Description

Wagner: Parsifal - Bayreuther Festspiele - DVD

Product Information

UPC: 044007343289
Product Type: Opera DVD
Genre: Classical Opera
Languages: German (original)
Subtitles: German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese
Format: 2-DVD set
Running Time: 233 minutes
Video Format: NTSC Color, 4:3 aspect ratio
Audio: PCM Stereo, DTS 5.1
Region Code: 0 (worldwide)
Distributor: Deutsche Grammophon/Unitel Classica
Release Year: 2007 (recording from 1981)
FSK Rating: 6+ (suitable for ages 6 and above)

Overview

This DVD presents Richard Wagner's sacred festival drama "Parsifal," staged in a landmark production at the Bayreuth Festival by Wolfgang Wagner, the composer's grandson. Recorded in 1981, this historically significant interpretation of Wagner's final opera showcases the festival's distinctive artistic vision and acoustic environment, in the theater specifically designed by the composer himself. The performance features an exceptional cast including Siegfried Jerusalem as the titular "pure fool," Eva Randova as the mysterious Kundry, Hans Sotin as the wise knight Gurnemanz, Bernd Weikl as the suffering Amfortas, Leif Roar as the evil magician Klingsor, and Matti Salminen as Titurel. Conducted with reverence and insight by Horst Stein, the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus deliver Wagner's sublime score with remarkable beauty and clarity. Wolfgang Wagner's staging emphasizes both the natural world and religious symbolism, creating what the New York Times described as "an air of magic and mystery."

Product Features

Format: 2-DVD set with worldwide region coding
Video: NTSC Color, 4:3 aspect ratio
Audio Options: PCM Stereo and DTS 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles: Five languages (German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese)
Running Time: 233 minutes (nearly 4 hours)
Production Details: Wolfgang Wagner's highly regarded Bayreuth Festival staging
Special Historical Significance: Recorded at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, the theater Wagner designed specifically for his own works

Interesting Facts

The Sacred Festival Work

Wagner designated "Parsifal" as a "Bühnenweihfestspiel" (sacred festival drama), intending it specifically for the Bayreuth Festival. For many years after its 1882 premiere, it was performed exclusively at Bayreuth, in accordance with Wagner's wishes. The opera's themes of compassion, redemption, and spiritual transformation reflect Wagner's complex philosophical and religious ideas during the final years of his life. Often referred to as Wagner's "farewell to the world," it was the last work he completed before his death in 1883.

Wolfgang Wagner's Legacy

This production holds special historical significance as it was staged by Wolfgang Wagner (1919-2010), the composer's grandson, who served as director of the Bayreuth Festival from 1966 to 2008. Wolfgang's approach to his grandfather's works evolved over time from traditionally representational to more abstract and symbolic. His "Parsifal" production, with its focus on natural elements and religious symbolism, represents a mature phase in his directorial career and offers valuable insights into how a direct descendant interpreted the composer's intentions.

The Bayreuth Mystique

The Bayreuth Festspielhaus, where this performance was recorded, features a unique covered orchestra pit that creates the distinctive Bayreuth sound—a blended orchestral texture that rises from beneath the stage rather than projecting directly from an exposed pit. This recording captures this special acoustic, which Wagner specifically designed for his works. The Bayreuth Festival itself carries enormous cultural significance in the classical music world, with tickets often requiring years on a waiting list, making recordings like this an important way for wider audiences to experience its distinctive artistic approach.

Cast and Creative Team

Parsifal: Siegfried Jerusalem
Kundry: Eva Randova
Gurnemanz: Hans Sotin
Amfortas: Bernd Weikl
Klingsor: Leif Roar
Titurel: Matti Salminen
1st Knight: Toni Krämer
2nd Knight: Heinz Klaus Ecker
Flower Maidens: Norma Sharp, Carol Richardson, Hanna Schwarz, Mari Anne Häggander
Squires: Marga Schiml, Hanna Schwarz, Helmut Pampuch, Martin Egel
Voice from Above: Marga Schiml/Margit Neubauer/Hanna Schwarz
Bayreuth Festival Chorus (Chorus Master: Norbert Balatsch)
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Conductor: Horst Stein
Production, Stage Design & Artistic Supervision: Wolfgang Wagner
Costume Design: Reinhard Heinrich