Ring True: Music, Identity and Obsession

It took 25 years for Richard Wagner to write Der Ring des Nibelungen (the Ring Cycle); presumably he was hoping people would like it. But did he anticipate that his masterpiece would be an enduring source of obsession for people in the 21st Century?

For this conversation, we’re bringing celebrated American radio producer, former film composer and Ring Cycle devotee Jad Abumrad together with one of the world’s foremost authorities on Wagner, Heath Lees. Taking the Ring Cycle as their starting point, the pair will discuss music, obsession and identity.

Why and how does music hold power over us? What does extraordinary music do to our brains? And what does identifying with a work like the Ring Cycle mean personally, socially and even politically?

Hosted by Casey Bennetto.

Presented in partnership with Opera Australia.