This is a partial discography of Parsifal, an 1882 opera in three acts by Richard Wagner.
History 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. 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. These historic performances were recorded in mono sound, originally issued but now no longer available on the Teldec label, and reissued in 2003 on Naxos Historical. Knappertsbusch recorded the opera again for Philips in 1962 in stereo, and this release is often considered to be the classic Parsifal recording.Holloway, Robin (1982) in "Opera on Record", Harper and Row 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) have been widely praised.Blyth, Alan (1992), "Opera on CD" Kyle Cathie Ltd, The von Karajan recording was voted "Record of the Year" in the 1981 Gramophone Awards. Also highly regarded is a recording of Parsifal under the baton of Rafael Kubelík. Originally recorded for Deutsche Grammophon but never released, it is now available on the Arts Archives label.
On the Saturday 14 December 2013 broadcast of BBC Radio 3 CD Review, music critic David Nice surveyed recordings of Parsifal and recommended the 1980 recording by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rafael Kubelík as the best available choice (though it has not been widely available for a long time).
Audio recordings YearCast:Parsifal, Kundry, Gurnemanz, Amfortas, KlingsorConductor,Opera house and/or orchestraLabelCatalogue number15 April 1938matinèee"Parsifal, Friday, 15 April 1938 matinée broadcast, CID:123690", Metropolitan OperaLauritz Melchior, Kirsten Flagstad, Emanuel List, Friedrich Schorr, Arnold GaborArtur Bodanzky (acts 1 and 3); Erich Leinsdorf (act 2)Metropolitan Opera Marston Records, restoration of live recording 54008-2 (4 CDs)1936René Maison, Marjorie Lawrence, Alexander Kipnis, Martial Singher, Fritz KrennFritz Busch,Orquesta del Teatro Colón, Buenos AiresMarston53003 1949Günther Treptow, Anny Konetzni, Ludwig Weber, Paul Schöffler, Adolf VogelRudolf Moralt,Wiener SymphonikerMyto (Mono)4MCD 954.1361950, ItalianAfrico Baldelli, Maria Callas, Boris Christoff, Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe ModestiVittorio Gui,Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Roma della RAICetra (Mono)CDAR 20201951Wolfgang Windgassen, Martha Mödl, Ludwig Weber, George London, Hermann UhdeHans Knappertsbusch,Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and ChorusNaxos Historical (Mono)8.110221-241954Wolfgang Windgassen, Martha Mödl, Josef Greindl, Hans Hotter, Gustav NeidlingerHans Knappertsbusch,Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and ChorusGolden Melodram GM 1.00531958Hans Beirer, Régine Crespin, Josef Greindl, Eberhard Waechter, Jerome HinesHans Knappertsbusch,Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and ChorusGolden Melodram GM 1.00581959Eberhard Waechter, Martha Mödl, Josef Greindl, Hans Beirer, Jerome HinesHans Knappertsbusch,Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and ChorusGolden Melodram GM 1.00701961Fritz Uhl, Elisabeth Höngen/Christa Ludwig, Hans Hotter, Eberhard Waechter, Walter BerryHerbert von Karajan,Vienna State Opera Orchestra and ChorusRCA619501962Jess Thomas, Irene Dalis, Hans Hotter, George London, Gustav NeidlingerHans Knappertsbusch,Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and ChorusPhilips Classics475 77851963George London, Ludwig Weber, Hans Hotter, Wolfgang Windgassen, Gustav Neidlinger, Irene DalisHans Knappertsbusch,Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and ChorusGolden MelodramGM L00341964Jon Vickers, Barbro Ericson, Hans Hotter, Thomas Stewart, Gustav NeidlingerHans Knappertsbusch,Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and ChorusArcadiaKLMP 451.41970James King, Gwyneth Jones, Franz Crass, Thomas Stewart, Donald McIntyrePierre Boulez,Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and ChorusDeutsche Grammophon4357181971Jon Vickers, Amy Shuard, Louis Hendrikx, Norman Bailey, Donald McIntyreReginald Goodall,Orchestra of the Royal Opera HouseOpus ArteOADA8004DI1972René Kollo, Christa Ludwig, Gottlob Frick, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Zoltan KelemenGeorg Solti,Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Boys' ChoirDecca470805 1975 René Kollo, Gisela Schröter, Ulrik Cold, Theo Adam, Reid Bunger Herbert KegelLeipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Berlin/VEB Deutsche Schallplatten DDR 0013482BC 1979–1980Peter Hofmann, Dunja Vejzović, Kurt Moll, José van Dam, Siegmund NimsgernHerbert von Karajan,Berlin Philharmonic, Deutsche Oper Berlin ChorusDeutsche Grammophon413347 1980 James King, Yvonne Minton, Kurt Moll, Bernd Weikl, Franz Mazura Rafael KubelíkBavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra Arts Archives 430272 1981 Reiner Goldberg, Yvonne Minton, Robert Lloyd, Wolfgang Schoene, Aage Haugland Armin JordanMonte Carlo Radio Orchestra Erato 2292-45662-2 1985 Warren Ellsworth, Waltraud Meier, Phillip Joll, Donald McIntyre, Nicholas Folwell Reginald GoodallWelsh National Opera Chorus and Orchestra EMI 65665 1987 Peter Hofmann, Waltraud Meier, Hans Sotin, Simon Estes, Franz Mazura James LevineBayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus Philips 434 616-2 1990Siegfried Jerusalem, Waltraud Meier, Matthias Hölle, José van Dam, Gunter von KannenDaniel Barenboim,Berlin Philharmonic, State Opera Berlin ChorusTeldec744481993Parsifal , Deutsche GrammophonPlácido Domingo, Jessye Norman, Kurt Moll, James Morris, Ekkehard WlaschihaJames Levine,Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and ChorusDeutsche Grammophon437501 2005 Plácido Domingo, Waltraud Meier, Franz-Josef Selig, Falk Struckmann, Wolfgang Bankl Christian ThielemannVienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus Deutsche Grammophon 4776006 2005 Richard Decker, Doris Soffel, Wolfgang Schöne, Matthias Hölle, Mikolaj Zalasinski Gabor ÖtvösTeatro La Fenice Orchestra and Chorus Dynamic (record label) 33497 2009 Gary Lehman, Violeta Urmana, René Pape, Evgeny Nikitin, Nikolai Putilin Valery GergievOrchestra and chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre Issued on hybrid SACD: Mariinsky, 2009 n/a 2012 Christian Elsner, Michelle DeYoung, Franz-Josef Selig, Evgeny Nikitin, Eike Wilm Schulte Marek JanowskiBerlin Radio Choir and Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra Pentatone Marek Janowski Wagner Opera Cycle PTC5186401
Video recordings This is a partial filmography of Parsifal (1882), an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. In addition to the productions of the complete opera listed below, there is a 1998 documentary directed by Tony Palmer, titled: Parsifal – The Search for the Grail. It was recorded in various European theaters, including: the Mariinsky Theatre, the Ravello Festival, Siena, and the Bayreuth Festival. It contains extracts from Mr. Palmer's stage production of Parsifal starring Plácido Domingo, Violeta Urmana, Matti Salminen, Nikolai Putilin and Anna Netrebko. It includes interviews with Domingo, Wolfgang Wagner, Robert Gutman and Karen Armstrong. The film exists in two versions: (1) a complete version running 116 minutes and officially approved by Domingo, and (2) an 88-minute version, cut as a result of being censored in Germany as being too "political", "uncomfortable" and "irrelevant".
Cast:Parsifal, Kundry, Gurnemanz, Amfortas, Klingsor, Titurel Conductor,Opera house, orchestra Stage director Label / catalogue number 1981Siegfried Jerusalem, Eva Randová, Hans Sotin, Bernd Weikl, Leif Roar, Matti Salminen Horst Stein,Bayreuth Festival OrchestraWolfgang WagnerDeutsche Grammophon, Unitel / 0734328 1982Reiner Goldberg, Yvonne Minton, Robert Lloyd, Wolfgang Schöne, Aage Haugland, Hans TschammerArmin Jordan,Hans-Jürgen SyberbergImage Entertainment. This film was released theatrically with the following actors appearing on the screen in place of the singers – Parsifal 1: Michael Kutter, Parsifal 2: Karen Krick, Kundry: Edith Clever, Amfortas: Armin Jordan, Titurel: Martin Sperr. 1992Poul Elming, Waltraud Meier, John Tomlinson, Falk Struckmann, Günter von Kannen, Fritz Hübner Daniel Barenboim,Berlin State Opera, Staatskapelle Berlin Harry KupferEuroArts / 2066738 1992Siegfried Jerusalem, Waltraud Meier, Kurt Moll, Bernd Weikl, Franz Mazura, Jan-Hendrik Rootering James Levine,Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & ChorusOtto SchenkDeutsche Grammophon / 0730329DVD direction: Brian Large;Met Opera on DemandParsifal (28 March 1992), Met Opera on Demand.Alan Blyth, Review of Met Opera DVD, Gramophone, November 1994, p. 161. 1998Poul Elming, Linda Watson, Hans Sotin, Falk Struckmann, Ekkehard Wlaschiha, Matthias HölleGiuseppe Sinopoli,Bayreuth Festival OrchestraWolfgang WagnerC Major / 705908 2004Christopher Ventris, Waltraud Meier, Matti Salminen, Thomas Hampson, Tom Fox, Bjarni Thor KristinssonKent Nagano,Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Festspielchor Baden-BadenNikolaus LehnhoffOpus Arte / OA0915D 2006Richard Decker, Doris Soffel, Matthias Hölle, Wolfgang Schöne, Mikolaj Zalasinski, Ulrich DünnebachGabor Ötvös,Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro La Fenice di VeneziaDenis KriefDynamic / 33497 2007Christopher Ventris, Yvonne Naef, Matti Salminen, Michael Volle, Rolf Haunstein, Günther GroissböckBernard Haitink,Zurich Opera HouseHans HollmannDeutsche Grammophon / 0734407 2013Johan Botha, Michaela Schuster, Stephen Milling, Wolfgang Koch, Wolfgang Koch, Milcho BorovinovChristian Thielemann,Salzburg Easter Festival, Staatskapelle DresdenMichael SchulzDeutsche Grammophon / 0734939 DVD, 0735036 Blu-ray 2014Simon O'Neill, Angela Denoke, René Pape, Gerald Finley, Willard White, Robert LloydAntonio Pappano,Royal Opera House, Orchestra of the Royal Opera HouseStephen Langbridge2-DVD set: Opus Arte, 2014Jonas Kaufmann, Katarina Dalayman, René Pape, Peter Mattei, Evgeny Nikitin, Rúni BrattabergDaniele Gatti,Metropolitan OperaFrançois Girard1-DVD set: Sony Classical, 2017 Klaus Florian Vogt, Elena Pankratova, Georg Zeppenfeld, Ryan McKinney, Gerd Grochowski, Karl-Heinz LehnerHartmut Haenchen,Bayreuth Festival OrchestraUwe Eric Laufenberg2-DVD set: Deutsche Grammophon, 2020Julian Hubbard, Catherine Hunold, John Relyea, Tomas Tomasson, Thomas Gazheli, Alexei TanovitskiOmer Meir Wellber ,Teatro MassimoGraham Vick2-DVD set: C Major,
References Notes
Citations
Sources Brown, Jonathan (1992). Parsifal on Record : a discography of complete recordings, selections, and excerpts of Wagner's music drama (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press). Recordings of Parsifal, wagnerdisco.net
External links