Repertoire: The BEST Wagner Ring Cycles

Debate over the merits of recordings of Wagner's endlessly fascinating epic Der Ring des Nibelungen has been raging since the advent of sound technology, but choosing the best of them is actually pretty easy. In fact, there is a remarkable consensus, although you'd hardly know it sometimes amid all the heated verbiage. I propose to keep things simple, and give you some straight advice that will both get you started on your listening journey, and guide you as far as any rational person needs to go.