Posted by M. Conchis on May 31, 19103 at 12:13:14:

In Reply to: Re: Parsifal Video posted by Michel Facon on August 31, 19100 at 00:38:01:

: : I would like to know which is the best video of Wagner´s Parsifal
: : tanx

: Syberberg's production of Parsifal is excellent: good acting, good musical performance, unusual production. Can be obtained from Operaworld.com.
: English subtitles

I strongly disagree with the above. Syberberg's version is the best merely because it's the only available (to my knowledge) version on video. It is quirky, self-indulgent and obviously created by somebody fundamentally afraid of the work and it's historical baggage. The result is an irritating pastiche of Wagner memorabilia, old photographs puppets etc - Parsifal as Punch and Judy set in ajunk shop. Wagner himself rises above this poor and dated rendition by the power of his music. We get glimpses of the splendour that could be through stills of the original Bayreuth sets. When will someone realise that staging a Wagner music drama in all it's intended glory does not make one either simplistic or a ?

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