opera acts loosely based 13th century epic poem knight quest 12th century wagner conceived work april finish years later wagner completed opera composing took advantage particular produced second festival festival maintained monopoly productions opera performed new_york wagner described opera festival play stage tradition arisen applause act opera wagner spelling instead informed erroneous etymology supposedly persian origin meaning pure fool composition wagner read poem taking waters encountering writings wagner interested oriental especially buddhism interest came die sketch wagner wrote opera based story life themes later explored self compassion exclusive social groups knights introduced die according account recorded autobiography wagner conceived good friday morning april german asylum small cottage estate suburb wealthy silk merchant generous patron arts placed wagner disposal good offices wife composer wife moved cottage april good friday find sun shining brightly time house little garden green birds sang sit roof enjoy long peace message promise sentiment suddenly remembered day good friday called mind significance assumed reading summer conceived die occupied poem noble possibilities struck overwhelming force thoughts good friday rapidly conceived drama rough sketch pen dividing acts second wife later reported april account colored certain poetic licence today recalled impression inspired good friday music laughs saying thought fact far love affairs good friday pleasant mood nature think good friday ought work conceived cottage week april good friday year fell april living prose sketch wagner mentions accurately dated wagner surviving papers dated settle issue unfortunately survived wagner resume work years time completed und began die august took prose draft work contains fairly brief outline plot considerable detailed commentary characters themes drama work dropped set aside half years time wagner creative energy devoted ring cycle finally completed given performance august task accomplished wagner find time concentrate february completed second extensive prose draft work april year transformed verse poem wagner liked september began music making complete drafts score beginning end known german english preliminary draft complete draft pencil voices instruments second complete draft orchestral draft short score ink draft detailed contained considerable degree instrumental second draft begun september days point career wagner liked work drafts simultaneously switching forth allow time initial setting text final music act iii completed april 26th month score final stage process ink consisted fair copy entire opera voices instruments properly according standard practice wagner composed act time completing act beginning act embodied details score actual drafting regarded wagner little routine task found time prelude act scored august rest opera scored august january performance premiere november wagner conducted private performance prelude patron munich premiere entire work given july jewish born german conductor stage designs took lead wagner hall based interior wagner visited magic garden modelled july august sixteen performances work given conducted production boasted orchestra chorus main parts double cast performances wagner took conducted final scene act orchestral interlude end performances problems moving scenery transition scene scene act meant wagner existing orchestral interlude finished arrived hall assisting production provided extra bars music cover gap subsequent years problem solved additions ban outside years existence staged performances took place venue wagner conceived work private performances munich wagner reasons wanting exclusively stage firstly wanted prevent mere amusement opera going public work presented way envisaged tradition maintained wife long death secondly thought opera provide income family death monopoly performance authorities allowed performances place countries wagner death london new_york_city amsterdam maintained stage performances outside december receiving court ruling performances united_states prevented staged complete opera trained singers barred involved new_york production working future performances unauthorized stage performances undertaken amsterdam performance buenos_aires june lifted monopoly january opera houses began performances midnight december january authorized performance staged del barcelona began barcelona time hour demand presented european opera houses january august applause performances audiences end act tradition result misunderstanding arising wagner desire premiere maintain mood opera applause following second acts wagner spoke audience said cast curtain calls end performance confused audience remained silent end opera wagner addressed saying mean performance wagner complained don know audience like subsequent performances believed wagner wanted applause end silence acts eventually tradition applause heard act certainly wagner idea fact performances wagner cried exit second act members audience theatres applause curtain calls normal practice act major theatres including new_york custom followed post war performances wagner operas regularly presented festival day significant post war productions directed composer grandson festival world war presented radical away literal representation hall instead lighting effects bare minimum scenery complement wagner music production heavily influenced ideas swiss stage designer reaction production extreme biographer described best seen heard moving spiritual experiences life appalled wagner stage directions conductor production asked conduct declared right dress rehearsal imagined stage decorations come particularly upset omission dove appears head end opera claimed inspired better performances conductor arranged dove descended string realise length string long conductor dove audience continued modify production death created complex tortured revolutionary production festival postwar season remain company exclusive remainder decade roles synopsis place castle mountains north spain magic palace south spain act forest near castle home knights eldest knight wakes young leads prayer sees king entourage approaching injured holy spear wound heal asks lead knight news king health knight says king suffered night going early holy lake ask explain king injury healed question wild woman bursts gives brought ease king pain collapses exhausted arrives borne calls attempt relieving king pain failed told left seeking better remedy raising somewhat king says going leave sort led realm downfall accepts tries thank answers abruptly thanks help urges onward bath procession leaves eye question brief falls silent tells helped comes goes asks directly stay help answers help think witch find holy spear reveals deed destined says given spear lost attractive woman domain grabbed spear stabbed wound causes suffering shame heal returning king bath tell eased king suffering ask knew tells holy spear pierced cross holy caught flowing blood come guarded knights rule father join knights unable thoughts mind resorted self causing expelled order set opposition realm learning dark arts claiming valley domain filling beautiful seduce lost holy spear kept schemes hold tells later holy vision told wait pure fool compassion der finally heal wound moment cries heard knights flying swan shot young man brought forth bow hand matching arrows speaks saying holy place asks outright shot swan boasts flies hit tells swan holy animal asks harm swan shows youth body young man breaks bow casts aside asks father found place lastly question replies don know elder knight sends away help king asks boy tell know young man says mother heart sorrow bow listening tells boy father knight killed battle mother forbidden son use sword fearing meet fate father youth recalls seeing knights pass forest left home mother follow laughs tells young man rode saw die grief hearing collapses grief weary sleep cries sleep wishes disappears knows draws pious invites boy observe rite youth know remarks walk scarcely feels traveling far says realm time space die orchestral interlude leads scene scene arrive hall knights assembling receive holy communion voice heard telling son uncover shame suffering guardian holy relics succumbed lost spear declares office cries forgiveness hears promise day pure fool hearing cry youth appears suffer heart knights urge reveal den finally dark hall light knights eat motions youth participate share taking communion ceremony ends collapses pain carried away slowly hall leaving young man asks understood seen answer dismisses fool sends warning hunt leave voice high repeats promise pure fool compassion act scene magic castle waking sleep calls names hell lastly transformed incredibly woman mutilated condition resist power observes approaching summons enchanted knights fight boy watches knights flee wishes destruction race sees young man stray garden calls seek boy seduce turns sees left mission scene triumphant youth finds garden surrounded beautiful seductive wounding lovers holder soon fight win devotion point flee voice calls recalls mother called appeared dreams away fool leave wonders garden dream asks knows tells learned mother das kind loved tried shield father fate mother abandoned finally died grief reveals parts history stricken remorse blaming mother death thinks stupid forgotten says realization sign understanding kiss help understand mother love kiss suddenly pain cries feels wounded king pain burning understands passion die die filled compassion rejects advances furious ploy failed tells feel compassion able feel cursed centuries unable rest saw christ cross laughed pains enslaved rejects asks lead begs stay hour refuses finding finally calls master help appears throws spear stops head takes makes sign cross castle enchanted garden leaves tells knows find act scene scene opening opera domain years later aged bent hears near discovers unconscious brush years water speak word serve wonders significance special day looking forest sees figure approaching armed armour stranger wears helmet armed ground holy day gets response finally removes helmet recognizes shot swan sees bears holy spear tells desire return des relates long journey years unable find path forced fight spear battle tells curse preventing finding right path lifted absence unveiled lack sustaining properties caused death overcome remorse blaming state affairs tells today day funeral great duty perform feet water recognizing pure fool compassion new king knights looks comments beauty meadow explains today good friday world renewed bells heard distance says midday hour come lord permit servant guide die set castle dark orchestral interlude leads gathering knights scene castle brought shrine coffin cries asking dead father grant rest expresses desire join death der knights urge uncover says commands knights instead kill end suffering shame brought moment steps forth says weapon heal wound touches spear commands unveiling present released curse ground white dove descends reactions initially seen festival presentation attended notable figures reaction varied thought marked weakening wagner abilities critic gave opinion act counted unified atmospheric richest musically going note wagner creative powers man age method declare wagner fantasy specifically musical invention retained facility help increasing conductor found costumes showed extraordinary lack taste singing curtain final scene walking hill hear words present performances artistic events supreme interest pride joy participated hugo wolf student time festival managed find money tickets twice emerged overwhelmed wagner inspired creation reiterated view doubt far beautiful sublime work field art present wrote friend hardly describe present state came completely understood greatest painful revelation carry rest life simply noted heard cried weeks musician described magnificent overwhelming visiting festival said world overwhelming impression heart strings begin tell transported cold thought characters plot wrote musically splendid strong monuments sound raised glory music later write deleted scene written opera discovered music ghost old alias took view experience visited festival able detect vocal parts confidence called rhythm tune melody singing wrong apply named stands stage spot practices hour cast die performance standards contributed reactions commented opening performance season purely musical point view far principal singers concerned simply bass tenor sang flat soprano sing merely shout words nazi propaganda minister strong advocate work hearing time described greatest experience opera end completely overwhelmed criticism influence wagner opera influential controversial use christian symbols spear references restriction years led performances regarded religious rite noted wagner actually refers jesus christ opera essay religion art wagner described use christian imagery religion artificial art duty rescue art symbols religions believe literally true actually art symbols reveal profound truths contain critic objected religious air surrounding premiere question withheld theatres limited naturally state church scenes offensive impression led expect reading religious situations earnest dignity style church completely style opera opera stage festival stage festival originally wagner champions chose use grounds breach wagner extended critique opens essay meaning ideals wagner wrote work secret attempt poison life bad work preaching remains anti nature experience attempted assassination basic ethics despite attack subject matter admitted music sublime apart irrelevant questions use music ought purely aesthetic grounds wagner better letter racism debate writers opera promotion racism anti line argument suggests written support ideas advocated proposed pure hero perceived jewish stereotype particularly opposes quasi christian knights claims remain heavily debated explicit support wagner mentions ideas writings diaries relate great detail wagner thoughts years life including period covering composition performance mention intention wagner met briefly read essay inequality human races wagner completed original drafts story date despite chronological evidence frequently cited major inspiration related question opera contains specifically anti semitic message debated wagner contemporaries commentators analysed length mention anti semitic interpretations critics present premiere noted reviews work accorded wagner anti jewish sentiments recent commentators continue highlight perceived anti semitic nature opera find anti semitic passages found wagner writings articles period conductor premiere court conductor king production orchestra drawn ranks munich opera including conductor wagner objected conducted jew father fact wagner suggested convert christianity declined wagner wrote king decided accept despite fact alleged received complaints pieces christian works conducted jew king expressed satisfaction human beings basically brothers wagner wrote king regard jewish race born enemy pure humanity noble claimed denounced unacceptable nazis placed facto ban fact performances berlin performed festival world war wagner greatly impressed reading deeply affected thoughts practice music art writers wagner great philosophy heal shows compassion saw highest form human morality displays compassion face sexual act scene philosophy suggests escape present human life overcoming sexual particular strong form viewed light emphasis compassion natural follow und influence obvious focus wagner originally considered including character act later rejected idea music recurring musical theme particular piece music associated particular person place idea wagner composer associated makes liberal use wagner specifically identify score scores wife mentions statements diary wagner followers notably guide published named wrote references motifs highlighted piano arrangements score wagner reaction naming motifs score disgust end people believe nonsense happens suggestion opening prelude introduces important generally referred communion theme theme motif repeated course opera characters especially voice sings called fool motive particular wagner uses dresden represent motif sequence notes known childhood dresden music explore difficulties analyzing late 19th century music explored importance certain pitches work unusual structure piece heavy act difficult work musically notable excerpts common mature wagner operas composed act continuous flow music free standing work number orchestral excerpts opera arranged wagner remain concert prelude act frequently performed conjunction arrangement good friday music accompanies second half life act scene long solo act das kind occasionally performed concert lament act instrumentation score calls english horn flat bass flat horns onstage onstage percussion section includes requiring players tenor drum bells onstage church bells onstage thunder machine strings works wagner symphony bells draw knights ceremony acts proved problematic stage earlier performances wagner bell piano frame strings constructed substitute church bells performances bells combined bell tuned pitch notes roll executed modern day performances bell replaced tubular bells synthesizers produce desired notes thunder machine moment destruction castle english composer piece uses instrumentation recordings composed stage famous recordings opera come live performances stage pre era conducted excerpts opera considered best performances opera disc contain sound evidence bells constructed work premiere melted scrap world war conductor closely associated post war years performances marked opening festival world war historic performances recorded available label sound recorded opera stereo release considered classic recording unofficial live recordings capturing virtually cast conducted recordings opera released recording fastest record slowest recordings conducted conducting widely praised recording voted record year awards highly regarded recording originally reissued saturday december broadcast review building library music critic surveyed recordings recommended recording conductor best available choice filmed versions addition number staged performances available dvd adapted screen film director documentary directed titled search recorded european theaters including festival contains extracts stage production starring includes interviews domingo film exists versions complete version running minutes officially approved domingo minute version cuts passages regarded german distributor political uncomfortable irrelevant score music score available online
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