Gesamtkunstwerk - The Best of Wagner's Ring

In the world of opera, very few have had as big an influence as Richard Wagner. The German composer wrote some of the finest works in operatic canon and of those, Der Ring des Nibelungen is undoubtedly the most complex and intricate. For Wagner, it was the culmination of his tireless pursuit of artistic connection and fusion. Born in Leipzig, Germany, Wagner grew up surrounded by the music of Beethoven and Mozart and this had a profound impact on his work. From an early age, he desired to become trained in both harmonic melodies and traditional musical composition. He wrote his first Opera, Die Feen, at age 20 but he struggled to make a living and lived in debt for much of his life. He was exiled to Switzerland for much of the 1850's do to his left wing politics and he continued to write operas until he returned to Germany in 1862. It was during this time that he began writing the first of the Ring Operas as well as Tristan and Isolde. Tristan and Isolde is considered the beginning of modern operatic work and the beginning of his Gesamtkunstwerk period. This was when he began to create works that combined various forms of art including music, poetry, lyrics, and visual representation. The Ring Operas was the culmination of this goal and was conceived over a period of 20 years.  The text was created first as a series of poems and they were published in 1853. The music came next but it was not until 1869 that he would finally write the music to all four dramas. The opening premiere for his work was delayed until 1876 because he wanted it to occur in his opera house build especially for his work. While it quickly gained notoriety for its storyline and music, it has only been done in full a handful of times due to the financial and time commitments required by opera companies. After he completed the Ring, he continued writing Operas until his death in 1883. Wagner is seen as one of the most important German composers ever and his work was instrumental in hastening a new era in opera.

I had heard of Wagner before but other than name recognition, I knew nothing about his work or his set of Ring operas. Of course, this show only contained a few of the operas numbers and merely had the singers and instruments sans the stage sets. Nevertheless, those elements were enough to exemplify Wagner's goal of combining different aspects of art into his work. The libretto is beautifully written and Wagner doesn't mince words. The music, however, is what really drew me in. Both emotional and triumphant, the NSO sounded great as always and the singers were all incredible. The story itself is really complicated but I'll summarize it as a mix of Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings. While opera isn't really my thing per say, I respect the discipline immensely and this seemed like a true example of high art. I enjoyed myself and am glad I discovered the work of Wagner!

My favorite part of the show was when the NSO performed the signature number from the opera; the Ride of the Valkyrie. A powerful horn sound is my guilty pleasure as a clarinet player and that song just resonates so well .

Looking forward to more shows in the future!

DC

Richard Wagner