Operas by Richard Wagner
Die Hochzeit (1832) Die Feen (1833) Das Liebesverbot (1836) Rienzi (1840) Der fliegende Holländer (1843) Tannhäuser (1845) Lohengrin (1848) Tristan und Isolde (1859) Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1867) Der Ring des Nibelungen: Das Rheingold (1869) Der Ring des Nibelungen: Die Walkure (1870) Der Ring des Nibelungen: Siegfried (1871) Der Ring des Nibelungen: Götterdämmerung (1874) Parsifal (1882)
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Parsifal is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner. Die Hochzeit (The Wedding is an unfinished Opera by Richard Wagner which predates all his completed works in the genre Die Feen ( The Fairies) is an Opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. Das Liebesverbot ( The Ban on Love) is an early Opera in two acts by Richard Wagner, with the Libretto written by the composer after Shakespeare's Rienzi der Letzte der Tribunen (WWV 49 ( Rienzi the Last of the Tribunes) is an early Opera by Richard Wagner in five acts with the Libretto Der fliegende Holländer ( The Flying Dutchman) is an Opera, with Music and Libretto by Richard Wagner. Tannhäuser (full title Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf der Wartburg / Tannhäuser and the Singers' Contest at Wartburg) is an Opera Lohengrin is a romantic Opera (or music drama in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner. Tristan und Isolde ( Tristan and Isolde, or Tristan and Isolda) is an Opera, or Music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) is an Opera in three acts written and composed by Richard Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer Das Rheingold ("The Rhine Gold" is the first of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) by Richard Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer Die Walküre ( The Valkyrie) is the second of the four Operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer Siegfried is the third of the four Operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) by Richard Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer ("Twilight of the Gods" – see Notes) is the last of the four Operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, the medieval (13th century) epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival (Percival) and his quest for the Holy Grail. Parzival is a major medieval German Epic poem attributed to the poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, written in the Middle High German An epic is a lengthy Narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the Legends that concern the Celtic and legendary History of Great Britain, especially those Percival or Perceval is one of King Arthur 's legendary Knights of the Round Table. According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish plate or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers

During the first Act, Parsifal, an apparently witless fool, sees the suffering of the wounded Amfortas, King of an order of knights who guard the Grail. An act is a division or unit of a theatrical play or Opera. The number of acts in a production can range from one to five depending on how a writer structures the A jester, joker, jokester, fool, wit-cracker, prankster, or buffoon is a member of a profession that came into popularity A king is a male Monarch, or a Head of state, who may or may not depending on the style of government of a nation exercise monarchal powers over a territory usually Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. In the second Act Parsifal wanders into the domain of Klingsor, a magician who is trying to corrupt the Knights of the Grail and who has stolen from them the spear used to pierce Jesus Christ during his crucifixion. A magician, wizard, sorcerer or a person known under one of many other possible terms in fiction is someone who uses or practices magic The Holy Lance (also known as the Spear of Destiny, Holy Spear, Lance of Longinus, Spear of Longinus or Spear of Christ) is the name Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from There Parsifal meets Kundry, the slave of Klingsor, who attempts to seduce him. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another In Sociology, seduction (also called inveigling or wheedling) is the process of deliberately enticing a person to engage in some sort of behavior frequently In resisting her, he destroys Klingsor, and recovers the Spear. In the third Act, Parsifal returns to the Grail Kingdom to heal Amfortas.

Wagner first conceived the work in April 1857 but it was not finished until twenty-five years later. Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the It was to be Wagner's last completed opera and in composing it he took advantage of the particular sonority of his Bayreuth Festspielhaus. Bayreuthfestjpg|thumb|350px|right|Bayreuth Festspielhaus as seen in 1882 Parsifal was first produced at the second Bayreuth Festival in 1882. The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of Operas by the 19th century German composer Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Bayreuth Festival maintained an exclusive monopoly on Parsifal productions until 1903, when the opera was performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880 is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous

Wagner preferred to describe Parsifal not as an opera, but as "ein Bühnenweihfestspiel" - "A Festival Play for the Consecration of the Stage". At Bayreuth a tradition has arisen that there is no applause after the first act of the opera.

Contents 1 Composition 2 Parsifal in performance 2.1 The Premiere 2.2 The ban on Parsifal outside Bayreuth 2.3 Applause during Parsifal 2.4 Post-War Performances 3 Roles 4 Synopsis 4.1 Act 1 4.2 Act 2 4.3 Act 3 5 Criticism and Influence 5.1 Nietzsche 5.2 Perceived racism of the libretto 5.3 Schopenhauer 6 Listening to Parsifal 6.1 Leitmotifs 6.2 Notable Arias and orchestral excerpts 6.3 Media 6.4 Recordings of Parsifal 7 Selected recordings 7.1 Instrumentation 7.1.1 The bells 8 References 8.1 Notes 9 External links

Composition

Wagner first read Wolfram von Eschenbach's poem Parzival while taking the waters at Marienbad in 1845. See also Mineral spa A spa town, or simply spa, is a town frequented mainly for health reasons to "take the waters" Mariánské Lázně (ˈmarɪjanskɛ ˈlazɲɛ Marienbad is a Spa town in the Carlsbad Region of the Czech Republic. Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[1] After encountering Arthur Schopenhauer's work in 1854, Wagner became interested in oriental philosophies, especially Buddhism. Year 1854 ( MDCCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices He was particularly inspired by reading Eugène Burnouf's "Introduction à l'histoire du buddhisme indien" in 1855/56. Eugène Burnouf ( April 8, 1801 &ndash May 28, 1852) was a French Orientalist. Out of this interest came "Die Sieger" ("The Victors", 1856) a sketch Wagner wrote for an opera based on a story from the life of Buddha. The Victors is the Fight song of the University of Michigan (UM Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder ^[2] The themes which were later explored in Parsifal of self-renouncing, reincarnation, compassion and even exclusive social groups (castes in Die Sieger, the Knights of the Grail in Parsifal) were first introduced in "Die Sieger". Castes are Hereditary systems of occupation, Endogamy, social culture, Social class, and Political power. ^[3]

According to his own account, recorded in his autobiography Mein Leben, Wagner conceived Parsifal on Good Friday morning, April 1857, in the Asyl (German: "Asylum"), the small cottage on Otto von Wesendonck’s estate in the Zürich suburb of Enge, which Wesendonck - a wealthy silk merchant and generous patron of the arts - had placed at Wagner’s disposal. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Zürich (, Zürich German: Züri, Zurich, Zurigo; in English generally Zurich) is the largest city in Switzerland and capital of the ^[4] The composer and his wife Minna had moved into the cottage on 28 April:

". Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title . . on Good Friday I awoke to find the sun shining brightly for the first time in this house: the little garden was radiant with green, the birds sang, and at last I could sit on the roof and enjoy the long-yearned-for peace with its message of promise. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" Full of this sentiment, I suddenly remembered that the day was Good Friday, and I called to mind the significance this omen had already once assumed for me when I was reading Wolfram's Parzival. Parzival is a major medieval German Epic poem attributed to the poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, written in the Middle High German Since the sojourn in Marienbad [in the summer of 1845], where I had conceived Die Meistersinger and Lohengrin, I had never occupied myself again with that poem; now its noble possibilities struck me with overwhelming force, and out of my thoughts about Good Friday I rapidly conceived a whole drama, of which I made a rough sketch with a few dashes of the pen, dividing the whole into three acts. Mariánské Lázně (ˈmarɪjanskɛ ˈlazɲɛ Marienbad is a Spa town in the Carlsbad Region of the Czech Republic. Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) is an Opera in three acts written and composed by Richard Wagner Lohengrin is a romantic Opera (or music drama in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner. " ^[5]

However, as he later admitted to his second wife Cosima Wagner, this account had been coloured by a certain amount of poetic licence:

22 April 1879: "R[ichard] today recalled the impression which inspired his “Good Friday Music”; he laughs, saying he had thought to himself, “In fact it is all as far-fetched as my love affairs, for it was not a Good Friday at all - just a pleasant mood in Nature which made me think, ‘This is how a Good Friday ought to be’”. Cosima Francesca Gaetana Wagner ( née de Flavigny, since 1844 Liszt; December 24, 1837 April 1, 1930) was Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[6]

The work may indeed have been conceived at Wesendonck's cottage in the last week of April 1857, but Good Friday that year fell on 10 April, when the Wagners were still living at Zeltweg 13 in Zürich. Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Zürich (, Zürich German: Züri, Zurich, Zurigo; in English generally Zurich) is the largest city in Switzerland and capital of the ^[7] If the prose sketch which Wagner mentions in Mein Leben was accurately dated (and most of Wagner’s surviving papers are dated), it could settle the issue once and for all, but unfortunately it has not survived.

Wagner did not resume work on Parsifal for eight years, during which time he completed Tristan und Isolde and began Die Meistersinger. Tristan und Isolde ( Tristan and Isolde, or Tristan and Isolda) is an Opera, or Music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) is an Opera in three acts written and composed by Richard Wagner Then, between 27 and 30 August 1865, he took up Parsifal again and made a prose draft of the work; this contains a fairly brief outline of the plot and a considerable amount of detailed commentary on the characters and themes of the drama. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year ^[8] But once again the work was dropped and set aside for another eleven and a half years. During this time most of Wagner’s creative energy was devoted to the Ring cycle, which was finally completed in 1874 and given its first full performance at Bayreuth in August 1876. Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer Year 1874 ( MDCCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Bayreuth ( pronounced) is a City in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Frankish Alb Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Only when this gargantuan task had been accomplished did Wagner find the time to concentrate on Parsifal. By 23 February 1877 he had completed a second and more extensive prose draft of the work, and by 19 April of the same year he had transformed this into a verse libretto (or “poem”, as Wagner liked to call his libretti). Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer A libretto is the text used in an extended Musical work such as an Opera, Operetta, Masque, sacred or secular Oratorio and A libretto is the text used in an extended Musical work such as an Opera, Operetta, Masque, sacred or secular Oratorio and ^[9]

In September 1877 he began the music by making two complete drafts of the score from beginning to end. Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The first of these (known in German as the Gesamtentwurf and in English as either the Preliminary Draft or the First Complete Draft) was made in pencil on three staves, one for the voices and two for the instruments. In standard Western Musical notation, the staff ( AmE) or stave The second complete draft (Orchesterskizze, Orchestral Draft, Short Score or Particell) was made in ink and on at least three, but sometimes as many as five, staves. This draft was much more detailed than the first and contained a considerable degree of instrumental elaboration. ^[10]

The second draft was begun on 25 September 1877, just a few days after the first: at this point in his career Wagner liked to work on both drafts simultaneously, switching back and forth between the two so as not to allow too much time to elapse between his initial setting of the text and the final elaboration of the music. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Gesamtentwurf of Act III was completed on 16 April 1879 and the Orchesterskizze on the 26th of the same month. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[11]

The full score (Partiturerstschrift) was the final stage in the compositional process. It was made in ink and consisted of a fair copy of the entire opera, with all the voices and instruments properly notated according to standard practice.

Wagner composed Parsifal one act at a time, completing the Gesamtentwurf and Orchesterskizze of each act before beginning the Gesamtentwurf of the next act; but because the Orchesterskizze already embodied all the compositional details of the full score, the actual drafting of the Partiturerstschrift was regarded by Wagner as little more than a routine task which could be done whenever he found the time. The Prelude of Act I was scored in August 1878. Year 1878 ( MDCCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The rest of the opera was scored between August 1879 and 13 January 1882. Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[12]

Parsifal in performance

The Premiere

On 12 November 1880 Wagner conducted a private performance of the Prelude for his patron Ludwig II of Bavaria at the Court Theatre in Munich. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm II King of Bavaria ( August 25, 1845 &ndash June 13, 1886) was king of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. ^[13] The premiere of the entire work was given in the Festspielhaus at Bayreuth on 26 July 1882 under the baton of the German-born Jewish conductor Hermann Levi. Bayreuthfestjpg|thumb|350px|right|Bayreuth Festspielhaus as seen in 1882 Bayreuth ( pronounced) is a City in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Frankish Alb Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Hermann Levi ( November 7, 1839 &ndash May 13 Stage designs were by Max Brückner and Paul von Joukowsky who took their lead from Wagner himself. The Grail hall was based on the interior of Siena Cathedral which Wagner had visited in 1880, while Klingsor's magic garden was modelled on those at the Palazzo Rufolo in Ravello. The Medieval Cathedral of Siena ( Italian: Duomo di Siena) dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church and Ravello is a town and commune situated above the Amalfi Coast in the province of Salerno, Campania, Italy and has approximately ^[14] In July and August of 1882 sixteen performances of the work were given in Bayreuth conducted by Levi and Franz Fischer. Bayreuth ( pronounced) is a City in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Frankish Alb The production boasted an orchestra of 107, a chorus of 135 and 23 soloists (with the main parts being double cast). ^[15] At the last of these performances, Wagner took the baton from Levi and conducted the final scene of Act 3 from the orchestral interlude to the end. ^[16]

At the first performances of Parsifal problems with the moving scenery during the transition from Scene one to Scene two in Act 1 meant that Wagner's existing orchestral interlude finished before Parsifal and Gurnemanz arrived at the Hall of the Grail. Engelbert Humperdinck, who was assisting the production, provided a few extra bars of music to cover this gap. Engelbert Humperdinck ( September 1, 1854 &ndash September 27, 1921) was a German Composer, best known for his Opera ^[17] In subsequent years this problem was solved and Humperdinck's additions were not used.

The ban on Parsifal outside Bayreuth

For the first twenty years of its existence, the only staged performances of Parsifal (apart from eight private performances for Ludwig II at Munich in 1884 and 1885) took place in the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, the venue for which Wagner conceived the work. Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm II King of Bavaria ( August 25, 1845 &ndash June 13, 1886) was king of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Bayreuthfestjpg|thumb|350px|right|Bayreuth Festspielhaus as seen in 1882 Wagner had two reasons for wanting to keep 'Parsifal' exclusively for the Bayreuth stage. Firstly, he wanted to prevent 'Parsifal' from degenerating into 'mere amusement' for an opera-going public. Only at Bayreuth could his last work be presented in the way envisaged by him - a tradition maintained by his wife, Cosima, long after his death. The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of Operas by the 19th century German composer Secondly he thought that 'Parsifal' would provide an income for his family after his death if Bayreuth had the monopoly on its performance.

The Bayreuth authorities allowed unstaged performances to take place in various countries after Wagner's death (e. g. London in 1884, New York in 1886, and Amsterdam in 1894) but they maintained an embargo on stage performances outside Bayreuth. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west Year 1894 ( MDCCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common On 24 December 1903, after receiving a court ruling that performances in the USA could not be prevented by Bayreuth, the New York Metropolitan Opera staged the complete opera, using many Bayreuth-trained singers, much to the chagrin of Wagner's family. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting The United States of America —commonly referred to as the New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880 is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. Unauthorized stage performances were also undertaken in Amsterdam in 1905, 1906 and 1908. Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year In 1913, Wagner's centenary year, Bayreuth's monopoly on the work was finally broken and since then the work has been freely staged throughout the world. Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[18]The first authorized performance was mounted in Barcelona: it began one hour before midnight on December 31 1912, taking advantage of the one hour time difference which existed at that time between Barcelona and Bayreuth. Such was the demand for Parsifal that it was presented in more than 50 European opera houses between January 1st and August 1st 1914. ^[19]

Applause during Parsifal

At Bayreuth performances audiences do not applaud at the end of the first act. This tradition is the result of a misunderstanding arising from Wagner's desire at the premiere to maintain the serious mood of the opera. The word premiere (or première, from the French première, "first" generally means "a first performance" After much applause following the first and second acts, Wagner spoke to the audience and said that the cast would take no curtain calls until the end of the performance. A curtain call (walkdown bow occurs at the end of a performance when individuals return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for their performance This confused the audience, who remained silent at the end of the opera until Wagner addressed them again, saying that he did not mean that they could not applaud. After the performance Wagner complained "Now I don't know. Did the audience like it or not?" ^[20] At following performances some believed that Wagner had wanted no applause until the very end, and there was silence after the first two acts. Eventually it became a Bayreuth tradition that no applause would be heard after the first act, however this was certainly not Wagner's idea. In fact during the first Bayreuth performances Wagner himself cried "Bravo!" as the Flower-maidens made their exit in the Second Act, only to be hissed by other members of the audience. ^[21] At theatres other than Bayreuth, applause and curtain-calls is normal practice after every act.

Post-War Performances

Parsifal is one of the Wagner operas regularly presented at the Bayreuth Festival to this day. The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of Operas by the 19th century German composer Among the more significant post-war productions was that directed in 1951 by Wieland Wagner, the composer's grandson. Wieland Wagner ( January 5, 1917 – October 17, 1966) was a German Opera director At the first Bayreuth Festival after World War 2 he presented a radical move away from literal representation of the Hall of the Grail or the Flower-Maiden's bower. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Instead, lighting effects and the bare minimum of scenery were used to complement Wagner's music. This production was heavily influenced by the ideas of the Swiss stage designer, Adolphe Appia. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Appia redirects here For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Appia (butterfly. The reaction to this production was extreme: Ernest Newman, Wagner's biographer described it as "not only the best Parsifal I have ever seen and heard, but one of the three or four most moving spiritual experiences of my life". Ernest Newman ( Everton Liverpool, November 30, 1868 – Tadworth, Surrey, July 7, 1959) was an English ^[22] Others were appalled that Wagner's stage directions were being flouted. The conductor of the 1951 production, Hans Knappertsbusch, on being asked how he could conduct such a disgraceful travesty, declared that right up until the dress rehearsal he imagined that the stage decorations were still to come. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Hans Knappertsbusch ( March 12, 1888 &ndash October ^[23] Knappertsbusch was particularly upset by the omission of the dove which appears over Parsifal's head at the end of the opera, which he claimed inspired him to give better performances. To placate his conductor Wieland arranged to reinstate the dove, which descended on a string. What Knappertsbusch did not realise was that Wieland had made the length of the string sufficient so that the conductor could see the dove, but the audience could not. ^[24] Wieland continued to modify and refine his Bayreuth production of Parsifal until his death in 1966.

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast July 26, 1882 (Conductor: Hermann Levi)	The Met Premiere Cast December 24, 1903 (Conductor: Alfred Hertz)
Parsifal	tenor	Hermann Winkelmann	Alois Burgstaller
Kundry	mezzo-soprano or soprano	Amalia Materna	Milka Ternina
Gurnemanz, a veteran Knight of the Grail	bass	Emil Scaria	Robert Blass
Amfortas, ruler of the Grail kingdom	baritone	Theodor Reichmann	Anton van Rooy
Klingsor, a magician	bass-baritone	Karl Hill	Otto Goritz
Titurel, Amfortas' father	bass	August Kindermann	Marcel Journet
Two Grail Knights	tenor, bass	Anton Fuchs Eugen Stumpf	Bayer Muhlmann
Four Esquires	sopranos, tenors	Hermine Galfy Mathilde Keil Max Mikorey Adolf von Hübbenet	Moran Braendle Harden Bayer
Six Flowermaidens	3 sopranos, 3 contraltos or 6 sopranos	Pauline Horson Johanna Meta Carrie Pringle Johanna André Hermine Galfy Luise Belce
Voice from Above, Eine Stimme	contralto	Sophie Dompierre	Louise Homer
Knights of the Grail, boys, flowermaidens

Synopsis

Place: Spain, the castle of Monsalvat and Klingsor's magic palace. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Hermann Levi ( November 7, 1839 &ndash May 13 WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Alfred Hertz ( July 15, 1872 &ndash April 17 The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice Alois Burgstaller, ( September 21, 1872 in Holzkirchen &ndash April 19, 1945) was a German Tenor. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. Milka Ternina or Milka Trnina ( December 19, 1863 – May 18, 1941) was a Croatian dramatic Soprano with an outstanding Emil Scaria ( September 18, 1838 - July 23, 1886) was an Austrian Bass-baritone. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. Anton van Rooy ( January 1, 1870 - November 28, 1932) was a Dutch Baritone. A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass that shares certain qualities with the Baritone Voice type. Marcel Journet ( July 25, 1867 &ndash September 7, 1933) was a French bass. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This is the mountain in Catalonia For other uses see Montserrat (disambiguation.

Act 1

Scene 1

Ethereal music –– in a major chord –– is heard, reaching an octave note to finish. The sequence is reprised in a minor chord that fails to hit the high note at its end. Finally, the Grail leitmotif is followed by a brassy 'Faith' leitmotif. A leitmotif (ˌlaɪtmoʊˈtiːf (also leitmotiv; lit "leading motif" is a recurring Musical theme, associated with a particular person place The prelude closes with the Fool's wanderings, reaching final resolution as he finds the Holy Forest.

In a forest near the castle of Monsalvat, home of the Grail and its Knights, Gurnemanz, eldest Knight of the Grail, wakes his young squires and leads them in prayer. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish plate or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers In Feudal or Medieval times a squire was a Man-at-arms in the service of a Knight, often as his Apprentice. He sees Amfortas and his retinue approach, and asks its lead Knight for news of the King’s health. The knight says that the King has suffered during the night and is going early for his bath in the holy lake. A king is a male Monarch, or a Head of state, who may or may not depending on the style of government of a nation exercise monarchal powers over a territory usually The squires ask Gurnemanz to explain how the King’s injury can be healed, but he evades their question and a wild woman––Kundry––bursts in. She gives Gurnemanz a vial of balsam, brought from Arabia, to ease the King’s pain and then collapses, exhausted. The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab)

Amfortas, King of the Grail Knights, is carried in on a stretcher. Hermann Hendrich (born 31 October 1854 in Heringen in Thuringia, Germany; died 18 July 1931 in Schreiberhau A stretcher is a Medical device used to carry casualties or an incapacitated person from one place to another He calls for Gawain, whose own attempt at relieving the King's pain had failed. The King is told that this Knight has already left, seeking a better remedy. Angrily, the king says that leaving without permission is the sort of impetuousity which led Amfortas himself into Klingsor’s realm, and to his downfall. He accepts Kundry’s potion and tries to thank her, but she answers hastily that thanks will not help and urges him to his bath.

The King's procession continues on. Once it has gone, the squires eye Kundry mistrustfully and question her. After one short retort, she falls silent. Gurnemanz tells them that Kundry has often helped the Grail Knights but that she appears and disappears at her whim. When he himself asks her why she does not stay to help, she replies that she never helps. The squires think she is a witch and sneer that if she is so helpful, why does she not find the Holy Spear for them? Gurnemanz solemnly tells that this deed is destined for someone else. Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers The Holy Lance (also known as the Spear of Destiny, Holy Spear, Lance of Longinus, Spear of Longinus or Spear of Christ) is the name He mentions that Amfortas had been the guardian of the Spear, but lost hold of it as he was seduced by an irresistibly attractive woman in Klingsor’s domain. Klingsor then grabbed the Spear and stabbed Amfortas: this wound in Amfortas’ side causes his suffering and, as told by Gurnemanz, will never heal on its own. In Medicine, a wound is a type of Injury in which the Skin is torn cut or punctured (an open wound or where blunt force trauma

Two squires, returning from the King’s bath, tell Gurnemanz that Kundry’s balsam has eased the King’s sufferings for the moment. Bathing is the immersion of the body in a Fluid, usually Water or an aqueous solution His squires ask Gurnemanz if he knew Klingsor. He tells them how both the Holy Spear, which pierced the side of the Redeemer on the Cross, and the Holy Grail, which caught the outflowing blood, had come to Monsalvat to be guarded by the Knights of the Grail under the rule of Titurel –– Amfortas’ father. According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish plate or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers Blood is a specialized Bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's cells ��such as nutrients and oxygen—and transports Waste products Klingsor had yearned to join the Knights but unable to drive impure thoughts from his mind, resorted to self-castration, causing his expulsion from the Knights' order. Castration (also referred to as Gelding, Neutering, Fixing, orchiectomy, and orchidectomy is any action surgical, chemical Made bitter, Klingsor set himself up in opposition to the Kingdom of the Grail, learning dark arts and claiming a domain full of beautiful flower-maidens who seduce and enthrall Knights of the Grail. It was here that Amfortas lost the Holy Spear, which Klingsor now held while greedily eyeing the Grail, wanting it as well. Gurnemanz tells how Amfortas later had a holy vision which told him to wait for a “pure fool, enlightened by compassion” (“Durch Mitleid wissend, der reine Tor”) who would finally heal the wound. A jester, joker, jokester, fool, wit-cracker, prankster, or buffoon is a member of a profession that came into popularity Compassion is a profound human Emotion prompted by the pain of others

Just at this moment, cries are heard from the Knights: a flying swan has been shot, and a young man is brought forth, a bow in his hand and carrying a quiver of matching arrows. Swans are Birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and Ducks Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in A bow is a Weapon that projects arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow Gurnemanz speaks sternly to the lad and tells him that this is a holy domain. He then asks the lad if he did this deed and the lad boasts that if it flies, he can hit it ("Im Fluge treff' ich was fliegt!") The elderly Knight asks what harm the swan had done, getting the lad to notice the swan's blood-flecked remains, limp wings and lifeless eyes. Now remorseful, the young man breaks his bow and casts it aside. Gurnemanz now asks why the lad is here, who is his father, how the lad found this place and, lastly, his name. To each question the lad replies, "I don't know. " The elder Knight sends his squires away to help the King, then asks the young man to tell what he does know. The Fool says he has a mother, named Herzeleide, and that he himself made his bow. Kundry has been listening and now she tells them that this boy’s father was Gamuret, a knight killed in battle, and also how the lad’s mother had forbidden her son to use a sword, fearing that he would meet the same fate as his father. Parsifal exclaims that upon seeing Knights pass through his forest, he immediately left his mother to follow them. Kundry laughs and tells the young man that his mother has died of grief, at which the lad attempts to grab Kundry, but then collapses in grief. Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss it also has physical cognitive behavioral social and philosophical Kundry herself now seems overcome with sleep, but cries out that she must not sleep and wishes that she would never waken. Sleep is a Natural state of bodily rest observed throughout the animal kingdom She crawls into the undergrowth to rest.

Gurnemanz knows that the Grail leads only the pious to Monsalvat and thus takes the lad to observe the Grail ritual. A ritual is a set of actions often thought to have Symbolic value the performance of which is usually prescribed by a Religion or by the Traditions Parsifal does not know what the Grail is but remarks, as they walk, that while he seems scarcely to move, he has travelled far. Gurnemanz says that in this realm, time becomes space. An orchestral interlude leads into Scene Two.

Scene 2

They arrive at the Hall of the Grail, where the Knights are assembling to receive Holy Communion. The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those The voice of Titurel is heard, telling his son, Amfortas, to uncover the Grail. Amfortas is racked with shame and suffering (" Wehvolles Erbe, dem ich verfallen"). He is the Guardian of the Grail, and yet he has succumbed to temptation and lost the Holy Spear: he declares himself unworthy of his office. He cries out for forgiveness (“Erbarmen!”) but hears only the promise of future redemption by the pure fool. Forgiveness doesn't mean that you deny the other person's responsibility for hurting you and it doesn't minimize or justify the wrong A promise (also called troth) is a Psychological contract indicating a transaction between two persons whereby the first person undertakes in the future In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of On hearing Amfortas' cry, the boy appears to suffer with him, clutching at his heart. The Knights and Titurel urge Amfortas to reveal the Grail, which he finally does. The Hall is bathed in the light of the Grail as the Knights commune. Gurnemanz motions to the boy to participate, but he, entranced, does not notice. Amfortas does not commune, and as the ceremony ends, he collapses in pain and is taken out. A ceremony is an activity infused with Ritual significance performed on a special occasion Slowly the Hall empties leaving only the boy and Gurnemanz, who asks him if he has understood what he has seen. Several things are commonly known as Halls or halls. For the development of meaning of the word 'hall' see Hall (concept. The boy cannot answer and is roughly ejected by Gurnemanz with a warning not to shoot swans. A voice from heaven repeats the promise, “The pure fool, enlightened by compassion. Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond "

Act 2

Scene 1

The second act opens in Klingsor’s magic castle, where he calls up his servant to enslave a foolish boy who has found his way into this magician's domain ("Die Zeit ist da. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. "). He names her: Herodias, Gundryggia and, lastly, Kundry. Herodias (c 15 BC-after 39 AD was a Jewish princess of the Herodian Dynasty. She is transformed into an incredibly alluring woman, as when she seduced Amfortas. Waking from a deep sleep, she resists Klingsor. As he claims power over her, she mocks his enforced chastity, which casts him into self-reproach. Chastity is Sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the ethical norms and guidelines of a culture civilization or Religion. Then she herself succumbs to an ancient curse. Klingsor now calls upon the Knights in his domain to attack the lad, but can only watch as the newcomer wounds them and beats them back. He sees this young man stray into his Flower-maiden garden and calls to Kundry to seek the boy out – but she has already gone.

Scene 2

The triumphant lad now finds himself in a Garden, surrounded by beautiful and seductive Flower-maidens. A garden is a planned space usually outdoors set aside for the display cultivation and enjoyment of Plants and other forms of Nature. They call to him, and entwine themselves about him while chiding him for wounding their lovers,. . . and for resisting their charms ("Komm, komm, holder Knabe!"). They soon fight amongst themselves to win his singular devotion but are stilled as a voice calls out, "Parsifal!" The boy now remembers that this name is what his mother used when appearing in his dreams. The Flower-maidens recoil from him and call him a fool as they leave Parsifal and Kundry alone. He wonders if this has all been a dream and asks how she knows his name. Dreams are the images sounds thoughts and feelings experienced while Sleeping, particularly strongly associated with Rapid eye movement sleep. Kundry tells him that she knows his name from his mother ("Ich sah das Kind an seiner Mutter Brust. "), who had loved him and tried to shield him from his father’s fate, the mother he had abandoned and who had finally died of grief. Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss it also has physical cognitive behavioral social and philosophical Parsifal is overcome with remorse and blames himself for his mother’s death. Remorse (also called compunction) is an emotional expression of personal regret felt by a person after he or she has committed an act which they deem to be shameful He thinks he must be very stupid to have forgotten his own mother. Kundry says that this realization is his first sign of understanding, and that she can help him understand his mother’s love by kissing him. A lengthy kiss ensues, but Parsifal recoils in pain and cries out for Amfortas: Parsifal feels Amfortas' wound burning in his own side, and now understands Amfortas’ passion during the Grail Ceremony ("Amfortas! Die Wunde! Die Wunde!") Filled with this compassion for Amfortas, Parsifal rejects Kundry. A kiss is the touching of one person's lips to another place which is used as an expression of Affection, Respect, Greeting, Farewell Compassion is a profound human Emotion prompted by the pain of others

Furious, Kundry tells Parsifal that if he can feel compassion for Amfortas, then he must feel compassion for her as well. She has been cursed for centuries, unable to rest, because she saw the Savior on the cross and laughed. Wandering Jew is a figure from medieval Christian folklore whose legend began to spread in Europe in the thirteenth century and became a fixture of Christian mythology Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Schadenfreude (ˈʃaːdənˌfʁɔʏ̯də) is enjoyment taken from the misfortune of someone else Now she can never weep, only laugh, and though she seems to be the slave of the Spear-carrier, due to her curse, she lives only to seduce. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another He rejects her again and asks her to lead him to Amfortas. She begs him to stay with her for just one hour, and then she will lead him to Amfortas. When he still refuses, she curses him to wander without ever finding the Kingdom of the Grail, and finally she calls on Klingsor to help her.

Klingsor appears and throws the Spear at Parsifal, which halts in midair, above his head. Parsifal seizes it and makes the sign of the Cross, and the castle crumbles. The Christian cross is the best-known Religious symbol of Christianity. As he leaves, he tells Kundry that she knows where she can find him again.

Act 3

Scene 1

The Third act opens again at the Kingdom of the Grail, many years later. Gurnemanz, now aged and bent, hears a crying outside his hut and discovers Kundry unconscious. He revives her, using water from the Holy Spring, but she will only speak the word “serve” (“Dienen”). A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface Gurnemanz wonders if there is any significance in the fact that she has reappeared on this special day. He then notices a figure dressed in full armour approaching. Armour (or armor) is protective covering most commonly manufactured from metals to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact He cannot see who it is because the stranger wears a helmet, and does not speak. Finally the apparition removes its helmet and Gurnemanz recognises the boy who shot the swan, and then realises that the spear carried by him is the Holy Spear.

Parsifal tells of his desire to return to Amfortas (" Zu ihm, des tiefe Klagen. ") He relates his journey, wandering for years unable to find the path back to the Grail: he has often been forced to fight, but has never wielded the Spear in battle. Gurnemanz tells him that the curse preventing Parsifal from finding his right path has now been lifted, but that in his absence Amfortas has refused to reveal the Grail, and that Titurel has died. Parsifal is overcome with remorse, blaming himself for this state of affairs. Remorse (also called compunction) is an emotional expression of personal regret felt by a person after he or she has committed an act which they deem to be shameful Gurnemanz tells him that today is the day of Titurel’s funeral rites, and that Parsifal has a great duty to perform. A funeral is a Ceremony marking a person's Death. Funerary customs comprise the complex of Beliefs and practices used by a Culture to remember Kundry washes Parsifal’s feet and Gurnemanz anoints him with water from the Holy Spring, recognising him as the pure fool, now enlightened by compassion, and as the new King of the Knights of the Grail. To anoint is to pour or smear with perfumed oil milk water melted butter or other substances a process employed ritually by many religions and races

Parsifal comments on the beauty of the meadow and Gurnemanz explains that today is Good Friday, when all the world is renewed. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" Parsifal baptizes the weeping Kundry. A short orchestral interlude leads into Scene Two.

Scene 2

Once more they travel to the Hall of the Grail. Amfortas is brought before the Grail and before Titurel’s coffin. A coffin (also known as a casket in North American English) is a funerary Box used in the display and containment of deceased remains – either for He cries out to his dead father to offer him rest from his sufferings, and wishes to join him in death (" Mein vater!Hochgesegneter der Helden!") The Knights of Grail urge Amfortas angrily to reveal the Grail to them again, but Amfortas in a frenzy says he will never reveal the Grail and commands his Knights to kill him. At this moment, Parsifal arrives and says that only one weapon can perform this task (" Nur eine Waffe taugt"): with the Spear he heals Amfortas’ wound and forgives him. He commands the revealing of the Grail. All kneel while Kundry, released from her curse, sinks lifeless to the ground while a white dove descends to hover over the head of Parsifal. A curse (also called execration) is any manner of Adversity thought to be inflicted by any supernatural power (such as a spell, a Prayer, an

Criticism and Influence

As Wagner's last opera, Parsifal has been both influential and controversial. The use of Christian symbols in Parsifal (the Grail, the Spear, references to the Redeemer) have sometimes led to it being regarded almost as a religious rite. It should be noted, however, that Wagner never actually refers to Jesus Christ by name in the opera, preferring instead to refer to "The Redeemer". Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) In his essay "Religion and Art" Wagner himself described the use of Christian imagery thus:

"When religion becomes artificial, art has a duty to rescue it. Art can show that the symbols which religions would have us believe literally true are actually figurative. Art can idealize those symbols, and so reveal the profound truths they contain. "^[25]

Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche, who was originally one of Wagner's champions, chose to use Parsifal as the grounds for his breach with Wagner. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15 1844 August 25 1900 ( was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist In "Nietzsche contra Wagner" he wrote:

"Parsifal is a work of perfidy, of vindictiveness, of a secret attempt to poison the presuppositions of life - a bad work. Nietzsche contra Wagner is a critical essay by Friedrich Nietzsche, written in his last year of lucidity (1888-1889 The preaching of chastity remains an incitement to anti-nature: I despise everyone who does not experience Parsifal as an attempted assassination of basic ethics. "^[26]

Despite this attack on the subject matter, he also admitted that the music was sublime: "Has Wagner ever written anything better?" (Letter to Peter Gast, 1887). Johann Heinrich Köselitz ( 10 January 1854 – 15 August 1918) was a German author and composer Claude Debussy, who was in later years very critical of Wagner and his influence, called it "one of the loveliest monuments of sound ever raised to the serene glory of music". Achille-Claude Debussy (aʃil klod dəbysi (August 22 1862 &ndash March 25 1918 was a French Composer. Gustav Mahler, who attended the premiere, stated afterwards: "When I came out of the Festspielhaus, unable to speak a word, I knew that I had experienced supreme greatness and supreme suffering, and that this experience, hallowed and unsullied, would stay with me for the rest of my life". Parsifal was a major source of inspiration for T. S. Eliot's poem "The Waste Land", and also adapted for the screen (in a highly controversial fashion) by director Hans-Jürgen Syberberg. Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (September 26 1888 – January 4 1965 was a poet Dramatist, and Literary critic. The Waste Land ( 1922) is a highly influential 434-line modernist poem by T Hans-Jürgen Syberberg (born December 8 1935) is a German Film director, whose best known film is his lengthy feature Hitler

Perceived racism of the libretto

Some writers see in the opera the promotion of racism and anti-semitism ^[27][28] suggesting that Parsifal was written in support of the ideas of Arthur de Gobineau who advocated Aryanism. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility Joseph Arthur Comte de Gobineau ( July 14, 1816 — October 13, 1882) was a French Aristocrat, novelist and man of The " Aryan race " is a concept in European culture that was influential in the period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Parsifal is proposed as the "pure-blooded" (ie Aryan) hero who overcomes Klingsor, who is perceived as a Jewish stereotype, particularly since he opposes the quasi-Christian Knights of the Grail. The " Aryan race " is a concept in European culture that was influential in the period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Such claims remain heavily debated,^[29][30][31] since there is nothing explicit in the libretto to support them, and Cosima Wagner's diaries, which relate in great detail Wagner's thoughts over the last 14 years of his life (including the period covering the composition and first performance of Parsifal) never mention any such intention. Wagner first met Gobineau very briefly in 1876, but he only read Gobineau's An Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races^[32] in 1880. An Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races (1853&ndash1855 by Joseph Arthur Comte de Gobineau is a voluminous work while originally intended as a work of However, Wagner had completed the libretto for Parsifal by 1877, and the original drafts of the story date back to 1857. Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Despite this lack of chronology, Gobineau is frequently cited as a major inspiration for Parsifal. ^[33]

There is no evidence that Parsifal was perceived as racist by its contemporaries; otherwise it would be difficult to understand why the Bayreuth première was directed by the German-Jewish conductor Hermann Levi.

If indeed Parsifal so clearly expressed the concept of Aryan supremacy then it would doubtless have been popular with the Nazi party in 20th Century Germany. The " Aryan race " is a concept in European culture that was influential in the period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. In fact, the Nazis placed a de facto ban on performances of Parsifal because of its "pacifist undertones". ^[34]

Schopenhauer

Other writers (particularly Bryan Magee) ^[35] see Parsifal as Wagner's last great espousal of Schopenhaurian philosophy. Bryan Edgar Magee (born 12 April 1930) is a noted British broadcasting personality Politician, and Author, best known as a popularizer of Parsifal can heal Amfortas and redeem Kundry because he shows compassion, which Schopenhauer saw as the highest form of human morality. Compassion is a profound human Emotion prompted by the pain of others Moreover, he displays compassion in the face of enormous sexual temptation (Act 2 scene 3). Once again, Schopenhaurian philosophy suggests that the only escape from the ever-present temptations of human life is through negation of the Will, and overcoming sexual temptation is in particular a strong form of negation of the Will. Will, or willpower is a philosophical concept that is defined in several different ways When viewed in this light, Parsifal, with its emphasis on "Mitleid" (compassion) is a natural follow-on to Tristan und Isolde, where Schopenhauer's influence is perhaps more obvious, with its focus on "Sehnen" (yearning). Tristan und Isolde ( Tristan and Isolde, or Tristan and Isolda) is an Opera, or Music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner Indeed, Wagner originally considered including Parsifal as a character in Act 3 of Tristan, but later rejected the idea. ^[36]

Many music theorists have used Parsifal to explore difficulties in analyzing the chromaticism of late 19th century music. Music theory is the field of study that deals with the Mechanics of music and how Music works Musical analysis can be defined as an attempt to answer the Question how does this Music work?. In Music, chromaticism is a Compositional technique interspersing the primary Diatonic pitches and chords with other pitches of the Chromatic Theorists such as David Lewin and Richard Cohn have explored the importance of certain pitches and harmonic progressions both in structuring and symbolizing the work. David Lewin ( July 2 1933 - May 5 2003) was an American Music theorist, music Critic and Composer. ^[37][38] The unusual harmonic progressions in the leitmotifs which structure the piece, as well as the heavy chromaticism of Act II, make it a difficult work to parse not only philosophically, but musically. A leitmotif (ˌlaɪtmoʊˈtiːf (also leitmotiv; lit "leading motif" is a recurring Musical theme, associated with a particular person place

Listening to Parsifal

This section serves as an introduction to appreciating the music of Parsifal.

Leitmotifs

A leitmotif is a recurring musical theme associated within a particular piece of music with a particular person, place or idea. A leitmotif (ˌlaɪtmoʊˈtiːf (also leitmotiv; lit "leading motif" is a recurring Musical theme, associated with a particular person place Wagner is the composer most often associated with leitmotifs, and Parsifal makes liberal use of them. The opening prelude introduces two important leitmotifs, the Communion theme and the Grail. These two, and Parsifal's own motive, are repeatedly referenced during the course of the opera. Other characters, especially Klingsor, Amfortas, and "The Voice," which sings the Tormotif (Fool's motive), have their own particular leitmotifs. Wagner uses the Dresden amen to represent the Grail, this motif being a sequence of notes he would have known since his childhood in Dresden. The Dresden amen is a sequence of six notes sung by choirs during church services in the German state of Saxony from at least the beginning of the 19th century Dresden (etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest, Drježdźany is the Capital city of the German

Notable Arias and orchestral excerpts

As is common in mature Wagner operas, Parsifal was composed with each act being a continuous block of music ("durchcomponiert"), hence there are no free-standing arias in the work. Music is described as through-composed when it is relatively continuous non- sectional and/or non- Repetitive. This article is about the musical term "aria" For other meanings or uses of the word see Aria (disambiguation. However a number of orchestral excerpts from the opera were arranged by Wagner himself and remain in the concert repertory. The overture to Act 1 is frequently performed either alone or in conjunction with an arrangement of the "Good Friday" music which accompanies the second half of Act 3 scene 1. Kundry's long solo in Act 2 ("Ich sah das Kind") is occasionally performed in concert, as is Amfortas' lament from Act 1 ("Wehvolles Erbe").

Media

• Parsifal (Act III) 6:29 (1523 kB) - Libretto

Wiener Staatsoper, Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper, Donald Runnicles, Vienna, 11 April 2004

• Parsifal: Finale To Act III 4:00

Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin

Recordings of Parsifal

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. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Bayreuthfestjpg|thumb|350px|right|Bayreuth Festspielhaus as seen in 1882 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. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Hans Knappertsbusch ( March 12, 1888 &ndash October The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of Operas by the 19th century German composer World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including These historic performances were recorded and are available on the Teldec label in mono sound. Knappertsbusch recorded the opera again for Philips in 1962 in stereo, and this release is often considered to be the classic Parsifal recording. ^[39] 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 Orchestra) have been widely praised. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Sir Georg Solti, KBE ( 21 October 1912 WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Herbert von Karajan ( April 5 Daniel Barenboim (born November 15, 1942) is a pianist and conductor. The Berlin Philharmonic (in German: Die Berliner Philharmoniker) is an Orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. ^[40] The von Karajan recording was voted "Record of the Year" in the 1981 Gramophone Awards. The Gramophone Awards are one of the most significant honours bestowed on the classical Record industry, often referred to as the Oscars for classical Also highly regarded is a recording of Parsifal under the baton of Rafael Kubelík originally made for Deutsche Grammophon, now reissued on Arts Archives. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Rafael Jeroným Kubelík ( June 29 1914 &ndash

Selected recordings

Year	Cast (Parsifal, Kundry, Gurnemanz, Amfortas, Klingsor)	Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra	Label Stereo/Mono
1951	Wolfgang Windgassen, Martha Mödl, Ludwig Weber, George London, Hermann Uhde	Hans Knappertsbusch Bayreuth Festspielhaus orchestra and chorus	Audio CD: Teldec Cat:9031760472 Mono
1962	Jess Thomas, Irene Dalis, Hans Hotter, George London, Gustav Neidlinger	Hans Knappertsbusch Bayreuth Festspielhaus orchestra and chorus	Audio CD: Philips Cat:4757785 Stereo
1970	James King, Dame Gwyneth Jones, Franz Crass, Thomas Stewart, Sir Donald McIntyre	Pierre Boulez Bayreuth Festspielhaus orchestra and chorus	Audio CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat:4357182 Stereo
1972	René Kollo, Christa Ludwig, Gottlob Frick, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Zoltán Kelemen	Georg Solti Vienna State Opera Orchestra and chorus	Audio CD: Decca Records Cat:4708052 Stereo
1976	René Kollo, Gisela Schröter, Ulrik Cold, Theo Adam, Reid Bunger	Herbert Kegel Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and chorus	Audio CD: Berlin/VEB Deutsche Schallplatten DDR Cat: 0013482BC Stereo
1980	James King, Yvonne Minton, Kurt Moll, Bernd Weikl, Franz Mazura	Rafael Kubelík Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra	Audio CD: Arts Archives Cat:430272 Stereo
	Peter Hofmann, Dunja Vejzovic, Kurt Moll, José van Dam, Siegmund Nimsgern	Herbert von Karajan Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and chorus	Audio CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat:4133472 Stereo
1981	Reiner Goldberg, Yvonne Minton, Robert Lloyd, Wolfgang Schoene, Aage Haugland	Armin Jordan Monte Carlo Radio Orchestra	Audio CD: Erato Cat: 2292-45662-2 Stereo
1987	Peter Hofmann, Waltraud Meier, Simon Estes, Matti Salminen, Franz Mazura, Hans Sotin	James Levine Bayreuth Festspielhaus orchestra and chorus	Audio CD: Philips Cat: 434 616-2 Stereo
1991	Siegfried Jerusalem, Waltraud Meier, Jose van Dam, Matthias Holle, Gunter von Kannen	Daniel Barenboim Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and chorus	Audio CD: Teldec Cat:9031744482 Stereo
1993	Placido Domingo, Jessye Norman, Kurt Moll, James Morris, Ekkehard Wlaschiha	James Levine Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and chorus	Audio CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat:4375012 Stereo
2005	Placido Domingo, Waltraud Meier, Franz-Josef Selig, Falk Struckmann, Wolfgang Bankl	Christian Thielemann Vienna State Opera Orchestra and chorus	Audio CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat:4776006 Stereo

Note: "Cat:" is short for catalogue number by the label company. Martha Mödl (born March 22 1912, in Nuremberg - died December 17 2001, in Stuttgart) was a German Soprano Ludwig Weber ( July 29, 1899 – December 9, 1979) was an Austrian bass. Hermann Uhde ( July 20 1914 – October 10 1965 was a German Wagnerian Baritone. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Hans Knappertsbusch ( March 12, 1888 &ndash October Bayreuthfestjpg|thumb|350px|right|Bayreuth Festspielhaus as seen in 1882 Jess Thomas ( August 4, 1927, Hot Springs South Dakota — October 11, 1993, San Francisco California) was a lyric and Hans Hotter ( 19 January 1909 &ndash 6 December 2003) was a German Operatic Bass-baritone, admired internationally Gustav Neidlinger ( March 21, 1910 – December 26, 1991) was a German Bass-baritone. Bayreuthfestjpg|thumb|350px|right|Bayreuth Festspielhaus as seen in 1882 Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV ( Royal Philips Electronics Inc. James King may refer to Government James G King (1791-1853 American businessman and New Jersey congressman James King King (1806-1881 Dame Gwyneth Jones DBE (born November 7, 1936 in Pontnewynydd, Wales) is a Welsh Soprano. Franz Crass (born February 9 1928 is a German Bass-baritone. A native of Wipperfürth, Crass studied with Gerda Heuer in Wiesbaden Thomas Stewart was an illegitimate son of King Robert II of Scotland. WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes -->Sir Donald McIntyre (born in Auckland, on October 22, 1934) is WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Pierre Boulez (pjɛʁ buˈlɛz (b Bayreuthfestjpg|thumb|350px|right|Bayreuth Festspielhaus as seen in 1882 Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical Record label. The company has long been known for its high standards of audio fidelity. René Kollo (born November 20, 1937) is a German Tenor. He was born René Kollodzieyski in Berlin and grew up in Wyk auf Christa Ludwig (born March 16, 1928) is a German retired Mezzo-soprano, distinguished for her performances of Opera and Lieder WikipediaWikiProject_Opera#Infoboxes --> Gottlob Frick (born Ölbronn, Germany, 28 July, 1906 The German Baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (born 28 May 1925 is a German singer and conductor of Classical music, one of the most famous Zoltán Kelemen ( March 12, 1926 – May 9, 1979) was a Hungarian Bass-baritone. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Sir Georg Solti, KBE ( 21 October 1912 The Vienna State Opera ( Wiener Staatsoper) located in Vienna, Austria, is one of the most important Opera houses - and opera companies - in Decca Records is a British Record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. René Kollo (born November 20, 1937) is a German Tenor. He was born René Kollodzieyski in Berlin and grew up in Wyk auf Theo Adam is a distinguished Bass-baritone opera singer born on August 1, 1926, in Dresden, Germany. Herbert Kegel ( 29 July 1920, Dresden &ndash 20 November 1990, Dresden was a German conductor. From the 1950s until the 1980s the VEB Deutsche Schallplatten was the monopolistic music publisher in the German Democratic Republic. James King may refer to Government James G King (1791-1853 American businessman and New Jersey congressman James King King (1806-1881 Yvonne Fay Minton CBE (born December 4, 1938 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian Opera singer Kurt Moll (born April 11, 1938) is a German Operatic bass. Moll was born in Buir near Cologne, Germany. Bernd Weikl (born Vienna, 29 July, 1942) is an Austrian Operatic Baritone, best-known for his performances in the operas WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Rafael Jeroným Kubelík ( June 29 1914 &ndash The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra ( Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks) is the internationally renowned Orchestra of the Bayerischer Rundfunk Peter Hofmann (b 22 August 1944, Marienbad)is a German Operatic Tenor. Dunja Vejzovic (Vejzovič born in Zagreb, Croatia, on October 20 1943 is an acclaimed operatic Soprano who began her career (as a mezzo-soprano with Joseph Baron van Damme (born August 25, 1940) known under the Pseudonym José van Dam, is a Belgian Bass-baritone. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Herbert von Karajan ( April 5 The Berlin Philharmonic (in German: Die Berliner Philharmoniker) is an Orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. Robert Andrew Lloyd CBE (born 2 March 1940 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex) is an English bass singer Aage Haugland ( February 1, 1944 - December 23, 2000) was a Danish Operatic bass. Armin Jordan ( April 9, 1932 &ndash September 20, 2006) was a Swiss conductor known for his interpretations of French Erato Records is a Record label founded in 1953 to promote French Classical music. Peter Hofmann (b 22 August 1944, Marienbad)is a German Operatic Tenor. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Waltraud Meier (born January 9, 1956) is a Grammy -award Simon Estes (born February 2, 1938) is an American Bass-baritone. Matti Salminen (born July 7 1945, in Turku) is a Finnish bass singer who has sung in all of the most important opera houses of the world including the Franz Mazura (b April 22 1924 Salzburg) is an Austrian Bass-baritone Opera singer James Lawrence Levine (born 23 June 1943) is an American orchestral conductor and pianist. Bayreuthfestjpg|thumb|350px|right|Bayreuth Festspielhaus as seen in 1882 Siegfried Jerusalem (born Oberhausen, 17 April 1940) is a German Operatic Tenor. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Waltraud Meier (born January 9, 1956) is a Grammy -award Daniel Barenboim (born November 15, 1942) is a pianist and conductor. WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> José Plácido Domingo Embil KBE (born January 21, 1941) better Jessye Norman (born September 15, 1945) is a four time Grammy award winning African American opera singer James Morris is an American Opera singer boasting a stentorian bass voice best known for his role as Wotan in performances of Richard Wagner 's opera cycle James Lawrence Levine (born 23 June 1943) is an American orchestral conductor and pianist. The Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880 is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> José Plácido Domingo Embil KBE (born January 21, 1941) better WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Waltraud Meier (born January 9, 1956) is a Grammy -award Falk Struckmann (born 1958 in Heilbronn, Germany is an Operatic Bass-baritone, particularly prominent in the Wagnerian repertoire Christian Thielemann (born 1 April 1959, in Berlin) is a German conductor. The Vienna State Opera ( Wiener Staatsoper) located in Vienna, Austria, is one of the most important Opera houses - and opera companies - in

Instrumentation

Strings	Woodwind	Brass	Percussion	Offstage Instruments
Violins	Piccolo	4 Horns	Timpani	6 Trumpets
Violas	3 Flutes	3 Trumpets	2 Harps	6 Trombones
Cellos	3 Oboes	3 Trombones		Tenor drum
Double Basses	Alto Oboe ♦	Contrabass tuba		Bells
	3 Clarinets			Thunder machine
	Bass clarinet
	3 Bassoons
	Contrabassoon
	♦ a cor anglais is usually used today in place of the obsolete alto oboe

The bells

For the entrance to the castle of Monsalvat in acts one and three, Wagner scored a repeating four-note theme, C G A E, to be played on bells. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The piccolo is a small Flute. Like the flute the piccolo is normally pitched in the key of C one octave above the concert flute (making it effectively a sopranino Timpani (also known colloquially as kettledrums or kettle drums) are Musical instruments in the percussion family The viola is a bowed String instrument. It is the middle voice of the Violin family, The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its The harp is a Stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. The violoncello (abbreviated to cello, or 'cello, plural cellos or celli —the c is tʃ "Hautbois" redirects here for the strawberry variety see Hautbois strawberry. The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s A tenor drum is a cylindrical drum which is higher pitched than a Bass drum. The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed String instrument used in the modern symphony orchestra. The cor anglais, or English horn, is a Double reed Woodwind Musical instrument in the Oboe family Mediatubaogg -->The tuba is the largest and lowest pitched Brass instrument. A bell is a simple Sound -making device The bell is a Percussion instrument and an Idiophone. The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word The bass clarinet is a Musical instrument of the Clarinet family The bassoon is a Woodwind instrument in the Double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and Tenor registers and occasionally The contrabassoon is a larger version of the Bassoon sounding an octave lower The cor anglais, or English horn, is a Double reed Woodwind Musical instrument in the Oboe family The theme is very low, ranging from the C in the bass clef to the E below it, and consequently it is impractical to use tubular bells or church bells. A clef (from the French for "key" is a musical symbol used to indicate the pitch of written notes. Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are Musical instruments in the percussion family A church bell is a bell which is rung in a (especially Christian) church either to signify the Hour or the time for worshippers to go to Wagner experimented with several options to get his desired effect, including gongs, metal drums, and a specially-built instrument called the Parsifal bell which was similar to a piano. This article is about the Internet Protocol Television channel The drum is a member of the percussion group technically classified as a Membranophone. A Parsifal bell (German Parsifal Klavier Instrument) is a stringed musical instrument designed as a substitute for the church bells that are called for in the score of He settled on the metal drums, which were in use at Bayreuth until 1940, when they were melted down by the Nazis for ammunition. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Modern performances of Parsifal usually use synthesized bells.

References

• Beckett, Lucy (1981) Richard Wagner: Parsifal, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-29662-5

• Burbidge, Peter & Sutton, Richard (Eds. ) (1979). The Wagner Companion. Faber and Faber Ltd. , London. ISBN 0-571-11450-4.  

• Gregor-Dellin, Martin (1983) Richard Wagner: his life, his work, his Century. William Collins, ISBN 0-00-216669-0

• Magee, Bryan (2002). The Tristan Chord. Owl Books, NY. ISBN 0-8050-7189-X.   (UK Title: Wagner and Philosophy, Publisher Penguin Books Ltd, ISBN 0-14-029519-4)

• Melitz, Leo (2001). The Opera Goer's Complete Guide. Best Books Ltd. , London. ISBN 0-7222-6262-0.  

• Millington, Barry (Ed. ) (1992). The Wagner Compendium: A Guide to Wagner's Life and Music. Thames and Hudson Ltd. , London. ISBN 0-02-871359-1.  

Notes

External links

• Monsalvat Derrick Everett's extensive website on all aspects of Parsifal.
• Essay by Rolf May A Theosophical view of Parsifal
• Complete English and German Libretto and Wagner's own stage descriptions
• Complete vocal score of Parsifal
• Wagner Operas. This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky A comprehensive website featuring photographs of productions, recordings, librettos, and sound files.
• Summary of Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival
• Parsifal on Stage: a PDF by Katherine R. Syer
• Richard Wagner - Parsifal. Parzival is a major medieval German Epic poem attributed to the poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, written in the Middle High German A gallery of historic postcards with motives from Richard Wagner's operas.
• Reviews of Parsifal on record. by Geoffrey Riggs.

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