Wagner & London Philharmonic Orchestra - Parsifal Suite (CD)

In this world-premiere recording, Andrew Gourlay conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra in his new Parsifal Suite, a finely-wrought concert piece consisting of instrumental music from Wagner's Parsifal. The Prelude and Good Friday Music are regularly performed separately from Parsifal, but Andrew Gourlay wanted to 'give us more time to settle into the music'. As he puts it, 'Wagner uses the preludes in such a magical way to settle us into the mood of an opera' so that 'we feel like we're at the beginning of a long-haul journey'. The Prelude alone cuts short that journey, so Gourlay has sought to encapsulate Parsifal's main elements in a seamless suite. In keeping with the fluidity of Wagner's score, Gourlay has carefully selected the order of the excerpts so that they flow into one another without breaks, using 'the tiniest tweaks to allow the instrumentation to connect'. The result is a sumptuous 45-minute work that allows Wagner's exquisite music to be enjoyed in a new way.