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There is little that strikes more fear in the hearts of opera novices (and some connoisseurs, for that matter) than Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung"—eighteen hours of German mythology requiring a four-night commitment. As the Metropolitan Opera revives Wagner's vast epic starting this Saturday, it's a perfect opportunity to explore why its philosophical themes remain relevant to this day. Host John Schaefer speaks with Philip Kitcher, Columbia University philosophy professor and co-author of Finding an Ending—Reflections on Wagner's Ring. Kitcher will shed some light on how different forms of love, freedom, heroism, authority, and judgment are explored and tested as the cycle unfolds. Also on the show, Brian Kellow, features editor of Opera News magazine, looks at the recent controversy that erupted when soprano Deborah Voigt was fired by London’s Royal Opera House because she was deemed too heavy to sing in the forthcoming production of "Ariadne auf Naxos." How does the opera business approach image-making? Do opera singers have to be large to make a large sound? Tune in and find out.
Additional Resources:
» Background on Philip Kitcher's Finding an Ending
» A complete schedule of the Met's Ring Cycle
» "The Ring and I: The Passion, The Myth, The Mania"
» WNYC staff's favorite Ring recordings
» Fit ladies replacing fat ladies in today's opera world
  (Houston Chronicle)