剧情介绍:

《尼伯龙根的指环》(Der Ring Des Nibelungen)是德国音乐家瓦格纳作曲及编剧的一部大型乐剧，整个於1848年开始创作，至1874年完成，历时共26年。创作灵感来自北欧神话内的故事及人物，特别是冰岛家族传说 （Icelanders' sagas，冰岛历史英雄故事散文）。

《尼伯龙根的指环》由四部歌剧组成，亦被瓦格纳称为“舞台节庆典三日剧及前夕”，包括：
　　前夕　：《莱茵的黄金》
　　第一日：《女武神》　
　　第二日：《齐格弗里德》(香港、台湾地区译为"齐格菲"
　　前三日：《诸神的黄昏》
　　剧情是围绕着莱茵河底的黄金展开的：

《莱茵的黄金》

   序曲音乐把人们带到莱茵河底，三位看护莱茵河黄金的少女挑逗着代表邪恶的尼伯龙根家族的侏儒，当侏儒知道只要发誓永远抛弃爱情就可得到黄金，戴上用黄金打造成的指环就可统治世界后，侏儒便发出毒誓偷走黄金。唉，看来自古财富、权势就是不安定因素啊。

   水下不安定，天上也不太平。众神之王沃坦让巨人们盖起沃尔哈拉神殿，酬劳是把自己的小姨子许配给巨人。面对狰狞粗野的巨人，沃坦的妻子和小姨子坚决不肯就范，这使得沃坦面临违约的信用危机（看来契约精神是人神共用的）。无奈中，一位部下出头与巨人谈判：用莱茵的黄金来替换女人，这可让又贪财又贪色的巨人们犹豫了。

   沃坦从侏儒那里连骗带抢得到了黄金和指环，侏儒在绝望中发出得到指环的人必会死亡的诅咒。贪财的巨人们刚刚得到黄金和指环便发生内讧自相残杀，诅咒开始应验。

   从此，代表财富的黄金和代表权势的指环，就在天界、人间、水下演绎出惊天动地的大悲剧。

Das Rheingold:

    Das Rheingold in rehearsal at The Met (1080i; 8:17) has some great footage of James Levine working with the orchestra as well as some of the work that was required on the gargantuan set.

    Deborah Voigt interviews Bryn Terfel (1080i; 3:02).

Die Walküre:

    Wagner's Leitmotifs (1080i; 5:31) is an excellent overview of one of Wagner's main organizing principles throughout the four operas.

    Placido Domingo interviews Deborah Voigt (1080i; 2:35)

    Joyce DiDonato interviews Stephanie Blythe (1080i; 3:09)

    Placido Domingo interviews Jonas Kaufmann and Eva-Maria Westbroek (1080i; 2:49)

    Joyce DiDonato interviews Bryn Terfel (1080i; 2:08)

    Joyce DiDonato interviews John Sellars (1080i; 2:34)

    Placido Domingo interviews The Valkyries (1080i; 1:58)

Siegfried

    A New Siegfried for The Ring (1080i; 11:47) doesn't shy away from one of the more controversial aspects of this production, the last minute casting of Jay Hunter Morris in one of the key roles in the opera.

    Renée Fleming interviews Jay Hunter Morris, Fabio Luisi, Eric Owens and Mojca Erdmann (1080i; 6:05)

    Mary Jo Heath interviews Roger Parent of Réalisations.net (1080i; 2:08)

    Renée Fleming interviews Gerhard Siegel, Bryn Terfel and Deborah Voigt (1080i; 7:03)

Götterdämmerung

    Patricia Racette interviews Robert Lepage (1080i; 2:38)

    Patricia Racette interviews Wendy Bryn Harmer and Iain Paterson (1080i; 1:52)

    Patricia Racette interviews Waltraud Meier (1080i; 1:56)

    Patricia Racette interviews Jay Hunter Morris (1080i; 2:40)

    Patricia Racette interviews Deborah Voigt (1080i; 2:58)

    Patricia Racette interviews Fabio Luisi (1080i; 3:00)

Though it's not officially listed as a supplement, this slipcased set also includes a fifth disc which features:

    Wagner's Dream: The Making of the Metropolitan Opera's new Der Ring Des Nibelungen (1080i; 1:54:01). This incredibly interesting documentary by Susan Froemke. Shot over several years, the documentary traces the long evolutionary process that brought this gargantuan production to the stage. Though it focuses chiefly on "the machine", with all of its attendant trials and tribulations, we get an amazing first hand look at what it takes to stage an operatic quartet of such epic proportions. Froemke learned her stuff at the feet of the Mayles Brothers (Grey Gardens), and it shows in her unadorned treatment of both the triumphs and, frankly, disasters of this production.