110221-24bk Parsifal USA

Mark Obert-Thorn
Mark Obert-Thorn is one of the world’s most respected transfer artist/engineers. He has worked for a number of
specialist labels, including Pearl, Biddulph, Romophone and Music & Arts. Three of his transfers have been
nominated for Gramophone Awards. A pianist by training, his passions are music, history and working on projects.
He has found a way to combine all three in the transfer of historical recordings.
Obert-Thorn describes himself as a ‘moderate interventionist’ rather than a ‘purist’ or ‘re-processor,’ unlike
those who apply significant additions and make major changes to the acoustical qualities of old recordings. His
philosophy is that a good transfer should not call attention to itself, but rather allow the performances to be heard with
the greatest clarity.
There is no over-reverberant ‘cathedral sound’ in an Obert-Thorn restoration, nor is there the tinny bass and
piercing mid-range of many ‘authorised’ commercial issues. He works with the cleanest available 78s, and
consistently achieves better results than restoration engineers working with the metal parts from the archives of the
modern corporate owners of the original recordings. His transfers preserve the original tone of the old recordings,
maximising the details in critical upper mid-range and lower frequencies to achieve a musical integrity that is absent
from many other commercially released restorations.
Great Opera Recordings
ADD
8.110221-24
WAGNER
Parsifal
Windgassen • Mödl • Weber • London • Van Mill • Uhde
Bayreuth Festival Chorus • Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Hans Knappertsbusch, Conductor
Recorded during July and August, 1951 at the Festspielhaus, Bayreuth
The Naxos Historical label aims to make available the greatest recordings in the history of recorded music, in the best
and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number of
respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standards
in the field of historical recordings.
8.110221-24
12
4 CDs
Great Opera Recordings
in bringing death to him and comfort to his Knights.
They urge him to reveal the Grail, but he is unwilling,
for the sight of the Grail will prevent his death and
mean further unendurable pain.
! Parsifal comes forward, holding aloft the Spear
and then lightly touching Amfortas with it, for this
alone can bring the relief that Amfortas craves.
Richard
WAGNER
Parsifal
Approaching the altar, Parsifal takes the Grail, now
shining with an unearthly light, and blesses those
gathered there. A white dove descends on his head,
Kundry sinks to the ground and Amfortas and
Gurnemanz now kneel before him.
Keith Anderson
Producer’s Note
This classic Knappertsbusch recording of Wagner’s Parsifal was made using portions of several performances at
the Bayreuth Festspielhaus during July and August of 1951. Decca had not been employing the medium of
magnetic tape for very long by that time; and although the balance is good and the sense of atmosphere palpable,
changes in perspective and audience noise are noticeable at some of their edits.
There are other problems with the original master, including post-echo (after Kundry’s octave leap in Act II,
for example) and swishing sounds (probably caused by bad tape azimuth alignment during the loud portions at the
opening of Act II), neither of which could be corrected. I have, however, fixed the pitch drop at the end of Act III
which plagued later LP reissues of this recording, and have also restored a chord (just before the appearance of the
Knights of the Grail in the same act) which was unaccountably cut in some LP editions.
Parsifal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wolfgang Windgassen
Kundry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Martha Mödl
Gurnemanz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ludwig Weber
Amfortas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George London
Titurel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arnold van Mill
Klingsor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hermann Uhde
First Knight of the Grail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walter Fritz
Second Knight of the Grail . . . . . . . . . . . .Werner Faulhaber
First Squire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hanna Ludwig
Second Squire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elfriede Wild
Third Squire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Günther Baldauf
Fourth Squire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gerhard Stolze
Flower Maidens . . . . Lore Wissmann, Erika Zimmermann,
Hanna Ludwig, Paula Brivkalne, Maria Lacorn
and Elfriede Wild
Solo Alto Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ruth Siewert
Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra (Chorus Master: Wilhelm Pitz)
Hans Knappertsbusch, Conductor
Recorded during July and August, 1951
First issued on Decca LXT 2651 through 2657
8.110221-24
2
11
8.110221-24
tells Kundry, who is in his power, to deal with Parsifal
as she did with Amfortas. 2 Kundry is unwilling, but is
reminded that whoever resists her will break the spell
that binds her. 3 In his glass Klingsor sees Parsifal
enter the magic garden, using his sword to quell the
opposition of Klingsor’s knights. Kundry, meanwhile,
has made off, to do as she must.
4 In the garden Flower Maidens are heard lamenting
the departure of their lovers. Parsifal gazes down at
them in astonishment. 5 The Flower Maidens invite
Parsifal to join them, playing around him and vying
with one another for his attention. Parsifal rejects their
blandishments, while admiring their beauty. 6 Kundry
appears, now transformed into a beautiful woman, and
calls Parsifal by his name. 7 She tells him of his father,
the meaning of his name and of his mother’s sorrow
and death. 8 He is drawn towards her and, 9 as she
kisses him, feels the pain that had afflicted Amfortas
and recoils in horror. 0 He resists all she can do to lure
him and she curses him, calling out. ! She seeks,
through him, her own redemption. Klingsor appears
and hurls at him the Spear, which remains suspended
over Parsifal’s head. He seizes it, making with it the
sign of the cross, at which the castle sinks and the
garden withers, while Kundry sinks to the ground.
Act III @ The Prelude to Act III evokes the spirit
of desolation that has fallen upon the realm of the Holy
Grail in an opening motif from the first violins. A
second motif represents the wandering of Parsifal in the
time that has now elapsed between the second and third
act. Finally he returns, to the sound of the Innocent Fool
motif and the motif of the Spear.
CD 4
1 The scene is open country, in the realm of the
Grail. It is early morning and Gurnemanz, now an old
man, comes out of his hermit’s hut, hearing the sound
of Kundry’s groans from the undergrowth. 2 She is
now dressed as a penitent and he tries to revive her.
Now she would only wish to serve him, but he tells her
that now the Knights have to look to themselves, in
their desolation and poverty. She sees someone
8.110221-24
approaching. It is Parsifal, dressed in black armour and
appearing uncertain of himself. 3 Gurnemanz
welcomes his guest, but tells him to lay down the spear
he carries, for the place is holy and the day is Good
Friday. Parsifal lays down his sword and shield, putting
his spear in the ground. He takes off his helmet and
kneels in prayer.
4 They recognise each other and Parsifal explains
how, after all his wandering and suffering, he is seeking
out the one whose suffering he once saw, bringing with
him, unsullied, the Holy Spear.
5 Gurnemanz is astonished, but tells Parsifal that it
was a curse that drove him to wander, while Amfortas,
in his pain and despair, no longer performed his holy
office, denying the Knights the comfort and sustenance
that the Grail would bring and thus causing the death of
Titurel. 6 Now finally Parsifal, who blames himself for
all this, will be brought to Amfortas, purified by the
holy spring water with which Kundry bathes his feet.
7 Gurnemanz anoints him with the holy water,
greeting him as one who has reached enlightenment
through suffering and now preparing him for the last
revelation of the Grail that Amfortas has now promised.
Parsifal performs his first duty by baptizing Kundry and
looks around at the beauty of the countryside.
Gurnemanz tells him that it is Good Friday, the fields
and meadows now moist with holy dew and with the
tears of penitents. He sings of the joy of creation and
Parsifal, turning to Kundry, gently kisses her.
8 Bells announce midday and Gurnemanz dresses
Parsifal in the mantle of a Knight of the Grail. Taking
the Spear, Parsifal follows Gurnemanz, accompanied
by Kundry, as the scene gradually changes from open
country to rocks that open to reveal the temple of the
Grail.
9 A procession of Knights bears in the Grail, with
Amfortas, while another group carries in the body of
Titurel, whose death is blamed on Amfortas and his sin.
They bid him perform his office for the last time.
0 The coffin of Titurel, placed before the stone
altar, is opened and Amfortas prays for his father’s help
10
CD 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Act I Part1
Prelude
He! Ho!
Seht dort, die wilde Reiterin!
(Gurnemanz, Knights, Squires, Kundry)
Recht so! Habt Dank!
(Amfortas, Gurnemanz, Knights, Kundry)
He! du da!
(Squires, Knights, Kundry)
Das ist ein and’res
(Gurnemanz, Squires)
Titurel, der fromme Held
(Gurnemanz, Squires)
CD 2
55:15
14:16
5:55
3:19
7:01
7:46
5:07
11:51
62:10
Act I Part 2
1 Weh! Weh!
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
3
(Knights, Squires, Gurnemanz, Parsifal)
Nun sag’: nichts weist du
(Knights, Squires, Gurnemanz, Parsifal, Kundry)
Vom Bade kehrt der König heim (Transformation Music)
(Gurnemanz, Parsifal)
Zum letzten Liebesmahle
(Knights, Youths, Boys)
Mein Sohn Amfortas
(Titurel, Amfortas)
“Durch Mitleid wissend, der reine Tor”
(Boys, Youths, Knights, Titurel, Voices)
Wein und Brot des letzten Mahles
(Boys, Youths, Knights)
Liebesmahle Music
Was stehst du noch da?
(Gurnemanz, Alto, Voices)
7:38
7:26
7:47
6:28
11:29
8:54
5:23
4:33
2:32
8.110221-24
CD 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
!
@
Act II
Die Zeit ist da
Ach! Ach! Tiefe Nacht
Furchtbare Not!
(Klingsor, Kundry)
Hier! – Hier war das Tosen
Komm’! Komm’! Holder Knabe!
(Flower Maidens, Parsifal)
Parsifal! Weile!
(Kundry, Parsifal, Flower Maidens)
Ich sah das Kind
(Kundry)
Wehe! Wehe!
Amfortas! Die Wunde!
Grausamer! Fühlst du im Herzen
(Parsifal, Kundry)
Erlösung, Frevlerin, biet’ ich auch dir
(Parsifal, Kundry, Klingsor)
Act III Part 1
Prelude
CD 4
78:20
6:39
3:46
8:14
4:22
5:36
6:49
5:41
5:15
9:21
10:07
6:45
5:45
76:26
Act III Part 2
1 Von dort her kam des Stöhnen
2 Du tolles Weib! Hast du kein Wort für mich?
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
!
(Gurnemanz, Kundry)
Heil dir, mein Gast!
Heil mir, dass ich dich wieder finde!
O Gnade! Höchstes Heil
Nicht so!
So ward es uns verheissen (Good Friday Spell)
(Gurnemanz, Parsifal)
Mittag: die Stund’ ist da (Transformation Music)
(Gurnemanz)
Geleiten wir im bergenden Schrein
(Knights)
Ja, Wehe! Wehe!
(Amfortas, Knights)
Nur eine Waffe taugt
(Parsifal, Voices, Knights, Squires)
8.110221-24
4:29
4:34
6:56
4:23
8:02
6:34
14:00
5:20
4:20
8:08
9:18
4
Synopsis
CD 1
1 The Prelude to Act I establishes the sacred
nature of what is to follow, making use of motifs
associated with the Last Supper, including shorter
elements connoting Salvation, the Wound and the
Spear, heard at the opening. This leads to motifs of the
Holy Grail, introduced by the trumpet, and of Faith,
heard first from horns and trumpets.
Act I 2 Gurnemanz, an older knight, and two
young squires are asleep in the woods in the realm of
the Holy Grail. They wake, pray and prepare for the
bath of King Amfortas, to whose wounds the remedy
brought by Gawan has given no comfort. There is only
one who can bring any relief. 3 The wild-haired
Kundry rides galloping in, dismounting to give
Gurnemanz a salve for the King, before casting herself
down on the ground in exhaustion. 4 Amfortas is
carried in. He knows that only a pure fool, made wise
by suffering, can cure him, accepts the salve that
Kundry has brought and is carried towards the lake. 5
The young men wonder about Kundry, but Gurnemanz
explains that she may be bewitched, but, at all events,
her absence seems to bring misfortune. 6 He recalls
how Amfortas had been attracted by the vision of a
beautiful woman to the castle of Klingsor and how he
had been wounded by the Spear that Klingsor had
seized. 7 In a fuller account, he tells how Titurel had
been given the task of guarding the Holy Grail, the
chalice of the Last Supper, and the Spear that had
pierced the side of Christ on the Cross and how
Klingsor had tried to lure away the Knights of the Grail.
Titurel had sent his son Amfortas to attack Klingsor,
the cause of his present suffering.
CD 2
1 At this point a swan flutters down to the ground,
shot by the young Parsifal, who is sorry for what he has
done. 2 Questioned by Gurnemanz, he can only tell
him that his mother was Herzeleide (Heart’s Sorrow)
and that he had left her, following brightly dressed men
he had seen. Kundry now tells him that this caused his
9
mother’s death, and Parsifal has to be held back from
harming her, in his anger.
3 Amfortas is seen being carried back to his castle,
where Gurnemanz will lead Parsifal. Transformation
Music allows for a change of scene from the wood to
the castle and the temple of the Holy Grail. The bells of
Monsalvat motif is heard, as the scene changes, while
Gurnemanz and Parsifal walk towards the temple, with
motifs of Sinner’s Torment and of the Spear.
4 Parsifal stands by the door of the shrine,
watching what is happening, while the Knights of the
Grail enter in procession and range themselves at tables
on each side. They sing of this love-feast, a sacred rite
performed each day, as Amfortas is carried in, preceded
by squires bearing the covered Grail, which they set on
a stone altar.
5 The voice of Titurel is heard, calling on
Amfortas to unveil the Holy Grail, but he is in torment,
suffering for his sin and for the wound that will never
heal. He hopes for healing and for death.
6 Boys and young men recall the promise of an
innocent fool, enlightened through suffering. Amfortas
rises, with difficulty, and unveils the sacred chalice,
which is lit with a light from Heaven. 7 He raises the
chalice in blessing, and voices of boys are heard
bidding them take the Body and Blood of Christ, as
bread and wine is distributed to the company.
8 The boys now recall the Last Supper and the
changing of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of
Christ, and the whole company joins in the Feast of
Love and of Brotherhood. In solemn procession they
leave the hall, as Amfortas is carried out once more.
9 Parsifal, in spite of Gurnemanz’s summons, has
taken no part in the ceremony, watching always and
suffering finally with Amfortas. Gurnemanz shakes
him and tells him to be gone, but a voice is heard
declaring him to be the innocent fool made wise
through suffering.
CD 3
Act II 1 The scene is set in the castle of Klingsor,
who sees in his magic glass the approach of the fool and
8.110221-24
The Viennese bass Ludwig Weber was destined to make much of his career outside his native city. Born on 29th
July 1899, he was a schoolteacher before his vocal prowess was recognised. He made his début at the Volksoper in
1920 as Fiorello in The Barber of Seville and then sang at a succession of German houses, reaching Munich in
1933. There he took part in the 1938 première of Strauss’s Der Friedenstag. He sang at Covent Garden from 1936
and La Scala from 1938, was a great favourite at Salzburg and Bayreuth and sang Rocco in the Fidelio which
reopened the Vienna State Opera in 1955. On record, apart from his Wagnerian rôles, he can be heard as Ochs in
Der Rosenkavalier under Kleiber and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte under Karajan. His singing of Gurnemanz on this
recording has not been surpassed. He died in Vienna on 9th December 1974.
Arnold van Mill was born in Schiedam, the Netherlands, on 26th March 1921 and trained at the Rotterdam and
Hague Conservatories. In 1946 he made his début at the Monnaie in Brussels and after much early success he
settled in 1953 at the Hamburg State Opera, where he was a pillar of the company until 1971 (and a favoured guest
artist thereafter). He frequently performed at Bayreuth and made guest appearances all over the world. He can be
heard on a number of complete opera sets and also recorded a recital LP of arias. He died in 1996.
Tully Potter
8.110221-24
8
Richard Wagner (1813-1883): Parsifal
The stirring Celtic myths of King Arthur and his
knights and the quest for the Grail have fascinated
European writers from the Middle Ages onward. The
publication of Cervantes’s novel Don Quixote in the
early seventeenth century served to keep the idea of an
age of chivalry alive, even though he poked gentle fun
at it. In the nineteenth century two great artists were
obsessed with these myths: the poet Alfred Tennyson
naturally concentrated on them from an English angle,
while the composer Richard Wagner came to them
from the Teutonic viewpoint. Wagner’s primary source
was the thirteenth-century poet Wolfram von
Eschenbach, whose writings he encountered in 1845.
Having toyed with the idea of creating an opera round
the ‘holy fool’ Parsifal (also known as Parzival or
Perceval), he ended up writing one about Parsifal’s son
Lohengrin; and it was not until 1857 that he again
started thinking seriously about the project, although he
did consider introducing the character of Parsifal
briefly into Tristan und Isolde. He wrote out a sketch
(which is lost) for a three-act drama, and in 1865 he was
able to give his patron King Ludwig II of Bavaria a
fairly good impression of what the opera would be
about. All this time, as he occupied himself with The
Ring and Die Meistersinger, his concept of Parsifal
was evolving, acquiring more and more layers of
symbolism. For instance, Wolfram and other early
writers were not too sure what the Grail actually was;
but Wagner’s further reading drew him to the
conviction held by later authors that it was the chalice
used at the Last Supper and then employed by Joseph of
Arimathea to catch the blood that flowed from the spear
wound in the side of Christ on the Cross. The concept
that the spear which plays a large part in the drama
would be the very weapon with which the centurion
Longinus inflicted that wound, was an even later
discovery for him.
Wagner wrote his libretto in the spring of 1877, in
the knowledge that this would be his farewell to the
5
stage, and began composing the music that August.
Interestingly, the noble Prelude to Act I was sketched
first, which shows that Wagner already had a complete
vision of the interlocking motifs which would resound
through the work, and it was performed under his
direction in a concert at his Bayreuth house, Wahnfried,
in 1878. By Christmas 1881, when he had promised to
have the score of the opera ready for his wife Cosima to
see, only a few pages remained to be orchestrated.
Wagner conceived the work from the start in terms of
his theatre at Bayreuth, where it was given its first
sixteen performances under Hermann Levi’s baton in
the summer festival of 1882. Only under his own close
supervision, Wagner felt, could the deeply religious
element of Parsifal be realised. Performance anywhere
else was forbidden and even after Wagner’s death, his
heirs banned any stage presentation until the copyright
ran out in 1914. A production at the Metropolitan
Opera, New York, in 1903 was seen by them and other
Wagnerians as a betrayal. The Prelude and Good
Friday Music, however, were quickly established in the
concert hall. Parsifal has had no successors, although it
clearly influenced Pfitzner’s Palestrina, and it remains,
with its rapt religiosity, the most difficult of the
Wagnerian music dramas to stage, especially in an
increasingly sceptical and secular society. The
preponderance of slow music and bass voices also
makes it hard to bring off in the theatre. It is the
ultimate challenge for a Wagnerian conductor, but it is
full of beautiful music, especially in the harmonically
rich third act, and it contains strikingly individual
characters. Klingsor may be the archetypal villain and
Parsifal the usual Wagnerian tenor, but Gurnemanz
represents the epitome of operatic nobility, the tortured
Amfortas is never forgotten, once seen, and in Kundry,
with her intriguing dual nature, Wagner created his
most exceptional female protagonist.
The production enshrined in this live recording was
one of the epoch-making theatrical events of the
8.110221-24
twentieth century. The new broom at Bayreuth in this
first post-war season, the composer’s grandson
Wieland Wagner, chose Parsifal, with its themes of
purification and redemption, as the ideal vehicle for
cleansing the Festspielhaus after the disgrace of the
Third Reich, when Wagner’s music had been adopted
by the Nazis and Hitler himself had been an honoured
guest at Bayreuth. In keeping with this ethos of
newness, Wieland swept away all the old-fashioned
ideas of production and presented a stark, almost empty
stage picture, sombrely lit. In such a simple setting,
acting and characterisation assumed primary
importance, so the singers were meticulously rehearsed
in the psychological implications of their rôles. The
production was revived countless times and its impact
is still being felt today; but it was also momentous on
the musical side, bringing forward such ‘new men’ as
Windgassen, van Mill and London alongside
established stars such as Mödl, Uhde and Weber. In
charge of these wonderful singers and the handpicked
chorus and orchestra was the craggy figure of Hans
Knappertsbusch, who never did anything finer than this
set, the first complete recording of Parsifal. Bayreuth
that year was also a magnet for the record companies.
EMI was there to record the Ninth Symphony under
Furtwängler and Die Meistersinger under Karajan,
while Decca was doing the first Ring cycle (of which
only the last part was actually taped) and Parsifal. The
engineer Kenneth Wilkinson made various experiments
and finally slung a single microphone high up in the
auditorium, blending the sound from that vantage point
with the output from closer microphones. The result
was a sound of immense atmosphere, helped by the
famous cowl which at Bayreuth veiled the orchestra.
The Festspielhaus, in which the singers could advance
over the orchestra and therefore always be heard,
played its part. The recording, with an almost ideal
blend of warmth and clarity for its time, still sounds
amazingly good; and the interpretation, edited by the
producer John Culshaw from the general rehearsal and
two performances, has stood the test of time.
Hans Knappertsbusch was born at Elberfeld on 12th March 1888 and studied philosophy before entering
Cologne Conservatory, where he was a pupil of Brahms’s favourite conductor Fritz Steinbach. At Bayreuth he
became assistant to Hans Richter and Siegfried Wagner. From 1922 he was in charge of the Bavarian State Opera
in Munich but in 1936 he was sacked by the Nazis and moved to Vienna. In later years he worked as a guest
conductor, equally at home in concert hall and opera house. Renowned above all as an interpreter of Beethoven,
Brahms, Bruckner and Wagner, he left innumerable recordings. He died in Munich on 25th October 1965.
Martha Mödl, born on 22nd March 1912 in Nuremberg, studied in her native city and in Milan. Making her début
as Hansel at Remscheid in 1943, she quickly became one of the most sought-after mezzo-sopranos in Germany and
in the 1950s expanded into the dramatic soprano territory, returning to the mezzo Fach in the 1960s. She was a
favourite at Covent Garden from 1950, Vienna from 1952 and the Metropolitan from 1956. At Bayreuth she sang
until 1967, taking all the rôles open to her, including Isolde and Brünnhilde. One of the great singing actresses of
her time, she was still making occasional appearances in the 1990s. She died on 16th December 2001.
Wolfgang Windgassen, from a family of opera singers, became the leading Heldentenor of his era, although he
also sang a wide range of other rôles. Born on 26th June 1914 in Annemasse, France, he studied first with his father
Fritz, then at the Musikhochschule in Stuttgart. In 1939 he made his début at Pforzheim as Pinkerton. After army
service he became a member of the Stuttgart company and remained so until his death. Meanwhile he gave guest
performances all over the world. He was much recorded, especially in the Wagner operas, and took part in the first
complete recording of The Ring, under Solti. His Tristan from Bayreuth, under Böhm, was also admired. On 8th
September 1974 he died suddenly of a heart attack in Stuttgart, where he had been artistic director of the State
Opera since 1972.
George London was born in Montreal on 30th May 1919 but lived in Los Angeles from 1935. After vocal studies
with three teachers, he made his début in La Traviata in Hollywood in 1942 under the name George Burnson (a
version of his real name Burnstein). With his ample bass-baritone voice and superb stage presence, he had a
meteoric rise to fame and by 1949 was singing at the Vienna State Opera. In 1951 he appeared at the Met as well
as Bayreuth and until illness ended his career in 1967 he was one of the world’s busiest singers. Perhaps his
greatest moment was singing Boris at the Bolshoy in 1960 – he was also recorded in the rôle by the Russians. He
had a decade as a successful producer before further illness caused his retirement in 1977. He died on 24th March
1985.
Hermann Uhde, born in Bremen on 20th July 1914, also had his career drastically cut short – by a heart attack on
stage, from which he died in Copenhagen on 10th October 1965. After studies with his mother and Philipp Kraus,
he made his début in the bass rôle of Titurel in Parsifal in Bremen in 1936. His rise through the provincial opera
houses was rapid and in the 1950s and early 1960s he was one of the most admired dramatic bass-baritones –
record collectors particularly esteem his singing of the title rôle in Der fliegende Holländer at Bayreuth in 1955.
From 1954 he sang at Covent Garden and from 1955 at the Met in New York.
8.110221-24
6
7
8.110221-24
twentieth century. The new broom at Bayreuth in this
first post-war season, the composer’s grandson
Wieland Wagner, chose Parsifal, with its themes of
purification and redemption, as the ideal vehicle for
cleansing the Festspielhaus after the disgrace of the
Third Reich, when Wagner’s music had been adopted
by the Nazis and Hitler himself had been an honoured
guest at Bayreuth. In keeping with this ethos of
newness, Wieland swept away all the old-fashioned
ideas of production and presented a stark, almost empty
stage picture, sombrely lit. In such a simple setting,
acting and characterisation assumed primary
importance, so the singers were meticulously rehearsed
in the psychological implications of their rôles. The
production was revived countless times and its impact
is still being felt today; but it was also momentous on
the musical side, bringing forward such ‘new men’ as
Windgassen, van Mill and London alongside
established stars such as Mödl, Uhde and Weber. In
charge of these wonderful singers and the handpicked
chorus and orchestra was the craggy figure of Hans
Knappertsbusch, who never did anything finer than this
set, the first complete recording of Parsifal. Bayreuth
that year was also a magnet for the record companies.
EMI was there to record the Ninth Symphony under
Furtwängler and Die Meistersinger under Karajan,
while Decca was doing the first Ring cycle (of which
only the last part was actually taped) and Parsifal. The
engineer Kenneth Wilkinson made various experiments
and finally slung a single microphone high up in the
auditorium, blending the sound from that vantage point
with the output from closer microphones. The result
was a sound of immense atmosphere, helped by the
famous cowl which at Bayreuth veiled the orchestra.
The Festspielhaus, in which the singers could advance
over the orchestra and therefore always be heard,
played its part. The recording, with an almost ideal
blend of warmth and clarity for its time, still sounds
amazingly good; and the interpretation, edited by the
producer John Culshaw from the general rehearsal and
two performances, has stood the test of time.
Hans Knappertsbusch was born at Elberfeld on 12th March 1888 and studied philosophy before entering
Cologne Conservatory, where he was a pupil of Brahms’s favourite conductor Fritz Steinbach. At Bayreuth he
became assistant to Hans Richter and Siegfried Wagner. From 1922 he was in charge of the Bavarian State Opera
in Munich but in 1936 he was sacked by the Nazis and moved to Vienna. In later years he worked as a guest
conductor, equally at home in concert hall and opera house. Renowned above all as an interpreter of Beethoven,
Brahms, Bruckner and Wagner, he left innumerable recordings. He died in Munich on 25th October 1965.
Martha Mödl, born on 22nd March 1912 in Nuremberg, studied in her native city and in Milan. Making her début
as Hansel at Remscheid in 1943, she quickly became one of the most sought-after mezzo-sopranos in Germany and
in the 1950s expanded into the dramatic soprano territory, returning to the mezzo Fach in the 1960s. She was a
favourite at Covent Garden from 1950, Vienna from 1952 and the Metropolitan from 1956. At Bayreuth she sang
until 1967, taking all the rôles open to her, including Isolde and Brünnhilde. One of the great singing actresses of
her time, she was still making occasional appearances in the 1990s. She died on 16th December 2001.
Wolfgang Windgassen, from a family of opera singers, became the leading Heldentenor of his era, although he
also sang a wide range of other rôles. Born on 26th June 1914 in Annemasse, France, he studied first with his father
Fritz, then at the Musikhochschule in Stuttgart. In 1939 he made his début at Pforzheim as Pinkerton. After army
service he became a member of the Stuttgart company and remained so until his death. Meanwhile he gave guest
performances all over the world. He was much recorded, especially in the Wagner operas, and took part in the first
complete recording of The Ring, under Solti. His Tristan from Bayreuth, under Böhm, was also admired. On 8th
September 1974 he died suddenly of a heart attack in Stuttgart, where he had been artistic director of the State
Opera since 1972.
George London was born in Montreal on 30th May 1919 but lived in Los Angeles from 1935. After vocal studies
with three teachers, he made his début in La Traviata in Hollywood in 1942 under the name George Burnson (a
version of his real name Burnstein). With his ample bass-baritone voice and superb stage presence, he had a
meteoric rise to fame and by 1949 was singing at the Vienna State Opera. In 1951 he appeared at the Met as well
as Bayreuth and until illness ended his career in 1967 he was one of the world’s busiest singers. Perhaps his
greatest moment was singing Boris at the Bolshoy in 1960 – he was also recorded in the rôle by the Russians. He
had a decade as a successful producer before further illness caused his retirement in 1977. He died on 24th March
1985.
Hermann Uhde, born in Bremen on 20th July 1914, also had his career drastically cut short – by a heart attack on
stage, from which he died in Copenhagen on 10th October 1965. After studies with his mother and Philipp Kraus,
he made his début in the bass rôle of Titurel in Parsifal in Bremen in 1936. His rise through the provincial opera
houses was rapid and in the 1950s and early 1960s he was one of the most admired dramatic bass-baritones –
record collectors particularly esteem his singing of the title rôle in Der fliegende Holländer at Bayreuth in 1955.
From 1954 he sang at Covent Garden and from 1955 at the Met in New York.
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6
7
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The Viennese bass Ludwig Weber was destined to make much of his career outside his native city. Born on 29th
July 1899, he was a schoolteacher before his vocal prowess was recognised. He made his début at the Volksoper in
1920 as Fiorello in The Barber of Seville and then sang at a succession of German houses, reaching Munich in
1933. There he took part in the 1938 première of Strauss’s Der Friedenstag. He sang at Covent Garden from 1936
and La Scala from 1938, was a great favourite at Salzburg and Bayreuth and sang Rocco in the Fidelio which
reopened the Vienna State Opera in 1955. On record, apart from his Wagnerian rôles, he can be heard as Ochs in
Der Rosenkavalier under Kleiber and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte under Karajan. His singing of Gurnemanz on this
recording has not been surpassed. He died in Vienna on 9th December 1974.
Arnold van Mill was born in Schiedam, the Netherlands, on 26th March 1921 and trained at the Rotterdam and
Hague Conservatories. In 1946 he made his début at the Monnaie in Brussels and after much early success he
settled in 1953 at the Hamburg State Opera, where he was a pillar of the company until 1971 (and a favoured guest
artist thereafter). He frequently performed at Bayreuth and made guest appearances all over the world. He can be
heard on a number of complete opera sets and also recorded a recital LP of arias. He died in 1996.
Tully Potter
8.110221-24
8
Richard Wagner (1813-1883): Parsifal
The stirring Celtic myths of King Arthur and his
knights and the quest for the Grail have fascinated
European writers from the Middle Ages onward. The
publication of Cervantes’s novel Don Quixote in the
early seventeenth century served to keep the idea of an
age of chivalry alive, even though he poked gentle fun
at it. In the nineteenth century two great artists were
obsessed with these myths: the poet Alfred Tennyson
naturally concentrated on them from an English angle,
while the composer Richard Wagner came to them
from the Teutonic viewpoint. Wagner’s primary source
was the thirteenth-century poet Wolfram von
Eschenbach, whose writings he encountered in 1845.
Having toyed with the idea of creating an opera round
the ‘holy fool’ Parsifal (also known as Parzival or
Perceval), he ended up writing one about Parsifal’s son
Lohengrin; and it was not until 1857 that he again
started thinking seriously about the project, although he
did consider introducing the character of Parsifal
briefly into Tristan und Isolde. He wrote out a sketch
(which is lost) for a three-act drama, and in 1865 he was
able to give his patron King Ludwig II of Bavaria a
fairly good impression of what the opera would be
about. All this time, as he occupied himself with The
Ring and Die Meistersinger, his concept of Parsifal
was evolving, acquiring more and more layers of
symbolism. For instance, Wolfram and other early
writers were not too sure what the Grail actually was;
but Wagner’s further reading drew him to the
conviction held by later authors that it was the chalice
used at the Last Supper and then employed by Joseph of
Arimathea to catch the blood that flowed from the spear
wound in the side of Christ on the Cross. The concept
that the spear which plays a large part in the drama
would be the very weapon with which the centurion
Longinus inflicted that wound, was an even later
discovery for him.
Wagner wrote his libretto in the spring of 1877, in
the knowledge that this would be his farewell to the
5
stage, and began composing the music that August.
Interestingly, the noble Prelude to Act I was sketched
first, which shows that Wagner already had a complete
vision of the interlocking motifs which would resound
through the work, and it was performed under his
direction in a concert at his Bayreuth house, Wahnfried,
in 1878. By Christmas 1881, when he had promised to
have the score of the opera ready for his wife Cosima to
see, only a few pages remained to be orchestrated.
Wagner conceived the work from the start in terms of
his theatre at Bayreuth, where it was given its first
sixteen performances under Hermann Levi’s baton in
the summer festival of 1882. Only under his own close
supervision, Wagner felt, could the deeply religious
element of Parsifal be realised. Performance anywhere
else was forbidden and even after Wagner’s death, his
heirs banned any stage presentation until the copyright
ran out in 1914. A production at the Metropolitan
Opera, New York, in 1903 was seen by them and other
Wagnerians as a betrayal. The Prelude and Good
Friday Music, however, were quickly established in the
concert hall. Parsifal has had no successors, although it
clearly influenced Pfitzner’s Palestrina, and it remains,
with its rapt religiosity, the most difficult of the
Wagnerian music dramas to stage, especially in an
increasingly sceptical and secular society. The
preponderance of slow music and bass voices also
makes it hard to bring off in the theatre. It is the
ultimate challenge for a Wagnerian conductor, but it is
full of beautiful music, especially in the harmonically
rich third act, and it contains strikingly individual
characters. Klingsor may be the archetypal villain and
Parsifal the usual Wagnerian tenor, but Gurnemanz
represents the epitome of operatic nobility, the tortured
Amfortas is never forgotten, once seen, and in Kundry,
with her intriguing dual nature, Wagner created his
most exceptional female protagonist.
The production enshrined in this live recording was
one of the epoch-making theatrical events of the
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CD 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
!
@
Act II
Die Zeit ist da
Ach! Ach! Tiefe Nacht
Furchtbare Not!
(Klingsor, Kundry)
Hier! – Hier war das Tosen
Komm’! Komm’! Holder Knabe!
(Flower Maidens, Parsifal)
Parsifal! Weile!
(Kundry, Parsifal, Flower Maidens)
Ich sah das Kind
(Kundry)
Wehe! Wehe!
Amfortas! Die Wunde!
Grausamer! Fühlst du im Herzen
(Parsifal, Kundry)
Erlösung, Frevlerin, biet’ ich auch dir
(Parsifal, Kundry, Klingsor)
Act III Part 1
Prelude
CD 4
78:20
6:39
3:46
8:14
4:22
5:36
6:49
5:41
5:15
9:21
10:07
6:45
5:45
76:26
Act III Part 2
1 Von dort her kam des Stöhnen
2 Du tolles Weib! Hast du kein Wort für mich?
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
!
(Gurnemanz, Kundry)
Heil dir, mein Gast!
Heil mir, dass ich dich wieder finde!
O Gnade! Höchstes Heil
Nicht so!
So ward es uns verheissen (Good Friday Spell)
(Gurnemanz, Parsifal)
Mittag: die Stund’ ist da (Transformation Music)
(Gurnemanz)
Geleiten wir im bergenden Schrein
(Knights)
Ja, Wehe! Wehe!
(Amfortas, Knights)
Nur eine Waffe taugt
(Parsifal, Voices, Knights, Squires)
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4:29
4:34
6:56
4:23
8:02
6:34
14:00
5:20
4:20
8:08
9:18
4
Synopsis
CD 1
1 The Prelude to Act I establishes the sacred
nature of what is to follow, making use of motifs
associated with the Last Supper, including shorter
elements connoting Salvation, the Wound and the
Spear, heard at the opening. This leads to motifs of the
Holy Grail, introduced by the trumpet, and of Faith,
heard first from horns and trumpets.
Act I 2 Gurnemanz, an older knight, and two
young squires are asleep in the woods in the realm of
the Holy Grail. They wake, pray and prepare for the
bath of King Amfortas, to whose wounds the remedy
brought by Gawan has given no comfort. There is only
one who can bring any relief. 3 The wild-haired
Kundry rides galloping in, dismounting to give
Gurnemanz a salve for the King, before casting herself
down on the ground in exhaustion. 4 Amfortas is
carried in. He knows that only a pure fool, made wise
by suffering, can cure him, accepts the salve that
Kundry has brought and is carried towards the lake. 5
The young men wonder about Kundry, but Gurnemanz
explains that she may be bewitched, but, at all events,
her absence seems to bring misfortune. 6 He recalls
how Amfortas had been attracted by the vision of a
beautiful woman to the castle of Klingsor and how he
had been wounded by the Spear that Klingsor had
seized. 7 In a fuller account, he tells how Titurel had
been given the task of guarding the Holy Grail, the
chalice of the Last Supper, and the Spear that had
pierced the side of Christ on the Cross and how
Klingsor had tried to lure away the Knights of the Grail.
Titurel had sent his son Amfortas to attack Klingsor,
the cause of his present suffering.
CD 2
1 At this point a swan flutters down to the ground,
shot by the young Parsifal, who is sorry for what he has
done. 2 Questioned by Gurnemanz, he can only tell
him that his mother was Herzeleide (Heart’s Sorrow)
and that he had left her, following brightly dressed men
he had seen. Kundry now tells him that this caused his
9
mother’s death, and Parsifal has to be held back from
harming her, in his anger.
3 Amfortas is seen being carried back to his castle,
where Gurnemanz will lead Parsifal. Transformation
Music allows for a change of scene from the wood to
the castle and the temple of the Holy Grail. The bells of
Monsalvat motif is heard, as the scene changes, while
Gurnemanz and Parsifal walk towards the temple, with
motifs of Sinner’s Torment and of the Spear.
4 Parsifal stands by the door of the shrine,
watching what is happening, while the Knights of the
Grail enter in procession and range themselves at tables
on each side. They sing of this love-feast, a sacred rite
performed each day, as Amfortas is carried in, preceded
by squires bearing the covered Grail, which they set on
a stone altar.
5 The voice of Titurel is heard, calling on
Amfortas to unveil the Holy Grail, but he is in torment,
suffering for his sin and for the wound that will never
heal. He hopes for healing and for death.
6 Boys and young men recall the promise of an
innocent fool, enlightened through suffering. Amfortas
rises, with difficulty, and unveils the sacred chalice,
which is lit with a light from Heaven. 7 He raises the
chalice in blessing, and voices of boys are heard
bidding them take the Body and Blood of Christ, as
bread and wine is distributed to the company.
8 The boys now recall the Last Supper and the
changing of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of
Christ, and the whole company joins in the Feast of
Love and of Brotherhood. In solemn procession they
leave the hall, as Amfortas is carried out once more.
9 Parsifal, in spite of Gurnemanz’s summons, has
taken no part in the ceremony, watching always and
suffering finally with Amfortas. Gurnemanz shakes
him and tells him to be gone, but a voice is heard
declaring him to be the innocent fool made wise
through suffering.
CD 3
Act II 1 The scene is set in the castle of Klingsor,
who sees in his magic glass the approach of the fool and
8.110221-24
tells Kundry, who is in his power, to deal with Parsifal
as she did with Amfortas. 2 Kundry is unwilling, but is
reminded that whoever resists her will break the spell
that binds her. 3 In his glass Klingsor sees Parsifal
enter the magic garden, using his sword to quell the
opposition of Klingsor’s knights. Kundry, meanwhile,
has made off, to do as she must.
4 In the garden Flower Maidens are heard lamenting
the departure of their lovers. Parsifal gazes down at
them in astonishment. 5 The Flower Maidens invite
Parsifal to join them, playing around him and vying
with one another for his attention. Parsifal rejects their
blandishments, while admiring their beauty. 6 Kundry
appears, now transformed into a beautiful woman, and
calls Parsifal by his name. 7 She tells him of his father,
the meaning of his name and of his mother’s sorrow
and death. 8 He is drawn towards her and, 9 as she
kisses him, feels the pain that had afflicted Amfortas
and recoils in horror. 0 He resists all she can do to lure
him and she curses him, calling out. ! She seeks,
through him, her own redemption. Klingsor appears
and hurls at him the Spear, which remains suspended
over Parsifal’s head. He seizes it, making with it the
sign of the cross, at which the castle sinks and the
garden withers, while Kundry sinks to the ground.
Act III @ The Prelude to Act III evokes the spirit
of desolation that has fallen upon the realm of the Holy
Grail in an opening motif from the first violins. A
second motif represents the wandering of Parsifal in the
time that has now elapsed between the second and third
act. Finally he returns, to the sound of the Innocent Fool
motif and the motif of the Spear.
CD 4
1 The scene is open country, in the realm of the
Grail. It is early morning and Gurnemanz, now an old
man, comes out of his hermit’s hut, hearing the sound
of Kundry’s groans from the undergrowth. 2 She is
now dressed as a penitent and he tries to revive her.
Now she would only wish to serve him, but he tells her
that now the Knights have to look to themselves, in
their desolation and poverty. She sees someone
8.110221-24
approaching. It is Parsifal, dressed in black armour and
appearing uncertain of himself. 3 Gurnemanz
welcomes his guest, but tells him to lay down the spear
he carries, for the place is holy and the day is Good
Friday. Parsifal lays down his sword and shield, putting
his spear in the ground. He takes off his helmet and
kneels in prayer.
4 They recognise each other and Parsifal explains
how, after all his wandering and suffering, he is seeking
out the one whose suffering he once saw, bringing with
him, unsullied, the Holy Spear.
5 Gurnemanz is astonished, but tells Parsifal that it
was a curse that drove him to wander, while Amfortas,
in his pain and despair, no longer performed his holy
office, denying the Knights the comfort and sustenance
that the Grail would bring and thus causing the death of
Titurel. 6 Now finally Parsifal, who blames himself for
all this, will be brought to Amfortas, purified by the
holy spring water with which Kundry bathes his feet.
7 Gurnemanz anoints him with the holy water,
greeting him as one who has reached enlightenment
through suffering and now preparing him for the last
revelation of the Grail that Amfortas has now promised.
Parsifal performs his first duty by baptizing Kundry and
looks around at the beauty of the countryside.
Gurnemanz tells him that it is Good Friday, the fields
and meadows now moist with holy dew and with the
tears of penitents. He sings of the joy of creation and
Parsifal, turning to Kundry, gently kisses her.
8 Bells announce midday and Gurnemanz dresses
Parsifal in the mantle of a Knight of the Grail. Taking
the Spear, Parsifal follows Gurnemanz, accompanied
by Kundry, as the scene gradually changes from open
country to rocks that open to reveal the temple of the
Grail.
9 A procession of Knights bears in the Grail, with
Amfortas, while another group carries in the body of
Titurel, whose death is blamed on Amfortas and his sin.
They bid him perform his office for the last time.
0 The coffin of Titurel, placed before the stone
altar, is opened and Amfortas prays for his father’s help
10
CD 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Act I Part1
Prelude
He! Ho!
Seht dort, die wilde Reiterin!
(Gurnemanz, Knights, Squires, Kundry)
Recht so! Habt Dank!
(Amfortas, Gurnemanz, Knights, Kundry)
He! du da!
(Squires, Knights, Kundry)
Das ist ein and’res
(Gurnemanz, Squires)
Titurel, der fromme Held
(Gurnemanz, Squires)
CD 2
55:15
14:16
5:55
3:19
7:01
7:46
5:07
11:51
62:10
Act I Part 2
1 Weh! Weh!
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
3
(Knights, Squires, Gurnemanz, Parsifal)
Nun sag’: nichts weist du
(Knights, Squires, Gurnemanz, Parsifal, Kundry)
Vom Bade kehrt der König heim (Transformation Music)
(Gurnemanz, Parsifal)
Zum letzten Liebesmahle
(Knights, Youths, Boys)
Mein Sohn Amfortas
(Titurel, Amfortas)
“Durch Mitleid wissend, der reine Tor”
(Boys, Youths, Knights, Titurel, Voices)
Wein und Brot des letzten Mahles
(Boys, Youths, Knights)
Liebesmahle Music
Was stehst du noch da?
(Gurnemanz, Alto, Voices)
7:38
7:26
7:47
6:28
11:29
8:54
5:23
4:33
2:32
8.110221-24
Great Opera Recordings
in bringing death to him and comfort to his Knights.
They urge him to reveal the Grail, but he is unwilling,
for the sight of the Grail will prevent his death and
mean further unendurable pain.
! Parsifal comes forward, holding aloft the Spear
and then lightly touching Amfortas with it, for this
alone can bring the relief that Amfortas craves.
Richard
WAGNER
Parsifal
Approaching the altar, Parsifal takes the Grail, now
shining with an unearthly light, and blesses those
gathered there. A white dove descends on his head,
Kundry sinks to the ground and Amfortas and
Gurnemanz now kneel before him.
Keith Anderson
Producer’s Note
This classic Knappertsbusch recording of Wagner’s Parsifal was made using portions of several performances at
the Bayreuth Festspielhaus during July and August of 1951. Decca had not been employing the medium of
magnetic tape for very long by that time; and although the balance is good and the sense of atmosphere palpable,
changes in perspective and audience noise are noticeable at some of their edits.
There are other problems with the original master, including post-echo (after Kundry’s octave leap in Act II,
for example) and swishing sounds (probably caused by bad tape azimuth alignment during the loud portions at the
opening of Act II), neither of which could be corrected. I have, however, fixed the pitch drop at the end of Act III
which plagued later LP reissues of this recording, and have also restored a chord (just before the appearance of the
Knights of the Grail in the same act) which was unaccountably cut in some LP editions.
Parsifal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wolfgang Windgassen
Kundry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Martha Mödl
Gurnemanz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ludwig Weber
Amfortas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George London
Titurel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arnold van Mill
Klingsor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hermann Uhde
First Knight of the Grail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walter Fritz
Second Knight of the Grail . . . . . . . . . . . .Werner Faulhaber
First Squire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hanna Ludwig
Second Squire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elfriede Wild
Third Squire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Günther Baldauf
Fourth Squire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gerhard Stolze
Flower Maidens . . . . Lore Wissmann, Erika Zimmermann,
Hanna Ludwig, Paula Brivkalne, Maria Lacorn
and Elfriede Wild
Solo Alto Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ruth Siewert
Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra (Chorus Master: Wilhelm Pitz)
Hans Knappertsbusch, Conductor
Recorded during July and August, 1951
First issued on Decca LXT 2651 through 2657
8.110221-24
2
11
8.110221-24
Mark Obert-Thorn
Mark Obert-Thorn is one of the world’s most respected transfer artist/engineers. He has worked for a number of
specialist labels, including Pearl, Biddulph, Romophone and Music & Arts. Three of his transfers have been
nominated for Gramophone Awards. A pianist by training, his passions are music, history and working on projects.
He has found a way to combine all three in the transfer of historical recordings.
Obert-Thorn describes himself as a ‘moderate interventionist’ rather than a ‘purist’ or ‘re-processor,’ unlike
those who apply significant additions and make major changes to the acoustical qualities of old recordings. His
philosophy is that a good transfer should not call attention to itself, but rather allow the performances to be heard with
the greatest clarity.
There is no over-reverberant ‘cathedral sound’ in an Obert-Thorn restoration, nor is there the tinny bass and
piercing mid-range of many ‘authorised’ commercial issues. He works with the cleanest available 78s, and
consistently achieves better results than restoration engineers working with the metal parts from the archives of the
modern corporate owners of the original recordings. His transfers preserve the original tone of the old recordings,
maximising the details in critical upper mid-range and lower frequencies to achieve a musical integrity that is absent
from many other commercially released restorations.
Great Opera Recordings
ADD
8.110221-24
WAGNER
Parsifal
Windgassen • Mödl • Weber • London • Van Mill • Uhde
Bayreuth Festival Chorus • Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Hans Knappertsbusch, Conductor
Recorded during July and August, 1951 at the Festspielhaus, Bayreuth
The Naxos Historical label aims to make available the greatest recordings in the history of recorded music, in the best
and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number of
respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standards
in the field of historical recordings.
8.110221-24
12
4 CDs
CMYK
Great Opera Recordings
ADD
8.110221-24
WAGNER
Parsifal
4 CDs
Windgassen • Mödl • Weber • London • Van Mill • Uhde
Bayreuth Festival Chorus • Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Hans Knappertsbusch, Conductor
Recorded during July and August, 1951 at the Festspielhaus, Bayreuth
Wolfgang Windgassen • Martha Mödl
Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra • Knappertsbusch
Richard
ADD
4 CDs
WAGNER
(1813-1883)
Playing
Time
4:32:11
Parsifal
Parsifal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wolfgang Windgassen
Kundry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Martha Mödl
Gurnemanz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ludwig Weber
Amfortas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George London
Titurel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arnold van Mill
Klingsor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hermann Uhde
First Knight of the Grail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walter Fritz
Second Knight of the Grail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Werner Faulhaber
First Squire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hanna Ludwig
Second Squire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elfriede Wild
Third Squire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Günther Baldauf
Fourth Squire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gerhard Stolze
Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra
Hans Knappertsbusch, Conductor
Recorded during July and August, 1951
First issued on Decca LXT 2651 through 2657
CD 1
1-7 Act I Part 1
55:15 CD 2
55:15 1-9 Act I Part 2
MADE IN
CANADA
62:10 CD 3
The production enshrined in this
live recording was one of the epochmaking theatrical events of the
twentieth century. It was also
momentous on the musical side,
bringing forward such names as
Windgassen, van Mill and London
alongside established stars such as
Mödl, Uhde and Weber. In charge
of these wonderful singers and the
handpicked chorus and orchestra
was Hans Knappertsbusch, who
never did anything finer than this
set, the first complete recording of
Parsifal. With an almost ideal blend
of warmth and clarity for its time,
the recording still sounds amazingly
good; and the interpretation, edited
from the general rehearsal and two
performances, has stood the test of
time.
78:20 CD 4
76:26
62:10 1-! Act II
72:35 1-! Act III
@
Part 2
Act III Part 1 5:45
76:26
www.naxos.com
A complete track list can be found in the booklet
Cover Image: Stage Design for Act III of Parsifal by Heinz Grete (1924)
(Private Collection)
6
36943 12212
9
8.110221-24
Archivist & Restoration Producer: Mark Obert-Thorn
Special thanks to Maynard F. Bertolet for providing
source material for this release
Wolfgang Windgassen • Martha Mödl
Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra • Knappertsbusch
NAXOS Historical
8.110221-24
NAXOS Historical
ALL RIGHTS IN THIS SOUND RECORDING, ARTWORK, TEXTS AND
TRANSLATIONS RESERVED. UNAUTHORISED PUBLIC PERFORMANCE,
BROADCASTING AND COPYING OF THIS COMPACT DISC PROHIBITED.
h 2003 HNH International Ltd. © 2003 HNH International Ltd.
8.110221-24
CMYK