Quickie Ring

May 23, 2009 2:45 PM

If you're in a hurry or just don't care much for opera, here's Richard Wagner's "Ring der Nibelungen" in 45 seconds (SYTL). Also a good chance to brush up on your German.
posted by jim in austin (16 comments total)

Quick translation

Now: Wagner's ring in 45 seconds.
Part 1: The Rhine Gold: Dwarf Alberich steals gold from the daughters of the Rhine, forges ring. Giant brothers build giant mansion, get into giant fight. Result: 1 dead, 1 lindowrm.
Part 2: Operation Valkyrie: Tom Cruise saves Germany. Erm. No. Wrong.
Part 2: The Valkyrie: Brother shags sister, Wotan baffled. This part comes with a great ring tone.
Part 3: Siegfried: Wonderboy kills megamonster. Awesome.
Part 4: Twilight of the Gods: Hagen stabs Siegfried, Brunhilde plummets into fire. Flames consume Valhalla. Ring back to Frodo.
posted by starzero at 2:57 PM on May 23, 2009 [5 favorites]

Do check out the links in the 'more info,' which lead to a comic, easy-to-follow, English explanation of the Cycle presented by Anna Russell.
posted by jedicus at 3:14 PM on May 23, 2009

it's in some funny language. can you please make one in english. k tks by.
posted by billybobtoo at 3:26 PM on May 23, 2009

A previous German youtube summary of an epic saga.
posted by infinitewindow at 3:30 PM on May 23, 2009

that was hilarious.
posted by dabitch at 3:38 PM on May 23, 2009

A few weeks ago, I managed to rather surprise one of my professors here in Austria by rattling off the first few stanzas of the Nibelungenlied. Thanks, nerdy GER 305 professor, for making us learn it by heart!.
posted by dunkadunc at 3:44 PM on May 23, 2009 [1 favorite]

Extra credit for Lord of the Rings and Ring Tone references, but no Three-Ring Circus or "You See the Ring and Then You Die"? If it were in English, maybe they could have thrown in "Ring Around the Rosie (or the Collar)", Wring It Out and Quasimodo the Bell Ringer. And Hagen Dazs (sic) Ice Cream. Still cool. Now can we get "War and Peace" in 45 Seconds in Russian?
posted by wendell at 4:12 PM on May 23, 2009

Thx, I LOL'ed, wd (not) watch again. A+++
posted by ClarissaWAM at 4:25 PM on May 23, 2009

What's a SYLT?
Single Young Lesbian Termite?
Sweet Yellow Lipped Trickster?
Smelly Yiddish-Lebanese Translator?
Selling you ten lingonberries?
I JUST DON'T KNOW ANYMORE

or maybe you just typo'd SLYT. But that's not funny, now is it?
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 5:47 PM on May 23, 2009

Dr Honeydew, best have that dyslexia looked into...
posted by jim in austin at 5:53 PM on May 23, 2009

Would this be a good place to mention the awesome Radiolab/WYNC Special episode about The Ring Cycle?
posted by kmz at 9:12 PM on May 23, 2009

well fuck.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 10:58 PM on May 23, 2009

its has pretty pictures and somehow it being incomprehensible (to me) makes it funner
posted by litleozy at 5:40 AM on May 24, 2009

This is still 45 seconds too much Wagner for me.
posted by LooseFilter at 7:38 AM on May 24, 2009

Tolkien out-Wagners Wagner: The most unexpected of Tolkien’s posthumous publications is his poetic response to the gap in the Nibelung legend
posted by homunculus at 12:13 PM on May 24, 2009 [1 favorite]

"Wagner's music is much better than it sounds."

-Mark Twain
posted by Schlimmbesserung at 5:14 PM on May 24, 2009