I haven't read the other comments, so I don't know if this has been asked...

You compared Der Ring der Nibelungen to Star Wars.  I couldn't tell if you meant the soundtrack or the movie or both.  Are leitmotivs parts of scripts or screenplays, or are they only from an opera?

I'm still marveling over the fact that so many dignitaries attended the first performance!  No pressure, eh?