John Deathridge's new English translation of Wagner's Ring cycle is a curious beast and a difficult one to review. The Ring of the Nïbelung is an opera and primarily exists to be watched and listened to onstage. Reading it as a book distills a lot of what Wagner was attempting with the epic composition, so I will focus only on the plot. Spanning four main acts, the opera covers 'The Rhinegold', 'The Valkyrie', 'Siegfried', and 'Twilight of the Gods.' A priceless treasure of the Rhine is snatched by the dwarf Alberich after his lecherous advances are rejected by the Rhinemaidens. With the stolen gold, he fashions a ring that will allow him to control the world. Wotan, Father of the Gods, then uses cunning to steal the ring as payment for the giants who built him Valhalla. Overwhelmed by rage and longing, Alberich curses the bearer of the ring, setting in motion a chain of vengeance, scheming, and betrayal amongst gods, monsters and heroes.
The epic narrative borrows heavily from Norse mythology, dealing with the rise and fall of the hero Siegfriend, a mortal born without knowledge of fear. His deeds involve thwarting the machinations of his dwarven guardian, slaying the giant-turned-dragon Fafnir, claiming the ring for himself, and traversing a wall of fire to win the Valkyrie Brunnhilde as his wife. In typical epic fashion, his heroic doings are used to instigate his fall from grace. The mythic overtures of the story are entertaining enough to read, but the enjoyment of the text is undoubtedly marred by the nature of the source matieral. Expect long passages of nothing but "Wallala weiala weia!" and "Hojotoho! Heiaha heiaha!" which seem to fill the bulk of the 750 pages. The German text runs alongside the English translation, so those versed in Wagner's mothertongue can compare and contrast the fidelty of Deathridge's work. Recommended to lovers or Norse mythology, fans of Tolkein, or anyone curious enough to read an opera.
Rating: 3/5
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