In the most human of the four operas which make up
Wagner's Ring cycle, the incestuous love between the twins Siegmund and Sieglinde spells the beginning of the end for their father, the god
Wotan. Tom between his love for his son and his duty as a god, Wotan finally abandons Siegmund - but not before his Valkyrie daughter
BrCinnhilde has disobeyed her father and tried to protect Siegmund.
Brunnhilde's punishment is to be put to sleep on a rock surrounded by fire.
Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, conductor James Levine
Act
6.35 Desert Song
Hundreds of miles from the Met, in the foothills of the Sangro di Cristo mountains in New Mexico, lies one of America's most unusual and successful companies - Santa Fe
Opera. Built on the site of an old ranch (its auditorium is partially open-air), Santa Fe has a tradition of staging both new and neglected operas which stretches back to its inaugural season in 1957, when Stravinsky himself presided over performances of The Rake's Progress.
Joanne Watson heads south to investigate.
7.00 Act 2
8.35 The Met Opera Quiz
George Jellinek invites opera experts Alison Ames , Leon Botstein and Charles Osbome to tackle questions sent in by listeners.
ADDRESS FOR QUESTIONS: The Met Opera Quiz. FOR Station, PO Box 805, New York, NY 10150
9.10 Act 3
Texaco supports the Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network, which is broadcast on Radio 3 through the EBU