Parsifal

Parsifal is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's medieval epic Parzival, the 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival (Percival) and his quest for the Holy Grail. Wagner first conceived the work in April 1857 but it was not completed until twenty-five years later. The first production was in Bayreuth in 1882.

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. 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. 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. There are also many "unofficial" live recordings from Bayreuth, capturing virtually every Parsifal cast ever conducted by Knappertsbusch.

Related Topics:
Bayreuth - Hans Knappertsbusch - Bayreuth Festival - Second World War

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Amongst the studio recordings, those by Herbert von Karajan and Daniel Barenboim (both conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) have been widely praised. The von Karajan recording was voted "Record of the Year" in the 1981 Gramophone Awards.

Related Topics:
Herbert von Karajan - Daniel Barenboim - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra - Gramophone Awards

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There are many recordings of Parsifal, some of the most popular being listed below:

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• Hans Knappertsbusch conducting the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra with Wolfgang Windgassen, Ludwig Weber, George London and Martha Modl, 1951 (Teldec, mono)
• Hans Knappertsbusch conducting the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra with Jess Thomas, Hans Hotter, George London and Irene Dalis, 1962 (Philips, stereo)
• Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with Peter Hofmann, Kurt Moll, Jose van Dam and Dunja Vejzovic, 1981 (Deutsche Grammophon, stereo)
• Daniel Barenboim conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with Siegfreid Jerusalem, Jose van Dam, Matthias Holle, Waltraud Meier, 1991 (Teldec, stereo)