Der Ring Des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelungs)
German composer Richard Wagner (pronounced "Reek-hard Vahg-ner"), who lived from 1813 to 1883, rejected the old, formal traditions of opera. He believed in the concept of a music drama which was a fusion of all the arts: musical, dramatic, poetic, and scenic. The inspiration for the poetic element of the Ring cycle came from the Norse The Saga of the Volsungs and the German epic The Nibelungenlied. The Ring consists of four music dramas: Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold), Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung (The Dusk of the Gods). I - Skippy - and the other Stuffed Animals have been rehearsing various sections of The Ring and hope to present vocal snippets for you in the near future.
And now the Stuffed Animal Symphony Orchestra brings you an instrumental
snippet of one of our favorite selections, "Wotan's Farewell
and Magic Fire Music" (225k .wav file).... 
The Story1 behind the snippet...
Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), Act III.
Brünnhilde, a Valkyrie2, is caught between the opposing interests of her father, Wotan3, and his wife, Fricka4. Initially Wotan told Brünnhilde to protect one man in battle, but when Fricka took exception to this, Wotan changed his mind and commanded his daughter to protect another fellow. Brünnhilde decided to ignore her father's latter request and he became very angry. She knows this and runs away with her friends - "The Ride of the Valkyries" (listen to this wonderful low brass snippet).
Wotan catches up to Brünnhilde and tells her she will be punished for her disobedience. First he downgrades her to a mortal. Then he puts her in a deep sleep on a rock, and says the first man who awakens her can take her away as his wife. Wotan sings his farewell to his beloved daughter and then encircles her with magic protective flames so that only the bravest hero who would have the courage the penetrate the flames can rescue her.
1A scholarly discussion of this opera can be found at The Richard Wagner Archive pages on Die Walküre.
2Valkyries are goddess-maidens mounted on winged horses who chose which warriors on a battlefield would be slain and then conducted those warriors to Valhalla where they got to eat and drink with the gods forever.
3Wotan (Odin) is the Norse god Wednesday - "Wodensdaeg" - is named for. He is the Father of all the gods and men, and the god of magick, wisdom, wit, and learning.
4Some historians believe Friday is named for Fricka, and some believe it was named instead for another goddess, Freya. Fricka is the Mother of all and protectoress of children.