Wagner's Parsifal premieres at Bayreuth
- When
- 1882
- Where
- Bayreuth Festspielhaus; Bayreuth Festival
- Episodes
- 2
Richard Wagner's music drama Parsifal premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 26 July 1882. This event marked the debut of Wagner's final composition, designed specifically for the acoustics of the festival theatre. The performance was conducted by Hermann Levi, personally chosen by Wagner, with assistance from Engelbert Humperdinck. The premiere attracted notable figures and contemporary composers, establishing the work as a central fixture of the festival.
Episodes
- Festival Run
Sixteen performances of Parsifal were given in Bayreuth during July and August 1882, conducted by Hermann Levi and Franz Fischer.
- Premiere Performance
Parsifal premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 26 July 1882, conducted by Hermann Levi with assistance from Engelbert Humperdinck.
Background and detail
Background. Parsifal was Wagner's last composition, conceived in 1857 and completed in January 1882. Wagner designed the work to exploit the unique acoustics of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, a theatre built to showcase his works away from city distractions. The opera, described as a 'festival play for the consecration of the stage,' was intended for the second Bayreuth Festival, reflecting Wagner's desire for a quiet, focused environment for his art.
Premiere. The full work premiered on 26 July 1882 at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. Conducted by Hermann Levi, who was personally selected by Wagner, the performance featured assistance from Engelbert Humperdinck. The event was attended by many notable figures, including contemporary composers who viewed the performances as artistic events of supreme interest. The premiere established Parsifal as a key component of the festival's identity.
People involved
- Richard Wagner · Composer
- Hermann Levi · Conductor
- Engelbert Humperdinck · Assistant
- Hugo Wolf · Attendee
Sources
- Parsifal Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-30
- Bayreuth Festival Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-17
- Richard Wagner Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-19
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.