BBC Radio 3 - 2013-07-26
When Tolkien Stole Wagner's Ring
Twenty Minutes - Prom interval talk
128K
Tolkien always vehemently denied any connection between his Lord of the Rings and Wagner's Ring Cycle. He once said: 'Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceased'.
But there is almost certainly more to it than that. Tolkien used the same Norse legends as Wagner for inspiration in 'Lord of the Rings', but it also seems likely that he took the original idea of an all-powerful and corrupting ring directly from Wagner. So why did he deny it? Perhaps Tolkien felt the taint of the Nazi associations that surrounded Wagner's music at the time he was writing. Perhaps he simply found Wagner's conclusions distasteful. Was Tolkien's work, in fact, conceived as a kind of antidote to Wagner's take on ultimate power.
Susan Hitch explores the connections between the pair of them.
Replies
Tolkien's Ring is one I grew up with and knew very well before I'd ever even heard of Wagner's Ring, which I discovered 2 or 3 years ago. When I was getting to know the Wagner version, the similarities were occasionally a little striking, but after I considered it further, I (personally) don't believe there's much more to it than fact they just used the same myths as the basis of their respective masterpieces. The recently remastered and re-released Solti version of Wagner's ring is without doubt the most sumptuous, luxurious exquisitely packaged CD box-set I've ever bought!
Hear! Hear! The Solti Ring is absolutely wonderful and I concur with you on the belief that both Wagner and Tolkien drew inspiration from the same myths, but that Tolkien's work was an independent re-telling.
As for the Wagner, I was fortunate enough during my European sojourn in the early seventies to hear the entire Ring at the Bayreuth Festspiele. THAT was an experience!
This past week I watched the Ring Cycle from the Met on PBS. I'll bet Tolkien had Wagner playing on the turn table beside his desk as he wrote his epic books - and playing loudly at that.
Very interesting, many thanks, Rick! :-)
Thank you. Sounds very interesting. Listening to it now.
Thanks for sharing.