His Greatest Operas
Part 1
Der
Ring Des Nibelungen
*Note:
the above image © P. Craig Russell 2008. Used with his very kind
permission.
Quote:
"Is there anything, in all the realm of art, to set beside Der
Ring des Nibelungen? This cycle of four immense music dramas, the vastest
piece of music ever conceived by the mind of man."-M.Owen Lee
Overview:
Der Ring Des Nibelungen is, in my humble opinion, the greatest work of art in Western history. There is no other work that integrates so many different artistic mediums, characters, and situations into such a cohesive whole. But that's only a small part of its quality. I feel that Wagner's marriage of music to drama added a dimension to artistic expression that trumped even Shakespeare's plays. Although Wagner was nowhere near the literary poet Shakespeare was, the addition of music to the text makes it a far more effecting experience.
My definition of Art is that it not only inspires, but can actually make a person learn something about him or herself, and the world around. Like any great art, Der Ring Des Nibelungen works on so many levels, all of which in some way pertain to different aspects of life, that it's impossible for the enthusiast to not gain from continual absorption and re-absorption of the piece. This opera is literally the gift that keeps giving. You can gain insight about yourself with mindful immersion into the experience.
Like any Art, fully appreciating the Ring takes a conscious, willed effort. One has to learn and adapt to the musical language that Wagner created. But your efforts will be rewarded. Just like reading Dickinson, admiring Raphael, or reading Langston Hughes, art pays off over and over again as one lives and grows with it.
So, enough cheerleading. What ABOUT this ring?
The
ring itself is actually forged out of an underwater heap of gold stolen by the character Alberich (see his description below). The gold, which lies under the sea and protected by mermaids, could only be purloined by one who denies love. As far as "what the ring is" or "means", I'll just go with the more common idea;
that is: the ring is forged out of the Nature-al, "mothering",
eco-sphere Archetype, changed into something awful only because of its
perversion by baser interests. One of the simplest explanations of what the Ring as a whole means is a very Romantic one: that man, attempting
to control nature, inevitably corrupts
it. This is a very base-line explanation, and I'll go into more detailed
and varied ideas as this website evolves.
Characters:
Wotan
Perhaps
the most complex of all the Ring's characters. Coming across alternatingly
despicable, heroic, sensitive, manipulating, deceitful, avaricious,
Fatherly, affectionate, vengeful, resentful...even likeable. Though he is
portrayed by the old Nordic sagas as the "All-Father", "Highest
God", etc., Wotan to many might seem to be more "human"
than the conventionally accepted definition of "God", underscoring his link to the Greek deities.
Brunnhilde
Brunnhilde
is also a multi-faceted character. A Walküre from birth, she displays
far more than the fierce exterior that one may expect from having read
the source material of the Ring. In fact, Brunnhilde is often
not even portrayed as a Walküre in many of the ancient Norsk
texts, often she is a princess, or queen. Wagner's setting her as a Walküre adds to the drama and intricacy of his opera, in ways I'll go into later.
She is her father Wotan's favorite child, mostly for her proclivity
toward doing his will...even when the conventions that he himself set down rule against
it.
Alberich
The
one whom originally stole the Rheingold from the mermaids whom guarded
it. Alberich, frustrated by his attempts to woo the teasing Rhinemaidens,
renounces Love and begins the machinations that ultimately lead to the downfall of
the gods.
Siegfried
Upon
first impression, Siegfried seems like an ungrateful loser. He browbeats
his surrogate father, Mime (Alberich's brother), and in general tends
to be a little traipsy for most tastes. So much the latter, in fact,
that it's nearly impossible to sympathise with him as a character until
late in Act 1 of his eponymously named opera, when we are given insight into
Mime's despicable plans for both him and the Ring.
In Act II of the same opera, the spectator can actually begin to feel
more for Siegfried, an orphan at birth, raised by a misanthrope whose
terrible nature was plain for him to see.
The
Rheinmaidens
If
anyone has checked out the host page of this site, they have probably
guessed that the Rheinmaidens go over big in this household. Not just
because they are (in a sense) the heroines of the Ring, but because
a) they have one of the most powerfully beautiful sung parts (in Das
Rheingold), plus...well, they're mermaids!
Fricka
One
can feel a bit annoyed at Fricka when encountering her in the Ring.
To put it bluntly, she can often seem like a pestering b@#$. However,
it's easier to forgive and sympathise with her when considering the
character of the man she married, Wotan. Compared to Wotan in the first
two chapters of the Ring, Fricka is actually likeable. She gets
mad over Wotan's infidelity, his despicable deals, and his general selfishness.
Who wouldn't?
Mime
Mime can seem to some as one of the most despicable characters in the Ring (he's definitely got some competition). He is both the abused brother of Alberich, and conniving foster father of Siegfried. An opera-goer can feel quite conlicted when it comes to Mime, going from pity, to empathy, to revulsion...often within the course of minutes.
Loge
Erda
Freia
Valkyries
To Be Continued
