 A good introduction to Wagner's Ring, 2000-03-17
Father Owen Lee provides a concise guide to what is certainly the longest and perhaps most spectacular work of performing arts produced in the western world. There can be no analysis of Wagner's 'Ring of the Nibelung' which can fully comprehend every aspect of the work. Each of us must see it from our own viewpoint - a viewpoint which must be coloured by our individual upbringing, culture and life experience. And Owen Lee is no different. He guides us through the Ring from a perspective of intuitive myth - the Ring is not the social and political metaphor that Wagner first envisaged in 1848. It is now something much more - an explanation of "pyschological and metaphysical reality. It was asking: who am I? where did I come from? what is the meaning of life? what is the world?" Lee comes to the Ring in an easy-to-read way but doesn't sacrifice concepts and quality by being simplistic. The text is derived from his intermission talks that formed part of radio broadcasts of the Ring from the Metropolitan Opera. The actual text is just under 100 pages but he provides a short bibliography and discography in which he freely points up his own favourites and preferences. As a short but thoughtful introduction to the Ring you won't find much better. But listen to the operas in conjunction with your reading. In that way the real merits of this little book shine through.
 Evolution and consciousness, 2010-02-16
This well known and fascinating little book by M. Owen Lee contains a wealth of thought-provoking insights into Wagner's 'Ring', perhaps the most monumental work of art in human history. As Lee observes, 'The Ring' uses "external nature to tell us about our inner selves...it takes place outside of time, in the human imagination and memory. On the landscape of your soul, as you listen." It is about evolution, writes Lee, but is "as far in advance of Darwin's theory than myth has always been in advance of science."
To give an example of Lee's insight, he points out the similarities between the opening scene of 'Das Rhinegold' and the 'Forest Murmurs' scene from 'Siegfried', with the forest taking the place of the water as a symbol of the unconscious. The song of the woodbird even echoes the same melody as that of the Rhine Maidens. I must have been blind not to see this before Lee pointed it out! It's so obvious!
Lee is to be congratulated for writing such a deep and philosophical, yet highly accessible book. From reading reviews of opera DVDs on Amazon, it would appear that most lovers of classical music these days no longer wish to understand music with their blood. To them it is just beautiful, highly sophisticated sound, but with no deeper meaning. Wagner would have despised these soulless cretins, or 'cultured philistines' as Nietzsche called them.
Although Lee's interpretation of Wagner becomes too 'psychological' at times, rather than spiritual (even stooping to Freudian theories in a couple of places), it IS fasincating to learn that Siegfried's maturation process matches EXACTLY the three archetypal forces Jung held that a male must face before achieving wholeness (i.e. the attainment of the Self - and after Siegfried has faced these forces, he must then confront Wotan, who tells him "I am your Self").
All of the musical Leitmotifs in the Ring can be divided into two categories: those connected with unconscious nature, and those connected with conscious man. The opening song of the Rhine maidens ("Weia, Waga! Woge du Welle," etc.) can be seen as a kind of 'baby talk', where consciousness arises from the depths and learns to order things for the first time. The Rhinegold itself is the light of consciousness, hidden in the dark waters of the unconscious. With the light of consciousness comes the free choice between what is good and what Father Lee calls 'evil', although Nietzscheans may prefer 'degenerative' or some similar word. Alberich "steals away the golden eye and uses it for evil", yet "a noble, unforgettable theme" sounds when he does so. Lee thinks this is because although "the wresting of consciousness from nature is associated with guilt, the step had to be taken if the human race was to break its bond with mothering nature, the bond that kept it unaware, unthinking, merely intuitive like the animals." This breaking away brought with it knowledge, but also the awareness of death.
In Lee's interpretation Wotan's sacrifice of an eye gives him perfect outward vision, but means he can't see inwardly into his own soul. This is where Brünnhilde comes in. The ending signifies "the transformation of Brünnhilde, Wotan's Wiile (will), into what the whole of Wagner's Ring is striving to create - a new world. It is Wotan's will that the world of Wille (will) be destroyed and transformed into something newer and purer."
The ending of the Ring is not a "return to the beginning", it is a transformation. If it was a return, then Wagner would have brought it back to its original key of E flat, but instead after "a series of awe-inspiring chord progressions", it ends in D flat. So the consciousness of Wotan yields to "the next evolutionary development in human nature." As to what that development will be, Lee's guess is as good as yours or mine.
No Wagnerian should miss out on this book, which also contains an annotated list of further reading, and transcriptions of the most significant musical motifs in the cycle.
Highly recommended introduction, 2007-04-18
If you've seen the Ring cycle (live or on DVD/TV) and enjoyed it, you will find this book a good companion for some historical and context insight. It explains in brief some of the most salient points about the opera cycle with concise explanations and should provide a good intro before you decide if you want to delve further and get more detailed publications/essays about the work.
Succinct and Penetrable, 2006-10-24
As an introduction to one of the longest pieces of art ever formulated, Father Lee's book is very good. At 100 pages, he provides brief synopses of each of the four operas followed by succinct, insightful exploration of some of the basic mythical and psychological themes and symbols conjured up by Wagner. Without getting carried away with language associated with the study of psychology and symbolism, which is impenetrable to novices such as myself, he delivers an easily accesible understanding of how the cyle of operas may be interpreted. This book has greatly enhanced my understanding and enjoyment of the Ring.
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