Wagner: Parsifal (Royal Opera House, 2014) [Blu-ray]

Created in honour of the bicentenary of Wagner's birth, Stephen Langridge's new production, with designs by Alison Chitty, distils with ‘intellectual fibre and visual eloquence’ (Financial Times) the timeless and universal nature of the Parsifal story. The cast includes great Wagnerian tenor Simon O’Neill in the title role. René Pape as Gurnemanz is ‘immaculate’ (Guardian), Gerald Finley as Amfortas is ‘compelling’ (Telegraph) and Angela Denoke as Kundry is ‘dramatically electrifying’ (Telegraph). The Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House under Music Director Antonio Pappano give a ravishing rendition of Wagner's sublime score. Press Reviews "Antonio Pappano's approach is both diaphanous and radiant, wrapping the vocal lines in veils of string tone and investing the brass statements with unshakeable authority... Vocally the standard is set by René Pape's immaculate, intense Gurnemanz, who makes every syllable in his narrations matter; O'Neill's shambling Parsifal, his tone slightly raw-edged, is perfectly suited to the production, while Finley manages to bring a dimension of nobility to Amfortas's sufferings, and Angela Denoke's tirelessly sung Kundry is the perfect mixture of the chilly and the unattainably seductive." (The Guardian) "The triumph of this new interpretation, directed by Stephen Langridge and designed by Alison Chitty, is that it de-sanctifies Parsifal: all trace of pseudo-sacred mumbo-jumbo is removed. What we get instead is a visual shorthand, contemporary but timeless, that illuminates the opera's philosophical complexity while keeping the narrative both straightforward and continually mesmerising. " (The Financial Times ★★★★★) "...numinous radiance that permeates Antonio Pappano's shimmeringly beautiful and deliquescent conducting. René Pape's Gurnemanz is magnificently sung: nobly authoritative, but never pompous or barking, ... Gerald Finley makes a compelling Amfortas. Angela Denoke is dramatically electrifying as the chameleon Kundry... Simon O’Neill's Parsifal was fully equal to Wagner's demands.... An excellent supporting cast and chorus as well as the ravishing orchestral playing boost my rating..." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★) "Antonio Pappano's authoritative conducting draws out every drop of anguish and ecstasy from the score, with some unfashionably leisurely tempi as a result." (The Evening Standard) "As music, though, this production is the stuff of wonder, prepared with immaculate and loving care by Mr. Pappano to the point where every detail is in place, secure, unsweated, and his focus can take in the longer view of Wagner's sweeping architectural span. " (New York Times) Cast Simon O'Neill (Parsifal) Angela Denoke (Kundry / Voice from Above) René Pape (Gurnemanz) Gerald Finley (Amfortas) Willard W. White (Klingsor) Robert Lloyd (Titurel) Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House; Antonio Pappano Stage Director: Stephen Langridge Television Director: Jonathan Haswell Catalogue Number: OABD7159D Date of Performance: 2013 Running Time: 281 minutes Sound: Dolby stereo & DTS 5.1/ LPCM & DTS Master Audio 5.1 Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Subtitles: EN, FR, DE, JP, KO Label: Opus Arte