Parsifal: English National Opera Guide 34

by Richard Wagner, Nicholas John (Editor)

The English National Opera Guides were originally conceived in partnership with the English National Opera and edited by Nicholas John, the ENO's dramaturg, who died tragically in an accident in the Alps. Most of the guides are devoted to a single opera, which is described in detail—with many articles that cover its history and information about the composer and his times. The complete libretto is included in both the original language and in a modern singing translation—except where the opera was written in English. Each has a thematic guide to the most important musical themes in musical notation and each guide is lavishly illustrated. They also contain a bibliography and a discography which is updated at each reprint. The ENO guides are widely regarded as the best series of their kind and excellent value.

Genres: Music, Plays, German Literature, Literature, Drama, Poetry, 19th Century

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1882

About the author

Germanic legends often based romantic operas of especially known composer Richard Wagner, who worked Tannhäuser (1845) and the tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen (1853-1876).

From 1872, Richard Wagner lived at Bayreuth to 1883 and designed the opera house, used chiefly for performances of his works.

Works of Jacques Martin Barzun include Darwin, Marx, Wagner (1941).

Wilhelm Richard Wagner conducted, directed theater, and authored essays, primarily for his later called "music dramas." Unlike most other greats, Wagner wrote the scenario and libretto.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard...

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a little excessive, but it's my second favorite of Wagner's operas.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m fortunate enough to be seeing Parsifal this summer (Covid permitting) in all its glory and have read these ENO guides before to help me understand a little more. I am no music scholar, and this guide, more than the others I have read, is heavy on the music theory...probably as it should be for such an epic work.

I enjoyed it, I have more in my armour to approach a near 6 hour performance, but I would admit that this particular guide is not for the layman...so read someone else’s review if it’s the theory you’re after!!

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an experience to listen through the entire opera with the full orchestral score! The most sublime music.

[Aaron Schuschu · Rating 4 out of 5]

About a year ago, I started to read Eschenbach’s Parsifal, and put it aside because old English is hard to read and there was just a lot of random shit going on. In Wagner’s rendition of Parsifal, there’s still a lot of random shit going on, but it’s more easily understood. So basically, Parsifal is this Jesus figure, Klingsor tried to kill him with the Spear of Destiny (which apparently has healing abilities) but couldn’t, Kundry was resurrected just to be baptized (misogynistic that her sin seemed to be her being a woman) and then died again, there was a jump forward in time from the second to the third act, and I was confused as to whether or not Parsifal was also the boy in the beginning who was shamed for hunting for geese.

[beckett74 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heute die die Parsifal-Premiere (Inszenierung mit Baselitz-Bühnenbild) an der Bayerischen Staatsoper gesehen. Mein wievielter Parsifal mag es sein? Ich kann's nicht sagen. Egal wie trashig oder unsensibel die Bühnenbilder auch ausfallen mögen, sie können der Musik, dem Libretto, dem ganzen Werk nichts von dieser absoluten Urkraft nehmen. "zum Raum wird hier die Zeit"...

[E7boehm · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an opera it is a 10 out of 5 but the music makes it much stronger than the libretto. The libretto makes me want to see a more realistic and Wagnerian staging of the piece. The MET HD version is much darker and very distopian compared to what is in the Libretto.

[Annabell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Das war teilweise echt random

[Recensioni in tre parole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sacrale. Catartico. Solenne.

[Eva-Maria Faßhauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Habe genau 0,0 verstanden, musste mir sehr dicke Erklärung von Mama anhören
Lowkey aber echt geil dann

[Two Readers in Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the libretto alongside metopera.org's free pandemic stream: "Tonight’s free Nightly Met Opera Stream: Wagner’s final opera, Parsifal received a new production by visionary director François Girard during the 2012–13 season. Tenor Jonas Kaufmann takes on the heroic title role, alongside soprano Katarina Dalayman as Kundry, baritone Peter Mattei as Amfortas, bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin as Klingsor, and bass René Pape as Gurnemanz. The full performance, conducted by Daniele Gatti, is available tonight, October 11, beginning at 7:30PM ET until tomorrow, October 12, at 6:30PM ET."

[Chris Pedroza · Rating 5 out of 5]

:)

[Peter Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reasonable set of short essays with the libretto plus translation and the main themes transcribed.