Ep. 145 Parsifal by Wagner

Richard Wagner refused to call Parsifal an opera, but instead considered it a rite of “consecration.” For many years, its performance was restricted to the small German town of Bayreuth: the destination of a new kind of artistic/religious pilgrimage.

The story itself is somewhat perplexing; both mythic and strangely fragmentary. It is a tale of knights, witches, sorcerers, and one pure innocent fool… all of them engaged in a mystical struggle between good and evil.

It is this cosmic aspiration that has made Wagner’s final operatic composition an enduringly controversial work of art. People adore Parsifal, revile it, groan at the thought of its great length, and celebrate its beauty and power… and often, do so all at once.

Join Pat & Grant & Kathleen for an exploration of the most operatic not-opera ever written.

For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.