The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-04
At ST. Paul Theaters

Just how much Walter Damrosch's
own personality, his evident simplicity,
his earnestness and directness, add to
the charm of his exposition of "Pari-
fal," it would be difficult, perhaps, to
say But certainly the large audience
that gathered last night in the Peoples
church felt keenly the force of Il t
personality as they followed with alb
sorbed attention programme that was
by no means brief and that, were it
less artistically handled might easily
have become monotonous.
something of the atmosphere that
must encompass a presentation of the
great drama colors Damrosch's EXPOSE
ton of it. AS his voice tells the story,
as the different themes slip out from
under the long white fingers that now
caress and now assault the keyboard,
the majesty of the conception, the spir-
ituality of the theme impress them
selves upon the audience. Under the
speil OF that voice and of that music
1t is not difficult to picture the great
scenes of the sacred drama. Yet Wal
ter Damrosch's voice is not pleasing in
quality; it is too nasal for that. In re-
nect1on, In a certain persuasive elo-
quence and in the sincerity that it ex-
presses, lies its charm.
Mr.. Damrosch began his recital last
night with brief reference to Wag-
ners first intention of incorporating
the character, Parsifal in his earlier
opera, Tristan and Isolde" This plan
was abandoned, but such hold had the
character gained on the great masters
fancy that he gradually gathered a
wealth of dramatic incident about Par
sifal, and twenty-five years later the
drama, the last Wagner ever wrote,
was completed.
- fol % I,
Holy Grail, on which the drama Is
founded, and played the four leading
themes of the preface. Then, beginning
with the first act, he explained the
most dramatic scenes, playing the va
rious motifs as they occur.
Alone this exposition would have
been sufficiently impressive, for the
lecturer never permitted the dramatic
Interest to lag, but Mr.. Damrosch was
assisted last night by great interpre-
ter OF Wagner's music, and this fact
combined to make the "Parsifal pres
entation wonderfully complete.
David Bispham is not a stranger in
st. Paul, but perhaps never before has
a st. Paul audience heard him sing
more artistically.
Three songs made UP the first part
of the programme. They were mono
logues of Hans Sachs (Meistersinger) +,
Alberfch's Curse (Rheingold, and
"Wotan's Farwell' (Walkure). Mr..
Bispham also sang the lament of Am
fortas and the finale of "Parsifal."
Vocal and dramatic art were united
to produce splendid effects. The curse
Of Alberich and "Wotans Farewell"
representing as they do, widely oppo-
site emotions, lost nothing of their i'm
pressiveness because they were uttered
by the same man. And in these songs
Mr.. Damrosch's accompanying repre-
sented one-half the value of we'll
nigh perfect artistic whole.
"The Tenderfoot," with Richard
earle in the title role, is meeting with
liberal patronage at the Metropolitan.
There will be a matinee this after
noon.
"The Prince .,of Pilsen," one of the
most melodious of all the musical COM
edies, will be the Metropolitan attrac-
ton during the first half of next week,
beginning Sunday night.
There will be matinee today at 2:30
at the Grand opera house of James A.
Herne's Shore Acres"
A new cast, together with new seem
cry, properties and electrical effects
will make 1.-THE White Slave" seem like
novelty when 1t comes to the Grand