The Companion is an essential, interdisciplinary tool for those both familiar and unfamiliar with Wagner's Ring. It opens with a concise introduction to both the composer and the Ring, introducing Wagner as a cultural figure, and giving a comprehensive overview of the work. Subsequent chapters, written by leading Wagner experts, focus on musical topics such as 'leitmotif', and structure, and provide a comprehensive set of character portraits, including leading players like Wotan, Brünnhilde, and Siegfried. Further chapters look to the mythological background of the work and the idea of the Bayreuth Festival, as well as critical reception of the Ring, its relationship to Nazism, and its impact on literature and popular culture, in turn offering new approaches to interpretation including gender, race and environmentalism. The volume ends with a history of notable stage productions from the world premiere in 1876 to the most recent stagings in Bayreuth and elsewhere. - Opening with a concise introduction to Wagner as a cultural figure, this Companion provides a thorough overview of the Ring before analysing key aspects of the work - Includes a history of notable stage productions from the world premiere in 1876 to the most recent stagings in Bayreuth and elsewhere - Offers new approaches to interpretation, exploring themes such as gender, anti-Semitism, and environmentalism TABLE OF CONTENTS List of figures List of music examples List of contributors Preface List of abbreviations Introduction Mark Berry and Nicholas Vazsonyi Part I. Myth: 1. Greek tragedy and myth Jason Geary 2. Wagner and the rise of modern mythology Stefan Arvidsson Part II. Aesthetics: 3. The Ring in theory and practice Arnold Whittall 4. Form and structure J. P. E. Harper-Scott 5. Listening for leitmotifs: concept, theory, practice Christian Thorau 6. The Bayreuth concept and the significance of performance Roger Allen Part III. Interpretations: 7. Characters in the 'world' of the Ring Mark Berry 8. The Ring as a political and philosophical drama Anthony Arblaster 9. The idea of nature Thomas Grey 10. Gender and sexuality Chris Walton Part IV. Impact: 11. Critical responses Barbara Eichner 12. Placing the Ring in literary history David Trippett 13. Specters of Nazism Tash Siddiqui 14. The Ring in cinematic and popular culture Adrian Daub 15. Notable productions Barry Millington Bibliography Index.