The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-06
THE "Parsifar controversy reminds

THE "Parsifal" controversy reminds
one of Kipling's line, Each one
talked of the aims of art and
each in an alien tongue" Painful as 1t
is to have to confess it, the aims of
art today seem to be to make money,
although nobody who is in the art
producing business would confess it, of
course Take this matter of par
sifal," for instance. Everybody who
has made money out of the opera, or
who hopes to make money out of 1t,
has a "j'accuse" to hurI at everybody
else who contemplates a similar in
iquity Herr Conried is now shudder-
ing at the thought of Henry W. Saw
age Englishing the production. Frau
Wagner, it will be remembered, shud-
dered at the thought Of the opera be-
ing produced in America at all. Wal
ter Damrosch shuddered because Con-
ried ventured to produce 1t, and now
that Damrosch is to present it in con-
cert form, the Metropolitan opera house
manager is undoubtedly shuddering at
the thought Of the sacrilege.
We have not doubt that if vaude-
vile manager should suggest present
ing a scene or a selection from the
opera (and this is not so improbable as
1t sounds) the enterprising Minneapolis
theatrical manager who has added
"Parsifal" to his stock repertoire would
shudder and talk of the aims of art and
of art dissertation. In spite of all those
shudders it seems very probable that
"ParsifaT' is to go all the way down
the line, and If 1t should end UP at
Weber & Fields there would be many
more shudders, perhaps, but no real
surprise. Because of it's symbolism
reverent people would be glad to have
this opera presented only by reverent
artists and before audiences that were
capable of receiving it reverently, or
of understanding it, but there can be
no doubt that many more people than
have already done so will take advan-
tage of its vogue to make money, and
that before another year has past we
shall have "ParsifaI' in all forms.
1t was not the American premier Of
"Parsifal" that was to be feared; it
was the aftermath. There are already
productions of "Parsifal' ludicrous
enough to make Wagner turn over in
his grave, and most assuredly the end
is not yet. Meanwhile the accusations
of sacrilege that mercenary managers
are hurting at each other merely add
to the gayety of nations.
A number of st. Paul people are
planning to go down to Chicago some
time during the grand opera season,
which begins at the Auditorium Mon
day evening, March IA, with Wagner's
incompatible opera, Tristan und
Isolde" Felix Motif Is to conduct, and
the following soloists will sing the big
roles: Ternina as Isolde, Kraus as
Tristan, Edith Walker as Brahgaene,
and Van Rooy as Kurwenai. Faust"
will be sung the second evening, with
Nine. Acte, the Partisan prima donna,
as Marguerite; ~Calve will sing the
leading role in Carmen" Wednesday
night, and in "The Magic Flute" on
Thursday evening, Sembrich, Gadski
Homer, Plancon and Campanari will be
heard; the opera for Friday night is
die Walkure;" for Saturday afternoon
there will be double bill, "Cavalleria
Rusticana" and 1.-THE Barber of Sc
ville;" Saturday evening "Tannhaeu-
SER will be sung. Although Herr Con-
reid has not decided the matter def
nitely Che is in Chicago now), it Is
probable that "Parsifal'' will not be
given there. The severe fire ordinance
now enforced in Chicago would pre-
NGHL Tie USE Oh lISJlS uGC6SSdIy LOT Tie
scenic effects, and this ordinance would
interfere in other ways with the pro-
duction.
New York has been extremely for
tunate this season in the number of
new musical works it has heard. The
latest of these was S. Coleridge Tay-
lor's "Atonement," which was COM
posed for the Three Choirs' festival,
held in Hereford, England, last Sep
TENDER It was produced in New York
last week by the Church Choral So
ciety One critic says OF 1t: "There
is much that is interesting, much that
is elevated, much that is beautiful in
"The Atonement," but it is not great
work, not on a plane with the subject"
~
The Philharmonic club, of Minneap-
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