Parsifal Metropolitan Opera 1938

After a summer break I am resuming with some performances from the 1937-8 and 1938-9 seasons at the Metropolitan Opera. Unlike the 1936-7, 1939-40, and 1940-41 seasons no transcription discs exist for these two years. They were either removed from the archives ('borrowed') or destroyed. This means that recordings we have from these two years are often fragmentary and in poor quality sound since they derive from airchecks. Having said that, they often capture unique performances. One good example is the first complete Met broadcast of Parsifal in 1938, indeed it would not be broadcast again until 1952. It captures the only complete recording of Melchior and Flagstad in this opera and is therefore of great historic interest. The sound is problematic, with gaps for disc changes every 5 or 7 minutes, and might be classed as hard work. If you can listen through the noise there is certainly a great performance to be heard. There are rumours of a better sounding copy, without gaps, in existence, but it has yet to be issued.
 

Flagstad in full cry in Act 2

Flagstad's costume which she can be seen wearing in the other photo

Metropolitan Opera House
April 15, 1938 Matinee Broadcast


PARSIFAL

Parsifal................Lauritz Melchior
Kundry..................Kirsten Flagstad
Amfortas................Friedrich Schorr
Gurnemanz...............Emanuel List
Klingsor................Arnold Gabor
Titurel.................Norman Cordon
Voice...................Doris Doe
First Esquire...........Natalie Bodanya
Second Esquire..........Helen Olheim
Third Esquire...........Giordano Paltrinieri
Fourth Esquire..........Karl Laufkötter
First Knight............George Cehanovsky
Second Knight...........Louis D'Angelo
Flower Maidens: Susanne Fisher, Irra Petina, Helen Olheim,
Hilda Burke, Thelma Votipka, Doris Doe

The Flower Maidens
Group I: Susanne Fisher, Irra Petina, Helen Olheim
Group II: Hilda Burke, Thelma Votipka, Doris Doe

Conductor...............Artur Bodanzky, Acts I, III
Conductor...............Erich Leinsdorf, Act II

https://rapidshare.com/files/3077872396/1938Parsifal.zip