This famous 1961 Vienna Parsifal was brought out commercially over twenty years ago; that set is now long out of print. How fortunate then that Andy has revived it on Opera Depot. The sounds remains very good.The performance itself may start a few arguments. Karajan doesn't dawdle and he knows how to pace the opera effectively. I rather like his casting Kundry with two different women. I don't know what Wagner would've thought, but both singers (Höngen and Ludwig) are good. Ludwig sings voluptuously in the Garden Scene. She makes all the high notes, but they're a little shrill (that's not inappropriate to Kundry's situation though). She would grow into the role more completely in the ensuing decade. Hotter is in excellent shape, his voice steady, his manner that of a true Gurnemanz - a classic portrayal. Uhl sings well, but as always is a little anonymous. Wächter is really too lyric a baritone for Amfortas although he makes his points. Berry is a frightening bully of a Klingsor. The Flowermaiden ensemble is the best I've ever heard (look at those names!), really blending with each other with no wobblers.Karajan does some odd reassigning of certain lines to other characters (the "Des Mitleid's Wissen" just before Parsifal's entrance in Act One is a case in point) and he insists on amplifying Titurel in the Grail Scene. Overall though this is a more consistent, less self-indulgent performance than his studio recording from twenty years later.

5 stars, indeed. Christa Ledwig was worth the price of admission. Everyone was in top form.Dream cast, for sure. The end results were a dream. Highly recommended.