This music which is in perpetual evolution is probably the most highly
personal musical invention of Wagner - it places the emphasis for the first time on uncertainty, on indetermination. It represents a rejection of
immutability, an aversion to definiteness in musical phrases as long as they have not exhausted their potential for evolution and renewal.
[Pierre Boulez on Parsifal] Right: Wagner in 1877
ince the thematic material of Parsifal is the subject of a separate
article it will not be discussed at length here. A few important points are worth noting, however. There are thematic elements in the music of Parsifal that
might be regarded as Leitmotive, i.e. recurring musical ideas that are encountered as presentiments of events in the future, or as reminiscences of
events in the past1. (It is possible for the occurrence of a musical motive to be both at once: as when Gurnemanz tells the recruits
about the seduction of Amfortas, we hear the teasing motive associated with the Kiss, that will be heard again when it is Parsifal's turn to be
seduced). Many of the extended Leitmotive to be found in the score turn out, on closer examination, to be complexes built up from basic motives
(which Lorenz called Urmotive), each consisting of only a few notes. In fact, there are five kinds of thematic element in this motivic web of evolution
and renewal:
complexes, such as Kundry's Curse or Nature's Healing
main subjects, of which there are few, including Faith, Holy Grail and Prophecy
basic motives, to which we can apply such labels as Suffering, Yearning and Bells2
characteristic intervals, such as the tritone associated with Kundry
characteristic chords, such as the added sixth chord associated with Parsifal.
number of commentators on the work have observed that it is entirely made out of a small number of
closely-related motives. They are related either by common elements (e.g. complexes sharing basic motives and characteristic intervals), or by their common
origin in one or more thematic elements heard earlier in the work. Even the monody that opens the work, which I have referred to elsewhere as the
Grundthema, is itself a complex which is, at the higher level of structure, composed of three short motives that will later develop their distinct
associations, and at the lower level made up of a broken chord (that of Parsifal) followed by a number of tiny melodic cells that will be combined and developed
later. Several of the extended themes (e.g. Prophecy) are revealed fragment by fragment until, at the appropriate moment, they are heard complete and
connected to the dramatic action. Where there is contrast, it is mainly provided by the development of chromatic variants of diatonic originals, or by changes of
rhythm.
Mediation
our of the principal characters each has his or her own motive, although Gurnemanz, as a neutral narrator, does
not seem to have one of his own. These Leitmotive, together with those associated with objects, events and abstractions, blend into one another
according to the relationships between the characters. This is deliberate; in this music Wagner was concerned with mediation. Whereas in earlier works he had
used strong contrasts, he was now concerned with shadings, as of grey between the poles of black and white.
I recognise now that the characteristic fabric of my music (always of course in the closest
association with the poetic design), which my friends regard as so new and significant, owes its construction above all to the extreme sensitivity which guides
me in the direction of mediating and providing an intimate bond between all the different moments of transition that separate the extremes of mood. I should
now like to call my most delicate and profound art the art of transition, for the whole fabric of my art is made up of such transitions: all that is abrupt and
sudden is now repugnant to me; it is often unavoidable and necessary, but even then it may not occur unless the mood has been clearly prepared in advance, so
that the suddenness of the transition appears to come as a matter of course.
agner referred to and exploited the operatic tradition by making use of
traditional operatic forms. It is possible to identify accompanied recitative, arioso, ensembles and even strophic passages in Parsifal. The traditional
forms, however, are scarcely recognisable, since Wagner transcended their limitations.
he German musicologist Alfred Lorenz analysed the forms of Wagner's works in his Das Geheimnis der Form bei Richard Wagner. In the later works, Lorenz found (or believed he had found) many examples of
bar form (Stollen; Stollen; Abgesang), as it is described by David in the first act of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, both on the small scale and on a
large scale. In Tristan and Parsifal, as Lorenz showed, there is a similarity of structure — both musical and dramatic — between the outer
acts.
orenz has been heavily criticized for his obsessive reduction of Wagner's scores to a hierarchy of simple forms,
mainly the arch (ABA) and the bar (AAB). Although it is undeniable that Wagner used arch form (for example, as the overall structure of both Tristan and
Parsifal), except in Die Meistersinger where it is to be expected, true bars (AAB) are rarely found in the other late operas. Lorenz's
identification of bar form is not always convincing and in particular, the analysis of the entire second act of Parsifal as a bar seems forced.
According to Lorenz, the second act of Parsifal is constructed of nineteen musico-poetic periods, each of which has its own tonality. In terms of bar
form (AAB), on the architectural scale, the first Stollen (periods 1 to 7) ends with the disappearance of Klingsor; the second Stollen (periods 8 to 12) ends at
the reappearance of Kundry; and the scene between Kundry and Parsifal forms the Abgesang. It is difficult to take this seriously, since the alleged Stollen are
very different. In reality, the large-scale form of the second act can be more accurately described as ABC.
orenz divided Parsifal (and other operas) into musico-poetic periods. His critics have said that the
divisions between these periods often are arbitrary. The difficulty here is that there are very few cadential points in the score and therefore, except for the
start and end of a scene, any scheme of divisions will be to some extent arbitrary. Although Lorenz claimed to have identified the underlying key of each period
(shown in the column headed "home key" of the table below), the fluid tonality of Wagner's music does not often allow one key to dominate. Despite this, the
Lorenzian periods provide a useful framework for analyzing the score. In the table below I have summarized the musico- poetic structure of the opera and listed
Lorenz's periods (from volume 4 of das Geheimnis der Form. The page numbers given below refer to the Edition Eulenburg full score.
The musical and poetic structure of Parsifal Act I
Page
Section
Period
Measures
"home key"
Text
1
Prelude
1
1 - 146
A flat major
36
Short transition
-
147 - 150
Jetzt auf
37
Scene i
2
151 - 195
C major
Zeit ist's
43
3
196 - 238
g minor
das Bad!
52
4
239 - 376
F Major
71
Short transition
-
377 - 385
nicht heilig?
74
5
386 - 420
e minor
Ja
80
6
421 - 454
d minor
Doch hasst sie uns
86
7
454 - 499
e flat min/maj
So ist's wohl auch
92
8
499 - 558
c minor
Speer!
105
Short transition
-
559 - 564
die nie sich schliessen will!
106
9
565 - 709
G flat major
Titurel, der fromme Held
134
10
710 - 741
d minor
Vor dem verwaisten
139
11
742 - 892
B flat major
166
Transition
-
892 - 936
nicht.
171
12
937 - 1007
B major
186
13
1008 - 1072
d minor
196
Transformation Music
14
1073 - 1167
222-223
Scene ii
15
1168 - 1203
C major
Zum letzten Mal
232-233
16
1204 - 1229
e flat min/maj
Den sündigen
240
17
1230 - 1245
A flat major
Glaube lebt
242
18
1246 - 1421
e flat min/maj
Mein Sohn, Amfortas
276
19
1422 - 1574
A flat major
313
20
1575 - 1589
F major
321
21
1611 - 1666
C major
The musical and poetic structure of Parsifal Act II
Page
Section
Period
Measures
"home key"
Text
331
Prelude
1
1 - 131
b flat min/maj
352
Section i
2
132 - 193
e flat minor
362
3
194 - 213
c minor
Ja, ja den Schaden
365
4
214 - 267
b minor
willst du, den du musst.
380
5
268 - 298
b minor
384
6
299 - 386
E flat major
406
7
396 - 426
b minor
wusst' ich wohl
412
Section ii
8
427 - 498
g minor
437
9
499 - 520
c minor/major
Weg
442-443
10
521 - 702
A flat major
gern!
490-491
11
703 - 735
A flat major
Was zankest du?
502-503
12
736 - 805
G major
Lasst
517
Short transition
-
805 - 824
520
Section iii
13
825 - 915
G major
Ich sah das Kind
534
14
916 - 989
A major/minor
Wehe! Wehe!
546-547
15
989 - 1126
ends in g minor
586
16
1126 - 1275
g minor
612
17
1275 - 1373
c minor
und erlös't
631
Short transition
-
1374 - 1394
from g minor to b minor
636
18
1395 - 1485
b minor
Weg
654
19
1486 - 1539
b minor
Halt da!
The musical and poetic structure of Parsifal Act III
In greatly simplified terms, the use of musical motives in Parsifal is governed
and conditioned by the contrast of chromaticism and diatonicism: the chromaticism that conveys the deceptions of Klingsor's kingdom also expresses the anguish
of Amfortas, while the expressive range of the diatonicism reaches from the naive simplicity of Parsifal's motive to the sublimity of the Grail themes. As
categories of musical technique, chromaticism and diatonicism also have an allegorical significance: the very fact that two motives are both chromatic - an
insignificant characteristic in itself, because it is so general - creates a dramatic association between them. The connection between deception and suffering,
between the magic garden and Amfortas' lamentation, is as unmistakable as, in the diatonic sphere, that between the naivety of the "pure fool" and the Grail
kingship that awaits Parsifal at the end of his path to recognition. The fact that Wagner based the differentiations and ramifications of the dramatic
argument, which have caused so much torment to exegetes, on so simple, so obvious a contrast, which holds good for the stage action as well as for the music,
is the proof of his theatrical genius.
he domain of the Grail, which is physically the location of the first and last acts of the drama, is
predominantly diatonic; whereas that of the magician Klingsor, which is the physical location of the second act, is predominantly chromatic. Parsifal's motivic
group is at the diatonic extreme; Klingsor's motivic group is at the opposite extreme of chromaticism. The music of Amfortas and Kundry lies between these
poles.
n the domain of Klingsor (or when Gurnemanz refers to it) we hear, in minor keys, chromatic versions of
Leitmotive that were originally diatonic and predominantly in major keys. Consider the use of the Redemption theme (motive 1A) in Parsifal's
outburst after the Kiss. This kind of variation according to context is not just restricted to the melodic and rhythmic elements. This also applies to another
important element: the transformation music that accompanies Parsifal's access to the Grail Castle in each of the outer acts. At the climax of the second act
prelude, there is a distorted parody of the transformation music that takes the listener into Klingsor's distorted version of the Grail Castle. Like the
reflections in Klingsor's mirror, all that is found in his castle is a distorted, sterile reflection of the domain of the Grail.
Diminished-seventh Music
lthough there are some triadic passages in the score, there are also passages in which diminished-seventh chords
are prominent. A diminished-seventh chord is just a stack of notes separated by minor thirds. The so-called Tristan chord, which
is heard for example in the second act of Parsifal at the moment of the kiss, can be regarded as a modified diminished-seventh chord; and
diminished-seventh chords are the basic element of Parsifal's subsequent outburst, after the kiss, from Amfortas! Die Wunde! to Hier, hier!.
Later, it is a diminished-seventh chord (B flat, D flat, E and G) that dominates the desolate music of the third act prelude. Both harmonically and melodically,
Wagner's consistent use of minor thirds and tritones to some extent replaces the traditional triadic harmonies based on perfect intervals.
Fig. 1 Cadences
Tonality
everal commentators have noted that there are relatively few unequivocal cadences in the work. Note, shown above,
the outburst of diatonic harmonies, with three very definite B major cadences, after Gurnemanz hails the pure one as the new Grail King.
Obviously something extremely important is happening at this moment. It is followed by the 26 bars during which Kundry is baptised. Then, as Kundry weeps, the
music reaches the remote key of b flat minor (the tonal center of the prelude to this act), returning to B
major for Parsifal's motive in its final development. In his essay in the Cambridge Opera Handbook on
Parsifal, Arnold Whittall has observed:
It is clear that Wagner's essential musico-dramatic technique is not merely a matter of preparing
and then evading cadences, but an almost ironic reversal of traditional cadential function. The fewer the points of diatonic cadential resolution, the greater
their structural significance might appear to be. But if some of these resolutions are outside of the prevailing tonality ... they resolve nothing; they rather
enhance the prevailing instability, and create an even stronger contrast with the truly structural cadences which do confirm prevailing tonal
tendencies.
ot only does Wagner sometimes seem to be evading cadences, but also avoiding the appearance of the implied tonic,
e.g. by establishing the dominant of an unheard tonic. As for example in the first scene with Kundry, where the shifting chromatic harmonies at times suggest an
underlying b minor, although the tonic chord is never heard. The emphasis on keys a tritone apart is one factor that has frustrated
attempts to analyse this music with the techniques appropriate to sonatas and symphonies, including Schenkerian analysis. Listen, for example, to the change from
D flat to A major at the end of Gurnemanz's narration in the first act (durch hell erschauter
Wortezeichen Male) and the equally powerful shift from D major to A flat major on the word Gral in
Parsifal's final phrase (Enthullet den Gral, öffnet den Schrein!) at the end of the work.
n the orchestration of Parsifal, Wagner returned to the quadruple
woodwind he had used in the Ring, but omitted the so-called Wagner tubas, bass trumpet and contrabass trombone. In much of his scoring of the work, Wagner
returned to the blocked instrumentation of his earlier operas, rather than the integrated scoring of Tristan and Die Meistersinger, where
melodic lines pass seamlessly from one instrument to another and textures are built with instruments from different divisions of the orchestra. Parsifal
actually begins with this kind of orchestration, but when the motives of Holy Grail (motive 2) and Faith
(motive 3) appear, they are played by different instrumental groups in turn. The block-like scoring is less evident in the more contrapuntal passages, such as
the music of the Flower Maidens. As in Tristan, the horns are mostly grouped with the woodwind, rather than with the other brass instruments.
Tempo
Pierre Boulez has remarked, the tempi of Parsifal are unstable in dramatic passages and stable in
reflective passages. Since about the middle of the 20th century, there has been an increasing tendency for conductors to emphasis the contrasts in tempi, for
example taking the opening of the work (marked sehr langsam) very slowly, and the prelude to the second act (marked heftig, doch nicht
übereilt) very fast.
Wagner, Richard: Parsifal ‘Here time becomes space.’ The conductor Hartmut
Haenchen discusses the historical tradition of conducting Parsifal. An insightful essay that is well worth reading, not least by orchestral
conductors.
Footnote 1: Wagner did not invent the word Leitmotiv (leading motive) and did not much like it. He preferred to speak of
Hauptthema or Grundthema. By definition, a leading motive returns and when it does so, the listener and spectator is reminded (consciously or
subconsciously) of the context in which it occurred before. Note that a leading motive does not always have one fixed meaning: if it occurs multiple times, in
different contexts, the motive acquires a trace of meaning. See next article for more about this topic.
Footnote 2: Here I am using the term "basic motive" loosely and not meaning (necessarily) Urmotive, which is a term introduced by Lorenz.
These are usually fragments rather than complete motives. Kurt Mey (1901) called them Urgesetzen. The "building blocks" that either Kurt Mey (1-4) or
Alfred Lorenz (5-8) identified are the following:
Affirmation (Bejahungsmotiv, Willensbejahung): a rising figure
Suffering, in short form (Willensverneinung, Leiden): a falling figure, in the Guide as #4b
Web motif: a rising then falling figure
Recognition motif: this is just the last part of #1c, without the three ascending "spear" notes
Question (Urmotiv der Frage): a three note figure but not the same as the Ethical Question #20
Distress (Not): a falling major second, similar to the Weh motif in the Ring
Sighing (Seufzer): variously a falling major second or minor second, longer than the above
Tragic motif (tragisches Motiv), part of Schmerzensfigur starting with a falling fifth: see the second bar of the example in the Grundthema article.