The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-09
"PARSIFAL" TOUR
Begun at Rochester and to End
at Pittsburg.
Mr. Damroseh and His Company
Well Received.
ATMOSPHERE OF OPERA
Necessary Element CT Reverence
Lost In New York.
Viewing OF the Spectacle at Bay
reuth Far Different.


reuth Far Different.
The spring tour Of Walter Damrosch
and his company, which viii present
'sParsifal'' at the Auditorium on the
evening Of april 16. has commenced in
the east and is attracting marked at
tention. The last concert billed on the
tour is at Pittsburg. Pa, on May T.
Topeka is easily the most central Of
the four western places al which the
concert viii be given II has the al
vantage of being about the middle Of
the concert tour. when the singers
ought TO be at their best.
During the trip the company viii 60
as far north as Toronto, Canada, and
as far south as Houston, Texas. and
New Orleans. At many Of the places
where concerts have been scheduled
there viii be an afternoon and an ev-
ening performance At some of the
places these are on the same day ana
al others they are on separate days.
A performance was given on Monday
evening, April 4, at the Lyceum thea
ter In Rochester. n. Y. Concerts are
scheduled for the company under Mr..
DamrOsch's direction for every date till
the tour ends.
The company is making the most
musical cities along its route. II is not
stopping at any of the smaller places
as it could not do so and pay expenses
The itinerary of the trip is as follows.
April 4. Rochester; April 3. Toronto;
April 6. Buffalo; April = Cincinnati;
April and 9. Peoria: April 10, St
Louis April II, Omaha; April u, St
PAUL April u. Minneapolis; April Ia
and Is, Des MOines; april IS. Topeka
April II. Kansas City; April Is. Wich-
tia; April 1e. Oklahoma City; April 20,
Dallas: April y and %. Houston,
April % and "A. New Orleans; April .,
Memphis: April IS Nashville; April
p. Louisville; April q Indiana polls;
April q, Milwaukee; April go Chicago
May ]. Chicago; May ?, Grand Rapids;
Nay 3, Detroit; May 4, Toledo; May ;.
Cleveland; May 6. Columbus May Z,
Pittsburs-
Mary Learned. of Omaha, writing
about "Parsifal" at Bayreuth ana of
the Wagnerian roles says:
.-ParsilaI should be undertaken in
the humble, wOrshipfuI spirit o. the cid
pilgrims Due preparation is absolute
" needful to feel and appreciate Its
beauties One must be saturated with
the religious feeling and approach
Wagners divine revelation as one
would come 10 the communion table
itself. After il is finished, from the
tnmost soul come the words, Lord,
what music hast Thou provided for
Thy saints IN heaven, when Thou af-
fOrdesr bad men such music on EARTH
The singers, whom I was fortunate
enough to hear in July. 1889. were
among the greatest who ever attempt
ed the roles. Van Dyke was the
Parsifal. then in the glory Of his pow
ers- Combined with a beautiful voice,
he had a youthful. buoyant presence.
and singularly sensitive face. He
carried out Ideally the sense OF mys-
terry.
.Fraulein NaIten sang Kundry. the
part of the woman who when a young
maiden had seen the Savior on the
path OF His passion and had laughed
at him. As penalty for her act she
IS doomed to live forever. longing for
death, and seducing TO sin all men
who approach. her Only if a man is
able TO resist her allurements can she
be redeemed from her curse Malten
burned the part into ones memory
The gradual change and awakening
from the hideous bondage to freedom
and light was tremendous.
Every body knew and loved The0-
Gore Reichmann. Most will remem Der
him as Hans Sachs, sitting in his door
way. gray and kindly. watching over
the fortunes Of Eva Walter. His Am
fOrtas was a masterpiece OF dignity
and beauty The stricken king, full OF
grief at his downfall and loss of the
GgaT. and racked by ceaseless suffer
fng in consequence of his sin. had in
him worthy Interpreter. Reichmann's
voice was At4AG 10 COM lLE AlL1l-Qa6D.
melodiOus and filling every corner
with il sweetness These characters
remember with great distinctness. The
others seem to have faded with the
years.
THE orchestra also made a deep and
lasting impression upon me The
whole great body Of men and instru-
ments was under double screen and
arranged upon steps, which. descended
a long way under the stage. as into a
kind of cave. the noisy instruments az
the back The arrangement was that
of an ordinary orchestra exactly re-
versed- Nothing could be seen The
effect was simply one Of exquisite
sound coming from no visible source
The whole field was dedicated 10 the
exquisite delight OF listening, the house
being absolutely dark until the begin
ming Of the act.
"The visitor IS STEPPED in the atmos-
phere Of the little town before climb
ing the long hill to the Festival the
gratitude to Louis II, the beauty-lov-
ing mad king of Bavaria who made il
possible for Wagner TO carry out his
iong-cherished ideals
Next to the theater in interest comes
Wannfried, most lovely and pic
entrance door is this inscription Here
IS where my imagination has found
peace. This house shall be called By
me the peace Of magma ton In tbs
large central hall Frau Cosina every
week during the season gives enter
tainneuts TO which she invites hel
personal friends and q few Of the hap
by elect. Famous artists gladly give
their services. and precious are tbs
-aAGTTPHAs- Now IS tn