Episodes

  • Trailer
    May 25 2021

    Trailer for Soft Valkyrie, a contemporary podcast version of Richard Wagner's Die Walküre - commissioned by Holland Festival, Staatsoper Hannover and Dutch National Opera. First episode coming June 3rd!

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    1 min
  • Episode 1 - Familiar Strangers (Act 1)
    Jun 2 2021

    Note: to hear Soft Valkyrie with live English, German or Dutch subtitles, please go to Youtube.

    Click here for the full-score and for the libretto.

    Welcome to Soft Valkyrie, a podcast version of Die Walküre, the second and most intimate opera of Wagner’s Ring cycle. You are entering a realm of gods, dwarves, giants, horses, money, contracts, and dogs.

    In this episode, we meet Siegmund (Bryan the Mensah). On the run from his enemies, he seeks shelter in a house in the woods. There he meets Sieglinde . He does not immediately recognize her as his long-lost twin sister, but the two feel an instant emotional connection.

    Previously on The Ring

    Need a quick recap of the events of Das Rheingold, the first installment of the Ring? We’ve got you.

    Supreme god Wotan has hired two giants to build a castle for him in the sky, Walhalla. But when they come to collect their pay, Wotan has nothing to pay them with and the giants take his wife’s sister, the goddess Freia, whom he has offered as collateral.

    Wotan then travels to the Nibelheim, where the Nibelung Alberich has stashed a large amount of gold stolen from the Rhine, as well as a magical ring he has forged from it. Wotan steals the gold, including the ring, and hopes to pay off the giants with just the gold. They also demand the ring, and Wotan reluctantly hands it to them. Then Erda, mother Earth herself, makes an appearance to warn Wotan that the end is near. Slightly confused, the company of gods crosses the rainbow bridge into Walhalla.

    Between the events of Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, some years have passed and Wotan, the supreme god, has had some time to decide on strategy. His chosen route? Procreation. Apart from nine divine Valkyries born of his affair with Erda, he has fathered twins with a mortal woman to whom he called himself Wolf. From his mortal offspring, Wotan hopes a hero will arise who, unencumbered by the treaties that bind the god himself, will obtain the ring for him.

    These mortal siblings, Siegmund and Sieglinde, have grown up separately and completely unaware of each other. And that is where we start off…

    Soft Valkyrie

    Presented and commissioned by Holland Festival in collaboration with Staatsoper Hannover and Dutch National Opera.

    Full Credits

    Music and libretto - Richard Wagner

    English translation - Frederick Jameson

    Direction & MIDI arrangement - David Kanaga

    VOICES

    Siegmund - Bryan the Mensah

    Sieglinde - Hailey Clark

    Hunding - Attila Csihar

    Wotan - Mattijs van de Woerd

    Fricka - Nadine Secunde

    Brünnhilde - Claron McFadden

    Valkyries - Mercedes Arcuri (Gerhilde, Helmwige), Clara Nadesdin (Ortlinde, Siegrune), Weronika Rabek (Waltraute, Grimgerde), Monika Walerowicz (Rossweisse, Schwertleite)

    INSTRUMENTS

    MIDI Piano, Act 1 - Marc Evanstein

    MIDI Piano, act 2 and 3 - Ernst Munneke

    Additional Flute on Siegmund’s “Winterstürme” - Jonas Pologe

    SFX packs - Ableton, SOPHIE, Spectrasonics

    PRODUCTION

    Casting - David Kanaga, Christian Carlstedt

    Dramaturgy - Laura Roling, Manon Schreurs

    Commissioned and co-produced by Holland Festival, Dutch National Opera, Staatsoper Hannover

    With the support of NTR Radio 4

    Special thanks to Sound department Staatstheater Hannover, Soho Square Studios London, Splendor Amsterdam, Jochem Valkenburg, Jasper Berben

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    18 mins
  • Episode 2 - The Master of the House (Act 1)
    Jun 10 2021

    Hunding arrives home. Unhappy to find a stranger there with his wife and brimming with suspicion, he embarks on an intense interrogation of his guest.

    Note: to hear Soft Valkyrie with live English, German or Dutch subtitles, please go to Youtube.

    Click here for the full-score and for the libretto.

    Soft Valkyrie

    Presented and commissioned by Holland Festival in collaboration with Staatsoper Hannover and Dutch National Opera.

    Full Credits

    Music and libretto - Richard Wagner

    English translation - Frederick Jameson

    Direction & MIDI arrangement - David Kanaga

    VOICES

    Siegmund - Bryan the Mensah

    Sieglinde - Hailey Clark

    Hunding - Attila Csihar

    Wotan - Mattijs van de Woerd

    Fricka - Nadine Secunde

    Brünnhilde - Claron McFadden

    Valkyries - Mercedes Arcuri (Gerhilde, Helmwige), Clara Nadesdin (Ortlinde, Siegrune), Weronika Rabek (Waltraute, Grimgerde), Monika Walerowicz (Rossweisse, Schwertleite)

    INSTRUMENTS

    MIDI Piano, Act 1 - Marc Evanstein

    MIDI Piano, act 2 and 3 - Ernst Munneke

    Additional Flute on Siegmund’s “Winterstürme” - Jonas Pologe

    SFX packs - Ableton, SOPHIE, Spectrasonics

    PRODUCTION

    Casting - David Kanaga, Christian Carlstedt

    Dramaturgy - Laura Roling, Manon Schreurs

    Commissioned and co-produced by Holland Festival, Dutch National Opera, Staatsoper Hannover

    With the support of NTR Radio 4

    Special thanks to Sound department Staatstheater Hannover, Soho Square Studios London, Splendor Amsterdam, Jochem Valkenburg, Jasper Berben

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    17 mins
  • Episode 3 - No Escape (Act 1)
    Jun 17 2021

    Hunding jumps up and reveals that he knows that Siegmund is not just any guest. He is the man Hunding and his crew had been chasing. He offers him one night of repose under his roof, and announces to fight him the following morning.

    Note: to hear Soft Valkyrie with live English, German or Dutch subtitles, please go to Youtube.

    Click here for the full-score and for the libretto.

    Soft Valkyrie

    Presented and commissioned by Holland Festival in collaboration with Staatsoper Hannover and Dutch National Opera.

    Full Credits

    Music and libretto - Richard Wagner

    English translation - Frederick Jameson

    Direction & MIDI arrangement - David Kanaga

    VOICES

    Siegmund - Bryan the Mensah

    Sieglinde - Hailey Clark

    Hunding - Attila Csihar

    Wotan - Mattijs van de Woerd

    Fricka - Nadine Secunde

    Brünnhilde - Claron McFadden

    Valkyries - Mercedes Arcuri (Gerhilde, Helmwige), Clara Nadesdin (Ortlinde, Siegrune), Weronika Rabek (Waltraute, Grimgerde), Monika Walerowicz (Rossweisse, Schwertleite)

    INSTRUMENTS

    MIDI Piano, Act 1 - Marc Evanstein

    MIDI Piano, act 2 and 3 - Ernst Munneke

    Additional Flute on Siegmund’s “Winterstürme” - Jonas Pologe

    SFX packs - Ableton, SOPHIE, Spectrasonics

    PRODUCTION

    Casting - David Kanaga, Christian Carlstedt

    Dramaturgy - Laura Roling, Manon Schreurs

    Commissioned and co-produced by Holland Festival, Dutch National Opera, Staatsoper Hannover

    With the support of NTR Radio 4

    Special thanks to Sound department Staatstheater Hannover, Soho Square Studios London, Splendor Amsterdam, Jochem Valkenburg, Jasper Berben

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    14 mins
  • Episode 4 - Kisses in the Night (Act 1)
    Jun 24 2021

    Episode 4: Kisses in the Night

    Siegmund, all alone and desperate, discovers the sword his father had left for him in the ash tree. With her husband Hunding fast asleep, Sieglinde re-enters the room. The two indulge in their incestuous desire.

    Note: to hear Soft Valkyrie with live English, German or Dutch subtitles, please go to Youtube.

    Click here for the full-score and for the libretto.

    Soft Valkyrie

    Presented and commissioned by Holland Festival in collaboration with Staatsoper Hannover and Dutch National Opera.

    Full Credits

    Music and libretto - Richard Wagner

    English translation - Frederick Jameson

    Direction & MIDI arrangement - David Kanaga

    VOICES

    Siegmund - Bryan the Mensah

    Sieglinde - Hailey Clark

    Hunding - Attila Csihar

    Wotan - Mattijs van de Woerd

    Fricka - Nadine Secunde

    Brünnhilde - Claron McFadden

    Valkyries - Mercedes Arcuri (Gerhilde, Helmwige), Clara Nadesdin (Ortlinde, Siegrune), Weronika Rabek (Waltraute, Grimgerde), Monika Walerowicz (Rossweisse, Schwertleite)

    INSTRUMENTS

    MIDI Piano, Act 1 - Marc Evanstein

    MIDI Piano, act 2 and 3 - Ernst Munneke

    Additional Flute on Siegmund’s “Winterstürme” - Jonas Pologe

    SFX packs - Ableton, SOPHIE, Spectrasonics

    PRODUCTION

    Casting - David Kanaga, Christian Carlstedt

    Dramaturgy - Laura Roling, Manon Schreurs

    Commissioned and co-produced by Holland Festival, Dutch National Opera, Staatsoper Hannover

    With the support of NTR Radio 4

    Special thanks to Sound department Staatstheater Hannover, Soho Square Studios London, Splendor Amsterdam, Jochem Valkenburg, Jasper Berben

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    25 mins
  • Episode 5 – Wotan & Brunhilde (Act 2)
    Jun 16 2022
    When we left off, Siegmund and Sieglinde had just embarked on their incestuous adventure, leaving behind Sieglinde’s cuckolded husband Hunding to wake up to the bad news at dawn. We've since walked several miles from the forest of Hunding's hut, and are now at the base of a mountain where the couple's father spends his time–Wolf, as they called him, or Wotan, Odin–god of contracts and bad weather. It is a new day, at high noon. Let's see what happens next.

    Click here for the full-score and for the libretto.

    Soft Valkyrie

    Presented and commissioned by Holland Festival in collaboration with Staatsoper Hannover and Dutch National Opera.

    Full Credits

    Music and libretto - Richard Wagner

    English translation - Frederick Jameson

    Direction & MIDI arrangement - David Kanaga

    VOICES

    Siegmund - Bryan the Mensah

    Sieglinde - Hailey Clark

    Hunding - Attila Csihar

    Wotan - Mattijs van de Woerd

    Fricka - Nadine Secunde

    Brünnhilde - Claron McFadden

    Valkyries - Mercedes Arcuri (Gerhilde, Helmwige), Clara Nadesdin (Ortlinde, Siegrune), Weronika Rabek (Waltraute, Grimgerde), Monika Walerowicz (Rossweisse, Schwertleite)

    INSTRUMENTS

    MIDI Piano, Act 1 - Marc Evanstein

    MIDI Piano, act 2 and 3 - Ernst Munneke

    Additional Flute on Siegmund’s “Winterstürme” - Jonas Pologe

    SFX packs - Ableton, SOPHIE, Spectrasonics

    PRODUCTION

    Casting - David Kanaga, Christian Carlstedt

    Dramaturgy - Laura Roling, Manon Schreurs

    Commissioned and co-produced by Holland Festival, Dutch National Opera, Staatsoper Hannover

    With the support of NTR Radio 4

    Special thanks to Sound department Staatstheater Hannover, Soho Square Studios London, Splendor Amsterdam, Jochem Valkenburg, Jasper Berben

    Show More Show Less
    6 mins
  • Episode 6 – Fricka (Act 2)
    Jun 16 2022
    Previously on Soft Valkyrie, Wotan had a brief meeting with his daughter, the Valkyrie Brunhilde. No sooner had he commanded her to aid Siegmund in the coming battle with Hunding, the great god’s wife arrived with a different plan.

    Click here for the full-score and for the libretto.

    Soft Valkyrie

    Presented and commissioned by Holland Festival in collaboration with Staatsoper Hannover and Dutch National Opera.

    Full Credits

    Music and libretto - Richard Wagner

    English translation - Frederick Jameson

    Direction & MIDI arrangement - David Kanaga

    VOICES

    Siegmund - Bryan the Mensah

    Sieglinde - Hailey Clark

    Hunding - Attila Csihar

    Wotan - Mattijs van de Woerd

    Fricka - Nadine Secunde

    Brünnhilde - Claron McFadden

    Valkyries - Mercedes Arcuri (Gerhilde, Helmwige), Clara Nadesdin (Ortlinde, Siegrune), Weronika Rabek (Waltraute, Grimgerde), Monika Walerowicz (Rossweisse, Schwertleite)

    INSTRUMENTS

    MIDI Piano, Act 1 - Marc Evanstein

    MIDI Piano, act 2 and 3 - Ernst Munneke

    Additional Flute on Siegmund’s “Winterstürme” - Jonas Pologe

    SFX packs - Ableton, SOPHIE, Spectrasonics

    PRODUCTION

    Casting - David Kanaga, Christian Carlstedt

    Dramaturgy - Laura Roling, Manon Schreurs

    Commissioned and co-produced by Holland Festival, Dutch National Opera, Staatsoper Hannover

    With the support of NTR Radio 4

    Special thanks to Sound department Staatstheater Hannover, Soho Square Studios London, Splendor Amsterdam, Jochem Valkenburg, Jasper Berben

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    20 mins
  • Episode 7 – Wolf’s Lore 1 (Act 2)
    Jun 16 2022
    Previously on Soft Valkyrie. We learned that Fricka is none too happy about this incestuous cuckoldry. In her sovereignty as the god of marriage, she has elicited a commitment from Wotan not to help Siegmund during the coming battle. Instead, Hunding should prevail, and avenge the affair. …Now Wotan is alone with Brunhilde, to whom he must convey the altered plans.

    Click here for the full-score and for the libretto.

    Soft Valkyrie

    Presented and commissioned by Holland Festival in collaboration with Staatsoper Hannover and Dutch National Opera.

    Full Credits

    Music and libretto - Richard Wagner

    English translation - Frederick Jameson

    Direction & MIDI arrangement - David Kanaga

    VOICES

    Siegmund - Bryan the Mensah

    Sieglinde - Hailey Clark

    Hunding - Attila Csihar

    Wotan - Mattijs van de Woerd

    Fricka - Nadine Secunde

    Brünnhilde - Claron McFadden

    Valkyries - Mercedes Arcuri (Gerhilde, Helmwige), Clara Nadesdin (Ortlinde, Siegrune), Weronika Rabek (Waltraute, Grimgerde), Monika Walerowicz (Rossweisse, Schwertleite)

    INSTRUMENTS

    MIDI Piano, Act 1 - Marc Evanstein

    MIDI Piano, act 2 and 3 - Ernst Munneke

    Additional Flute on Siegmund’s “Winterstürme” - Jonas Pologe

    SFX packs - Ableton, SOPHIE, Spectrasonics

    PRODUCTION

    Casting - David Kanaga, Christian Carlstedt

    Dramaturgy - Laura Roling, Manon Schreurs

    Commissioned and co-produced by Holland Festival, Dutch National Opera, Staatsoper Hannover

    With the support of NTR Radio 4

    Special thanks to Sound department Staatstheater Hannover, Soho Square Studios London, Splendor Amsterdam, Jochem Valkenburg, Jasper Berben

    Show More Show Less
    14 mins