15 and a half hours later...

I'm sure that many of you will know from the title of this post that I am talking about Wagner's "Das ring der Nibelung" or as it is also know- the ring cycle.

I'm starting here for several reasons.

1. I'm watching and reading about it for the first time

2. The Metropolitan Opera is retiring its old production by otto shenk (forgive me if the spelling is off) to premiere a new production in the next two seasons.

3. It's an opera, well set of operas, that could really get the ball rolling with the discussion. I am very eager to learn more. I must admit that even as I'm typing that I have only seen the first two. I plan to watch the others within the week.

So, lets start where Wagner ended: Das Rheingold (Wagner wrote the librettos in reverse order). P.S. Now would be the time to go look up a plot summary if you want to. This first post on Das Rheingold will be more basic than I would really like to get eventually, but Wagner's ring is a lot for a first timer to chew on.

So, I'll start with my thoughts on the plot. The plot seems fairly simple in the grand scheme of things. It functions as the diving board for the rest of the cycle, but overall, it doesn't do much more than that. We meet the basic early characters, Wotan, Frika, Erda, Mime, and Alberich. The ring is created, but not much more than that. There is some beautiful music in the process, but the plot doesn't go into some of the complexities of the plot, like the complicated inner workings of Wotan, who, we find out, is the real tragic hero of the cycle. I'm not meaning to sound like I don't like Das Rheingold, but in the grand scheme of things it is about 2 hours shorter, and much less revealing and moving than the other operas. Wotan is a very complex character and we see that in the 2nd act of Die Walkure and beyond, but we just see the bare bones of who Wotan is and what makes him so important in Das Rheingold.

We do, however, see the beginnings of a very prevalent theme in Die Walkure, which is the importance of love, and the reality that love, or even the absence of love can cause many things beyond our control. Also, there is a theme introduced of power verses love. We see Wagner's exploration of the battle between love and power begin in Das Rheingold, and it also turns into an important theme. So overall, Das Rheingold does seem to be kind of the afterthought opera in the cycle. It's length and lack of emotional connection in the characters prove that Wagner most likely thought of Das Rheingold as the prologue, an appetizer. It gets you hungry for more.

I recall reading the memoirs of the late great Sir Georg Solti that when he originally recorded Das Rheingold as a single recording without the rest of the cycle that people were skeptical if it would sell because it was on its own. It did sell remarkably well, but as I reflect back upon this with my newfound knowledge of Das Rheingold. That skepticism makes sense. Das Rheingold doesn't stand well on its own. It relies upon the rest of the cycle to give it the notoriety that it has received. This is not to say that it is a bad opera, or that it can be skipped over. On the contrary, Das Rheingold is a great appetizer to the ring cycle. Just the right length and plot to get you ready for the rest of the epic tale