The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-03
The First Performance @"Parsifal'


gowns. Parsifal. who had put to flight
klingsor's degenerate knights, the COM
panions of the garden sirens. entered and
was surrounded by the women, who be-
guiled him with caresses and dancing and
song. Parsifal was puzzled, and only that.
kundry, now gorgeously attired, her hair
blooming bank. She dismissed the lesser
agents of Klingsor's malevolence and took
to herself the task of making Parsifal in
effectual as a menace to her master.
Kundry began by telling the youth of his
mother, whom he had deserted to follow
some knights in a forest, and forgotten,
and the story produced In him remOrse and
tears. She then proceeded TO rouse passion.
He yielded to the embrace of her arms, but
when she kissed him he felt in his side an
agony like that suffered by AmfOrtaS. and
he sprang away from her, screaming with
pain. In vain, Kundry tried to calm and
cajole him; she received only his scorn. En-
with the spear, which he hurled at Parsifal.
1t stopped in the air above the young mans
head, and, grasping 1t, he made the sign of
the cross. Immediately the visible part of
the castle fell in ruins, the flowers withered,
the leaves fell from the trees. Parsifal, TAX
ing a last look at the wreck, and at the
groveling KunGry, departed.
The third act showed again the grounds
of the Temple of the Grail. Gurnemanz re-
sumed hfs narrative. Kundry, again crouch
ing and in rags, entered. Several years had
passed since the episode of the flower gar
den, and Parsifal had wandered far. He also
had matured, and when he came upon Cur
nemanz and Kundry they hardly would
have recognized him, even if his helmet
had not masked his face. He bore a heavy
shield and the spear. The latter he planted
in the ground and adored. Becoming known
TO Gurnemanz and Kundry, they began to
prepare him for his second visit to the Tenn
pie of the Grail. Kundry bathed his feet, a
Notwithstanding spectacle. Gurnemanz led
the way-through the transformation scene
to the Temple.
The knights around the shrine
of the Grail, and the wretched Titurel and
Amfortas were again observed in their suf-
ferings. Parsifal appeared and healed AM
fOrtas with a touch Of the spear. Titurel
experienced the death he had so yearned
for. The Grail was filled with it's proper
light. Kundry fell dead, having been shriv-
en- by Parsifal. The pure fool" was ex-
allied to the position of ruler of the realm Of
the Grail and there was rejoicing and ring
ing of bells.
No woman, except the lunstical, animal
like Kundry, had taken part in the activity;
ii was not apparent who had been the moth
ers of the Knights of the Grail, and the
woman who should unite with Parsifal and
be the mother of LOhengrin was not only
invisible, but also unthinkable. OF excite
ment-producing horrors there had been no
lack, and the ugliness was go.geous; of
beauty, there was none, except that of the
ideal of the celibate and the ascetic. Par
Sifal," in a word, was seen to be, not the
expression of a healthy mind and a passion
ate heart. but of an out-worn sensualist
that lOnged for a state in which the demon
of desire should trouble him no more.
Experts in the Wagnerian musical pro-
cess have said that In "Parsifal' the COM
poser-dramatist perfected his scheme of
! suiting the harmony to the word and action,
but that the motifs are recOnstructions from
previous works. They also have commended
the production here as better than that al
Bayreuth. Mr.. Burgstaller was the Parsifal
and he seemed really to embody the ideal OF
the pure fool" Nine. Ternina imperson-
ated Kundry as alphabetically, but heI
voice has given her trouble this season. and
she sang with an unpleasant sharpness OF
tone that may have been the result of her
Illness last year, or of her long service in
the declamatory school of opera. Mr.. Van
Rooy was the Amfortas, Mr.. Journet the
Titurel, Mr.. Blass the Gurnemanz and Mr.
Otto Gorftz made his first appearance in this
country as KlingsOr. Mime. Homer sacri.
feed herself TO being cast as "a voice." The
flower maidens Were the pupils of the schoo'
attached TO the opera house, and among
them were Miss Delsarta, q daughter OF
lntendant ven POssart, of Munich, and Miss
Marcia Van Dresser, who used TO sing in
light opera Mr.. Hertz conducted, and the
orchestra was augmented.
| HORACE LANCASTER.