World premiere video: Brett Mitchell and the Colorado Symphony explore Wagner's "Ring"

Brett Mitchell introduces the Colorado Symphony’s latest Virtual Music Hour: The Ring without Words.

DENVER — From May 22 to 24, as part of its ongoing Virtual Music Hour series, the Colorado Symphony will present never-before-seen video of its April 2018 performances of The Ring without Words, a selection of orchestral highlights from Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle as arranged by Lorin Maazel. Music Director Brett Mitchell explains how the project came to Denver:

“In my late twenties, I was very fortunate to be mentored by the great conductor Lorin Maazel. One of the many pieces we delved into during our time together was his arrangement of orchestral highlights from Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle, which Maazel affectionately titled The Ring without Words. When I accepted my position at the Colorado Symphony, I knew right away that I wanted to bring this incredible masterpiece to our audience, not just because of the greatness of Wagner’s music, but also because of my personal relationship with Maazel. When I reached out to Maestro’s widow to let her know we’d be doing this piece, I was stunned and incredibly moved when, a few weeks later, I received from her one of Maestro’s last batons with which to conduct the weekend’s performances. For so many reasons, it remains one of the most meaningful programs I’ve ever led, and one I’ll certainly carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Before presenting a complete performance of the piece, Mr. Mitchell and the orchestra shared with the audience various leitmotifs, compositional techniques, and plot points from Wagner's score:

Brett Mitchell leads the Colorado Symphony in demonstrations from Wagner’s The Ring without Words.

A complete video recording of the performance of The Ring without Words will be available from Friday, May 22 through Sunday, May 24 on the Virtual Music Hour homepage. For more information, please click here.