Wagner - Parsifal

La Monnaie at BOZAR, Brussels, Saturday May 21 2022

Conductor: Alain Altinoglu. Amfortas: Werner Van Mechelen. Titurel: Konstantin Gorny. Gurnemanz: Franz-Josef Selig. Parsifal: Julian Hubbard. Klingsor: Shenyang. Kundry: Elena Pankratova. Stimme aus der Höhe: Iris Van Wijnen. Gralsritter: Willem Van Der Heyden, Justin Hopkins. Knappen: Sheva Tehoval, Raphaële Green, Paul Curievici, Alexander Marev. Klingsors Zaubermädchen: Hendrickje Van Kerckhove, Lisa Willems, Raphaële Green, Sheva Tehoval, Lies Vandewege, Iris Van Wijnen. La Monnaie Orchestra and Chorus, La Monnaie Children's and Youth Choir.

I have a difficult relationship with Parsifal, the text especially (cf my report the last time I saw it), though I don't mind the 'Salvation Army band' music so much. I don't feel the same reverence for the work its fans do, so I was tempted to wriggle out of writing about this concert performance in Brussels, and just say 'If you love the work, I think you'd better tune in when they broadcast it.'

But even to me, this was clearly an outstanding performance, and I see at least two professional critics have suggested it's one for La Monnaie's annals. So I do have a few things to say about it.

First of all, it's a sign that despite the serious tribulations of recent years - the overrun of restoration work, the dire tent at Tour & Taxis, the pandemic, and all that these must imply in financial terms - the house remains undefeated and is still capable of world-class work. In apparent symbiosis with the forces under his direction, on the basis of what had already been achieved by his predecessors over the past 30 years or more, Alain Altinoglu has coaxed and coached them up to an amazingly high level, and conducts with calm, smiling assurance that must be a comfort and support to them all. And, as we saw on Saturday, La Monnaie is still able to field an outstanding cast for a work that raises the highest expectations among its aficionados.

Second, on the question of concert performances... Only last week, chatting on WhatsApp, a friend of mine, an opera critic for many years, wrote 'I now prefer concert performances.' I find it very problematic to admit it, as obviously composers and librettists intended their works to be staged, but in my experience over the years, concert or semi-staged performances are often better than fully staged ones. You can focus more intently on both text and score and in good acoustics, (and I love the sound of the Bozar's main hall) you can hear everything more clearly and with a better balance than in many opera houses.

In this particular case, for Parsifal, I was on the second row. In many halls, this would not be ideal (I think back to some trying evenings at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, where they seem to think, wrongly in their case, that by putting you right at the front they're doing you a favour), but at the Bozar, though the poor soloists are terrifyingly exposed, it's great for audience members.

As I just wrote above, I was tempted to wriggle out of attempting to describe the performance in detail, in particular because writing individual accounts differentiating a series of top-notch bass, baritone and bass-baritone voices is way beyond my ability. I soon found myself reaching for a glossary of geology terms: polished black granite for the extraordinary Selig, whose accuracy, diction and dignity were constantly astonishing; a softer, grey sandstone for the more subtle Van Mechelen; obsidian for the colossal Shenyang, whose sardonic laughter was a treat: can he really be a former Rossini, Mozart and Handel specialist? Even the secondary roles were well cast: think of a dark brown, smoky sort of sandstone for Justin Hopkins. I regretted he was able to slip away after the first act.

Julian Hubbard's Parsifal was a special case. In a natty velvet dinner jacket with flowing, wavy fair hair, he somehow managed to act fifty shades of simple innocence while waiting for something to sing. When he sang, which he did very well, you wondered whether he was right to be taking on such a heavy role: he was clearly at his utmost limit, and then...

... And then he was pitched 'against' the amazing Elena Pankratova, who sailed in like a battleship, arms outstretched and trailing coppery gauze, to put in the most extraordinary performance of all, running through a catalogue of both emotions and vocal colours, totally in control and apparently not finding it all that hard.

So, contrary to my fears, Parsifal in concert turned out better than Parsifal on stage - at any rate, in the Bastille's unnecessary recent production, and I strongly recommend the work's fans - worshippers, even - tune in to either Klara radio on June 11 or Musiq3 on June 18 to hear this. I'd be interested to hear their verdicts.