PARSIFAL Wagner - Synopsys - What does the opera tells us about the heart of temptation?
オペラ『パルジファル』が伝える誘惑に負けない心とは？オペラ『パルジファル』をご存じですか？もし、知らない方も『ワルキューレの騎行』はご存じでしょう。どちらもドイツの作曲家「リヒャルト・ワーグナー」の傑作です。天才と言われたワグナーは、自身が手掛けたオペラの台本全てを書き、交響曲やオペラの作曲にとどまらない才能を持ち合わせています。そんなワーグナーオペラの傑作となったのが『パルジファル』。キリスト教に於いて、聖杯や聖槍がいかに崇められ、神秘的な力があると信じられているかをこの作品から伺えます。(English) What the opera Parsifal tells us about the heart of temptation? Do you know the opera, Parsifal? If not, you have probably heard of The Ride of the Valkyries. Both are masterpieces by the German composer 'Richard Wagner'. Wagner considered a genius, wrote the scripts for all of his operas, and his talents went beyond the composition of symphonies and operas. One such masterpiece of Wagnerian opera was Parsifal. The work shows how the Grail and the Holy Lance are revered in Christianity and believed to have mystical powers.
Parsifal - data
First performance 26 July 1882, Bayreuth Festival Theatre
Script Richard Wagner
Running time approx. 4 hours
Parsifal is the last opera by Richard Wagner (1813-1883).
The work, which took about 40 years from conception to completion, is a work in which the Christian idea of salvation is strongly felt.
Perhaps because of the nature of the work, the premiere was performed 'without applause throughout the entire act'.
Parsifal main Characters
Parsifal: a young man who does not know his name or upbringing. Initially, he is referred to as a 'young man'. It means 'pure fool'.
Gurnemanz: an old knight of the Castle of Monsalvat. In Act III, he is a hermit.
Amfortas: the king of Monsalvat Castle who guards the Holy Grail.
Kundry: a cursed woman. She is good but is turned into Klingzor's servant by magic.
Klingzor: evil sorcerer.
Titurel: father of Amfortas. Prior king.
Two knights of the chalice guardians.
Four peasants.
Daughters of the Garden: daughters seduced by Klingzor's magic.
The Parsifal, advance reading synopsis.
King Amfortas is wounded by the sorcerer Klingzor with a holy spear wound in his side, and blood continues to flow from the injury, which has not healed.
To cure King Amfortas' wounded suffering, Grunemants, Kundli and a young man (later found out to be named Parsifal) look for a way to heal it.
Parsifal repels Klingzor's seductive magic and regains the Holy Spear.
Parsifal places the Holy Spear on the wound of King Amfortas, relieving him of his suffering and ending his reign as the new king.
PARSIFAL - SYNOPSIS
1)
The devout king Titurel had received two great relics from the Angels, the Holy Grail (the cup from which Christ drank at the Last Supper and in which his blood was caught when he was crucified) and the spear with which his side was pierced.
They are kept in the Castle of the Grail. Titurel has founded a Brotherhood of Knights who, miraculously strengthened by the relics, ride out into the world to help those in distress.
2)
The knight Klingsor tried to gain acceptance into the Brotherhood but could not fulfil the law of chastity and so castrated himself to kill off his lustful desires.
Titurel turned him away, and in revenge, Klingsor transformed part of the surrounding wilderness into a magic castle and garden.
Here he has created bewitching young maidens whose purpose is to seduce the knights, and he ultimately hopes to gain possession of the Grail.
3)
Amfortas, having taken over as king of the Grail from his father Titurel, sees that an increasing number of knights are falling under Klingsor's power and so leaves to battle with the evil magician, armed with the sacred spear.
However, he is seduced by a mysterious maiden. Klingsor seizes the spear and inflicts a wound on Amfortas' side. Unfortunately, this wound will not close, and the king is in agony.
4)
Act One - Autumn
A clearing near the Castle of the Grail.
Gurnemanz, an elderly knight, rouses the squires from morning prayer and instructs them to prepare for the king's daily bath in the Holy Lake. A woman comes riding by in a great hurry.
5)
It is Kundry, an enigmatic messenger of the knights of the Grail.
She selflessly undergoes tribulation to serve the Brotherhood, yet always remains abrupt and cold.
She has brought a balsam from afar to heal the wounded Amfortas and falls to the ground exhausted.
6)
The king is borne in on a litter. He has spent another night in great pain; a medicinal herb brought to him by the knight Gurnemanz has proved to be ineffective.
He now wants to try the balsam procured by Kundry, but she remarks with despairing scorn that this will be useless.
7)
The king is carried to the lake. The squires regard Kundry with apprehension and suspicion and call her a heathen and a sorceress.
Still, Gurnemanz comes to the help of the "wild woman", reminding the squires of her dedicated services to the Grail.
The squires suggest that she be sent off to recover the missing spear, but Gurnemanz says that only a hero chosen by God may perform this task.
8)
He tells of the building of the Castle of the Grail by Titurel, of Klingsor's repudiation and revenge, the loss of the spear and Amfortas' wound, and the divine prophecy that only a "pure fool", enlightened through compassion, can save the king.
9)
Suddenly, raised voices are heard from the direction of the lake.
A youth has fired an arrow at a swan circling above the water.
The knights bring the dead bird and the wrongdoer to Gurnemanz, who chastises the naive child.
He is ashamed of what he has done and breaks his bow.
10)
The stranger is Parsifal, who knows neither his name nor anything of his parents.
He knows only that his mother is called "Herzeleide" (Heart's sorrow).
Kundry explains that he is the son of Gurnemanz, who was killed in battle.
Herzeleide had wanted to keep her son from becoming a knight and brought him up in a lonely wood.
11)
One day, however, Parsifal saw two knights on horseback.
He went after them, leaving behind his mother, who died of a broken heart.
Gurnemanz believes that this is the "pure fool" of the prophecy.
At this point, Kundry falls asleep as if overcome by some invisible power, and Gurnemanz takes the young man to the Castle of the Grail.
12)
The knights gather in the hall of the Castle for the ceremony of the unveiling of the Grail. Amfortas is brought in.
Titurel's voice is heard as if from the grave.
He is kept alive by regularly beholding the Grail and bids his son carry out his office.
Amfortas tells of the agony to which he must return after seeing the Grail and implores his father to unveil the Grail himself.
13)
However, Titurel and the knights insist that the form of the ceremony be strictly adhered to.
The Grail is solemnly unveiled.
The blood of Christ glows with great light, and the knights partake of the Lord's supper.
Amfortas is carried away, overcome by terrible pain from his incurable wound.
14)
Parsifal watched the proceedings in complete silence.
Gurnemanz assumes he is wrong in believing Parsifal to be the promised redeemer and angrily dismisses the youth.
A voice from on high repeats the prophecy.
15)
Act Two - Winter
Sitting in his tower, Klingsor looks into a magic mirror and watches Parsifal approach; to rob the youth of his purity, he conjures up Kundry, who is in a trance-like state under his command.
16)
She had mocked Christ as he hung dying on the cross and was condemned to live forever, carrying out her sentence as both the penitent servant of the Grail and a seductress under Klingsor's power.
She longs for death and redemption.
These can be brought only by a man who can resist her, but as yet, all have succumbed to her charms, including Amfortas himself.
17)
She mocks Klingsor's enforced "chastity" and at first refuses to bring ruin on the approaching Parsifal, but she is powerless to resist her master's command.
When Parsifal reaches the Castle, Klingsor sends out the renegade knights of the Grail to meet him, but the young man routs them all and descends into the garden.
18)
He meets the Flower Maidens, Klingsor's creations, but he is not distracted by their childish teasing.
Kundry transforms into a woman of magnificent beauty and calls the young man by his name for the first time.
She dismisses the Flower Maidens and tells Parsifal about his mother's death.
19)
She offers the penitent and guilt-conscious Parsifal "as a last token of mother's blessing the first kiss of love" to comfort him.
Clasped in her arms, Parsifal suddenly realises how tragedy befell Amfortas; he even thinks he can feel the pain caused by the spear wound.
As foretold in the prophecy, "compassion" has enlightened him, but he remains "pure", for he pushes Kundry aside.
20)
She tells him of the curse and her endless quest for redemption, which she hopes to find in Parsifal's embrace.
Parsifal, however, refuses to succumb and, having realised that he has been chosen to save the world of the Grail, instead asks her to show him the way to Amfortas.
21)
Kundry curses him, saying he shall never find the way, and calls on Klingsor for help.
Klingsor appears and hurls the stolen spear at Parsifal.
But the relic cannot be used as a weapon against Parsifal, and it rests in the air on his head.
Parsifal seizes hold of it and makes the sign of the cross; after that, Klingsor's Castle and garden vanish. Parsifal sets out for the Grail.
22)
Act Three - Spring
It is the morning of Good Friday.
Gurnemanz, living as a hermit in a wood, finds Kundry in the forest undergrowth.
She is nearly dead, but slowly she comes to her senses.
When she realises where she is, she begins to perform her tasks without saying a word.
23)
Gurnemanz is astounded to see that she has become a quiet and humble creature.
An unknown knight suddenly appears, dressed in full armour.
When Gurnemanz hints that this apparel is inappropriate on a Holy Day, the stranger lifts his visor.
It is Parsifal who, after a long period of wandering, is finally on his way to the Castle of the Grail.
24)
Gurnemanz joyfully recognises the spear and hails Parsifal as the redeemer, explaining that since the last unveiling ceremony, Amfortas has refused to reveal the Grail and has thus brought about the impoverishment of the Brotherhood and the death of Titurel.
25)
However, Amfortas is now repentant of what he has done and has decided to carry out his office at the old king's funeral. Kundry washes Parsifal's feet and dries them with her hair.
Using water from the holy stream, Gurnemanz washes all guilt from Parsifal's head and then anoints him as the new king of the Grail.
26)
His first task as king is to baptise Kundry. Parsifal remarks on the beauty of the meadows adorned with spring flowers.
Gurnemanz explains the "Good Friday magic", which causes even the natural world to rejoice at Christ's redemption of man.
The midday bell is heard, announcing the funeral ceremony at the Castle of the Grail. Parsifal takes up the spear and follows Gurnemanz and Kundry.
27)
The knights of the Grail assemble in the Great Hall.
Shaken and penitent, Amfortas beseeches his dead father to intercede with God on his behalf.
The knights press him to reveal the Grail, but he refuses and asks them to kill him instead.
28)
At this point, Parsifal enters and closes Amfortas' wound with a touch of the spear.
A white dove descends from on high and hovers above Parsifal's head. Kundry has found redemption.
Better understanding! Highlights of Parsifal
1. the changes in Parsifal that unfold in Act 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqOBEH-JRhs
(from 1 hr 39 mins)
It is only in Act 2 that we find out about his upbringing. Kundli tells us Parsifal's name, his parent's past and that his mother died of loneliness.
When Parsifal's previously blank background is coloured, Parsifal learns about himself for the first time and becomes aware of his existence.
Then, hints for saving King Amfortas appear in his mind.
At this moment, Parsifal grows strong and overcomes the spear of Klingzor with justice and strength.
The past, which was only told in words in Act 1, is revealed at once in the scene of Klingzor, the seduction of the Daughters of the Garden and the appearance of Kundry's curse.
2. the strength of Parsifal's self, which is not deceived by temptation.
The strength of Parsifal, who is not seduced by either the Daughters of the Garden or Kundry, seems to convey to the audience the message of "having oneself".
Amfortas!
Kundry's kisses remind King Amfortas of his suffering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhBGZlcjn84
Klingzor also overcomes Parsifal. In other words, he appears to be the only one who can break Klingzor's spell and save King Amfortas.
In chapter 3, Parsifal decides to become the new king. Watch out for the changes in Parsifal, who gradually surfaces and shows his true strength in the end!
3. the Great Hall of the Holy Grail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqOBEH-JRhs&t=12708s
(3 h 32 min - )
Surrounding King Amfortas, all hope that King Amfortas will survive. However, in their striking scene, he expresses his anguish in front of the body of his predecessor, King Titurel, in the hearse.
And the scene where Parsifal heals King Amfortas' wounds and becomes the new king is one of the greatest highlights! (around three h 44 min)
Summary.
The opera Parsifal is Wagner's masterpiece, created by Wagner for performance at the Bayreuth Festival Theatre. The music and script are based on his thoughts on religion, philosophy and race.
Why not see the opera Parsifal in the theatre and immerse yourself in the music and story of the Richard Wagner World? Feel wealthy and enjoy a cultural day out.
PARSIFAL Wagner - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i721IMkMZPI&t=7335s
A young man ignorant of everything, including his name, arrives at the Kingdom of the Holy Grail. Is he the 'pure fool, enlightened by compassion', who, it has been prophesied, will purify the realm?
OperaVision is live in Bergen for a concert staging of Parsifal, Richard Wagner's final music drama, unlike anything that went before or has come since. As a result, it can feel more like a ritual ceremony than an opera - grand yet intimate, somehow occupying its space and time.
Parsifal - Marinsky theatre
https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/repertoire/opera/parsifal/
What a tempting mind the opera Parsifal conveys!
PARSIFAL Wagner - Synopsys
https://tsvocalschool.com/classic/parsifal/
PARSIFAL Wagner
https://opera-synopsis.sakura.ne.jp/parsifal.html
Bühnenweihfestspiel "Parsifal" - Wikipedia
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%91%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B8%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%83%AB