This was a great introduction to what, for some, can become a life-long obsession. I saw my first Ring at the Met in the late sixties--standing the whole time. Since then, I've seen many Ring cycles, with many interpretations, and even directed the Weimar Ring for DVD. It's been a 16-hour ear worm ever since. I never tire of that music. What I find so extraordinary is the cycle's flexibility as a template for wildly diverse interpretations. This is because, like all great myths, it weaves all versions of society with individual human drives that are universal. Also, it shouldn't be forgotten that the 13th-century epic poem Das Nibelungenlied provided the mythical basis for the Ring, even if Wagner refashioned the story for his dramaturgical purposes.
The closer we get to disaster as a species, whether it's through climate change or global warfare, the more this work will resonate--in ways Wagner himself could never have foreseen, but somehow did.
i remember when NPR ran all the Ring cycle at some point in the 70s, & i watched all of them (with crappy little TV speakers). later, i got boxed sets of all the records (as i worked at a used book store, where such things had almost nil resale value). i would wait for a rainy day at home (best time for opera, i think) & just start from the beginning & run it all while i went about making art or whatever. i think it's best in big gobs. the real narrative is W. discovering & elaborating his kink.
This is a wonderful introduction! I lived in Bayreuth for four years and after never really caring about opera or Wagner in any shape or form at the end of that time it somehow happened that I could go see Tannhäuser and Fliegender Holländer there while also being exposed to a whole lot of info about the Ring. It was such an interesting experience that made me feel like I could get into more operas while also being deeply critical of opera institutions and the whole elitism especially around Wagner in Germany. The Ring has interested me ever since and maybe this is the nudge I need to finally properly dive in.
You are the second writer that I support on Patreon who has written a series on the Ring in the past year. Even though my preferred opera period is Baroque through Bel Canto and I tried and failed to get through a VHS version of a Met production of the cycle 23 years ago, this is inspiring me to try again. I've been having a number of experiences recently of reaching a point in my life where works of art suddenly start to make sense in a way they never had before. I'm excited to see if this is another one. So, thank you for the nudge.
A great essay, however while you know the answer to your question in the first part, you only make a quick reference to it (music and voice) without using it to help others get into opera. Then you procede to narratology.
No literary analysis will help anyone get into opera, because the only attracrion opera has is music. This music can be Wagner's symphonic wonder but it is usually someone screaming beautifully. Your attraction was Callas and everything else followed.
Great essay! For better or for worse, I’m one of those Wagner persons too. I've attended three different productions of the Ring over the years: Haenchen / Audi, Mehta / Fura dels Baus, and Jordan / Krämer. I haven't made it to Bayreuth yet, but I never seem to tire of the music. Re irony, I also love Anna Russell’s introduction to the Ring: https://youtu.be/Cv7G92F2sqs.
I just got into opera last year when I got tickets to the Canadian Opera Company's The Flying Dutchman and it absolutely blew me away. I haven't seen any other Wagner yet so this was very cool to read.
This was a great introduction to what, for some, can become a life-long obsession. I saw my first Ring at the Met in the late sixties--standing the whole time. Since then, I've seen many Ring cycles, with many interpretations, and even directed the Weimar Ring for DVD. It's been a 16-hour ear worm ever since. I never tire of that music. What I find so extraordinary is the cycle's flexibility as a template for wildly diverse interpretations. This is because, like all great myths, it weaves all versions of society with individual human drives that are universal. Also, it shouldn't be forgotten that the 13th-century epic poem Das Nibelungenlied provided the mythical basis for the Ring, even if Wagner refashioned the story for his dramaturgical purposes.
The closer we get to disaster as a species, whether it's through climate change or global warfare, the more this work will resonate--in ways Wagner himself could never have foreseen, but somehow did.
Really loved this introduction to opera and Wagner, looking forward to the next one!
i remember when NPR ran all the Ring cycle at some point in the 70s, & i watched all of them (with crappy little TV speakers). later, i got boxed sets of all the records (as i worked at a used book store, where such things had almost nil resale value). i would wait for a rainy day at home (best time for opera, i think) & just start from the beginning & run it all while i went about making art or whatever. i think it's best in big gobs. the real narrative is W. discovering & elaborating his kink.
incest?
there will be a whole essay on that lol
This is a wonderful introduction! I lived in Bayreuth for four years and after never really caring about opera or Wagner in any shape or form at the end of that time it somehow happened that I could go see Tannhäuser and Fliegender Holländer there while also being exposed to a whole lot of info about the Ring. It was such an interesting experience that made me feel like I could get into more operas while also being deeply critical of opera institutions and the whole elitism especially around Wagner in Germany. The Ring has interested me ever since and maybe this is the nudge I need to finally properly dive in.
You are the second writer that I support on Patreon who has written a series on the Ring in the past year. Even though my preferred opera period is Baroque through Bel Canto and I tried and failed to get through a VHS version of a Met production of the cycle 23 years ago, this is inspiring me to try again. I've been having a number of experiences recently of reaching a point in my life where works of art suddenly start to make sense in a way they never had before. I'm excited to see if this is another one. So, thank you for the nudge.
A great essay, however while you know the answer to your question in the first part, you only make a quick reference to it (music and voice) without using it to help others get into opera. Then you procede to narratology.
No literary analysis will help anyone get into opera, because the only attracrion opera has is music. This music can be Wagner's symphonic wonder but it is usually someone screaming beautifully. Your attraction was Callas and everything else followed.
Great essay! For better or for worse, I’m one of those Wagner persons too. I've attended three different productions of the Ring over the years: Haenchen / Audi, Mehta / Fura dels Baus, and Jordan / Krämer. I haven't made it to Bayreuth yet, but I never seem to tire of the music. Re irony, I also love Anna Russell’s introduction to the Ring: https://youtu.be/Cv7G92F2sqs.
I just got into opera last year when I got tickets to the Canadian Opera Company's The Flying Dutchman and it absolutely blew me away. I haven't seen any other Wagner yet so this was very cool to read.