Siegfried is the 3rd of a 4 opera series that lasts over 13 hours. They are all based on a German myth which Wagner made into what is known today as, "Wagner's Ring cycle". This series symbolized the height of German opera. In fact, after Siegfried, opera didn't know where to go--who could top a 13 hour opera?
Centuries later, J.R. Tolkien based his Lord of the ring series on Wagner's Ring Cycle. In the begin of both stories, the hero recovers a magic sword from a dragon. Later, he acquires an invisible cloak that he uses during his many adventures. There is a ring quest with dwarfs, giants, dragon armor and riddles, etc. And for those who are wondering, this is the opera with Brünnhilde, the man-woman.
F.Y.I. The LOTR is WAY better than Siegfried. Don't even bother checking out the DVD of the opera from the library. It's awful. (I thought I would try opera again after a terrible experience with Madame Butterfly. O for 2.)
Ha, I remember that Madam Butterfly experience. I'm not a huge opera fan either. I did like Marriage of Figaro though. Beautiful music and quite comical :) I also liked Tartuffe.
ReplyDeleteYou have to be VERY careful with your opera selections. Thanks for the heads up about Siegfried.
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