The Ring of the Niblung in Two Volumes. I. The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie II. Siegfried & The Twilight of the Gods with Illustrations by Arthur Rackham

London - New York: William Heinemann Ltd. - Doubleday, Page & Co., 1920. First edition two volume set. A fourth impression, 1920, and stated New Impression [second], 1924. Fine dk. honey brown full-cloth boards, sharp black cover and spine design, titles, lt. shelf wear. Crisp cover design features titles and stylized dragon eating its tail and spine features titles with classic ouroboros insignia. Pages near fine; characteristic toning throughout. Decorated endpapers with floating fairies; toned areas. Each volume has small antiquarian bookstore label with orange Pegasus at blank endpaper: "Mahel Ulrich's Book Shop, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Rochester". Binds fine, square; hinges intact. Original brown dust wrappers matching board designs with pounds/shillings price in Great Britain and Ireland added to spine detail. Back panels with list of titles from Wm. Heinemann featuring the illustrations of Arthur Rackham. Front flaps feature publisher's greeting and contact. Wrappers fully intact with moderate chip to spine; Siegfried with somewhat more wear. Each protected in new clear sleeves. Printed in Great Britain by R. Clay and Sons, Ltd., Brunswick Street, Stamford Street, Suffolk. 160 pages and 182 pages of text with 34 and 30 tipped-in plates. Near fine volumes in rare near very good wrappers. Insured post. These works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas, and are translated here into English by Margaret Armour. The saga includes: ‘The Rhinegold’, the prelude; ‘The Valkyrie’, the first day of the trilogy; ‘Siegfried', the second day of the trilogy; and ‘The Twilight of the Gods’, the third day of the trilogy. Initially establishing his reputation as a romantic composer, Wagner revolutionized opera through his concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk (‘total work of art’), by which he sought to synthesise the poetic, visual, musical and dramatic arts. This edition of ‘The Rhinegold and The Valkyrie’ and 'Siegfried and The Twilight of the Gods' is heightened by the dazzling color illustrations of a master of the craft, Arthur Rackham. One of the most celebrated painters of the British Golden Age of Illustration (1850 until the start of the First World War), Rackham’s artistry is unparalleled. Throughout his career, he developed a unique style, combining haunting humour with dream-like romance. Presented alongside the text, his illustrations further refine and elucidate Wagner’s captivating storytelling.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Very Good. Illus. by Rackham, Arthur. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall.