Overview
Synopsis
The legend of the Holy Grail is one that has had many retellings. The Holy Grail is an important symbol in Christian legend. Supposed to be the very cup that Jesus Christ used at the Last Supper to offer wine to his disciples, looking upon the Holy Grail is supposed to grant a person pure of sin with eternal life. In this version of the story, the Holy Grail, and the Holy Spear, believed to be the one that pierced Christ’s side while he was on the cross, are protected by the Knights of the Grail and their king Amfortas. That is, until the Spear was lost to the pagan magician Klingsor.
In Wagner’s retelling of the legend of Percival and the Holy Grail, the naive young Parsifal (the German form of Percival) stumbles across a kingdom he does not understand. After being raised by his mother, away from the world of men, Parsifal knows nothing of right or wrong, nor of sin or redemption. His innocence leads him to an unusual encounter with Gurnemanz, one of the Knights of the Grail.
In the Castle of the Grail, he experiences the glory of the Holy Grail, seeing its power with his own eyes. At the same time, he also sees and hears the cries of agony from Amfortas, the king. He has been seriously wounded, when Klingsor stole the Holy Spear from him, and the wound in his side will never heal. The gift of immortality that Amfortas has received from the Grail is now a torment to him, as he suffers under the pain of a wound that will never heal, but he is unable to die.
Parsifal makes it his life’s work to rescue the Spear from Klingsor, and destroy his kingdom. He is able to resist all temptation and sin, and he withstands many great trials, to bring the Spear back to the kingdom, and to return Amfortas back to his full strength. In returning the Spear, Parsifal fulfils the prophecy that the Grail offered to Amfortas in his suffering; ‘Durch Mitleid wissen, der reine Thor, harre sein, den ich erkor’ (‘Through pity know, the pure fool; wait for him, whom I choose’).
Considered by many to be Wagner’s greatest work, Parsifal is a story of great devotion, salvation, and redemption.
Show Information
- Music
- Richard Wagner
- Libretto
- Richard Wagner
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1882
- Genres
- Fairy Tale/Fantasy, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Period, Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- 12th century, Northern Spain, Ancient Times, Mythical Times
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- Professional Opera, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly, Young Adult, Late Teen, Child, Early Teen Characters, Large Cast
Context
With its first performance just months before Wagner’s death, it is no surprise that this story of salvation and redemption has received much intellectual enquiry as an allegory for Wagner’s own life, and death. Although he did not believe himself religious, Wagner chose to make his last work a sacred work for the stage (which he did not consider to be an ‘opera’), which is fundamentally based in Christian ideology. He presents a vast work which depicts the battle between good and evil, sin and
to read the context for Parsifal and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Author’s Note: This opera is based on a story from the Christian faith, and so contains many references to Christian images and ideology. The story is presented here without bias or discrimination, simply as it exists in the opera, which is fundamentally a work of art.
Act One
Scene One; The forest in the grounds of the Grail Castle
Asleep in the shadow of a tree, Gurnemanz is woken by the sound of the horns from the castle of the Grail. He immediately rouses the Esquires who
to read the plot for Parsifal and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Countertenor, Treble/Boy Soprano, Contralto |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Treble/Boy Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Contralto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Treble/Boy Soprano, Contralto |
Songs
Vorspiel
Act One - At the Castle of the Grail
Scene One
- ‘He! Ho! Waldhüter ihr, Schlafhüter mitsammen’ - Gurnemanz, 1st Knappe, 2nd Knappe, 1st Ritter, 2nd Ritter, Kundry
- ‘Recht so! Habt Dank! Ein wenig Rast!’ - Amfortas, 2nd Ritter, Gurnemanz, Kundry
- ‘He! Du da! Was liegst du dort wie ein wildes Tier?’ - 3rd Knappe, Kundry
- ‘O wunden-wundervoller heiliger Speer’ - Gurnemanz, 3rd Knappe, 1st Knappe, 2nd Knappe
- ‘Titurel, der fromme Held’ - Gurnemanz, 4 Knappen
- ‘Weh! - Hoho! - Auf! - Wer ist der Frevler?’ - Knappen and Ritter (Chorus), Gurnemanz, 1st Ritter, 2nd 4 Knappen, Ritter, Parsifal
- ‘Nun sag'! Nichts weißt du, was ich dich frage’ - Gurnemanz, Parsifal, Kundry
- ‘Vom Bade kehrt der König heim’ - Gurnemanz, Parsifal
Scene Two
- Verwandlungsmusik
- ‘Nun achte wohl und laß mich seh'n’ - Gurnemanz, Parsifal
- ‘Zum letzten Liebesmahle’ - Boys and Knights (Chorus), 4 Knappen, Amfortas
- ‘Mein Sohn Amfortas, bist du am Amt?’ - Titurel, Amfortas
- ‘Nein! Lasst ihn unenthüllt’ - Amfortas
- ‘Enthüllet den Gral!’ - Titurel, Amfortas, Boys and Knights (Chorus)
- ‘Nehmet hin mein Blut’ - Voices from above (Chorus), Boys (Chorus), Titurel
- ‘Wein und Brot des letzten Mahles’ - Boys and Knights (Chorus)
- ‘Was stehst du noch da?’ - Gurnemanz, Parsifal, Voices from Above
Act Two - At Klingsor’s Magic Castle
Scene One
- Prelude
- ‘Die Zeit ist da’ - Klingsor
- ‘Ach! Ach! Tiefe Nacht! Wahnsinn!’ - Kundry, Klingsor
Scene Two
- ‘Hier war das Tosen!’ - Flowermaidens, Parsifal
- ‘Komm, holder Knabe!’ - Flowermaidens, Parsifal
- ‘Parsifal! Weile!’ - Parsifal, Kundry, Flowermaidens
- ‘Dies alles hab' ich nun geträumt?’ - Parsifal, Kundry
- ‘Ich sah das Kind’ - Kundry
- ‘Wehe! Was tat ich? Wo war ich?’ - Parsifal, Kundry
- ‘Bekenntnis wird Schuld in Reue enden’ - Parsifal, Kundry
- ‘Amfortas! Die Wunde!’ - Parsifal
- Grausamer! Fühlst du im Herzen’ - Kundry
- ‘Auf Ewigkeit wärst du verdammt’ - Parsifal, Kundry
- ‘Halt da! Dich bann’ ich mit der rechten Wehr!’ - Klingsor, Parsifal, Kundry
Act Three - At the Castle of the Grail
Scene One
- Prelude
- ‘Von dort her kam das Stöhnen’ - Gurnemanz, Kundry
- ‘Heil dir, mein Gast!’ - Gurnemanz, Parsifal,
- ‘Heil mir, daß ich dich wiederfinde!’ - Parsifal, Gurnemanz
- ‘O Herr! War es ein Fluch’ - Parsifal, Gurnemanz
- ‘Die heil'ge Speisung bleibt uns nun versagt’ - Gurnemanz, Kundry, Parsifal
- ‘Nicht so! Die heil'ge Quelle selbst erquicke unsres Pilgers Bad’ - Gurnemanz, Kundry, Parsifal
- ‘Gesegnet sei, du Reiner, durch das Reine!’ - Gurnemanz, Parsifal, Kundry
- ‘Mein erstes Amt verrich’ ich so’ - Parsifal, Kundry
- ‘Du siehst, das ist nicht so’ - Gurnemanz, Parsifal
- ‘Mittag. Die Stund' ist da’ - Gurnemanz
Scene Two
- Verwandlungsmusik
- ‘Geleiten wir im bergenden Schrein den Gral zum’ - Ritter
- ‘Ja, Wehe! Wehe! Weh' über mich!’ - Amfortas, Ritter
- ‘Nur eine Waffe taugt’ - Parsifal
- ‘Höchsten Heiles Wunder!’ - Chorus
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
Sorry! We do not currently have terms for this guide.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Quote Analysis
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.