he story of The Ring comes from the Germanic (Norse) Volsunga Saga and has been recounted in numerous forms for centuries, though the great mythologist Snorri Sturlson is our best source for the story (he’s the Homer of the Normans). The names of the characters of Wagner’s story are the less common Germanic forms, and he has taken liberties with the story, too.
Nevertheless, The Ring is one of the most influential theatrical works ever written. The story, the music, the motifs, the mythology, the symbolism, the staging, the libretto, are all praised as a unified art—there is no better way to study the opera except to view it. Wagner’s work has been the inspiration for countless successor artists, but they include T.S. Eliot, Updike, John Williams, and George Lucas. You will also see similar themes in the Arthur legends and the Abrahamic religions.
As you watch—
Read along. Note the original German libretto, the English translation, the subtitles, and the sung word. Feel free to talk in class as it plays—we’re not really in a theater, and I want you to get the most from the viewing, to understand what’s happening. This surprisingly simple plot has some of the thickest uses of symbols and theme. . . .