RICHARD WAGNER - The "Ring" Without Words (assembled and conducted by Lorin Maazel)
Performed by the Berlin Philharmonic

Telarc CD (1988)

A decent attempt to tell the entire story of the Ring in Wagner's own music (not words). Differs from traditional "orchestral highlights" for this reason, it's continuous music from beginning to end.

The audio quality and the performance are both superb. The only real weak point is the concept and/or Maazel's execution of it, but that is arguable. Many people like it, some don't.

Track List
01 Greenish twilight of the Rhine
02 Floating up to Valhalla
03 Falling amongst the hammering dwarves
04 Riding Donner's thunderbolt & crawling to Sieglinde's place
05 Siegmund's loving gaze
06 Flight of Siegmund & Sieglinde
07 Wotan's rage
08 Cavalcade of Brünnhilde's sisters
09 Wotan's farewell to his favorite daughter
10 Mime's fright
11 Siegfried's forging of the magic sword
12 Siegfried's wanderings through the forest
13 Siegfried's slaying of the dragon
14 The dragon's lament
15 Daybreak around Siegfried & Brünnhilde's passion
16 Siegfried's Rhine journey
17 Hagen's call to his clan
18 Siegfried & the Rhinemaidens
19 Siegfried's death and funeral music
20 Brünnhilde's immolation