The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-23
PARs1FAL IN NEW YORK.

All New York and musical Americans
everywhere are pointing with pride"
to the success of the performances of
Wagner's music-drama, Parsifal under
the direction of Herr Conried at the
Metropolitan opera house. This pro-
ject, the first announcements of which.
were received with so many expressions
of distrust of it's wisdom has turned out
better even than Mr.. Conried had ex-
pected and it's success is regarded as an
evidence of Il marked artistic growth
in the American public. There have
been four Parsifal performances in
New York, each one notable from an
artistic standpoint, and at every per
Torrance the capacity of the Metropoli-
tan has been taxed something like 16,-
900 persons having heard and viewed
what is commonly regarded as the mas
terpiece of the greatest of modern
composers.
When Mr.. Conried first proposed the
production of Parsifal in New York OBJ
jections We're offered to the plan from
many sources. The efforts of Frau
Wagner to prevent the performance of
the opera out of Bayreuth are well
known and to the publicity given his
plans by her attempts to prevent their
consummation much of the success of
the Parsifal performances in New York
may be credited. 1t is certain that
through Frau Wagner Mr.. Conried and
Parsifal have received much advertis-
ing of the kind that pays in big au-
diences and encouraging box office re-
ceipts.
But there were others, impassioned
and perhaps more or less affected dis
ciples of the Wagnerian cult on thits
side of the world who Joined in Frau
Wagner's protests. averring that a
performance of Parsifa1 G1-cept in the
place that has been hallowed by long
association with the Wagner music
drama was a sacrilege not to be coun-
tenanced by True Lovers of Art. 1t
was urged that even if an adequate
and satisfying performance of Parsifal
could be given away from Bayreuth and
its sacred traditions it would be utter
| ~ out of keeping with New World
conditions and quite lost upon the
plain, musically uncultured Americans
who make up the great bulk of the
Metropolitan audiences.
The deep significance and profound
appeal of this work. in which the psy-
Geological motif in music-drama has its
apotheosis would, we are told, be mean
ingless to the billionaires in the dia-
mond studded horse shoe of the Met
ropolitan boxes and the lesser social
lights who fill the remainder of the
house A Parsifal performance, these
critics said. should not be regarded as
a society event nor an occasion for
fashionable display. but should rather
I be attended in the solemn. religious
spirit of the audiences at Bayreuth.
| We were asked to look upon Mr.. Con-
REDS very laudable ambition to pro-
duce the opera in America as a sort
/ of simony and to choose never to see
and hear Parsifal rather than to see
and hear it under any other than the
conditions which prevail at Bayreuth.
It is this sort of rot from musical
writers which is calculated to disgust
and discourage the average person, sin
cere1y if not passionately Interested ir
music and willing to encourage it by
a sensible patronage of concert and
| opera There seems to be a DISPOSE
ton among some musicians to awe and
mystify the public with their art. They
refuse to discuss it sensibly or reason
ably or to permit it to make its owr
] appeal to the popular mind. They
| choose to regard music as in some mys-
terious manner different from the Other
arts. although as a matter of fact i
is very closely allied to them and de-
| Ponds upon almost the same qualities
in the human heart and mind for ap-
probation and comprehension. There
| is no reason why any lover of music
who has heard enough good music K