The threat to the cosmic order

Richard Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung is one of the most impressive accomplishments ever created by the human mind, comparable in its artistic vision to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, in its historical proportions to Shakespeare's plays, and in its musical originality to Beethoven's string quartets. Each new production of Wagner's Ring places a tremendous responsibility on singers, musicians, directors, designers, and audiences. This volume explores the psychological, social, and health implications of these music dramas and of the man who created them.