The roots of all modern fantasy series from Star Wars to Lord of the Rings can mostly be found in Wagner and his 16 hour music-dramatic tetralogy "the Ring of the Nibelungen." Join us as we investigate some of this vast work and see the influence of Marxism, nationalism and ultimately the pseudo-science of race on this vast canvas of giants, "dwarfs," magic helmets, swords and gold rings. In this two part lecture, we also explore Wagner's vexed relationship with his musical mentor, the most successful opera composer of his day, Giacomo Meyerbeer. In almost every sense the antithesis of Wagner, Meyerbeer composed in history not myth, education not fantasy, and empathy with the downtrodden rather than heroic triumphalism. Little known today, Meyerbeer was the target of career assassination driven by Wagner, a campaign largely successful until this  ...