The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-21
N ARSIFAL," last of the great Wag-
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naught Of it's mystic medievalism, who did
not grasp the inner meanings of its. wierd
symbolism, who discerned but family the
variant themes that simmer in and out
thru the shining fabric of it's music, could
not fail to be deeply moved by the whole
wonderful production.
Myths as old as the human race itself.
expressing vaguely its underlined souIf
aspirations and explaining dimly the rea-
sons for it's suffering, are the groundwork
Of "Parsifal,'' but they are seen thru the
eyes of medieval Christianity. The legend
Of the grail the story Of the sacred spear.
the tale of the wandering Jewess striving
vainly thru eternity to atone, the malev-
client spells of the magician who typities
evil, the attribution of sacredness to the
swan-these are some of the legendary
heritages that came to the middle ages
and were fitted into the Christianity OF
those dark and mystic days. And they
were gathered by Richard Wagner,
touched with the fire Of his genius, and,
straightway glowed with the weird light
that celestially pervades his FESTIVAL
drama"
Like SHAKESPEARE, the masterful Teuton
makes his own everything he approprfates.
And so there is really very little of Wolf
ram Won Eschenbach and his story Of tha
grail in "ParsfaI'-it Is all Wagner.
Oddly enough, too, the drama, tho his last
well-considered work Of the master. The
theme was one that he had brooded over
nearly all his life. He had even cast his
thoughts in concrete form twice before.
So that when he welded his story Of Jesus
and his story Of Buddha into the final
"Parsifal" form, the result represented In
a way the marriage of eXuberant youthful
enthusiasm with the philosophical reflect
iveness of middle age.
While it Is perhaps prudent not to be-
come too much involved in the philosophy
that underlies "Parsifal" concerning
which volumes have been written in the
score of years that have elapsed since Its
first production, it is well to remember
that it's twin themes are suffering and as
piration. In these two words is bound
up the history of the human race, and thus
"Parsifal' despite it's medievalism its
mysticism, it's symbolism, becomes
world drama pitched in key that arrests
human attention. 1t Is worthy OF note,
too that Wagner has here abandoned his
favorite and oft-sung theme of salvation
for man thru the "eternal feminine
Poignant suffering, guilty remorse are the
lot of both temptress and tempted, while
salvation comes thru conscious pity,
aroused in the nature that is pure and
guileless.
1t may be that this doctrine is Buddhist
ic as some aver or 1t may be pure Chris
tianity as others maintain. Still better.
may 1t not be considered as sublimated
ideal that brings all the great religions
into kinship?
Quite aside from such consldera tons as
these, everyone who beholds such an i'm
pressive production of the music ra.mal
as that given by the Savage forces last
night, must be struck with the transcend
ent genius of Wagner as a, master OF con-
struction. With what ingenious care has
he arranged everything SO that the very
atmosphere Of the mystic drama shall per
wade, not merely the stage, but the audi
forum as we'll. The auditor, no less than
the actor, feels the reverential inspiration
of his surroundings. He is sustained by
! the vivifying influence that is exhaled
| from the glowing, blood-red chal1ce, he Is
| tempted in the enchanting flower garden
he is freed from suffering by the touch OF
the sacred spear, he is exalted by the dove
| f1uttering down from the ethereal regions
| of light
| The story moving maiestically, along tic
its climax is wonderful; the adjuncts OF
stagecraft by means Of which it is rem
| dered so impressive are wonderful; but
most wonderful Of all is the music thai
tells the story SO knowingly and so hitting
| ly. Wagner triumphantly justlf1es his owr
|
drama by his achievement in "Parsifal.'
Not merely do the singers express by the1l
notes the emotions they are portraying
not merely do the choruses set forth
variant themes and situations, but al
| thru the production the orchestra explains
comments, announces and interprets. II
its score may be read the whole weirt
story.
The dramatic achievements Of those
| concerned In the present production arr
! worthy Of high praise, since dramatic
achievement that is attained In spite Of
the impeachment Of slow action and the
distraction Of attention more or les:
fixed on vocal endeavor Is far more diff
ficult than under ordinary circum
stances In some Of the long scenes de-
voted to pure narrative there Is danger
Of tedium, and this is increased by thu
failure Of some Of the actor-singers tt
4 enunciate their English intelligibly. Ye
the representations are Of high char
, acter.
Nine. Kirkby-Lunn gives an interpre
tation of that greatest of Wagneria,
women, Kundry, that is wonderfully eff
fective The three phases Of her con
j Trajectory yet very human characte
are brought out in distinctive contrast
The distraught and repellant figure o
the outcast, who strives to alleviate tn
woe of her unforgivable sin by service
to the knights Of the grail, gives wa!
in the second act to the alluring woman
under the spell Of the magician. Thi
is surely another Kundry-and yet tina
undertone of suffering connects tn
temptress with the repentant woman
And in the last act, when the spear ha
broken the spell, Nine. Kirkby-Lun
shows plainly the great peace that ha
come into Kundry's soul and has in
spired her with the blessed hope tina
by service she may yet be redeemed.
!. The Parsifal Of Alois Pennarini is per
, haps less impressive, but still a con
, tanned and consistent conception Of tn
:, guileless one. He was more successful
in depicting the high purpose Of tn
returned knight in the third act tina
the boyish ignorance of the earle
scenes The awakening after Kundry'
fateful kiss was full Of dramatic fervor
Putnam Griswold makes a venerable an
paternal Gurnemanz, and his picture o
the old knight was gratefully well done
Johannes Bischoff portrays the suffer
ings of Amfortas realistically, and, /
he fails at all, does so in striving to ex
press the joy and rapture of his fna
} release Homer lind is an impressiv
Klingsor.
Not less successful than the principal
are the f1ower-maidens Of that wonder
: full scene in the second act Herein i
demonstrated anew the genius of Wag
ner. In his last work he overcame hi
earlier repugnance to the use Of tn
chorus in opera, and, having done sc
proceeded to make such use Of choru
as none had ever done before. Ever