Parsifal - Michael Weinius, Sweden
Gurnemanz - Stephan Milling, Denmark
Amfortas - Nicholas Brownlee, Germany
Kundry - Martina Dike, Sweden
Klingsor - Oleksandr Pushniak, Germany  
Titurel - Edgars Ošleja, Latvia
1st Knight of the Grail - Artjoms Safronovs, Latvia
2nd Knight of the Grail - Viesturs Vītols, Latvia
1st Squire - Inna Kločko, Latvia
2nd Squire - Irma Pavāre, Latvia
3rd Squire - Artjoms Safronovs
4th Squire - Edgars Auniņš
Klingsor's Enchantresses - Marlēna Keine, Ilze Grēvele-Skaraine, Gunta Gelgote, Tatjana Trenogina, Inna Kločko, Irma Pavāre 
Voice from on High - Irma Pavāre
LATVIJA State Choir
Latvian National Symphony Orchestra
Conductor – Tarmo PELTOKOSKI
Video work directed by Dāvis SĪMANIS

Cēsis Art Festival and Cēsis Concert Hall jointly present the latest instalment of their traditional ‘Cēsis Wagneriana’ series of productions, a concert performance of ‘Parsifal’, the opera that concluded Richard Wagner’s oeuvre. Once again, the production will feature brilliant international opera stars, Latvija State Choir and the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the passionate Finnish conductor Tarmo Peltokoski.

Parsifal will be sung by the Swedish tenor Michael Weinius, familiar to us as an outstanding Siegmund in the 2019 Cēsis concert performance of ‘Die Walküre’ and a convincing interpreter of the role of Siegfried in the concert performances of ‘Siegfried’ (2023) and ‘Götterdämmerung’ (2024) in Cēsis. We will see Martina Dike as Kundry; the Swedish mezzo-soprano has won acclaim worldwide with her interpretations of Richard Wagner’s opera roles. This will be a reunion for the Latvian operagoer: Dike has sung Fricka in Latvian National Opera productions of Wagner’s ‘Das Rheingold’ and ‘Die Walküre’ and appeared as Brangäne in a concert performance of ‘Tristan und Isolde’ in 2022 in Cēsis under Andris Poga. The role of Gurnemanz will be performed by one of the greatest Wagnerian basses in the world, the Danish singer Stephen Milling; this will be his first visit to Latvia.

The opera is based on the early 13^th-century chivalric romance ‘Parzival’ by Minnesänger Wolfram von Eschenbach. The idea of using this piece as a basis for an opera was born to Wagner back in 1857 while at the peak of his creative power. The road to the completion of ‘Parsifal’, however, was a long one: the composer wrote his ‘Tristan und Isolde’ and ‘Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’ operas first; he even finished the greatest project of his life, the ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’ tetralogy of operas. It was only then that Wagner finally started writing ‘Parsifal’, the opera that was destined to be the final opus of the great composer’s life. The opera premiered on 26 July 1882 at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. The composer passed away a mere half a year later.

The young King Amfortas, son of Titurel, suffers unbearable pain caused by a wound from a magic spear – the Holy Lance. The King can only be saved by a pure fool who is about to appear soon, according to a prophecy. It is Parsifal who arrives, a young man who recalls nothing of his past, except for a few obscure memories of his late mother. And yet it seems initially that that Parsifal is unable to heal the King and is not worthy to become a Knight of the Holy Grail.

The youth’s path then leads to the castle of the magician Klingsor. The magician has ordered Kundry to use her charms on the visitor; however, as soon as she succeeds, Parsifal unexpectedly finds enlightenment. Enraged, Klingsor attacks him and throws the magic spear at him – it is the Holy Lance that wounded King Amfortas – but Parsifal catches the lance; Klingsor’s sorcery comes to an end immediately: he has lost his power. Parsifal returns to the castle of Amfortas and heals the King, who has been suffering great pain, with a touch of the Holy Lance.

The concert performance of Wagner’s ‘Parsifal’ in Cēsis is produced by Cēsis Art Festival and Cēsis Concert Hall in conjunction with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra.