BBC - Pappano's Essential Ring Cycle (2013)

To celebrate the bicentenary of Wagner's birth, Sir Antonio Pappano, music director of the Royal Opera House, looks at the epic composition which changed opera and the theatre for ever - the Ring of the Nibelungen. Pappano shares his insights into Wagner's music and the mythical world the composer created, visiting the theatre at Bayreuth created for its performance. He also explores the life of Richard Wagner the man - the political, cultural and social forces that influenced him - and shows how the composer's personal convictions and experiences can be seen within the Ring Cycle. Filmed in Germany and London, it features expert comment from artists who took part in the production of the Ring at the Royal Opera House directed by Keith Warner, including Bryn Terfel, Sir John Tomlinson, Susan Bullock and Sarah Connolly.

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