Wagner began composing the music for "Das Rheingold" between November 1853 and September 1854, following it immediately with "Die Walküre" (written between June 1854 and March 1856).
Po prihodu v Zürichu je razširil zgodbo z opero "Der junge Siegfried" (Mladi Siegfried), v kateri je raziskal junakovo ozadje.