Search - Wagner, Muck, Chorus & Orchestra of Berlin Opera :: Parisfal 3

As good as it gets in spite of the dated sound

Ray Barnes | Surrey, British Columbia Canada | 03/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have not heard the CD transfer of this performance, which as I recall dates originally from 1928, but have a treasured copy of an LP re-release on the Lebendige Vergangenheit (Living History) label. This performance, along with the Karajan Bayreuth 1951 Die Walkure Act III, is my all-time favourite Wagner recording. This is not to say it is the best by any absolute standard. I found that Dr. Karl Muck got the tempo just right in this rather difficult music and the orchestra almost has a vocal quality to its phrasing. The singers, particularly in the role of Gurnemanz, have impeccable diction and lyric beauty. The Berlin State Opera Orchestra play superbly and even the choral contribution at the end is quite unique. One marvels how these performers managed to execute so well when this was originally recorded on '78s. I have also heard the Karajan,the Boulez, both Knappertsbuschs, the Solti, the rare Act III synthesis conducted by Toscanini, Armin Jordan, Horst Stein, and Levine, and still rank the Muck performance at the top of this list, in spite of the constricted sound. It should be noted that the sound, although not great, is quite acceptable for its age. The cover of the original LP showed a profile of the conductor, who bears quite a resemblance, without the beard, to the composer."