Wagner completed the first version of the opera in 1845 during his tenure as Kapellmeister at the royal court of Dresden but he continued to redraft and revise it for the rest of his life. The setting is medieval Germany: the minstrel Tannhauser has fallen into sin with the goddess Venus but after a year in a moment of realisation he demands to leave. He finds himself near his home and is reunited with Elisabeth a girl he once loved. Elisabeth's uncle the landgrave organises a singing competition between Tannhauser and Wolfram who also loves her. Wolfram's song is simple and moving while Tannhauser confused by Venus outrages the audience by singing of profane love.He is banished to Rome on a pilgrimage to seek redemption and Elisabeth follows him with Wolfram. After much searching she gives up and dies just missing Tannhauser who Wolfram discovers creeping back to Venus the Pope having said that it was as impossible for him to be forgiven as for his staff to sprout flowers. Tannhauser sees Elisabeth and casts himself to die by her coffin and the Pope's staff bursts into bloom. This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score edited and translated into English by Natalia MacFarren.

'Das Rheingold' is the first part of Wagner's 'Ring Cycle'.Alberich a gnome of the Nibelung discovers the all-powerful Rhine Gold and fashions a ring out of it knowing that whoever wears it will rule the world but must renounce love. The gods Wotan and his wife Fricka have build a new castle and paid the giants by promising them Fricka's sister Freia who grows the golden apples that give the gods their power. After a struggle she is kidnapped and all the gods begin to age and weaken. To get her back they decide to steal the Ring and bargain with the giants. Meanwhile Alberich has been forcing other to mine gold and Mime makes a helmet the 'Tarnhelm' out ofit thinking this will help him seize the Ring. Alberich steals the Tarnhelm but the gods arrive and trick both it the Ring and his gold out of him taking him prisoner. In a fury he curses the Ring to bring death and envy to all who posess it. The gods use the Ring and helmet to bargain with the giants. They win Freia back and go home to their new castle but as they leave the giant Fafner murders his brother Fasolt to claim the ring continuing its bloody history... This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score with an English translation by Frederick Jameson.