The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie

London: William Heinemann, 1910 . First edition. Cloth. Very Good Indeed. 10" by 7.5". Arthur Rackham. A wonderfully presented first edition of the first part of Richard Wagner's renowned opera cycle, with colour illustrations by Arthur Rackham. First edition. Bound in the publisher's original cloth with gilt motif. The English translation of this popular opera by German composer Richard Wagner from his series 'Der Ring des Nibelungen', or 'The Ring of the Nibelung', or simply the 'Ring Cycle'. This is the first drama out of four in the series, with each being loosely based on characters from Norse mythology and the Nibelungenlied. Translated from German to English by Margaret Armour, a Scottish translator, poet, and novelist.Thanks to the accompanying stunning illustrations by Arthur Rackham, the world and characters in this opera really come to life, giving the reader a well-rounded experience that only the live performance could exceed.During the "Golden Age" of British book illustration, Rackham was one of its leading artists. He used expressive line paired with a subtle use of watercolour to create his beautiful images. This work contains examples of Rackham's ethereal figures such as his fairy tale characters and his grotesque and fantastic. With thirty-four tipped-in colour plates by Rackham. Collated, complete. Bound in the publisher's original cloth. Externally, excellent, with light bumping to the extremities and the odd mark. Slight fading to the spine and the rear board. Light spotting to end pages and fore edge. Hinges are a little strained after endpapers. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean, with the odd mark. Very Good Indeed