The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-28
At St. Paul Theaters
-Parsifar at Minneapolis Auditorium

Heinrich Conried's production of Par
sifal' was presented last night at the
auditorium in Minneapolis before an
audience of splendid proportions. The
arrangement of the hall is such that
the size or a gathering is something in
stantly appreciable to every individual
member OF IL and the crowded pit and
glowing and animated with
life and color before the lights went
out when the opening prelude began
added the last touch of impressiveness
needed to make Wagners music drama
the magnificent and sense subduing
ceremony it was undoubtedly intended
to be.
This original American production Of
'Parsifar' naturally invites comparison
with the Savage production ST Paul
has so recently seen. That the adYan-
tage is all with the former must be
conceded. yet the concession is not in
any way discreditable TO Mr.. Savage.
The English ''Parsifar' is an art at
tainment; the "ParSifaf' presented in
Minneapolis last night was an art glori-
ncation- A great orchestra, conducted
by great musician, great artists to
sing the roles and great stage pictures
to supply tina abackground-that is Con-
ried's idea of "Parsifal." Substitute
good for great" and the English YER
sion is described.
This music Of the future-it is
thy music and my music," So wrote
Sidney Lanier in a fervor of enthu-
siasm to his wife after he had listened
to Wagner for the first time. to Wag-
ner played by the Thomas orchestra.
And so must all exclaim who listen
with an appreciative air to the sur
passing orchestral beauties of the first
act, musically. the greatest act, OF
.Parsifal." We dare believe that the
Bayreuth orchestra is no better, was
never. perhaps, so good. as this orches-
ira which Alfred Hertz leads with so
potent a baton.
II is greater magic. this wondrous
spell OF music. than any practiced by
hlingsor. Last night il was abso-
lutely satisfying. Not a false note, no
defective or deficient instrument broke
the spell. The perfumes of incense,
the play of colors in stained glass win
dows, the gold of sacred vessels-it
expressed these and something more
besides. The spiritual forces warning
as they warred in the middle ages
when mems visions were not so clear
as they are today are the very essence
OF the "Parsifaf' music and their sig
nlncance was underStandingly read by
the conductor and satiSfyingly express
ed by his musicians last night Bold
and beautiful harmonies fioated out
from under his baton; powerful color
Ing was displayed: dramatic effects
lnaI never once degenerated into the
theatrical were attained.
BurgstalleTs Parsifal is an appealing
impersonation. Vocally he is superb
In the role and his clear cut concep-
ton OF the triumphant knight makes
the character stand out as a marble
hgure stands out against a black back
ground. The "guilelesS fool" that he
portrays is not, even in that seductive
second act, innocent through ignorance
but because he is pure of heart. Al
ways Burgstaller impresses this upon
his audience, always he enforces re-
spect and love also for his creation. And
his vocal art glorifies this histrionic
conception
In the conception of Kundry that
Olive Fremstad embodies there are
united seemingly all those complexities
that make the mystery of womanhood.
She runs the gamut of the good and
bad attributes of the sex. She is Lilith
and she is Magdalen. Her Lilith
stands out a splendid scarlet creation;
her Magdalen is more shadowy merely
because the penitent does not clothe
herself in glowing colors, because re-
nunciation can not fiaunt itself. The
music of this part is perfectly suited
to FremStad's luscious mezZo soprano
Her voice is vigorous, but there is ex-
quisite femininity, a delicious, throaty
softness in every note. The "enchant-
SANSos AOiA1Oy III luC OCCOIlu EGNGdlSu
its fullness and richness of scale, as it
also revealed the big temperament of
the singer.
1t is this second act that exhibits in
high relief Burgstaller's understanding
of Parsifal and Fremstad's Kundry is
at once the cause of its revelation and
its foil. He is more godlike after the
kiss than before The tenor makes
his audience feel that as soon as Parsi-
fal realized what temptation was, he
ceased to be tempted. That is Burg
staller's conception of 'the guileless
fool"
Van Rooy's Amfortas is vocaIly
musical and histrionically dignified
and impressive. BlasS as Gurnemanz
satisfactorily completed this quartette
OF great principals. the moving forces
In the music drama. GoritZ as Klingsor
was convincing musician, and Muhl-
mann's Titurel was a character of real
flesh and blood though invisible and
created for so brief a time.
The production was not without it's
defects. The flower maidens were a
trifie heavy footed. Occasionally they
stepped on one another's gowns. The
effect of airy lightness conveyed in
the English production was somewhat
lacking in this purely German scene.
And If as good Qt is somewhat difficult
to judge OF this in the auditorium for
the acoustics are by no means perfect)
the celestial choir was certainly no
better than Mr.. Savages. Scenicaily
the production is most satisfying with
the single exception of the destruction
OF the magic castle. The edifice was
destroyed. but the debris which fell
from above was seemingly an after
thought and most of it fluttered down
from one point.
To hear "Parsifal" a second time is to
feel less inclined TO assist Temperament
tally at this apotheosis of an undesir-
able IDEAL IL is to be convinced that
it has no real message for the modernS.
Today men do not fight for their own
souls merely. they fight. too. for the
souls of others. And women aid them.
they do not hinder them in the fight.
Christian symbolism can not wholly
conceal the narTowness, almost the sell
fishness. of the medieval philosophy
which impregnateS the music drama
"Parsifal." The sensuOus appeal of
the orchestral score promises to be,
after all. its most lasting charm.
After the second act, Minneapolis
seemed to slip out from under it's spell.
1t took then a purely grand opera view
of Ii and called Burgstaller and Frem-
stad out five or six times. II must
have been a great triumph for the lat
ter, for, whisper it. il is said that once
upon a time, not so many years ago
either, the musical elect of the Mill
city saw no promise in the now great
artist who then resided among those
elect, though she was not of them
M G. F.