The essential meaning of Wagner’s magnum opus Der Ring des Nibelungen is wrapped up in the composer’s own lifetime pursuit of transcendent romance, with the redemption of eternal love one of the primary tenets of this and his other music dramas. Wagner’s gift for orchestral colour and scenic characterisation make his operas highly suited to the genre of the tone poem, and these seven tableaux evoke major scenarios in the saga, as well as providing a sense of the course and spirit of the greatest operatic drama ever written.

Recordings of highlights and orchestral excerpts from Wagner’s operas have had an enduring popularity, but themed releases with orchestral music from The Ring are relatively rare.

The Naxos label is riding high with Wagner’s music at the moment – the highly acclaimed new Ring cycle conducted by Jaap van Zweden and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra will be completed towards the end of 2018.

Conductor JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra have shone in romantic repertoire such as Glière’s Third Symphony (8573161), BBC Music Magazine stating that “Falletta and her excellent orchestra give a visceral account of the score projecting its wide range of moods, from mystery and enchantment to violence and tragic intensity, with far greater immediacy than the refined if comparatively staid interpretation from Edward Downes and the BBC Philharmonic on Chandos.” The sheer versatility of the Buffalo Philharmonic is reflected in numerous acclaimed contemporary music releases that include the Grammy Award winning recording of John Corigliano’s Mr Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (8559331).