Das Rheingold is the first of the four operas that constitute Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. It was originally written as an introduction to the tripartite Ring, but the cycle is now generally regarded as consisting of four individual operas. Das Rheingold received its premiere at the National Theatre Munich on 22 September 1869. The scale and scope of the story is epic. It follows the struggles of gods, heroes, and several mythical creatures over the eponymous magic Ring that grants domination over the entire world.