The mystical quality of Wagner’s final opera, Parsifal, can leave first-time listeners feeling somewhat overwhelmed by its themes of redemption, love, and pity. Devoted admirers will insist that its mysteries yield themselves only through a lifetime of repeated hearings. In this excellent English-language performance, however, much of the work’s inner life comes more clearly into focus. The translation remains respectful of Wagner’s original text while making a measured effort to clarify some of its more elusive lines.

In honor of Karfreitag, we are offering this sublime performance of Parsifal with a cast including Warren Elmsworth, Anne Evans and Gwynne Howell.