New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-02
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
SCENES FROM "PARsIFAL."

New York are sufficiently Nfieu anu i'P
tive in their character to give our puehc al eAool
lent idea of the peculiarities oil wagner ia,oo'
work. and perhaps to enable them to Judge whether
the Great COMPOSER has made any decided advance
upon his previous achievements That ParsitaI
is different from everything Wagner has done De-
fore all the critics admit. It's distinguishing noVe
is religions solemnity and this is marked ana 80
well-sustalned that we cannot imagine the opoA"
being tolerated except under special crcuiist
such as attended its production at bayreu'H' ~
enthusiastic and reverential artists In Tue
of enthusiastic and reverental spectators
ipdeed has declared that be Will not have IL pun
unon the stage elsewhere but this resolution la
no reference to concert selections, unacooHh'"
by dramatic action ;o ~, the
-" p,,iIhormopic Society at its first concert
Of the season, next week, sets 1ortn WIN 'Cy -
St tbs +hree prlncipal themes upon which 'ne
800 10 fonnded The first of these, dehNereu a'
onoo bv strings and wOod-wind Instruments III
rnison and octayes. with fine crescendo 10 caiiou
the Love Feast Motive, being the musicai nsuio
which synbolizes the eucharistic celebration oS INC
Knights of the Grail Slow and dlghihed ana
prolonged through six measures, IT'S rhyInihio
form subordinated 10 an imposing s'yIo
of recitation it reminds us of versele out OF tne
Roman Gradual. Delicate violin arpeggos oreak
in upon the last ole, and under these are presently
hoard the trumpets informing the original theme.
The whole passage Is then repeated, TINS tune
third higher; and the arpeggio accompaniment
ends IN a pjanissimo The second theme follows
immediately 1t is the Grail Motive, not precisely
the same as the well-kuOwn phrase in Lohengrln'
Int so much like il that the relationship VIII De no
tieed at once This is delivered in harmony Degln-
nlng softly with the trumpets and tromooheS anu
rising to o crescendo which engages the reeus lHo
motive is gwen once in its simplest FORM ana theh
with a change from common to slx-1our iiine' VIC
PASS abruptly to the Faith Motive NONE
chaDt-like melody in the treatment OF when "ag-
ner makes full use of his extraordinary powers as
musical coIorist. both the harmOnles ana the III
strumental combinations being imposing IN the very
highest degree. The rest Of the NorspieI CONSISTS
entirely of the repetition and interchange OF tnoSe
three motives. the Faith Motive, by an obvious
association of ideas. always following close upon
the ascending chords which represent the Holy
Grail
The finale of the first act. to be performed by the
SYMPHONY Society this week, employs the three
subjects of the Vorspe and several others besides
the most conspicuous of them being a torld phrase
which stands for PQrstdl; a march movement
characterized by a persistent, we had almost
said an obstinate, rhythm; and very
beautiful figure. in four notes, for
the bells. Those who have formed their idea OF
this collection from reading Of the ibrelto VIII DO
well to remember that Wagner here deliberately
discards ordinary theatrical devices. The enectS'
consequently. are not quite such as one would be
likely 70 expect nor such as the sit would seem
TO Justify The scene IN tue opera represents the
procession of the Knights to the Hall OF the Grail,
followed by the act of worship and the communion,
and by the chanting of invisible choirs'
bows voices at the top Of the dome, and youths at
the middle height, answering a double chorus OF
the knights on the stage. Here with the pealng of
the bells the echoes of the march, and the swelling
harrnones of trombOnes and trumpets-the richest
and most imposing concords within the reach OF
music-One naturally looks for an empowering
climax But Wagner has avoided this. The ell
max of the act using the word climax in the vulgar
sense is the professional march which accompanies
the change of scene from the forest TO the hall,
previous TO the selection given by the Symphony
Society. The religious music which follows is III
much more subdued spirit; the march movement
and the bells are reutroduced but very sparlngy
the several divisions Of the chorus united only
at rare and brief intervals; in word, the COM
poser instead of 1nassng the materials he has as
sembed prefers to separate and contrast them in
stead of gradually intensifying the emotion, he
chooses that it snail soemnly die away. This process
is followed IN other parts of the opera Also especial
ly IN the last scene of all, which is an elaboration
and repetition Of he closing pages OF the hrst act
and it probably explains why some critics called
the inaies disappointment. These hnales are IN
truth magnificent bat they are not what the listeners
expected. They are cons ucted without much re-
gard 10 conventional effect, but with poetical
nronrietv which ought to be deeply
pressve III a stage performance. however 1t may be
in the concert-room. Tie quiet and cOntempative
4 inn of no
beautiful.
Very different from the other selections is the
portion chosen for performance by the Brooklyn
Philharmonic Society on Friday and Saturday Of
this week the scene in the Third Act, commonly
known as Die BlumeHaWe. or The Flowery Meadow,
which Immediately precedes the finale of the opera
1t is one of those passages not too frequent In his
later works. in which WAGNER sometimes proves his
ability 10 write the most graceful and sensuous
melody, and avail himself when he pleases OF
clear and elegant forms. In symmetry. III
beauty of expression, in fervOr OF sentiment anu
in sustained charm it is not approached
by ANYTHING in " Parsifal." The scene represents
the return of the hero, after his long wandering
to the domain Of the Grail, and the extract begins
with the Parslfal Motive, delivered by the brass IN
strumentS. while the aged GurHemdHz amounts the
knights head, and ha l. MIN as king. AS IdrSVdt
then performs upon hundry the rite OF baptism he
orchestra first gives the BenedctOn Motive, and
next repeats in very delicately scored harmOnles
the GTall phrase ana It's usual accompaniment, the
Faith Motive with this prelude we pass on TO the
melody OF the FlOwery Meadow. Here, TO quote the
language Of the Brooklyn prOgramme-annotatOr.
we suspend for While the grave mood of spiritual
exaltauon under the influence of the beauties of
ternal nature The stage represents spring land
scape bright with flowers. PdrSdl gazes upon il with
rapture and excalms: How fair the fields and
meadows seem today" and GurRemaRz explains
that this is Good Fridays spell ." is the day Of
the Redeemei's death when all nature gives thanks
and smrs upon pardoned man with brightness
which shines upon its face ut no other time. From
this circumstance the passage is sometimes known
as that OF the ChdrJreitdgszaaber, or Good Friday
! spell but the name OF the tlOwery Meadow better
! expresses the character OF the broad and de