"Wagner, among so many other things, sought to create works that would unite the accomplishments of Shakespeare and Beethoven.  If we make an analogy with his compatriot musical predecessor, the Ring can be viewed as a four-part symphony, with each movement culminating in the expression of a different aspect of love."  - James Conlon Modernism meets Wagner in the grand performance of Der Ring des Nibelungen.  As Placido Domingo writes in his welcome letter, "the stage crew an