1. We begin with "Das Rheingold", whose first scene takes place in the river Rhine ("IN it!!"). Swimming around there are the three Rhinemaidens ("A sort of aquatic Andrew Sisters."). Why does Mme Russell decline to translate the text of their "signature tune"? It loses in the translation. It'll give away the plot. It's not for mixed company. It doesn't mean anything.

2. The "gimmick" of the magic gold of the Rhine consists of the fact that whoever will fashion a ring from it will become Master of the Universe, provided that he/she makes what terrible sacrifice? Renounces love Gives up singing Gives up drinking Leaves the country

3. Who is described as a "crashing bore"? Fafner Fricka Wotan Loge

4. When Wotan steals the gold from Alberich to pay the giants for building Valhalla, Alberich puts a terrible curse on the Ring. When Fafner kills his brother giant Fasolt to get the Ring for himself, Wotan realizes that the curse is working. Worried, he consults "My Friend Erda" ("She's a green-faced torso that pops out of the ground"). Erda sings her aria "Weiche, Wotan, Weiche!" ("Be careful, Wotan, be careful!"). What does she do next? Bumps her head on a branch Trips on her robe. Bears him eight daughters. Falls into a hole

5. Between Parts I & II, Wotan has been wandering about on the Earth and has fathered two illegitimate children by a mortal; Siegmund and Sieglinde. He has done this whilst disguised under what "singularly appropriate" name? Fox Wolf Dog Goat

6. Complete the quote "One day who should turn up but Siegmund, and he falls madly in love with Sieglinde; regardless of the fact that she's married to Hunding (which is immoral!) and that she's his own sister (which is _______!)" Unspeakable! Disgusting! Illegal! Even more immoral!

7. Part III is devoted to Siegfried, child of Siegmund and Sieglinde. To what comic-strip character did Russell memorably compare Siegfried? Li'l Abner Dudley Doright Alley-Oop Hagar the Horrible

8. Part IV ("Gotterdammerung") opens with the three Norns (fates), who are additional daughters of Erda and, presumably, also Siegfried's aunts ("But this bunch of Aunts are just as droopy as the first lot [the Valkyries] were noisy!"). What, among other things, do the Norns do in the beginning of Act I? Tell the audience that Parts I, II, and III were just a dream. Bore the audience into a coma. Tell the whole story right over again from the beginning. Tell the audience what's going to happen in Part IV.

9. Siegfried leaves Brunhilde to go off on his travels. He meets the Gibichungs: "Gunther and Gutrune Gibich, and their half-brother Hagen, whose mother was a Gibich (!), but whose father was Alberich the dwarf! Remember Alberich?". We know Hagen is bad news when he greets Siegfried using the tune of Alberich's curse. Sure enough, he gives Siegfried a magic potion hich causes him to forget all about Brunhilde and fall in love with Gutrune Gibich. For what other reason, according to Russell, does Siegfried find Gutrune attractive? She's the only woman he's come across who isn't his aunt. She's even better-endowed than Brunhilde. She sings even louder than Brunhilde. She doesn't wear armor.

10. Brunhilde is "terribly annoyed" by Siegfried's throwing her over for Gutrune, so she plots with Hagen that he shall kill Siegfried, which he does. As soon as Siegfried is dead, she's sorry ("I know all you men are going to say 'So like a woman'"). She builds a funeral pyre and put Siegfried on it. She then gets on her horse, gallops on the funeral pyre and lights it. They burn up. "That sets Valhalla alight, and it burns up. Wotan and all the gods burn up. Then the whole works catches fire, and it all burns up!". At this point, the river Rhine overflows ("Remember the Rhine?"). Who turns up next? The Dwarves (Nibelungen) The Rhinemaidens Alberich Fafner