The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-08
In THE MUSICAL WORLD
DAMROSCH-BIsPHAM RECITAL AT
THE CLAYPOOL AUDITORIUM.
The story of Wagner's "Parsifal"-
Coming of CreatOre General
Music Notes of Interest.

The great event of the week in a musical
way will be the first of the series of recitals
scheduled to take place in the assembly
room Of the Claypool Hotel, under the man
agement of Mrs. Ona B. Talbot, who Is de-
voting much of her time to bringing artists
of the highest rank to Indianapolis. This
first recital. which will be given wednes-
day evening. will be Wagnerian from be-
ginning to end. ''Parsifal," the most talked
about of all musical works at the present
time, will be presented In recital form by
Walter Damrosch, the distinguished or
chestral conductor, and illustrated vocally
by David Bispham, the celebrated baritone
from the Metropolitan Opera House.
The legend of the "Holy Grail" is the
story of "ParsifaI." A body of knights
have pledged themselves to guard the
''Holy Grail" which is the chalice from
which Christ drank at the last supper, and
in which his blood was received on Calvary
The Holy Grail is kept In the castle of the
Grail's keepers, Monsalvat, located in the
northern mountains of Spain. Titurel, the
founder of the order, old and feeble, has
been succeeded by his son, Amfortas who is
king of the Knights of the Holy Grail at
the time of the story. He is also custodian
of the spear which pierced the side of the
Savior on the cross. Klingsor, a magician
whose life was not considered pure enough
to be numbered among the guardians of the
Holy Grail, sought revenge by building a
castle near the temple of the Holy Grail
and there he thought to lure the pure
knights into sin. Amfortas determined to
meet the sorcerer in combat to end the dan
ger for his knights. But he trusted in his
own strength rather than in divine power
and, armed with the sacred spear, he en-
tered Klingsor's garden to kill themagician.
BY the aid of magic mirror Klingsor saw
the approach Of Amfortas and he sum-
moned beautiful maidens, who bewitched
Amfortas Becoming careless by their ap-
parent innocence. Amfortas yielded to their
allurements and threw aside the spear.
which alone had power to protect him
Klingsor Immediately got possession of the
spear and dealt Amfortas cruel blow In
the side. leaving him under the double tor
ture Of the wound and the pangs of a guilty.
conscience. His own companions found
him and brought him back to Monsalvat
There he lived with the wound in his side.
which refused to heal. The climax was
reached when. in pursuance of his duty as
the head of the order. he was obliged to ex-
hibit the Holy Grail to his brother knights.
The story of the ''Parsifal" music drama
begins under these conditions The first
act opens with Amfortes being carried I'm a
liter to the lake to have his wound bathed
Parsifal, the posthumous, son of Gamured
and Herzleide, reared in solitude from his
earliest youth. passes through a glade. Not
knowing that all animals in the forest are
r1.1 and Cd he CHI
swan. bird especially sacred to the grail.
The bird falls dead before Gurnemanz. the
servant of Amfortas. who has had a talk
with Kundry and has sent one OF the es-
quires to the king with a small crystal