Grafenegg: "Parsifal"

Good Friday does not have to be silent

Unrivaled: Klaus Florian Vogt as the saviour Parsifal in Grafenegg(Bild: Webiste Klaus Florian Vogt)

While the big stages were traditionally silent, Act 3 of Wagner's work of redemption became an orchestral and vocal event in Lower Austria

Even principled Christians no longer have to refrain from eating, washing clothes and hammering in nails on Good Friday. Only the theaters and opera houses are closed. Why? Because it's true. An all the more gripping, spiritually charged experience was available in Grafenegg: Act 3 of "Parsifal", which takes place on Good Friday, is the epitome of all music of pain and redemption. 

If we are to believe the observations of several fellow critics who heard a modestly played and sung Maundy Thursday "Parsifal" at the State Opera the previous evening, then what was on offer in Lower Austria was even more outstanding.

The sound artists in particular, who are not familiar with this repertoire, leave nothing to be desired in terms of scenic realization. This kind of dynamic fine-tuning, precise dramaturgy and delicate coloration is often missed in everyday repertoire. And yet it is precisely these qualities that make expression possible in the first place! The Austrian conductor Roberto Paternostro is a true Wagner and Strauss specialist. He has returned to his profession this evening after three years of suffering, during which he was sometimes closer to death than to life. But there is no need for these subtexts for the enthusiastic audience to realize that something extraordinary has been achieved here. 

Roberto Paternostro rehearses "Parsifal" in Grafenegg(Bild: Grafenegg / Beatrice Schreiner)

The cast can also only be described as good. Elina Garanca, who had appeared at the State Opera the previous evening, probably performed Kundry's request to "serve, serve" even more credibly than the chorus in Grafenegg. However, the challenging part in the third act is limited to just this contribution. 

It should therefore be noted that Klaus Florian Vogt, who is now also tending towards the most difficult heroic role, has no rival as Parsifal today. That Stephen Milling's Gurnemanz is not easy to catch up with in terms of warmth, fullness and intimacy. That the Bayreuth-experienced Australian Derek Welton is a simply sensational Amfortas.

Even as an unprincipled denominational rejectionist, one can say that.