Opera Preview: Ring by Richard Wagner, Die Walkure with Norm Hollingshead

Join us for an opera preview with Norm Hollingshead, sponsored by the Friends of the Mercer Island Library.
THE
RING OF THE NIBELUNGEN was first performed in its entirety at Bayreuth
in the summer of 1876. The world had seen nothing like it, a music/drama
cycle of incredible scope:  four complete operas in four nights with 16
hours of performing time. That should have put off opera audiences used
to a single opera and 3 hours running time.  Instead, Wagner’s “Ring”
has fascinated opera audiences, more now than ever, especially in
Seattle. Wagner’s “Ring” has everything, including giants, Gods,
dwarves, a river, a curse, a magic ring, two spell-binding love stories,
a rainbow bridge, a dragon, mermaids, fabulous music, and a story with
the most powerful of themes:  Power corrupts but Love redeems.