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I will start by saying that I wasn't a great fan of this production, having seen the first two operas onscreen and the second two at the Met -I found the Machine ultimately limited the production in that it dominated the stage. Having said that, I found this to be a fascinating film, both to see how the Machine was designed (started as a wood model with strings), its construction, and its installation and use at the Met. You really get a great look at the Met and its facilities, but more importantly see many of the people involved in putting on the Ring, from stagehands to leading singers. There is real human drama here as you watch singers (and body doubles) rehearse and perform on the Machine, and react to it. It is amazing to see the Rhinemaidens get used to swimming in front of it as they hung from cables, with at least one maiden seemingly scared to death. One segment that draws attention is seeing Deborah Voight take a rather nasty slip as she started up one of the planks, and then see her backstage and the reaction of her colleagues


Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883)

1. Wagner's Dream 7:18
Bryn Terfel, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, William Berger, Peter Gelb, Robert Lepage, James Levine, Margaret Juntwait

2. Robert Lepage imagining a new Ring 5:38
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine, Robert Lepage, Carl Fillion, Michel Gosselin, Peter Gelb

3. Building the Machine 9:10
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Bernard Gilber, Robert Lepage, Georges Nicholson, William Berger, James Levine

4. Convincing the Crew 5:04
Robert Lepage, F. Peter Phillips, John Sellars, Francois St-Aubin, Michel Gosselin, Members of the Wagner Society New York, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine

5. Rolling Out the Machine 3:47
John Sellars, Paul Masck, Olaf Sööt, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine

6. Brünnhilde 4:15
Jeffrey Spurgeon, Deborah Voigt, Elena Park, Peter Gelb, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine

7. Solving Problems 24:19
Eric Owens, Jennifer Johnson, Tamara Mumford, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Robert Lepage, Raymond Menard, John Sellars, Stephen Diaz, Peter Gelb, Deborah Voigt, Elena Park, James Levine, Hans-Peter König, Lisette Oropesa, William Berger

8. Das Rheingold: Opening Night 13:32
Bryn Terfel, Deborah Voigt, Robert Lepage, Peter Gelb, Eric Owens, Stephanie Blythe, Lisette Oropesa, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Tamara Mumford, Merylin Muskin, John Sellars, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine, Dwayne Croft


Die Walküre
Dritter Aufzug

9. The Ride of the Valkyries ( Excerpt) 15:53
Bryn Terfel, Margaret Juntwait, William Berger, Deborah Voigt, Robert Lepage, Susan Gomez-Pizzo, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine, Mary Pinto, John Fisher, Stephanie Blythe

10. Uncharted Territory 1:33
Terfel, Peter Gelb, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Fabio Luisi

11. A new Siegfried for the MET 7:50
Robert Lepage, Peter Gelb, Jay Hunter Morris, Deborah Voigt, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Fabio Luisi

12.Götterdämmerung: Discovery  Discovery 5:02
Peter Gelb, Deborah Voigt, Robert Lepage, John Sellars, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Fabio Luisi

13. Götterdämmerung: Discovery  (excerpt) 7:53
Bryn Terfel, Peter Gelb, Jay Hunter Morris, John Fisher, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Fabio Luisi, Deborah Voigt, Robert Lepage, Erin Morley, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Tamara Mumford

14. Wagner's Dream End Credits 2:40
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Total Playing Time: 1:53:54