The World of the Ring – Das Rheingold

Director Eric Schulz presents a four-part introduction to Wagner's tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen – arguably the most monumental single work in the history of western music. With extracts from several famous productions and contributions from leading musicologists and musicians – including conductor Christian Thielemann – Schulz explores the multiple levels of this extraordinary work, addressing each of its constituent operas in turn. The first instalment examines the "Preliminary evening" of the whole drama, the fiercely concentrated and polemical Das Rheingold.

Ensemble: 

Orchestra of the Wiener Staatsoper

Conductor: 

Christian Thielemann