Search - Wagner, De Waart, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic :: Parsifal: An Orchestral Quest

Don't be fazed by the cover photo (by Dutch-based artist Erwin Olaf): this isn't an irreverent take on Wagner's final and most controversial opera, and it's not Parsifal-lite either, though there is indeed just one disc here (and no singing). Netherlands Radio Philharmonic percussionist Henk de Vlieger has instead joined together sections of the original score--with slight alterations in the original order as well as imaginatively crafted instrumentation of some of the vocal lines--into a compelling tone poem. (de Vlieger has subjected Tristan and the Ring cycle to similar treatment.) The effect isn't so much one of "highlights" as a distillation of what is arguably Wagner's most beautiful score; the resulting "suite" conveys a solid sense of construction and narrative weight. Moreover, Edo de Waart's account never plods but summons just the right sense of exquisite power as well as a stunning clarity and balance of orchestral choirs. The players seem to positively glide into the ether, hovering in the opera's final pages, while the Flower Maidens' music sounds as diaphanous as Debussy. de Waart adjusts the temperature to highlight Wagner's opposition of eros and agape, of lust and compassion, but always foregrounds the sheer gorgeousness of the musical fabric. If this inspires you to explore Parsifal entire, you can't go wrong with the version by Knappertsbusch or Barenboim. --Thomas May