Sir John Tomlinson talks about his Wagner roles part 1
12 Oct. 2014 at Bunkyo civic hall, Tokyo. Artist round table presented by Richard Wagner Gesellschaft in Japan
Wotan, Hans Sachs and Holländer are very different characters binding by a same philosophy. For example, it's a self sacrifice. Holländer sacrificed himself for Senta, Wotan abandoned the claim for Eva, Wotan chose death in order to survive the world, difficult.The common theme, each role is very difficult.
I suppose one common theme is sacrifice, Another theme, establishment verses free individual. Meistersinger, you have Meister, old fashioned regime but Walther is a free spirit.Tannhauser, you have Minnesinger formal establishment but Tannhauser, free spirit. In Tristan, Koenig Marke, court, establishment, Tristan has free sprit. In Ring,Wotan God and Siegmund and Sieglinde free spirit, anarchist.Added wonderful complexity of Ring, free spirit was created by Wotan and against the creator.Beckmesser, Walther. Sachs think a lot how to combine rule to freedom.
Gurnemanz, his only contribution to the story - recognise Parsifal could be "Der reine Tor" and send him away. Why I am on the stage 3 hours (laughing)
We discussed about few roles, Let's say those tendency sing like an angel doesn't act. dignify why sing like an angel relatively still not particularly involved.
I feel I did contribution I try to bring their character to life in a vivid way. しかし私はこれらの役を生き生きとしたキャラクターにするのに貢献した。
Gurnemanz is preoccupation sickness of the Temple, he needs to find the answer. グルネマンツは病んでいる騎士団をいやす方法を見つけなくてはいけないと必死です。
I play Gurnemanz quite strongly. He cares deeply about the situation. Hans Hotter said he has strong feeling. Totally he is reverent to Amfortas. He gets very angry particular to Parsifal when he killed the swan, the end of Act 1 and in Act 3 angry he comes back about his figure you should not be in sacred day. He has completely sympathy and admiration of Kundry, the Temple and Knights despise Kundry and Amfortas.Gurnemanz sympathized with Kundry against the Knights and the Temple.