
Photo credit: Marco Borelli
Cast includes Joachim Bäckström, Wilhelm Schwinghammer, Daniel Scofield, Libby Sokolowski, Nancy Weissbach, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Sofia Fomina, Natalia Tanasii, Marie-Thérèse Carmack, Heike Wessels, Anna Lapkovskaja, Freya Apfelstaedt, Niamh O’Sullivan, Kaarin Cecilia Phelps
Les Musiciens du Prince – Monaco
Running time: 4 hours 50 minutes, with two intervals
Performances: 23, 25, 27, 29 January 2026