The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-27
HCT 3Pl1 c5CEWE zST -CoPYRZGHE.

L
fal appears, preceded by a swan which he
has shot while hunting Parsifal is an un-
tutored youth. His mother, Herzeleide,
having lost her Lord. King Gamuret, IN
battle, has brought the boy up ignorant
of his high birth, and sent him to wander
in the deserts. Gurnemanz rebukes Par
sifai for killing the harmless bird But he
answers. II knew not il was wrong. The
simplicity of the stranger his absolute I'M
consciousness of evil, his evident fearless
ness, impress Gurnemanz. kundry Watch-
ing the youth, tells him that his mother Is
dead. In frenzy of pain, he clutches the
witch by the throat But he grows faint
Kundry succors him, and, refusing to be
thanked. crawls toward a thicket. moan
ing for rest and Sleep"
MANI that Parsifal may be the ''guileless
Foor' awaited by Amfortas. He invites
the youth TO accompany him to the Tenn
pie of the Grail, where the knights are
shortly to refresh themselves at one OF
their mystic love feasts.
The scene changes. Parsifal and his
guide. Gurnemanz, seem to walk through
the wild woodland and along rocky paths
till. after passing through door in a
hill they reach the interior of great
temple As they draw near their goal
the knights. Then the knights enter in
procession and take their seats at two
long tables on which cups are placed.
heard singing the praises of the Grail
Meanwhile Amfortas is borne in on a lit
ter, preceded by his retainers and by
youths carrying yelled shrine. The
voice of the now aged Titurel is heard,
adjuring Amfortas to order the unwilling
of the Holy Grail, which gives spiritual
strength to those who are privileged to
himself unworthy. But the boys voices
remind him of the promised redemption:
BY pity frightened
The g,rileess Fool
Wait for him,
My chosen tool.
And Amfortas obeys. The holy cup Is
vast temple becomes dim. a shaft of light
pierces the mist and causes the cup to
glow. As day returns the strange glow
fades away. The knights, who have knelt
during this mysterious episode, take their
seats at the table and drink from their
goblets, which have been filed with wine.
They also partake of the bread which UNI
seen hands have placed for them. Amfor-
tas, however, does not join in the love
feast. Nor does Parsifal. though he is in
vited to the beard. Throughout all that
happens he stands motionless, once only
for moment pressing his hand to his
heart as Amfortas groans in agony. The
Grail is reverently borne out. Amfortas
and the rest of the Grail company with
draw and Gurnemanz remains alone with
Parsifal. Gurnemanz asks Parsifal: "Why
standest thou there? Wist thou what thou
saw st? But Parsifal does not answer.
Thou art. then. nothing but fool,
says Gurnemanz, arigered at his apparent
stupidity, and tbrusts him out, bidding
him leave our swans for the future
Alone. and seek myself. gander, a
goose! The curtain falls.
Act 1I-From the Temple Richard Wag-
ner transports us, at the opening Of the
second act. to the keep of Klingsor's Cas-
Ne; klingsor, who is a magician. knows
F'orewarned of the APPROACH Of the still
guileless Fool, he awakes Kundry from
tho sleep into which she was plunged and
bidding. AS though to emphasize the fact
that We are to see in kundry not merely
woman. but symbol of the eternal
womanly, Wagner causes Klingsor to
evoke her in this wondrous way:
Arisei Draw near to me,
The Master calls thee nameless woman;
She-Lucifer! Rose of Hades,
Herodiss vert thou And what else?
Gundryggia there, Kundry here:
Approach! Approach then. Kundryi
Unto thy Master appeari
Half obedient half rebellious to the call,
kundry rises. shrieking as though in pain,
klingsor mocks at the remorse which tor
lures her, and commands her to put forth
all her seductions to ruin Parsifal Qhe
youth who could set her free'o as she
scribes the advance Of the Fool. who is
already scattering the defenders Of the
Castle with his sword. Crhe Sword of In
nocence) Kundry vanishes into space.
the depths, and In its place we see an
Enchanted Garden. filled with luxuriant
flowers and hemmed in by wall The
sirens who beguiled the weak Templars
wall the slaughter of their lovers. But
when Parsifal scales the wall and faces
them their grief gives way first to amaze
ment and then to amorous interest.
Arraying themselves in the likeness of
roses. violets. lilies, and irises, they WOO
him with alluring smiles and invite him
10 ain, A1..v~. T II. ztx.
advances. putting them gently aside and
refusing their caresses. But a more po-
tent temptation, in the form of Kundry,
Kundry enlightens Parsifal as to his for
gotten history: tells him of King Gamuret,
his father, and Herzeleide. his mother. In
the name of that mother who loved Gamu-
lips to his. Then Parsifal at last knows
passion It runs through his veins like
a flame. And at the same time. as by
what Amfortas has suffered. The dread
full wound of that miserable knight seems /
to have opened in his own breast, and in
anguish he exclaims:
I saw thy wound a-bleeding;
1t bleeds now in myrelf!
Yet he does not yield. He filings himself
on his knees and prays to God. yainly
Kundry renews her temptation. He is
proof; He adjpres, her to repent and lead
longs to heal. AS a last hope. Kundry.
calls to Klingsor, who appears, brandish-
ing the blessed spear. which he hurls at
Parsifal. Another miracle. The spear
halts in midair. The Fool grasrs it. and
with the weapon makes the sign of the
cross. Instantly Klingsor is annihi-
lated. The castle cruInbles into dust.
The flowers wither. And Kundry falls
senseless. Thou know'st where only we
shall meet again. exclaims Parsifal. as
he leaves her. anu for the second time the
curtain falls
Act III-The third and last act of the
drama deals largely with the healing. or
redemption" of Amfortas by Parsifal. 1t
is divided into two scenes. In the first we
again find ourselves on the borders of
Monsalvat. Years are supposed to have
elapsed since the destruction of Klingsor.
Throughout all that time Parsifal has
wandered about the world, guarding, but
never welding, the most holy spear
Dawn breaks on a spring landscape 1t
is Good Friday. The woods and meads
are at their very loveliest Gurnemanz.
now aged. issues from a hut and finds
Kundry. clad in the garb which she wore
in the first act, lying in thicket, rigid
and seemingly lifeless. On being aroused
she murmur5 Only the words. Service,
Servicer For, through the downfall OF
Elinesor and the example of Parsifal. she (.
has been touched with grace. or stricken
with remorse. and while she waits for her
release from sin and pain she has recon-
secrated herself to the service OF the Grail
knights. Tho sanctity OF the day has in
pressed itself upon the earth; and 1t is
with arnazemelt that Gurnemauz beholds