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Synopsis (Lohengrin) Synopsis (Parsifal)

Richard Wagner (1813–83) was a political animal, and all his operas are, on some level, political too. After a brief survey of the production history of his later operas, we look at a couple of scenes from an earlier one, Lohengrin (1850), written while the composer was actually taking part in a revolution. We then turn to the particular challenge posed by his swanson opera Parsifal: namely, how can you take an esoteric, reactionary opera marinated in Christian mysticism, and make it relevant to real-life concerns in the more secular world we inhabit today?

Richard Wagner, 1813–83. German composer.

Wagner almost single-handedly transformed the nature not only of opera but also of harmony and orchestration. His 10 mature operas include Tristan und Isolde (1865), Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1868), and the vast tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen (completed 1876), for which he had a special theater built at Bayreuth. His final opera, Parsifal (1882), was written for exclusive performance at that theater.

Handout (flat) Handout (folded) Class Script
Synopsis (Lohengrin) Synopsis (Parsifal)

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The only videos on YouTube that are the same as those we watched in class are the first part of the finale of the Met production of Parsifal, and the first two acts (only) of the current Bayreuth one. Otherwise, we can only sample things with trailers. None of these have titles. However, I have been able to find links to the wonderfully imaginative 2012 production of Lohengrin at La Scala, directed by Claus Guth, and an older traditional production of Parsifal from Bayreuth, directed by Wolfgang Wagner in 1981; both of these do have titles. Everything seen in class is also available on DVD. rb.

LOHENGRIN
	Dresden 2016	* Trailer
	La Scala 2012	* Act I (Claus Guth production, with titles) * Act II * Act III

PARSIFAL
	Met 2013	* Final scene (shorter than seen in class)
	Berlin 2015	* Trailer
	Bayreuth 2016	* Acts I and II (no titles) * Trailer
	Bayreuth 1981	* Complete opera (Wolfgang Wagner production, with titles)


IMAGES
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