Favorite "Ring" opera

[Jaakko Keskinen]

The poll is self-explanatory: which opera of Wagner's Ring tetralogy do you like the best?

My choice has usually altered between Rheingold and Siegfried. Currently it's Rheingold. Both operas are amazingly beautiful, with great orchestral effects and colors. Siegfried could be criticized for having so different style between acts 1 and 2 compared to act 3, due to act 3 having been composed 12 years after the two former acts. Personally I think it makes the opera richer. Die Walküre has the best ending, it is absolutely unforgettable. The weak parts are mostly in the second act in the middle (I used to think the worst act was 1st but nowadays I appreciate more it's intimate lyrical beauty). Götterdämmerung is the most "stable", so to speak if it were not for Rheingold. That is to say, there are the least longueurs. You can tell that this is mature Wagner and that he's confident of his powers (even more than usually). The fact that there is good stuff more evenly doesn't mean though that the good stuff is quite as powerful as in Siegfried and Rheingold.

So, my vote goes for Das Rheingold, for not only having the least longueurs but often enough also the greatest beauty and strength of the structure. Plus it's 2,5 hour length makes it more accessible to those who don't have patience to sit through a 5-hour opera.

[Rinaldo]

Siegfried could be criticized for being such a snoozefest. Sorry! I still hope to hear what others hear in what I consider the weakest link of the Cycle, by far..

Rheingold for me. It just doesn't let up.

[Sergeant Rock]

Die Walküre...especially for Act I Scene 3. I also think the second act is the heart of the Ring, absolutely essential, and not in the least boring. The Act III prelude is still to me (after hearing it for the first time at age 13, 54 years ago) one of the most exciting pieces of music ever written.

Sarge

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Siegfried could be criticized for being such a snoozefest. Sorry! I still hope to hear what others hear in what I consider the weakest link of the Cycle, by far..

I really like the atmosphere, more light-hearted (except Siegfried's abusing of Mime, naturally) mostly. Waldweben in act 2 is amazing. It is a snoozefest in a sense that I do snooze off to listening Waldweben's calm tunes.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

I also think the second act is the heart of the Ring, absolutely essential, and not in the least boring.

I agree that the second act has a lot of great music and certainly in terms of Wotan's character development and Fricka's crowning moment of awesomeness it is the heart of the Ring, on many levels. I just think the music during Wotan's monologue is a bit dull at times. Other scenes of the act work very well in terms of music.

[mc ukrneal]

Die Walküre...especially for Act I Scene 3. I also think the second act is the heart of the Ring, absolutely essential, and not in the least boring. The Act III prelude is still to me (after hearing it for the first time at age 13, 54 years ago) one of the most exciting pieces of music ever written.

Sarge

Same here. There are so many great parts and done right, this one just seems to fly by...

[Karl Henning]

My vote:  Can't choose  0:)

[Sergeant Rock]

My vote:  Can't choose  0:)

....I would expect no less.

But, Karl, tell us, please, have you actually heard the Ring? I know you've slogged your way through Parsifal 

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

....I would expect no less.

But, Karl, tell us, please, have you actually heard the Ring? I know you've slogged your way through Parsifal 

Sarge

Completely fair question. We might say, as a technicality, that I probably have indeed listened to the entirety of the tetralogy. But I ought really to give it another, and a proper, go.

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[Sergeant Rock]

Completely fair question. We might say, as a technicality, that I probably have indeed listened to the entirety of the tetralogy. But I ought really to give it another, and a proper, go.

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Excellent! Yes, indeed, whenever you have a spare 14 hours, try it again 

(Seriously, I've never tried to take in the whole thing at once. To do so would be madness  )

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Excellent! Yes, indeed, whenever you have a spare 14 hours, try it again 

(Seriously, I've never tried to take in the whole thing at once. To do so would be madness  )

Sarge

And not any of your user-friendly, nice-eccentric-uncle madness, either.

I could warm up by trying Parsifal in a single day.

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[ritter]

I really can't choose (and that's what I've voted). I've always had a preference for Das Rheingold, which works so well dramtically in its conciseness, and the orchetsral introduction is such a marvel of music. Götterdämmerung is also full of musical jewels, but more and more I get the feeling it is somewhat dramatically flawed, in the sense that the denouement of the whole tetralogy appears slightly contrived (so many things happen so suddenly--chronologically speaking, not in terms of the--long--duration of the acts  ). One really can sense that Wagner wrote the libretto backwards...

Siegfried I considered for long time the "ugly duckling" of the Ring, and yet, the last time I saw it live (in Bayreuth two years ago) I was overwhelmed by how rich and forward-looking it is musically, and how dramatially effective it is. The notion of it as a scherzo if you see the Ring as a huge symphony is not off the mark.

Despite all its attractive features, and its importance in the whole structure (with Wotan's "Das Ende" being probably at the heart of the whole work), I find Die Walküre the most dramatically (and even musically) conventional of the four operas, the most "purely operatic", and it stands IMHO just a notch below the other three.

[Mirror Image]

Das Rheingold for me without even batting an eye or thinking of the operas in The Ring. Musically, this is the most satisfying opera for me.

[Ken B]

Excellent! Yes, indeed, whenever you have a spare 14 hours, try it again 

(Seriously, I've never tried to take in the whole thing at once. To do so would be madness  )

Sarge

Leave me alone you bastards! I don't have time to listen to the Ring again!

And yet, and yet ...

Arrgh.

I think I know what I'll be spotifying at work tomorrow.

*slinks way, defeated*

[Mirror Image]

Leave me alone you bastards! I don't have time to listen to the Ring again!

And yet, and yet ...

Arrgh.

I think I know what I'll be spotifying at work tomorrow.

*slinks way, defeated*

I've only listened to The Ring once all the way through. I did this several summers ago. I won't be doing it again for a long time. If I do get the hankering for it, I'll only listen sporadically.

[springrite]

I actually listened to the whole thing through twice consecutively! That was on a long drive from LA to Colorado, took a nap and drove back!

[Mirror Image]

I actually listened to the whole thing through twice consecutively! That was on a long drive from LA to Colorado, took a nap and drove back!

[(poco) Sforzando]

I really can't choose (and that's what I've voted). I've always had a preference for Das Rheingold, which works so well dramtically in its conciseness, and the orchetsral introduction is such a marvel of music. Götterdämmerung is also full of musical jewels, but more and more I get the feeling it is somewhat dramatically flawed, in the sense that the denouement of the whole tetralogy appears slightly contrived (so many things happen so suddenly--chronologically speaking, not in terms of the--long--duration of the acts  ). One really can sense that Wagner wrote the libretto backwards...

Siegfried I considered for long time the "ugly duckling" of the Ring, and yet, the last time I saw it live (in Bayreuth two years ago) I was overwhelmed by how rich and forward-looking it is musically, and how dramatially effective it is. The notion of it as a scherzo if you see the Ring as a huge symphony is not off the mark.

Despite all its attractive features, and its importance in the whole structure (with Wotan's "Das Ende" being probably at the heart of the whole work), I find Die Walküre the most dramatically (and even musically) conventional of the four operas, the most "purely operatic", and it stands IMHO just a notch below the other three.

I think Gotterdammerung the strongest musically of the operas, with Siegfried not far behind. As for Walküre, the first act is splendid especially the love music, but I find most of the remainder musically less interesting, despite the great dramatic importance of Wotan's monologue. As for Rheingold, it's great to listen to at home on CDs, but a chore to sit through 2.5 hours in the house especially if you haven't gone to the bathroom ahead of time!

[Rons_talking]

I'd have to say that musically speaking Gotterdammerung is easily my favorite. In terms of drama and emotion, Die Walkure is my favorite. I saw the Ring for the first and only time live in San Francisco in 1990 and I rarely was figity in spite of the durations each night. I've seen it on PBS as well; I would have no desire to listen to all of that music on record without the visual aspect. I'm not THAT big a Wagner fan...

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I've been thinking a lot about Der Ring des Nibelungen after having recently seen it live in Melbourne and even though I feel that they are almost equal to me in terms of how much I like them, I can rank them according to my preference thus:

Götterdämmerung

• Best music of the lot, partly because of the lack of any real recitative.
• Interesting story, seeing how horribly Brünnhilde and Siegfried have basically been manipulated, an underlying feeling of dread throughout the whole thing really is perfect for the impending 'twilight of the gods'.
• Also this opera feels like one story in itself that fittingly serves as part of a whole, but doesn't feel like a series of 'related episodes' like Die Walküre feels to me.
• Absolutely stunning finale, really.

Die Walküre

• Amazing music but, focus on dialogue between the characters is very important so more recitative is more suitable here I suppose even though recit music can be a little boring........
• Act 1 is my favourite single act in the entire Ring and is alone one of the greatest love story Wagner ever wrote.
• The reactions to events and the choices made by each of the characters really creates for some of the best dramatic tension in the Ring.
• This opera is, more than any of the others, absolutely dependent on what comes before and after as it basically is a 'link' to events from Das Rheingold to the story of Siegfried and his dear Auntie Brünnhilde....the story as I have said feels more like three related but indivudual episodes rather than a proper self contained story like the others are.

Siegfried

• Also some of the best music in the Ring especially the first two acts.
• It is certainly nice to have a much lighter, even more humorous story after the emotionally heavy Walküre, so the placement of Siegfried just works so well. Act 3 is kinda shit though, especially how Brunnhilde is magically transformed into a weak af damsel in distress who still managed to out-sing Siegfried in their final duet.
• Siegfried is annoying as hell, even Wotan tries to stop him, a rather sad moment for Wotan and a pivotal moment to set up for the gods' impending doom really.......but Siegfried can somehow have a bit of a naive charm to him even though he's kind of a dick. At least he's not as much of a dick as Hunding is. Hunding is a dick.
• It takes a huge amount of skill on Wagner's part to really feel for the death of Fafner, a character whom we have barely seen and only really known for both his greed and being used by Wotan....but finally and amazingly he is shown to be somewhat wise as well. Interesting and cool.

Das Rheingold

• Now, I absolutely LOVE Das Rheingold even though it is at the bottom of my list. I just think the drama and the feelz (and sometimes the comedy) isn't as strong in this one as it is in the others.
• Wagner has really come up with the most perfect prologue to a saga which only gets even more impressive. This opera does the best job at introducing us to the world that Der Ring des Nibelungen is set in, feelz can understandably come later.
• Alberich is just amazing. Wow. What a character. And Loge is awesome, I am always a little sad that he is nowhere except in the orchestra for the next parts of the Ring.
• The. Very. Opening. It's like Wagner perfectly summed up the beginning of the world in a note, an interval, an arpeggio, chords, passing notes and flourishes and then suddenly the beginnings of language from nonsense syllables to words to sentences to dialogue....and then Alberich comes in. hah. It's a great opening.