Music
The new Bayreuth “Parsifal”
Increased security measures in front of Wagner’s Festspielhaus, divided opinions about the staging, and an ensemble of Soloists, with no weak points, gave the games a mixed picture of the opening of the Bayreuth festival.
Richard Wagner, his Parsifal in Montsalvat play, where medieval knights guard the Grail. In this production the scene is one of bombs and bullets damaged a Church in the Middle East. Compress a video sequence makes it clear: it is situated in the North of Iraq, in the area that is occupied by the so-called “IS”.
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The security measures were accepted grumpy
In Wagner’s narrative of the Grail dispenses spiritual food, but only if he is ritually revealed. This is the task of the knights of king Amfortas (the article’s picture). But a wound opens every time, when he pulls the painful Ritual. Here, the cruelty of Christian symbolism is clear: Amfortas is stabbed by a knight’s squire, his escaping blood is drunk from the Grail knights.
Again and again the Scene of soldiers is dominated. Parsifal appears in the military look. In the second act, the flower girl of the evil sorcerer Klingsor dressed partially as a belly dancer, later in burqas wrapped. The good Friday music in the third act, naked girls dancing in the spring rain. Should be said that the sensuality is more likely to be tolerated in Christianity than in other religions?
Klingsor seems to be a cross-fetishist
Threatened Christianity
This is just one of the puzzles of this production. Added to this is a man who observed over a long period of time from a platform far above the stage. Are you saying that just the view from the bird’s-eye perspective on the processes of the events is the correct? In the DW-Interview with Director Uwe Eric said to run the mountain, he wanted to penetrate the core message of the piece: Wagner looking for the Christianity. Anyway, this staging of “Parsifal”, the ninth in the history of the Bayreuth festival since its premiere in 1882, only gently modern illustrated and far removed from the interpretation of the excesses of the theatre of the past few years. This could indicate a reversal of the trend in Bayreuth.
All-star cast
The work of the Director team at the end is acknowledged with some Boos. However, the cheers outweighed the audience by far. The strongest ovations of the German baritone Georg Zeppenfeld received. As Gurnemanz, his sonorous vocal lines of glass and clear articulation were accompanied. In her role debut as Kundry, the Russian soprano Elena Pankratova pass was passionate and a risk taker. Also, the German Tenor Klaus Florian Vogt in the title role seems to be leading his voice to the limit of what is humanly Possible without his power reserves draining. Note the value in the role of Amfortas in the American baritone Ryan McKinney. Overall, the soloists ‘ ensemble has not a single weak point. This ideal-typical Wagner singing belies the old cliché of lies, that earlier in the Opera world, everything was better. A comparison of this performance with historic recordings would demonstrate this impressively.
Director, run for the mountain takes the Christian symbolism literally
All the musicians received several rounds of Bravos, especially Hartmut Haenchen. The 73-Year-old jumped in, so to speak, at the last Minute for Andris Nelsons and showed what a conductor in three and a half weeks is capable of. With its fast Tempos and a little tangy sound Haenchen demystifies the score and puts you in the vicinity of the use of music, in the service of the drama. This was not only Richard Wagner’s intention; after many performances in Bayreuth, which celebrates the music itself, this tone is very refreshing.