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 Responses to “Parsifal at the L.A. Opera”

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

    Well good for you and glad you enjoyed it…

    russ (ee21cb)

  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.

    Pigilito (970c88)

  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?

    David (ceecdb)


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.0674 secs.