Before the 1876 premiere of Der Ring des Nibelungen, it took Richard Wagner 25 years to write the words and music for his monumental cycle of four operas that changed the way 19th-century art, literature, politics, and music would be perceived. Wagner called it a gesamtkunstwerk—a total work of art—in that he wrote the words and music both to reinforce one another and to work in the context of the stage magic that he envisioned and produced.
The story of Wagner’s stubborn and determined struggle to bring his grand vision to life is as riveting as the actual achievement. Whether you have never experienced Wagner and his work or are a certified Ring nut, there is always more to discover with each exploration of this remarkable telling in words and music of the creation and destruction of the world and—perhaps—its rebirth.
As prelude to the 2016 Ring cycle presented by Washington National Opera, Fred Plotkin explores the works in a day highlighted by music and film recordings of some of the world’s great performances of the Ring.
9:30 to 10:45 a.m. The Ideas and the Texts
Wagner was a theorist, polemicist, political renegade, and controversialist who also happened to be one of the greatest composers of all time. He spent many years in preparation before writing his own librettos to create a four-part parable about how the lust for power and the desire for love clash in ways that can ennoble or destroy humanity. The day begins with an exploration of Wagner’s ideas and how they were formed.
11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The Music
With the composition of some of the most sublime music ever written, Wagner made it possible for his words and ideas to take flight in ways that have intoxicated and exhilarated audiences ever since. The cycle had a profound influence not only on composers in opera and classical music, but blazed the trail for film music—and even heavy metal.
12:15 to 1:30 p.m. Lunch (participants provide their own)
1:30 to 2:45 p.m. The Productions
Wagner’s ideas for these operas were so grand, audacious, and futuristic that no theater existed able to stage them properly. The composer selected a site in Bayreuth, Germany, and raised funds to construct a theater designed specifically for the presentation of these operas. In it, he created stagings that included thunder, fires, apparitions, overflowing rivers, the destruction of castles, and all sorts of miraculous effects. In so doing, Wagner changed forever how theater and opera could be staged.
3 to 4:15 p.m. The Impact and the Consequences
Although Wagner died in 1883, his operas (especially the Ring Cycle) have been debated since they premiered. He did much to foster this debate and his heirs created a sort of Wagner myth that was, to some degree, a family franchise. His great-granddaughters run the Bayreuth Festival and continue to incite controversy and discussion, underlining Wagner’s belief that art can and should have the power to change the world. The day concludes with an examination of what the Ring cycle has meant since its creation and what it means today.
Plotkin, author of Opera 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera, was featured in the NPR documentary The Ring and I and has attended 47 complete Ring Cycles (a total of more than 900 hours!) and many performances of the individual operas.
Participants receive information on an opportunity to purchase subscription tickets to Washington National Opera’s spring 2016 production of the Ring before they go on sale to the public.
Other Connections
Whether using 19th-century stagecraft or contemporary technology, the physical challenges of mounting Wagner’s works remain immense. Sing Faster: The Stagehands’ Ring Cycle documents the San Francisco Opera’s production of the Ring from the backstage perspective. And speaking of faster, here’s the complete plot of the 15-hour Ring squeezed into just 2 and a half minutes, courtesy of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
