Der Ring des Nibelungen, or The Ring of the Nibelung, are four operas by the German composer Richard Wagner. They first premiered in August of 1876, and are often collectively referred to as the Ring cycle. Wagner wrote the operas because of his interest in Norse and German heroic poetry. Throughout the four operas he uses leitmotifs to convey emotions, themes, and character arcs. 

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Most simply, the story is about Wotan, the king of the Gods, trying to recover a stolen ring. Sabina sees herself as Brünnhilde, Wotan's daughter, who appears in the latter three of the operas (Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung). 

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For more in depth information about the story and the music, check out the resources linked on this page!