Wagner: Parsifal - Uhl, Ludwig, Höngen, Hotter, Wächter, Berry, Janowitz, Güden; Karajan. Wien, 1961
$18.95
Description:
The conceit of this production is the use of two different Kundrys: Christa Ludwig in the Flower Garden scene and Elisabeth Höngen in all the others. Ludwig is red-hot in her Act II appearance—perhaps the role division was made to allow her to conserve energy for the scene that demands the most. As Gurnemanz, Hans Hotter defies the kindly-old-man cliché and presents a deeply human character whose frustration with Parsifal at the end of Act I is chilling in its intensity. Eberhard Wächter brings both virility and pain to his portrayal of Amfortas, making the suffering deeply felt.
The Flower Maidens scene is elevated by a dream cast including Gundula Janowitz, Hilde Güden, Anneliese Rothenberger, and Biserka Cvejic. And in the pit, Herbert von Karajan leads a performance of clarity and elegance, coaxing transparency from the score and demanding exactitude in rhythm and diction.
In Mono
OD 11950-4
