New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-11
ANTI-PARSIFAL CRUSADE
SAYS IT'S SACRILEGIOOO.
The Req. DR.. O.. l.. Shemer Idtss
about Indictments.


Because of the scenes in "Parsifal. where tne
guardian knights worship the Holy Gran anu ceie-
brate the Lords Supper. and where the GROWING
of Parsfal takes place many churchmen have
united In a crusade against the production Oh the
opera 1t is sacrilegious and blasphemous' thes
say to represent for amusement the Holy COM
munion, while according to the Rev. DR.. George
L. Shearer secretary of the American tract
Society who gave out a statement yesterday show
ing the attitude churchmen are taking, Parsi-
fal is meant typify Christ; Gurnemanz. the
faithful priest OF the Grail. Is John the Baptist
and Kundry is Mary Magdalene- The tempting
of Parsfa by the flower maidens and Kundry he
characterfzes as ''red light scene which alone
would unfit a religious drama for production II
the rest proper
Dr. Shearer has gone through the English trans
lation of the playa rather free rendering OF the
original by the way-and marked all the scenes
in which alteration OF the Grail the lkening OF
Parsifal to the Christ occurs His copy is Wen
black loaded. The sacrament before AmforJas mas
fallen he declares. is sacriIegous The light beam
ing the cup, he declares would be an attempt 10
personify the Holy Spirit. The miracle. when Am
| fortas's wound is cured by the sacred spear re-
| covered by Parsifal, is attempt to amuse by
attributing humanity the power of God. while
the browning of Parsifal TO reign over the knights
of the Grail. he declares. is blasphemy pure and
simple, as Is also the prayer to Titurel. Think
| of man praying when he knows there Is noth-
| Ing there to pray to, and doing 1t TO anuse an
/ audience he said.
| Churchmen say they want the people under
stand fully the import of this production. All de-
| nominations are represented, says DR.. Shearer.
| With him acting the Rev. DR.. Armand Miller
| OF Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. and the Rev.
/ DIR. Charles l.. Thompson, of the Presbyterian
/ Board of Missions The Presbytery of New-York,
he says passed resolutions deprecating the spirit
| of this drama. One man, DR.. Shearer declares,
when he fully understood about "Parsifal, tore up
his tickets. and said he would never go to see It,
DR.. sHEARER's STATEMENT.
! DR.. shearer's statement follows:
This drama by Wagner founded upon the legend
/ Christmas Eve at the Metropolitan Opera House In
this city Hitherto it has been rendered only in
translation of the text enables English readers to
understand more fully the character and scope OF
The play in its three acts centres mainly about
which is Particularly represented in the first and
third acts, the temptation of Parsifal being por-
/ Parsifal lad of unknown origin. mysteriously
he Close at The e Pguees s% at the BEGINNING he
is at length baptized and then anointed as the God
DESCEND and t %g hover oyPgg often snnearn
| dries them with her flowing unbound hair. He
! fering King Amfortas with the sacred spear, and
/ TO MIN says: Thou art forgiven:. Body and soul
All parts of this drama are directly or indirectly
ordinance of the Christian Church. expressing com
prehensivey the deepest and hottest spiritual truths
To Worship God in this feast otherwise wise than in in
Christians of every TO present it ayowedly as
! a performance upon public stage for the aTnuse-
mock in 1.-THE the sight of God and man
Between the two acts; in each Of which the Lords
| is portrayed Here in garden fair maidens .Tn
AIRY EARN fnns P none adyanc mem
sees that
A leafv bower had opened wide.
6a On BesuH ha G9p heart GouId ever dream
Clad IN some light gown Of Arabian stuff
| Comment or further statement is unnecessary.
Let it suffice that this act does not compOrt with
the Lords supper Is represented 1t has no place
IN the hea n or nn n19 9
The music in which this text IS clothed is doubt
arrangemepts and skill Of the DeTfoTme5s may nay be
external dress or mimicry can conceal the hideous
/ underlying forms and no meditation OF voice or
Is a play given in playhouse and is not sincere
! worship OF the one living and true God.
! The Lords Supper cannot be rightly prosututed
n by ws % be the @ Tery bo6
Of the Christ Mqueyng and SdTsn t It to gEg by
feeding "a the by Ike Ss aoT With IN Cod
and proof Of His immediate presence. and kneeling
there in the worship OF God, seem sacrlegious and
Must these our fellow citizens like those at Bel;
1 p b 80 eses perefrom IN order
/ to Satisfy their inordnate and apparently insa-
1 tiate desire for amusement?
| If Christianity is the law Of the land and is pro-
| tected by that law. because its morality is the
! foundation of the government, would not this pro-
( posed travesty of the most sacred things OF our
/ worship indictabie under the statute which au-
thorizes The suppression of whatever is an offence
/ TO public decency?
Mr. COnred did not seem greatly disturbed last
night after hearing Of the opposition Of certain
| clergymen to his production of 'Parsifal.' In a
statement given out from his office II set forth
! that Wagner did not "Parsifal' to he a re-
/ ligious play. II meant TO be solemn but not
/ religious II cannot see Mr.. Conried said, how
/ any reasonable and candid mind take exception
/ to so dignifed and beautiful production. The
| reverend gentleman who gives the statement
| seems greatly exercised because ParsfaI is an
nointed as a God elected king If he had read
| Wagner's book he would know that Parsifal was
| not Amounted God elected king, but
messenger. bringing health and healing. He might
be surprised to be told also that kings for many
ages have been God elected; hence the express
! 'ParsifaI not wholly Christian: there some
| thing of Bhuddism in Wagner's mind. and IL comes
| out in the play. in Kundry. The temptation OF
course is a dramatic device too old and sanctioned
| bv too good usage reasonably to be objected to-
| Wagner called 'Parsifar dedicational festival
! play which sufficiently indicated what he con-
ceived 1t to be. and which may serve to indicate
! the spirit in which it will be produced"