On this Radiolab/WNYC Special, we explore the impact and influence of Wagner's Ring Cycle on the Metropolitan Opera's 2004 Presentation.
It might seem hyperbole to claim, as many Wagnerites do, that The Ring Cycle is 'The Greatest Work of Art Ever.' But the grandeur and power of this monumental work have permeated our culture from Star Wars to Bugs Bunny to J.R.R. Tolkien.
This piece includes the voices of Howard Shore, Oscar-winning composer of The Lord of the Rings, Playwrite Tony Kushner, Joe Clark, technical director for the Metropolitan Opera, Alex Ross, music critic of The New Yorker magazine, Jungian Psychologist Laurie Layton Shapira, Seattle Opera director Speight Jenkins, Guitarist Gary Lucas, Fred Plotkin, Food & Opera Writer; Will Berger, author of Wagner without Fear, and John Rockwell, cultural correspondent for The New York Times.
