DER RING!

Doesn't seem to be a thread so far, so I thought I'd start one.

In 14 days, I'm getting the full ring cycle on DVD for my birthday.

I have never watched or listened to a full Wagner opera, but I'm sure I will love the ring cycle. It's just the kind of massive epic fantasy that promises an amazing thing, and Wagner had the follow-through to develop it completely and massively. Unless I hate it, and then I"ll be very sad :( But with Wagner, you know the music will be good....

I feel like from what I've heard and the people I"ve talked to, it's the Star Wars / Lord of the Rings / Star Trek of music.

Anyways, so, since I know little about it yet (except somewhat of the plot, the characters, and I've listened to a two hour commentary on the motifs) does anyone else like, have a favorite opera from the Ring, part, etc. so I can look out for them as I'm watching?

My girlfriend and I (I sometimes force her to watch opera, much to her displeasure) are considering a 15 hour snack-filled Ring marathon.

Good for you?

Doesn't seem to be a thread so far, so I thought I'd start one.

In 14 days, I'm getting the full ring cycle on DVD for my birthday.

I have never watched or listened to a full Wagner opera, but I'm sure I will love the ring cycle. It's just the kind of massive epic fantasy that promises an amazing thing, and Wagner had the follow-through to develop it completely and massively. Unless I hate it, and then I"ll be very sad :( But with Wagner, you know the music will be good....

I feel like from what I've heard and the people I"ve talked to, it's the Star Wars / Lord of the Rings / Star Trek of music.

Anyways, so, since I know little about it yet (except somewhat of the plot, the characters, and I've listened to a two hour commentary on the motifs) does anyone else like, have a favorite opera from the Ring, part, etc. so I can look out for them as I'm watching?

My girlfriend and I (I sometimes force her to watch opera, much to her displeasure) are considering a 15 hour snack-filled Ring marathon.

Ever watched snails race?

That's the Ring's pace, pretty much. Pretty soon you'll be wondering why the characters keep saying the same inane things all over again.

I feel like watching all of them back to back would be the musical equivalent of eating four large cakes all at once by yourself....

I recommend either (a) popcorn, or (b) a sleeping pill.

My girlfriend and I (I sometimes force her to watch opera, much to her displeasure) are considering a 15 hour snack-filled Ring marathon.

ooh, romantic. :ermm:

I like the Kill Da Wabbit music.

then again, i hate most opera

I think the Ring is overrated, bigger is not better, but who am I to judge? :)

I do remember a kid in college who stopped by to give us a lecture on the subject. He was 13 and mentally challenged (which made him a genuis-type) and he knew everything about the Cycle that could probably rival any thesis written on the work. It also made me have less desire to study the work than before he lectured.

When you listen to it, you should take each part in one day, sort of like you would if you attended a live performance. I believe the way it is set up--live performance--is that you buy tickets for a week-long series and attend a portion each night. At least that is how it was described to me way back.

Well, this thread was revived from like 10 months ago, so I've already gotten and watched the ring cycle all the way through more than once. And you are all WRONG, of course, because it's great, and it's very entertaining if you actually pay attention to all of the motifs and stuff.

Wagner was a great man.

Wagner was a great man.

... He hated the jews. If you think he was a "great man", then this speaks volumes about your character. Sieg Heil!

Nah. Just kidding.

Not really. *cough* Hitler. *cough*

I think he was a great composer..

Haha, he was a piece of scraggy as far as how he was as a person goes. But I also don't like his music really, so I guess I may have some bias here. ;P

A question

Background: A friend who attended one of the Ring music dramas--can't remember which one off-hand--told me that at one point there was a one-hour long "aria-ish" part where the stage was totally dark except for an embracing couple under a spotlight.

I think that, for me, I'd enjoy the music much more taking it in small chunks and studying the score. Don't know if I truly enjoy sitting through the Ring without any "preparation."

Further thoughts: I have heard from several of my teachers that the brain cannot focus with full concentration on anything for more than 15 minutes. This seemed to me almost preposterous until I realized how many things there are to concentrate on in a single line of music. Of course, something as a music drama provides plenty of different things for the brain to focus on. Nonetheless, I think that mental fatigue might place some limits on composition (even when the audience is well-educated and supportive musically).

So, the question: I want to strive for optimal communication and take into account this "mental fatigue" factor. Do you think that there is a direct relationship between 1) the complexity of a work or the thoroughness with which ideas are developed and 2) the lenth of time during which mental concentration can be optimally sustained?

(Disclaimer: I am not trying to be hyper-scientific. I'm not expecting concrete answers. I'm simply using a scientific factor--mental fatigue--as a jump off point for a more subjective musical discussion.)