Customer Reviews

Wagner: Parsifal

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Parsifal, one of Wagner's three great Schopenhauerian works, requires a conductor who has a cohesive vision for the entire stage drama that not only brings the entire story together, but engages the audience in a philosophical atmosphere which makes you think about the several psychological nuances experienced by the characters. It is not very hard to play for the orchestra, despite the fact that it is still Wagner, but to bring the truth out of Parsifal takes more than just whipping some baton around to get a note-perfect performance. You need a sense of spirituality and sacredness, and the drama must be there too. I believe that besides the recently released "forgotten" recording by Rafael Kubelik with the late James King, Kurt Moll, and Yvonne Minton, only Herbert von Karajan and his Berlin Philharmonic and the well-selected cast was able to achieve this vision.

Most reviewers accuse Karajan of smoothing over the music of Parsifal at the expense of the drama. I would beg to disagree, as I believe that musically, Karajan's dynamics are perfect for the opera, and his choice of rubato is so well-placed that he brings a sense of spirituality to the opera. It's as if the magnificent string playing of the Berlin Philharmonic along with the brass ensemble and the percussions could easily transport you to the mythical realm of Montsalvat. The Verwandlungsmusik is played to perfection, the Prelude sublime and rapturous, and the character leitmotif's are without a doubt...done just right. Orchestra wise, this Parsifal is played to perfection.

As for the cast, well, it is true that Karajan could have chosen better singers, but these seasoned Wagnerians have done nothing but achieve the vision that he sought for in his recording. Jose Van Dam is simply the best Amfortas I've heard on record. He may not have George London's large voice, but his singing is so sensitive that you can easily feel the anguish and torture Amfortas is feeling. Karajan's excellent ear for balances allows the orchestra to enhance all the pain and longing that Amfortas yearns for. As for Gurnemanz, I don't think anyone can beat Hans Hotter when it comes to authority, but Kurt Moll sings the role most beautifully and so naturally, with an excellent sense of drama to boot, that I could easily place him beside Hans Hotter. Only Hotter's Act III could slightly be ahead of Moll's, but Moll's achievement is simply outstanding in this one.

The Kundry and Parsifal in this recording are often the subject of many a Wagnerian's debate regarding K's choice for casting. Dunja Vejzovic was one of the greatest Slavic sopranos of the past century, with a range that extends from a mezzo to high soprano. Alas, her top is shrill to some listeners' tastes, but for a Callas fan such as I, this isn't much of a problem. I think she brings such a demented and pitiful, yet seductive quality to her Kundry whenever such characteristics are needed. Dramatically, hers is an intense performance, with only Christa Ludwig's achievement exceeding hers. Still, others do appreciate her performance, and I would put it second behind Christa Ludwig's great Kundry. Peter Hofmann, on the other hand, sings a most young and convincing Parsifal. And once again we come to the subject of the wobble. I never heard an absurd one in this recording, and I think his achievement in this recording is equalled only by Jess Thomas. Not even Placido Domingo, whose Wagnerian interpretations are known for their bel canto qualities, touched the young fal parsi that Hofmann and Thomas brought to their performances. A great Parsifal indeed. One would wish that the voice were firmer, but I think we could overlook that and see such a fresh and young interpretation given to the role.

For the supporting cast, I think Siegmund Niemsgern gives an excellent Klingsor. It's not an Alberich Klingsor, but a sorcerer Klingsor, just right. The Flower Maidens are sung beautifully, and the Stimme from Above is sung by none other than the great mezzo Hanna Schwarz. Luxurious casting, great orchestra, and a conductor who knows the ABC's of Wagner conducting, plus a most sacred atmosphere created by the recording, and I think you have a Parsifal for the ages. Highly recommended.

Some disappointed reviewers have piled on to this recording, but I feel that it is unsurpassed among modern performances on disc. Karajan had conducted a live Parsifal from the Vienna State Opera (on BMG) that has the incomparable Hans Hotter as Gurnemanz and Christa Ludwig singing Kundry in Act 2 magnificently (strangely, Karajan asked for two Kundrys, each given her own act).

Despite those advantages in Vienna, Karajan grew musically with this opera and here gives a performance of astounding depth and virtuosity. The orchestral playing is miles ahead of that achieved in the pit by Knappertsbusch in his various live performances from Bayreuth, and the digital sound, though not perfect, is very good for the Eighties.

Kurt Moll sings with authority as Gurnemanz, besides his rolling deep bass, there is a feeling of enormous sorrow mixed with spiritual gravitas. Only Hotter exceeds him on CD. For many listeners the Kundry of Dunja Vejkovic will be too Slavic--at loud volume the voice turns shrill and squawky--but dramatically she is fierce with anguish when needed. Don't expect eroticism in Act 2, however.

Which brings us to Peter Hoffmann as Parsifal. This is not a long role vocally, and by no means does he spoil the set. His career was a flash in the pan, and his Tristan for Bernstein was a disaster despite the fact that his Siegmund for Boulez in the famous Chereau production had been a triumph. Here he is in as good form as he ever achieved. To his credit Hoffman is intense and dramatically believable, but the role puts vocal strains on him, and it shows. I have seen raves at Amazon for Wagner singing that is equally strained--see Ludwig Suthaus on the classic Furtwangler Tristan.

In the end, Karajan's conducting is the element that sweeps this Parsifal to the heights. His vision is so musical, virtuosic, and passionate that I cannot understand any rating but the highest.

Even though many love his Dresden Meistersinger, I think this Parsifal is Karajan's greatest Wagner recording. He challenges the Berlin Philharmonic to the most sublime sounds imaginable, the orchestral performance is nothing short of superhuman, but Karajan's conducting is also very humane and humble, he may not be as stirring as Knappertsbusch, but in his own sound-world he is fantastic. His cast is far more satisfying than in his Ring or Tristan recordings. Top honors go to the towering Gurnemanz of Kurt Moll, who sings so beautifully he could be singing Mozart. Jose van Dam is every bit as good. The Parsifal and the Kundry are not in that class, but they are very acceptable. All in all, this is the finest Parsifal recording since Knappertsbusch Bayreuth recording. As for the competition, I can't recommend Levine's DG recording with Placido Domingo, it's much too slow and soporiphic; good as the Met Orchestra is, they are nowhere near the Berlin Philharmonic. On the other hand, Baremboim is much better, and he also has the BPO in resplendent form. His trump card is Waltraud Meier as Kundry, the best Kundry of the last 50 years, but his Gurnemanz is not in Moll's class.

Fantastic recording of Wagner's final music drama. Emphasis is on the orchestra but the cast is first rate too. The atmosphere is full of mystery. The performance of the orchestra is haunting. Karajan's conducting is spellbounding! Much of the beauty of Wagner's score blooms under Karajan's baton. The music suits perfectly Karajan's unique sound. One of the best Wagner recordings ever!!!

This is my bookshelf version of Parsifal. It's one that you listen to by yourself. It is imbued with spirituality, sacredness, profundity and seriousness.

Karajan understands this piece inside and out, and who'd ever think Karajan would be one to understand Parsifal?

But he allows his own inner wisdom and his unrevealed devoutness to express itself freely in the creation and reading of this glorious mystery drama, the everest of operas...Parsifal.

Wagner's final masterpiece demands an orchestra capable of producing gauzy, radiant sonorities, a cast with both beauty of tone and, perhaps even more important, superb acting skills, and a conductor with a talent for both sustaining long musical lines and bringing them together into an overwhelming overall tapestry. Above all, everyone must capture the mood and feel of this challenging piece. This last point is the reason why I think studio recordings of this opera, perhaps even of any Wagner opera, are at a disadvantage right from the start. It's much easier to capture the elusive soul of this work when you're living the story on stage.

Karajan's 1980 recording is a case in point. This performance never achieves lift-off. It doesn't soar. Its feet remain firmly planted on the ground. Which is a pity, considering that the miraculous sound world of Wagner's final opera has probably never been so stunningly captured as it is on this recording.

The most impressive aspect of this recording is the absolutely astounding playing of the Berlin Philharmonic. For instance, the Act 1 Prelude is one of the most stunning examples of Wagner's orchestral wizardry in his entire output, and to be able to hear it in a performance this gorgeous is almost incredible. The pure radiance of the strings is almost otherworldly, but I think it's the luminous bass line that is the real secret to the incredible texture. Throughout the work, the BPO achieves revelation after revelation in terms of sheer sound.

Karajan turns in a towering reading of this monumental score. He was always an expert with huge works, and his command of the structure of the score is exemplary. He faithfully observes Wagner's numerous dynamic markings, essential to the expression of the score, and throughout the work, his conducting achieves tremendous intensity (notably in the Act 1 Transformation Music and in the Act 3 Prelude). The only problem is, he's so obsessed with drawing out those incredible sonorities that he misses the soul of Wagner's drama. The central section of Act 3, where transcendence and spirituality in the conducting are absolutely necessary, is quite earth-bound. The orchestral playing, while stunning, is not sufficient to carry the performance off the ground. As with almost all post-1960 Karajan, it all seems too calculated, too pre-meditated, too un-spontaneous. Comparison with other pre-eminent Wagner conductors proves the point. In all of his recordings, Knappertsbusch, whose particular qualities made him more suited to this particular work than anyone else, provides the transcendent lift to the music that Karajan so drastically lacks (although it must be said, Kna's orchestras are nowhere near as good as the Berlin Philharmonic). Even Solti, not normally known for spirituality, was in exceptional form for his 1972 Decca recording, and his performance soars more truthfully and effortlessly than Karajan's.

Karajan's cast is strong overall, spearheaded by the weighty bass of Kurt Moll as Gurnemanz. Moll gives us a warmly, beautifully sung performance, solemn and moving in the great climaxes, but light years behind the incredible achievement of Hans Hotter on the 1962 Knappertsbusch set. José van Dam is the most beautiful, smooth, musical Amfortas on record, although he doesn't always realize the full dramatic potential of this moving character. Siegmund Nimsgern is a resonant but sometimes gritty Klingsor, and he never comes close to matching the menacing Hermann Uhde from Kna's 1951 Bayreuth set. Victor von Halem is a sonorous Titurel. Dunja Vejzovic is a very acceptable Kundry, secure of both voice and interpretation, but she never matches the magnificent singing of Solti's Ludwig in one of her finest recorded achievements. The huge weak link in the cast is, unfortunately, Parsifal himself. Peter Hofmann's dry, gritty, effortful singing and uninspired interpretation are unfortunate in the extreme. Hearing him immediately after the velvety richness of Jess Thomas or the honeyed beauty of Wolfgang Windgassen is almost laughable. The choral work is secure and beautiful, but isn't on the level of Solti's Vienna ensemble.

Overall, this performance captures the orchestral sound world of "Parsifal" more impressively and beautifully than any other. Unfortunately, the performance remains earthbound due to a lack of spontaneity, a preoccupation with the beautiful textures, and a flawed cast. It is undoubtedly a very impressive recording, but among studio recordings I prefer Solti's Vienna / Decca set, for its more involved cast (highlighted by Ludwig's fabulous Kundry), Solti's admirably sincere and communicative direction, and above all the overwhelming work from the Vienna State Opera ensemble. First choice overall remains the classic 1962 Knappertsbusch, for the most inspired conducting of the score on record, a flawless cast including Hotter's supreme Gurnemanz, dedicated ensemble work from the Bayreuth forces, and a very special atmosphere which permeates the entire effort, surely one of the three greatest Wagner recordings ever.

This excellent recording of Wagner's last music-drama was made in Berlin during 1979-80. Earlier Karajan had been acclaimed for his stage production of this work at the Staatsoper in Vienna, a performance of which the only evidence remaining is a fascinating but incomplete and technically inadequate recording (currently available both from Opera d'Oro and from RCA). This 1980 studio recording presents Karajan's view of the work from two decades later, with arguably the best cast that could be assembled at that date.

As in the Vienna live recording, Karajan emphasises the beauty of the score, sometimes at the expense of the drama. Every line of every role is sung lyrically, even where a straightforward reading of the score would be more dramatic and less lyrical (for example, the response of the knights to Gurnemanz at the start of the first act, or Klingsor's summoning of his zombies at the end of the first scene of act 2).

Kurt Moll is a robust Gurnemanz and van Dam, although a little restrained, is probably the best Amfortas on record. Unfortunately Hofmann's voice already shows signs of its imminent decline. Vejzovic is unsteady, and her long scene towards the end of the second act is a damp squib compared with the vocal fireworks displayed by Christa Ludwig in the 1961 live recording. Nimsgern is a competent Klingsor, but in keeping with this production, his account of this dramatic role is strangely undramatic.

The principals are well supported, with Hanna Schwarz in the tiny role of the Voice from Above, and several then young singers who are today well-known names, as squires or magic maidens.

Karajan allows the orchestra to get rather too loud, relative to the singers, in some passages, such as the flowermaidens scene. Kundry's 'Ich helfe nie', in the first act, is inaudible, and even at the climax of the work, Parsifal is overwhelmed by a wave of orchestral sound as he sings 'Amfortas, die Wunde!'. I find balance to be a problem with Karajan's studio recordings in general; compare this recording with the Viennese *live* recording, where the singers are closely miked and the orchestra sounds distant.

Tempi are similar to those adopted by Solti; those who find both recordings too slow (as I do) might prefer the recording conducted by Armin Jordan and released in 1983, now available either on CD or as the sound-track to Syberberg's film, which is slightly faster. Even though he never gets as slow as Levine or Goodall, Karajan's broad tempi in the second act do not help the singers, and the necessary tension is lacking in the struggle between Kundry and Parsifal.

This Parsifal was recorded in 1980, can anyone name a single Parsifal that can compete with this Karajan version in the digital era? Barenboim, Levine, Thielemann? I don't think so. I understand Knappertbusch's famous versions from the past still hold sway for some but Karajan is by the far and away the greatest conductor of this opera in the last 30 years or more!

Some have complained about Peter Hofman's Parsifal but most would agree that Kurt Moll as Gurnemanz is a major highlight of this package. The big choral numbers are magnificent and the Berlin Philharmonic was still the greatest orchestra in the world at the time of this recording and boy, do they sound it! Karajan's approach is both meditative and dramatic in the appropriate places, he is a true visionary. His complete Wagner opera recordings have always had their critics in the past, whose recordings haven't had critics? However, be that as it may, this Parsifal has always been critically embraced and many listeners regard it as one of Karajan's supreme achievements, especially in the last decade of his life.

The sound is digital, from 1980 and thank God, Deutsche Grammophon acquit themselves so well! The sound is lush, warm, detailed and has a glorious panorama. Just listen to the bells in the transformation scene. DG really did poorly in the arena of digital recordings initially, I am so thankful that they got their best engineers for this Parsifal, because it sounds radiant and magnificent!

The only thing that grates on my nerves about this outstanding recording is the booklet with the English translations. The translations are not given with track numbers so you can get lost in the music, every other opera set I've ever bought has translations co-ordinated to the corresponding track. Did I just get a strange copy of the booklet or is everyone's booklet like this? If you don't know German, you have to really pay attention and mark which translation begins with which track and it can get pretty annoying. DG can be really stupid sometimes, I swear! Nonetheless, this is a must own set for all Wagner fans.

This recording of Parsifal is simply superb. There is not a single fault or weak link in the cast. Hoffman and Vejzovic bring all the passion and feeling into the second act, whilst the Gurnamanz of Kurt Moll is heartrenderingly transformed from that of the holy knight, adorned with holy duty, to that of the sorrowfull and joyfull personae in Act 3. Mixed together with the wonderfull orchestrations under a superb conducter. This Parsifal must surley adorn the shelves of any collecter.

I have not succeeded in becoming a Wagnerian. While gratefully acknowledging the many beautiful passages strewn throughout the operas, I have trouble getting past the deadwood, detritus, and excess baggage of all kinds, some of them gratuitously troubling, that litter the works. Even Tristan, which many including Thomas Mann have sworn by, I do not "get". Yes, the opening prelude is magnificent, but I always feel the sex-fuddled composer is trying to lead me into a debauch, and wonder if listeners wouldn't be better off just masturbating for four hours.

But Parsifal is the great exception. Here the aging composer, wracked by heart spasms and knowing his time was short, ruthlessly discarded all that was not essential. Even the libretto, though a concentrated poison if examined closely, is at least mercifully compact and taut, and the music is the most inspired that Wagner ever wrote. This is without question the most deeply musical and bewitching of the operas. If you're troubled by certain elements in the libretto (unfortunately, they are not just latent but present quite explicitly), my advice to English speakers is to treat the text as a mere carrier of words -- singers must have words, after all -- in a foreign language we don't understand.

I hadn't heard Parsifal before and was foolish enough to play these discs for the first time late at night, figuring I could get half way through and listen to the rest later. But this was quite impossible. When in the wee hours I arrived at the prelude to the third act, I'd forgotten whatever I had known of Free Will. At this point in the opera, Parsifal and Klingsor's spell are locked in a titanic struggle and an impasse is reached unlike anything else in music. Parsifal's leitmotiv struggling against the agitated chromaticism of Klingsor's spell, in music of incredible, crushing power, is like the intermingling of two incompatible fluids, the best and noblest with the vilest -- a true hydrodynamics of the soul. I kept repeating this prelude, ashen-faced and overwhelmed. By the way, there's a passage in Cosima's diaries during the period of the composition of Parsifal in which Wagner says, "I did something good today". If this is what I hope and think it is, and refers to this prelude, then never did any man have more reason to think highly of himself than dear Richard!

I have since heard other versions of Parsifal, but this remains my favorite. All the singers are excellent. Dunja Vejzovic in particular is outstanding in the difficult role of Kundry, the temptress whose devouring sexuality is Klingsor's weapon against Parsifal. Some people find fault with Peter Hofmann as Parsifal. If I understand rightly, he comes from a rock/pop background and underwent special coaching to sing this role. He does have a rather wide vibrato but this doesn't put me off. On the contrary, his voice has a distinctive timbre that sets him apart, quite rightly I think, from the other singers. After all, he's the "pure fool" who alone can break Klingsor's spell. I think he acquits himself very well.

This wonderful performance of an incomparable masterpiece is recommended to all, and doubly to non-Wagnerians. And quadruply to those who've never heard Parsifal before. You may find yourself, as I do, involuntarily exclaiming at the strangest and most inopportune times the following words: (Kundry, haltingly but firm) Ich... will nicht! (Klingsor, loud) Du willst wohl, denn du musst! These are the only German words I know, and I've taken care to learn them because they could be the epitaph for life itself.