Metropolitan Opera Archives

Review 1:

Review of Wiliam Locklair in Musical America
After a season's absence, "Parsifal" returned as the traditional Good Friday matinee at the Metropolitan. Last year, Bruno Walter conducted the Verdi "Requiem" on that day and on Easter Sunday. This year, Wagner's religious music drama was offered uncut, the first such presentation in almost 20 years.

Although the afternoon was warm, there was rapt attention to the performance, which took approximately five hours, including two intermissions. For many years, Gurnemanz's two long monologues in Acts I and III have been shortened. They were offered in their entirety on this occasion, with Jerome Hines giving his usual splendid portrayal of the old knight. The Act II exchanges between Klingsor (Gerhard Pechner) and Kundry (Margaret Harshaw), paired in the past, were stirringly sung in the complete version.

It was gratifying that on the next-to-last-day of the season Kim Borg should turn in his best performance in his first year with the Metropolitan. He not only seemed at home as Amfortas, but he also sang with a purety of tone this reviewer had not previously heard from him.

In the title role for the first time this year was Charles Kullman, giving a well-sung portrayal. Nicola Moscona was not at his best in his first Titurel of the season. Mignon Dunn replaced Belen Amparan as the voice near the temple of the Grail in Act III,

Erich Leinsdorf was in charge, and his responsive musicians were as vital in this exacting score as their leader proved to be.

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