Wagner’s monumental Der Ring des Nibelungen is coming to Shanghai for the first time. To many, this is a great, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience world-class performances of this cycle of four operas. To others, the 15 hour duration may seem a daunting, if not downright intimidating enterprise.

The gist of the story: A short, ugly guy, unlucky in love, goes for gold; a powerful chieftain with multiple mistresses, strapped for cash, steals the gold to pay the mortgage on his palatial mountain-top villa. A cataclysm follows.

Of course, it’s more complicated than that, which is why it takes four operas and 15 hours to unravel the story. Wagner based the music-dramas loosely on Germanic legends and Norse sagas. He wove a tale of greed, corruption, love and betrayal among wily gods, conniving dwarves, river nymphs, a dragon and warrior maidens, binding it all together with music so innovative and compelling it has been called ‘dangerous’. The story is such a rich mine of ideas that since its first presentation at Bayreuth in 1876, the opera cycle has been interpreted in widely and wildly varying ways.

Cologne Opera’s staging was labelled the ‘Green Ring’ when its first installment appeared in 2000. In it, director Robert Carsen found ways to comment on environmental pollution and the social impact of ever-expanding industrialisation and depletion of natural resources. As such, it fits well with Expo 2010’s theme of fostering sustainable technologies to preserve the planet and enhance living conditions. This mammoth presentation involves over 300 singers, musicians, directors, stage engineers, costume makers, makeup artists and technicians. It is Germany’s artistic tribute to Shanghai’s half-year of Expo wonders.

Performing the cycle on four consecutive nights was the ideal envisioned by the composer, yet not carried out even at Bayreuth, an opera venue purpose-built for this composition. This Cologne undertaking is truly a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in Wagner’s musical landscape.

This updated production is all dressed up in military garb – think Nazis in uniform and rebels in camouflage; plus goddesses in cocktail dresses. The first opera, Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold), unfolds at the bottom of a trash-laden Rhine river (which happens to be a stone’s throw away from Cologne’s opera house). The Nibelung dwarf Alberich tricks the Rhinemaidens, who guard a horde of gold, into telling him that only one who renounces love can gain the treasure – and from it fashion a ring that will make the owner all-powerful. Meanwhile Wotan, chief of the gods, must retrieve the goddess Freia from the giants Fasolt and Fafner. She has been given as security for payment of the giants’ fee for building his palace, Valhalla. Abetted by the fire god Loge, he steals Alberich’s gold. The dwarf places a curse on the ring – doom shall strike anyone who owns it.