This month, in particular, is a great time to be a trombonist in the Honolulu Symphony.

While Johannes Brahms' imagination was producing some of the most beautiful trombone writing ever heard, Richard Wagner was adding strength and awesome power to its beauty. Although there will be more musicians on stage than have possibly ever been heard during a Honolulu Symphony performance, the "Ring" is particularly special for low-brass players. This is the music our instruments were truly meant to play.

Wagner's "The Ring of the Nibelung" was the 19th century's "Lord of the Rings" or "Harry Potter." Even if you don't go to the opera, you're likely to know the music, from Merrie Melodies' "What's Opera, Doc?" (aka "Kill the Wabbit"), the movies "Excalibur" or "Apocalypse Now," or "The Simpsons."

The "Ring" includes everything that is great (or satirical) about opera: love and lust, treachery and betrayal, sex and violence; gods, dwarfs, giants, dragons and fat ladies; a magic sword and a golden ring that brings doom and destruction to all who possess it. (Sound familiar?)

The "Ring" Without Words is the essence — the Cliff's Notes — of Richard Wagner's four-opera epic, which is still considered to be one of the supreme monuments of Western art. You'll hear the first note of Das Rheingold through to the final chord of Gotterdammerung just over one hour later. It's not as quick as Bugs' and Elmer's seven-minute production, but certainly not as daunting and every bit as exciting as many find the complete 16-hour version to be. Throw in Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Andreas Delfs and Cho-Liang Lin, and it's a concert not to be missed.

Eric Mathis is principal trombonist in the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra.