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Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen - Complete Ring Cycle (Levine, Metropolitan Opera) (2002)
According to the liner notes that accompany this seven-DVD set of Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen," the composer had no time for critics, especially those who liked to point out a certain lack of logic in his musical dramas.
This Met version of the Ring under the direction of James Levine might be called 'traditional' by some and 'stodgy' by others.
Levine's version, stodgy though it may appear, emphasizes the music. This is the Ring Cycle you want to start with. It reflects the spirit of Wagner's intentions (if not quite the actual staging), and the singing is excellent. The Met Ring represents the neo-romantic approach to the operas, which for most casual viewers or opera "newbies" will probably make this the first choice for watching the cycle at home. Granted, many critics and opera affecianatos have hated this production. They have called it "too lush," "too old fashioned" or "too easy." But it is these elements which will make the opera comprehensible to the newcomer. 
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