Wagner: Parsifal [Blu-ray]

Not usually a fan of 'modern' or 're-imagined' productions that stray far from the composer's concept or intent, I approached this Parsifal warily, having read early reviews and seen production photos online. Of course, news of the bloody stage of Act II further set off alarms. Having experienced live and on video several 'Eurotrash' productions in the 80-90's (Turandot, Die Tote Stadt etc), I was prepared to walk out at the end of Act I of the LIve HD broadcast in my local cinema.But no.From the very beginning of the Prelude, with the reflecting but transparent curtain gradually revealing the 'citizens' standing in their modern clothes - the men in white shirts, ties and black jackets, the women in black dresses with veils - moving seemingly at random, and then the men taking off their coats and ties and shoes. Watching the individual singers/dancers, the expressions on their faces, it was clear something almost surreal was taking place. Something emotionally overwhelming was happening onstage; every person was a participant in this story and obviously affected by it.Watch Amforta's two attendants, who support him throughout, physically and emotionally. Watch their faces and body movements. Shattering.I have the DVD of the Met's 1993 Parsifal with Sigfrid Jerusalem et al; and cherish it as much for its traditional staging and its spiritual faithfulness to Wagner's vision as for the music and vocal talents of the cast (Bernt Weikel's Amfortas especially).But this Parsifal stands alone and apart.The movements and actions of the people on stage reflect the words and actions of the principals; like a Greek Chorus they reflect on and punctuate and intensify the action. Watch their faces (get the Blue-Ray) and you will see they are as moved by what they are doing and seeing and hearing as we are.About the bloody spear-carrying Flower Maidens of Act II. Here they are Klingsor's guards as much as Parsifal's would-be seducers. Their syncronized movements are again as a Greek chorus. (a bit of missed drama here as Parsifal takes the spear)Another reviewer has said 'this is not a Christian opera'.The themes of sacrifice, salvation, love, selfless charity are Christian values.This is the story of the 'holy Grail', the cup used at the Last Supper that contained wine symbolizing Christ's blood; the spear that pierced Christ's side, and Gundry, who reveals she witnessed the Crucifixion and mocked Christ on the cross, therefore being forever cursed.So no matter how 'modernized' it may be, and with references to Buddah, it is a 'Christian' Opera.The pain suffered by Amfortas, to be relieved only by the 'pure fool' who will endure much pain and duress to save him...the ultimate baptism and salvation of Gundry...the reuniting of man and woman and rebirth of the Earth...with clouds and Planets and dunes moving and floating continuously across the backdrop are a living part of the action and not just a gimmick.The glory of Act III builds and then plunges to the final sublime and heavenly final transformation. Amfortas falls into his father's grave; he grasps the spear to the wound and is healed. Gundry is finally saved and falls lifeless.This is a complete re-interpretation in staging, but true to the Composer's theme and intent...and it achieves greatness, I think. Somehow, I saw and heard things I had never heard or understood in many previous viewings of the opera. I wonder what the composer would think.Open your ears and eyes and be prepared to challenge your very conception of Parsifal. I pulled my chair closer to the bigscreen Hi-def TV; turned up the surround sound, like being just in front of the orchestra pit.My only complaint would be: the stream begins to flow again, and the sky blazes, but where is a blade of grass, a flowering branch or single flower to illuminate the glory of Spring and Resurrection, as the music portrays and Gunemanz proclaims?This is a performance that repeated viewings only enhances and deepens; I have yet to show any of my non-Wagnerian friends. It is too personal, and how do you explain to them how and why it affects us so?Get the Blue-Ray, and watch the faces and movements of the entire cast.I'm getting verklempt all over again.....

This is a fantastic production of Parsifal if you can tolerate modern adaptations. I generally prefer a traditional, as intended, production but there are times when the modern adaptation works. In this case, it works beautifully.Remember, you're reading a skeptic. I almost dreaded seeing what is going to happen to Kaufmann in this opera. Sure enough, they get his shoes and shirt off but the silliness ends there. The acting and singing in this production are pretty close to perfect---again, Kaufmann isn't the greatest actor in the world though he well may be the best tenor. However, acting befuddled and confused suites him perfectly in this role.I don't think he fully assumes the title of keeper of the Grail and Spear collection at the end of the opera. He still doesn't really seem to get it. I give Kaufmann a B+. (only because of acting)Pape on the other hand hits it so far out of the park that they'll never find the ball. Acting and singing are perfect. He nails it. A+Katarina Dalayman is really good Kundry. She seems to understand the personal hell that Kundry faces daily. She wants to do good but is owned because of her transgression. This is a tough role very well performed. Solid A for Katarina Dalayman.Peter Mattei is a terrific Amfortas. Man, I feel your pain. A+Maestro Gatti steers the orchestra for 4 1/2 hours of perfection.I cried at the end. It's that powerful. It's that good. Watch an act each night and savor it. This is well worth adding to your collection. It's a beautiful work of art.The staging? I thought it was rather interesting. It delivers the right message at the proper time. No, you don't get people in knight costumes running around a castle and you get a meadow scene with blooming flowers---well, sort of. You do get a good feel for what Wagner was trying to say...Don't let the bad reviews scare you off. It's wonderful. And I'm very critical.

I have over 150 classical DVD/BRs that I watch on a 120" screen and listen through a 7.2 loudspeaker setup where the front speakers are about 9' 6" apart and the surround / surround back speakers are placed where they ought to be. The room has sound treatments so I hear what's on the disc, not distorting reflections from the walls. My reviews concentrate on the surround audio, as you can pretty much judge the video and stereo for yourself on youtube and similar sites.Surround track is listed as DTS HD-MA 5.1, but I listen to it in 7.2 with the receiver doing the decoding.I don't think that I have ever praised a MET surround recording, but here it is:Sound stage 180 degrees? CheckOrchestra detailed recorded? CheckGood balance between principals, chorus and orchestra? CheckVoices are clear and move with the principals? CheckNo drastic voice fluctuations? CheckApplause from the sides and not the front? CheckResult: 5 Stars for the surround audio, that seems to have been recorded with stage microphones only.The staging helped with the stage on an angle and plenty of dirt that will not reflect as well as a wooden floor. Then what seems like 6 feet of carpet before the stage microphones that will further dampen unwanted reflections. The direction with pretty much everything in slow motion and the principals facing forward makes for a relatively uniform sound and still allows the depth of the stage to be captured.Much to my surprise Post Production Audio Mix was still Ken Hahn, who shows that he can mix once he's given clean and enough channels. Audio Supervisor was John Kerswell, 10 names are given for Audio. My compliments.Let's hope that this is the new surround audio standard of the MET

Alles zufriedenstellend!

... is not easy to achieve in Wagner productions. This production follows the wishes and spirit of the great master without falling into the over-the-top scenery and direction that was fine in the 19th century but look so kitch today.The movement of light that follows the music (especially in the transformation scene) makes the audience 'feel' the action.There can be no better cast today than this one. Mattei is simply incredible in his singning and acting.I saw this production twice and twice in HD. I never tire of it.

Una buena puesta en escena y una excelente interpretacion, en un buen trabajo de filmacion es el resultado de este dvd

Dopo altre due edizioni dell'ultimo capolavoro wagneriano (sacra rappresentazione scenica in tre atti), che per vari motivi non mi avevano del tutto soddisfatto, nonostante direttori, registi e interpreti vocali di tutto rispetto), ecco finalmente una incisione pienamente soddisfacente di un'opera molto complessa e impegnativa per chiunque la voglia metterla in scena. Ci è riuscito il Met di New York affidandosi ad un regista per così dire "sobrio" e ben appropriato come Girard, un direttore ormai ai vertici dell'interpretazione wagneriana, come Daniele Gatti (arcinoto anche a Bayreuth) e a un trio di cantanti "fuoriclasse" come il tenorissimo Kaufmann (protagonista), il baritono-basso Mattei (Amfortas) e l'immarcescibile baritono-basso Pape (Gurnemanz), oltretutto ottimi attori. All'altezza anche il basso russo Nikitin nei panni di Klingsor, mentre un gradino più in basso la Dalayman nei panni di Kundry, almeno a confronto con l'eccelsa Waltraud Meier (presente a distanza di quasi 15 anni in entrambe le versioni già in mio possesso, Barenboim/Kupfer e Nagano/Lehnoff). Unico appunto non indifferente: l'errore nella sottotitolazione in italiano, con due atti ben sottotitolati e l'ultimo passato in francese e per il quale il produttore, cioè la Sony, merita una sola stella. Incisione tecnicamente eccellente in HD.

"Parsifal" est un monde d'hommes.Seule une femme s'y trouve - mais quelle femme ! - , Kundry . Les voix de femmes entendues au 1er acte ne sont là qu'enluminures sonores évoquant enfants et jeunes gens, simulacre dans le simulacre de la Cène. Dès lors, la lecture de l’œuvre proposée ici, qui introduit dès la première scène les femmes séparées des hommes, chacun occupant le côté d'une faille qui deviendra rivière de sang, constitue-t-elle un contresens ? Peut-être pas. On sait que Wagner, à la fin de sa vie, était préoccupé par la question de l'unité de l'espèce humaine. Peu de temps avant sa mort, il travaillait également à un essai sur les rapports entre le "masculin" et le "féminin", qu'il laissa inachevé. Quant au bouddhisme -la compassion-, il ne le quittait guère. Faire de Parsifal, entre autres choses, le drame d'un monde matériellement coupé, blessé, prisonnier des illusions et dont toute la douleur s'incarnerait dans un seul, Amfortas , me semble une idée forte. Dès lors, Parsifal, l'élu de la prophétie, celui qui doit apporter la guérison à Amfortas, ne peut que rester muet confronté au rite, devenu stérile, célébré par les chevaliers du Graal. Par Kundry il accède à la compassion - c'est bien là le "souffrir avec", le "Mitleid" allemand - et par la compassion il acquiert la connaissance qui lui permettra de réunir à nouveau la Lance et la Coupe, le masculin et le féminin.C'est peut-être une des significations que l'on peut donner, au delà des énigmatiques paroles "Rédemption au Rédempteur", au chœur final, seul chœur mixte de la partition.Mais que serait Wagner sans la musique ?La direction d'abord, lente sans être pesante - tout est question d'articulation - et qui a le mérite de sertir comme dans un écrin des voix pour la plupart exceptionnelles, même si je préfère personnellement la direction de Nagano à Baden-Baden, pour la couleur de l'orchestre aussi.Côté voix, c'est la fête.Kaufmann, beau Parsifal à tout point de vue, extrêmement attentif au sens du texte et à l'évolution du personnage. Comparez l'inflexion, toute de naïveté étonnée, de "Wer ist der Gral ?" avec la maturité calme, assombrie par la charge, mais assurée, de " Nur eine Waffe..." quel chemin !Pape, tout aussi "disant" - car qu'est-ce que Gurnemanz au premier acte si ce n'est un récitant ?- et qui rayonne au Vendredi Saint. Ah, ce " So ward es uns verheissen..." , combien nous comprenons alors le sens de la "promesse" !Amfortas, Mattei, douleur incarnée, comme vécue vraiment dans la chair, mais sans la complaisance à s'écouter chanter que peuvent y mettre certains. L'ultime monologue face au cadavre du père, tout empreint d'un regret inexpiable et porté par une musique qui semble gagner réellement les cieux, est d'une ineffable beauté.Dalayman enfin, Kundry , belle dans le silence comme dans le cri. La voix est "vibrante" et pas "bougeante", dans le sens où cela me paraît être plus affaire de couleurs assumées que de défaut technique subi, j'en veux pour preuve la qualité de la projection et la justesse du terrifiant"lachte !" au deuxième acte.Il est dommage que le "reste" m'ait personnellement déçu.Le pire, Klingsor, maniéré, tout contorsionné et occupé à faire le "Méchant d'opéra".Les filles fleurs manquent un peu du parfum de ce qui est coupé et "bientôt meurt", certaines tremblent bien dangereusement sur leurs tiges !Les chœurs n'ont rien d'exceptionnel si on garde à l'oreille ce qui a pu s'entendre venant de Bayreuth ou de Vienne avec Solti (en studio, et qui, soit dit en passant, confie les parties de soprani et d'alti, du moins au 1er acte, à des garçons) mais sont suffisamment convaincants et en situation, bien plus qu'ils ne le seraient sans doute en studio. A la fin, à l'heure des comptes cruels face à leur roi pécheur, ils me semblent réellement gagnés, comme tous, par le diable. C'est là précisément ce que Wagner voulait, lui qui déclarait à l'issue de la générale de Parsifal : "Demain, mes enfants, pour la première, il faut laisser faire le diable, les acteurs doivent être possédés par lui, les auditeurs sentir sa présence, si vous ne devenez pas fous, notre but n'est pas atteint!" Wagner, roi de la métaphore, et du paradoxe...