The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-25

the hour at which evening dress. ac-
cording to social canons, is permissible.
Society settled them in a variety of
ways. While some used the long in
PERMISSION to drive home, as a rule din
ner was taken at the principal res
taurants nearby. tables at which had
been reserved for weeks.
All sorts Of solutions of the dress
problem were to be seen.
The attitude of the audience, all
things considered, was reverential and
attentive. II is safe to say that most
people were impressed. Applause after
the first act was successfully Kissed
down, but after the second nothing
could have controlled 1t. and the prin-
cipals were brought repeatedly before
the curtain amid boundIess enthusiasm.
The caste at all important points was
a strong one, three at least of its prin-
cipals having learned their respective
roles under the tutelage of Frau Wag-
ner. These were Herr Alois Burgstaller
as Parsifal, Frau Milka Ter
nina as Kundry and Herr Bias
as Gurnemanz. Anton Van Rooy
was the Amfortas, Mr.. Marcel
Gourmet the Titurel and Herr Otto Co
ritz the Klingster, the last mentioned
making his first American appearance.
Herr Bias as Guernamanz, the old
knight who takes ParEifal to the Grail
temple, thinking him the prophesied
guileless fool, was not altogether sat-
isfactory. Measured praised, too, must
go to Herr Gueritz, for his Klingser
was but mildmannered magician. 1t
was otherwise with Van Rooy's Am
fortas. which is assuredly the best
thing he has ever done. He pictured
admirably the wounded King of the
Grail.
To portray the boy Parsifal as he is
shown In the first act, a guileless fool,
innocent, pure, simple, but uncouth,
almost wild as we'll, to follow his
growth of soul, is a great dramatic task,
to which Herr Burgstaller proved him
self fully equal-his singing, more
over, was most brilliant.
High praise must go to Nine. Ter
ninas' KundrY. 1t was difficult tc
believe that the savage creature of the
first act, the seductive temptress of the
second, and the penitent woman of the
third could have been embodied by the
same artist.
To consider them the least spectacu-
lar features of "Parsifal" is to do them
a gross injustice, since they are of al
most paramount interest in their right
and were the most brilliant features of
Mr.. Conreid's production.
The first scene, that of a forest glade
near Monsalval, with an exquisite Wis
ia of shimmerins lake in the back
ground was a masterpiece of scenic
art. Rocky walls succeed the forest
depths, then subterranean galleries
and finally there bursts into view the
magnificent hall Of the grail with its
vistas columns and arches and it's
huge luminous dome. The ceremony
in which the knights, seated at the
great circular table, see the cup I'M
yelled, behold its mystic light and are
fed from 1t while the music of invisible
choirs floats down from the nights
of the dome, is surely the most impress
sive scene the stage has ever pre-
scented.
In the second act there is the vanish
ing Klingser's castle and the stimuli
taneous appearance of his magic gar
den, with it's riotous troups of houris,
designed for the seduction of the Grail
knights. This scene, both in the SPLEEN
dor of the stage sets and the richness
of costuming, was a notable advance
upon anything ever seen at Baireuth.