LPF26 – Rainer Hersch: Wagner’s Ring Cycle in One Hour

After bringing us his hit comedy shows ‘The Real Victor Borge’ and ‘All Classical Music Explained’, Rainer returns promising to get through Wagner’s 15-hour epic in under 60 minutes. 

Expect the usual mix of irreverence, comedy and musical brilliance which has made Rainer popular the world over – and maidens. 

The Ring Cycle by Richard Wagner is arguably the greatest artistic achievement by a single person working alone but, apart from a few vague plot lines mostly mistaken from Lord of the Rings, the average punter has no idea what it’s about. Wagner’s ground-breaking score is an acknowledged masterpiece but, apart from the Ride of the Valkyries (No. 38 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame), most people wouldn’t recognise it. Well, at over 15 hours, taken over four days, who’s got the time, right? Rainer is on a mission to change that. With the aid of no more thana funny slide show and his own wit, he is going to boil the whole wobbling edifice of Richard Wagner’s TotalArtWork down to just 60 minutes – boom, finished, now get on with your day. And whether you are a dyed-in-the-wool Wagnerian or a total first timer, we guarantee you will get the jokes. 

What can you expect to learn from WAGNER’S RING ‘FPWCBBTSTI’? Is Richard’s Donner the same as the one from the Marvel series or is he in fact companion to Dasher, Dancer, Blitzen, and Rudolph? What exactly is a Leitmotiv and how does it differ from a Heavy motif? Is Götterdämmerung actually German for ‘God-dammit!’ …this and more. But mainly just enough to bluff your way round your next group of opera aficionados who have previously regarded you as some sort of village idiot for never having been to the Wagner shrine in Beirut… BEYREUTH!