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Richard Wagner 1 Parsifal – The Good Friday Spell 11:03 („Karfreitagszauber“) Houston Symphony Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski, Conductor Richard Wagner, arr. by Leopold Stokowski 2 Parsifal – Act III Synthesis 17:12 Houston Symphony Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski, Conductor WAGNER: Parsifal-Good Friday Spell The locale of Parsifal is the domain of the moment, Klingsor flings the sacred spear at (Act 3) and Symphonic Synthesis Knights of the Holy Grail at Monsalvat, in the Parsifal, who catches it in mid-air. With it of Act 3 (arr. Stokowski) Leopold Spanish Pyrenees. The knights are guardians he makes the sign of the Cross, and Klingsor Stokowski conducting The Houston of the Spear which pierced Jesus’ side as He and his evil kingdom are destroyed. This Symphony Orchestra hung on the Cross and the Cup from which brings us to the close of Act 2. He drank at the Last Supper and which Parsifal, Wagner’s last music-drama – or held His blood from the spear-wound. Only Probably the first sequence of Parsifal “consecrational Festival stage drama,” as he knights who are pure and chaste may belong to be conceived by Wagner was the Good called it – occupied him, off and on, for more to this brotherhood, which dedicates itself Friday scene in Act 3. In 1857, the year he than thirty-seven years. It was 1845 when he to noble deeds, many of which are accom- commenced his labors on the libretto, some first read the trilogy of epic poems Titurel- plished through the powers of the Holy Grail. friends placed at his disposal a small estate Parzival-Loherangrin, written in the thir- near Zürich. While walking in the garden teenth century by the minnesinger Wolfram Amfortas, King of the knights, has fallen there on Good Friday, so he declared, he got von Eschenbach. These poems, in turn, were prey to the machinations of an evil magician, the inspiration for the verses which accom- derived from a number of earlier sources, Klingsor, who seeks to destroy the brother- pany this scene. among them an account of the knight hood which once refused him admission. Perceval in the poem Li Contes del Graal, As Amfortas succumbed to the wiles of the The Good Friday Spell is a concert arrange- written about 1175 by Chrestien de Troyes. seductress Kundry, Klingsor seized the Spear ment by Wagner of the final portion of the It is also more than possible that Chrestien and wounded him. This wound, which is first scene in Act 3. Parsifal, having returned was inspired by contemporary legends about aggravated every time the Holy Grail is to the domain of the Holy Grail, comes upon the Knights of the Holy Grail. unveiled, refuses to heal unless it is touched the hut of Gurnemanz, who is now living by the Spear, reclaimed from Klingsor and the life of a hermit. The old man, failing During the ensuing years, Wagner wielded by a “guileless fool, made wise to recognize the figure in knightly armor, sketched poems for the operas Jesus of through pity.” reminds him that this is Good Friday and Nazareth and The Victors, the latter on a that he is on hallowed ground; therefore, he Buddhist theme. Neither of these works ever When Parsifal, wandering onto the should remove his armor. When he does so, came to fruition, though fragments of both grounds of Monsalvat, kills a sacred swan, he Gurnemanz recognizes the strange knight as eventually found their way into Parsifal. is admonished by the knight Gurnemanz. His the fool he had once evicted from the Hall of bewildered answers to the knight’s questions the Grail. When Parsifal tells of his adven- The libretto for Parsifal was not com- lead Gurnemanz to hope that here, indeed, tures and how he recovered the Spear from pleted until 1877. The music, begun before may be the fool for whom they have been the evil Klingsor, Gurnemanz realizes that the libretto was finished, was fully sketched searching. Consequently, he takes Parsifal here, indeed, is the “guileless fool, made wise by the spring of 1879, but the orchestration to the castle, where he witnesses the cer- through pity,” who will restore the brother- required another two and a half years. The emony of the Lord’s Supper. But when he hood of knights to its rightful standing. opera was first performed at Bayreuth on fails to grasp any of its significance, Parsifal July 26, 1882, less than seven months before is angrily dismissed by Gurnemanz. Kundry, who has been able to throw off the composer died. For the next twenty years the spell that Klingsor held over her, has it was the exclusive property of Bayreuth, but During his wanderings, Parsifal comes returned in repentance to serve the Knights in 1903 the Metropolitan secured the rights to Klingsor’s magic garden, where Kundry of the Grail. Humbly, she washes Parsifal’s for its first American performance, which attempts to seduce him. But a kiss from her feet and dries them with her hair. Gurnemanz was given on Christmas Eve of that year. magically enlightens him about Amfortas’ then anoints Parsifal King of the Knights, and wound, and he tears himself away. At that Parsifal, in turn, baptizes Kundry with water from the spring, assuring her of forgiveness with soft light as the Hall darkens below, for her sins. As the two men leave for the cas- and above the dome becomes more and tle, Parsifal remarks on the smiling beauty of more illumined. As the knights sing, a white the countryside, and Gurnemanz replies that dove descends and hovers over Parsifal, who on Good Friday nature casts a spell of loveli- waves the Grail over the heads of the wor- ness over the world as an expression of grati- shipping knights.” tude to God. Concerning his synthesis, Mr. Stokowski Leopold Stokowski’s Symphonic Synthesis says, “I have tried to follow the development of Act 3 includes many of the important pas- from the time when Parsifal receives enlight- sages from the end of the first scene, the enment and initiation from Gurnemanz. transformation music to the second scene From that moment, I have tried to continue and excerpts from the final moments of the this idea of more and more complete and work, as Parsifal heals Amfortas’ wound by profound perception on Parcifal’s part of the touching it with the Spear, then presides at mysteries of which the Grail is a symbol, and the ceremony of the Eucharist, which he now of which the outward and active manifesta- fully comprehends. Because Wagner himself tions are, first, Parsifal’s initiation, and then had arranged the Good Friday Spell for con- his acceptance by the Knights, and finally cert purposes, this portion of the score is their acknowledgement of him as their omitted in this Symphonic Synthesis. leader.” This summary of the music of Mr. The Parsifal bells for this recording were Stokowski’s arrangement appeared in the used through the courtesy of Schulmerich program book of The Cleveland Orchestra Carillons, Inc. Sellersville, Pennsylvania. when he conducted it with that organiza- tion several years ago: “Gurnemanz the Original Liner Notes by PAUL AFFELDER hermit begs Parsifal to put aside his weap- ons in reverence of Good Friday. Parsifal thrusts his Spear into the ground, lays his shield and sword beneath it, takes off his hel- met, and kneels before the Spear in prayer. Gurnemanz recognizes the Holy Spear which Parsifal has brought, telling Parsifal that the curse is ended, and that they are in the domain of the Holy Grail. Faint bells are heard from the distance; they gradually grow stronger. Gurnemanz invests Parsifal with the knight’s mantle of the Holy Grail and leads him through the forest upwards to the Great Hall of the Grail. Parsifal steps towards the center of the Hall and raises high the Spear. The Grail gradually glows Some notes on the history of Everest Notice that now EVEREST engineers have tensile strength which effectively eliminates utilizing specially designed portable versions Records over 3 times the normal space available pitch changes due to “tape stretch”, a condi- of EVEREST 35 mm equipment, EVEREST [than] on ¼” tape. This means distortion free, tion heretofore almost impossible to control. engineers are able to make recordings and When Everest Records was founded by Harry perfect sound. 35 mm magnetic film allows maintain the rigid standards and excellence Belock in 1958 as a division of Belock Instru- EVEREST engineers to make recordings with Drawing on the extensive experience in the of quality available in the Studios. ment Corp., the aim was to produce a cata- motion picture sound field BELOCK INSTRU- logue of stereo recordings of the highest pos- • No distortion from print through MENT (of which EVEREST is a division), The advanced engineering and special equip- sible technical standard, with interesting and • No distortion from lack of channel width requested Westrex Corporation to build spe- ment, in addition to meticulous attention innovative classical repertoire played by some • Absolute minimum of “wow or flutter” cial equipment to EVEREST’S exacting to detail, results in the EVEREST sound, a of the best artists and orchestras. • Highest possible signal to noise ratio specifications in order to accomplish these sound that has been acclaimed as superb by • Greatest quality and dynamic range ever advantages. This equipment includes the use critics and record enthusiasts throughout the For the first Everest recording sessions in recorded of special recording heads which afford com- world. 1958, an Ampex 300-3 half-inch three- plete wide band frequency response beyond channel recorder was used.

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