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Talk about a juxtaposition. As the Metropolitan Opera embarks on three full cycles of Wagner's "Ring" Uptown, the Eos Orchestra is presenting "The Valkyrie," the second installment of its multiyear "Mini-Ring." Jonathan Sheffer will conduct a slimmed-down adaptation by the British composer Jonathan Dove at New York University's Skirball Center, which makes a case for dramatic immediacy over epic grandeur. Sheffer joins us today with a preview. We also examine some of the ways the Ring has made its way into pop culture—from Star Wars to Bugs Bunny—as we preview WNYC's hour-long special "The Ring & I: The Passion, The Myth, The Mania." The special's host Jad Abumrad and producer Aaron Cohen share some highlights. Finally, Jay Nordlinger, music critic of the New York Sun and the National Review stops by to review violinist Maxim Vengerov's latest CD.
Additional Resources:
» The Eos Orchestra's Web site
» "The Ring and I: The Passion, The Myth, The Mania"
» WNYC staff's favorite Ring recordings