The Semperoper Dresden has staged Richard Wagner's "Parsifal" for the first time in almost four decades. The audience's response to the new production was mixed on Sunday. While Daniele Gatti's musical direction and the singers' performances elicited bravos and loud applause, Dutch director Floris Visser was largely booed at his debut in Dresden. In his production, he had also highlighted current crises in the world and enriched the work with numerous political messages.
Parsifal told through the eyes of a child
Director Visser achieved an interesting approach. He tells the story of Parsifal through the eyes of a child who visits the abbey with his school class and is caught up in his imagination. The boy, who no longer has parents himself, sees his hero in the orphan Parsifal. Other visitors to the abbey are drawn into the mythical world. In the program booklet, Visser says: "The world needs healing, more justice and prudence." The production addresses these political questions of redemption. At the finale, there is a general fraternization in Dresden.
Conductor Daniele Gatti found beautiful words - also in the program booklet - for the magical music of "Parsifal": "You have to imagine: You come into the theater from a day full of work and everyday tasks and hear the prelude. Then this music transports you to another planet (...)."
The last Dresden production of "Parsifal" dates from 1988
The last time "Parsifal" was staged at the Semperoper was in 1988 by Theo Adam (1926-2019). Richard Wagner is revered at the Semperoper alongside Richard Strauss as the "house god". Several operas by both composers premiered in Dresden. Richard Wagner was court conductor in Dresden at the time.
Further performances of "Parsifal" will take place in Dresden on March 25 and 31 as well as April 3 and 6.
Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
