W. Shane Duquette

The Ring, short for Der Ring des Nibelungen, is a series of four music dramas written by Richard Wagner. The four dramas that make up the series are titled Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung. The series took Wagner twenty-six years to write (1848-1874) and takes approximately 15 hours to perform.

The plot is based on Germanic Paganism and deals with a magic gold ring that gives the wearer the power to rule the world. Wotan, the chief of the gods, is the initial owner of the Ring and his schemes while in possession of the ring make up much of the plot. Wotan eventually decides to concede the Ring to Siegfried, the protagonist, who then possesses the ring for a span of time. Siegfried is eventually betrayed and murdered. His lover, Valkyrie Brünnhilde, then brings the Ring back to the Rhine, destroying the gods in the process.

It is not, however, the plot ­that is significant. Wagner’s Gesamtkunstwerk, a term meaning ‘total work of art’, is a perfect case of interdisciplinarity. Wagner believed that the music, poems and stagecraft were all contributed to the “finished whole” and that without all of these components only a skeleton of the work was left. Wagner stressed the importance of elements such as the words of the text, the staging, the character development, the gestures, the orchestral accompaniment, the vocal technique, the lighting and the props. He even went so far as to say that even the location of the theater was a crucial aspect to be considered.

Wagner used several leitmotifs to develop themes and provide continuity throughout his massive 15 hour dramatic series. One such motif, “The Power of the Ring”, is used to symbolize the corruption of love in the face of power. To achieve this Wagner had one of the characters flaunt his power by kissing the Ring. The sinister music accompanying this action further emphasizes that this traditional symbol of love is being corrupted. Some props are similarly imbued with such motifs. For example, Wotan’s spear is used to symbolize his authority. This motif is accompanied by a musical phrase aptly titled “The Spear”. This motif is used at various moments through the series and eventually symbolizes Wotan’s fall from power through its destruction.

Some of the most powerful motifs in the dramas are created through the use of light. In Das Rheingold, for example, the world is composed of 4 elements: water, air (sky), earth and fire. The Rhinemaidens’ watery realm is lit by “a greenish twilight”, the fiery domain of Nibelheim is lit by dark red light, and earth by blue light. The fusion of these elements is shown by white light and represents the “great conflagration”. The text read in conjunction with the varying lights uses descriptive words evocative of the meanings implied by the light to further clarify the motifs.

The light is used to parallel divinity, so it is no surprise that the obstruction of light is given a negative connotation throughout the series. Mist, fog, smoke and darkness are all equally sinister because they represent the lack of divinity.

Because of the complexity of the Ring, and because it requires so many components to be fully realized, this article claims it’s one of the few productions that cannot be altered without risking the loss of symbolism and that any deviations from the original work no longer represent the spectacle that Wagner intended. This suggests that when a work is interdisciplinary re-appropriation becomes inappropriate. I believe that this definitely makes the work more challenging to re-use, but that it may actually result in stronger re-appropriations since there are more elements to play off of.

Paul Housego

The article discusses the manner by which the elements of production and the score, in Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle of operas, combine to realize his intent of a gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art (Buller 41). The author posits that the production must be faithful to the composer’s original and detailed instructions regarding all components of the work for the audience to truly experience Der Ring des Nibelungen (Buller 54).

All elements of the opera are unified to create a complete experience. Themes are used not only in his music, but the text, character development and staging effects. The themes develop continuity and complexity through repetition, cross-referencing and contextualization. A theme will be established and then used in a scene where the context is contrary to its original meaning in order to emphasize the occurrence of corruption. Themes are also recombined to illustrate restoration and conclusion.

This becomes a central point in his argument. Since Wagner establishes the original theme and then reworks it in order to provide meaning through contrast and combination of the original elements, an external addition opens the possibility of an unintended interpretation. The new element, in Jeffery L. Buller’s view, alters the experience so it is no longer a production of Wagner’s Ring operas. This purity is obtainable due to the completeness and detail of Wagner’s recorded instructions and writings (Buller 41).

For the pure experience to be complete the audience is required to be knowledgeable of the references that Wagner details, contemporary to the time of the opera and not their life. It alters the communication of the themes in the work, through a resonance with the memories and experiences of the audience, to new knowledge of a historical perspective instead of the possibility of internalized or personalized meaning. One artifice bridges the form of the communication the other alters the work.

1. How direct and controlled can Wagner’s communication be?
2. Is a new element another level of reference or is it a distortion that lessens the achievement of a “total work of art (Buller 41)”?
3. Compare and contrast the analysis of Shakespeare plays by Jack Stillinger in Plays and Films: Authors, Auteurs, Autres (164-169) in Multiple Authorship and the Myth of Solitary Genius Oxford University Press, 1991, pp.163-181.

Jacqui Hutchinson

Der Ring des Nibelungen is a total work of art (Gesamutkunstwerk) by Richard Wagner. It is an entire dramatic production that forms a cycle involving complementary music, images, staging, costumes, and gestures. Wagner wanted to create a performance with other dimensions that reinforce the plot line. The rhythms of speech coincide with that of the orchestra, as well as images. The reasons for using images in the Ring were to reinforce the text’s meaning, enhance the music’s rhythm, and use images as reminders to the audience of their previous experiences.

Certain pieces of music are played and repeated in specific instances of the cycle that have the same theme. By doing this, Wagner is able to create a consistency in his work and reinforce themes that have previously been introduced. This is just one of many aspects of the “leitmotivic method of composition” (others involve the setting, costume, and staging). Sometimes the props used by actors are given a thematic meaning (ie: The shield is given a negative meaning).

The relationship between Wagner’s visual leitmotifs and musical themes continue to develop and transform, as new aspects become associated to them with time. There is the image of light (the light of the god) and the image of darkness.

The use of light symbolizes both joy and the powerful realm of the gods. Later on the light representing the gods is sometimes tinted with colour to represent aspects of them that are considered “ungodly.” In the Ring, the colour red represents danger and sorrow, while the colour blue represents wisdom. The end of each Ring drama is finished with an extravagant display of images of light. This is seen as the end of one cycle, because all the objects that were separated since their first appearance, join together again, thus completing the cycle. The ending usually involves fire, water, heat, cold, earth, heaven, and the primary colours of the spectrum.

Contrary to the symbol of light, the symbol of darkness represents evil and the lack of gods. Mist is given a negative connotation, where it represents the mortality of the gods. As a specific scene progresses (Nibelheim scene), smoke, mist and evil become linked and associated with Alberich (a character in the performance). Wagner also employs pathetic fallacy (dark clouds and mist) in some of his scenes, where nature is in sympathy with the emotion of man.

Since the Ring is seen as “a total work of art” there is much debate about whether or not changing it would result in a dramatic loss of the original intended meaning. Since all aspects of the play (music, images, costumes, set design, characters, and speech) are so closely intertwined, many feel that any slight departure from the original production, would sacrifice the play and the symbolism within it. I agree with the point of view that changing an aspect even in the slightest could trigger a larger change in the symbolism and meaning of the play, but this is not to say that the change could not be seen as an improvement.

In your opinion, would altering certain aspects of the Ring make it less meaningful, or do you believe change has the possibility to enhance the performance?

Frances Lam

In the Spectacle in the Ring, Jeffrey L. Buller holds in high regard the process of growth that Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (the Ring) journeyed through. In Wagner's pursuit for a Gesamthkunstwek, or a total work of art, he takes into consideration all the disciplines that are involved in the drama rather than just the orchestral music. Wagner intended to make every aspect of the live drama unified and complimentary towards the overall theme.The Ring was centralized around the theme that "greed, like the lust for power, obliterates love" (43).

Along with the music he composed, Wagner was greatly concerned with the accompanying visual aspect of the show.

From the gestures that actors make, to the setting of the scene, to the lighting throughout the drama, he scripted most of it down to detail, despite the fact that his own specialty was actually the orchestra. By doing this, Wagner hoped to create an experience that helped to further express the text and music to the audience, as well as remind them of instances or characteristics in the play that have already occurred. The act of referencing seeks to create and use visual motifs within the drama. Wagner applies motifs to characters, good and evil, gods and humans, and the destruction of love etc. These motifs allow for effectiveness in the communication of the occurring play to the audience. For example, the kiss in the context of the Ring represents power, the spear represents authority, and the shield represents doom.

Wagner guides the audience along the journey of growing complexity in the understanding of the motifs throughout the Ring. Jeffrey Buller uses the two examples of light and dark lighting, to show the amount of distance the audience travels in first encountering the motif and their impression at the end of the whole piece. Bright light is generally associated with the good and joyful whereas the dark, mist, clouds, or dusk symbolizes the evil and foreboding. Wagner worked with this generalization, which originated from Christian religion and other past sources.

At the appearance of the Gods or their heavenly environment, the stage would be brilliantly-lit. Light also represents the return to order after chaos, which was shown after Brunnhilde's sacrifice at the end of the Ring.

Darkness symbolizes suffering, evil, fear, corruption etc. The clouds that appeared would represent anger, which is shown when clouds and mist appeared when Wotan was angry. Wotan and Alberich are two characters that are consistently associated with the lack of light throughout the Ring, as they are corrupted and evil characters. Wagner uses the motives to compliment the music and the words that are being articulated, as they are one of the many aspects that help to create a unified work of art.

Buller believes that as a work of art, there will be a difference in watching a remake of the Ring that deviates from the version Wagner has set. This drama was created with a specific theme in mind and every aspect of the project worked around this theme. If anything were to be altered, the drama would no longer be harmonious - it would no longer be the Ring. The audience "...will miss being exposed to a set of images developed on several artistic levels simultaneously." (55). The point that Buller attempts to convey is that if any small alterations are made, there would no longer be the existence of the original flavor, which allows the audience to see the true process of the viewing of the Gesamtkunstwerk. This is akin to having the end of a movie told to oneself, instead of watching it by oneself, which Buller disagrees with.

Aaron Ma

The famous series known as Der Ring des Nibelungen is a series of four musical dramas that is based upon a story found in German paganism. The series were created and directed by the famous German composer Richard Wagner. Wagner envisioned a story that is to be told in both songs and in visual imagery. The poems that Wagner had created at first with the first of the Ring librettos were to be the foundations to a future musical drama. The relationship between the stagecraft and the songs and their effect on nearly every aspect of the drama is the core of Wagner’s concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, or “total work of art”. It is Wagner’s theory of opera where all the branches of art, poetry, the narrative, stage architecture and design, etc. combine and manifest from the global art form of opera. Wagner believed that Der Ring des Nibelungen can only be viewed as a finished whole when all aspects of the opera is taken into account.

Most critics only take into account of Wagner’s music within the drama series; however, the composer was far more involved within the production than just through the creation of the music. During production, Wagner himself directed the performers’ instructions. He provided advice on everything, ranging from the general design of scenes to even the most minor of gestures with the actors. Wagner emphasized on this because he wanted the imagery that his audience see to reinforce the music he had composed.

Wagner also used visual imagery in the Ring to bring a sense of nostalgia to his audience. There were scenes in the Ring where Wagner used dramatic spectacles to relate the scene with similar scenes from other literatures, paintings and operas.

The use of thematic role in the actions of the actors was also important in Wagner’s use of visual imagery. An example of this is found in scene 4 of Das Rheingold where the giants Fasolt and Fafner measured their gotten gold with the body of the goddess of love, Freia. This portrays a dominant message throughout the opera that the notion of greed hides away and destroys love.

Wagner also utilized visual leitmotif throughout the Ring where certain scenes and any scenes that are similar to those had specific music symbolizing an object or event. This can be seen whenever the god Wotan bears his spear, or when the dwarve Alberich kisses the ring throughout the scenes of Das Rheingold.

The use of light and darkness are also very distinct throughout the Ring. The imagery of light and various glows of different colours symbolize the good as well as the powers of the gods. Whereas the imagery of darkness which is portrayed through the use of mists, clouds and smoke represents evil and the impending doom.

The many visual leitmotifs that Wagner uses in his production of the Ring have distinguished Der Ring des Nibelungen from other different operas. Normally, the production of an opera is a collaborative effort of the director, the set designer, the composer and the librettist. Together, they combine their insights and expertise to create a new composition for the opera. However, this was impossible with the production of the Ring. Wagner had envisioned the visual symbols and the music to be tied very closely with the text of the story. His concept of the “total work of art” emphasizes on the important relationships between the spectacle, music, theme, character, and the text of the drama, brought together and manifests from the one global art form, the opera.

Wagner’s view of the “total work of art” has brought forth many critics’ opinions. Most predominantly is the question of what harm will altering the appearance of the Ring do. Revising certain scenes or altering it to cater to more modern audiences may enhance Wagner’s composition even more. However, in doing so, many of the intended leitmotifs may be lost which in turn will cause other aspects of the drama such as the music to become obsolete. In a way, the audience will no longer be seeing Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, instead it will simply become some sort of variant of the composer’s work.

Ron Mandelman

• An opera series by Richard Wagner, called Der Ring des Nibungen
• Started off as poems, but Wagner himself said that they were only the “skeleton” of the piece
• Gesamtkunstwerk — total work of art
• Wagner himself was concerned about staging, costuming, lighting, props and gesture, not just the music, yet most critiques only focused on the melodies
  
  
• First rehersals for the Ring cycle started in 1872
• Wagner asked his friend Henrich Porges to take down every instruction he gave to his actors
  
• Content includes familiar pieces of works, such as the Illiad, as well as characters that the audience would know like Zeus and Thetis
  
  
• Many of the actions and images that Wagner purposefully placed in his opera were thematic > they carried with them specific messages
  • Stacks of gold placed before the goddess of love to symbolize greed over taking compassion
    
    
• Actions were also highlighted by musical scores > whenever a character named Albreich kisses a ring in the opera, a specific musical score is heard
• The music and imagery reinforces one another
  
  
• Props in the Ring Cycle also carry thematic weight > Wotan’s spear symbolizes his authority
• The stage movements are supposed to also aid in the thematic portrayal > the actor should be holding the spear courageously and with power
  
  
• First of the series, Das Rheingold, is an “elemental work” > earth fire water and air are all important
• Gotterdammerung is a wholly human world > complex creations
• In essence the opera’s are a progression from creation to the created
• All the staging and lighting and costumes would follow along this motif > domain of the Rhinemaidens should be a greenish twilight
• Gods decent to a fiery Nibelheim should be a distant dark red light
  
  
• An important image throughout the ring cycle is light
• Light meaning goodness as well as the domain of the gods
• Shadow meaning darkness and evil, as well as a lock of gods
• Not just contained to the ring cycle but all of Wagner’s pieces
• Simply put, when joy or happiness is meant to be felt, the stage should be brightly lit
• When things are bad, things should be dark

Vyacheslav Motovilov

• Richard Wagner, originally being a composer, coined the term Gesamtkunstwerk (Total work of art). He was deeply concerned with the way his story, Der Ring des Nibelungen, was perceived by the audience. He did not focus on one particular performance aspect more than the other, but rather on the entire spectrum of dramatic production. Aristole called that spectrum of visual elements, the spectacle of a drama.
  
• visuals and symbolism are two of the many aspects which Wagner was serious about in his drama. He wanted the speech of his characters to be in a close relationship to the orchestra as well as their body movements. He insisted on every action having a purpose and be reinforced by either of the spectrum elements. Furthermore, Wagner associated certain scenes from his drama with other known pieces of artwork such as paintings, literature and famous operas. Wagner wanted everything to be symbolized by something.
  
  
• The Oxford American Dictionary defines leitmotif as a recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular idea, person or situation. By using visual leitmotifs a.k.a. symbolism, Wagner is able to associate and remind the audience of the themes that were already introduced by manipulating light, musical themes, actors’ lines, gestures and stage illuminations. Here is some symbolism, which Wagner used in his drama for various themes:
  • The loss of Wotan’s power is symbolized through the shattering of his once indestructible spear. The spear also symbolizes authority.
  • The shield is associated with doom
  • The image of darkness is accompanied by mist, smoke, clouds
  • Pure white light represents the power of the gods. Particular characters had their own light colors which accompanied them upon their stage entrance.
  • Scenes of joy where brightly illuminate by white light
  • Actors lines had certain word associations for: “glow”, “light”, “radiance” and etc.
  • Red was the color associated with danger and sorrow in the Ring
  • The obvious, darkness symbolizes evil

• All of the above are some of the visual elements of the spectacle which Wagner considered an essential in every proper drama. This is how Wagner conceived the essence of play performances.

In conclusion, the author states that changing or ignoring certain spectacles’ aspects erodes and obscures Wagner’s work. The concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk (Unity) makes Wagner’s work differ from any other theatrical production. At the very end, the Ring is interpreted as the spectacle itself, as well as something that will not function, at all, without all of its pieces put together.

Question: Can we apply Wagner’s concept of Gesamtkunstwerk to any other form of art except for to theatrical perfomance? Are there any forms of art to which Gesamtkunstwerk can not be applied?

Erica O'Reilly

In Jeffrey L. Buller’s article Spectacle in the Ring one is introduced to the operatic work of Richard Wagner. Buller’s discussion focuses on Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelugen. The focal point of the article illustrates Wagner idea of Gesamtkunstwerk — or the “total work”. It is Buller’s feeling that Wagner utilizes all aspects of the production (the script, musical score, movement and vocal techniques) to create a spectacle that the audience observes. This article illustrates how the individual elements are dependent on each other and are synthesized to enhance the meaning of the story.

The first element that is explored is the relationship between music and movement. Often times Wagner would give actors certain motions, mirroring the rhythm of the score. In doing so the meaning of the lyrics would clearly be illustrated. However, not only was it a means of reinforcing the lyrics but also a way enhancing the rhythm of the music. Musical scores would also be used as a means of unifying certain themes within the piece. For example “Power of the Ring” would be used throughout the opera to provide an audio symbolism of power.

In addition to using motion to provide a visual explanation, Wagner would also use allusions to other works to enhance an audience member’s experience. Among the works he alluded to included Homer’s Iliad and the paintings of Jean Auguste Dominique. Yet, only the individual with knowledge of these artistic pieces would understand Wagner’s allusions. This aspect seems to be a small fault with his work because not everyone would be experiencing the true power of the piece. Another prominent visual spectacle of Wagner’s opera lay within his light and dark imagery. When using images of light the most obvious was the use of pure colours (ie. white) to illustrate the idea of godliness; whereas the use of dark colours and shadows were used to depict evil. However, the opera was more than the conflict between good and evil. The individuality of primary elements of the world (ie. earth, fire, water) was depicted through the spectrum of stage lighting (ie. red, green, and blue). In doing so Wagner clearly illustrated the distinct separations within the world. And as a final spectacle, and to provide unity, all three colours would be brought together in one brilliant light show; illustrating the idea of how all the elements of nature depend on each other.

As the presence of bright lights signify a positive air and the presence of gods the use of other stage effects such as mist, clouds, and smoke are a means of depicting a world without the presence of gods. Looming clouds or enveloping mist portray a rather ominous world, evoking a sense of suspense. The use of dark imagery is also a means of illustrating pathetic fallacy — the old belief of how nature would mirror the thoughts or emotions of humans. For example, Wagner may have used dark clouds and shadows if a character was experiencing anger.

All of the visual elements are used to further depict the story of the Ring. In his conclusion Buller explains that Wagner’s control over the opera was a means of unifying the piece. The interpretation and manipulation of another individual would interfere with the overall experience and meaning of the “total work”. He also reiterates the idea of how each element is dependent on each other, and by removing one element or missing its meaning would mean the Ring would not truly be a Wagnerian experience.

It is clear that this opera is an example of a hybrid, more specifically a synthesis hybrid, as defined in Jerrold Levinson’s article Hybrid Art Forms. The fusion of the lighting, staging, characters, song, and movement are so dependent, and interwoven amongst each other that is hard to depict the elements as separate from each other. As Levinson describes Wagner’s work as a sung drama or a dramatic song because the acting and the singing are not separate but rather fused together. So too, is the music does not play and then a lighting cue change but rather they are fused as one. It is important to understand what a hybrid art form is in order to truly appreciate Wagner’s Ring.

Do you agree that Wagner’s Ring could be classified as a synthesis hybrid? Or a hybrid at all? If not explain your reasoning? In addition, is it effective to combine all elements in such a way that they are so dependent on each other?