PARSIFAL

RICHARD WAGNER FESTIVAL WELS - MAY 2008

'John Treleaven, at home in most of the great opera houses as a Wagner tenor, made his role debut here as Parsifal. He also sings this part with great interpretive expression, lots of emotion and emphasis. At first he really is the naïve but already sensitive simpleton, at the end the now wise King of the Holy Grail. In his lengthy monologue in Act 2 he allows all aspects of his heroic, somewhat metallic voice with its excellent high range to be heard, whereby repeatedly a beautiful baritonal colour becomes apparent.'

Der Neue Merker

'John Treleaven sang the title role for the first time and passed this crucial test magnificently.'

Neue Freie Zeitung

'John Treleaven is an eponymous hero with confident radiance in the upper range.'

Kurier

'John Treleaven as Parsifal has a lovely radiant timbre.'

Der Standard

'John Treleaven (eponymous hero Parsifal) developed from a picture of misery into the dignified King of the Holy Grail.'

Tageszeitung Österreich

'Seldom is the scene between Parsifal and Kundry experienced with such tension, a fact due to the magnificent performance of the second newcomer John Treleaven. The “Perfect Tristan” has widened his Heldentenor repertoire. In the first act the helpless child of nature and in the third a ruler through and through. He certainly knows how to use his vocal ability purposefully and with a great range.'

OÖ Nachrichten

'Something occurs with the entrance of the newcomer to this role JOHN TRELEAVEN as Parsifal that I have not seen in more than a decade (after the death of Wolfgang Fassler) . This helpless youth seems virtually spellbound by the aura surrounding the domain of the Grail. With all his senses he soaks up the special atmosphere of the new surroundings – now already the clear central point of the scene. For him his awareness of killing the holy swan is clearly the start of his ordeal. His innocent “I do not know” contains not only real ignorance but also spiritual confusion. With his dismay over the death of his mother and a last helpless lunge towards the messenger of doom his inner transformation is clearly visible. Already during the first Grail scene he can imagine the future mission, is deeply moved and wants to intervene and help. He is happy to be beguiled by the beautiful and delightfully singing flower maidens but Kundry has no further chance as a temptress. One doesn’t hear such a powerful “Amfortas! Die Wunde” every day. This Parsifal has found his way – things are highly emotional, and deeply moved by the knowledge of his fateful quest he even helps Kundry to purification. How this sensitive hero and this full-blooded woman …with their wonderful voices, their concise diction and total physical commitment struggle with and for each other, lets one forget that this scene can also be lengthy. The 2nd Act just flies by. '

Der neue Merker, June 2008