Hans Knappertsbusch - Wagner: Buhnenweihfestspiel Parsifal (1962 Recording) - Japan 4 CD

Credits:

Hans Knappertsbusch

Description:

The supreme "Parsifal" is reproduced in the original jacket design of the first release! A super masterpiece that has reigned since the early days of stereo!

In 1951, Knappertsbusch appeared at the Bayreuth Festival for the first time after the war and conducted "Parsifal" (released on PROC 1661), "Der Ring des Nibelungen" and "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg". After that, except for 1953, he conducted the Nibelung Ring at Bayreuth every year until 1964, the year before his death. Many of these performances can be heard today, but since this 1962 "Parsifal" is the only stereo recording in terms of sound quality, it was the most representative performance of "Parsifal" in the LP era, and even in the CD era, "Parsifal" has been the most popular recording of all Kuna's operas for almost half a century. In the CD era, Knappertsbusch's recording of the complete opera has reigned as a masterpiece for almost half a century. Knappertsbusch was one of the last of the great Wagner conductors of his time, and as you know, he was a conductor who carried on the tradition of the Bayreuth Festival in its early days, leading the best singers of the time and leaving behind some of the greatest achievements in the history of Bayreuth.
In many ways, this disc can be called "supreme" in terms of the cast and the expressiveness and condensation associated with Kuna's conducting in his later years, etc. Some may speak of the superiority of sound quality alone, especially for those who appreciate the 1951 disc, but this is a masterful performance that shows Kuna's strengths in many places. The PHILIPS recording, which also captures the special characteristics of the Bayreuth venue, offers the finest "Parsifal" available today. The reissue of the CD master is based on the finer 192kHz, 24-bit CD master from the analog master, in light of the fact that a high-quality 96kHz, 24-bit remastered version has been released so far. The jacket is the original jacket design of the first release. This jacket has not been used since its initial release, and has not been used on the CD reissue, so this is the first time it has been used since its initial release. As with the "Parsifal" (PROC1661), which was released in Vol. 1, a new preface commentary by Atsuya Funaki has been included in the commentary. This is a preserved disc suitable for the 50th anniversary of Knappertsbusch's death.

Hans Knappertsbusch Collection List