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Rating: 
Summary: Buy it now before it disappears!
Review: I am an avid reader of the Nibelung legend and will acquire it in any form I can find. Whether it be Wagner's opera, Lang's motion picture, illustrated books, novelized accounts, or various translations of the epic, I seek them with much vigor. This work of art escaped my attention until now, and it is with great fervor and joy that I heartedly recommend it to you. The reproductions of the paintings are exceptional in quality. The coffee table size book allows you to clearly see all the details that Ul De Rico invested in each painting. The paintings represent key moments in Richard Wagner's Der Ring Des Nibelungen and there are multiple images presented in each painting which presents a vivid progression of a scene. Whether it's Alberich's theft of the ring or Fafnir's slaying of Fasolt, you will be transported to the time of myth by the fabulous artistry of Ul De Rico. His paintings display the passion and sensual nature of the Ring that so eludes current opera directors and designers. Since this book is now out of print, you should not hesitate to purchase it now, at an incredibaly reasonable price... I guarantee you will not be disappointed, but you may become so if the few editions that are available vanish before you decide.
Rating:
Summary: magnificent in every way
Review: I had the pleasure to acquire a copy of this book in the summer of 1981 in Seattle during the annual Ring festival. Almost 20 years later it remains a treasured part of my library. This large and heavy coffee table book is devoted to reproductions of Ul de Rico's numerous paintings of various scenes from the Ring. The original paintings were rendered in oil on solid wooden panels, and were rendered in a highly realistic manner with very bold and dramatic color saturation. Compared to the works of Arthur Rackham, Ul de Rico in my view is the more effective and powerful illustrator. These images come as close as one could imagine to ideal, producing visual effects one is never likely to see in Bayreuth or anywhere else. The photographs are printed on high gloss paper, and are accompanied simply by a few lines each, in English, of the applicable libretti. Interestingly, all of the images from the first three operas have the Three Norns exchanging the thread of fate around the perimeter, which is a very interesting effect. This continues early in Gotterdammerung until the moment in the Prologue where the thread breaks, upon which the Norns have a dramatic descent. This very image was used as the cover of the Ring highlights recording that Solti made with the VPO in 1983, just prior to his conducting in Bayreuth of the centenary Ring. Incidentally, the book also includes a very high compliment, in the Preface, by George Solti himself. This book is well worth seeking out and will provide years of lasting enjoyment. I can't speak highly enough for it.
Rating:
Summary: magnificent in every way
Review: I had the pleasure to acquire a copy of this book in the summer of 1981 in Seattle during the annual Ring festival. Almost 20 years later it remains a treasured part of my library. This large and heavy coffee table book is devoted to reproductions of Ul de Rico's numerous paintings of various scenes from the Ring. The original paintings were rendered in oil on solid wooden panels, and were rendered in a highly realistic manner with very bold and dramatic color saturation. Compared to the works of Arthur Rackham, Ul de Rico in my view is the more effective and powerful illustrator. These images come as close as one could imagine to ideal, producing visual effects one is never likely to see in Bayreuth or anywhere else. The photographs are printed on high gloss paper, and are accompanied simply by a few lines each, in English, of the applicable libretti. Interestingly, all of the images from the first three operas have the Three Norns exchanging the thread of fate around the perimeter, which is a very interesting effect. This continues early in Gotterdammerung until the moment in the Prologue where the thread breaks, upon which the Norns have a dramatic descent. This very image was used as the cover of the Ring highlights recording that Solti made with the VPO in 1983, just prior to his conducting in Bayreuth of the centenary Ring. Incidentally, the book also includes a very high compliment, in the Preface, by George Solti himself. This book is well worth seeking out and will provide years of lasting enjoyment. I can't speak highly enough for it.
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