Richard Wagner (REEKH-art VOGG-ner) is one of the biggest names in opera. He was born in Leipzig, Germany, but lived in many places in Europe. He married Liszt's daughter, Cosima. He believed that he was the greatest musician who had ever lived and one of the greatest poets, dramatists, and intellects of his generation. He was arrogant and had little consideration for anyone but himself. His personal life is not one to be imitated.

He had many failures in his early years, but his persistence and confidence in himself produced opera unlike any that had ever been produced before. It was huge in scope with music that is lush, powerful, imaginative, beautiful, and intense.

The Ring of the Nibelungs is a huge work consisting of four gigantic operas. Wagner even built an opera house designed for the Ring. The Ring of the Nibelungs made Wagner world-famous. The Ride of the Valkyries is second in the opera cycle. The beginning theme has been used in many movies and TV shows. You may have heard it before in Bugs Bunny where Elmer Fudd sings, "Kill the wabbit." Or you may have heard it in the movie, Apocalypse Now.

The operas are based on German and Norse mythology. They involve gods, giants, half-gods, earth-dwellers, and inhabitants of the underworld. Both Wotan. (VO-tahn), the King of the gods, and Alberich, ruler of the Nibelungs in the  underworld, want complete power and wealth. The Ring is forged from gold stolen by Alberich from the Rhine maidens. It will make its owner all-powerful. Wotan steals the Ring from Alberich who places a curse on it. The rest of the opera deals with the conflict of good and evil and the struggle for possession of the Ring.

Valhalla (Vol-HALL-ah) is the home of Wotan and his twelve daughters who are called Valkyries (Val-KEER-ees). Brünnhilde is Wotan's favorite daughter and the most important of the Valkyries. The Valkyries carry the dead heroes to Valhalla. The heroes help them defend Valhalla in case of war with the Nibelungs. The Valkyries wear helmets and special armor and ride on flying horses.

Wagner is famous for his creation of the Leitmotif (LIGHT-mo-teef), which means "leading theme." He uses specific short themes to identify people, things, or moods. For instance, Wotan and Alberich each have a distinctive short theme of their own. Any time one of them appears, the orchestra plays his theme.