Richard Wagner’s 1882 opera based on the Grail knight is titled Parsifal. Wagner described it as a Bühnenweihfestspiel, or festival drama for the consecration of the stage, rather than simply calling it an opera.
The work follows Parsifal’s movement from innocence toward compassion and spiritual understanding. Its central community is the brotherhood of the Holy Grail, led by Amfortas, whose wound is connected to the sacred spear. The plot draws on medieval Grail romances, especially traditions associated with Wolfram von Eschenbach.
Parsifal premiered at the Bayreuth Festival Theatre in Bavaria. Wagner’s widow, Cosima, later directed performances there, and the work remained closely associated with Bayreuth for many years. It should not be confused with Wagner’s earlier opera Lohengrin, which also uses Grail-related Arthurian material.