Götterdämmerung or The Twilight of the Gods is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four music dramas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung, or The Ring for short). It received its premiere at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on August 17, 1876, as part of the first complete performance of the Ring.
The title is a translation into German of the Old Norse phrase Ragnarök, which in Norse mythology refers to a prophesied war among various beings and gods that ultimately results in the burning, immersion in water, and renewal of the world. However, as with the rest of the Ring, Wagner's account diverges significantly from his Old Norse sources.
Cast:
Siegfried - Wolfgang Windgassen
Brunnhilde - Birgit Nilsson
Vienna Philharmonic
Sir Georg Solti - conductor
DECCA 1965