Thanks very much Richard!

Ben - that is from the final scene (scene 3) Act III of Die Walkure. The incredible final scene between Wotan and Brunnhilde.

Can anyone tell me where in The Ring Cycle is the passage that Jad is talking about at min 30:05-32:00 of the podcast? It's beautiful.

Thanks for the great work!

Bought a cd of just the music. Then got to watch the whole opera on PBS with my 9 year old son. It inspired me!! Thank you!

Having known nothing whatsoever about opera, or music (E flat chords), or wagner, or the ring cycle, this was the most demanding episode i've heard. But also the most rewarding.

"Playwrite Tony Kushner"? Let's use "Playwright". I just pointed a friend at this brilliant podcast and stumbled on the typo.

I *hate* opera, and after hearing this podcast I bought the entire Ring Cycle on CD.

Magnificent stuff guys.

After listening to this I have a strange feeling that I need to invade Poland. Lebensraum!

awesome piece, but omiting "The Songs of the Nibelungs" is quiet impossible if your talking about Wagners Ring. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nibelungenlied)

Why was there no reference to that? Or did I missed that?

I find it interesting that Lori Shapiro and Alex Ross say that the idea of a ring of power is a novel idea. Clearly they were overlooking Plato and his mention of a ring of invisibility. Clearly that ring is a form of ring of power and it is used to question power, ethics, and morality. I think I am right in saying that Plato is notable enough that Wagner would know of it. Why wouldn't Wagner reference Plato in his work? For brief info on the ring of power mentioned in Plato's Republic:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Gyges

loved it when I heard it the first time; loved it even more tonight. thanks for playing it again!!

Thanks for a great show. You've done the almost impossible - creating a program that is as good for devoted Wagnerians and complete novices. I appreciate the thoughtful treatment of the subject and the thorough, well-paced overview.

I've been listening to this audio for years when it was broadcast on WNYC. I just love it and learn something new every time I hear it. It's very powerfully done and the music is wonderfully synced with the program so you can hear the excerpts from the Ring as they discuss it. I use it myself when I give lectures on the Ring.

There's one small error made by Will Berger (who should know better) that needs to be corrected. He says that Siegmund and Sieglinde were separated at birth. The opera tells it differently in Act II of Die Walkure, when Sieglinde remembers her brother and father being off in the woods together and strange men entering her home, killing her mother, abducting her and setting their home on fire. There's no mention of her age, but it certainly wasn't at birth.

Don't buy a CD album - it's opera (actually four operas) and uses staging to great effect. Start with DVD. I specifically recommend the 1990 Metropolitan Opera set for your first time, as it's very traditional as well as top-notch.

I am going to buy this whole Opera on CD or SACD....

Which one did they use in this segment? which one should I buy ?

I'm an American researcher (Animal welfare, stress physiology if you ever need a comment :>) living in the UK and thought it would be great if you could do a show here, but I imagine that's a longshot. Nonetheless, a general comment: you do a great job of opening up doors to new ideas, concepts, and means of thinking which is wha NPR should be doing. My desire to read more on Wagner and 'The Ring' is a testament to your success. Keep up the great work.

I listen to this one over and over as well. Just love it and I don't even normally like opera.

May be the best episode I've listened to. One of the few that i listen to over and over. You jam so many perspectives into this one, I hear something different each time.

While I've always loved the way you put your episodes together, I can't help but feel that in some way you have maligned Tolkien when you when you said he stole it from Wagner. The ring, was only Bilbo's magic ring long before The Lord of The Rings was written. It only became sinister once Tolkien rewrote parts of The Hobbit to fit with his continuously evolving and expanding work.

What are the details on this cafe where they sing opera. Would really like to visit =)

I never cared for opera but being a music lover I always felt left out of an amazing experience that I could never attach myself to. After this one podcast I feel embeded to Wagner and feel as if a huge heavy curtain has been lifted off my eyes for the first time. Thank you thank you thank you!

Really the best show ever. I have listened to it a dozen times and I can't get enough. I love opera, but haven't gotten into Wagner until now. Thank you so much!

What a great show!!! What kind of Ring record did you use in the program? Do you have a playlist?

Good show, but I wish you had mentioned Anna Russell's comedic interpretation of The Ring, because comments by Jad and by Fred Plotkin echoed her without referencing her.

I enjoyed this story very much. I consider myself an opera fan; but I've never taken the leap to Wagner's Ring Cycle. This story is a great introduction! Other than purchasing tickets for the 2009 Ring Cycle at the Met, what else can I do to learn more?

very entertaining podcast, I'll have to catch the shows one day!

In one word
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!