BR Klassik
CONDUCTOR HERAS-CASADO: MAGICAL SOUND
Of course, Wagner’s incredibly bold, dark and ethereal music, which is in the best hands with Pablo Heras-Casado, stands above everything else. With him, everything develops completely naturally and organically, the sound is soft and flowing, the tempi change almost imperceptibly. Heras-Casado conjures up almost impressionistic mixtures of colour with the famous Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, only to enthrone the world of the Grail again powerfully, but without crippling pathos. Heras-Casado also achieves perfect coordination and tonal balance with the powerful-voiced festival choir rehearsed by the new conductor Thomas Eitler de Lint, including the treble choruses composed for the Festspielhaus. A victory of music over the flood of images.
WDR
Pablo Heras-Casado only needed 3 hours and 57 minutes for ‘Parsifal’, one of the shortest versions. However, his tempo did not seem rushed, rather fluid, which particularly suited Gurnemanz’s long narration and Zeppenfeld’s style. The orchestra’s sound was transparent but not harsh, a combination of musical intelligence and enthusiasm.
Pablo Heras-Casado – getting the maximum out of it
The orchestral prelude is barely perceptible. Not only because these ‘AR’ gimmicks choke the essentials even more. Also because the ‘mystical pit’ in Bayreuth swallows up almost everything anyway. The orchestra becomes an extra in Bayreuth. Lid on the pit, sound buried. Wagner wanted to create the illusion of theatre, but he killed the subtleties of the orchestra.
‘No, you cannot build a big sound in Bayreuth,’ conductor Pablo Heras-Casado confirms the impression. He did not change the volume. The fact that the power of the music only takes effect in the last act is possibly due to listening habits. The native Spaniard gets the maximum out of it. ‘You cannot believe how loud it is in the orchestra pit.’ Nevertheless, it is sobering, especially for Viennese listening habits.
Kultur extra
The conductor Pablo Heras-Casado was once again in the pit, and the festival orchestra made music that was a compellingly sacred delight; I liked it very, very much.