BUDAPEST — The Palace of Arts, also known as MÜPA, home to the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, has been in existence for 20 years. A futuristic building located in the south of the Hungarian capital, next to the Danube, it was designed by Gábor Zoboki — lead architect, a professor, and recipient of both the Kossuth and Ybl Miklós Prizes. Imre Kiss, the institution’s first general director, sought — together with a group of Hungarian and international intellectuals — to use the founding of MÜPA to attract younger, less conservative audiences to the performing arts, particularly classical music.
It was in this spirit that conductor Ádám Fischer, currently leading Parsifal at MÜPA, launched the “Budapest Wagner Days” exactly 20 years ago. He had returned from Bayreuth, where he had worked for some time, bringing with him several singers from the Bayreuth Festival of that era.Fischer worked closely first with Kiss and later with MÜPA’s current general director, the Hungarian film and opera director Csaba Káel. Alongside Hartmut Schörghofer (the director of the Ring cycle, which was tackled right from the start), he created a distinctive approach to presenting Wagner’s music dramas: the semi-staged production.
This approach sits midway between a full theatrical staging and a purely concert-style performance featuring music stands and evening wear. While similar formats may have existed previously, the fact that all these operas took place, and continue to do so, in the acoustically fantastic Béla Bartók Concert Hall allowed MÜPA to refine this performance style and make it a true specialty. Fischer and his MÜPA colleagues have crafted the genre with exceptional detail, thereby earning international acclaim in the Wagnerian repertoire.
As Káel emphasized at a press conference prior to the new Parsifal production on June 5, the primary focus here is on the music. Naturally, this is complemented by a dramaturgical and scenic concept featuring singer-actors alongside a limited number of key set elements and props all finely attuned to the music. Through specific stage direction, the singers move much as they would in a conventional production, though the men often appear in tailcoats and the women in evening gowns. However, some also wear costumes — a trend that has become increasingly prevalent in recent MÜPA productions, and which is also evident in this Parsifal directed by Birgit Kajtna-Wönig.
This semi-staged approach offers a very direct connection to the work, avoiding the distractions often found in Central European Regietheater, in which directorial concepts can alienate the audience from the work’s content and the composer’s original intent. An ever-growing segment of the audience appreciates this style; indeed, the large Béla Bartók Concert Hall was once again nearly sold out for Parsifal.
Kajtna-Wönig tells the story of Parsifal using a relatively minimalist set design, featuring only a few standard orchestral instrument cases and a folding screen. Notably, the “Lapis coeli” (“Stone of Heaven”) introduced at the very beginning of the 13th-century Parsifal story, is visible; here, it is lifted from a case amid a mystical haze, replacing the traditional Grail cup. It was a compelling moment. By effectively utilizing the long aisles of the stalls, the hall’s two tiers, and the organ gallery — where the chorus and certain soloists were positioned — alongside highly focused stage direction tailored to the characters, the director maintained a compelling sense of musical-theatrical tension throughout the performance. A large screen hung in front of the organ, displaying videos that further enhanced the atmosphere. It is always striking, especially here at MÜPA, how few props are actually needed to create a thrilling and emotionally intense Wagner performance when the stage direction is intelligent and effective.
As is customary at MÜPA, the production featured world-class singers. Wolfgang Koch delivered a powerful and moving portrayal of Amfortas. Despite his advanced age, Kurt Rydl gave a dignified performance as Titurel; moving slowly across the stage, he pressed an apple into the hands of the bewildered Parsifal — an allusion, perhaps, to Eve’s apple in Paradise, but with a reversed meaning? Tijl Faveyts sings a very incisive Gurnemanz with clear articulation. It is not a large, dark, or heavy voice. Yet Faveyts was convincing in this role — not only vocally but also in his acting.
Magnus Vigilius, who also sings Siegfried and shines in other Wagner roles, embodies Parsifal with a radiant, heroic tenor timbre and a deeply committed account. As Kundry, Anja Kampe delivers a magnificent performance, showcasing her commanding dark-hued soprano alongside her customary impressive acting and expressive facial work; she brilliantly explores the many facets of this complex “Rose of Hell” role — moments that were at times truly spine-tingling. Jochen Schmeckenbecher, one of the finest interpreters of Alberich, shines as Klingsor with his distinctive bass-baritone. The supporting roles were also excellently cast; the Hungarian Flower Maidens were vocally superb and danced interesting choreography.
On this opening night, the Hungarian Radio Symphony Choir, prepared by Máté Szabó Sipos, played the major role expected of it in Parsifal, delivering not only a wonderful, at times unearthly, vocal performance but also a compelling dramatic presence through its positioning in the auditorium’s tiers.
Fischer, artistic director and de facto artistic mentor of the Wagner Days, conducted a masterful Parsifal with the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble was seated onstage, while the action unfolded in front of them, to the sides, and throughout the tiers. The Prelude was performed with slow tempos and absolute perfection — a veritable act of musical devotion — yet maintained inner tension, a quality that also characterized the subsequent orchestral preludes and interludes. There is one more performance on June 30. For tickets and information, go here.
