Thomas Cilluffo, tenor

I made another "Selfie Opera" for Halloween!!!

It is the opening scene from "Siegfried," the third of the four operas in Richard Wagner's infamous "Ring Cycle," ,,Der Ring des Nibelungen" (or "The Ring of the Nibelungs")

Synopsis:

Mime ("Mee-muh"), is a Nibelungen-Dwarf Craftsman, and maker of two plot-centric magical items; "The TarnHelm" (a magical helmet that grants the wearer the powers of transfiguration and invisibility) and the eponymous "Ring of Power," (a powerful ring made from "River-Gold" (,,Das Rheingold") stolen from the Gods themselves.)

The Giant, Fafnir, has stolen the TarnHelm and used its power to transform himself into a fearsome dragon and greedily slumbers atop The Nibelungen Dwarves' hoarded riches stored deep within the Earth.

Mime seeks to regain the Ring of Power for himself, but he is incapable of defeating Fafnir. Mime attempts to forge a mighty sword in the hopes that his young ward, Siegfried, the boisterous demi-god and grandson of Wotan (Odin), could use it to defeat Fafnir, the dragon. Every sword forged by Mime proves to be no match for Siegfried's strength, as Siegfried breaks every sword as if it were a child's toy.

Only one sword can withstand Siegfried's strength... "Nothung" (Noh-toong), a sword once owned by Siegfried's father, & whose blade was shattered long ago in a battle against the Gods, must be reforged for this task. A task Mime is unable to accomplish....
If this plot sounds vaguely familiar, it is because J.R.R. Tolkien based much of his literary masterpieces (The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings) on Wagner's Ring Cycle as well as Wagner's original source material; the Norse Volsunga Saga and Norse/Germanic mythology, including ,,Der Nibelungenlied" ("The Song of the Nibelungs")

When asked about the similarities between Wagner's "Ring Cycle" and his "Lord of the Rings," Tolkien whole-heartedly dismissed comparisons, saying "The Rings are round, and that is where the similarities END!"

I hope you enjoy this short & socially distanced "Selfie Opera" from the opening of Wagner's "Siegfried."

Special thanks to Jay John Heitmann for providing the orchestral backing track. If you haven't yet, GO *NOW* to his YouTube page. He has TONS of karaoke backing tracks for ENTIRE OPERAS... This man has painstakingly plunked out every single note for several full operas (including recitatives!!)... It is an amazing resource for learning roles and score study, and I simply cannot recommend his content enough... YouTube : "Jay John Heitmann Music" or follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKfZLl_3DEn4QqqpzKJR5IQ

The orchestral audio tracks sent by Mr. Heitmann were then digitally remastered to my specifications by my friend and talented composer JP Wogaman II, whose website and examples of his work can be found at www.wogamusic.com

And the artistic consultant / tattoo artist for this production was the ever-talented Franny Kromminga, whose vast and varied skills within the visual arts make her an invaluable asset on any project to which she is attached. To see more, check out her websites at www.frannykromminga.com and www.emblemephemera.com
Happy Halloween!! 🎃