Wagner: Parsifal - King, Jones, Crass, Stewart, McIntyre, Ridderbusch; Boulez. Bayreuth, 1970

$16.95

Listen to a Sample:

This performance is an interesting companion to the DG studio release. It was the broadcast of the 1970 season, whereas the studio release was a composite of all the performances that season.
You could not hope to find a more ideal Parsifal than James King, who brings stentorian heft as well as burnished lyricism to the role.
Franz Crass' smooth bass brings fatherly warmth to Gurnemanz' music.
Pierre Boulez' swift reading of the score might not be to everyone's taste, but what you lose in Wagnerian expansiveness you make for in a lighter approach that seems to favor the singers.