Theology of Wagner’s Ring Cycle I : The Genesis and Development of the Tetralogy and the Appropriation of Sources, Artists, Philosophers, and Theologians (pdf)

Description

Wagner’s Ring is one of the greatest of all artworks of Western civilization, but what is it all about? The power and mystery of Wagner’s creation was such that he himself felt he stood before his work as though before some puzzle. A clue to the Ring’s greatness lies in its multiple avenues of self-disclosure and the corresponding plethora of interpretations that over the years has granted ample scope for directors and will no doubt do so well into the distant future. One possible interpretation, which Richard Bell argues should be taken seriously, is the Ring as Christian theology.