Tobias Kratzer Directs Siegfried at the Bayerische Staatsoper
Director Tobias Kratzer continued his staging of Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle with “Siegfried” at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, reported on October 30, 2026. Kratzer split the character of the young Siegfried in two, presenting him simultaneously as a 12-year-old boy and a grown tenor. The production follows his earlier stagings of “Rheingold” and “Walküre,” with the final installments of the cycle scheduled for late June next year.
Staging Choices and the Double Siegfried
The production utilizes domestic and urban settings, opening in a detailed, multi-room apartment where Mime acts as an overextended single father. Tenor Benjamin Bruns sang the role of Siegfried, while 12-year-old actor Felix Fröbel played the younger counterpart. During the performance, the younger Siegfried shoves a guinea pig into a microwave in the child’s bedroom before it explodes.
Later in the scene, the two versions of Siegfried craft the sword together inside a children’s tent. Bruns then takes over the physical and vocal execution of the grown hero, portraying a character progressing from childhood toward adulthood.
Vocal Performances and Orchestral Execution
Nicholas Brownlee sang the role of Wotan, earning recognition for his vocal range and clear diction. In a departure from traditional stagings, Wotan interrogates and physically restrains Erda in a training room rather than simply seeking her counsel. Wiebke Lehmkuhl performed the role of Erda, maintaining vocal strength during the interrogation sequence.
Simone Schneiders appeared as Brünnhilde, joining Benjamin Bruns in the opera’s central romantic and dramatic arcs. Timo Riihonen played Fafner, and a live horse named Grane appeared on stage alongside Siegfried. Vladimir Jurowski conducted the Bayerisches Staatsorchester, leading the orchestra from the open pit through a score marked by precision and dynamic volume.
Flight to the Unknown
The conclusion of the second act diverges from traditional stagings of the “leuchtende Liebe, lachender Tod” finale. Instead of moving into a romantic encounter, Siegfried and Brünnhilde attempt to flee the scene. Walküren storm the set—reconfigured from Rainer Sellmaier’s design of the Nationaltheater’s royal hall—before ultimately providing passports that allow the pair to escape. Alberich, played by Georg Nigl, arrives shortly afterward with a group of enforcers as the central characters depart into uncertainty.