Lively and vivid, Frederick Paul Walter’s new translation of The Rhine Gold will delight those familiar with the opera, while providing an inviting entry point for those who know the tale only through its role as a foundation work that has influenced everything from Bugs Bunny to The Lord of the Rings. The annotations are often wry and humorous, without in any way ceasing to be informative. The volume’s numerous illustrations are a bonus, reminding the reader that this is a work meant to be seen and heard, not merely read.
— Jane Lindskold, New York Times bestselling author of The Firekeeper Saga
Frederick Paul Walter's clear and unpretentious new translation, annotated and illustrated, cuts through to the who's who and what's what, asking and answering all the right questions. It is as welcoming to initiates of this foundational masterwork as well as the most battle-hardened "Ringnut." The Master of Bayreuth would approve.
— Conrad L. Osborne, author, Opera as Opera
When so many recent works on Wagner graft extraneous elements onto his operas in an attempt to clarify what Wagner did or didn’t mean, Frederick Paul Walter’s assessment that 'the text is the way Wagner wanted it' is both refreshing and urgently needed.
— Anthony Barrese, artistic director, Opera Southwest, music director, Opera Delaware
Walter’s Ring Cycle series is written for a general audience and, given the publisher’s cover designs and illustrations by Cliff Mott, will please readers of graphic novels as well.
— The Paper - ABQ
[D]on’t be afraid: Walter is neither dumbing down nor "making relevant" Wagner’s complex masterwork. His English translations of Wagner’s libretti and stage directions are crisp and modern, his annotations and asides as perspicacious as they are breezy and entertaining. His hope is that ‘newcomers and old-timers will each find that these volumes add pleasure and value’ to their enjoyment of The Ring.
— Limelight Magazine