Conceived and written over a period of more than 25 years, Wagner's Ring cycle is an epic musical journey of four operas: Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung. Its story of gods, dwarves, and men and the quest for an all-powerful ring was inspired by many sources, including 13th-century Icelandic writings and the medieval German Nibelungenlied. The complete cycle was first seen at the inaugural Bayreuth Festival in 1876. The Met's landmark production, directed by Robert Lepage, premiered over the course of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.