legoru
04-08-2014, 05:26 AM
Don't be fazed by the cover photo (by Dutch-based artist Erwin Olaf): this isn't an irreverent take on Wagner's final and most controversial opera, and it's not Parsifal-lite either, though there is indeed just one disc here (and no singing). Netherlands Radio Philharmonic percussionist Henk de Vlieger has instead joined together sections of the original score with slight alterations in the original order as well as imaginatively crafted instrumentation of some of the vocal lines--into a compelling tone poem. (de Vlieger has subjected Tristan and the Ring cycle to similar treatment.) The effect isn't so much one of "highlights" as a distillation of what is arguably Wagner's most beautiful score; the resulting "suite" conveys a solid sense of construction and narrative weight. Moreover, Edo de Waart's account never plods but summons just the right sense of exquisite power as well as a stunning clarity and balance of orchestral choirs. The players seem to positively glide into the ether, hovering in the opera's final pages, while the Flower Maidens' music sounds as diaphanous as Debussy. de Waart adjusts the temperature to highlight Wagner's opposition of eros and agape, of lust and compassion, but always foregrounds the sheer gorgeousness of the musical fabric.
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Parsifal, an orchestra quest (1882/1993) arr. Henk de Vlieger
1. Vorspiel (11:11)
2. Parsifal (3:25)
3. Die Gralsritter 1 (9:26)
4. Die Blumenmadchen (7:16)
5. Karfreitagszauber (10:36)
6. Die Gralsritter 2 (4:26)
7. Nachspiel (7:36)
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
Edo de Waart, conductor
https://mega.co.nz/#!dE1RHSIB!YU2rIVadYyjOdty_dqppR3WRsWR4m4Uw8-X1M0KHstk
Flac, covers, 217mb, 54'04
In 1991, Henk de Vlieger, percussionist in the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, had arranged Richard Wagner's famous opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelung into a single symphonic work, a fiery musical spectacle entitled The Ring, an orchestral adventure. The success of this led to a demand for more such arrangements, because the music, which Wagner originally composed for the theatre, turned out - after some adaptions - to be ideally suited to the concert hall. So 1993 saw the appearance of De Vlieger's second Wagner arrangement - of the opera Parsifal.
Parsifal is Wagner's last completed composition. He wrote the text as early as 1857 and composed the music in the period 1877-1882. Wagner derived the story - about the conflict between religious and secular love - mainly from the 13th century legend by Wolfram von Eschenbach. In the past, critics have repeatedly claimed that the mixture of heathen, Christian and medieval symbolism which characterises Parsifal has led to contradictions. But, as in all Wagner's works, the opera owes its quality mainly to the music, which here displays a special unity. As in The Ring, the composer used his technique of leitmotifs in this opera, too, but not this time to achieve a dramatic development: the music here is more contemplative than narrative in character. The predominantly slow tempi emphasise the striking austerity of this B�hnenweihfestspiel, as the composer called the work.
Following the same method of working as in The Ring, an orchestral adventure, in this arrangement too, De Vlieger forged a number of orchestral highlights together into a unified, single symphonic work. Where necessary, voices have been replaced by instruments, modulations adapted and transpositions 'composed' again (with strict adherence to Wagner's idiom). The narrative line, however, is virtually absent in this arrangement. Instead, attention is mainly focused on the constant factor in Parsifal: the ritual. The opera is structured more or less symmetrically, and this form is closely linked to the ritual content, of course. De Vlieger has retained this aspect in his arrangement and, where possible, even reinforced it. A selection was thus made of seven parts, which flow into one another and have the following subtitle
The first part - Vorspiel - is the instrumental overture. The last part, the finale of the opera, is here called Nachspiel, for reasons of symmetry. Both excerpts are in the same key and use the same motifs ('Abendmal', 'Gral' and 'Glaube'). The Vorspiel was taken over unchanged, but a few changes were made to the Nachspiel: the vocal contribution of Parsifal was left out and the role of the choir was replaced by instruments.
The central section of the arrangement consists of two excerpts which can be regarded as the psychological opposites of one another. In the sensual, seductive music of Die Blumenm�dchen (The Flower Maidens), the original six-voice female choir has been eliminated and the six solo voices are sometimes replaced by violin solos. The original extensive scene is shortened and thereby reduced to a compact orchestral whole. This colourful excerpt is followed by the austere, meditative Karfreitagszauber, the Good Friday music, in which the awakening of nature is linked to the Christian image of sin and redemption. This part is introduced by motifs from the Vorspiel and the Nachspiel. In this way the symmetry in the heart of the arrangement is again subtly confirmed.
The short second part, entitled Parsifal, occupies a remarkable place in the arrangement. Here, the protagonist of the story is portrayed as a reckless young fool. For this purpose, the arranger departed from the original chronology by combining a number of quicker excerpts, taken initially from the second act and subsequently from the first act. The motifs which are introduced here are very important for the development of the arrangement, because they reoccur at the beginning of each following excerpt. Thoughtlessness thereby finally turns into reflection. The bridge characterised by this arrangement thus forms a great symmetrical voltage curve, in which the Parsifal motifs, as it were, the pillars
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Parsifal, an orchestra quest (1882/1993) arr. Henk de Vlieger
1. Vorspiel (11:11)
2. Parsifal (3:25)
3. Die Gralsritter 1 (9:26)
4. Die Blumenmadchen (7:16)
5. Karfreitagszauber (10:36)
6. Die Gralsritter 2 (4:26)
7. Nachspiel (7:36)
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
Edo de Waart, conductor
https://mega.co.nz/#!dE1RHSIB!YU2rIVadYyjOdty_dqppR3WRsWR4m4Uw8-X1M0KHstk
Flac, covers, 217mb, 54'04
In 1991, Henk de Vlieger, percussionist in the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, had arranged Richard Wagner's famous opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelung into a single symphonic work, a fiery musical spectacle entitled The Ring, an orchestral adventure. The success of this led to a demand for more such arrangements, because the music, which Wagner originally composed for the theatre, turned out - after some adaptions - to be ideally suited to the concert hall. So 1993 saw the appearance of De Vlieger's second Wagner arrangement - of the opera Parsifal.
Parsifal is Wagner's last completed composition. He wrote the text as early as 1857 and composed the music in the period 1877-1882. Wagner derived the story - about the conflict between religious and secular love - mainly from the 13th century legend by Wolfram von Eschenbach. In the past, critics have repeatedly claimed that the mixture of heathen, Christian and medieval symbolism which characterises Parsifal has led to contradictions. But, as in all Wagner's works, the opera owes its quality mainly to the music, which here displays a special unity. As in The Ring, the composer used his technique of leitmotifs in this opera, too, but not this time to achieve a dramatic development: the music here is more contemplative than narrative in character. The predominantly slow tempi emphasise the striking austerity of this B�hnenweihfestspiel, as the composer called the work.
Following the same method of working as in The Ring, an orchestral adventure, in this arrangement too, De Vlieger forged a number of orchestral highlights together into a unified, single symphonic work. Where necessary, voices have been replaced by instruments, modulations adapted and transpositions 'composed' again (with strict adherence to Wagner's idiom). The narrative line, however, is virtually absent in this arrangement. Instead, attention is mainly focused on the constant factor in Parsifal: the ritual. The opera is structured more or less symmetrically, and this form is closely linked to the ritual content, of course. De Vlieger has retained this aspect in his arrangement and, where possible, even reinforced it. A selection was thus made of seven parts, which flow into one another and have the following subtitle
The first part - Vorspiel - is the instrumental overture. The last part, the finale of the opera, is here called Nachspiel, for reasons of symmetry. Both excerpts are in the same key and use the same motifs ('Abendmal', 'Gral' and 'Glaube'). The Vorspiel was taken over unchanged, but a few changes were made to the Nachspiel: the vocal contribution of Parsifal was left out and the role of the choir was replaced by instruments.
The central section of the arrangement consists of two excerpts which can be regarded as the psychological opposites of one another. In the sensual, seductive music of Die Blumenm�dchen (The Flower Maidens), the original six-voice female choir has been eliminated and the six solo voices are sometimes replaced by violin solos. The original extensive scene is shortened and thereby reduced to a compact orchestral whole. This colourful excerpt is followed by the austere, meditative Karfreitagszauber, the Good Friday music, in which the awakening of nature is linked to the Christian image of sin and redemption. This part is introduced by motifs from the Vorspiel and the Nachspiel. In this way the symmetry in the heart of the arrangement is again subtly confirmed.
The short second part, entitled Parsifal, occupies a remarkable place in the arrangement. Here, the protagonist of the story is portrayed as a reckless young fool. For this purpose, the arranger departed from the original chronology by combining a number of quicker excerpts, taken initially from the second act and subsequently from the first act. The motifs which are introduced here are very important for the development of the arrangement, because they reoccur at the beginning of each following excerpt. Thoughtlessness thereby finally turns into reflection. The bridge characterised by this arrangement thus forms a great symmetrical voltage curve, in which the Parsifal motifs, as it were, the pillars