The sun., 1903-12-20
THE MUSIC OF "PARSIFAL."
ITS GENERAL PLAN AND ITS PAR
TICULAR FEATURES.
An outline OF the Principal Ideas OF the
ScOre-The Most Important OF the
Numerous Leading Themes--HOw They
Appear and Are Used In the Drama.

numerous Leading Themes--HOw They
Appear and Are Used In the Drama.
Last week in this place an attempt was
made to outline succinctly the story of
Richard Wagner's "Parsifal," which is now
imminent at the Metropolitan Opera House.
1t now becomes necessary to say some-
thing about the music of this unique work.
Owing to the repetition in the last act of
scenes and Incidents first placed before
the mind in the first, the leading musical
themes are nearly all heard in the first
act. The second act is musically in the
nature of an intermezzo In the first we
are in the realm and castle OF the Grail.
We hear of the suffering OF Amfortas, and
learn its cause. We meet the enchanted
Kundry, slave Of the wicked Khnesor, yet
seeking to expiate her sins by service.
We hear of the mystery of the Holy Grail
itself, and of the pure knights who serve 1t.
We are told how Khngsor seeks to destroy
these knights. We see the "pure fool"
who shall in time deliver Amfortds from his
curse, standing agape in the presence Of
the solemn rites Of the Last Supper. In
short, we are confronted with the entire
machinery Of the story. Consequently we
meet here all the musical symbols which
Wagner devised for the representation Of his
personages and ideas.
1t seems almost superfiuous at this time
to call attention to the Wagnerian system
OF musical representation. It has been
adopted with more or less success by so
many other composers that operagoers
ought now to be well acquainted with it.
Yet there is no room for doubt that it's
employment in some Of the recent Italian
scores entirely escapes the notice of many
listeners. Few indeed can point out and
name the leading motives Of Puccinis
"Tosca," yet there are many and they
are cleverly used. None of the Italians
has yet succeeded in inventing leading
themes which are susceptible of logical de-
velopment coincident with the develop
ment Of the thought of the drama lying be-
hind them.
This was the especial field of Wagner.
He made his musical themes as fecund
and expansive as the symphonic thoughts
of Beethoven. Yet in -Parsifal' the student
of Der Ring des Nibelungen" will look in
vain for many of those transformations
and deepening Of meanings which he has
found in the Rhine daughters theme and
that Of Erda, the Rhinegold cry and the
enmity OF Aiberich and the wonderful de-
rivation Of the "G6tt tterdAmrnerung" motive
from the gold theme There is room in
.Parsifal' for only few Of these develop
ments. The story is too short to require
many, and the ideas to be represented are
nearly all unalterably fixed. The Holy
Grail does not change, the suffering Of
Amfortas does not change, the deliverance
does not change. The Grail exists, the
suffering Of Amfortds continues ill It is
miraculously and at a single touch blotted
out by the power Of the sacred lance.
The plan Of the first act Of the drama,
then, is such that in 1t and the overture
which precedes 1t the principal leading
themes of the work are made known. Tho
general character Of the act, as was shown
in the exposition OF tho plot last week. is
solemn and even tragic. Hence the music
is of the same type. Each OF the ideas
on which the story rests has Its musical
expression in a theme moreor less extended,
according to the requirements Of the mo-
ment In word, the fundamental thoughts
of the drama are set forth in the first act
in that union Of text, action and music
which was Wagner's art work OF the
future"
In the second act We are invited to OBJ
serve the reverse Of the medal We have
seen the holy men in the exercise Of their
holy Office. We have observed AmfoTtds
suffering agonies as the punishment for
his sin. We are now asked to witness
the powers Of evil at their pei nicious work.
Hence we have q wholly different kind OF
music. The fundamental solemn thoughts
OF the drama are for the time put aside.
We hear new strains, freely composed
and designed in a mood of utter abandon
ment to the senses. Music Of the world,
the flesh and the devil is this, filled with
the witchery of Oriental color, lush with
the sensualism OF unbridled passions,
thinly disguised in poetic diction. 1t reads
like a page out of Gabrielle dAnnunzio' .
Triumph Of Death For this act the
mind of the hearer needs no special musical
preparation, because the composition is
all free. The leading motives are few
and are already known. But let no one
delude himself with the vain imagination
that the music Of this act is not as good as
that OF the two others simply because 1t is
more frankly sensuous. Wagner never
wrote anything more beautiful than the
flower girls scene. Will the gentle
maidens Of Mr.. Conried's opera school
be able to sing 1t! Ihat is the question.
It is not for musical babes. 1t Is for the
skilled singer.
In the third act the solemn thoughts of
the first return, but in It's first scene the
act is tnged with the deep and quiet joy
OF Good Friday. With the return Of
Gurnemans, Pcrsifdl and Kundry to the
Castle of Monsalvat the fundamental ideas
Of the drama are once more brought for
ward and the development OF the musical
plan reaches its climax. The instrumental
prelude to "Parsifal" sets forth some OF
the most important themes, and is in itself
80 constructed as to put the hearer in
mood proper for the reception Of the drama.
The prelude opens with the grave and
beautiful melody which is significant of the
Last Supper.
A. 7h L..t SrfF--.