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Table of Contents

Title Page
Dedication Page
General Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations for key references
Guide to abbreviations used in text
Allen Dunning's numbered Guide to the Ring's Musical Motifs
Detailed Table of Contents

The Ring

Introduction


References
Appendix I
Appendix I I

Key Colour Coding

Donations Welcome

I would be grateful for donations of any size, small or large, to help defray the cost (1) of maintaining this website, (2) and to finance my past and present research which produced my book posted here, Volume One of "The Wound That Will Never Heal," and my forthcoming revision of Volume One (to be submitted for publication), and completion of Volume Two on Wagner's six other canonic operas and music-dramas. I sacrificed at least seven years of paid employment and incurred debts to complete this project, and am currently unemployed, so I thank you in advance for any financial help you can provide. Your friend, Paul Heise.

Guide to Other Abbreviations Used in the Text

Due to Wagner’s subdivision of the Ring into four music-dramas and numerous scenes (36), and to my need to further subdivide Wagner’s scenes into much smaller units for purposes of discussion, and so readers can quickly look up specific moments from the drama at will, I have employed the following abbreviations to identify specific parts of Wagner’s libretto according to both Wagner’s arrangement and my own more refined subdivisions:

• R. The Rhinegold
• V. The Valkyrie
• S. Siegfried
• T. Twilight of the Gods
• R.1 The Rhinegold, Scene One (and so on through the four scenes of Rhinegold, which has no acts but is divided only into scenes)
• V.1.1 The Valkyrie, Act One, Scene One (and so on through the three acts composed of three, five, and three scenes, respectively, of Valkyrie)
• S.1.1 Siegfried, Act One, Scene One (and so on through the three acts composed of the three, three and three scenes, respectively, of Siegfried)

Twilight of the Gods is a special case, because, though otherwise organised into acts and scenes, it begins with a Prologue, which I designate “T.P”, “T” representing Twilight of the Gods, and “P” the Prologue. Furthermore, though both the Prologue, and Act One Scene Three, seem naturally to break down dramatically into two separate scenes, nonetheless Wagner did not make such a division, but I have. I distinguish the two parts of the Prologue into Prologue Part 1, designated by T.P.1, and Prologue Part 2, designated by T.P.2, using numbers to designate such large divisions of a scene. Similarly, I have divided Twilight of the Gods Act One Scene Three into two parts, designated T.1.3.1, and T.1.3.2, respectively. Here are some examples:

• T.P.1 Twilight of the Gods – Prologue, Part 1 (and so on through part 2)
• T.1.1 Twilight of the Gods, Act One, Scene One (and so on through the three acts composed of three scenes, five scenes, and three scenes, respectively, of Twilight of the Gods. Keep in mind that I have divided T.1.3 into two parts – see below)
• T.1.3.1 Twilight of the Gods, Act One, Scene Three, Part 1 (and so on through part 2)

Though I have employed these artificial subdivisions of Twilight of the Gods Prologue and Act One, Scene Three, for purposes of discussion in the book, I have not incorporated them into my detailed table of contents for purposes of linking my subchapter designations (like T.P.A or T.1.3.B) to the corresponding subchapters of the book, in order to preserve Wagner's original designations.  Thus, subchapter citations for both these scenes ignore my artificial subdivisions, which are employed in the book merely for the purpose of clarity in discussion.