Editing Der Ring des Nibelungen (section)

===The music===
{{Main|Der Ring des Nibelungen: composition of the music{{!}}''Der Ring des Nibelungen'': composition of the music}}
In November 1853, Wagner began the composition draft of ''Das Rheingold''. Unlike the verses, which were written as it were in reverse order, the music would be composed in the same order as the narrative. Composition proceeded until 1857, when the final score up to the end of act 2 of ''Siegfried'' was completed. Wagner then laid the work aside for twelve years, during which he wrote ''[[Tristan und Isolde]]'' and ''[[Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg]]''.

By 1869, Wagner was living at [[Tribschen]] on [[Lake Lucerne]], sponsored by King [[Ludwig II of Bavaria]]. He returned to ''Siegfried'' and, remarkably, was able to pick up where he left off. In October, he completed the final work in the cycle. He chose the title ''Götterdämmerung'' instead of ''Siegfrieds Tod''. In the completed work the gods are destroyed in accordance with the new pessimistic thrust of the cycle, not redeemed as in the more optimistic originally planned ending. Wagner also decided to show onstage the events of ''Das Rheingold'' and ''Die Walküre'', which had hitherto only been presented as back-narration in the other two parts. These changes resulted in some discrepancies in the cycle, but these do not diminish the value of the work.