The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-13
ARE THEY The men? FULL OF DEVOTION CLE
Minneapolis Musicians Object to DR.,
Burrell's Severe Structures
on "Parsifal.'
They Regard the Work as Wholly
Sympathetic With True
Religion.

I . 4
When DR.. David j. Burrell, pastor
of the Marble Collegiate church, New
York city. tries to exercise demons
from Wagner's opera Of 'Parsifap' he
Is casting out devils OF his own crea-
ton. That's the opinion of Minne-
apolis musicians. They point out, too,
that DR.. Burrell. having formerly lived
IN minneapolis, where he was pastor Of
the Westminster Presbyterian church,
should be sufficiently enlightened not
to- ride full tilt against mere wind
mills of immortality. But the doc
tor always was bit impetuous," COM
mented one musician. when he
was here he preached a scathing SER
mon one Sunday against Robert
on Monday noon not single copy of
the novel could betfound in Minneapo-
lis bookstores
DR.. Burrell said this week: II am
opposed to the production of 'Parsifal'
at the Metropolitan opera house.
Ihere is a general repugnance among
Christians to the personal representa-
ton of Jesus on the stage or any
where else. Especially is there a re-
pugnance to the spectacular represent
tatlon OF the very blood of Christ. Be-
sides, II there is anything Christian
about 'Parslfal,' it ought to be pro
duced by Christians"
Willard Patten Says "No."
~Walter Damrosch explained all this
the other night" said Willard Patter
In his study to-day. AT his lecture
recital of Parsifal,' given in Mime.
apohs. Mr.. Damrosch demonstrated
lnat wagner presented an ideal char
acter only, and that, tho Parsifal il
tempted. ETC., personal details do no,
suggest the Savior, and the whole sub
Ject is managed with the utmost rev
erence. have never seen the opera
but l have studied it. It did not gair
the leafs impression that the work is
sacreligious In fact, 1 consider it the
greatest intellectual and musical prod
uct Of the nineteenth century.
am not sure that DR.. Burrell has
seen the opera. In any event, T can't
understand why Christian ministers
should object to 'Parsifal,' when, sc
far as know. not one pastor has ever
objected to the Passion play as per.
formed in Bavaria. To insist that il
is given by peasants actuated only by
spirit Of devotion requires I think
more assumption than human nature
justifies.
Why is it, too, that lectures upor
the Passion play-lectures illustrated
by. very realistic photographs of the
actors. have been given in SO many
American churches without arousins
any protest? If these platform pic
lures of the Passion play are proper
can see nothing improper in the
stage pictures of a work so solemn
and grand as P'arsifal.'
Hal Woodruff's Idea.
H. S. Woodruff also disagrees with
| DR.. Burrell, and Mr.. Woodruff ha
seen "ParsifaT' enacted at Bayreuth
II have never before heard the crit
icisrn that 'ParsifaP was sacreligiou
| or irreligious, not even from critic
that wouldn't hesitate to find all pos
sible fault with Wagner. No sucl
idea occurred to me when I witnessed
the performance at Bayreuth, con
tinued Mr.. Woodruff. Il was. ,deepl.
moved by the work. I felt that it wa
the loftiest and greatest of Wagner
productions-the best of all there i
in opera. And I can't realize how an!
man could come away from an ade
quate performance of 'Parsifap with
out a lump in his throat-that is
without feeling a profound devotional
emotion"