Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The perfect Bayreuth sound, 16 Jun 2005
How do you pick among the growing list of Knappertsbusch readings of this opera from Bayreuth?Knappertsbusch practically owned the Grail Domain at Bayreuth through the 50s and the first half of the 60s. It was his favourite venue, where he could work, unseen by the audience, in his shirtsleeves under the unique Bayreuth hood that hid him from sight. Any or all of his performances (and more and more of them seem to pop up on disc all the time) are worth hearing. This one from 1962 sits high on the list. There is a magnificent Gurnemanz from the great Hans Hotter, an impressive Amfortas from Thomas Stewart and a truly malign Klingsor from Neidlinger. Jess Thomas could be a very good actor on stage (I've never seen a Walther who looked more as though he was making up his Prize Song as he went along in Sachs's workshop in Act 3 of Meistersinger). The voice, though, could be a bit tight in its production for my taste. The weak link, and a crucial one, in this performance was Irene Dalis. She's just not a patch on the white-hot Marha Modl in Kna's 1951 performance. Ah yes. There's the rub. That 1951 performance is something very special. Wagner did not call Parsifal an opera: he called it a Stage Dedication Play. And, at the festival that re-opened Bayreuth after the War, that's exactly what Kanppertsbusch gave us. Even slower speeds, even more intense concentration. And with a cast that always matches, often betters that of '62. The one thing this recording does have over that older one is the sound, the most accurate representation you'll hear in your living room of the unique Bayreuth sound. And remember, this was the one piece that Wagner wrote with the experience of that sound in his mind. For that as well as for a great (though not the greatest) interpretation, this recording is well worth trying.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This recording made me realize Parsifal is a great opera..., 26 Jul 2002
Knappertsbusch is the guiding light here, with one of the finest casts ever to be put together on the same stage. It's hard to think how it might be bettered by any cast during the entire history of Wagner's last opera. I cannot say much about all the symbolism and Christian vs Pagan motifs, because I do not know all that much about it. What strikes me here is the humanity and the power of redemption, brought forth brilliantly by all the forces gathered together. For the life of me, I cannot think of a weak point in the cast. George London's anguish as Amfortas is a living thing, grabbing the listener by the throat. Jess Thomas' voice was perfect for the role, powerful and ringing, but able to convey the changes wrought upon the character throughout the course of the opera. Hans Hotter is... well, he's Hans Hotter. If you don't like his Wotan, you won't like him here. However, if you love insightful singing, with a well-honed feel for the character, then this is the place to come to and Hotter is the man to listen to. The Kundry here is wonderful. That's all I can say, since I don't know the opera well enough to give a detailed analysis of her change from the woman who laughed at Christ's Passion up to her moment of redemption and death. All the forces here act upon my emotions, even with as little as I know... and that's a feeling I never got before with Parsifal. Many times, in listening to this, I sit open mouthed with wonder at the grandeur caught here. This set makes me proud to belong to humanity. After all, if someone human, with all the frailties humanity is prone to, can produce something like this, then the creative power of God Himself surely flows through our species. As for the sound... It's excellent, actually, for a live performance. It seems to catch the sonic ambience of Bayreuth, though I cannot personally vouch for the claim. I have heard many Bayreuth broadcasts and this sounds much better than what I hear over the radio these days. The orchestra and chorus come through loud and clear, without distortion, even on the climaxes. The principles all are bell-clear. The audience can be distracting, but that can be overlooked. Personally, I think the sound is fine. If you insist upon modern digital sound, then this is not for you. Too bad- you don't know what you're missing.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A perfect performance of this masterpiece. No competition., 6 Nov 2004
There may be as many as eight different Parsifals under the baton of Knappertsbusch, out there on disc, but thankfully the best one is commonly available. Don't listen to any of that nonsense about the 1951 performance being the best: Kna's 1962 effort is the best recorded and the most perfectly cast live document of Wagner's 'sacred play'. Those who call it an opera should think again. There can be no mistaking this work for mere entertainment.Some of the greatest Wagnerians who ever walked the earth were at work in the 1960s and they all came to give the performance of their lives at Bayreuth this time around. Look no further than Hotter's Gurnemanz: a towering performance of incredible strength and humanity. London's Amfortas was already a classic portrayal, but a real gem is the superb Parsifal of the woefully under-recorded Jess Thomas. Two minutes of Irene Dalis' Kundry and you will understand how Wagner's final work could never be thought of as an opera. Her's is an intense psychodrama, a Salome with a conscience. Even down to the subsiduary casting, we are in the company of greats. Paskuda and Stolze among the knights; Silja and Janowitz leading the flowermaidens. Freakishly beautiful stereo is the crowning glory of this recording, itself one of the glories of the gramophone. Philips' printed text and translations are excellent and the price tag makes this one unmissable. Only the new cover design is a let down. That's one advantage those of us who bought it back in the days when it was £70 have over you neophytes. Have you got the guts? Then what are you waiting for? You can die content after this.
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