Which Parsifal will you play this weekend? There are no wrong answers!

[Dave2002]

I suppose it's an Easter opera?

Not sure. Allegedly Wagner is supposed to have asserted that ideas came to him on Good Friday, but it is also said that later on he denied this. Does the plot focus on Easter in any way? The Holy Grail feaures - perhaps that's the connection.

[Petrushka]

Not sure. Allegedly Wagner is supposed to have asserted that ideas came to him on Good Friday, but it is also said that later on he denied this. Does the plot focus on Easter in any way? The Holy Grail feaures - perhaps that's the connection.

Well, there is the Good Friday music where Parsifal speaks of the magic of Good Friday in Act 3 (Karfreitagzauber) so to that extent it is an Easter opera.

[Richard Barrett]

What they fail to mention is the digital resolution used for the original May 1980 recording. Hardly likely to be higher than 16/48 I would have though, and quite possibly rather lower.

"On paper" that ought to have been the recording to convince me finally about Parsifal, and when it was released I wasted no time in acquiring it, but I found it quite uninvolving. Maybe the recording had something to do with that.

[Conchis]

The Kubelik arrived today. As I opened the package I heard a tiny thump from the carpet. Sure enough there was a small black plastic triangle resting on the pile. Protruding from the triangle was a cylindrical boss. One of the 4-disc jewel case hinges had broken off in transit. Good job I heard the thing fall. A dab of polystyrene cement and all is well. Now to find time to test the content of the polycarbonate discs. They make a point of mentioning that the recording has been remastered at 24 bit 96kHz resolution. What they fail to mention is the digital resolution used for the original May 1980 recording. Hardly likely to be higher than 16/48 I would have though, and quite possibly rather lower.

The spindles on both this and the Die Meistersinger issued by the same company were very weak: I had the same trouble.

It's a great recording, though - very possibly the best. The same applies to Die Meistersinger.