PARSIFAL RICHARD WAGNER NETHERLANDS RADIO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, NETHERLANDS RADIO CHOIR & STATE MALE CHOIR 'LATVIJA' JAAP VAN ZWEDEN - NATIVE DSD
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Richard Wagner
Parsifal
Netherlands Radio
Philharmonic Orchestra,
Netherlands Radio Choir
& State Male Choir ‘Latvija’
Jaap van Zweden
1Richard Wagner Parsifal Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Choir & State Male Choir ‘Latvija’ Jaap van Zweden
CD 1 63:22 CD 2 42:56
ACT I ACT I - continued
[1] Vorspiel 12:24 [1] Vom Bade kehrt der König heim 2:04
[2] He! Ho! Waldhüter ihr 8:24 (Gurnemanz, Parsifal)
(Gurnemanz, Erster und Zweiter Ritter, Erster und Zweiter Knappe, Kundry) [2] Verwandlungsmusik 3:45
[3] Recht so! - Habt Dank! - Ein wenig Rast 5:52 [3] Nun achte wohl und laß mich seh’n 7:09
(Amfortas, Zweiter Ritter, Gurnemanz) (Gurnemanz, Gralsritter, Jünglinge, Knaben)
[4] Nicht Dank! - Haha! Was wird es helfen? 7:57 [4] Mein Sohn Amfortas, bist du am Amt? 11:01
(Kundry, Dritter und Vierter Knappe, Gurnemanz) (Titurel, Amfortas, Knaben, Jünglinge, Ritter)
[5] O wunden-wundervoller heiliger Speer! 3:44 [5] Enthüllet den Gral! 7:39
(Gurnemanz, Erster, Zweiter und Dritter Knappe) (Titurel, Stimmen, Knaben)
[6] Titurel, der fromme Held, der kannt’ihn wohl 10:54 [6] Wein und Brot des letzten Mahles 11:15
(Gurnemanz, Knappen) (Knaben, Jünglinge, Ritter, Gurnemanz, Altstimme, Stimmen)
[7] Weh! Weh!... Wer ist der Frevler? 7:03
(Knappen, Ritter, Gurnemanz, Parsifal)
[8] Nun sag! Nichts weißt du, was ich dich frage 7:01
(Gurnemanz, Parsifal, Kundry)
4 5CD3 66:00 CD 4 73:46
ACT II ACT III
[1] Vorspiel 1:59 [1] Vorspiel 5:10
[2] Die Zeit ist da. - Schon lockt mein Zauberschloß den Toren 3:40 [2] Von dorther kam das Stöhnen 7:55
(Klingsor) (Gurnemanz, Kundry)
[3] Ach! - Ach! Tiefe Nacht! 10:40 [3] Heil dir, mein Gast! 6:34
(Kundry, Klingsor) (Gurnemanz)
[4] Hier war das Tosen! Hier, hier! 4:05 [4] Heil mir, daß ich dich wiederfinde! 4:21
[5] Komm, komm, holder Knabe! 4:59 (Parsifal, Gurnemanz)
(Blumenmädchen I. und II. Gruppe, Parsifal, Chor I und II) [5] O Herr! War es ein Fluch 7:07
[6] Parsifal! - Weile! 2:46 [6] Nicht so! - Die heil’ge Quelle selbst erquicke unsres Pilgers Bad 4:00
(Kundry, Parsifal, Blumenmädchen I. und II. Gruppe, Chor I und II) [7] Gesegnet sei, du Reiner, durch das Reine!... 5:00
[7] Dies alles hab’ich nun geträumt? 8:46 [8] Wie dünkt mich doch die Aue heut so schön! 2:45
[8] Wehe! Wehe! Was tat ich? Wo war ich? 4:24 [9] Du siehst, das ist nicht so 6:36
[9] Amfortas! - Die Wunde! - Die Wunde! 8:28 (Gurnemanz, Parsifal)
(Parsifal, Kundry) [10] Mittag. - Die Stund’ ist da 4:16
[10] Grausamer! Fühlst du im Herzen nur and’rer Schmerzen 12:11 (Gurnemanz)
(Kundry, Parsifal) [11] Geleiten wir im bergenden Schrein den Gral zum heiligen Amte 4:02
[11] Vergeh, unseliges Weib! 4:01 (Ritter)
(Parsifal, Kundry, Klingsor) [12] Ja, Wehe! Wehe! Weh’über mich! 6:51
(Amfortas, Ritter)
[13] Nur eine Waffe taugt 5:08
(Parsifal)
[14] Höchsten heiles Wunder! 3:57
6 7DVD 81 min. Soloists
[1] ACT I: Vorspiel Amfortas: Falk Struckmann bass-baritone
[2] Er naht, sie bringen ihn getragen Titurel: Ante Jerkunica bass
[3] Zum Liebesmahle gerüstet Tag für Tag Gurnemanz: Robert Holl bass
[4] Wein und Brot des letzten Mahles Parsifal: Klaus Florian Vogt tenor
[5] ACT II: Parsifal! Weile! Klingsor: Krister St. Hill bariton
[6] Gelobter Held, Entflieh dem Wahn Kundry: Katarina Dalayman soprano
[7] ACT III: Dienen - dienen Erster Gralsritter: Brenden Gunnell tenor
[8] O Gnade, höchstes Heil! Zweiter Gralsritter: Thilo Dahlmann bass-bariton
[9] Wie dünkt mich doch die Aue heut’ so schon Erster Knappe: Julia Westendorp soprano
[10] Enthüllet den Gral Zweiter Knappe: Cécile van de Sant mezzosopraan
Dritter Knappe: Jeroen de Vaal tenor
Vierter Knappe: Pascal Pittie tenor
Eine Stimme von oben: Anna Stephany mezzosopraan
Blumenmädchen I: Martina Rüping sopraan
Victoria Joyce sopraan
Anna Stephany mezzosopraan
Blumenmädchen II: Silvia Vázquez sopraan
Ute Ziemer sopraan
Barbara Kozelj mezzosopraan
8 9Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
CHief conductor 2nd violin Erik Krosenbrink Annika Hope E-flat cLARINET TRuMPET
Jaap van Zweden Casper Bleumers Robert Meulendijk Edward Mebius Diede Brantjes Hessel Buma
Eveline Trap Petr Muratov Stephan Wienjus Hans van Loenen
honorary conductor Andrea van Harmelen Ewa Wagner Eduard Zlatkin BAsS cLARINET Jacco Groenendijk
Edo de Waart Jill Bernstein Maartje van Lent Marijn van Prooijen Sergio Hamerslag Hans Verheij
Michiel Eekhof Roos Pollé
1st violin Yvonne Hamelink flute bassoon TROMBONE
Joris van Rijn Annemarie van Helderen CELLO Barbara Deleu Johan Steinmann Herman Nass
Semjon Meerson Esther Kövy Arturo Muruzabal Thies Roorda Freek Sluijs Pete Saunders
Mitcho Dimitrov Ingrid van Leeuwen Anton Istomin Birgit Strahl
Alexander Baev Dana Mihailescu Eveline Kraayenhof PICCOLO BASs TROMBONE
Fred Gaasterland Renate van Riel Wim Hülsmann Maike Grobbenhaar double bassoon Brandt Attema
Roswitha Devrient Alexander van den Tol Harm Bakker Desirée van Vliet
Alberto Johnson Paul Hendriks Winnyfred Beldman OBOe TUBA
Mariska Godwaldt Françoise van Varsseveld Mirjam Bosma Hans Wolters HORN Bernard Beniers
Wouter den Hond Crit Coenegracht Yvonne Wolters Petra Botma
Masha Iakovleva viola Anneke Janssen Robert Tempelaar Annelies van Nuffelen timpani
Kerstin Kendler Francien Schatborn Ansfried Plat Toine Martens Paul Jussen
Karina Korevaar Frank Brakkee Rebecca Smit english horn Fréderick Franssen Bas Voorter
Anna Korpalska Huub Beckers Gerard van Andel Eric Borninkhof
Pamela Kubik Arjan Wildschut double bass Peter Janosi percussion
Pieter Vel Igor Bobylev Rien Wisse cLARINET Anneke Vreugdenhil Hans Zonderop
Ruud Wagemakers Connie de Dreu Wilmar de Visser Frank van den Brink Ingwer Van Hoek Mark Haeldermans
Peter Weimar Martina Forni Walter van Egeraat Nanette Bakker Henk de Vlieger
10 11Netherlands Radio Choir
HARP Chief conductor Annette de Rozario Harda van Wageningen BASs
Ellen Versney Celso Antunes Jolanda Sengers Anke Zuithoff Gert-Jan Alders
Kerstin Scholten Henda Strydom Pierrette de Zwaan Joep Bröcheler
regular guest Liesbeth Vanderhallen Erks Jan Dekker
BANDA: conductor Dorien Verheijden TENOR Peter Duyster
Michael Gläser Yuko Yagishita Alan Belk Joep van Geffen
conductor Sebastian Brouwer Geert van Hecke
Peter Biloen SOPRANo ALTo Ross Buddie Kees van Hees
Esther Beima Yvonne Benschop Kevin Doss Henk van Heijnsbergen
TRuMPET Reina Boelens Femke de Boer Eyjólfur Eyjólfsson Palle Fuhr Jørgensen
Hessel Buma Annelie Brinkhof Nicoline Bovens Boguslaw Fiksinski Itamar Lapid
Rik Knarren Elma van den Dool Ans van Dam Peter-Paul Houtmortels Ludovic Provost
Raymond Rook Daphne Druijf Elsbeth Gerritsen Marius Kwaks Hans Pootjes
Loes Groot Antink Kazue Goto Falco van Loon Mitchell Sandler
TROMBONE Anitra Jellema José Kamminga Aart Mateboer Menno van Slooten
Timothy Dowling Michaela Karadjian Anneke Leenman Ioan Micu Lars Terray
Joost Geevers Marianne van Laarhoven Els Liebregt Matthew Minter Luuk Tuinder
Hugo van der Wedden Simone Manders Liesbeth van der Loop Geraint Roberts Hans de Vries
Vera van Oortmerssen Marga Melerna Anthony Robins Jan van Zelm
BASs TROMBONE Judith Petra Corrie Pronk Matthew Smith
Cyril Scheepmaker Margo Post Anjolet Rotteveel Henk Vels PIANIST
Linda Rands Janneke Schaareman John Vredeveldt Ben Martin Weijand
percussion Nicoline van de Rest Ingrid van der Ven Steven de Vries
Harry van Meurs Maja Roodveldt Lisinka de Vries Deniz Yilmaz
12 13State Male Choir ‘Latvija’
CHiEF conductor BAsS
Māris Sirmais Aivis Daiņa
Eduards Fiskovičs
TENOR Zigmārs Grasis
˛
Agnis Augustinovičs Ugis Matvejs
˛ ˛
Jānis Dižgalvis Ugis Meņgelis
Andris Dubinskis Arturs Orlovskis
Ēriks Ešenvalds Arnis Paurs
Juris Jēkabsons Agris Puķe
Aivars Krastiņš Ivars Rebhūns
Haralds Lapiņš Ralfs Šmı̄dbergs
Didzis Lielauss Olafs Tomenass
˛
Jurgis Liepnieks
Bruno Opincāns
Kalvis Ozoliņš
Valdis Tomsons
14 15Parsifal: ‘Das große Leid des Lebens’ renewal which holds mankind captive on temple in Bayreuth, where they could experi- reproductive drive. Wagner, with Schopen-
this earth. ence how the revolutionary hero Siegfried hauer, arrives at a simple conclusion: ‘All life
Philosopher Ernst Bloch once referred to swept away all old institutions of power, is suffering’. Mankind had only two ways in
the ‘Bühnenweihfestspiel’ or consecrational Parsifal is about all of the above and much, including the gods, to achieve a more just which to get away from this ruthless egoism
stage festival Parsifal as ‘a metaphysical much more. Wagner himself defined the society. But Siegfried failed. Not only in of the irrational: a complete abandonment
adagio’. In these few words he summed up theme of his swan song as ‘Das große Leid Wagner’s own representation of things in the of the worldly life and a strict refusal of its
the story line and the musical purport of des Lebens’, the great suffering of life. Ring, but also because the composer had temptations, as monks do, or else tempo-
Wagner’s last opera – that is, if such a thing Everything he still wanted to say at the end gradually come to perceive that humankind rarily, by being overwhelmed by nature or
is at all possible in his operas, because as of his life about life, love, sex, psychology, did not always want to be set free, not even observing a sublime work of art, in particu-
a composer Wagner was never at a loss politics, society, nature, art, Christianity, if he patiently explained that it would be to lar the art of music.
for words when it came to bandying about Buddhism, Judaism and anti-Semitism was everyone’s demonstrable advantage. Wagn-
statements artistic and non-artistic about mixed together in a grail chalice (poisonous, er had seen with his own eyes that the utopia The problem of ‘love’
the world in general and the universe according to some) to form a ‘metaphysi- of the self-effacing love, by which Brünnhilde After the Ring Wagner had to resolve the
in particular. Wagner’s musical theatre cal adagio’ of four hours of consecrational manages to bring the Ring to a happy end- ‘problem’ of love in a new work. That work
revolves around fundamental questions musical drama. Consecrational in the literal ing of sorts, was based on an illusion. was Parsifal. The essential difference with
of human existence. Tristan und Isolde is meaning of the word. Wagner’s own name all his prior works is the fact that there is
about an all-consuming love, but also about for the genre, ‘Bühnenweihfestspiel’ means Arthur Schopenhauer pointed out to no love in Parsifal. All the characters live
the implications of the longing for love and a consecrational stage festival. The plot Wagner the naked Darwinian struggle for in a loveless universe in which only the
the death wish. The work is about defining of Parsifal refers implicitly and explicitly to existence, bare of any illusion of some form urge to reproduce – desire, lust – remains.
an identity through love and the loss of that Christianity and religious rites. Indeed, it was of civilisation. Man was driven by a blind Although Wagner’s answer to this remains
identity through that same love. Der Ring one of Wagner’s many ambitions to replace will, the will to live – also recognisable in to be seen for the time being, one thing
des Nibelungen is about the incompatibility European Christianity by his own ritual art. the wish to reproduce – and the death wish. is important here. With Schopenhauer,
of love and the pursuit of power; it is also All the rest was ‘representation’ or in other Wagner does not view the urge to repro-
an in-depth exploration of the question He had made one such attempt in his Ring. words, a pretty but fairly useless illusion. duce as morally reprehensible. He situated
of whether man has a free will, and it is The population of Europe could purchase According to Schopenhauer, love and feel- Siegfried, who suffered from the same fault
about the eternal cycle of destruction and a pricey admission ticket to his own music ings of love are just one expression of the in the Ring, in an amoral universe, not an
16 17immoral one – in a world where morals are Christian construct, but an in-built human Parsifal, the ‘pure fool’ What is more: in the very act of compassion,
not violated, but where all moral is absent. shortcoming. Since man could not escape For Wagner, the enigmatic character of the Redeemer himself – Parsifal who has
This is also the case in Parsifal, and it is part it, he used Parsifal to develop ‘amoral eth- Parsifal, the almost sexless young lad, taken over the role of Christ from Amfor-
of the secret of Wagner’s huge success in ics’ of his own. He made off with the very embodies the solution to the earthly dilem- tas – will be redeemed as well. Indeed, the
the nineteenth century. attributes of Christianity. ma. He is a ‘reine Tor’, a pure fool, naive final words of the work are: ‘Erlösung dem
innocence personified, and in that sense Erlöser’; redemption of the redeemer.
Apart from the musical fascination, there is Central to the work is the grail, the chalice a metaphysical and utopian symbol. But
also a concretely human one. Victorian Eu- from which Christ and his disciples are now it is not love, as in the utopia of the Kundry’s double life
rope was weighed down by a huge sense said to have drunk during the Last Supper Ring, but a utopia of ‘compassion’, where Into this tangle of metaphysical meanings
of guilt about its physicality and sexuality. and in which the transubstantiation from Wagner refers to the Christian concept and physical symbolism Wagner incorporat-
Catholicism and Protestantism left little wine to blood had taken place. In that of passion, which had been a theme of ed yet another important element. He took
or no room for a perception of love and same chalice, according to an early Chris- his predecessor Bach. To Wagner, com- his mediaeval source of the Parzival epic,
desire that was physically positive. Wagner tian legend, Joseph of Arimathea had passion means the recognition that life which was primarily the text of Wolfram
knew exactly what enormous mental pres- caught the blood of the crucified Christ consists of suffering, and that the ultimate von Eschenbach written shortly after 1200,
sure this caused. And so he tried to cast after he had been speared in the side. The understanding of that world lies in feeling and bent it entirely to his own will. At the
off the moral burden and to take sexuality Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit sympathy for that suffering. This is why heart of Wagner’s tale lies the link between
out of the Christian system. As an artist, returns in Parsifal as father Titurel, son Parsifal is a pure fool who is enlightened Knight of the Grail Amfortas and the myste-
he removed the sins of the world. Parsifal Amfortas, and Parsifal as the Holy Spirit. by compassion. Only with this compassion rious woman Kundry, who is of Arabic origin.
is the result of that ambition. At the same Christ is named in the libretto several can we free ourselves from our egoistic The historic event behind the epic was
time he tried to move mankind ‘delivered times, and the entire rite that takes place drives and do something truly constructive the conquest of Spain by the Moors in the
from guilt’ in his own direction: ultimately, in the Grail Hall looks exactly like a holy for the world. The best way to arouse such eighth century, while the story itself takes
his art would entirely replace Christian mass, including the Eucharist. At the end compassion and to become aware of it lies place around the year 1000. The Grail Hall
morals in Europe. of the story Parsifal returns to the Grail in music that arouses compassion, which at Montsalvat is said to have been located
Hall on Good Friday, the day when Christ is the music Wagner wrote for Parsifal. This in north-east Spain (near Barcelona), while
But Wagner also realised that, in itself, the died on the cross. There he baptises is the ‘metaphysical adagio’ that will ulti- the rest of the country was in the hands of
mental pressure of sex was not a repressive Kundry into Christianity. mately lead to redemption. the Moors. The Knights of the Grail fight the
18 19Moors, but exactly on the border between of hysteria. When she kisses Parsifal, she suggests that, after moral deterioration almost all other structural elements. With
the two regions is the hall of Klingsor, the creates in him the essential awareness. This resulting from drives, urges and seduction, Parsifal, Wagner, almost seventy years
unfaithful monk-knight of the grail who means that Parsifal has gained theoretical redemption consists of celibacy, asceticism old, surprised his audience once more.
tries to plunge the chaste knights of Grail knowledge about sexuality, and with this and resignation. Or have the male and the Recognisable melodies and even recognis-
Hall into ruin with the help of a magic cas- awareness he immediately refuses her. female, Amfortas and Kundry, the wounded able Leitmotivs were largely incorporated
tle, a magic garden and enchanted flower Kundry and Amfortas are mirrors for each phallic spear and the recipient grail chalice into a greater, entirely flowing sound that
maidens – seductive Moorish women. His other, as the archetypal woman and man. It filled with blood – as in the mythical tradi- derived its structure from the ‘unendliche
trump card is the Arabic woman Kundry, is Parsifal’s compassion with the lot of these tion surrounding the grail figures – finally Melodie’, the endless melody. Wagner
who seduced Amfortas in the past. Am- two people that provides him with the nec- been reconciled? Is the idea of a renewed, developed this technique in Tristan; it
fortas manages to flee with the help of essary insight into redemption, by which he regenerated world of the Grail perhaps consists of a cyclic repetition of the musical
Gurnemanz, but loses his sacred spear to can resist Kundry’s attempts at seduction. primarily necessary because the community material with an ongoing, rising harmonic
Klingsor, who uses it to seriously wound Because Parsifal can bring the spear back had become polluted with ‘impure’ blood? development. Layer upon layer of sound
him in his side. The world of the grail is thus to Grail Hall, he can restore the balance to The impure blood came from the Arabic, flows and fades back and forth over and
‘without a spear’ and so it is out of balance. the monastic community. Kundry is also non-Aryan (and therefore perhaps Jewish) over again. Undoubtedly the acoustics of
From that time on, the world of the monks- present at this ultimate redemption; she is Kundry. It was Kundry who in one of her the Festspielhaus played a big role in this
knights of the grail goes into further decline. a woman since baptised, fully tamed and many incarnations insulted and ridiculed respect. Although the Ring was first per-
Besides, Amfortas can only be healed by almost completely silent. Her powers have Christ on the cross. Who knows the answer? formed in 1876, it was composed without
being touched by the spear he lost. been neutralised, and Parsifal’s redemption the acoustics of that hall. Wagner wrote
means her death. Hypnotic vortex Parsifal with the mysterious sound qualities
Kundry plays a mysterious role in all this. The music of Parsifal shocked Europe at of that theatre in his head. This overpower-
She leads a double life. Now she is a femme The Knights of the Grail can now go on its premiere in 1882. By then people were ing sound mixture also gave him the name
fatale, now she is a faithful servant of the with ... with what in fact? Their chaste, used to quite a bit from the Master from of ‘obscurantist’. Instead of presenting the
Knights of the Grail. In the second act, womanless existence? Is this the rather Bayreuth. In his Tristan und Isolde, chromat- musical structures, everything – melody,
when she tries to seduce Parsifal, we learn sexist message of the composer? Does ics and dissonance had already become harmony, pitch, orchestration, rhythm,
how she is tragically weighed down by her the Grail community arrive in a supposedly main ingredients. In the Ring the technique tempo – is incorporated into the overall
own desire. She exhibits pre-Freudian traits higher, asexual, state of being? Wagner of the developing Leitmotiv had replaced sound experience.
20 21The Leitmotivs which were so meaningfully ever repeated minimal intervals, often half a century, until 1933, the Bühnenwei-
audible in the Ring have a different form in make one think of minimal music, every- hfestspiel was invariably performed in the
Parsifal, and even to a certain extent have thing, even the stately, recitative-like style Festspielhaus – with the decors from 1882
a different function. They have actually of singing, is incorporated into one slow and as directed by the Master himself. One
become psychological Leitmotivs, sound and hypnotic vortex – Bloch’s adagio! The year after the first performance, Wagner
symbols reflecting the state of mind of the vortex takes on a more dissonant accelera- died in Venice. Cosima Wagner made sure
characters in a way that is much more dif- tion in the second act. Then in the third act that the work could only be performed in
fuse and more mysterious. Of course there we hear clearly how the seeming diatonics Bayreuth. But this was difficult to assure in
are recognisable motifs, such as the grail of the first act have been polluted by the a legal sense, and it could only apply for a
motif, based on an old Protestant chorale chromatics of the second. This makes the maximum of thirty years for countries that
(the Dresden Amen) which is also heard in second entry into Grail Hall a harmonically had signed the copyright treaty. Not eve-
Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 (Reforma- ‘corrupted’ version of the first. It is precisely ryone waited until the rights were released
tion). And there is a Last Supper motif, a these corrupted harmonies, where our an- in 1914. The Metropolitan Opera in New
spear motif, a Good Friday motif, a Kundry cient tonal system seems to vanish into thin York performed a ‘robbed’ version in 1903,
motif, a Parsifal motif, and so on. air, that caused the greatest unrest. It was but in 1902 the Society for the Promotion
said that Wagner had ruined music for good, of Music had already given an integral
Rather oversimplified, the first and the third that he had buried it. performance in the Netherlands, which
acts, which take place in and around Grail was followed by the Wagner Association in
Hall, are sometimes referred to as diatonic, And indeed, Parsifal and Tristan are fore- Amsterdam in 1905. This invoked the wrath
while the second act, portraying the torn, bears of the complete dismantling of the of Cosima, who felt that this had defiled the
conflicting world of Kundry and Klingsor, is tonal system after 1900. By the time of De- pure work of her deceased husband. But
termed chromatic. This is partly correct, but bussy and Schönberg, there was very little she could not prevent Europe from coming
here Wagner precisely shows himself to be left of the clear language of Bach, Mozart under the spell of this ‘metaphysical adagio’
a master in blending together everything and Beethoven. At the same time, Parsifal and being hypnotised forever.
with everything else. The enormously long gained a conservative cult status. A genuine
drawn out musical lines which, with their religious sect arose around the work. For Willem Bruls
22 23On Montsalvat in Spain, on the border able to bring the spear back to the Knights full from sensual love. Only then would it be refuses to unveil the grail for the knights. He
between the Christian north and the Moor- of the Grail. All of them on Montsalvat are possible to behold the unveiling of the Grail begs for compassion and deliverance from
ish south, there is a Grail Hall. It was built by waiting for that young, innocent, naive youth, and to be nourished by its sacred powers. his suffering, but Titurel and the knights
the chaste knight Titurel to accommodate but the strength of Amfortas declines day But when Amfortas succumbed to seduction, force him to show them the grail. Parsi-
the grail, the sacred chalice from which by day. Grail Hall fell into ruin. fal watches this ceremony and is deeply
Christ drank during the Last Supper, and moved by Amfortas’s suffering. When the
the spear that wounded Christ on the cross. ACT I Exactly when Gurnemanz is saying that ceremony is over, Parsifal is sent away by a
The very old Titurel passed his crown to his The old knight of the grail Gurnemanz calls a only a pure fool will be able to bring the disgruntled Gurnemanz.
son Amfortas. Armed with the sacred spear, group of shield-bearers to morning prayer in spear back, there is a tumult in the grail
Amfortas once tried to destroy the hall of the grail forest near Grail Hall. He knows that forest. Knights and shield-bearers bring ACT II
the evil magician Klingsor, who wanted to King Amfortas is approaching to take the Parsifal to Gurnemanz because he has killed Klingsor sees Parsifal slowly approaching
be admitted to the Order of the Grail, but refreshing morning waters, in the hope that a swan with his bow and arrow. After harsh his magic castle. With demonic magic, he
when he was refused, castrated himself. In this will alleviate the pain from the incessant- reproaches from Gurnemanz, Parsifal feels calls Kundry to the castle and forces her
revenge, he built his magic castle to bring ly bleeding wound in his side. The Oriental remorse for his act and he breaks his bow to receive the pure fool Parsifal with all
the Knights of the Grail to ruin. He wanted woman Kundry, who leads a double life in half. Parsifal does not know who he is or her seductive tricks. For this, Klingsor first
to steal the Holy Grail and break the power between Klingsor’s kingdom and the Grail where he comes from; he does not even conjures a magic garden with exception-
of the knights. Amfortas fell into Klingsor’s community, arrives on horseback and has know his name is Parsifal. He did have a ally beautiful flower maidens. They want
trap and was seduced by the lovely Kundry, brought a healing balm for Amfortas from mother, Herzeleide, whom he left to follow to play with Parsifal and to trap him in
who served as the instrument of Klingsor’s Arabia. Then Gurnemanz sees that two lads knights riding through the forest. Kundry their nets, but the lad resists and wants to
revenge. Klingsor gained control of the are plaguing Kundry and making reproaches. knows much more about him and when she leave. Then Kundry appears in an irresist-
spear and wounded Amfortas. Although He calls them to order and tells them the tells him that Herzeleide has since died of ibly beautiful guise and she calls Parsifal by
Amfortas managed to escape with the story of the Holy Grail and the Grail com- sorrow over his departure, Parsifal attacks name – and now Parsifal remembers that
knight Gurnemanz, he later realised that his munity. King Titurel, the father of Amfortas, her, but is held back by Gurnemanz. his mother once called him by that name
wound could only be healed by the spear it- gathered a group of knights around the holy as well. Kundry tells him at length about
self. Without the spear, the Grail community grail and the sacred spear. The knights had Gurnemanz takes Parsifal to the meeting his origins, his youth and the death of his
fell into decline. Only a pure fool would be to choose to lead chaste lives and abstain in of the knights in Grail Hall. There Amfortas mother. This makes him aware of his pain
24 25and his guilt. When Kundry comforts him by unveil the grail and to use it to nourish the carry out this act and even begs the knights
means of love and gives him a lengthy kiss, knights. It is his way of trying to coerce his to take their swords and kill him. Then
Parsifal becomes aware of the relationship death. In the meantime Gurnemanz, an old Parsifal arrives. With the spear he heals the
between love, lust and the wound of Am- and grey hermit, has withdrawn into the grail wound of Amfortas and as the new king of
fortas. Kundry feels that Parsifal is slipping forest, while everyone is still waiting for the the Knights of the Grail he unveils the grail.
from her and she tells him about the curse ultimate redemption. At his hut in the forest, Kundry falls down dead.
under which she herself labours. Still, she on the morning of Good Friday, he finds
believes that only by seducing the young Kundry, stiff, in the bushes. She can hardly Willem Bruls
man can she have her redemption, and so speak and wants only to serve. Then a black Translation: Carol Stennes/Muse Translations
she continues to press. Because of the kiss knight with a spear appears. Gurnemanz
and Kundry’s own tale of suffering, Parsifal orders the unknown knight to cast off his
now fully understands that he must carry armour and weapons on this sacred day.
out a mission of redemption, and he rejects When the black knight takes off his helmet,
her resolutely. She curses him and calls in Gurnemanz recognises Parsifal, the fool
the help of Klingsor, who tries to wound who once left Grail Hall and who, after many
Parsifal with the sacred spear. But the spear years of wanderings, has now returned.
remains suspended above Parsifal. Thus
the power of Klingsor is broken, and Par- Kundry washes Parsifal’s feet, Gurnemanz
sifal can bring the sacred weapon back to anoints him King of the Grail and Parsifal
Grail Hall. baptises Kundry. Parsifal is moved by
spring and the awakening of nature, which
ACT III Gurnemanz describes as the magic of Good
Grail Hall and its community have seen fur- Friday. He leads Parsifal and Kundry to Grail
ther decline in the many years since Parsifal’s Hall to once again unveil the grail for the
departure because Amfortas refuses to since dead Titurel. Amfortas still refuses to
26 27Jaap van Zweden the world: the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, of Lohengrin with the Netherlands Radio Hessian State Theatre in Wiesbaden. He
After his studies in Amsterdam and New York, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands began his long association with the Bayreuth
Jaap van Zweden was named concertmaster Philharmonic Orchestra, Göteborg Sym- Radio Choir and vocal soloists in the Con- Festival in 1991, initially as assistant, but
of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at the phony Orchestra, the Sinfonieorchester des certgebouw. Afterwards he conducted very from 2000 as chorus master of the Bayreuth
age of 19. Alongside this post, he built up an Westdeutschen Rundfunks, Orchestre Na- successful performances of Wagner’s Die Festival Chorus. Since 1998 he has also been
impressive career as a solo violinist. He took tional de France, Münchner Philharmoniker, Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Parsifal chorus master of the Staatsoper Unter den
his first steps as a conductor in 1995; a short Oslo Philharmonic and the Royal Concertge- with the same broadcasting ensembles in Linden. His work attracted particular atten-
while later he debuted in Carnegie Hall and bouw Orchestra. His debut with The Cleve- Amsterdam. tion through Daniel Barenboim’s recording of
toured many places in Europe as well as other land Orchestra was excellently received. He Tannhäuser, which received a Grammy Award
parts of the world, including Japan and South is also engaged as guest conductor of the The recordings of Wagner’s Lohengrin not least as a result of Eberhard Friedrich’s
America. In August 2005 Jaap van Zweden Atlanta Symphony, London Philharmonic and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg have work with the Staatsoper Chorus. For its
was appointed chief conductor of the two Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, been followed in the 2010/2011 season by work on Schoenberg’s Moses und Aron, also
classical orchestras of the Netherlands Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, Philadelphia Or- Wagner’s Parsifal. Jaap van Zweden and the conducted by Barenboim, the Staatsoper
Broadcasting Music Centre in Hilversum: the chestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic. Netherlands Radio Philharmonic are record- Chorus was named Chorus of the Year in
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra ing Bruckner’s symphonies for the Octavia 2004. In addition to his operatic responsibili-
and the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philhar- Alongside the symphonic repertoire, opera and Challenge Records International labels. ties, Eberhard Friedrich has also worked with
monic. He and the Radio Philharmonic Or- has also played an important role in Van Symphonies 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9, since released, numerous other choirs on various projects.
chestra recently met with a warm reception Zweden’s career. In the past season he con- have been very well received in the press. For many years he worked regularly with the
to their concerts in the Singapore Sun Festi- ducted Fidelio by Beethoven and La Traviata International Bach Academy in Stuttgart,
val. In the 2008-09 season Jaap van Zweden by Verdi, and in concertante form, Vanessa Eberhard Friedrich while also rehearsing the Youth Choir of
accepted a position as Music Director with by Barber in the Concertgebouw with the Eberhard Friedrich was born in Darmstadt Baden-Württemberg. Other choirs with
the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and as chief Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. and studied conducting with Helmuth which he has worked include those in Krakow,
conductor of the deFilharmonie in Belgium. He made his opera debut with the Neder- Rilling in Frankfurt am Main, leading to his Tallinn and Vilnius, the Prague Philharmonic
landse Opera and Puccini’s Madama But- first appointment as chorus master at the Choir and the Bavarian Radio Choir. In addi-
As a guest conductor, Jaap van Zweden has terfly. For his Wagner debut he conducted Koblenz Town Theatre in 1986. Five years tion to his activities in Berlin and Bayreuth
conducted prestigious orchestras around the widely lauded concertante performance later he moved to a similar post at the he worked with the Rundfunkchor Berlin,
28 29with the RIAS Chamber Choir of the Dutch Rozhdestvensky and Valery Gergiev. The masterpiece La Transfiguration de Notre Jan van Vlijmen have been showered with
Broadcast, and recently with the Choirs of orchestra performed the Dutch premieres of Seigneur Jésus Christ, conducted in the prizes and honourable mentions. For the
the Westminster Choir College. works by composers such as Messiaen, Berio, Netherlands in June 2008 by Reinbert de BIS label, the orchestra has been working
Boulez, Henze, Carter, Adams, Birtwistle, Leeuw, was repeated at the Festival Musica for several years on a Shostakovich series
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Adès, Janácek, De Raaff, Ustvolskaya, Ver- in Strasbourg in September of that year and conducted by Mark Wigglesworth, and for
Founded in 1945 by Albert van Raalte, the bey, De Raaff, Vriend and Rijnvos. was received with huge enthusiasm. In Oc- Octavia and Challenge Records Interna-
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra tober 2009 the orchestra and its chief con- tional it is recording Bruckner’s symphonies,
was subsequently conducted by Paul van The orchestra serves the Dutch public broad- ductor Jaap van Zweden were welcomed at conducted by Jaap van Zweden. For former
Kempen, Bernard Haitink, Jean Fournet, casting system and is a prominent performer the Sun Festival in Singapore. In March 2010 releases of QuattroLive the orchestra re-
Willem van Otterloo, Hans Vonk, Sergiu in series such as Saturday Matinee and the the orchestra undertook a successful tour to corded Mahler’s Das klagende Lied, The
Comissiona and Edo de Waart. Since August Sunday Morning Concert in Amsterdam’s Great Britain, Germany and Austria. Music Makers by Edward Elgar, Memoria
2005, its chief conductor has been Jaap van Concertgebouw, and the Vredenburg Friday by Wolfgang Rihm and Wagner’s Lohengrin
Zweden. As of August 2011, the American series in Utrecht. In the Dutch musical world, The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic has and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg to-
conductor James Gaffigan has signed on as the orchestra stands out for its adventurously built up an impressive discography. In the gether with the Netherlands Radio Choir.
permanent guest conductor of the Nether- programmed symphonic concerts and has 1970s, it made a number of legendary LPs
lands Radio Philharmonic, and he will stay on carved itself a striking profile with several for the Decca label with conductors such as Netherlands Radio Choir
until the 2014-2015 season. As of the 2012- concertante performances of opera. Its pro- Leopold Stokowski and Antal Doráti. With The Netherlands Radio Choir was estab-
2013 season Markus Stenz will succeed Jaap grammes regularly include premieres in the Jean Fournet at the helm, a series of CDs lished in 1945, bringing together a number
van Zweden as chief conductor. Netherlands and world premieres as well. with French repertoire was recorded for of vocal ensembles that had ties with the
Denon. Recordings of divergent works have public broadcasting corporations before
The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Or- On special occasions the Netherlands Radio been released on CD, such as the complete World War II. From the outset it manifested
chestra has worked with a great many Philharmonic Orchestra leaves for abroad. Mahler symphonies conducted by Edo de itself as a highly versatile choral group with
renowned guest conductors, among them The highly praised performance in the Waart, a unique Wagner box and the com- an extensive repertoire – from Renaissance
Leopold Stokowski, Kirill Kondrashin, Antal Saterday Matinee in Amsterdam of Wagners plete orchestral works of Rachmaninoff. CDs and Baroque to contemporary music. The
Doráti, Riccardo Muti, Kurt Masur, Mariss Lohengrin was repeated in February 2008 in with work by contemporary composers such choir quickly gained repute as one of Eu-
Jansons, Michael Tilson Thomas, Gennady the Salle Pleyel in Paris. Olivier Messiaen’s as Jonathan Harvey, Klas Torstensson and rope’s largest professional choirs.
30 31Its vocalists have worked in large groups Boulez, Birtwistle, Kagel, Reich, Wagemans, Orchestra and the Netherlands Radio State Male Choir ‘Latvija’
with conductors such as Jean Fournet, Ben- Adès and Adams. Chamber Philharmonic, and is regularly The Latvian National Choir, which in 2012
jamin Britten, Bernard Haitink, Eugen Jo- heard with other orchestras. In the 2010- will celebrate its 70th anniversary, is Latvia’s
chum, Carlo Maria Giulini and more recently In the 2010-2011 season, the Saturday Mati- 2011 season, the choir and the Royal largest concert choir. Since 1997, Maris Sir-
with names such as Edo de Waart, Valery nee series and other series on the Dutch Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by mais has been its artistic director and chief
Gergiev, Jaap van Zweden, Zubin Mehta, public broadcasting system will include Mariss Jansons, performed Mahler’s Sym- conductor. The choir performs not only the
Markus Stenz, Riccardo Chailly, Mariss Jan- works by Prokofiev (The Fiery Angel), Wagner phony of a Thousand, and with the Berliner great choral repertoire of the eighteenth,
sons and Simon Rattle. For the performance (Parsifal), Honegger (King David), Berlioz (La Philharmoniker, conducted by Simon Rattle, nineteenth and twentieth centuries, but
of earlier repertoire, the choir has been damnation de Faust), Elgar (The dream of Mahler’s Third Symphony. also contemporary music; it may also be
conducted by specialists such as Nikolaus Gerontius), Stravinsky (Symphony of Psalms) heard in Tom Tykwer’s film Perfume (2006).
Harnoncourt, Frans Brüggen and Philippe and Poulenc’s Gloria. CD recordings are planned of Shosta- It has won the Great Music Award of Latvia
Herreweghe. kovich’s Second Symphony and Third three times (1998, 2000, and 2002), and, in
More recent repertoire can be heard in Symphony, together with the Netherlands 2003, it received the Ministerial Cabinet
In the recent past, the choir’s chief con- concerts with James Gaffigan (Harvey’s Radio Philharmonic conducted by Mark Award and, in 2007, the Ministry of Culture
ductors have been Kenneth Montgomery, Messages), with Markus Stenz (Te deum Wigglesworth. And with the Netherlands Award of the Republic of Latvia. In recent
Robin Gritton, Martin Wright en Simon by Walter Braunfels), Celso Antunes (Inquié- Radio Chamber Philharmonic, in June 2011 years, the choir has performed with impor-
Halsey. Since September 2008 this position tude du fini by Erkki-Sven Tüür), Jaap van the choir will record works composed and tant symphony orchestras from Singapore,
has been held by the Brazilian conductor Zweden (Quid est deus by Wolfgang Rihm) conducted by James MacMillan for the Israel, Germany, France, Estonia, Moscow
Celso Antunes. and Brad Lubman (works by MacMillan and broadcasting label QuattroLive. and St. Petersburg and smaller ensembles
Terteryan). The choir will give a cappella such as the Absolute Ensemble and the
Since the early 1980s, the Netherlands Radio renditions of works by Alfred Schnittke, The Netherlands Radio Choir was one of Mahler Chamber Orchestra. It has worked
Choir has been a frequent guest in the Satur- Arvo Pärt and Serge Rachmaninoff, the joint founders of the Eric Ericson Master with such conductors as Mariss Jansons,
day Matinee series of the Concertgebouw in conducted by Sigvards Klava. Class. This master class for young choral Neeme Järvi, Mstislav Rostropovich, Krist-
Amsterdam. In these concerts the choir has conductors, which is held every two years, jan Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Valery Gergiev, Zubin
regularly performed premieres and works The Netherlands Radio Choir often performs is part of the international choral biennial Mehta, Jeffrey Tate, Vladimir Fedoseyev,
by contemporary composers such as Ligeti, with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic in Haarlem. Andris Nelsons and Tõnu Kaljuste. It has
32 33performed such recent works as The Sealed the Gran Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona in Simone Boccanegra) and Opéra de Lyon the Bavarian State Opera. He performed
Angel by Rodion Shchedrin, Chapter Eight the Ring. When Simone Young joined the (Sourin in The Queen of Spades). In 2008, principally as a concert singer under con-
by Alexander Knaifel, Deer’s Cry by Arvo Hamburg State Opera as chief conductor, he made his debut at the Salzburg Festival ductors such as Eugen Jochum, Karl Richter
Pärt, Itaipu by Philipp Glass, and the Rus- Struckmann sang in Hindemith’s Mathis der as the 2nd Geharnischter in Die Zauberflöte, and Wolfgang Sawallisch. But for many
sian Requiem by Lera Auerbach. Maler. A complete Ring cycle and Pfitzner’s and he returned the following year as Voix years, he has sung in opera productions at
Palestrina followed. He recently performed mysterieuse in Rossini’s Moïse et Pharaon. the Vienna State Opera, Théâtre Royale
Falk Struckmann Amfortas in Carnegie Hall in New York under Pierre Later, he was the guest of the Opera of de la Monnaie in Brussels, and since 1991
After making his debut at the Bayreuth Fes- Boulez. Struckmann bears the honorary title Bilbao (Truffaldin in Ariadne auf Naxos), the the Zurich Opera House, and elsewhere,
tival as Kurwenal in 1993, the German bass- of Kammersänger at the Berlin and Vienna Berlin State Opera (Dottore Grenvil in La interpreting such roles as Sarastro in Die
baritone Falk Struckmann has sung many State Operas. Traviata) and the Konzerthaus Wien (Brander Zauberflöte and Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di
roles at the Berlin State Opera: in Der Flieg- in La Damnation de Faust). Last season, he Siviglia, under conductors including Clau-
ende Holländer, Lohengrin, Die Meistersing- Ante Jerkunica Titurel interpreted the roles of the Gran Inquisitor dio Abbado, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and
er von Nürnberg, Der Ring des Nibelungen, The bass Ante Jerkunica was born in Croatia in Don Carlo and Fafner in Das Rheingold Franz Welser-Möst. At the Deutsche Oper
Parsifal, Fidelio, Elektra, Salome and Wozzeck. and represented his country in the 2007 at the Cologne Opera. On the concert Berlin, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, he
In the 1990s, he made his debut at La Scala BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competi- stage, he has sung in Verdi’s Requiem and sang the role of Landgraf Hermann in Tan-
as Siegfried under Riccardo Muti and at tion. After performing a number of roles at Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, and Dvoráks nhäuser, Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger
the Metropolitan Opera in New York as the National Opera of Zagreb and the Na- Requiem, among other works. This year, von Nürnberg and Daland in Der Fliegende
Wozzeck under James Levine. He has often tional Theatre in Split, he joined the Deut- Jerkunica will sing the role of Tinturel at the Holländer. At the Vienna State Opera, un-
performed at the Vienna State Opera. At sche Oper Berlin in August 2007, singing, Gran Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona. der Christian Thielemann, he sang King
Bayreuth, Struckmann perormed in the Ring among other roles, Basilio in Il Barbiere di Marke in Tristan und Isolde. At the Bayreuth
under Levine and Christian Thielemann and Siviglia, Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, Faf- Robert Holl Gurnemanz Festival, he was acclaimed as Hans Sachs
sang the role of Amfortas. At the Salzburg ner in Siegfried and Colline in La Bohème. Robert Holl was born in Rotterdam in 1947 in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. He first
Festival, he sang in Tristan und Isolde and Guest appearances have brought him to the and won the 24th International Vocalists interpreted Gurnemanz in the new produc-
Duke Bluebeard’s Castle. At Covent Garden Théâtre Royale de la Monnaie in Brussels, Competition in ’s-Hertogenbosch. He later tion of Wagner’s Parsifal conducted by
in London he sang in Parsifal, at the Opéra where he sang Faust in Prokofiev’s The Fiery studied with Hans Hotter in Munich, where Pierre Boulez. Holl is also one of the most
in Paris in Der Fliegende Holländer, and at Angel, the Hamburg State Opera (Pietro in from 1973 to 1975 he was a member of successful lieder interpreters of our time,
34 35and has a preference for the German and Rheingold (Dresden); Paul in Korngold’s Die holm and sang the role of Donny in Michael these roles in Aix-en-Provence, at the Salz-
Russian repertoire. In 1998, he was ap- Tote Stadt (Amsterdam); Florestan in Fidelio Tippett’s last opera, New Year, at the Hou- burg Easter Festival, and in concert with the
pointed Professor für Lied und Oratorium at (Cologne and Los Angeles); and Siegmund ston Grand Opera, in Glyndebourne, and Hallé Orchestra in Manchester. The 2010-11
the Universität für Musik und Darstellende in Die Walküre. In 2006, he made his debut in concert for the BBC at the Royal Festival season is filled largely by Wagner. At the
Kunst in Vienna. He is often invited to give at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as Hall in London. On CD, he has performed Opéra National de Paris, she will again sing
master classes at Schubertiades in the Lohengrin, a role he repeated at La Scala the title role in Křenek’s Johnny Spielt Auf, Die Walküre and Götterdämmerung, as
Netherlands and Austria. in Milan. After singing Andrey in Khovansh- and in the opening season of the new op- well as perform in the complete Ring at the
Previous performances in the Matinee china in Munich, he made his debut at the era house in Gotebörg he sang in Der Flie- Hamburg State Opera. She will sing Isolde
include Verdi’s Ernani (1972), Tchaikovsky’s Bayreuth Festival as Walter von Stolzing in gende Holländer. In Göteborg and at the at Semperopera in Dresden and Elektra
Eugene Onegin (1973), Rachmaninov’s Die Meistersinger. He was engaged by the Swedish Royal Opera in Stockholm, he sang in Stockholm. Dalayman has previously
Aleko and The Bells (1974), Tchaikovsky’s Vienna State Opera to sing Erik in Lohengrin the roles of Jochanan in Salome, Amonasro appeared as Marie in Wozzeck (Brussels,
Iolanta (1975), Martin’s Der Sturm (2008), and Paul in Die Tote Stadt, in Amsterdam he in Aida, and Scarpia in Tosca, and in the Paris, New York and Maggio Musicale in
and Wagner’s Die Meistersinger (2008). sang Kaiser in Die Frau Ohne Schatten, and spring he also sang in Scott Joplin’s opera Florence), Elisabeth in Tannhäuser (Munich),
at the Berlin State Opera he performed as Treemonisha in the Théâtre du Châtelet in in Die Meistersinger (Stuttgart), Lisa in
Klaus Florian Vogt Parsifal Stolzing. This year, he will sing in productions Paris. In Göteborg, he sang the role of An- The Queen of Spades (Chicago, New York,
Klaus Florian Vogt studied the French horn of Die Tote Stadt (Madrid), Parsifal (Geneva), kerström in Gustavo III, and in the original San Francisco en Munich), Ariadne (Milan,
and was the first French hornist of the Ham- Der Fliegende Holländer (Opéra Bastille), Die version of Verdi’s Un ballo in Maschera. He Brussels, Dresden and Munich), the Duch-
burg Philharmonic when he began studying Meistersinger (Bayreuth), and in the role of sang the roles of Telramund in Lohengrin ess of Parma in Busoni’s Doktor Faustus
singing. Since joining Dresden’s Semper- the Prince in Rusalka (Bavarian State Opera). in the Cologne Opera and Klingsor in the (New York en Salzburg Festival), Brangäne
oper in 1998, the tenor has sung the roles Göteborg Opera. in New York, Kundry in Paris, Katarina in
of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Hans in The Krister St.Hill Klingsor Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of the Mt-
Bartered Bride, Matteo in Arabella, and the The repertoire of the Swedish-Trinidadian Katarina Dalayman Kundry sensk District en Sieglinde (Covent Garden,
title role in Lohengrin. Working independ- baritone Krister St. Hill encompasses widely After making her debut as Brünnhilde Stockholm and the Metropolitan Opera).
ently since 2003, he has sung the roles of divergent roles, from Der Fliegende Hol- in Die Walküre, Siegfried en Götterdäm- On the concert stage, she has performed
Stolzing in Die Meistersinger and Erik in Der länder to Sportin‘ Life in Porgy and Bess. He merung at the Royal Swedish Opera in with such conductors as Riccardo Chailly,
Fliegende Holländer (Hamburg); Loge in Das debuted as Escamillo in Carmen in Stock- Stockholm, Katerina Dalayman repeated Sir Colin Davis, James Levine, Wolfgang
36 37Sawallisch, Mark Elder and Myung-Whun Parsifal: „Das große Leid des Lebens“ oder nicht. Außerdem geht es in dem Werk
Chung. Since December 2000, Dalayman um den immer wiederkehrenden Zyklus
has been Hovsångere (Singer at the Swed- Der Philosoph Ernst Bloch nannte das von Zerstörung und Erneuerung, in dem die
ish Court) for his Royal Highness the King Bühnenweihfestspiel Parsifal einst “ein Menschen auf dieser Erde gefangen sind.
of Sweden. metaphysisches Adagio”, und mit dieser Be-
schreibung brachte er Wagners letzte Oper Parsifal behandelt all diese Fragen und mehr.
sowohl inhaltlich als auch musikalisch gese- Wagner selbst beschrieb das Thema seines
hen mit zwei Worten auf den Punkt. Wenn Schwanengesangs als „Das große Leid des
das bei Wagners Musikdramen überhaupt Lebens“. Alles, was er gegen Ende seines
möglich ist, denn der Komponist hat sich ja Leben noch über das Leben, die Liebe,
nie gescheut, seine Meinung über alles und Sexualität, Psychologie, Politik, Gesellschaft,
jedes aus künstlerischer und nichtkünstle- Natur, Kunst, das Christentum, den Buddhis-
rischer Sicht kundzutun. In Wagners Musik- mus, das Judentum und den Antisemitismus
theater geht es um fundamentale Fragen sagen wollte, braute er in einem – wie man-
der menschlichen Existenz. Tristan und che meinen giftigen – Gralsbecher zu einem
Isolde handelt von einer alles verzehrenden turbulenten, vierstündigen sakralem Musik-
Liebe und den Konsequenzen von Liebes- drama, zu einem „metaphysischem Adagio“
verlangen und Todestrieb. Das Werk setzt zusammen. Sakral im wortwörtlichen Sinne.
sich darüber hinaus mit der Frage ausein- Wagners eigene Bezeichnung „Bühnenweih-
ander, wie die eigene Persönlichkeit mittels festspiel“ bedeutet ein sowohl sakrales als
der Liebe definiert werden kann oder wie auch festliches Theaterstück. Die Handlung
der Verlust eben dieser Liebe zum Verlust von Parsifal verweist implizit und explizit auf
der Identität führt. Der Ring des Nibelun- das Christentum und den kirchlichen Ritus.
gen zeigt die Unvereinbarkeit von Liebe und Eine der vielen Ambitionen Wagners war es
Machtstreben, erkundet aber gleichzeitig denn auch, das europäische Christentum mit
auch, ob der Mensch einen freien Willen hat seiner eigenen rituellen Kunst zu ersetzen.
38 39Der Ring war Wagners erster Versuch in diese blinden Willen und von instinktivem Über- gangen Werken ist die Tatsache, dass die und Lust zu. Wagner war sich sehr wohl
Richtung. In Wagners persönlichem Mu- lebens-, Fortpflanzungs- und Todesdrang. Liebe in Parsifal nicht mehr vorkommt. Alle bewusst, was für einen enormen psychi-
siktempel in Bayreuth konnten die Einwohner Alles andere war lediglich „Schein“, schöne, Figuren leben in einem Universum ohne schen Druck dies zur Folge hatte. Deshalb
Europas nach dem Kauf einer nicht gerade aber relativ zwecklose Trugbilder. Liebe und Liebe, nur noch der Fortpflanzungstrieb, die versucht er, sich von der moralischen
billigen Eintrittskarte erleben, wie der revolu- Liebesgefühle sind Schopenhauer zufolge Lust, ist übriggeblieben. Wir werden uns Bürde zu befreien und die Sexualität aus
tionäre Held Siegfried alle alten Machtgefüge, dann auch lediglich Ausdrucksformen des später damit befassen, was Wagner diesem dem christlichen System herauszunehmen.
inklusive der Götter, aus dem Weg fegte, um Fortpflanzungstriebs. Wagner kommt, in gegenüberstellt, aber es darf hier nicht Als Künstler vergibt er die Sünden, unter
eine gerechtere Gesellschaft zu realisieren. Übereinstimmung mit Schopenhauer, zu unerwähnt bleiben, dass für Wagner, so denen die Welt stöhnt. Parsifal ist der
Aber Siegfried scheiterte. Nicht nur weil der einer einfachen Schlussfolgerung: „Alles wie auch für Schopenhauer, der Fortpflan- Schlussstein dieser Ambitionen. Zugleich
von Wagner konzipierte Handlungsverlauf Leben ist Leiden.“ Für den Menschen gibt zungstrieb keinesfalls moralisch anstößig ist. versucht er, die „von Sünden befreite“
das im Ring so verlangte, sondern auch aus es nur zwei Möglichkeiten, sich dem rück- Siegfried, der im Ring schon an demselben Menschheit in seine eigene Richtung zu
der Erfahrung des Komponisten heraus, dass sichtslosen Egoismus des blinden Willens Übel litt, lebt in einer amoralischen, nicht in lotsen: seine Kunst soll letztendlich die
sich die Menschheit nicht unbedingt befrei- zu entziehen: er kann sich ganz aus dem einer unmoralischen Welt – die Moral wird christliche Moral in Europa vollkommen
en lassen will, selbst dann nicht, wenn man weltlichen Leben zurückziehen und sich nicht übertreten, sondern jegliche Moral ersetzen.
geduldig erklärt, dass es für alle nachweisbar gänzlich dessen Verlockungen verweigern, fehlt. So auch in Parsifal, und das ist zumin-
nur von Vorteil sein kann. Wagner war sich so wie Mönche das tun. Oder er kann sich dest teilweise das Geheimnis von Wagners Aber Wagner verstand auch, dass die von
bewusst, dass die Utopie von der aufopfern- zumindest zeitweise durch das Erleben von großem Erfolg im 19. Jahrhundert. der Sexualität an sich ausgehende psycho-
den Liebe, mit der Brünnhilde den Ring doch überwältigender Natur oder eines erhabe- logische Bürde nicht unbedingt die Folge
noch zu einer Art Happy End bringt, lediglich nes Kunstwerks, vor allem der Musik, darü- Ganz abgesehen von der musikalischen eines konstruierten, christlichen Unterdrü-
eine Schimäre war. ber erheben. Faszination gibt es auch eine inhaltliche. ckungsmechanismus war, sondern ein dem
Europa im viktorianischen Zeitalter litt Menschen inhärentes Manko darstellte.
In den Werken Arthur Schopenhauers Das „Problem der Liebe“ unter einem kolossalen Schuldbewusstsein Weil sich der Mensch hiervon nicht befreien
begegnete Wagner schon dem nackten, Nach dem Ring musste Wagner das „Prob- gegenüber allem Körperlichen und Sexu- kann, entwickelt Wagner in Parsifal eine
darwinistischen Kampf ums Überleben, lem der Liebe“ in einem neuen Werk versu- ellen. Sowohl der Katholizismus als auch ganz eigene „amoralische Ethik“. Und dann
ohne die Illusion von jedweder Zivilisation. chen zu lösen. Dieses Werk ist Parsifal. Der der Protestantismus ließen kaum positive verwendet er – ausgerechnet – die christli-
Hier wird der Mensch gelenkt von einem grundlegende Unterschied zu den vorange- Gefühle gegenüber physischer Liebe chen Attribute selbst.
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