Ok, here is a meaty one....
This will take some patience as Wagner is not known for fast moving plots. This is from the Ring Cycle (Long before Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings) where the gold in the river Rhine is guarded by the (scantily clad) Rhine Maidens. The gold is stolen and made into a ring which has great power but also carries a curse. This is a take on Norse Mythology, so the characters are familiar. Wotan (Odin) ends up with the ring and has commissioned giants to build Valhalla. They want a pile of gold as payment and hold Freia (who supplies the golden apples that keep the Gods young) as ransom payment. They demand a pile of gold that will cover Freia and also the ring which Wotan refuses to hand over. Erda, a spirit, appears and advises Wotan that he should get rid of the ring because it will bring doom. Wotan relents and gives up the ring, however the giants are greedy and fight over the gold and don't want to give up Freia (understandable). One giant kills the other. Wotan now understands that the ring will only bring trouble. Donner (Thor or 'Thunder') summons up a storm that gives rise to a rainbow bridge, which the gods cross to Valhalla. Loge (Loki) Wotan's shrewd advisor decides to stick around and see what he can stir up on earth. Note that the Norse gods could be mortal and live in fear. The final opera in the cycle is "The Twilight of the Gods" where things pretty much come to an end and Valhalla burns.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZP-yXsNV2E[/ame]
One word....Magnificent. I never thought I liked Wagner that much until I was bowled over by this.
