Parsifal Covent Garden 1951

Flagstad as Kundry

Kundry was not a role that Flagstad performed anywhere near as often as Isolde or any of the Brunnhildes, but it was in her repertoire from 1935 to the early 1950s. There are not many chances to hear her in the role, a 1938 Met broadcast with generally poor sound, a commercial recording of the Act 2 duet with Melchior from 1939, and this aircheck from Covent Garden in 1951. The performance doesn't seem to exist complete (though the entire opera was broadcast by the BBC), and we only have the last hour or so from act 1 and a complete act 2. This however preserves most of Kundry's part. If nothing else it shows that Flagstad was still more than capable of delivering a very impressive performance well into her late 50s. The rest of the cast is drawn from some of the best British and continental Wagnerians of the 1950s.

Wager - Parsifal - 16 June 1951

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London

Conductor             Karl Rankl

Chorus Master Douglas Robinson

Leader             Thomas Matthews

Cast

Gurnemanz                         Ludwig Weber

Second Knight             Rhydderch Davies

Second Esquire             Monica Sinclair

First Esquire                         Adele Leigh

First Knight                         Thorsteinn Hannesson

Kundry                         Kirsten Flagstad

Amfortas                         Sigurd Bjorling

Third Esquire             William McAlpine

Fourth Esquire             John Cameron

Parsifal                         Franz Lechleitner

Titurel                         Michael Langdon

Klingsor                         Otakar Kraus

Flower Maidens            Adele Leigh, Patricia Howard, Leonne Mills, Audrey Bowman, Blanche Turner, Barbara Howitt

The Covent Garden Orchestra & Chorus

Students of Enfield Road Secondary School

http://rapidshare.com/files/452147493/1951ParsifalAct1.mp3

http://rapidshare.com/files/452147497/1951ParsifalAct2.mp3