Richard Wagner described his epic opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelung [The Ring of the Nibelung] as a three-part work with a preliminary evening. Effectively four operas. They can be performed and enjoyed separately. Each story is complete in itself. But the characters and story also progress through the four operas making one great saga.
Wagner sought to create something quite different from opera of the time. After the earlier works he discarded the term opera and referred to his works as drama.
A key musical device is the use of leitmotifs [leading motives] which are short themes that identify characters, ideas, objects, emotions and events. The leitmotifs are readily identifiable and occur throughout the four dramas. They may appear in their original form or varied to suit the context of the drama. The motives undergo transformation as the characters or ideas they represent undergo change throughout the drama.
There have been many scholarly and exhaustive analyses of the structure of the motives and their development. And there have been heated debates amongst proponents of different theories as to the appropriate meaning or label for the motives and debate about how the motives interrelate to one another. Exploring all the relationships between the motives would be a massive undertaking.
Listing the motives as if they are no more than sign posts does the music an injustice. The motives are not imposed upon or separate to the flow of the music. They are integrated into the music akin to symphonic development. They also contribute to the psychological weight to the work. And motives that clearly stem from the same root can be used for different characters or situations, strengthening the argument that the motives are as much about emotion as they are specific to a character or event. Examples of this reuse will be referred to in commentary that follows. Having some familiarity with the important motives will assist the listener to follow the action and the emotion of the work.
Not all themes and motives are discussed. This introduction focusses on those that are structural to the plot and its development. It highlights those motives that recur throughout the work as the music provides a commentary on the action and the emotional and psychological drama. This is a general introduction to the key themes in order of occurrence for the average listener.
The numbering of the motives in the following commentaries has no significance. Their purpose is to allow related motives to be cross-referenced.
