The initial plan for this work was announced in its composer's essay "A Communication to My Friends".
The initial plan for this work was announced in its composer's essay "A Communication to My Friends". A controversial performance of this work was directed by Patrice Chéreau and conducted by Pierre Boulez  (boo-LEZZ)  for its hundredth anniversary. The first part of this longer work opens with an extensive E-flat major drone. The orchestra for this work features an expanded brass section, including bass trumpets, contrabass trombones, and a newly-invented horn known as its (*)  composer's namesake "tuba". It is performed in its entirety every few years at the Bayreuth  (BYE-royt)  Festival, and it includes more than 170  leitmotifs   (LIGHT-moh-TEEFS) , representing such characters as Wotan, Alberich, and Brünnhilde. For 10 points,  Das Rheingold  and  Götterdämmerung   (got-er-DAYM-er-ung)  bookend what cycle of operas by Richard Wagner?
The initial plan for this work was announced in its composer's essay "A Communication to My Friends".
the  Ring  Cycle [or  Der  Ring  des Nibelungens ; or  The  Ring  of the Nibelung ; until "Rheingold" is read, anti-prompt (ask the player to be less specific) on any of these answers:  Das  Rheingold ;  The  Rheingold ; Die  Walküre ;  The  Valkyrie ;  Siegfried ;  Götterdämmerung ; or  The  Twilight of the Gods ]