Richard Wagner´s vast Ring cycle, comprising four full-length operas, is arguably the most extraordinary achievement in the history of opera. The libretto to the work is more than a literary work of art; its intricate system of metric patterns, imaginative metaphors, ample use of alliteration and its singability combine to create something unique -the music is in the text. This series provides not only a new translation of the libretto but also a guide through the labyrinth of the Ring, clarifying its literary and musical idiom and significance. The fundamental element of Wagner´s music is the leitmotif, a short theme or motif associated with a particular person, object, event or idea. Each libretto volume offers scene-by-scene synopses, introductions to all the new leitmotifs of that scene, a bibliography and selective discography. The translation runs side-by-side with the German text, the margins identifying the motifs and offering a running commentary on the action.
