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Once Brünnhilde, Gunther's promised bride, sees the Ring on Siegfried's finger, she realises the enormity of the deception practised on her [watch -- 'Einen Ring sah ich deiner Hand' (Act 2), DVD2 chapter 8, 1:18-2:50]. Under the insistent persuasion of Hagen, and with the pusillanimous agreement of Gunther, she is ready not only to join a plot for the destruction of Siegfried but also disclose the only way it can be accomplished. With Siegfried as huntsman, hunted to his death, Brünnhilde comprehends at last how the hideous misunderstanding had come about. A magic potion prepared by Gutrune, or indeed her 1930s film-star glamour working on a man of total inexperience, had wrought Siegfried's emotional chaos. Brünnhilde silences the clamour surrounding Siegfried's dead body and sweeps Gutrune's claims aside [listen -- 'Schweigt eures Jammers' (Act 3), DVD3 chapter 15, 0:00-1:37].

Wagner was sufficiently uncertain how The Ring should end to abandon all the words he might have set (including some he did compose specially for King Ludwig) and leave everything to the orchestra. The stage directions, though, are clear. No matter. Producers worry their brains for some new idea, and Harry Kupfer is no exception. Wotan stalks in for a momentary glimpse at Siegfried's corpse. Hagen fails to get the Ring, but a supernumerary father Alberich does. There, I thought: the world is finally globalised, with capital exultant. But no, the monstrous carbuncle of a Ring disintegrated from Alberich's hand and fell in pieces to the ground. Did the Rhinemaidens get the fragments? I simply don't know. Wagner's orchestral ending, a crowning glory from Bertrand de Billy and his superb team, expounds its message; world news, alas, continues as before.

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