Parsifal

These Opera Guides are ideal companions to the opera. They provide stimulating introductory articles together with the complete text of each opera in English and the original. More than any other work in the operatic repertory, Parsifal demands a personal commitment and response. As the culmination of half a lifetimes preoccupation with the issues of compassion and redemption, it has profound philosophical implications. As the ultimate example of Wagners idiom it is an extraordinary musical structure. The unique quality of the subject inspired a wholly original musical conception. Here are four very different essays designed, in their variety, to set you thinking about it what it means to you. The translation was commissioned for the first production by English National Opera in 1986. Contains: A Very Human Epic Mike Ashman Recapitulation of a Lifetime Dieter Borchmeyer Experiencing Music and Imagery in Parsifal Robin Holloway Parsifal: Words and Music Carolyn Abbate Discussions into the Dramaturgy of Parsifal Gerd Riencker Thematic Guide Lionel Friend Parsifal poem by Richard Wagner Parsifal English translation by Andrew Porter Discography Cathy Peterson Bibliography