Introduction to Der Ring Des Nibelungen
When Wagner set theRingto music, he intended the orchestra to act in the fashion of a chorus from a classic Greek tragedy--setting the mood and commenting on the action. In order to allow a nonverbal musical line to reflect on the plot, Wagner developed a psychologically and musically complex symbology to communicate his thoughts to the listener. From the beginning theRinghas spawned numerous written commentaries on the relationships of the motif structure, but by using examples from the DeccaRingrecording, Deryck Cooke's thoughtful spoken commentary is by far the most accessible guide for either the fledglingRingenthusiast or the seasoned veteran.--Christian C. Rix