From its conception in 1857 to its first performances in 1882, Parsifal represented the culmination of the themes that preoccupied Wagner during the latter part of his life. This guide includes a series of articles on Wagner's profound and complex opera, which the composer preferred to call a "Bühnenweihfestspiel" - a "festival work to consecrate a stage". The first, by Mike Ashman, explores the ideological background to the opera, both political and philosophical. Dieter Borchmeyer goes on to discuss the mythological foundations of Parsifal, and its relation to Wagner's earlier works. Robin Holloway provides a study of the opera’s musical motifs, followed by Carolyn Abbate's essay "Parsifal: Words and Music", which examines the relation between music and drama in the opera. Finally, Gerd Rienäcker contributes an essay on the dramaturgy of Parsifal, and analyses of some of the major scenes.
The present edition contains a literal translation of the libretto opposite the original German text, a number of photographs covering a wide chronology to the present day, a comprehensive thematic guide, a bibliography and discography, as well as DVD and website guides. It will prove an essential companion for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Wagner’s final masterpiece.
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‘Neat little volumes they are, handy for carrying around, clearly printed and well set-out, complete with libretto and translation, discography and a generous selection of illustrations.’
Gramophone
'Brilliantly produced and superb value.'
The Sunday Times
'The jolliest of bargains.'
The Musical Times
'Marvellous... the best books of their kind.'
Hugh Canning
‘The first thing noticeable about these initial items in the revamped
Opera Guides series... is how much more solid and attractive these volumes are compared with the old ones. Production values are up, with more appealing design, clearer print and much better paper, making these books altogether more shelf-worthy.’
BBC Music Magazine
'Overall, as a pocket-sized guide to a work of such enormous proportions and far-reaching import, this will be hard to beat.'
The Wagner Journal
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