The Nibelung Ballad: The Story From Wagner's Ring - Paperback

by Hatty Morris (Illustrator), Richard Morris (Author)

The Nibelung Ballad tells the story from Richard Wagner's music drama, The Ring of the Nibelung, in illustrated verse form. "The Ring", which was first performed in 1876, comprises four full-length operas, The Rhinegold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried and The Twilight of the Gods, and is regarded as one of the greatest musical and dramatic masterpieces of all time. Derived from Nordic mythology, The Ring charts the history of the world from beginning to end. It is an epic story of Gods, dwarves and humans battling to fulfil their respective destinies, in which the evil lusts for power and wealth are ultimately redeemed through human love. In the Nibelung Ballad, Richard Morris (author) and his daughter Hatty Morris (illustrator) set out this immense and complex story in a concentrated form, which is attractive to both ear and eye and thus easy to assimilate. The Nibelung Ballad is invaluable both to refresh the memories of those already familiar with The Ring and to introduce it to all those who are approaching this masterpiece for the first time.

Author Biography

Richard Morris, formerly Chief Executive of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), works in music education. He had a varied earlier career as lawyer, investment banker, publisher and opera singer. He has studied and written poetry for the past 15 years and is an associate director of the poetry journal, Magma. He first experienced The Ring in the renowned Wieland Wagner production at Bayreuth in 1965 and has attended numerous productions of all Wagner's operas ever since. Hatty Morris is a freelance artist and designer, having graduated from Cambridge University and from the City and Guilds of London Art School. During 2011/12 she was a member of the design team for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.