It is no simple task to create a piece that simultaneously describes and fuels the nuances of the zeitgeist in any given time, which, upon deeper study, is a labyrinth of reference and metaphor, but is on its own still easily palatable to the audience for which it is intended. Masterpieces are created in this way, with themes that resonate deeply with their audience, and it is sometimes difficult to understand or accept those ideas many years after the fact – in fact, a modern audience may find the themes of previous times to be antiquated, regrettable or outright despicable. However, it is often the motifs of the past, be it recent or ancient, which color and determine those of the modern world. It is for this reason that we must maintain a connection with our earthly past; in order to understand the currents of today’s zeitgeist, the masterpieces and peoples of the past must be observed and studied. Richard Wagner’s <i>Der Ring Des Nibelungen</i> is one such masterpiece in many fields – it is itself a representative work of romantic nationalist art, the spirit of Germans and their neighbors in Western and Northern Europe in the mid 1800’s, and a masterful crafting of musical motifs of the time into a rich and complex tapestry of beautiful music and turbulent ideas – and it is for the above reason that the Ring cycle should be preserved.

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Wagner lived in an era that was rife with upheaval and change in both the power structures and national identities of Europe. Advances in industry and mechanization brought about the rise of new-money powers whose lives were rife with decadence, and whose power was in direct competition with the established powers in the area, to the decrement of the working class, which was riled by the spirit of reform put about by the French Revolution and the fall of Napoleon. Old powers were increasingly tyrannical as their strength was threatened, and tangled alliances further levied downward pressure on the already oft-impoverished people of the lower classes via the Metternich System, in which a nation would invite the armies of its allies to help quell rebellion. (Fisher, 2-6)

The Ring cycle is a series of four operas, referred to by Wagner as “dramas,” consisting of “Das Rheingold,” “Die Walküre,” “Siegfried” and “Götterdämmerung.” They were based on certain aspects of the mythos of Norse and Germanic peoples, following the story of a powerful magical ring which would grant its user nigh-limitless power, but the ring was cursed. The gods and many other powerful beings quarreled over the ring, but a hero arose who took its power, earned from Brünnhilde, his lover. However, the story ends with the loss of both Siegfried and Brünnhilde, and the destruction of the gods and their home in Valhalla, and the beginning of a new world. (Fiero, B5.67)

The cycle is itself a paragon of the nature of Romanticism, in particular its reaction against the impersonal nature of the industrial era (Fiero, B5.2) and the often destructively tyrannical rulership of the old elite in Europe. (Fisher, 2-6) Also like other contemporary musicians, Wagner utilized his music in a way that further combined the structural and emotional elements of music; as with Beethoven’s use of more expressive wording and dynamics in his music, (Fiero, B5.60) Wagner explored the use of incredibly complex leitmotifs in <i>The Ring</i>. (Fiero, B5.67)

It is difficult to separate the specific differences and similarities between Wagner’s work in <i>The Ring</i> and other Romantic pieces at the time, since it seems that one of the defining notions of the era was itself the exploration of new themes and styles in music in order to achieve a more natural and emotional flow. It could be said that Wagner’s mastery of the themes and styles that he was working with is the most outstanding feature, along with his dedication – he spent upwards of 20 years drafting, writing and completing the entire cycle of <i>The Ring</i>. (Films On Demand, 33:00)

Helping to illustrate the spirit of Romanticism is the works of Beethoven, who was an influence to Wagner and about whom Wagner wrote. (Furness, 140) Beethoven’s symphony, <i>Eroica</i>, exemplifies in its themes and context much of the explorative and anti-establishment intent that Wagner attempts to elicit in his works. <i>Eroica</i> was initially intended to be dedicated to Napoleon as a hero of the people and an exemplary leader, but Beethoven angrily retracted his dedication when Napoleon named himself emperor, which was entirely contrary to the tide of Romanticism. Also, as mentioned above, Beethoven explored ways of making his music more expressive to the listener. (Fiero, B5.60)

However, Eroica was specifically a portrait of an idealized hero in its nature, where the Ring cycle described the destruction of heroism by the greed and infighting of a group of powerful beings, likely metaphors for the people who were in power at that time in Europe – gods concerned with decadence, beasts concerned with power and dwarves whose sole interest was in riches. The story put forth by Wagner is a very dark one right up until the very end, in which the destruction of the entire establishment and a return to nature is the resolution to the entire problem.

The work was so well-received that it actually annoyed Wagner – the young king of Bavaria, his patron, demanded that <i>Die Rheingold </i>be played in Munich, before the other operas were completed; Wagner intended for his pieces to be completed as a four-day festival, back-to-back – he actually attempted to sabotage the performance, much to the ire of the king, such was his zeal. However, testament to the popularity of his works, various famous people attended the performances of his operas <i>Die Rheingold</i> and <i>Siegfried</i> in Munich while he acted as if they were not occurring. (Furness, 139, 140) Later, the German Emperor Wilhelm I greeted Wagner personally at a train station regarding his completion of the cycle, saying “I did not believe you would ever do it.” (Furness, 149)

However, not all in Europe at the time were friendly to Wagner’s work. A critic in Vienna called the work a “crying shame” and said that the work “had nothing to do with the German people, who should, if they ever find pleasure in such a work, be removed from the ranks of the cultured peoples of Western Europe.” So bad were the reviews that Wagner and his family were prompted to escape to Sorrento for a month. (Furness, 151)

Modernly, epics like the Ring cycle have become a great deal more popular in various media, and it could be argued that various fantasy titles follow in some way, roundabout or directly, in the footsteps of the Ring mythos. Additionally, movie musicians have been known to borrow from the use of leitmotifs in Wagner’s operas, sewing similarities between the music in movies today and the sounds of Wagner’s operas. (Palmer)

However, Wagner’s nationalistic background had a dark side – Wagner was a well-known anti-Semite, so much so that his music is banned in the nation of Israel today, due to its adoption by the Nazis after his death in their creation of the Holocaust. It has been argued that the attitude of anti-Semitism has transcended his life into the basis of his music; American academic Marc Weiner identifies the characters Albrich, Mime and Hagen from <i>The Ring</i> as being of the 19<sup>th</sup>-century Jewish stereotype. (Mourby)

The Ring cycle is itself a beautiful set of works which carries with it the meaning of several generations of German people, a powerful statement of the mid-19<sup>th</sup> century German zeitgeist. In an objective sense, it is masterful, especially for its time, and does things that no operatic piece has done before or since, and that alone is a powerful statement of its worth. The message is one that may be considered outdated, but its source is important to mankind – the extremes of European nobility, industry and revolution during the time are themselves a warning that should be carried into the generations of the future, a parable of the troubles of materialism and racism.

The future holds mysteries and puzzles that humankind will soon no longer be able to skirt by from. Both Wagner and his critics hold important messages to the human race, and it would do mankind well to maintain awareness of the arguments which tore Europe apart and embroiled them in war in the 19<sup>th</sup> and 20<sup>th</sup> centuries. The works representative of the time, the messages that they broadcast, and the context under which they were written are all important for this awareness, and Wagner should be kept alive in the minds of mankind, if not for the beauty and mastery of his work, then for the fundamental controversy of his era and the ideas, agreeable or not, which the man projected into his work. This is the importance of the preservation of <i>Der Ring Des Nibelungen</i>: It is masterfully woven into the tapestry of the 19<sup>th</sup>-century German zeitgeist, in both aesthetic form and philosophical content, and the human race would be the worse without the guidance of the wisdom of that era and its victories and failures.

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<p align="center"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Works Cited</span></b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center">Fiero, Gloria K. <i>The Humanistic Tradition</i>. 6th ed. 2. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011. eBook.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Class Textbook; Helped me understand the era surrounding the writing of the Ring cycle, as well as my understanding of Beethoven’s <i>Eroica</i></p>
"Wilhelm Richard Wagner: A Concise Biography." <i>Films On Demand</i>. Films Media Group, 2005. Web. 4 Nov. 2013. &lt;http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=17517&amp;xtid=44013&gt;.
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">A video biography of Richard Wagner, for information regarding his life</p>
Fisher, Burton D., and Publishing Opera Journeys. <i>Exploring Wagner's The Ring Of The Nibelung : Der Ring Des Nibelungen</i>. [Coral Gables, Fla.]: Opera Journeys, 2002. <i>eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)</i>. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">A specific book about the context of the Ring cycle, helpful for understanding its nuances</p>
Furness, Raymond. <i>Richard Wagner</i>. Reaktion Books, 2013. eBook.
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">A biography of Wagner, for further studies on his life</p>
Mourby, Adrian. "Can We Forgive Wagner?." <i>The Guardian</i>. N.p., 21 Fri 2000. Web. Web. 5 Nov 2013. &lt;http://www.theguardian.com/friday_review/story/0,3605,345459,00.html&gt;.
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">A web article questioning whether Wagner can be forgiven for his nationalist agenda; helpful for understanding the less positive side of Wagner’s modern reception</p>
Palmer, Dexter. "Blogging Wagner’s Ring Cycle." <i>TOR.com</i>. N.p., 05 Apr 2010. Web. Web. 5 Nov 2013. &lt;http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/04/blogging-wagners-ring-cycle&gt;.
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">A blog on a science fiction and fantasy website describing the basics of the cycle to modern sci-fi and fantasy readers, helpful for understanding its modern reception.</p>