2025 will be the third year for Richard Wagner’s ‘Parsifal’ at the Goetheanum
Six sold out performances including a gala event with Klaus Florian Vogt – that is Richard Wagner’s ‘Parsifal’ at the Goetheanum directed by Jasmin Solfaghari. Three more performances will follow in 2025 as a cooperation between Pamy Mediaproductions and the Goetheanum Stage.
It all started with Alexander von Glenck’s idea to stage Richard Wagner’s ‘Parsifal’ at the Goetheanum and he managed to convince Jasmin Solfaghari, who has 30 years’ international opera experience, to take on this project. She then put together an experienced team including Walter Schütze for the stage set and costumes, Roland Fister as musical director and Andreas Klippert to conduct the choir. She also managed to interest experienced colleagues from the Bayreuth Wagner Festivals and internationally renowned singers such as Klaus Florian Vogt in this project. The Goetheanum as an event venue has a tradition of large productions that bring together eurythmy and drama, for instance Goethe’s unabridged ‘Faust’ parts 1 and 2, and Rudolf Steiner’s Mystery Dramas. What is new at the Goetheanum is that eurythmy appears as an equal art form in an opera of this dimension.
The collaboration turned out to be fruitful and the production was an immediate success: all performances sold out within a few hours. The media and audiences were impressed by the production and welcomed the combination with eurythmy (direction Stefan Hasler, supported by Severin Fraser) as original and convincing.
Two years after the premiere, director Jasmin Solfaghari remains convinced by the general atmosphere at the Goetheanum. She mentions the “outstanding acoustics, the great view and the special auditorium with its coloured-glass windows and columns”. How does she feel about the eurythmy? “The eurythmy adds complexity; it is fascinating how the colleagues make their decisions on which musical units are presented where. The gestures support the movement language of the singers.” According to Stefan Hasler the eurythmy ensemble experienced that “less movement is also very effective if it is targeted and focused.”
Conversations are ongoing between Pamy and the Goetheanum on what will happen after the performances in 2025. For Jasmin Solfaghari this production belongs to the Goetheanum, particularly as a regular audience has established itself. The next performances will be on Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday 2025.
English by Margot M. Saar
Performances 13 April, 18 April and 20 April 2025
Web ‘Parsifal’ at the Goetheanum
Cover image Scene from ‘Parsifal’ in the production by Jasmin Solfaghari at the Goetheanum (Photo: François Croissant)