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Wagner: Parsifal

Box Set

Sir Georg Solti (Conductor), Wiener Philharmoniker (Orchestra), Rene Kollo (Performer), Format: Audio CD
4.7 out of 5 stars 61 ratings
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Audio CD, Box set, March 23, 2018
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Georg Solti’s reading of ‘Parsifal’ is among the most thrilling experiences of this opera on record, moving from becalmed to frenzied. The evenness and strength of the cast is balanced with the brilliance of the Wiener Philharmoniker; with productions given the revered Decca touch, and recorded with the renowned Decca clarity and richness.

• Deluxe hard-back editions with original covers
• Each edition includes libretto, and synopsis both with English, German and French translations
• Presented on CD + High Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-ray disc containing the complete opera in 24-bit audio
• Remastered in 96kHz/24-bit audio from original analog sources
• 4-CDs + Blu-ray Audio disc, in deluxe hardback presentation with a detailed essay on the opera by Carl Dahlhaus

Review

“The evenness of the cast is a strong asset here...Ludwig's is the most securely and warmly sung Kundry on any version, CD or LP, and achieves all the agonized feeling and crazed passion of her rivals without any resort to vocal exaggeration...Fischer-Dieskau expresses, as one would expect, every aspect of Amfortas's tortured soul and mind.” GRAMOPHONE, 1986

“Solti's singing cast could hardly be stronger, every one of them pointing words with fine, illuminating care for detail; and the complex balances of sound, not least in the Good Friday Music, are beautifully caught” PENGUIN GUIDE TO CLASSICAL MUSIC

Product details

  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.67 x 5.28 x 1.1 inches; 1 Pounds
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Decca
  • Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2018
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ January 15, 2018
  • Label ‏ : ‎ Decca
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B078FHJJXP
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 4
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 61 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
61 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers consider this Parsifal recording to be among the best on records, praising its full and capacious sound quality, particularly the splendid Kundry performance. The recording receives positive feedback for its clarity and richness, with one customer noting the conductor's perfect tempos and pacing.

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Music qualitySound qualityRecording qualityPacingClarity
8 customers mention "Music quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers praise the music quality of this Parsifal recording, considering it among the best on records, with Fischer-Dieskau delivering a very fine performance.

"...Barenboim, Karajan and Kubelik are all marvellous, with very similar timings as Solti...." Read more

"...This is truly the best of all I own. When I noticed that it had a face lift to 24 bit, I couldn't resist...." Read more

"...Kollo is Kollo: adequate, earnest, but with a dry tone which I find irritating at times...." Read more

"...The choral parts are magnificent, and Fischer-Dieskau is very fine, indeed the singing parts are very fine with the caveat that I would have..." Read more

8 customers mention "Sound quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers praise the sound quality of the recording, noting its full and capacious nature, with one customer highlighting the splendid vocal performance of Kundry and another mentioning the magnificent choral parts.

"...The choruses - no distortion, no loss of clarity anywhere, rich, rich sound. The Vienna Philharmonic is beyond compare in this recording...." Read more

"...where almost all Solti's Wagner operas were recorded, the sound is full and capacious, with plenty of bloom to the magnificent Vienna..." Read more

"...This is a truly ensemble cast. The VPO sounds beautiful as always. So, if you don't own this recording, what are you waiting for?..." Read more

"...60's, is one of the great Gournemanzes, and the sound on the Blu-ray disc is extremely present and clear...." Read more

5 customers mention "Recording quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers praise the recording quality, with one noting it's the best ever assembled for Parsifal.

"This is now my favourite recording of Parsifal. It has displaced previous favourite Kubelik, Karajan and Knappertsbusch recordings...." Read more

"What a glorious recording this is!..." Read more

"...The recording is top notch as was usually the case from Decca, I can't really compare this to other versions although I do plan to go back and..." Read more

"...As it is, it is technically a very fine recording. And it probably is, for my taste, the best Parsifal on records...." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the performance, with one noting the conductor's perfect tempos and another describing it as sensitive and moving.

"...The conductor's tempos and pacing are perfect, and the playing of the Vienna Philharmonic's brass and winds is clearly richer and more beautiful..." Read more

"You really should own this. Solti leads a sensitive yet moving performance...." Read more

"...Christa Ludwig is magnificent...... probably the most dramatic, moving, vocally splendid Kundry I have ever heard..." Read more

"...'s recordings of Wagner are terrific - legendary cast and performance now in 24 bit --- Just wonderful...." Read more

3 customers mention "Clarity"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the clarity of the recording, describing it as rich and profound.

"...His incredible, profound reading reveals the total tragedy of the man Amfortas. Soft singing beyond anything you'll ever hear in this role...." Read more

"...the playing of the Vienna Philharmonic's brass and winds is clearly richer and more beautiful than the only possible rival, Karajan's Berlin..." Read more

"...and the sound on the Blu-ray disc is extremely present and clear...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • A Wagnerite
    5.0 out of 5 stars Solti's Parsifal rediscovered
    Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This is now my favourite recording of Parsifal. It has displaced previous favourite Kubelik, Karajan and Knappertsbusch recordings. The sound in this newest remastering is beyond compare to anything I have ever heard in any recording of Parsifal. Total clarity and purity in the sound of the strings, all the way to the highest registers in the violins. Shining trumpets to compare with what Karajan achieved in his Berlin recording. But what most caught my attention are the woodwinds - incredible presence, especially the lower woodwinds. The choruses - no distortion, no loss of clarity anywhere, rich, rich sound. The Vienna Philharmonic is beyond compare in this recording.

    The Blu-ray Disc is obviously the greatest treasure in this package and offers the best way to enjoy the refurbished sound. But the CDs are also amazing. I listened to the CDs in my Prius over several days while driving and found myself enjoying the same clarity and depth of sound that I hear on the blu-ray. The only criticism about the CDs is that Decca did not take advantage of this release to accommodate Acts 2 and 3 on one CD each. The break in Act III between CDs 3 and 4 is not the most judiciously chosen. Of course, the blu-ray eliminates the need for any breaks in the acts and is clearly the best way to enjoy this great recording.

    The soloists are the best ever assembled for a Parsifal recording. This was probably René Kollo's best recording. He is in total command of the role's vocal and emotional demands. Christa Ludwig was tested by some of the higher notes, but the range of expression she brought to this role could not be matched by any other Kundry, not even Marta Mödl. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is the best Amfortas on records - no competition. His incredible, profound reading reveals the total tragedy of the man Amfortas. Soft singing beyond anything you'll ever hear in this role. Gottlob Frick was brought back from retirement, I remember reading somewhere, to sing Gurnemanz for Solti. Wow, how fortunate for us. His voice is not as smooth or steady as Kurt Moll's in competing recordings by Karajan and Kubelik, but he is more convincing as the weathered elder trying to keep the community together. His voice is magnificent, despite some unsteadiness.

    And Solti? I'm not the biggest fan of Solti's Wagner recordings, and though I had bought the original LPs on London Records, and both previous CD incarnations of this Parsifal, I rarely listened to it. This new issue has made me rethink my resistance to Solti's Wagner. As I listened I felt I was hearing the music as it should be played and sung. I did not perceive the ego of a conductor. This statement will probably be controversial, but I felt that Parsifal does not depend on the conductor as much as the Ring or Tristan und Isolde or Die Meistersinger do. Listening to this recording I often felt that all the conductor needs to do is get the right tempo - and Solti, absolutely gets the right tempo throughout - and the magic of the music does the rest. Wagner achieved something truly unique. Rare is the conductor who gets Parsifal wrong. After receiving the new Solti Parsifal, I also listened to some of my other recordings - Karajan (Berlin), Kubelik, Jordan, Thielemann, Boulez, Barenboim. I didn't go back to any of my Knappertsbusch recordings this time around. Only the Boulez and Thielemann do I find unlistenable. Barenboim, Karajan and Kubelik are all marvellous, with very similar timings as Solti. But none of them had the cast Solti assembled, and none match the excellence of the sound in Solti's recording.
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  • A. Bullitt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another five-star Blu-ray from Decca and Solti.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    What a glorious recording this is! At the time of its release on LP, this was the very first recording of PARSIFAL to be recording under studio conditions. Since then there have been several others, but most of the recordings out there are of "live" performances, which can be exciting, but also lacking in great sound.

    Solti and the Decca team do the opera proud. Rene Kollo is a fine Parsifal, progressing from callow youth to understanding maturity convincingly. And the singers who surround him - Gottlob Frick as Gurnemanz, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as Amfortas, Hans Hotter no less as the decrepit Titurel, Zoltan Kelemen as the evil, malevolent Klingsor, and the superb Christa Ludwig as Kundry - are the cream of the crop. Even the Flowermaidens boast the likes of Lucia Popp and Kira Te Kanawa.

    Solti is at the top of his game here, with fluid conducting that never becomes flashy or impetuous. Recorded in the Sofiensaal in Vienna, where almost all Solti's Wagner operas were recorded, the sound is full and capacious, with plenty of bloom to the magnificent Vienna Philharmonic.

    I listened to the Blu-ray. What a pleasure it was to be able to hear the opera straight through, with only short gaps between the acts. Remastered in 2017, the sound is incredible, in the best sense possible. I can hardly wait until TANNHAUSER gets this treatment, as is advertised in the back of the booklet. Highest recommendation!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Jon-Marc Wigent
    5.0 out of 5 stars A truly great recording!!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this recording when it first came out on L.P. Since then I've acquired at least 4 others. But, I still go back to this performance. I had bought the cd's way back when this was the first transferred from L.P. to disc. This is truly the best of all I own. When I noticed that it had a face lift to 24 bit, I couldn't resist. To be honest, there are moments of "splash" in the sound, but not enough to bother me. Solti hits this one out of the park. There's a real sense of reverence in his reading of this score. From orchestra to singers are all accounted for that fits the whole. Rene Kollo is the perfect Parsifal with his youthful voice. Christa Ludwig is the greatest Kundry on any recording. Gotten Frick was beginning to show some strain but still comes off as Gernematz with high drama. The list goes on and on, from Dietrich Fischer Dieskou to Hans Hotter. This is a truly ensemble cast. The VPO sounds beautiful as always. So, if you don't own this recording, what are you waiting for? You'll not be disappointed!🎶🎶🎶
    5 people found this helpful
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  • TommyTwelveTones
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Galloping Georg, It's the best Parsifal ever!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I know that music isn't a sport, and that comparisons are odious, but Solti's Parsifal really has no competition among studio recordings of Wagner's masterpiece.

    The conductor's tempos and pacing are perfect, and the playing of the Vienna Philharmonic's brass and winds is clearly richer and more beautiful than the only possible rival, Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic.

    And as for the cast: the truth about Parsifal is that Gurnemanz, with his interminable narratives, has the most to sing of any character in the piece, making the casting of this role key to the success of the whole. On this recording, Gottlob Frick's Gurnemanz outclasses everyone, including that of the much-lauded Kurt Moll, for Karajan, who manages to make every character he sings sound like Jolly Old Santa Claus. Christa Ludwig(Kundry)and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau(Amfortas)are superb, and Rene Kollo is very good--admittedly not great--as Parsifal.

    A favorite recording of mine for over 38 years, the 2017 re-mastering reveals that it sounds even more glorious than one could have imagined. The back cover states that it's a limited edition, so Wagner/Parsifal addicts, act quickly!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Peter Bond
    5.0 out of 5 stars Elemental Parsifal
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 1, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Where Karajan’s Parsifal touches the sublime, Solti’s is elemental. Such seems to have been the case between these two conductors, both of whom established landmark interpretations of Wagner, not forgetting earlier grandees such as Knappertsbusch and more recent conductors such as Haitink and Barenboim.

    Solti’s Wagner is, like Karajan’s, a thing of wonder. It has always been so, even if in the case of Parsifal, Solti’s has been less celebrated. But we have never before experienced it as we can now in this extraordinary new transfer on Blu ray. The remastering is something to behold, and we surely hear (on a good sound system) something beyond the experience that the original record producers and performers heard. Lucky us!

    Parsifal is, of all operas, an ‘experience’, and the ruggedness of humanity combines with the transcendental in this deeply moving performance.

    While we can and must glory at Kurt Moll as Gurnemanz in several great recordings (Karajan, Levine’s Met and Kubelik) Gottlob Frick creates an equally profound interpretation for Solti. His voice is every bit as special and is darker in hue. The grisly Hagen he so tellingly portrayed in Der Ring is replaced with a figure of immense humanity and generosity. This is magnificent singing. Christa Ludwig’s Kundry is one of the finest of all interpretations, her voice resplendent in its prime. Then there is Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as Amfortas. He, like the equally glorious José van Dam (Karajan and Barenboim) brings a mix of beauty, nobility and anguish to this central character. We are fortunate indeed to be able to enjoy both great singers in this role. Hans Hotter, another great Gurnemanz, is a deeply sonorous Titurel.

    The malignant Klingsor of Zoltan Kéléman sends chills down the spine, his voice cutting right though you. And then there is Rene Kollo at his heroic finest. His voice fresher than I’ve heard even in other fine recordings.

    Finally there is the great Vienna Philharmonic. Which orchestra to choose? Berlin or Vienna? Both so different and both setting standards one can only dream of. The great moments where orchestra and chorus combine are in both transformation scenes where we are drawn into a land of sonorous tolling bells and knights of the grail singing their hearts out. Solti generates such a mix of exultant tension and magnificence that one is simply left in awe.

    In terms of performance, Solti’s Parsifal is a glorious achievement with all soloists, chorus and orchestra working to achieve a masterful result. But now we can hear it on Blu ray as if it was recorded yesterday - and brilliantly so. The performers enter our home and we are entrapped in their magical world. The quality of the remastering by Paschal Byrne is simply extraordinary, and I imagine that Christopher Rayburn and his mentor John Culshaw would be thrilled that their recording techniques had been so magnificently presented.

    This is a deeply special release and no lover of opera, especially Wagner, should be without it. Buy it, and if you don’t have a good sound system, then surf the second hand audio pages for some speaker bargains!

    You will also need to purchase Karajan’s recording, and perhaps others too. But if you only have this recording, you’ll treasure it for always, and for good reason.

    The standards being set by Decca and Deutsche Grammophon for these special Blu ray limited editions are truly state of the art.
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  • Lorenzo965
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ottima registrazione
    Reviewed in Italy on March 29, 2019
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    Diversamente eccezionale. Ottimo prodotto. Unica nota dolente... Non esiste nel libretto la versione italiana. Va bene per le note, ma per il canto è inaudito.
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  • Juan Miguel Navarro Jarque
    5.0 out of 5 stars Muy buena compra
    Reviewed in Spain on April 5, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Entrega perfecta y rapida
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  • Czerny
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Blu Ray Audio disk is fantastic, but
    Reviewed in Germany on September 1, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I received two copies of CD 2 and none of CD 1. I don't want to send back the whole thing and wait another 2 - 3- weeks. Unfortunately I couldn't find any means to request just disk 1, if it is possible at all.
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    Czerny
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    The Blu Ray Audio disk is fantastic, but

    Reviewed in Germany on September 1, 2019
    I received two copies of CD 2 and none of CD 1. I don't want to send back the whole thing and wait another 2 - 3- weeks. Unfortunately I couldn't find any means to request just disk 1, if it is possible at all.
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  • Klodius
    5.0 out of 5 stars Le solennelle d'un oratorio et le génie de l'opéra
    Reviewed in Canada on November 22, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Pas facile d'insuffler à cet opéra, toute les dimensions mythiques, oniriques, spirituelles et dramatiques qu'il renferme. Solti dirige avec maitrise et les interprètes sont à la hauteur. La prise de son est phénoménale et l'expérience de l'auditeur est parfaite. Chaque écoute enrichie notre perception, chaque écoute envoûte, chaque écoute arrête le temps au profit d'une impression d'éternité.
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