Richard Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung is perhaps the epitome of a magnum opus. If the entire work were to be performed beginning at seven o'clock in the morning, it might not conclude until close to midnight! Despite its immensity, Wagner's epic cycle of four music dramas, filled with familiar melodies such as "Ride of the Valkyries," is still performed and celebrated today. This daunting work is usually divided into a cycle of its four component pieces, which are often performed on successive nights because of the long and arduous level of singing over the course of a full cycle. The performance requirements of The Ring of the Nibelung also occasioned a specially constructed opera house in which the orchestra was placed in a covered pit under the stage. This ensured that the size and volume of the orchestra did not drown out the voices of the chorus. This innovation is still in use today. That opera companies are still willing to perform and enthusiasts are still willing to pay for what amounts to multiple consecutive shows is a testament to what some have called the greatest piece of operatic theater ever written.

Consider each of the following choices separately and select all that apply.

With which of the following statements would the author be likely to agree?

A. Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung cycle is too demanding and logistically difficult to be performed.
B. An enduring effect of Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung cycle is the innovation made to the opera house to accommodate the large orchestra.
C. Mammoth works such as The Ring of the Nibelung are better performed on one day to preserve their full effect.