"The artist addresses himself to feeling, not to [intellectual] understanding; if he is answered in terms of [intellectual] understanding it means that he has not been [instinctively] understood."
On study of the Ring however, it quickly becomes apparent that there are many levels of complexity in the whole work. Indeed in all aspects of libretto, plot, symbolism and the music itself on more than one level.
To the original audience however, the basic parts of the plot would have not been new. Based on a well known myth of the Germanic culture, the myth itself is apparent in many versions slightly differing (such is the nature of mythology) and Wagner's was an adaptation of a few of these. Assuming the audience then knew the general story outline (either through previous knowledge of the Myth or from programme notes) Would the audience find the Ring understand in an "instinctive" way? Or would there be unanswered questions? Would they feel a need for further study to search for the meaning of the complexity of the work? And if so does that show a failure at some level of the work in part?
Over the whole, The Ring is a reasonably successful drama/opera. On the purely emotional level, the music certainly portrays the atmosphere of the dramatic response. However the leitmotifs are a very important part of the plot of the play. And with at least one example, there is quite allot of controversy as to what exactly they mean in the context of the dramatic plot. The example which is most likely argued most is the leitmotif commonly known as the "Renunciation of Love".
The reason for naming this leitmotif "Renunciation of Love" is fairly apparent, as it's immediately preceding Aberich's declaration of his Renunciation of love, in favour of absolute power as afforded by the forging of the ring that this is heard in Das Rheingold. This leitmotif however makes a return two more times, and both of these times, the characters involved are not renouncing love at all. In Act one of Die Walkurie Sigmund sings the theme as he pulls the sword, Nothung, from the tree, and claims; indeed Affirms, his love for Siglede. Quite the opposite to the renunciation of love from which the leitmotif was named! The third apparition of this leitmotif is to the end of Die Walkurie when Wotan is dealing Brunhilde her punishment by putting her into sleep, stripping her of Valkarie status. Perhaps a reason to rethink the naming of this leitmotif, which perhaps is not so straightforward as it first seemed. On his website, Musicologist Larry Solomon addresses this issue on his website http://www.azstarnet.com/~solo/WagRing.htm and notes this problem and attempts to find a solution. He notes that in all three times, although once unknowingly by the characters, a sacrifice is being made. Alberich's sacrifice is love, so as to achieve power. Wotan's sacrifice is of his most beloved daughter Brunhilde who defied him, also a sort of sacrifice of love for power, but this time the power through law. Sigmund is somewhat sacrificing himself for his love of Siglede, albeit unknowingly. This is merely one example of the difficulty of labeling the motifs.
It is strange however that Wagner would say of his work that it was meant to be able to be understood on an instinctive level and not an intellectual one. Cooke himself notes that the very idea of the leitmotif is to portray, at least in the case of the ring, an intellectual idea, as against music's natural tendency to evoke the emotional over the intellectual.
Another aspect of the ring which can be conceived as complex is it's simple length, however this aspect is perhaps not so large as it would seem as far as the plot goes however.
Cooke notes all the main plot points in his book "I saw the world end" and comes to the conclusion that there are
"twenty-eight decisive events in fourteen main subdivisions - two in each on average: extravagant by Aeschylean standards, but still very few. The rest is narration of previous events; characterization; motivation; social, physiological and metaphysical content; - all expressed of course, through great music." (p80, I saw the World End; Deryck Cooke).
All of these events are part of the original mythology that Wagner based the Ring on, and that mythology was quite well known at the time in Germany. Wagner's treatment of it does however have allot of depth in detail, which is not surprising considering the length of the cycle, and the comparatively few distinctive events. This gives the work a characteristic of surface simplicity, but allot of depth and complexity in moral, spiritual, intellectual and musical levels. Wagner himself said in his own writings (Opera and Drama) of Mythology "The incomparable thing about myth is that it is true for all time, and its content, however closely compressed, is inexhaustible throughout the ages. The only task of the poet is to expound it." It is through the expounding of the myth that the complexity arises.
As with most mythology based stories, Symbology is a very important to the ring. This is an element which has some very obvious and powerful imagery and some less obvious, but my no means less compelling imagery. The idea of mysterious powers and object is one synonymous with mythology itself. The most obvious such object in the Ring Cycle perhaps is the Ring itself. Made from the Gold, taken from the Rhinemaidens by Alberich by him renouncing love's power, it gives him power to rule albeit though tyranny. It is interesting that the Gods have an equivalent, and it is infact made quite obvious. Wotan's is even noted to call himself "White Alberich" at one point even. This is a revealing admission in many ways, and can be looked at in many ways. Wotan is also a ruler of great power, but through power of law and treaty, symbolized by his spear, forged from the world Ash Tree, and the runes engraved on it. However we see that this law is corrupt throughout the storyline. From Wotan's dealings with the Giants, to the stealing of the ring from Alberich. This action results in Alberich noting "Look to yourself high-handed god! What crime I committed, I commited against myself; but against all that was, is, and shall be, your crime, Immortal, will stand, if you shamelessly seize my ring!" (Page 221; I saw the world end, Deryck Cooke).
All in all however the story and moral implications of the Ring's story are relatively accessible, with the possibility of further depth if one is willing to dig deeper into the lessons the story presents. This is however true of most stories with moral implications. The music itself does at times lend itself to quick reference. Leitmotifs such as "The Forge" or "Sigfried Guardian of the Sword" are readily identifiable by their emotional content as being a place of oppressive work, or the theme of a hero respectively. If one is to note all of the leitmotifs and their meanings however during the works it can become quite complicated. These leitmotifs are however often important to the plot, sometimes even disclosing plot points either not revealed in the dialogue, or revealed at a later time. It seems rather unlikely that an individual unfamiliar with the leitmotifs would pick the intricacies on hearing the leitmotifs during a performance of the operas. It would seem that previous study of this aspect of the Ring Cycle would be beneficial to a viewer. This certainly goes against Wagner's claim of being able to understand the work instinctively and not in Terms of intellectual understanding. But then perhaps this is true of all dramatic works. Once again we come to a fundamental question. Cooke opens his book "I saw the world end" with a quote which is quite a profound idea. He says that "...Perhaps we have interpreted and reinterpreted this masterpiece until we are in danger of interpreting it out of all recognition. Perhaps it is time to leave it alone, and let it speak for itself". (Page 1; I Saw The World End, Deryck Cooke)