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This Kiwi Parsifal is truly world class by Michael Sinclair |
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Wagner: Parsifal New Zealand International Arts Festival Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington 17 March 2006 |
 The
New Zealand All Blacks may reign supreme on the rugby field, but
when it comes to Wagner the Kiwis also have a thing or two to teach
the world. The idea of staging Parsifal in New Zealand with
an all Kiwi cast seemed absurd, but on the basis of this performance
they would give any major opera house a good run for their money.
While Wagner may not have entirely approved of a semi-staged performance of his Weltabschiedwerk, having written Parsifal specifically for Bayreuth, the merits of the staging became apparent right from the beginning. The orchestra were positioned in their usual place on the concert platform becoming an integral part of the drama, with the soloists acting out their roles on a raised platform behind them. The simple staging, directed by Bernd Benthaak, never got in the way of the story allowing the music to create its magic most tellingly. No one seems to have told that the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra that Wagner is not a standard composer in their repertoire. Anthony Negus drew such virtuosity from his players, breathing life into every section of orchestra, bringing out nuances in the score that are often lost when the orchestra is hidden away in a pit. Negus also maintained an excellent balance between the orchestra and the singers, no mean feat given the position of the orchestra. |
 In
Simon O'Neill New Zealand has a world class Parsifal. It is hard to
believe that he was singing the role for the first time, as his
performance is already accomplished. He possesses a true Heldentenor
voice, with a rich, warm baritone quality in the lower registers
combined with a clarion, ringing top. He demonstrated a complete
understanding of the text, moving from innocent fool to enlightened
redeemer with effortless ease. This auspicious debut is surely the
beginning of an illustrious career in this repertoire.
Donald McIntyre makes a welcome return to New Zealand to sing Gurnemanz and even at 71 shows that he is still the master in this repertoire. His beautiful voice shows no sign of deterioration and he brings humility and vocal finesse to the benevolent knight. Margaret Medlyn's Kundry is truly world class. The role sits ideally for her voice and her commanding stage presence and acting abilities combine to bring the multi faceted Kundry to life. Her scenes with Parsifal in Act II were a tour de force, moving from seductress to venom spitting charlatan with spine chilling authority. Paul Whelan's expressively sung Amfortas showed that Wagner singing can and should be much more than sheer volume of sound. He brought a lieder-like quality to his portrayal, placing particular emphasis on the text, as Wagner would surely have desired. Rounding out the principal artists, Martin Snell brought his
experience from Bayreuth giving an incisive performance of Klingsor and
Grant Dixon was a strong voiced Titurel. |
 Bernd
Benthaak's production makes no particular statement about the work, but
allows the story to be told simply and honestly. The action is played
out on a small raised platform behind the orchestra, with two screens
providing atmospheric counterpoint to the action, although the rather
vague nature of the projections did little to add to the drama. While
there was little in the way of magic or spectacle, there were still many
moments that placed the production closer to fully staged than
semi-staged.
The costumes are similarly low key in concept. The knights are dressed in quasi-generic army outfits, although there seems to be no particular reason why this style has been chosen. Only Kundry's appearance in Acts I seems ill-considered, where the libretto calls for a dishevelled look rather than Desperate Housewives' chic. But it is the music that is at the heart of Parsifal and this was a performance that shone in this respect. The performance received a well-deserved standing ovation, with warm applause for Donald McIntyre making what is likely to be his last performance on stage in his home country. A glittering evening and an important landmark in the history of opera performance in New Zealand. |
| © 2006 Michael Sinclair |