Vienna State Opera 2017-18 Review: Parsifal: Alvis Hermanis’ Madhouse Production Will Drive You Crazy (Not In a Good Way)
Richard Wagner was a 19th century micro-manager in music long before the pejorative appellation appeared in MBA curricula. As his own librettist, casting director, set designer, costume conceptualist, lighting Loge and Dirigent, there was rarely any aspect of his music dramas which Wagner was prepared to relinquish to lesser talents. No composition was more tightly controlled than his ultimate opus “Parsifal,” which {…}