The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-25
WAGNER'S NEW CREATION.
THE TENT or THE GREtT GERNiN COM
POsIR's CIfRISTMtS OIER.L


IIlPSIC, March H. You SEQ, Mclic iier-
rem said Richard Wagner. last summer. that
II you will il. there can be German art" Tho
music of "parsifnl' * not yet out. but tho
poem has appeared Mt Mcntz II is not merely
German. but Waenorian. As III the casc Of his
preceding work. be has gone for his theme to
the middc-agc legends but having found it,
has put his own stamp upon it in the originate
ty Of the treatment. The received version of
the story IL tho "Parzrval" of Wolfram Won
Eschcnbach Of which wackcrnagcl writes:
rarlcya passes the beginning Of his lite in Youthful,
yes in Iuorlc simplicity IN thouehtlcssncss in inca
be ONES torture A hi,h impulse, unntcils To
himself and - the more painful mIes HIM hut IN his
dumb folly the destined dominion 0 the Graal Is with
drawn ron him.
Tho Graal. or Grail was the cup which Christ
used at the Last Supper. and in which was
caught Mt the crucifNon. the blood that fell
from his wounds. The preservation Of this
treas ure became the charge and privilege of n
religious knightiy order. Wackcrnagcl con-
tinucs:
TIE simplicity 'anishcs and in It. place there appears
a striic ~ tse youth ,srlie WIN himself with The
Sua M ',is nn wv s 'n i into w e"tt
with hs dearest rr,id. with lis very brother. Hut
WIZ be- nG. asa h s WIFE, i .n. the rs 10 A
the dumb folly and the iornt the blessing
Now. in Wagnsr's production. the friend.
brother. wife. and sons are not even mentioned.
Other characters in wolfram's poem are consid-
crahlv altered. Tile second act md large
part Of the motive in Wagner are essentially
original. In short after the manner " lih.rals
In religion. he will ncecpt the essential id"a'
hut no demands thiright To reinterpret. even To
create So, too, II seems as To the mere letter.
No one has before heard ~ the spelling. PR
from Fdl and pars' innocent fool is. ut least.
entirely novel. But while. in the organic com-
plctenrssof his own charactcrzationa. we can
not look for a tru' reflex of Wolfram =. yet ~
one ignorant of tie old legend WAGNER work
would hardly hc intelligiblc. Tho brief
illusions to the various miracles that the Grna
accomplshes. to tho knights that guard II. 10
Titurel. who built the temple for II, above all
the significance of the milling, trials. and tri-
umphs that are lerc developed, must remain
incOmpr"hcnsibl' II not read In the light ~
those medieval teliefs and deep religious con-
virtions that give the opera It's very life.
The piece deals with the triumph of Christ in
the individual. That * the cardinal motive.
ON all sides there ring cries for salvaiioni on
all sides. ultimately. that salvation Is awarded.
There are only three acts. and the unity 81 the
work is carefully maintained. The good prin-
thought indeed. that the conflict wis not prom
inent enough that were il not for its single
and the mysteries OF magic and niraclcS-thc
interest Of Parsial would absolutely drag,
not gloomy. Rocky ground. clearing IN n"
ccntre. Left. An ascending road Ia the castle.
The ground IN the back slopes AZ the centre to-
ward deeper lying lake layhrcak.' The
knights Of the order of the II oly Graa ara bear
ing their king To hathe in the woods An ever
running wound tormrnts him. and all remedies
hear only hopeless tidings Guremdtz. the
old warrior. sinks his head in sadness. But
one thing Will help him. but one thing. says
he. And that? G'D'nemdHk evadcs the qu,S-
ton; kmdry pluuGcs in, The knights have
seemed tn creep on the earth now to nv. K'ul-
dIy brings "a flask II balsam from Arabia. II
that iais, she knows no other reconrse. k"ndrg
a" s 5rqids. H~r " e"or ' rd H Brow" ~
Her black eyes are piercing Al times they
blaze up suddenly; again she glnrcs straight
before her. ~ # dead The King. imfnrias ls
hornc on and on kundrV follows him with her
eyes. The esquirrs are suspicious of her. but
GiUnepdiiz reminds them she has always been
q friend in need. she II a sorcrrrss. say they.
Nay. answers he; she may. though. be an ac-
Perhap. She lives anew
FL pay ,n 'f'SSs 81 iT SiaSr ' Ss.
7fhu.al too he adds had known her fidelity
in the hrushwood frozen. sens"l"ss. liz" tn"
d"ad. Aud 50. too. ! found her lately. when
our grief was yet new, h,ndry meantime.
ouches on the ground in silence. W" lrurn.
finally. these facts from H'pnelndn2; 1ufortds' :
father, Thrsl. once rrr"ivni from heaven two
signs The first thu Graal the second the spear
that pierced the Crurfrd Then T,fnrti built
a temple for the Graal. and those destined to
worship there reached II IN paths no sinner
could find aud 80 the sorcerrr. hhHgsor once
GOV, ting salvation, hut not rrpentng. failed to
find the Graih and shar" III benefits. and grew
garden. AMI there scdu ed many Of the order 10
unchastity. MiUd in old lgr resigns thecrown
Ia his son, and 1mf,ytds takes the sacred spear
to attack hiugsOr in his garden. But the King
Yields % temptation. and while engaged in lust
ful dalliance hi"gsor snatchrs the weapon and
drives him away bleeding; and the wound has
never healed. But iu,fdrfds. in the agony of
Repentance. sees shi.dowy face and hears these
words
THROUGH lttys thra'i,
For him call
The conversation is suddenly interrupted. A
swan has been shot In the holy grove and Idr-
Sfd Is brought in as tho criminal. He does
not know whence he has come. who his father
IS. now he came on the orders grounds He Is
gnor, Of hat s mother haa rasa Sm IN
the desert, that he might hot. like his father,
sdmWa meet Il premature death in battle.
The boy had followed some knights away and.
though soon losing sight Of them. he had con
tnued on. He had met robbers and giants. and
had vanapshed all. Soon afterward k'o.eirp
cries out she must sleep hut fears t.. and after
Il short struggle. drops on powerless. Now.
Grntrnd'G seeing The frank and fearless bear
ing of the youth. and knowing that only the elect
reach tho order retreat, y hlled with hope
This brave fool is. perhaps the redcemcrl The
magic of the Graal TRANSPORTS them. while the
stage moves and the scenery passes through
various changes. into vast hall with a high
dome through which light alone enters only Ia
the lost" The knights partake Of the commu-
mon. the old Titn'rT bess his SON 10 uncover the
Graal that his fathers life 10y virtue of lis power
may be prolonged by the sight Of 1t. lnUOridS
willingly; the Grall j. uncovered, ma "a daz-
cling beam OF light. changing into aresplendnn
purple, enters thu hall from the dome" But
! PUSJal, albeit at tn" strongest plant OF
Antoifas he had clutched his heart violently
stands stiff and motionlcss. and when G'rns-
mana will iain learn bow the youth has been al
! fccted. only shakes his head AS a sign he has
| understood nothing. In disappo ointment and
! vcxntiun the kui.ht drive. him forth. The
curtain" concludes the rG,.ur ;,lrn Closes
The second at develops the plot Ia rpcnrss
| We are ~ k'lngSYi'S magic castle. Al The inyO-
| cation of the sOr'rrcr. the oldhaE ki0drD rises
| IN terror and despair. from the bowels of TIA,
| earth. She In summoned out OF her sleep t.
| play the trmptrrss. Her hidcous form is only
| temporary She It was who srducrd .iHJOrtds
Satan's bride Hcrndins vast thou. and whn
| not, says hiWgSur, Guudryggia there hiui
! dy here She cries foi sleep. Tor death Sleep
W. see. though not quite plainly. either. mean.
! holiness TO her Nurn awake she serves the
surrerer. Her good instincts sock the uncon
| srlOu~ Courage, comforts hutySuT. ironi
! cHliy: who resists thee sets thee free" IUsi
fdi enters the castl" garden: he repulscs tn,
! knights. he lightly REJECTS the Establishments o
| the maidons hiui'R. transformed INTO n be
! in. ~ wondrOus beauty and condemned 10 lOV,
| whom she brings TO destruction. is powrrless
| Nay moro: his memory becomes clear th,
| thought Of u great duty PUSHES upon him. II,
repulses hui'B Violently. h}nVSOr hurls III,
sacred spear AT him. II remains vibrating
| harmless above his head. Ilo se2os IT, md
with n motion Of the highest rapture makc
! with II the sign ~ the cross. In the name o
that he I.lulSlts tlp - tnSuurluls A