Exploring Wagner how to start

It may be best to start by listening to orchestral excerpts from the operas (so-called "bleeding chunks" to Wagnerians). There's a very good, and inexpensive, double CD from EMI with Otto Klemperer conducting, which may fit the bill.

Once you've 'got' the idiom, and if you like what you hear, try one of the earlier operas, say The Flying Dutchman, Lohengrin or - the one I'd suggest first - Rheingold.

Beware that it may turn into a lifetime's obsession: there's music in, say, Tristan or Meistersinger that's never been approached before or since.

Read about him, read about the background to the operas and either get a DVD or go and see a production. Oh and listen to Deryck Cooke's Introduction to the Ring which is available on CD. Background is essential to understanding Wagner,

Sister xx 

If you want to start with a complete opera, I agree with Graham Das Rheingold is a good place to start. However, if you want to start with bleeding chunks, I'd rather look for a couple of recital discs - many tenors have recorded "In fernem Land" from Lohengrin, Siegfried's forging song (Siegfried), or Walther's Preislied (Meistersinger). Wotan's farewell from Die Walküre ("Leb wohl") is one of opera's greatest and most heartbreaking moments, and has been recorded by every great bass since the advent of recording. For starters, you may want to try "Rene Pape - Wagner", a good recital disc from one of today's greatest bass singers. 

Not the most accessible music but once you're in, you'll never leave. With exception of his first three operas (Die Feen, Das Liebesverbot, Rienzi), not one dud among them. Highlights are, IMO, the complete Ring and Parsifal.

Cheers,

EJ

Try a few excerpts to get the flavour of it but for a whole opera I'd say the Valkyrie, probably on DVD (or live if you can afford the tickets), the drama part of music drama matters if you're going to make sense of it.

Not sure if you have a turntable or even if this double LP is still available, but is a true collection of highlights

Wagner 2LP Decca DPA625-6 EX/EX 1978 double LP with Antal Dorati, Georg Solti & James King 

I would highly recommend the Pierre Boulez  « Richard Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen » 8 DVD box set, that you can find relatively cheaply. Even if eight DVD may seem a lot, this is awesome. It is one of the very best music DVD I ever watched, and some ideal introduction to a very complex and rich opera script.

This was my introduction to Wagner.

You can still get on a well known auction site for £ 3.99 on the black stuff!