Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-07
epseiaa csrfsspondsnce Of The Evening Star.
BKYnxUrH, BAVARIA, Aug. 29, 1881.


BxrnxUrH. BAVARIA, Aug. ~, 1881.
UAGNER BY THE CUBIC YARD, DIS
w trfbuted over the period Of month Al
The ooneIusion of act one Of 'Parsifal," lasting
IN hour and three-qusrters, We felt that
though 10 was very fine We should prefer to
hear The rest some time next year or the year
following. However. after We had fortified
ourselves with hot sausage. bread and a mug Of
liquid that foameth and is described As amber
solored, We went bsck bravely with the crowd
TO see il out.
The performance "took in" at 4 in the
afternoon II was q Sunday, but that didn't
matter. Previous to the hour everybody who
was going and many who were not soing had
climbed the hill upon which, at the edge Of the
town, the theater is built, and stood around to
see the others come. Carriages were in demand,
and with few others o, the humble sort,
mostly musicians we walked. Ordinarily we
should have come on our own conveyances, but
these were under temporary disablement
Everybody looked at rs and wondered what we
were doing there in our knee breeches and
flannel shirts. Had we been asked we should
have explained that we had nothing else to
wear.
Our limited purse and moderate musical tastes
had not tempted US beyond the investment Of
twenty marks each (about So. which assigned
Us to the highest place Of all, the obergaiierie,
which commands q sort Of bird's-e view Of
the stage. Three times, at short intervals. the
leading motive OF the opera was sounded by
brass instruments from the orchestra in the
outside vestibule. then the lights went down to
dim Jets, the doors were shut, everybod said
shshshsh, and the stiffness was oppressive. In
. few moments the awful silence was broken
by the first notes of the overture, which, be-
ginning pianissimo with the string instruments,
gradually grew into grand whirl and crash of
sound, then died away again to nothing. Well,
the overture to US was the best part of the first
act
In the second act matters frightened up
little. property swan sails gracefully across
the stage and drops dead in the wings Then
everybody goes off and bringsin Parsifal, a big
overgrown boy with a slingshot. 1t is his first
appearance, but there is not the slightest ripple
OF applause. the ethics Of Beyreuth Wagnerian
audiences reserving all manifestations of APP
proval till the conclusion of the act. He it is
who slew the property swan and he is lectured
severely Tor it. After awhile Parsifai is turned
loose in a flower palace. and a lot of young
ladies, intended to represent various flowers,
crowd about him. singing a positively lively,
merry air and actually laughing. IL all came
70 unexpectedly that We looked at our ibretto
TO zee that il was perfectly legitimate, belonged
10 the opera and was not something Of Audran's
sandwiched in by way of variety.
sIx-HoUR PERFORMANCE.
Ing t1lI0 anu act was COHcluueQ rev
minutes before 10, six hours from the hour Of
commencement; quite long enough. Between
acts everybody goes out and walks in the small
park back of the theater, or eats and drinks.
After the first act those who wish may get their
superior dinner, as you wish-at the restau-
rant near by, or get something light of the
character already mentioned at a place back of
she theater. The musicians, artist and ANA
teur. 60 there. Before each act there is the
same blowing of brass as before the commence
ment Of the performance in the front vestibule
and who does not respond to the invitation TO
70 in and take his seat remains out till the con-
elusion Of the act; for there is getting in I'M
I'll then. Your conversation cannot be COM
pletsd after the lights are dirnmed and the doors
closed Some Of our neighbors-they were
disguised az English. but we think
they were Americans were discussing
something quite amusing and carried their dis
eussion and giggles over just a moment too
long. when such a storm of shshsh admon-
tshed them that they must have been thankful
that the darkness hid their embarrassment
For twenty marks You do not have the services
Of an usher in finding your seat man at the
door in q uniform cap takes your ticket and
points in the direction in which it lies. You
skirmish around and tread on other peoples
feet and ind IL the best way you can. As many
OF the seats have no numbers you may have to
determine from a number OF such Just which
y probabiy yours