Parsifal

[Michel]

My diligence and determination paid off this morning. I obtained Parsifal tickets under the baton of Haitink for December 18th in Covent Garden...

Myself and Mike (Knight) will be attending, and we will be sure to post our thoughts afterward.

It was quite a nice experience queing outside in the cold. Everyone one of those who were with me were true, dedicated Opera lovers and it was nice to see. I spent about an hour talking to a chap of about 90, who had been a regular at Covent Garden for about 60 years. He had seen Flagstad, Hotter, Christoff, Callas, all in their brilliant prime. Lucky man!!

This was also the day as some of you might know that the rest of the season went on sale, so I also picked up tickets for the following:

La Traviata, 17th January
Die Zauberflote, 5th February
Salome, 21st February
Eugene Onegin, 10th March

Lucky me!

[Michel]

I had hoped someone would post on this thread, especially you Liz!

I think you are all jealous of us. 

Or if Nigel were here, laughing at us for going to watch such "holy shit", as he puts it.

[Wendell_E]

I had hoped someone would post on this thread, especially you Liz!

I think you are all jealous of us. 

Or if Nigel were here, laughing at us for going to watch such "holy shit", as he puts it.

Jealous?  Whyever would you think that??   

[knight66]

Michel, I am looking forward to it. Also today I have booked for Lohengrin in Barcelona in March. So a spread out Wagner-Fest.

In Gramophone this month, one dealer advertises Parsifal with Jon Vickers and Hotter conducted by Knappersbusch. It comes out on Orfeo at the end of this month.

Parsifal was supposed to be Vickers' best role and he never recorded it. I have never even read mention that a performance was preserved, I will definitely be getting it when it becomes available.

Mike

[PSmith08]

Michel, I am looking forward to it. Also today I have booked for Lohengrin in Barcelona in March. So a spread out Wagner-Fest.

In Gramophone this month, one dealer advertises Parsifal with Jon Vickers and Hotter conducted by Knappertsbusch. It comes out on Orfeo at the end of this month.

Parsifal was supposed to be Vickers' best role and he never recorded it. I have never even read mention that a performance was preserved, I will definitely be getting it when it becomes available.

Mike

This? I'll be all over it. (Mostly for Vickers and Knappertsbusch, Hotter was a bit over-the-hill by 1964.) It apparently was out on Melodram, though it doesn't seem to be in stock at Arkiv or Amazon. The Melodram release also made some to-do about this being Knappertsbusch's last performance.

[Anne]

This? I'll be all over it. (Mostly for Vickers and Knappertsbusch, Hotter was a bit over-the-hill by 1964.) It apparently was out on Melodram, though it doesn't seem to be in stock at Arkiv or Amazon. The Melodram release also made some to-do about this being Knappertsbusch's last performance.

The live performance date is August 13,1964.  It can be preordered at both amazon and arkivmusic.  It's not going to be cheap - $71.94 at both online stores.  The release date is 10/30/07.

[uffeviking]

I had hoped someone would post on this thread, especially you Liz!

Or if Nigel were here, laughing at us for going to watch such "holy shit", as he puts it.

Wrong, Luv! I would have to agree with Nigel's assessment of this religious work The only time I had something kind to say about it was when I applauded the Nikolaus Lehnhoff/Kent Nagano Baden-Baden production. 

[knight66]

Re the Vickers recording. It is advertised by Bath Compact Discs for about £31, a good price, I will get in touch with them. I don't often buy from them, they have an offensive old guy in charge, snappy as a piranha, but not as benign. I have observed his rudeness rather too often.

Mike

[Michel]

Re the Vickers recording. It is advertised by Bath Compact Discs for about £31, a good price, I will get in touch with them. I don't often buy from them, they have an offensive old guy in charge, snappy as a piranha, but not as benign. I have observed his rudeness rather too often.

Mike

Good spot, I will send you my excel latest version of my collection, and do you some copies of some stuff, so you can do Parsifal.

Else I would feel like even more of a common thief than I usually do as you've given me much more than what I have paid you back.

So when you get it, let me know what you want.

[knight66]

Paul, Thanks, I look forward to the arrival of the Bath discs. So far this week our building has had a total of two deliveries!

Yesterday I saw this performance on Amazon under another guise for about £80. So the new issue makes it within reasonable reach.

Mike

[Michel]

Funny you should talk of "reasonable reach", I was a click away from paying £212 for Domingo in Die Walkure, but showed a rare moment of restraint given that I am supposed to be a student now and controlling my expenditure.

God know how early I am going to have to get there for tickets for Domingo on the day. The day seats are for amphitheatre, and will ost somewhere between 30-50 quid.

BUT I AM GOING TO GET THERE IF IT KILLS ME.

[knight66]

You are going real hardcore.

Mike

[Anne]

I preordered from ArkivMusic the Parsifal CD with Vickers, Hotter and conducted by Knappertsbusch which had a release date of 10/30/07.  Last night they informed me they they shipped the order. 

I contacted them asking why the early shipment.

This is their reply:

Thank you for contacting us!

With some of these import titles, the release date does not always have the same meaning (or restrictions) as a domestic release.  The US distributor for the Orfeo D'or label received the product earlier than expected, so they made the title available for immediate shipment. 

[knight66]

Anne, Let us know how you find it; you will get yours before I get sight of mine. I am also waiting for the DVD of Fidelio conducted by Bernstein, but the Post Office is probably tossing coins over which sacks of post get thrown into the river; so they can empty their warehouses of the backlog. So, whether I will ever see it...I wonder.

Mike

[Anne]

Will do, Mike.  The shipment usually arrives in 2 -3 days.

[Siedler]

I don't understand how one couldn't love the sublime prelude or the ethereal ending with the transcendent chorus and heavenly music...that being said I haven't heard the rest of Parsifal yet. 

[knight66]

Although I have heard it quite a few times, I need to bone up on the passages in between the ones I particularly like.....that constitutes a fair bit of music. I used to feel this way about Walkure, but broke the barrier with it simply by spending enough time with it.

Mike

[Anne]

Someone here at GMG offered suggestions to newcomers regarding what parts of Parsifal a newbie could skip until he was more familiar with the music and libretto.

If that someone reads this post, would you please repeat those suggestions again as I am hoping to conquer Parsifal this attempt.  I remember we are supposed to skip (only for the timebeing) the part about G----------- at the beginning of the opera.

[Larry Rinkel]

Funny you should talk of "reasonable reach", I was a click away from paying £212 for Domingo in Die Walkure, but showed a rare moment of restraint given that I am supposed to be a student now and controlling my expenditure.

That is $430 US! He's good, but he's not that good.

[marvinbrown]

Funny you should talk of "reasonable reach", I was a click away from paying £212 for Domingo in Die Walkure, but showed a rare moment of restraint given that I am supposed to be a student now and controlling my expenditure.

God know how early I am going to have to get there for tickets for Domingo on the day. The day seats are for amphitheatre, and will ost somewhere between 30-50 quid.

BUT I AM GOING TO GET THERE IF IT KILLS ME.

  Michel, I live in London and I also called the box office requesting tickets.  To get those prices of 30-50 quid (I was even quoted 25 quid for some seats) I was to told to show up very early  (4AM  )- sadly I value my sleep more than those tickets. Hope you can get a ticket and please write a review of Domingo's performance. 

  marvin