Jonas Kaufmann in Sydney (again!)

[sydneyboy]

Opera Australia has just released its program for 2017. It includes 3 concert performances of ''Parsifal'' next August with Jonas Kaufmann in the lead role. This is an incredible coup for Opera Australia. I reported here on his recital about 2 years ago which I described as a recital in thousand. I have high hopes for this ''Parsifal''.

[TruHart1]

Opera Australia has just released its program for 2017. It includes 3 concert performances of ''Parsifal'' next August with Jonas Kaufmann in the lead role. This is an incredible coup for Opera Australia. I reported here on his recital about 2 years ago which I described as a recital in thousand. I have high hopes for this ''Parsifal''.

Syd, you should be in for a real treat! If you haven't, try to check out the MET production of a few years ago (I believe it should be available on DVD/Blu-Ray there, at least it is here in the U.S. since I own it!) with Herr Kaufmann as Parsifal. The staging wasn't universally applauded but his interpretation of the role was considered definitive! I personally don't believe anyone but Domingo in his prime has ever even come close to Kaufmann in the role!

 

JMHO.

 

TruHart1

[+ WilliamM]

Syd, you should be in for a real treat! If you haven't, try to check out the MET production of a few years ago (I believe it should be available on DVD/Blu-Ray there, at least it is here in the U.S. since I own it!) with Herr Kaufmann as Parsifal. The staging wasn't universally applauded but his interpretation of the role was considered definitive! I personally don't believe anyone but Domingo in his prime has ever even come close to Kaufmann in the role!

 

JMHO.

 

TruHart1

 

Yes, I found the staging confusing when I saw the HD Saturday afternoon version. There were a few performances left, so I saw it again live at the Met.

 

Even at the Met I was not sure why Kaufmann was standing in water for so long. The irony is that the next morning I suddenly had a very bad cold. When the Met brings back this stage, I hope it's not in the winter again.

 

It was worth it to see Kaufmann in person and will be in Sydney also.

[TruHart1]

Yes, I found the staging confusing when I saw the HD Saturday afternoon version. There were a few performances left, so I saw it again live at the Met.

 

Even at the Met I was not sure why Kaufmann was standing in water for so long. The irony is that the next morning I suddenly had a very bad cold. When the Met brings back this stage, I hope it's not in the winter again.

 

It was worth it to see Kaufmann in person and will be in Sydney also.

I did see some interviews at the time with the director, François Girard, who said that they heated the water on stage that the singers were standing in for so long. Also he seemed to want to tie that water (symbolically representing blood) to the non-healing wound Amfortas was cursed with caused by his Holy Spear!

 

TruHart1

[+ WilliamM]

I did see some interviews at the time with the director, François Girard, who said that they heated the water on stage that the singers were standing in for so long. Also he seemed to want to tie that water (symbolically representing blood) to the non-healing wound Amfortas was cursed with caused by his Holy Spear!

 

While the staging had no relationship to my illness the next morning, a cold which became pneumonia very quickly, so it's difficult to forget that water.

 

It was the only time I ever had pneumonia

[TruHart1]

For anyone who hasn't heard the MET Parsifal with Jonas Kaufmann, but might be curious, I'm sharing an audio broadcast here of a full performance. Be warned, this runs 4 hours and 21 minutes complete so you may enjoy it more (if you decide to listen) in smaller segments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL4An6CJzxQ

 

This is not a video of a performance but has a production still slideshow displayed as it progresses showing each scene. Again, the mp3 quality is good but not as expansive by any means as a live performance would be:

 

A live radio broadcast performance from the Metropolitan Opera, New York of Wagner's Parsifal. It was transmitted on 2 March 2013 on BBC Radio 3

 

The cast is as follows:

Parsifal…..Jonas Kaufmann

Kundry…..Katarina Dalayman

Amfortas…..Peter Mattei

Klingsor…..Evgeny Nikitin

Gurnemanz…..Rene Pape

Titurel…..Rúni Brattaberg

First Esquire…..Jennifer Forni

Second Esquire…..Lauren McNeese

Third Esquire…..Andrew Stenson

Fourth Esquire…..Mario Chang

First Knight…..Mark Schowalter

Second Knight…..Ryan Speedo Green

Flower Maidens…..Kiera Duffy, Lei Xu, Irene Robert, Haeran Hong, Katherine Wyhte & Heather Johnson

 

Chorus & Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York

Conducted by Daniele Gatti

 

Timeline positions:

Act 1 (0'03)

Act 2 (1'51'30)

Act 3 (3'01'19)

 

TruHart1

[sydneyboy]

Last night I attended this long awaited concert performance of ''Parsifal''. It was well worth the wait. Herr Kaufmann turned up and he was magnificent. This was the second time I have seen him in about 6 weeks the last being in London in ''Otello''. He certainly deserves the accolade as the greatest tenor of out time. The Gurnemanz was a Korean bass Kwangchul Youn small in stature but big (and thrilling) in voice. He is a regular at Bayreuth. He received a great ovation. The other import in the cast was the Kundry Michelle DeYoung, statuesque, with a great stage presence and a great voice. The roles of Amfortas and Klingsor were respectively taken by 2 excellent local baritones Michael Honeyman and Warwick Fyfe. The Opera Australia Orchestra has never sounded better under Pinchas Steinberg and the chorus was fabulous. All in all a night to remember and very little was lost from it being a concert performance. The cast received a rapturous standing ovation.

In conclusion I can do no better than quote the opera critic from the 'Sydney Morning Herald''. He regretted that he could only award 5 stars and opined that it was Opera Australia's best offering in decades.

[+ Charlie]

Last night I attended this long awaited concert performance of ''Parsifal''. It was well worth the wait. Herr Kaufmann turned up and he was magnificent. This was the second time I have seen him in about 6 weeks the last being in London in ''Otello''. He certainly deserves the accolade as the greatest tenor of out time. The Gurnemanz was a Korean bass Kwangchul Youn small in stature but big (and thrilling) in voice. He is a regular at Bayreuth. He received a great ovation. The other import in the cast was the Kundry Michelle DeYoung, statuesque, with a great stage presence and a great voice. The roles of Amfortas and Klingsor were respectively taken by 2 excellent local baritones Michael Honeyman and Warwick Fyfe. The Opera Australia Orchestra has never sounded better under Pinchas Steinberg and the chorus was fabulous. All in all a night to remember and very little was lost from it being a concert performance. The cast received a rapturous standing ovation.

In conclusion I can do no better than quote the opera critic from the 'Sydney Morning Herald''. He regretted that he could only award 5 stars and opined that it was Opera Australia's best offering in decades.

What's the difference between a concert performance and a staged performance of Parsifal? (OK, only kidding--I love Parsifal, but it is one of the most static of all operas, IMHO. If you understand German, or at least know the libretto, you can enjoy it just as much if you sit back with your eyes closed.)