The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-12-06
.'.He gheatrgy.'.

most solemn and ornate of church cere-
monials. Parsifal IL driven forth by the
discouraged and enraged Gurnemanz and
the draperies close on the act
Tho audience sets forth TO sup or dine.
Opinions are various II is more like go
Ing TO church than II Is like going TO the
theatre--except that the seats are more
comfortable. The music and the action.
OF course the same. are Of a monotone,
gray. solemn with only rarely occasion
al flash. as when the ancient Gurne-
manz arouses Parsifa from his dull stu
por and drives him from the temple. II In
very impressive but hardly pulse stirring.
Some OF the women I'm the audience have
A notion that some Of the men will be in
clined 10 nap in their pews after the
evening repast
Following the call of The troubadours.
act second opens on klingsor's enchanted
castle. Klingsors business in life Is to
corrupt the knight OF the Grail Having
already destroyed the peace OF Amfortas
and thrown the knightly circle into dis
may, he does not propose that any pure
fool shall undo his work N he can help
It. SO he sends a corps OF enchanting
maidens 10 charm him from his innocence
and, finally. Kundry, the woman OF fate,
who despises herself H. bound to follow
the commands Of Klingsor.
Both the maidens. with all their beau
tiful floral disguise, and kundry. with all
her charm, fail. The action In made the
theme of ballet, and a very beautiful
ballet it is. The flower maidens are
lovely, their dancing exquisite, the sing
ing just beyond anything We happen to
recall I'm ballet. The illusion is perfect.
The scenery is a gay one all through and
daintily hoydenish. The set. showing
garden and bit OF the magic castle. IS
beautiful. Parslfa proves supreme over
vrflea of the nOWar rnafdans and tha
particular Establishments OF Kundry. lie
stands the test and In rage at the failure
OF his design. Klingsor hurts at the
youth the Holy Spear which stays sus-
pended above the head OF the fool. Seizing
II. Parsifsl' makes the sign OF the cross.
whereupon. with a crash garden and
magic castle crumble and are replaced by
barren. landscape upon which the
draperies are drawn-Psrsifal now
awakened and alive 20 his mission In the
legend.
To the cottage OF Gurnemanz comes
Parsifal AT the opening scene Of the third
act--now in cloak OF mail. bearing shield
and the Holy Spear-on his way 10 the
temple OF the Grail His casque removed
dscloses features stsrtlngly like the
Saviour. and the effect is heightened when
Gurnemanz and the now humble Kundry
relieve him OF his outer mail 10 find him
clad i'm simple white robe and girdle.
Kundry annoints his feet and drys them
with her hair The incident is of course,
highly suggestive of very precious
Biblical episode. but. by this time. rho
audience IL attuned is fully in the atmos-
phere OF something beyond the borders
OF stage flies and footlights and there 10
no shock TO reverent sentiment
So. through a similar panoramic device
as that used I'm the transformation of the
first act. Parsfal proceeds TO the Grail
temple and the lyric drama is brought TO
a close by about the most magnificent
spectacle that may be conceived Surely.
not even the splendid art and artlzanship
of Hepry Irving or Richard Mansfield
has surpassed the investment that Col.
Savage has given 10 this closing tablesu.
Last nights audience simply sat en-
thralled as the curtains were drawn
across the superb and deeply impressive
picture.
Something of the atmosphere in which
the audience watches this fine and stu
pendous production. the merely spectacu-
lar features OF which would ordinarily
arouse the looker-on TO the greatest en-
thusiasm, Is indicated, by the fact that
only once last evening was there even
"a ripple OF applause. That came al the
close OF the first act when. relieved from
the calm by the expulsion OF Parsifal
and the arrival OF the intermission hour.
the audience testified by hand d-clapping its
appreciation OF the beautiful scene and
pantomime and music.
II is enough 10 say of scenery. OF cos
tuning, of the lighting effects that moth
ing put on the local stage I'm the way
the spectacular has surpassed It and It
reflected credit on the boys who handled
the mass of scenery that the first night
showed only one hitch and that inconsid-
erable
or the orchestra. every instrumentallst
of which is a part Of Manager Savage's
aggregation, its works was unaualifiedly
fine and satisfying. The chorus singing
is amazingly smooth and rich Indeed.
nothing exceeding the work OF the super
numeraries has been seen hereabouts II
was excellent In all particulars OF
performance requiring action and PAN
tomime vitality distinct from that called
FOR by ordinary operatice work
And the PRINCIPALS: IL is difficult to ex-
press all that the listener felt for their
work last evening Singing their trying
parts superbly, they were also conspicu-
ously successful as actors Mime. Lunn
fairly made a record new TO- this town for
an artistic portrayal OF a part The slight
est flaw in which would have been a
misfortune that every one in the audi
ence would have quickly realized and
keenly felt. She Is an actress OF fine SEN
sibiities. eloquent in gesture and panto-
mime. OF superb repose. And her singing
was simply captivating 20 her apprecia-
tive audience. Mr. Pennarini's Parsifai
was OF the same kind and of the same
genuine beauty Mr.. Bischoff's Amfortas
was resonant and full Of feeling. pro-
foundly expressive In voice and action So
with the fine character part OF Mr.. Grams
-Gurnemanz--it was satisfaction
In every particular. And throughout the
whole company was attuned TO the splen-
did performance Of the leaders