The Berlin Staatsoper Comes of Age: Barry Emslie welcomes a ‘Parsifal’ from another age

Review of Parsifal, directed Kupfer, conducted Barenboim, Berlin Staatsoper, 1992 (Euroarts, 3 DVDs).

November 2012, Volume 6, Number 3, 87–9.

During the early stages of what turned out to be an opera war in unified Berlin, Daniel Barenboim announced at a press conference in the Staatsoper that new productions of Wagner would mark the end of the house’s ‘puberty’. He duly set about doing all the redemption dramas with Harry Kupfer and Hans Schavernoch (director and designer respectively). This Parsifal (1992) was, if I remember correctly, the first. Apparently it has been around for some time on laserdisc, but here it is spread over 3 DVDs; one per act. I have the impression it was filmed (very well by Hans Hulscher) without an audience. It’s good to see it again.