Kaufmann in Parsifal, live from the Met 2.3.13

[Bert Coules]

I think that much - perhaps all - of one's attitude to opera depends on how one comes to it in the first place.

Approach it via the concert hall or the gramophone and I suspect that you tend to regard an opera as a long musical composition which includes some singing and also embraces such rather more minor elements as characterisation, plot, theatricality and the fact that it could (but by no means must) be performed on a stage.

Come to it (as I did) from the world of the theatre and the drama and the view is usually rather different: for me, an opera is a play in which for some or maybe all of the time the characters happen to sing and are accompanied by instruments. That fact is certainly an important one, but no more important than any of the other aspects that combine to make a meaningful dramatic experience in the theatre.

Which is why I don't care a hoot if the music is sometimes obscured as long as it happens in a way which increases the emotional impact of the entire show.

Bert

[bluestateprommer]

They don't clap over the closing bars because they're Americans, but because it's the culture of that particular house that it's considered acceptable.

Actually, from my POV, the reason that premature applause over the closing bars of a given opera act at the Met is not a reflection of the Met audience 'culture', but IMHO is the result of something very simple that I'm surprised no one here has caught. The Met has the habit, as I would guess is common at other houses, of starting to lower the fire curtain at the ends of acts while the last music of the act is still playing. That visual act sends a subliminal message to the audience that the act is about to end, so that it's time to start applauding. (Rest assured, I am not one of those people. I wait until the music has stopped, even if others around me start to applaud, whereever I am, the Met or anywhere else.)

It would be the simplest thing in the world for the Met simply not to start lowering the fire curtain until the music has completely finished. Of course, because this is so simple, it will never happen. But I would be willing to wager that if the Met started to do this, the phenomenon of unfortunate premature applause while the very end of an act is still playing would cease immediately.

That aside, I admired this production quite a bit, all the more impressive that it was Francois Girard's first effort at directing opera. I suspect, however, that the ability of the HD cameras to focus on close-up subtle details would have made seeing this production more bearable, especially given the glacial pacing of some stretches, particularly the first part of Act III. I liked Rene Pape as Gurnemanz best of all, although all the cast was strong, even down to the smaller roles among the Grail knights and the flower maidens. High praise too for Daniele Gatti in the pit, masterfully controlling the proceedings, and without a score in front of him, i.e. conducting from memory.

[BBMmk2]

I really enjoyed the performance of Wagner's last opera Parsifal. There are not too frequent perfromances of this work, so I was especially looking forwqard to this one. What with Kaiufmann etc, who could resist?

The New York Met, for me is a very exciting opera house. I remember, me and mrsBBM cioming back from Lancashire listening to Borodin's Prince Igor. What made light of our journey back home!

[Nick Armstrong]

Of course, because this is so simple, it will never happen.

I'm sure I've seen the same 'premature curtain' thing elsewhere, TBF... with corresponding early applause...

Although actually, I think I can remember being very impressed once with the dexterity of the 'curtain wrangler' that they began their descent on a long final diminuendo chord, perfectly choreographed so that they fell as the sound slowly died, the bottom corners of the curtain snicking shut precisely at the instant the chord ended ppp... I don't recall any applause then.

And Bert: I bet you're right in your #46...

[ARBurton]

Far worse than the (slightly) premature applause at the end of Act 3 was the inordinate haste with which the applause was then cut off in the broadcast. I don't suppose we had more than 10 seconds of applause, after which the commentator rushed through the cast list against a silent background. For me, this completely ruined the end of the opera. I am not sure whether the Met transmission or the BBC was responsible for this; I expect the latter, as the programme was running 25 minutes late. Would it have been so terrible to delay the following programme for another minute?

Yes I agree entirely with what you`ve said. I was at the cinema yesterday but recording it back at home and clocked this rather abrupt commentator intrusion. Perhaps someone might be able to contact the BBC to ask - although one wonders about the likelihood of a meaningful response....

Agree that the Met`s interval features are irritating - I can`t imagine that an artist fresh from the stage, and the intensity of performing, really wants a live on-camera interview...! I don`t recall this being quite as hurried in feel during the Bayreuth Parsifal cinecast last August.

And not wishing to dwell on the negative, but am I alone in thinking that the video director spent a little too much time in close-up mode...?

[Nick Armstrong]

I can`t imagine that an artist fresh from the stage, and the intensity of performing, really wants a live on-camera interview...!

It's the fatuous fashion in sport too (at the risk of derailing this thread). Shoving a mike under the nose of an exhausted tennis player seconds after he or she has won/lost and expecting them to deliver comprehensible English always seems like cruel and intrusive punishment. Most recently it's extended to silly interviews with GP drivers on the podium just after a race

[ARBurton]

It gets better - the very end is missing from R3`s "Listen Again"....!

Does anyone at R3 actually have a clue...?!

[Mahler's3rd]

Thought it was fabulous, really well lit, the production, very effective and the cast of course we're excellent, is Jonas Kaufmann, "The Parsifal" of this generation?
A Very intense and enjoyable evening. Incidentally The Showcase Cine De Lux In Bristol charged £12.50, by booking online, and I printed the synopsis and cast sheet from The Metropolitan Opera Live In HD Web Site, a wonderful night

[PJPJ]

It gets better - the very end is missing from R3`s "Listen Again"....!

Does anyone at R3 actually have a clue...?!

I've filled in the nearly interminable report form for this.

x100

[DublinJimbo]

The city-centre venue I saw it in here in Dublin was gratifyingly populated. I expected many fewer to be there, especially compared to the full house for Rigoletto.

This was a magnificent experience. It really was a dream cast, wonderfully supported by superb orchestral playing and an imaginative and at times deeply moving production. The ritualised movements of the knights in Act I were spot on, the back-projection was utterly wonderful throughout, the Kundry/Parsifal duet in Act II was extraordinarily good, René Pape was a perfect Gurnemanz, and Peter Mattei's Amfortas delved really deeply into the character.

I was prepared for something radically different from the traditional production I saw in Vienna ten years ago, but really didn't know what to expect. It was a pleasant surprise to be treated to such an intelligent piece of theatre, lovingly crafted and utterly respectful to the composer. (The Met fell down on the transformation scene compared to the perfect piece of stagecraft in Vienna, but this was only a small disappointment in the greater scheme of things.)

I say Bravo to the Met, not just for this performance but for the whole Live in HD initiative. It was a privilege to be part of last night's global audience.

[BBMmk2]

Thought it was fabulous, really well lit, the production, very effective and the cast of course we're excellent, is Jonas Kaufmann, "The Parsifal" of this generation?
A Very intense and enjoyable evening. Incidentally The Showcase Cine De Lux In Bristol charged £12.50, by booking online, and I printed the synopsis and cast sheet from The Metropolitan Opera Live In HD Web Site, a wonderful night

Where we are, I dont think there is a cin bema that shows these events?

[Mahler's3rd]

From what I can see Brassbandmaestro, your nearest would be Brighton, 13 Miles away, hope this link help's

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/liveinhd/uk.aspx

[An_Inspector_Calls]

We were charged £12.50 for this excellent evening. Absolutely fabulous performance all round, and I'm quite happy with the presentation. You don't get many evenings like this to the pound.

(Cineworld made a mess of the programme times; I expect they're were confused in the blizzard of GMT, EST, etc. Easily forgiven, but please don't do it again).

[Bryn]

It gets better - the very end is missing from R3`s "Listen Again"....!

Does anyone at R3 actually have a clue...?!

I refer the Hon. Member to message #43.

Perhaps it's all part of a cunning plan to get us to listen to Hear and Now, the 'Listen Again' offering for which has the end of the NY Met. event. There again, maybe it is also an attempt to get us to capture the iPlayer 'Listen Again' .flv files, extract the .aac files from them and edit them together to restore continuity to Parsifal.

[gurnemanz]

(Cineworld made a mess of the programme times; I expect they're were confused in the blizzard of GMT, EST, etc. Easily forgiven, but please don't do it again).

As we went in, I asked the staff on duty about interval arrangements and they had no idea. There was in fact an ongoing interval programme which was a reasonably interesting as a background distraction to our sandwiches, Christmas Stollen and thermos coffee. Parsifal was interviewed and took the opportunity to turn to the camera and say hello to his parents-in-law at a cinema somewhere in Germany and I was somewhat amazed to find out that Gatti was conducting the whole lot without a score.