Wagner

0:00:06 > 0:00:10This is music from some of the biggest battles of all.

0:00:14 > 0:00:15METALLIC TINKLE

0:00:17 > 0:00:21Battles like hope versus despair, good versus evil...

0:00:23 > 0:00:25Life versus death.

0:00:25 > 0:00:29MUSIC: Ride Of The Valkyries by Richard Wagner

0:00:33 > 0:00:37And when Death's around, his cavalry are never far behind.

0:00:42 > 0:00:45Norse legend tells of warrior women

0:00:45 > 0:00:47who searched the battleground for heroic soldiers.

0:00:51 > 0:00:55The souls they want, they take away to guard Valhalla,

0:00:55 > 0:00:57home of the gods.

0:01:09 > 0:01:13These are grim reapers on horseback.

0:01:13 > 0:01:15They have a name...

0:01:17 > 0:01:18..Valkyries!

0:01:23 > 0:01:26This is the sound of the Valkyries, a musical stampede

0:01:26 > 0:01:31full of flying, galloping rhythms and a run-for-your-life fanfare.

0:01:31 > 0:01:35And the Valkyries' main theme, or leitmotif, is just one of the

0:01:35 > 0:01:40ingredients in a musical blockbuster by German composer Richard Wagner.

0:01:41 > 0:01:45For his story, Wagner raided all his favourite folklore

0:01:45 > 0:01:50and assembled a cast of gods, goddesses, dwarfs...

0:01:50 > 0:01:51and dragon-slayers.

0:01:52 > 0:01:57All of them caught up in a battle to possess a ring,

0:01:57 > 0:02:00a ring that has power over all of mankind.

0:02:08 > 0:02:11I think it might be time to pass this on.

0:02:13 > 0:02:16MUSIC: Ride Of The Valkyries by Richard Wagner