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''Der Ring des Nibelungen'', ('''''The Ring of the Nibelung'''''), is a Cycle of four Epic Music Drama s by the German composer Richard Wagner . The Opera s are based loosely on characters from the Norse Saga s and the Nibelungenlied . The works are often referred to as "The Ring Cycle", "Wagner's Ring", or simply "The Ring". Wagner wrote the Libretti and Music over the course of about twenty-six years, from 1848 to 1874. The four operas that constitute the Ring cycle are, in the order of the imagined events they portray:
Although individual operas are performed as works in their own right, a full understanding of the story of the Ring cycle requires attendance at all four operas, which is considered a worthy goal among Wagner fans. THE TITLE Wagner's title is rendered in English as ''The Ring of the Nibelung''. However the word ''Nibelung'' frequently confuses English speakers, resulting in misunderstanding of the German title, the English title, or how to use the word outside the title. The word Nibelung is in the singular. The Nibelung of the title is the Dwarf Alberich, and the Ring in question is the one he fashions from the Rhinegold. The title therefore means "Alberich's Ring".Magee, Bryan, (2001) ''The Tristan Chord : Wagner and Philosophy.'' Metropolitan Books, ISBN 0-8050-7189-X page 109. CONTENT The cycle is a work of extraordinary scale. Perhaps the most outstanding facet of the monumental work is its sheer length: a full performance of the cycle takes place over four nights at the opera, with a total playing time of about 15 hours, depending on the Conductor 's pacing. The first and shortest opera, ''Das Rheingold'', typically lasts two and a half hours, while the final and longest, ''Götterdämmerung'', can take up to five hours in performance. The cycle is modelled after ancient Greek Dramas that were presented as three tragedies and one Satyr Play . The ''Ring'' properly begins with ''Die Walküre'' and ends with ''Götterdämmerung'', with ''Rheingold'' as a Prelude . Wagner called ''Das Rheingold'' a ''Vorabend'' or "Preliminary Evening", and ''Die Walküre'', ''Siegfried'' and '' Götterdämmerung '' were subtitled First Day, Second Day and Third Day, respectively, of the Trilogy proper. The scale and scope of the story is epic. It follows the struggles of God s, Hero es, and several mythical creatures, over the eponymous magic Ring that grants domination over the entire world. The drama and intrigue continues through three generations of protagonists, until the final cataclysm at the end of ''Götterdämmerung''. The music of the cycle is thick and richly textured, and grows in complexity as the cycle proceeds. Wagner wrote for an Orchestra of gargantuan proportions, including a greatly enlarged brass section with new instruments such as the Wagner Tuba , Bass Trumpet and Contrabass Trombone . He eventually had a purpose-built theatre (the Bayreuth Festspielhaus ) constructed in Bayreuth in which to perform this work. The theatre had a special stage which blended the huge orchestra with the singers' voices, allowing them to sing at a natural volume. The result was that the singers did not have to strain themselves vocally during the long performances. The acoustics of this performance space are among the best in the world. In other performance venues singers sometimes find it difficult to achieve this balance between voice and orchestra. Story |
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