Program Notes: Wagner’s The Ring Without Words

SoundWaves with The Florida Orchestra

May 17 2023 • 7 mins

When was the last time you met someone who sat through Richard Wagner’s entire 15-hour Ring cycle? The full spectacle rarely appears outside the most consecrated of opera houses. Now there’s a version that lets you cheat. Wagner’s The Ring Without Words takes all the best parts of music – yes, Ride of the Valkyries – and condenses them into a digestible 70 minutes. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 is a powerful, dramatic work that perfectly sets up the journey through Wagner. These program notes include music excerpts.
Masterworks 13 of the 22/23 Season
Performances: May 20 & 21, 2023