This year Stefan Herheim’s revelatory Bayreuth production of Parsifal was taped and broadcast on TV. You can now watch it online. Don’t miss this one.
Herheim takes the story of Parsifal as the story of Wagner and Bayreuth
themselves, a journey from isolation to disaster to the possibility of
redemption. It’s challenging but will make you see the piece and hear
the music in many new ways. I saw this production live last year, with a slightly different cast and, from what I hear, slightly different production (I am watching this video tonight, so I can’t yet say how different). Here is what I wrote about it then. I also recommend Wagneroperas.net’s short introduction, which has links to many more reviews.
To be a ridiculous elitist, I expect the video is a poor substitute for the live experience. Camera direction is a problem with filmed Herheim–there’s always a lot going on and the camera strictly controls what you see, including some things and excluding others and governing when you move from one part of the stage to another. (I think Rusalka in particular was far more exciting live.) But this production is also about the journey you took to get to Bayreuth, and why you made that not uncomplicated trip.
That’s not meant to discourage you from watching this, indeed it would have been a travesty had this production not been filmed. (This is the last year it will be seen in Bayreuth before being replaced.)
The videos are on YouTube; I recommend downloading them because who knows how long they will stick around.
Act 1
Act 2
Act 3
Postscript: I warn you against listening to Parsifal and Bohème in close proximity. At some point you will hear, in your head only, Rodolfo crying out “Mimì!” followed by the Heilesbuße-Motiv (the descending arpeggio), and it will be really weird.
4 Comments
yes, you're quite right about these you tube postings…they do not linger. interestingly though, this particular "poster" put up "lohrengrin" shortly after it aired and it remains view-able. had hoped to get another viewing of the salzburg "boheme" in (especially act 2 – magical ehh?) but it seems to have vanished.
michael p
For your downloading: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/
FYI the audio and picture are not perfectly aligned at places, but they don't stay separate for very long.
there's also http://www.keepvid.com
I'm too late with downloading it… Is there anywhere where it's still available? Some saint willing to share? I had expected it to be released on DVD film.