Once tainted by association with Hitler and Nazism, Richard Wagner'swork has experienced an international cultural renaissance in the last25 years. His magnum opus, Der Ring des Nibelungen, which tookhim over 20 years to finish, is a complex tale with themes of greed, corruption and loss, spun out in more than 16 hours of powerfullymoving opera. This book, with provocative essays for both theuninitiated and the seasoned fan, examines Wagner's Ring cycle froma wide array of modern perspectives. Divided into six parts, thisanthology first offers a foundation for the Ring, with a chronology andan introduction, along with a look at Wagner as an enterprisingmarketer. Part Two explores different interpretations of the Ring, withreference to politics, romanticism and international inspirations