The work explains the characters' domestic and personal struggles that we so readily (and lazily) recognize, then places their godly or ungodly doings in the context of the particular work along with the larger allegorical meaning. Other Wagnerian themes such as "water" or "sex" are gratefully included, the latter essential to understanding the endlessly sung dialogue between Tristan and Isolde.

Who's Who... is essential homework reading before you attend any Wagnerian performance and a revelation after you've seen one. Jonathan Lewsey does not hesitate to point out discrepancies or lapses of logic in the plots. Star Wars and Star Trek fans, late-blooming or not, will also find those universes enhanced by recognizing similar mythological underpinnings.

This is an outstanding reference book.

I don't consider myself a "Ring" expert by any stretch of the imagination. I consider myself a Wagnerian, find Wagner's music emotionally evocative, mentally stimulating, etc. I don't consider Wagner a "terrible man," however, nor do I consider him a superman, despite his musical talent, even genius. Sorry, but he, like all of us, was all-too human.

There are some points of the book that I appreciate. It is, as Lee points out, Wagner's musical talent that needs to be acknowledged. It is that, more than anything else, text or characters, for example, that stimulates me in "The Ring" or any other of Herr Wagner's operas.

And the summaries of each opera were helpful before I saw each one. I've seen tapes of them all before, but one can forget the stories, and a review like those Lee provided before each commentary was helpful.

Then there are the major leitmotifs of the opera, to which Lee frequently refers. But, unless you are very good at "hearing" the music you are reading, you may want to have a keyboard by you, or something by which you can listen to those themes. That will help you understand the operas and the concept of leitmotifs better.

However, one must keep in perspective what was going on in Germanic Europe in the Wagner era. Jung, Freud, Mesmer, and other gurus and similar fantasy builders were part of what was happening there. In fact, I see that as similar to some of the Eastern gurus who got footholds in the West during the 1960s. I fear that Lee doesn't keep that in perspective enough. He rambles on interminably on the "depth" of the "myths," ala Jung. And with that psychobabble I beg to differ. Myths are first and foremost stories. And stories are told to make a point. Lee refers at times to the Brothers Grimm with whom most of us are familiar. However, he refers to their stories as if there is almost an inherent message to be understood by the children hearing them. But any story is open to interpretation. Perhaps the stories most diversely interpreted are what is known as "scripture." Gerry Falwell and I interpret those documents very differently. So are ANY stories interpreted, including, if not especially, the Ring. Lee was so mesmerized by the "depth" of the "myth" that I think he may have left out other influences on Wagner. For instance, I believe Wagner had some commercial drive. I say that not in a critical sense, it's just reality. There was, for instance, appropriate to the time, a desire among German nationalists for a "national opera." Indeed, it may be from this book that I learned that fact. The Ring fulfilled that to a degree, though its sources are more Nordic and Icelandic than German. The times made the story more appropriate--saleable--than it may have been in another era. Wagner's genius at synthesis, taking bits and pieces from many sources and putting them into a plausible series of stories supported by superior--and evocative--musical background made it particularly "commercial."

As to the "mythic" structure of the Ring, I suspect that this was a result of Herr Wagner's rather extensive ego--bigger than reality--coupled with the dramatic effect of such myth. Guys going to work at the university or the factory and coming home to their wives and kids don't have quite the effect that greedy dwarves, ignorant and amorous giants, gods and their incestuous offspring have. The Grimms and Aesop also knew that well.

For those Wagnerian die-hards, no, I'm NOT criticizing Wagner for that. I just returned from a fabulous production of the Ring, to reinforce my video and audio recordings of the art, and the books and other media I have that examine it. I just fear that Lee--and some other authors--make Wagner more of a legend than he perhaps intended. (Note that I give the book 3 stars, not fewer!)

Overall, it's not a bad book, but, if you're familiar with the Ring, and don't get into popular psychological rap, I would recommend other books, including Ernest Newman's "The Wagner Operas" and others whom Lee uses as resources. And I'm reading another Lee book which I prefer. I think that'll get more stars.

Since then, I have read and re-read the book, and listened to the operas over and over again. I have seriously considered becoming a collector of Ring recordings; I own the Bohm version recorded at Bayreuth, the Solti version and the Karajan version. I have gone from being indifferent to Wagner to being a Wagnerolater, and Father Lee's book is what set this off.

The book may not be of as much use to someone who is already well versed in Wagner scholarship, however it is an excellent introduction to the Ring cycle. It exposed me for the first time to the depths of Ring interpretation. It also ably explained Wagner's musical techniques and his historical context in ways that the layperson can easily understand. For understanding the various leitmotifs in the index, some musical training is helpful, but having a recording of the Ring by your side should help to make up for any deficiencies in this department.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in getting to know Wagner, and interested in understanding how he can weave such a spell over his audiences. This book opened my own eyes; it can do the same for you.

A lot of the material is taken from the book, "Aspects of Wagner", which M. Owen Lee acknowledges as a source. Since I had read these books back-to-back, the repetition of material was easy to see.

There is also a discussion of the opera "Tannhauser", which is discussed in about the same level of detail as his commentaries on the Ring.

Zubrin's The Case for Mars presents an intriguing plan for exploring Mars in the near future using off the shelf technology. The reader can't help but be excited by the idea of mankind reaching Mars soon after the turn of the century.

Zubrin presents his argument in a clear style and at a fast moving pace. The book is intended for a scientifically literate, but not necessarily scientifically expert audience. A reader with a solid background in the space sciences may feel that the book is too easy, but most readers will be entertained without experiencing technological overload.

Occasionally, Zubrin's writing shows a weakness common to self ordained prophets. Zubrin sometimes belittles opinions contrary to his own in a fashion that the reader wonders if he is receiving a fair presentation of the opposing side's viewpoint. Although Zubrin does present a convincing argument for the Mars Direct program, the program is still a paper engineering exercise without much of the detail and tradeoffs that are required in the real world.

Robert Zubrin presents very convincing arguments that a manned mission to mars in the near future (before 2010) is feasable. Previously, estimates for a manned mission was in the range of $500 billion dollars. Zubrin argues that via a new approach, without any breakthroughs, such a mission would cost around one tenth that amount. With budget surplusses, hints of possible past life and recent water flows on mars, the possibility of a manned mission seems ever more compelling.

Zubrin explains many technical details without delving into jargon. I found his description of fuel production on the surface to be particularly interesting.

The author not only discusses a manned mission but a long term colonization of the planet.

I especially recommend this to any engineering student interested in space.

C.S. Lewis stumbled upon these Arthur Rackham paintings for Richard Wagner's, "Der Ring Des Nibelungen". Lewis writes in "Suprised By Joy" how the pictures inspired a Mythical sensation of 'Northerness' in his young mind.

As a child, 16-years ago, I discovered the same books and Arthur Rackham illustrations at the local library. I was enchanted! They led me explore the worlds of Wagnerian Opera.

I'm really glad the pictures are now reproduced in this paperback book. Pure Magic!

If you're new to Arthur Rackham's illustrations, these are PERFECT to start with.

"Yo-Jo-To-Ho!!!" -Die Walkurie

One cannot help but laugh at that first act with all that witty diologue between the young and ignorant Siegfriend and his evil foster-father Mime. That entire scene cracks me up. The fight with the dragon, in my opinion, is quite humorous when you consider the way irony in it (almost in a David vs. Goliath way). There is yet more comedy in the third act, my favorite line of the entire piece being when Siegfried pulls off Brunhilde's breastplate and declares "Das ist kien Mann!" or "That's no man!" Duh. Siegfried has never seen a woman in his life, and his reaction to Brunhilde's is so naive, and so funny. Then of course, like in all good comedies, they declare love and appear to live happily ever after (at least until Gotterdammerung).

Siegfried being a comedy also fits form well. Think about Beethoven's ninth symphony (I'm not saying it fits this symphony exactly, but work with me here) first and second movements are heavily dramatic, where as the third is a bit of a breather, a relief before the great conclusion of the fourth movement (though, of course a triumphant ending rather than tragic in the case of Gotterdammerung).

So next time you watch Siegfried, think comedy. Crazy it maybe, but i don't think it is that far-fetched.

There are five articles in Opera Guide no.34, as follows:

'A Very Human Epic' by Mike Ashman: a distinguished opera director, best known for his Wagner productions; these have included the WNO 'Ring' and 'Parsifal', the Norwegian Opera's 'Ring' and productions at Covent Garden. This essay provides an excellent introduction to Wagner's 'Parsifal'. It does however contain a few factual errors; in particular, Ashman is clearly out of his depth when he discusses Wagner's sources such as the 'Poetic Edda' (for the 'Ring') and Chretien de Troyes (for 'Parsifal').

This Guide was completed in 1986, and therefore it is understandable that the controversy that blew up around 'Parsifal' in the mid-1980's does not receive an adequate treatment here. The criticisms of Hartmut Zelinsky and Robert Gutman are mentioned, briefly, in a footnote at the end of Ashman's article.

'Recapitulation of a Lifetime' by Dieter Borchmeyer. I found this rather an eccentric take on 'Parsifal'. The author erroneously believes that the genesis of the work began in 1865; whereas Wagner recorded that the initial inspiration came in Marienbad in 1845 and the first sketch was written soon after Good Friday 1857. Borchmeyer also seems to be under the impression that Amfortas is meant to die at the end of 'Parsifal'; although this is a variant seen in many productions, it was not Wagner's idea. Etc.

'Experiencing Music and Imagery in Parsifal' by Robin Holloway: composer and professor of music in the University of Cambridge. In this fascinating article, Holloway identifies a "sonorous image cluster" at the core of the work. When so many articles about Wagner are leitmotif-fixated, it is refreshing to read an analysis of a Wagner score in which it is seen as an organic whole in which harmonic and melodic elements are inseparable.

'Parsifal: Words and Music' by Carolyn Abbate. An eccentric article (or is it an undergraduate essay?). The reader should refer to his score when Abbate does so, since she often misreads her score.

'Discursions into the Dramaturgy of Parsifal' by Gerd Rienäcker. I have no idea what this purple prose might be about! Rienäcker tells us that, at the end of act 2, Parsifal 'sets off into the wilderness with no idea where he is going'. On the contrary, Parsifal knows *exactly* where he is going; he just does not know how to get there.

There is also a useful 'Thematic Guide' by Lionel Friend, which contains 69 musical examples, some of which might be called 'leitmotiven'. He omits at least one of importance: Newman's 'Atonement'. Both the libretto and some of the articles refer to these musical examples by their numbers.

On balance, I can recommend this book as an introduction to 'Parsifal'. Even though I would have preferred it without a couple of the essays.

However, this review will obviously be of the Dover edition of the full score, not the opera itself. Also, I won't comment on the previous review, except to add that the reviewer should do Wagner and the world a favor and read Macgee's Tristan Chord, and give the slanderous and bizarre Wagner-Hitler link a well-deserved rest. Wagner was an anti-semite, but to somehow link this to Hitler is a classic example of the genetic fallacy (where did this idea ever come from, anyway? The Nazis loved Beethoven far more than Wagner's left-wing revolutionary aural madness,it never really fit with their style...).

The Dover editions of Wagner's full scores are the most useful editions available for actually listening to and studying Wagner's Gesamtkunstwerken, and are a bargain at twice the price. Professional musicians will of course recognize that the G. Schirmer editions are the ones most often used for actual performances and rehearsals, particularly the Schirmer piano reductions (either the good old green hardbacks or the orange paperbacks). But even professionals make good use of the Dover editions, since they are ideal for sitting down with a good set of headphones and a cup of coffee to take in the brilliance that was Wagner.