Let me say at the outset that Parsifal has never been my favorite opera. But in comparing Wagnerian singers I have heard in the past to last night's cast, only one singer was in that league: Kwangchul Youn, the Gurnemanz. He posesses a voice with the power and gravitas required to take command of this role. His vocal and dramatic power took over the stage. Many of the others fell short of the mark.Paul Groves as Parsifal has a very good tenor voice but was holding back in Acts 1 and 2 to save up for Act 3. Understandable but under-powered. Daveda Karanas in Act 1 was present but not notable. In Act 2 the tessitura was simply too high for her to sing without screaming. It was wearing on the listener.
Thomas Hampson as Amfortas seemed to feel the necessity to bellow in Act 1. After a long break for Act 2 and two intermissions, he came back to sing more comfortably in Act 3. Having worked years ago with Jerome Hines and heard him sing this role, this was a far cry from 'the good old days'.
Tomas Tomasson as Klingsor sang very well and was impressive on stage.
The male chorus was impressive, the women less so. The Flower Maidens had a couple of very thin sopranos voices who had solo parts. When singing with the men their sound was better.
Sir Andrew Davis conducted the orchestra with a good ear to balance; something that doesn't always happen at the Met these days.
The stage set was basically the same throughout: a large tilted circle that was changed by lighting effects and various round columns that rose from the ground or were lifted into the flies. In Act 2 a series of neon-looking tubes went heavenward while Klingsor rose and fell on a circular disc in the midst of the tubing. A large gold hand would emerge from the back of the stage from time to time. This, unfortunately, was a reminder of a commercial that is now showing on television where a large yellow hand knocks on someone's door to sell something.
With the exception of Mr. Youn, nothing happened to make me like the opera any more than previously.
Having heard the likes of Kirsten Flagstad, Laurence Melchoir, Birgit Nilsson, Jerome Hines and so on in Wagnerian roles, the evening's singing was far from the mark. I'll still opt for Meistersinger.
