"...A photographic tribute to Otto Schenk's and James Levine's landmark production of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen as it was performed for the last time at the Metropolitan Opera during the 2008-9 season."--dust jacket.

The Eisner Award-winning series, finally collected in one volume, presents one of the grandest stories of Western civilisation, one of the most explosive epics in the history of comics. Giants plot against gods, who in turn tear human lovers apart, the lives of great warriors are ruined and countless people are slain in the name of love and gold. This re-telling of the Ring Cycle marks a new high point in the career of this true artist's artist, and features a lavish index of production notes, sketches and commmentaries.

Following brief plot summaries of the four music dramas comprising the 'Ring', Lee explores the music, myths and meaning of Wagner's controversial masterwork.

Through analysis, Matthew Bribitzer-Stull explores the legacy of the leitmotif, from Wagner's Ring cycle to present-day Hollywood film music.

Wagner's Ring has baffled and confused critics because of the highly complex meaning of its text and music. The diverse range of commentaries written on the subject since the first performance over one hundred years ago reveals just how little critics have understood The Ring. Deryck Cooke displays his masterly common sense in this study of how and why The Ring took the shape it did. This volume represents only a portion of the enormous book he had planned--his untimely death prevented him from writing a full analysis of the music. Even as it stands, I Saw The World End will give fresh understanding and appreciation to every lover of Wagner's music. -- PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION.