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Saturday, 21 April 2012

“The Unknown Wagner-Humperdinck Collaboration: Lecture at Boston Wagner Society - April 22 2012

I came across this over at the Boston Wagner Society and thought that if you were in the area you might be interested.  A little background on this is available over at the excellent Monsalvat in an article named How Humperdinck Saved the Day.


I have also included an youtube video of Humperdicnks piano transcription for 4 hands of the Parsifal prelude. Information below as found at the BWS. For full details click the link at the bottom of the page

“The Unknown Wagner-Humperdinck Collaboration:
The Premiere (since 1882) of Humperdinck’s
Musical Contribution to Parsifal

A Lecture-Demonstration by Jeffrey Brody

Sunday, April 22, 3 p.m.




Maestro Brody, conductor, composer, pianist, and coach, will speak about Humperdinck’s musical contribution to Parsifal. Humperdinck’s addition came about in an unusual way. At the opera’s 1882 premiere in Bayreuth, Wagner needed a longer Transformation Scene. Humperdinck, who was Wagner’s assistant, stepped in and wrote a few extra bars, which solved the technical problem of the transition.
Humperdinck’s addition to Parsifal languished in obscurity until Maestro Brody, with the help of an archivist at Bayreuth, obtained it from the University of Frankfurt.

In addition to listening to Humperdinck’s contribution, we will watch various Transformation Scenes from different productions of Parsifal.