Götterdämmerung (German: [ˈɡœtɐˌdɛməʁʊŋ]; Twilight of the Gods), WWV 86D, is the last in Richard Wagner’s cycle of four epic music dramas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung, or The Ring Cycle or The Ring for short). It received its premiere at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 17 August 1876, as part of the first complete performance of the whole work.
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. As with the rest of the Ring, however, Wagner’s account diverges significantly from these Old Norse sources.
The autograph manuscript of the work is preserved in the Richard Wagner Foundation.