Richard Wagners major work is a four-opera cycle called?

Answer 1

This set of operas is called The Ring Cycle and is composed of these individual titles:

• Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold)
• Die Walküre (The Valkyrie)
• Siegfried
• Götterdämmerung (The Twilight of the Gods)

  The collective title is Der Ring des Nibelungen, The Ring of the Nibelung.

  Thanks to Wikipedia for these German and English titles.

Answer 2

The question is not answerable. "Best" is a subjective judgment, not a measurable fact.

Wagner's style and artistic aims changed significantly during his career, so it is hard to compare his works to each other. The best I can do is suggest some high points and some good works to start on.

Der Fliegende Hollander (Flying Dutchman) is one of his more accessible works--it's earlier, uses the "number" format with recitative/aria scene structure, but still shows off his use of leitmotifs (musical ideas representing people, things, concepts in the story). The story is fairly straightforward and easy to follow. Lohengrin and Tannhauser are similar fairy-tale/legend stories from his earlier period. Die Meistersinger is also a legend-based work, but is more of a comedy.

It's hard to compare any of these to Der Ring des Nibelungen, his four-Opera cycle based on Norse mythology. The Ring (Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried, and Die Gotterdammerung) is a concept work, written over many years, and reflecting Wagner's evolving ideas of the "artwork of the future." It would be like comparing Tolkien's Lord of the Rings to The Hobbit. You may like one more than the other, but they really aren't comparable. Out of the four Ring operas, Die Walkure (The Valkyrie) is probably the easiest to get into if you're not going to commit to listening to/watching the whole cycle.

An important work from Wagner's mature period is Tristan und Isolde. This isn't my favorite, but if I had to pick a single representative Wagner opera it would be this. Because it is a more manageable production than the Ring, it has been performed more widely, and had a huge historical impact because of its innovative use of chromatic harmony. Just listening to the prelude of this opera is a good primer on Wagner's style. An interesting bookend to this work is Parsifal, one of his late works.

Answer 3

They are:

1. Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold)
2. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie)
3. Siegfried
4. Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)

Answer 4

Der Ring des Nibelungen - The Ring of the Nibelung. Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold) Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) Siegfried Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)

Answer 5

'The Ring of the Nibelungen', or just 'The Ring.'

Answer 6

It is called The Ring Cycle, or Der Ring des Nibelungen.

Answer 7

The Ring cycle, or just, The Ring.