Opera: The Rhinegold, Part I, The Ring of Nibelung, Wagner

[Gryphonalia]

Wow.  An english accent can sell anything.

[phil2u]

Informative, but rather dull. They should have let Anna Russell record it.

[boberii]

Nice

[molkovi]

Never thought it would end up being a commercial :/

[darkwolfdv]

The matter is that most English-speakers who are Tolkien fans are unfamiliar with Germanic mythology and probably eschew Wagner and opera in general (i.e. the hippies in the late 60s and the Led Zeppelin fans of the 70s who made Tolkien's books popular on a grand scale). They'd probably never been to an opera in their lives and probably don't speak German. So to them, Tolkien is a creative genius... when in fact, he is at best a re-dresser of pre-existing folklore.

[bb1111116]

@darkwolfdv; Silly comments. Wagner based his Ring cycle on ancient Northern European mythology. Tolkien wrote his own version of these myths called "The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun" which has recently published. But as for "The Lord of the Rings" this is Tolkien's work. It is not a retelling of a myth as with Wagner.'s Ring "The Lord of the Rings" touches on ancient mythology but then moves beyond that with a blend of various pagan and Christian ideas in an original story.

[darkwolfdv]

@bb1111116

You are incorrect. What I stated is correct. Tolkien is a re-dresser of pre-existing folklore. Whether it "moves beyond" or not, it is still a retelling of the same myths. And like I said, most English-speakers don't speak German and don't like opera so they are unaware of Wagner's previous genius work.

[bb1111116]

@darkwolfdv; "Tolkien is a re-dresser of pre-existing folklore."

And so was Wagner. Wagner's "The Ring of Nibelung" made many changes to the original texts. Tolkien's re-dressing in his mythology is a very different story.

"And like I said, most English-speakers don't speak German and don't like opera so they are unaware of Wagner's previous genius work."

And what does that have to do with Tolkien's fiction? I like Wagner's Ring cycle. But that doesn't mean I have to falsely slam Tolkien.

[lillymelmj]

@darkwolfdv most english speakers speak a language based on anglo saxon which is germanic

[darkwolfdv]

@lillymelmj

Uh yeah, but German isn't English. Ever tried to learn German? In its construction, German is closer to Latin than English--- has those pesky Cases, which you have to memorize and learn. Also, many, many words are quite different in German--- most of our words in Modern English came from the Normans, so they are Latin-based rather than Germanic. Anyway, take it from someone who lived in Germany and had to learn German quickly-- it's no picnic and major differences.

[darkwolfdv]

The similarities between this and Tolkien don't end with the Ring. There is the shattered sword and its shards later become one again (Nothung).... there is the demi-goddess (Valkyrie/Elf) become human for the love of a man (Brunnhilde)... there is the half-monstrous creature obsessed by the ring and driven by base passions (Alberich /Gollum)... there is the curse of the ring itself... on and on. It is a virtual rip-off of Wagner.

[slippolives]

It looks interesting.

[matharoofmaths]

what the hell is up with that crap in the end of the video?

[BecauseofHimIlive]

@matharoofmaths I know! I'm watching this as an assignment for a music class so I put up with the bad quality audio and weird "storyline," but the end was too much-and ridiculous.

[0anonymoususerr]

OMG!... Fomenko is there. I thought he was only sh---ing into russian brains.

[Shogunmiyuchan]

who's narrating? Is it Sir John Tomlinson?

[ABookwormAndProud]

5: 00

Looks like Dan Brown decided to pull out a calculator and make up a pen-name...

[shokola]

Thank you so much this is so useful!

[stanthology]

Why wouldn't you want to look at a cock? That's a weird question! Sort of like "Why would I want to scratch my balls?" "Why?" "Why, indeed!" "Well why not, cuz it'll be alright." or maybe "Why would anyone want to know why?"

[handofnergal]

Thank you for uploading!

Very educational and entertaining, 5 starz, subscribed! ^^

[maggotovterror618]

does someone knows what`s the name of the song that`s being play in a headbanger`s journey during the influences on heavy metal part?

[almightyzoso]

yes, faust overture by richard wagner

[Yobero]

Too bad the quality of the sound is lacking. I like the explanations and the imagery used.

[MUSICOBLISS]

I saw Das Rheingold in 1990 at the Covent Gardens in all its splendor and it was awesome !!

A Wagnerian admirer..

[willr714]

what if ... I was a moron I might believe it.

[Bakuninite]

Well, if all that bit at the end was true, we would have to completely ignore Islam, Muhammad and the Qur'an....

[ludowicovan]

This is great, especially the displaying of the Leitmotive!

[ilovepink131131]

ok so 99% is an exadration but i dont think that you can reject simularitys betwen the 2. wogner may have taken taken many ideas from mythologly but at least he mad it his own.

[ilovepink131131]

it makes my furious that fame is givin to jrr tolkien for his "imagination" when it is clear that 99% of the lord of the rings was taken from the ring operas i mean, both include a ring that gives you power, the two brothers that kill each other over the ring, and a woriar woman

[Largau]

I think Tolkien rightly deserves the fame he has been given.

Both the ring operas and Tolkiens Lord of the rings have got many ideas from the northern mythology. So I think that is the reason you got some similarity between those two.

If you mean the 3 reasons you stated is enough to make up for 99%, then most books/movies/games/operas/thea­ters would be the same.

With 99% similarity you would only have to read or watch one of them and then you would have read/seen them all.

[Gabbrany]

Tolkein staunchly defended the independence of his works throughout a good portion of his career. He said something, and I'm paraquoting, along the lines of,

"Both stories have rings. The similarities end there"

I've always thought that the majority of the similarities could be explained by both stories' foundation of Germanic/Saxon mythology. It's like the difference between a play and a book both based on Greek mythology.

[brcx300]

I personally think Tolkein attempted to construct a morally alternative spin on the Ring myth. It is in essence a mythological celebration of the WWII experience. The ring represents "the will to power" in both stories, and there are symbolic political messages in the play. Gandalf is Churchill, The Riders are the Americans, the Hobbits are the English middle class, the mountain men are the Russians. I think its a mythological masking of Wagner's cult of Germania.

[ABookwormAndProud]

@brcx300 Despite Tolkein insisting several times that he was nearly done plotting out the story before the end of World War Two, and that it has nothing to do with it...

[SmereDeLune]

Oh please, would somebody answer the question! Where is this video from? Is it available commercially? The voice is English, so I'm guessing a UK production but who knows?

[felipetavares79]

Where is this video from?

[intigfx]

hahaha at 5:09 David's penis is blurred. gotta love the american prudishness. wimps!

show this to any European and he'll either laugh his ass off or stand speechless.

[hlaupabolan]

I just think we wouldn't see it... I didn't atleast. I think the reason why the words fuck, shit, and the dramatic N-word, it is so forbidden to say and therefor people take it as a bigger thing. I come from Iceland and on the TV we never peeb anything! though someone says fuck on the telly it isn't a big deal. stop beebing and let pepople say shit and fuck as they like because than it wouldn't be such a "nasty" word.

No had feeling... Jökull Torfason

[brb941]

@intigfx there are many programs here that show tits and penises for an educational purpose. If it was blurred out, it was for another reason. Besides, why would you want to look at a cock anyway?

[intigfx]

@brb941 That statue is fine, let's just cut its penis off, it doesn't matter, it's just a cock, right? *sigh*

[cassmcconn]

@intigfx It's obviously produced in GREAT BRITAIN, silly.

[joepd65]

@intigfx yes this is true but we americans laugh at your inbreed people and your nasty teeth

[intigfx]

@joepd65 Like those you find in the trailer parks of Kentucky?

[band3kafsh]

Could you repost this with the volume adjusted so that it's not over-loud and distorted?

[sunshine11978]

Can anyone tell me where this video comes from so that I can purchase this. I love Wagner's opera and have seen the Ring cycle. I was wonderful.

[imperii]

This has been my favourite opera, ever! Alas, I've never seen it on stage! The complete ring cycle will be put on stage in London - Royal Opera House - next October (on 4 successive nights).

[benjaminBarr]

Thank you Mithic, I always wanted to see this. Did you ever read 'Wagner Nights'?

[leydic15]

wow! gracias