“Parsifal” premiere in Bayreuth: crosses raining down – Tagesspiegel

Quite high up he sits, in the dome of a Christian religious building. His face is not visible, but it seems all the hair to be considered. On a chair he perseveres motionless and looks at what is looking down protection. Cots fill the church, for one night it has also given them shelter, do not believe in the God who became man. Now is tidied, and a few scattered soldiers waving around with their machine guns. The new Bayreuth “Parsifal” starts where Christianity is under threat, where it is to be finally brought to disappear, in Mosul and elsewhere in Iraq about.

A scenario that a noticeably uneasy festival town applies. Immediately prior to the show makes the message circulating that the stop of Ansbach probably has an Islamist background. Must be here now defended at Green Hills with roadblocks and police dogs the freedom of our culture? And what would be that? Never celebrate, there is no red carpet this year, and the Bavarian state government has canceled their state reception.

Even Festival boss Katharina Wagner and her musical director Christian Thielemann are nowhere to be seen. The show to Wagner, it seems, no one misses seriously. For the festival guests chatting remarkably often with the rich resources deployed policemen. An unsettled civil society, in the afternoon in tuxedo and gown,

What director Uwe Eric Laufenberg offers the premiere audience sweating under the oppressive Frankish sultriness.

blood or wine, which is served?

, is supposed a design for the Cologne Opera follow that he could not put there. Anyway, it shows fast, the caring-brotherly kick fast. And it puts obvious to the fore, what a strange community this Gralsritter yet. They force their sinful leader Amfortas to bleed for them, they are hungry for his blood, which is not pure but as if he were Christ. Einar Schleef has demonstrated in his furious treatise “drug Faust Parsifal” that Wagner himself skidded on the question of whether blood or wine is served during his Bühnenweihfestspiel. Before the blood-smeared lips that came Schleefstraße to the Knights of the Grail in the sense Laufenberg scares then back yet. Drink, yes, but be drunk, no thanks.
So wobbles towards the evening, showing a rapid zoom from the church dome into space and further to the limit of our solar system, while Wagner Verwandlungsmusik “to place here is the time” is heard , Suddenly swings in her some imperial Sternenkriegerisches with that had so also never missed. The in “Parsifal” is always precarious fiddling with spears, drinking vessels and cruising experiences in his second lift unintentionally comical climax in Klingsor’s magic castle: Suddenly the eternal adversary and Kreuzfetischist leaves a truckload of Christian Symbols rain down. A cross but must be a case have stuck – and then kills almost the advancing Parsifal. That says a lot about the reflectance of the director who unabashedly puts the flower girl in belly dance costumes because Parsifal should this year be seduced hammam. No wonder Klaus Florian Vogt first time thoroughly immersed in the pool of water.

The director disinhibited further

But it does not help that director inhibitions further, because it envisages a strong final image , some of doomsday and a fresh start, as it will otherwise be accepted only in the “Götterdämmerung”. The church expands, the fog machines pumps, suddenly accrued representatives of the monotheistic religions throw ado the attributes of their faith in Titurel coffin. And then you go against the fog of a future that dares less religion. Not that it is not a noble goal. Not that it does not belong to Bayreuth. But the essence of religion should be taken beyond the shower Kitsch already seriously in order to also reach your destination here can.
Short one thinks of Jonathan Meese, the originally once this “Parsifal” should stage. For him there were no small blue plastic directing Wagner at Green Hills. For all beautiful pennants and banners, its “Erzparsifal” celebrating. Perhaps Meese had even shown on the balcony and summoned those greeting, have decided on the courts that he is compatible with the freedom of art. But how to explain that the global streaming community this year? Meese in Bayreuth, which could have been the complete anarchy of art. These lacked obvious courage. The ousted artist has proved it in abundance when he scolded Hitler the last successful staging at Green Hills.

Haenchens baton is the dramatic narrative obligated

Now Bayreuth has with his “Parsifal” a lot to do in the coming years, there should be the often invoked Opernwerkstatt here. Laufenberg may not undertake to complete clearing out, while there is hopefully a bye to the desk-stand-in Hartmut Haenchen. Have the tragic circumstances repaid the “hard” from Wagner Bühnenweihfestspiel this year, the 73-year-old maestro of sweeps off completely the “consecration”. His conducting aims at no profit esoteric, it is strong and obstinate very committed to the dramatic narrative, not the contemplative interpretation of events. For a director who knows what he is doing, Haenchen would be the ideal partner. He never drags, keeping close contact to the phenomenal Gurnemanz by Georg Zeppenfeld who reclaims this often fussy role a new dimension of visualization. Much makes Haenchen audible, but the fine balance does not forget that he comes also to the dynamic limits of his deep orchestra pit. As the tall conductor itself first of Wagner’s sounding board. So liberating this consistent approach sounds, with time it becomes clear that the takeover by the disposal of Andris Nelsons already had to go very fast. Things got really exciting when Haenchen with the singers and musicians now find the places where also once allowed to show emotion in music would. That would make it feel like to meet this “Parsifal” again.

Still is always puzzled why Nelson went

Speaking of Andris Nelsons. One still puzzled at Green Hills about why the shooting star its production to normal leave days left suddenly. It circulates the version, Nelson was not satisfied with the occupation. At least one insider thesis, which is able to refute the premiere. Besides Georg Zeppenfeld Elena Pankratova singing a Kundry, the technically safe part of the finest that had long been to offer the festival. What still separates it from the best in the world, is it not always happier dealing with the words that are sometimes indispensable for Wagner-Theater now. Accustomed comprising sovereign masters Klaus Florian Vogt’s Parsifal, almost more resistance you wish for singing, so that the role will be illuminated more concisely. . In the really good second row Ryan McKinny as Amfortas, Karl-Heinz Lehner as Titurel and Gerd Grochowski as Klingsor
The question remains: Who is the man in the dome? Bayreuth invisible God Music Christian Thielemann, Wagner disappointed Art lawyer Jonathan Meese, Andris Nelsons, who was not gone, but tied to a chair, as Troubadix to a tree? We do not know it. And believe here anyway better to do nothing more.
Further performances on 2nd, 6th, 15th, 24th and 28th