New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-06
PARSIFAL.
wAGNER's RELIGIOUS MUsIC-DRAMA.

! thing novel and exciting, but his dramatic
genius also interests the literary world, becSuse
! the popularity Of his poetical works and, prncl-
pallv, the selection of the material for his music
dramas call forth the study of long-forgotten his
torical legends. Such was the case when Wagner
produced his Ring Of the Nibelung,' and the same
interest arose when the text of his Parsifal" was
published. In "Parsfa," as in Tristan and
Isolde Wagner has laid aside his principle Of
choosing only German subjects. The legend OF
" Parsifal is of Celtic origin, although mixed with
North Spanish and Moorish events. But Wagners
" Parslfal" may be called true German national
poem in spite of French names. North-SpanIsh
localities and the mingling of foreign tales. The
character of PdrsitdI Is the real type OF German
youth good-hearted and true. modest and knghtly.
One may say that Wagner gives in Parsifal" the
continuation of his most powerful national work,
or rather the solution of these great problems
which he projected in his Ring of the Nibelung"
The mighty struggle between love and earthly
power which in the = Nibelungen brought destruc-
tion upon whole world. in Parsifal " secures the
reconciliation of these two forces, for it IS the
eternal love which becomes the all-cOnquerng
power in the heart OF the pure and unsellsh man.
In the dramatic action of every of Wagnor's
operas the governing thought is invariably the
gorfcatiOn Of woman's love- SeHtG sacrifices her
life 10 save the unfortunate Flying DutchBldR from
the curse which controls his fate 1GaRhduser, de-
sparing of his souls salvation wishes to return to
the realm of the goddess Venus. but when he hears
that the pure maiden Elisabeth has died for love of
him, and that she, now angel, is interceding for
him before the throne Of the Almighty, he feels
that it is this woman IS love only which can save him,
and, reconciling his soul with his Maker and with
all mankind, he expires at the feet of his dead be-
loved. LOhengrip, the Knight of the Grail, Is en-
win nf the nnOcence
of Eisa the heiress of Brabant. She halls him rs
her saviour and rewards him with her heart and her
crown Her happiness was destroyed by her I'M
timely question as to her husbands ancestors.
THIS Is tine only example which Wagner has given
Of a wOman's failure to attain the highest stand
ard OF feminine duty and greatness. but it was
her womany love which prompted Elsa not to be-
eve that LOhengrin was a false adventurer. In the
" Meistersinger." a pendant to "Tannhauser."
maiden's love inspired the young knight, WdtthT
Stosiag to mproyise the prize in itself
apotheosis of womans love, and which won for hin
the honor OF being created Mestersinger, as well
as the dearer prize of ErGs hand. 1t is a striking
feature Of the Trilogy, the Ring of the Nibelung,"
that throughout the whole cyclus of dramas the
lesson is taught that wOman's love is sacred that
womans love is higher than all riches and earthly
power, and that no man who forSakes this holy
emotion shall escape the punishment OF the lost
and the condemned Even in " Tristan and Isolde"
where tho dramatic development rests almost en-
tirely upon the two principal characters is seen the
self-sacrfcing love of the woman who, though
bound to hing Marke by the ties of a marriage de
conrenaace unites her fate with that of the man to
whom her heart is devoted, and shares his death |
What a vast field Of human feeling with al its
causes and consequences has Wagner developed be- |
fore the reader or hearer of any of his opcrs Al
though his subjects are nearly all drawn from the
Mythos, he makes his characters so real that the
spectator forgets the age in hitch he lives and
feels himself living in an actual world of the olden
time of heroism.
THE THEME or "PARsIFAL"
The musc-drama of Parslfal" has quite n |
different meaning. Instead of the angelic effects |
upon man of woman'5 a-powcrful love- here are
the noble aud heavenly consequences of mans |
love for the SHINING world, and here mans putty
and self abnegatOn destroy temple of wickedness |
and brIng a struggling humanity back to faith in /
Christs love and the salvation of lost souls. 1t is /
well known that Wagner IN earlier days intended |
to write a drama entitled Jesus of Nazareth" |
"Parsllal" is poem with similar subject: the |
representation of the idea Of the SavOurs love. 1t
may be called religious drama. Wagner has |
drawn upoh Bible history as well as upon the |
legends of the middle ages for the construction OF
the story. Each parsonage is an important one |
~
represented, while each fuGs by clear and |
rapid development the moral ann Of the conception !
of the text. The two lortresSes stand opposite to-
each other: MontsalYat the fortress of the Grail
and hiRgs0rS enchanted castle. In them are the |
conflicting forces of humanity symbOlized. Here Is
the Grail, elcyatng the thoughts OF all who gaze |
upon il by its pure. white radiance; there, the |
black porer of wicksdness. Here the guar
dians of all that holy and good lTareI 4mtortGs
GHrnaaanz) there, the representative of Satan |
(hingsorl. Hero is Christianity: there, Ueathen-
ism. And between the two stand tho man (Pdrsi- |
taH and the woman tKHpdyyl; one ever battling |
the other serving; both driven hither and thithcr
by error and failure suffering and longing till the !
hour of salvation strikes. The Hing VI the Grail is /
tortured by the pain of a fatal sin in KHngsor's !
soul rage the wild storms of a sinful lite. All cry |
aloud for Salvation!
The Cup from which Jesus of Nazareth drank at
the last supper AMI tue Spear which pierced HIS |
side. were given by the descendants Of Joseph of |
Arimathea INTO the charge of 1ilpcI, q pIOuS /
knight, for protection against dissertation by the
wild bands of unboheyers. Iiturel has built for
these precious relics sanctuary IN the mountains
of Northern Spain, and surrounded himself with
large company of knights. who, through the purity
of their lives hold possession of the Grail and the
Spear; strengthened by these constant reminders
OF their Redccmer's death, they devote themselves
TO deeds Of love and pity. hIingSOr, wicked man,
being rejected by the brotherhood. attempts to end
his life For this crime the Guardians Of the Grail
drive him from them forever. Revenge is now his
only
The desert waste he turned to pleasure gardens,
Where maidens captive nets spinning,
Woo they and win the Gratis Knights and fWardens
To howery joys and helish SHINING.
Many nave already been lured to destruction.
1nfortas, to whom Titurcl, now old and weary, has