Reginald Goodall conducts this May 1971 live Covent Garden Parsifal with the same rhythmic enervation and indifferent sense of shape that mark his EMI studio version. Slowness is one thing, but dragging is another–or more specifically in Goodall’s case, sleepwalking at the podium. He’ll wake up in time not so much to dramatically build a crucial climax but rather to whip it up from out of nowhere, as with Parsifal’s entrance in Act 1, Kundry’s pivotal Act 2 kiss, or Act 3’s choral rejoinders.
Although Goodall’s long experience as a vocal coach enables him to follow his singers’ inflections to a tee, he often fails to lead them when necessary. Listen to the poor Flowermaidens fend for themselves as they bid farewell to Parsifal, and you’ll get what I mean. At the same time, obvious care and consideration informs isolated details, such as the ravishing harp and woodwind interaction at the end of the opera, or in Act 2, the ominous English horn solos.
It’s the singers who save the day, or rather this long evening in the theater. Norman Bailey finds more than mere anguish as Amfortas, while Louis Hendrixx’s beautiful timbre and attention to words distinguish his Gurnemanz. Jon Vickers’ hefty vocalism and strong sense of theater reveal why his interpretation of the title role was highly regarded, and Kundry’s multi-dimensional character comes to complex life via Amy Shuard’s full-bodied portrayal. We also get a taste of Kiri Te Kanawa before she became famous, as her distinct timbre stands out among her fellow Flowermaidens. Most memorable of all, perhaps, is Donald McIntyre’s vividly malevolent Klingsor. Except for occasional low-lying rumbles and piercing sibilants, the archival recording is decent and listenable, though not so bright and detailed as the Goodall Mastersingers broadcast issued by Chandos. The set includes a full libretto with English translations.
