Analysis Of Wagner's Ring Cycle

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Wagner's Ring Cycle The Ring Cycle, also known as “ Der Ring des Nibelungen” was written by a German composer named Richard Wagner. This cycle contains four epic operas. It took Wagner about 26 years to write this opera. He started in 1848 and finished in 1874. The entire opera is based loosely on Germanic mythology and also influenced on Wagner's concepts of ancient Greek drama. The first part of the opera is called “Das Rheingold.” Although this is the first in the sequence of the opera, it was the last to be written. His plans for the cycle grew backwards, starting at the hero, Siegfried's, death and then include his youth and the story of events around his conception. After Wagner wrote the trilogy he decided it needed a prelude and that is when he wrote “Das Rheingold.” The scale of the whole work is established in the prelude over 136 bars, beginning with a low E flat and adding in more and more figuration's of the chord E flat major. This is used to portray the movement of the river Rhine. At the beginning of the show the curtain rises at the bottom of the Rhine, and the three Rhine maidens, Woglinde, Wellgunde, and Flosshilde play together. After this the key will shift to A flat and an innocnent song begins to be played by the Woglinde. Alberich, a Nibelung dwarf appears from a dark chasm and tries to woo the Rhine maidens. The maidens mock Alberich's ugliness and laugh at his advances which causes him to get angry. Suddenly the sun begins to rise and the maidens praise the glow on top of a rock and the dwarf asks what it is. The maidens explain that it is Rhine gold that their father instructed them to guard. This gold can be made into a ring and the person wearing the ring can become the ruler of the world but... ... middle of paper ... ...ar on Hagen's spear that the other one is lying. Whoever is proved to be false will be killed with Hagen's spear. Everyone then plans to kill Siegfried and steal the ring from him. The Rhine maidens urge Siegfried to return the ring but he laughs in their face and walks away. Siegfried is then given another potion which makes him recall him memory and tell everyone about him and Brünnhilde. Hagen then proceeds to stab him in the back with his spear. Gunther and Hagen then battle over the ring but Hagen easily kills Gunther. When he goes to take the ring off of Siegfried's finger, his hand suddenly rises threateningly. Brünnhilde makes a plan to get the curse off the ring by wearing in and burning herself alive. After she dies the fire spreads and all the gods end up dying and the ring is returned to the Rhein maidens. This concludes the four parts of the opera.

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