Every new production of Parsifal in Bayreuth is a special event, as it was written specifically with the Bayreuth acoustic in mind. In summer 2016, director Uwe Eric Laufenberg presented his reading of Wagner’s Bühnenweihfestspiel, transposing it to a region bordering Iraq, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan – in other words, to the very heart of today’s religious wars. The cast boasted Klaus Florian Vogt as a silvery yet clarion-toned Parsifal, the fabulous Elena Pankratova as Kundry, the “Rose from Hell”, rich-voiced Georg Zeppenfeld as Gurnemanz, Ryan McKinny with his burnished baritone as Amfortas and Gerd Grochowski in one of his last major roles as Klingsor. The New York Times was full of praise: “Sensitive, visually arresting … With an excellent cast and the conductor Hartmut Haenchen drawing radiant sound and striking transparency from the festival orchestra, this was a sublime and provocative Parsifal.”
In cooperation with the Bayreuth Festival, we’re happy to provide this video stream to all our registered users for free!
Music Director: Hartmut Haenchen Director: Uwe Eric Laufenberg Set Designer: Gisbert Jäkel Costumes: Jessica Karge Lighting: Reinhard Traub Video Designer: Gérard Naziri Video Director: Michael Beyer
Amfortas: Ryan McKinny Titurel: Karl-Heinz Lehner Gurnemanz: Georg Zeppenfeld Parsifal: Klaus Florian Vogt Klingsor: Gerd Grochowski Kundry: Elena Pankratova Erster Gralsritter: Tansel Akzeybek Zweiter Gralsritter: Timo Riihonen Erster Knappe: Alexandra Steiner Zweiter Knappe: Mareike Morr Dritter Knappe: Charles Kim Vierter Knappe: Stefan Heibach Klingsors Zaubermädchen: Anna Siminska, Katharina Persicke, Mareike Morr, Alexandra Steiner, Bele Kumberger, Ingeborg Gillebo Stimme aus der Höhe: Wiebke Lehmkuhl
subtitles: German, English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean