Inside the Ring

John Louis DiGaetani, professor emeritus of English at Hofstra University, is the author of numerous books about opera and theater.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments      Preface      A Ring Chronology      Introduction: The Cycles in the Cycle      I. The Foundation1. The Golden Ring in a Golden Age      2. Selling the Ring: Richard Wagner’s “Enterprise”      II. Interpretations3. Gold Rules: The Politics of Wagner’s Ring      4. Romanticism in the Ring      5. The Ring: An Italian Dream Set in Switzerland      III. The Ring and Germany6. Wagner’s Ring and German Culture: Performances and Interpretations On and Off Stage      7. Wagner’s Ring Premiere in Munich      8. Transgression and Taboo: Eros, Marriage, and Incest in Die Walküre      IV. Production and Influence of the Ring9. A Select Production History of the Ring      10. The Ring in America      11. Wagnerian Opera's Influence on World Literature      V. The Language and Music of the Ring12. The Language of the Ring      13. An Interview with Jane Eaglen      VI. Conclusion14. The Trouble with Wagner      15. The Ring on Disc and on Video      About the Contributors      Index

“I can aver that I found much to enjoy and learn here. For instance, the interview with Eaglen alone is worth the price of the book...Inside the Ring contains many nuggets of gold, not the least of which is the bibliography, which lists audio and video resources, books, librettos, and music—Wagner Notes.