Editing Das Rheingold (section)

===Bayreuth premiere, 13 August 1876===
[[File:1876Rhinemaidens.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The Rhinemaidens, in the first Bayreuth production of ''Das Rheingold'', 1876. l to r: [[Minna Lammert]] (Floßhilde); [[Lilli Lehmann]] (Woglinde); [[Marie Lehmann (soprano)|Marie Lehmann]] (Wellgunde)]]
In 1876, with the [[Bayreuth Festspielhaus]] built, Wagner was ready to stage the first [[Bayreuth Festival]] with his own production of the now complete ''Ring'' cycle, beginning with a performance of ''Das Rheingold'' on 13 August. This event was preceded by months of preparation in which Wagner was deeply engaged; according to witnesses, he was "director, producer, coach, conductor, singer, actor, stage manager, stage hand and prompter".{{sfn|Sabor|1989|p=335}} He searched Europe for the finest orchestral players,{{sfn|Spotts|1994|p=61}} and selected a largely new cast of singers{{refn|[[Franz Betz]], who sang Wotan, and [[Max Schlosser (tenor)|Max Schlosser]] (Mime) had appeared in the premiere of ''[[Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg]]'' in 1868.{{sfn|Osborne|1992|p=153}} |group= n}} – of the Munich cast, only [[Heinrich Vogl]] (Loge) was engaged,{{sfn|Osborne|1992|p=180}} although Richter, deposed as conductor in Munich, was given the baton in Bayreuth.{{sfn|Spotts|1994|p=61}}

The 13 August premiere was an event of international importance, and attracted a distinguished audience which included [[William I, German Emperor|Kaiser Wilhelm I]], [[Pedro II of Brazil|Emperor Pedro II of Brazil]] and numerous representatives of the various European royal houses.{{sfn|Spotts|1994|pp=66–67}} King Ludwig, unwilling to face contact with his fellow-royals or the assembled crowd, attended the dress rehearsals incognito, but left Bayreuth before the opening night.{{sfn|Hilmes|2011|p=136}}{{refn|Ludwig was so impressed by his preview that he arranged with Wagner to attend the third and final cycle of the festival. At the end, Wagner acknowledged Ludwig as the "sole benefactor and co-creator" of the work.{{sfn|Spotts|1994|p=69}}|group= n}} Most of Europe's leading composers were also present, including [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky]], [[Charles Gounod|Gounod]], [[Anton Bruckner|Bruckner]], [[Edvard Grieg|Grieg]], [[Camille Saint-Saëns|Saint-Saëns]] and Wagner's father-in law [[Franz Liszt]], together with a large corps of music critics and opera house managers. The huge influx of visitors overwhelmed the resources of the modest-sized town and caused considerable discomfort to some of the most distinguished of the guests; Tchaikovsky later described his sojourn at Bayreuth as a "struggle for existence".{{sfn|Spotts|1994|pp=66–67}}{{refn|Tchaikovsky described the ''Ring'' music to his brother as "unbelievable chaos through which there flash from time to time remarkably beautiful and striking details". His overall view was that "there surely was not anything more boring or long winded as this interminable thing".{{sfn|Steen|2009|p=671}} |group= n}}

Despite the careful preparation, the first Bayreuth performance of ''Das Rheingold'' was punctuated by several mishaps. Some scene changes were mishandled; at one point a backdrop was prematurely lifted to reveal a number of stagehands and stage machinery; early in scene 4, [[Franz Betz]] (as Wotan) mislaid the ring and had to go backstage to look for it;{{sfn|Spotts|1994|p=69}}{{sfn|Skelton|1994|p=265}} the gas lighting failed repeatedly, plunging the auditorium into darkness.{{sfn|Gutman|1971|p=491}} Some innovations worked well – the wheeled machinery used by the Rhinemaidens to simulate swimming was successful,{{sfn|Holman|2001|p=43}} and the quality of the singing pleased even Wagner, who was otherwise in despair and refused to present himself to the audience despite their clamouring for him.{{sfn|Spotts|1994|p=69}} The critics made much of the technical shortcomings, which were largely overcome during the course of the festival, although, to Wagner's fury, they failed to acknowledge this fact.{{sfn|Holman|2001|p=43}}