Opera
by Richard Wagner
Directed
by Stephen Langridge
Musical
Direction by Antonio Pappano
Royal
Opera House, Covent Garden
Presented
by Palace Cinemas February 7, 8, 9 and 12
Review
by Len Power 9 February 2014
‘Parsifal’
is loosely based on a 13th century epic poem about an Arthurian Knight and his
quest for the Holy Grail. Wagner took 25
years to write his opera and it did not premiere until 1882 at the second Bayreuth
festival. He described ‘Parsifal’ not as
an opera, but as "A Festival Play for the Consecration of the Stage". It was his final work.
This
new Royal Opera House, Covent Garden production is set in an unidentified
modern location which worked very well.
The stunning set by Alison Chitty gives the impression of a forest
surrounding the scene and a light box enables changes to be made from a
hospital room to memory flashbacks and other intimate scenes without holding up
the action. The production by Stephen
Langridge is highly detailed and makes logical sense as it flows along beautifully
with the music.
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| Photo by Clive Barda |
Angela
Denoke brings her difficult role of Kundry to life with an intense acting and
singing performance that is just extraordinary. Simon O’Neill sang the tenor role of Parsifal
with great emotion, achieving the innocence required of this character and Rene
Pape was an authoritative Gurnemanz.
Gerald Finley was compelling as Amfortas and Willard White was
commanding as Klingsor. As you would
expect, these singers really are at the top of their game. The large chorus also sang beautifully,
creating a haunting atmosphere at times.
The
huge orchestra, conducted by Antonio Pappano, produced a grand and exciting sound,
subtly bringing out all the detail in this rich score. The combination of music, acting and singing
at the end of the third act was especially moving.
The
presentation at the Palace Cinemas was excellent. The image quality on the screen is bright and
very sharp and the sound quality was crisp and clear. Being able to see closeups of the individual
singers at certain moments really helps your understanding of this opera. That’s just not possible at a live
performance unless you’re in the front row.
Wagner’s
‘Parsifal’ is a bit of a challenge for even the most fervent opera lover. It’s an opera with five solid hours of music
plus intervals and a plot without a lot of action. So why do some people become obsessed by it,
even travelling around the world to see productions of it? After experiencing the sustained emotional
high of that third act finale in a production where, for the first time, all
the elements came together, I can now understand why people become obsessed
with this opera.
