New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-01
Ill SIC-THE DRAMA.
.p,Ps!rALv AS AN ORATORIO.

"PARSIFAL' AS AN ORAIORlp.
The d;,3u-ii1n made Of the score of Parsl-
foYl,y Richard wagner in his Will makes 1t doubtful
g,fcrbsr taat musical drama vii. become feature OF
carop...;i- r,r ertory for long time 70 come For
want yt dramatic re presentation therefore. tao lovers
oiWdy;'s Music are likely 70 look forward to COM
plce perform Of the music hy the Ogatouo Society
Oh Wednesday afternoon and ILuTadty evening Win
more than ordinary interest, and 10 follow ihe composer
himself IA wt!yn nary objection TO seq'Ia'
ton OF The words ard maoc from the scenery ana "c-
ton winch Wit. them maze up Wa ;neIs AT Wor6.
students OK English literature are acquainted WIN '"o
hero OF Nasucrs sacred drama under the name Oh I"
c'cel Fy THIS name he is known j" Tommy sons '}"S
OF tho hin-" upon which, ii Is safe To say tAe m''S
OF peog!o rely for their knowledge Of the AttA"rh
lcgcuds Since it entered European literature nearly
Thousand wears ago thc has taken various forms
III .c oldas known version OF tie adventures Oh hh%
Arihur anu hs knights, the Welsh "'' II Is act down
a. Pcysy,u. Subsequent sle.luSs Mt1' II tf''f'' or
sirll and Iore,~aL Wagner constructed F""N" on
laaciu and far-f"ched theory Ia MS version
of the story hero is hHht WHO enters t1c service
., to t,r .~l and becomes Kns OF the knights OF the
grail tlrot2a no merit Oi his -rles'h"'s ana SIM
plrci;Y We cannot speak rs - tie correctness Of "a>-
rors philosophy; only state his theory Wishing 10
mako tbc paine an index to the character. Wacacr d.
rived PaI-lful" from two Arabic wcrls "Fdl" and
"pIIs which lie translated foolish pare one SccGr-
Ing by reversal OF their order PrS'td which N BIS
opinion si-IicS "pure" or "gdNcltss l0JI' IAe ho!y
IN which liz. hero, who is the OF Ferc@ Cle!lci
Parziva!" by Wagner this instance in harmony wi
the great oc Of Wolfram EschcnGachl, comes from
the castle OF Monsalvat Mont Salvage in Northern
spain) where the grail is kept 10 rescue the wrohSuy
accused fya great deal OF curious learning been
expended in trying to Tor the origin and mean
ing the hoy grail. The common belief is that the
worlds derived from the Old rrcuch "graa' Or cIca'
vessel or cup. but since Wagucrs drama was written
d most ~ -euOus theory when Identities grail with
"cor.l" has been put forward b. Dr. Gustav Oprcr;,
n professor Of Sauscrit who hl1 already astoulsEcd
European scholars by volumes OF proofs that gun
powder ana firearms known 10 the ancicat Hiniu
Opptrs arguments IN support OF the theory OF the
identity OF grail" and coral Wele accepted by
Kari Bind az conclusive and irrctuta1le III an
article publshcd about two years and half
ago in te Ecte Freie PFgSsc OF Vienna lie begins with
the classical. lHy tus concerning TIC medicinal l2Wcs OF
49, ~ go go 80 80" ~ -9u.-il' ~ lIt-i-, When
Perscus ct OH the head OF The 'tU$d lac placed lAe
bocdInI lcmbeI on the sWari near He sea COAST The
blood trans ormed the sE'ss mai ~ %gTu i ioH
Stone N.l.h was IOHhu u nave ma 'r'"IS Nc '.'.-
power. ms Oyd aSc, Is Ii5o ynSU f o me- cJ
!,GytLtc, Ir Onprrt traces the record touch.n. the
curative properties OF coral into The hook OF CHRISTIAN
yort 1ynjrG lin tiras6urs in 1873, IN whcA there are
.U,Oas % the Orph!c songs hlutU with references 10
tie Christian religion. An Arabic rhNslcah and pAlo
ohCr OF IA" tenth century describes the cora! having
a sllen-.Acma. ana uourisEuS iIhaeuc. uuoa the
hear, wlicl belief Is recognized again III bit OF
yya aa ''5I SlS T Th S S,l'' t sacnan
COud GtTiycd coral is reflected IN mcLitN3l
Latin poetry where once is described very IHUr Ike
the office OF The holy grail IN me poem Of NohIaA
Won EscAcuuach and tue drama OF Wagner. inc relation
between the grail becomes palmer sun Do ale
Lam entitled NUeTNM Mutaihcu;H. Whtie TX Is
d stiucty defined memorial Cf the blood Of CHRIST
In I"Isih the gran Is an 4nt4.'e Nee o., V: S-,'
dish which CHRIST used al the tichNl-t ana III
which Joseph OF AImtlea caught the b,OoI OF the "a
yiour when lance thrust lIO His sltc From the
grail Its defenders derive all HeedGl rnseh2hcr, phys
OF the apparatus OF the drama IN" huls@ OF
the Holy Grail required 10 preserve their purity
In order TO share IN the benefits 10 ne derived
from the alteration OF The relic. lh'N klHE,
Alafortqs had fallen from his estate Of purity
ana been wounded in an encounter Win the mdgl-
clan El,g.s0r, who had been Knight IN tue
moun;au. htiHgSor held the lance. idiSgW had ueeh
reared 10y his mother in ignorance OF Tho world us
died before lie born. Inc sl-At ~
caVacAdc III knights tbsir IrapplnSs sits the chV
heart broken mother and sets out in quest OF adventure
armed Ouly with bow and arrows. lis shoots swan IN
OF MOnsaiVat. where ri! aluaS are sIclt
Leaning tie inqulty OF uis feat lie breaks his bow lie
is led into the temple ana permitted witness the
alteration Of holy grail. The knights hope That Inc
will ask the question upon which the healing OF
nothing, aud is driven out Win lmWeca,
tlons He finds himself in the magical
garden surrounding HigSpTS palace. wicked knights
are sent against him, but lie rOuis tLch' "oMch'
him. They fail - does also KUHdyy. VINO lives dual
nie-in service OF tie knights OF the GTa ana also
in the service OF tho magician. From the Kiss NAcH
EhndyW gives he learns the meaning OF all mat mas
fake ace His last device having fd Ell him hinDSOr
himself ,pupars do battle with fdrSDH. lie hAilS
the sacred the yp2th but 1t rem ANS suspen itd
IN CRAPS IT, makes tue sim OF tue cross
with H. and the enchanted palace End garden disappear
Yhe youth then returns 10 tho castle OF Tie EOlt gA
touches the wound ADotds with the lance, thereby
healing it, and is hailed King OF Monsalvat