Parsifal discography

Last updated

This is a partial discography of Parsifal , an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner.

Contents

Parsifal was expressly composed for the stage at Bayreuth and many of the most famous recordings of the opera come from live performances on that stage. In the pre-LP era, Karl Muck conducted excerpts from the opera at Bayreuth which are still considered some of the best performances of the opera on disc (they also contain the only sound evidence of the bells constructed for the work's premiere, which were later melted down by the Nazis during World War II). Hans Knappertsbusch was the conductor most closely associated with Parsifal at Bayreuth in the post-war years, and the performances under his baton in 1951 marked the re-opening of the Bayreuth Festival after the Second World War. These historic performances were recorded in mono sound, originally issued but now no longer available on the Teldec label, and reissued in 2003 on Naxos Historical. Knappertsbusch recorded the opera again for Philips in 1962 in stereo, and this release is often considered to be the classic Parsifal recording. [1] There are also many "unofficial" live recordings from Bayreuth, capturing virtually every Parsifal cast ever conducted by Knappertsbusch.

Amongst the studio recordings, those by Georg Solti, Herbert von Karajan and Daniel Barenboim (the latter two both conducting the Berlin Philharmonic) have been widely praised. [2] The von Karajan recording was voted "Record of the Year" in the 1981 Gramophone Awards. Also highly regarded is a recording of Parsifal under the baton of Rafael Kubelík. Originally recorded for Deutsche Grammophon but never released, it is now available on the Arts Archives label.

On the Saturday 14 December 2013 broadcast of BBC 3'S CD Review – Building a Library, music critic David Nice surveyed recordings of Parsifal and recommended the 1980 recording by the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik (conductor), as the best available choice. [3]

Audio recordings

YearCast
(Parsifal, Kundry, Gurnemanz, Amfortas, Klingsor)
Conductor,
Opera house and/or orchestra
LabelCatalogue number
1936 René Maison, Marjorie Lawrence, Alexander Kipnis, Martial Singher, Fritz Krenn Fritz Busch,
Orquesta del Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires
Marston53003
1949 Günther Treptow, Anny Konetzni, Ludwig Weber, Paul Schöffler, Adolf Vogel Rudolf Moralt,
Wiener Symphoniker
Myto (Mono)4MCD 954.136
1950, ItalianAfrico Baldelli, Maria Callas, Boris Christoff, Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe Modesti Vittorio Gui,
Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Roma della RAI
Cetra (Mono)CDAR 2020
1951 Wolfgang Windgassen, Martha Mödl, Ludwig Weber, George London, Hermann Uhde Hans Knappertsbusch,
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Bayreuth Festival Chorus
Naxos Historical (Mono)8.110221-24
1954 Wolfgang Windgassen, Martha Mödl, Josef Greindl, Hans Hotter, Gustav Neidlinger Hans Knappertsbusch,
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Bayreuth Festival Chorus
Golden MelodramGM 1.0053
1958 Hans Beirer, Régine Crespin, Josef Greindl, Eberhard Wächter, Jerome Hines Hans Knappertsbusch,
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Bayreuth Festival Chorus
Golden MelodramGM 1.0058
1959 Eberhard Wächter, Martha Mödl, Josef Greindl, Hans Beirer, Jerome Hines Hans Knappertsbusch,
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Bayreuth Festival Chorus
Golden MelodramGM 1.0070
1961 Fritz Uhl, Elisabeth Höngen/Christa Ludwig, Hans Hotter, Eberhard Waechter, Walter Berry Herbert von Karajan,
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Chorus
RCA61950
1962 Jess Thomas, Irene Dalis, Hans Hotter, George London, Gustav Neidlinger Hans Knappertsbusch,
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Bayreuth Festival Chorus
Philips Classics475 7785
1963 George London, Ludwig Weber, Hans Hotter, Wolfgang Windgassen, Gustav Neidlinger, Irene Dalis Hans Knappertsbusch,
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Bayreuth Festival Chorus
Golden MelodramGM L0034
1964 Jon Vickers, Barbro Ericson, Hans Hotter, Thomas Stewart, Gustav Neidlinger Hans Knappertsbusch,
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Bayreuth Festival Chorus
ArcadiaKLMP 451.4
1970 James King, Gwyneth Jones, Franz Crass, Thomas Stewart, Donald McIntyre Pierre Boulez,
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Bayreuth Festival Chorus
Deutsche Grammophon435718
1971 Jon Vickers, Amy Shuard, Louis Hendrikx, Norman Bailey, Donald McIntyre Reginald Goodall,
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Opus ArteOADA8004DI
1972 René Kollo, Christa Ludwig, Gottlob Frick, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Zoltan Kelemen Georg Solti,
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Chorus Konzertvereinigung, Vienna Boys' Choir
Decca470805
1975 René Kollo, Gisela Schröter, Ulrik Cold, Theo Adam, Reid Bunger Herbert Kegel
Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
Berlin/VEB Deutsche Schallplatten DDR0013482BC
1979–1980 Peter Hofmann, Dunja Vejzović, Kurt Moll, José van Dam, Siegmund Nimsgern Herbert von Karajan,
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Deutsche Oper Chorus
Deutsche Grammophon413347
1980 James King, Yvonne Minton, Kurt Moll, Bernd Weikl, Franz Mazura Rafael Kubelík
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Arts Archives430272
1981 Reiner Goldberg, Yvonne Minton, Robert Lloyd, Wolfgang Schoene, Aage Haugland Armin Jordan
Monte Carlo Radio Orchestra
Erato 2292-45662-2
1985Warren Ellsworth, Waltraud Meier, Phillip Joll, Donald McIntyre, Nicholas Folwell Reginald Goodall
Welsh National Opera Chorus & Orchestra
EMI 65665
1987 Peter Hofmann, Waltraud Meier, Hans Sotin, Simon Estes, Franz Mazura James Levine
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and chorus
Philips434 616-2
1990 Siegfried Jerusalem, Waltraud Meier, Matthias Holle, José van Dam, Gunter von Kannen Daniel Barenboim,
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin State Opera Chorus
Teldec74448
1993 [4] Plácido Domingo, Jessye Norman, Kurt Moll, James Morris, Ekkehard Wlaschiha James Levine,
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Chorus
Deutsche Grammophon437501
2005 Plácido Domingo, Waltraud Meier, Franz-Josef Selig, Falk Struckmann, Wolfgang Bankl Christian Thielemann
Vienna State Opera Orchestra and chorus
Deutsche Grammophon4776006
2005 Richard Decker, Doris Soffel, Wolfgang Schöne, Matthias Hölle, Mikolaj Zalasinski Gabor Ötvös
Teatro La Fenice Orchestra and chorus
Dynamic (record label) 33497
2009 Gary Lehman, Violeta Urmana, René Pape, Evgeny Nikitin, Nikolai Putilin Valery Gergiev
Orchestra and chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre
Issued on hybrid SACD: Mariinsky, 2009n/a
2012 Christian Elsner, Michelle DeYoung, Franz-Josef Selig, Evgeny Nikitin, Eike Wilm Schulte Marek Janowski
Rundfunkchor Berlin and Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Pentatone Marek Janowski Wagner Opera CyclePTC5186401

Video recordings

This is a partial filmography of Parsifal (1882), an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. In addition to the productions of the complete opera listed below, there is a 1998 documentary directed by Tony Palmer, titled: Parsifal – The Search for the Grail. It was recorded in various European theaters, including: the Mariinsky Theatre, the Ravello Festival, Siena, and the Bayreuth Festival. It contains extracts from Mr. Palmer's stage production of Parsifal starring Plácido Domingo, Violeta Urmana, Matti Salminen, Nikolai Putilin and Anna Netrebko. It includes interviews with Domingo, Wolfgang Wagner, Robert Gutman and Karen Armstrong. The film exists in two versions: (1) a complete version running 116 minutes and officially approved by Domingo, and (2) an 88-minute version, cut as a result of being censored in Germany as being too "political", "uncomfortable" and "irrelevant". [5]

Cast
(Parsifal, Kundry, Gurnemanz,
Amfortas, Klingsor, Titurel)
Conductor,
Opera house, orchestra
Stage directorLabel /
Cat. #
1981 Siegfried Jerusalem, Eva Randová, Hans Sotin,
Bernd Weikl, Leif Roar, Matti Salminen
Horst Stein,
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Wolfgang Wagner DG Unitel / 0734328
1982 Reiner Goldberg, Yvonne Minton, Robert Lloyd,
Wolfgang Schöne, Aage Haugland, Hans Tschammer
Armin Jordan,
Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
Hans-Jürgen Syberberg Image Entertainment / n/a. This film was released theatrically with the following actors appearing on the screen in place of the singers – Parsifal 1: Michael Kutter, Parsifal 2: Karen Krick, Kundry: Edith Clever, Amfortas: Armin Jordan, Titurel: Martin Sperr.
1992 Poul Elming, Waltraud Meier, John Tomlinson,
Falk Struckmann, Günter von Kannen, Fritz Hübner
Daniel Barenboim,
Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper & Staatskapelle Berlin
Harry Kupfer EuroArts / 2066738
1992 Siegfried Jerusalem, Waltraud Meier, Kurt Moll,
Bernd Weikl, Franz Mazura, Jan-Hendrik Rootering
James Levine,
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus
Otto Schenk DG / 0730329
DVD direction: Brian Large;
Met Opera on Demand [6] [7]
1998 Poul Elming, Linda Watson, Hans Sotin,
Falk Struckmann, Ekkehard Wlaschiha, Matthias Hölle
Giuseppe Sinopoli,
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Wolfgang Wagner C Major / 705908
2004 Christopher Ventris, Waltraud Meier, Matti Salminen,
Thomas Hampson, Tom Fox, Bjarni Thor Kristinsson
Kent Nagano,
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Festspielchor Baden-Baden
Nikolaus Lehnhoff Opus Arte / OA0915D
2006 Richard Decker, Doris Soffel, Matthias Hölle,
Wolfgang Schöne, Mikolaj Zalasinski, Ulrich Dünnebach
Gabor Ötvös,
Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro La Fenice di Venezia
Denis Krief Dynamic / 33497
2007 Christopher Ventris, Yvonne Naef, Matti Salminen,
Michael Volle, Rolf Haunstein, Günther Groissböck
Bernard Haitink,
Zurich Opera House
Hans Hollmann DG / 0734407
2013 Johan Botha, Michaela Schuster, Stephen Milling,
Wolfgang Koch, Wolfgang Koch, Milcho Borovinov
Christian Thielemann,
Salzburg Easter Festival, Staatskapelle Dresden
Michael Schulz DG / 0734939 DVD – DG – 0735036 Blu-ray
2014 Simon O'Neill, Angela Denoke, René Pape,
Gerald Finley, Willard White, Robert Lloyd
Antonio Pappano,
Royal Opera House, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Stephen Langbridge2-DVD set: Opus Arte,
ASIN: B00O2YFDLG
2014 Jonas Kaufmann, Katarina Dalayman, René Pape,
Peter Mattei, Evgeny Nikitin, Rúni Brattaberg
Daniele Gatti,
Metropolitan Opera, Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera
François Girard 1-DVD set: Sony Classical,
ASIN: B00CU55HHY
2017 Klaus Florian Vogt, Elena Pankratova, Georg Zeppenfeld,
Ryan McKinney, Gerd Grochowski, Karl-Heinz Lehner
Hartmut Haenchen,
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Uwe Eric Laufenberg 2-DVD set: Deutsche Grammophon,
ASIN: B071NQ8NCG
2020 Julian Hubbard, Catherine Hunold, John Relyea,
Tomas Tomasson, Thomas Gazheli, Alexei Tanovitski
Omer Meir Wellber ,
Teatro Massimo, Teatro Massimo Orchestra
Graham Vick 2-DVD set: C Major,
ASIN: B09T8K84XK

Related Research Articles

<i>Parsifal</i> Music drama by Richard Wagner

Parsifal is a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is freely based on the 13th-century Middle High German chivalric romance Parzival of the Minnesänger Wolfram von Eschenbach and the Old French chivalric romance Perceval ou le Conte du Graal by the 12th-century trouvère Chrétien de Troyes, recounting different accounts of the story of the Arthurian knight Parzival (Percival) and his spiritual quest for the Holy Grail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayreuth Festival</span> German music festival of Wagners stage works

The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of stage works by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived and promoted the idea of a special festival to showcase his own works, in particular his monumental cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen and Parsifal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau</span> German lyric baritone and conductor (1925–2012)

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was a German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music. One of the most famous Lieder performers of the post-war period, he is best known as a singer of Franz Schubert's Lieder, particularly "Winterreise" of which his recordings with accompanists Gerald Moore and Jörg Demus are still critically acclaimed half a century after their release.

Elisabeth Grümmer was a German soprano. She has been described as "a singer blessed with elegant musicality, warm-hearted sincerity, and a voice of exceptional beauty".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonie Rysanek</span> Austrian dramatic soprano (1926–1998)

Leopoldine Rysanek was an Austrian dramatic soprano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Vickers</span> Canadian opera singer

Jonathan Stewart Vickers,, known professionally as Jon Vickers, was a Canadian heldentenor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hans Knappertsbusch</span> German conductor

Hans Knappertsbusch was a German conductor, best known for his performances of the music of Wagner, Bruckner and Richard Strauss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramón Vinay</span> Chilean operatic tenor

Ramón Vinay was a famous Chilean operatic tenor with a powerful, dramatic voice. He is probably best remembered for his appearances in the title role of Giuseppe Verdi's tragic opera Otello.

Gundula Janowitz is an Austrian lyric soprano singer of operas, oratorios, lieder, and concerts. She is one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century and was pre-eminent in the 1960s and 1970s.

Gerhard Stolze was a German operatic tenor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inge Borkh</span> German opera singer (1921–2018)

Inge Borkh was a German operatic dramatic soprano. She was first based in Switzerland, where she received international attention when she appeared in the first performance in German of Menotti's The Consul, in Basel, in 1951. In 1952, Borkh became a member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. She appeared at leading opera houses in Europe and the Americas, and at festivals such as Bayreuth and Salzburg. Trained first as an actress, she was admired for both singing and stage presence, especially in the Richard Strauss roles Salome and Elektra. She also performed in contemporary opera, such as the premiere of Josef Tal's Ashmedai at the Hamburg State Opera in 1971. Her recordings include complete operas and recitals. Borkh was awarded the Hans-Reinhart-Ring, the highest honour for theatre professionals in Switzerland.

Martha Mödl was a German soprano, and later a mezzo-soprano. She specialized in large dramatic roles such as Isolde, Brünnhilde, and particularly Kundry, and is considered, along with Astrid Varnay and Birgit Nilsson, one of the three major postwar Wagner sopranos. She was among the preeminent Wagner sopranos—and most compelling singing actresses—of the twentieth century. She was celebrated for her highly individualized interpretations, exceptional acting ability, intense stage presence, and "rich, sexy voice."

Gustav Neidlinger was a German bass-baritone, known as a performer of Wagner's villains, especially Alberich and Klingsor, from the early 1950s to the early 1970s. Born in Mainz, Neidlinger studied at the Frankfurt conservatory, where he was trained by Otto Rottsieper. He debuted in 1931 at the Stadttheater in Mainz, where he sang until 1934. In 1934 and 1935, he performed at the Stadttheater in Plauen, Sachsen. From 1935 to 1950, he was a member of the Hamburg opera, where In 1937 he took part in the world premiere of the opera Schwarzer Peter by Norbert Schultze. In 1950, he joined the Stuttgart Staatsoper, where he became very popular and was, in 1977, named an honorary member. In Stuttgart, he sang in Igor Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress. In 1956 he moved to the Vienna Staatsoper, where he had sung as early as 1941. He also sang at the Paris Opéra (1953–67) and at Covent Garden in London in tandem with the Stuttgart ensemble. He was honored with the title German Kammersänger in 1952.

This is an audio and video discography of Tristan und Isolde, an opera by Richard Wagner which was first performed on 10 June 1865 in Munich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Andry</span>

Peter Edward Andry, was a classical record producer and an influential executive in the recording industry, active from the 1950s to the 1990s.

The four operas of Richard Wagner's cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen together take about 15 hours, which makes for several records, tapes, or CDs, and much studio time. For this reason, many full Ring recordings are the result of "unofficial" recording of live performances, particularly from the Bayreuth Festival where new productions are often broadcast by German radio. Live recordings, especially those in monaural, may have very variable sound but often preserve the excitement of a performance better than a studio recording.

Gerd Nienstedt was a German and Austrian opera singer, bass and bass-baritone. After an international career at major opera houses and the Bayreuth Festival, he was also a theatre director, stage director and academic voice teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marga Schiml</span> German opera singer (born 1945)

Marga Schiml is a German opera singer who sings mezzo-soprano and alto. She has appeared at major European opera houses and festivals, such as the Vienna State Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Hamburg State Opera and La Scala, at the Salzburg Festival and the Bayreuth Festival. She is also an academic voice teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayreuth premiere cast of Parsifal</span>

The Bayreuth premiere cast of Parsifal lists the contributors to the new productions of Richard Wagner's inaugural stage play Parsifal, including the premiere, which took place on 26 July 1882 at the Bayreuth Festival.

Hilde Scheppan was a German operatic soprano and academic teacher. She was engaged for 20 years at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin and made guest appearances at the Bayreuth Festival from 1937 to 1958. She performed roles in Wagner's stage works in productions by Heinz Tietjen both in Berlin and Bayreuth. After World War II, she first continued work in Berlin, but then moved to the Staatsoper Stuttgart. She taught as a professor of voice at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg and the Musikhochschule München.

References

Notes

  1. Holloway, Robin (1982) in "Opera on Record", Harper and Row ISBN   0-06-090910-2
  2. Blyth, Alan (1992), "Opera on CD" Kyle Cathie Ltd, ISBN   1-85626-056-9
  3. Nice, David. "Wagner 200 Building a Library: Parsifal". CD Review. BBC Radio 3. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  4. Parsifal, Deutsche Grammophon
  5. "Parsifal – The Search for the Grail". Presto Classical Limited. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  6. Parsifal (28 March 1992), Met Opera on Demand.
  7. Alan Blyth, Review of Met Opera DVD, Gramophone, November 1994, p. 161.

Sources