Patterico’s Pontifications

12/4/2005

Parsifal at the L.A. Opera

Filed under: Music — Patterico @ 7:07 pm

We saw Wagner’s “Parsifal” at the L.A. Opera last night. The L.A. Times loved the production. I’m not sure why. It was remarkably similar to a concert performance: a bunch of people standing around stiffly, singing beautiful music. The sound was great, but that’s about it.

3 Comments

  1. Wow! You are a tough son of a gun to sit through Wagner…

    Well good for you and glad you enjoyed it…

    Comment by russ — 12/4/2005 @ 8:57 pm

  2. From the review: “The Grail is a large flattened torus, a thick neon-lighted bagel chip.”

    What the hell were they thinking? Also, a bare stage seems ill suited for bringing out Parsifal’s important religious aspects.

    Comment by Pigilito — 12/5/2005 @ 12:21 am

  3. 1) Yes, it is tough to sit through Wagner. I sat through “Parsifal” (after a 5 hour deposition nonetheless) which lasted from 6:30 PM until 11:10 PM. with 2 intermissions.

    2) You are right, it was a concert performance, with the decorations either meaningless or so useless.

    3) Placido should stay away from Wagner. He is a talended singer, and I remember hearing him sing live “Il Pagliaci” and a zarzuelo (El Gato ….something - I forgot). He is not fit for melodramatic, contemplative, and mystical Parsifal (and Wagner overall).

    4) The music is truly contemplative and mystical.
    I am still very glad that LA Opera is producing Wagner. But they need to do a much better job at it. I recall their ill-fated “Flying Dutchman” with a thought police inspired (i.e. politically correct) “wandering Jew” - an old man moving with the sitting park bench from time to time. And what was that little girl doing there? How lame is it?

    Comment by David — 12/8/2005 @ 11:48 am

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