MOG Editorial Review

Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (often referred to as The Ring Cycle) may have taken 26 years to complete, but, then, it was a pretty epic endeavor. Held up as the gold standard of German composition, the four intertwined segments add up to a gorgeously compelling 16 hours of opera. While each opera stands on its own as a fully realized work, Wagner intended them to be performed together in succession (talk about demanding an attentive audience!). Booming voices roll over grand orchestrations as Wagner's libretto unleashes a harrowing, pre-Tolkien tale of mythical gods and creatures in search of a magic ring that holds the power to rule the world.