The Indianapolis journal., 1903-11-12
Fashionable Audience Of Music Lovers
Attends First Recital at CIaypooI
Assembly Room.
DAMR0SCH WAS THE MASTER
SCHOLARLY MUSICIAN CLEARLY
CHARMED HIS AUDITORS.
Mr.. Bfspham's Magnificent Voice
Heard to Great Advantage-The
Story of "Parsifal."

High-class recitals will be the prevailing
feature of the Indianapolis musical season
this year and the first of these Wag-
merriam recital given last night in the assem-
bly, room of the Claypool Hotel by Walter
Damrosch and David Bispham before
fashionable audience that almost filled the
handsome new auditorium.
Mr.. Damrosch is eminently fitted for the
circulation of just such musical messages
as he brought last night. and although the
celebrated tenor, Anton Van Rooy, was
originally engaged to supply the vocal il
Illustrations for Mr.. Damrosch's Wagnerian
talks the substitution of David Bispham
was in every way satisfactory, as the lat
ter is a baritone of the highest rank, whose
splendid voice, full of sorority, passes with
the greatest ease from the most powerful
forte to the most charming and delicate
pianissimo. The triumph of both artists in
this initial recital of the series pro-
nounced.
Mr.. Damrosch is the most successful of
the many who have undertaken to explain
the mysteries of the various Wagner music
dramas He recites his texts from trans
lations of his own, preserving wonderfully
the picturesque strength of the original.
and as he sits at the keyboard playing the
music he pauses now and then to make de-
tailed explanation His knowledge of Wag-
ner is profound and his skill as a pianist is
great that he finds no difficulty in draw
ing forth from the most unresponsive of all
instruments the complicated orchestral
scores of the grandest of operas
GENUINE PLEASURE.
1t was a genuine pleasure to listen to his
clear explanation last night. One could not
help but feel, be he a music student or a
layman. that the lecturer-musician was
thoroughly stepped in his subject, and the
fact that Mr.. Damrosch kept his audience
intensely interested for two hours and a
half is testimony to the impressiveness Of
his music-messages. The first part of the
programme was devoted to the wonderful
Nibelungen Trilogy, vocal excerpts being
given from "Das Rheingold." Die Walk
uere" and die Meistersinger" by Mr.. Bis
pham, with Mr.. Damrosch talking enter
tainingly between the numbers and telling
of the dramatic action leading up to the
illustrated portions OF the music-dramas.
Mr.. Bispham was IN magnificent voice
and sang the baritone selections with ar.
tistic conviction. His dramatic rendition Of
''Wotan's Curse" from "Das Rheingold
was something worth remembering, and it
stirred the audience to an early enthusiasm
that continued throughout the evening.
"Wotan's Farewell from die Walkuere"
he gave with wonderful expression and the
two monologue songs o. Hans Sachs from
die Meistersinger" were interpreted in the
true spirit OF these remarkable compost
tions.
The event of the. evening was naturally
the talk on "Parsifal," by Mr.. Damrosch,
with two excerpts from the sacred music.
drama by Mr.. Bispham, this feature of the
recital occupying the entire second part or
the programme. The tremendous interest in
New York in the approaching American
production of "ParsifaP' has undoubtedly
spread throughout the country, for no SIM
| liar production has ever been so extensively
advertised, and the audience last evening
hung upon every word that fell from the
| lips of the scholarly musician who sat at
| the piano. To tell of the religious enthusi-
| asm which inspired the great musical work,
to describe the manner of its presentation
at the world-famous festivals in Beyreuth
| and TO explain In some detail the symbolism
| OF the masterpiece-all of this goes to make
| up big subject that most musicians. no
matter how learned, would hesitate to deal
| with in a public lecture room.
MASTER OF THE SITUATION.
But Mr.. Damrosch, who knows his Wag-
ner thoroughly. and who has the ability to
| put his own knowledge and impressions
| into clear. simple language, is easily mas
ter of the situation, and with his natural
grace. self lf-persuasion. distinct enunciation
and well-modulated voice. charmed his
listeners last night by his able exposition
of the musical work that is at the present
time holding the center of the worlds op-
cratic stage.
| '.Parsifaf' has been called by crit
ics Wagners confession of faith, but Mr..
| Damrosch says that the beautiful work was
tianity. and that Wagner's one great pur-
| pose was to show the gradual evolution of
a human soul awakening from childish
/ innocence into the full realization OF the
| true meanings Of life and death and the
| hereafter. Its spiritual significance is uni
| versal,'' said Mr.. Damrosch, as he fingered
with reverence over some OF the exquisite
| themes. I'VE clearly see that the guileless
| knight is purity, and that kundry, the
expressed in its most enticing FORM and
| that Amfortas, suffering with his open
wound, is humanity. One cannot help, in
witnessing a presentation of this master
/ piece, becoming deeply impressed with its
| uplifting and ennobling lessons"
/ The story of "Parsifal' was retold by the
| lecturer in his simple, direct style. The
Lords supper, the half-spiritual, half-chi-
valric legend of the Knights of the Holy
| Grail. their trials, their temptations and
their sufferings, were recited most impress
sively, and the different themes of the
marvellous musical work were effectively
shown. Mr.. Bispham sang two excerpts
| from the part of Amfortas, role for which
4 he Is admirably suited. He gave ''Amfor-
! tas's Lament and THE Defiance OF Am
fortas with dramatic intensity and splen-
/ did finish.
| The dignified programme was enjoyed by
/ the large audience from beginning to end
and with such artistic beginning IL
would seem that the success of the series
/ of recitals is assured.
/