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.
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.
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.