"God is dead." Nietzsche's fatalistic-liberating maxim appears painted yellow in a Gothic church. Alberich, the Nibelung, is a deranged punk who steals the Rhine gold hidden in the very church that houses a grand altarpiece reserved for the gods. Wotan, the god, in contrast, is dressed according to medieval mythology, complete with a winged helmet. Thus, by linking nihilism, realism, and myth, German stage director Tobias Kratzer sets the stage. Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), the first of the four operas in Richard Wagner's Ring cycle. It premiered in 2024 at the Bavarian State Opera and will arrive at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in early 2027.