After 140 years, Wagner’s final opera, “Parsifal,” first performed at the second Bayreuth Festival in 1882, finally got its Mexican premiere in April of this year. While not quite an opera—it was defined by Wagner as an ‘Bühnenweihfestspiel,’ or a ‘stage festival play’ with a sacred focus—Wagner’s final piece testifies to his consummate understanding of opera as not just a {…}
There is something to be said about the proverbial aura of live performances, especially in the case of “Parsifal” and recordings from its native Bayreuth. The pleasure is double – cynics might argue – in the absence of visual extravagance, incl. kinky stage designs and the intrusion of AR into the scenography. Thankfully, Deutsche Grammophon does not impose the latter; {…}
Switzerland’s Goetheanum is set to present three more performances of Wagner’s “Parsifal” following a successful run. The company said that it will showcase the work in cooperation between Pamy Mediaproductions and the Goetheanum Stage on April 13, 18, and 20, 2025. The production was conceived by Alexander von Glenck’s idea to stage Richard Wagner’s “Parsifal” at the Goetheanum and he {…}
The CD release of “Parsifal” under Philippe Jordan is not exactly news. The production dates from the 2021 season of the Vienna State Opera when the gritty, and no less controversial, staging of Kirill Serebrennikov received widespread attention. It was a secular “Parsifal,” highly politicized, and more akin to the oppressive climate of the Soviet Gulag than the Romantic exclusivity {…}
Sony Classical has announced the release of a new “Parsifal” starring Jonas Kaufmann, Ludovic Tézier, and Elīna Garanča. The new recording slated for release on March 1, 2024, was recorded at the Wiener Staatsoper in 2021 without an audience. Kaufmann took to social media to announce the new release and said, “I am happy to announce the release of our {…}
(Photo Credit: Enrico Nawarth / Bayreuth Festival) It would be difficult to exaggerate the ways in which Jay Scheib‘s “Parsifal” at Bayreuth 2023 fails its sublime musical roots. From amateurish digital enhancement to bargain basement stagings, this opera sold out its mission in every way, save for one factor (more much later). In the front row of the loge {…}
Deutsche Grammophon has announced that it will continue as the global media partner with the Bayreuth Festival. In 2022, the label launched its ground-breaking classical music platform, STAGE+, which hosted the international premiere screenings of Valentin Schwarz’s thought-provoking new production of “Der Ring des Nibelungen.” The collaboration will open with Jay Scheib’s highly anticipated “Parsifal” from the Festspielhaus on STAGE+ one day after {…}
Joseph Calleja has withdrawn from his upcoming performances of “Parsifal” at the Bayreuth Festival. In a statement, Calleja said, “Due to a persistent throat infection, I was advised by my doctor to withdraw from the current production of Parsifal here in Bayreuth. Goes without saying that this was a very hard decision to take, and I am so sorry for {…}
(Photo: Mark Allan) Last time Opera North visited London’s Southbank Centre it was for an award-winning semi-staged Ring cycle, conducted by then music director Richard Farnes. They even made a gripping and hugely instructive recording for YouTube that shows the entire tetralogy from a camera placed right in front of the conductor. He returns to the Royal Festival Hall with {…}
(Credit: Vincent Pontet / ONP) The week Rafael Nadal lifted his trophy for an unprecedented 14th victory at the Roland Garros tennis tournament in Paris, the opera public attending Richard Wagner’s “Parsifal” at the Opéra National de Paris at the Bastille saw tenor Simon O’Neill triumphantly raise a supersized Holy Grail chalice with a shape that had an uncanny resemblance {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its April 14 performance of “Parsifal” The company noted that due to illness Simon O‘Neill would not be performing the title role. As a result, Stuart Skelton will take over. Skelton is one of today’s most revered Wagnerian singers of his generation. He has performed the title role of Parsifal around {…}