New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-11
PARSIFAL.
WAGNER'S LATEST OPERA.
A SKETCH OF THE WORK.

tbe adventures Of the Knights vowed TO It's
service but Wagner has not taken The old
legend Just stood, hut has largely modh IT, just
as he did with the legend Of the Nibcungcned Ger
tain characters wholly new others are 80 changed
that only their names and III the leading events OF
their lives are they recognizable is, with al the
legends Of Grail the story Of tie power OF absolute
purity and il wholly from the hot " iihcit pas
sion and nnhOy love- which marred the fh% "i Inc
Nibelungs" It's lesson, lar rs t has lesson Is
wholly enobling one intoxicating the duty OF si'ctes'
purly of hfc and showing the rewards which attend
Temptation succc isfuy resisted AID 1t Is without
any OF the disGgurcmeats Of the scusnay when marx
many Of Wagner's works. Some o. The situaI oAs are
dramatic in the extreme. and must gave N"S-
ner wonderful opportunities not ouy Tor Inc
composit.on OF most Impressive aud powerful
music but also scenic display Of great beauY ric
ness and variety. In short it possesses all the qualities
of rs;-rae brctto and 1t viii De strange it, WIFI such
atext Wagner does not give mUcn noble and beauft
full music Of the text only makes as await the
score the moye anxiousy. 1t through the whole
gauu of the passions from the most fiery love to the lO
test pitch purest spiritual exttaton ana the con-
traes are bold and striking as the situations are
strong.
The dramatis persona consists Of hut SIX persons AM
foras King Monsalvat and guardian of the Grail
TurcI his father; Gurnemanz, aged Knight Of the
Glal; Parsilal Percival as lie is better KNOWN
Klingsor an enchanIer, Knight OF the Grail; ana
Kundry, the one woman OF the piece. Besides THESE
boys and KhugsoI's enchanted maidens TIE scene j.
laid ot onsa1 tha donna ana castle OF the Warders
OF the Grail-n the northern mountains Of Gothic SPAIN
later at KlAgsors enchanted castle, on the southern
declivty Of the mountain range, toward Moorish
Spain The costume OF the Knights of the Grail and
squres similar that of the Tcmplars-White coaKS
and mante hut instead Of the red cross soaring dove
is embroidered on coaks and mantles.
At the opening first act, the situation Is as fol-
lows AmfOrtas. King OF Monsalyat, aud guardian OF The
Grail, has committed sin which deprives INN OF It's
protection. KngSor a renegade knight OF the Grail,
It's brgyest defenders now lis bltterest en-
emy finding him in the commission Of this Sin, has
wrested him the sacred lance win which our LOrd
was wounded, and with it has made IL
his side wound which VIII never neal,
from which he suffers pepetualiy acutest agony King
sOr, meanwhile keeps the spear in bis possession and
has Turned his castle into an enchanted palace full of
imuure delights. with which he lures from their
duty the knights OF the Grail, many OF whom have
fallen before the temptations there spread before them
Amortas's wound may not he healed without the touch
OF the sacred lance and this can only be won
back by one pure enough to withstand all the tempt
atoms that KngsOr bring to bear against him. At
the opening OF the first act Of the play the stage shows
o forest shadOwy and solemn, but not gloomy, with
rocky soil the centre is open clade at the left.
the path the castle OF the Grail III the cen
tire Of the background, the ground descends to low
living forest lake. 1t is acknowledgements "a vgor-
os Old mani and Squres (D tender years. c asleep
under tree From the left side If from the castle OF
the Grail res0unds the festal morning alarum Of the
trumpcts Gurnemanz aud the SQures awake.-AmoItls,
suffering from the pain OF wound s brought
down 10 the sacred lake to take therein the bath
which alone affords him any relief But ere he comSs,
(iurnenanz describes Kundry hurry him. she
rushes, almost staggers She wears wild garments,
tucked up highs girde OF snake-skins hanging down,
black hair floating loose tresses; deep, reddshbrown
complexion; piercing black eyes, sometimes blazing
wild of and
urnenanz and presses upon him small crystal vessel
1t balsam which alone can bring Amforfas help
II this avals not nothing earth help him. only
the healing touch lance Amfortas borne
in, and Gurnemanz gives him tue vessel. Am'oTtas
takes the wal and going the bath prepares to test
its virtues. Who Kundry Is, aud whence she came none
The GRAIL tolng early and late in its service like
who has some mortal sin 20 do penancc for All that
they know is that whenever she Is absent from MOnsa!
evil is to happen to some dln OF me
Grail. Gurnemanz here arks her who and what she Is
but she refuses TO reply; and as he, questioned
by one Of the sgnres goes on t To- e hare the
influence of Klingsors magic power, together with
sacred lance cries OF heard from the
are sacred-iallS wounded by some wanton shaft The
dying bird is brought in and with IT. the offender %ho
has been seized redhanded. II is Parslial, VINO
has wandeed into The sacred preeinSts 81 3bo mon.
ruthless deed, and Pasiia smitten with horror at
SHARPLY questioned by Gurnemanz to who he Is, Par
siia owns that knows nothing of himself that
men and tina, lie had strayed away from home, and
wandering about had come to Monsayat h99ndTy,
edge IN regard to every thing, ells INN now
ms father having been slain in battle ere yet
be was born, his mother brought him up IN solitude III
the forest that ignorant Of arms he should not meet
hero's early death. also tells him now his mother
having lost him. has died from grief ut his ABSENCE
Kundy then. retiring behind ,hicke falls into deep
sumber as II under the power or some enchant melt
GurneUanL, bidding Palsiial come with hun, tells nm
THAI he viii lead him to the Holy Grail Gradually.
WINE they seem 10 advance the stage changes rom ieIt
TO right IN an impeieet.ne manner the forest disap-
Ia the two; they agan become visible in ascending
path, when they - pass through Prolonged trun
FINALLY they reach ighty hall which is lost above in
hgb-ydulied dome. through which alone the light en-
tiers From the height above the dome IL heard peal OF
bells growing londer aud louder ON both sdes OF the
background large door Is opened From the rlght al,
arrange themselves side by SIDE at two long covered
dning-tables. which are so placed that running paiai-
lei behind forwards, they leave the middle OF the
hall free only goblets. dishes seen upon them
Then are heard three choruses one from inc moor OF
the hail, another from ITS middle helght. ana The
third from the Of the DOME all chanting the
P pSe Of S Sa be fS OF the pay and one When
gives opportunity wonder fu musical effects
Amfortas Is now Brought III and LAID upon couch The
mystic service Of the Grail is gone through
with with ceremonial for which WAGNER gives
careful directions and the sacred ieast Is pitkch q"
by the knights Parsifal standing by. watches every
thing. but when GurDemanz asks hun II ne has under
stood what hc has seen sadly shakes head.
MANI, ncensed drives hin tom the hal! and the curtain
falls upon the first act.
With the second act the scene changes. The curtain
rising shows KngsOr's enchanted castle the interior
keep Of open above stone steps lead to the bat
Elements OF the walls darkness the bottom.
kHngsOr at the side, before metallic mirror watches
from afar the approach OF Parsial, who
coming towards the castle After
moment Kingsor rising. descends towards the centre
somew deeper and kindcs there smoke, which
fills part OF the back ground with blush VapOr. Then
again takes his stand the former spot and calls,
with NY gestures into the depths To Kundry In
the huish ght her form appears she ut,ers terrible
Ike e. ned @ "A