The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-24
THE MUSIC
BY Miss Fawcett.

The best suggestion for a worlds
volapuk, somebody has declared, is
contained in Wagner's orchestration.
In 'ParsifaP' where the composer freed
himself entirely from the shackles OF
operate tradition and spoke what may
be possibly the last word for dramatic
| expression in orchestral tones, he hard
ly needs an interpreter. The language
is ineligible to the ears of all. Last
night in the Metropolitan theater when
the lights suddenly blinked out and in
obedience to Conductor Rothwelfs bat
on the first long, signing note of the
prelude was released, the necessary at
mosphere for "Parsifal" was already in
process of creation. The single note
grew into the Eucharist theme, the
loftiest motiv in this triumph of lett
motive; it changed into the Grail and
again into the faith motiv in har-
monic and melodic progression full of
the subtlest beauties so well expressed
by the orchestra Mr.. Savage has pro-
vided for his English production of
"Parsifal' that no opportunity for crit
icism was presented in this opening
| prelude last night.
In writing of the music-drama, 1t is
| orchestration. 1t is an exquisite frieZe
of multicolored tones through which
the dominant faith note CLEANS like a
| thread Of purest gold. To form the
medieval pictures the strings become
siren or wraithlike forms, the wood
| wind are human beings tortured or full
of faith; the brasses, sinister figures
that embody all of the worlds wicked
ness.
In the beginning of the first act
a repoSeful spirit broods over the
scene, and except for the discordant
kundry theme and the sorrow of
Amfortas, this spirit is not disturbed.
Putnam Griswold sang last night the
role of GurnemanZ, whose voice and
personality dominate the first half of
the first act. His baritone is one of
splendid sorority, deep and colorful
and finely expressive. To him it is
given to first express vocally the "sor-
row. motif, and its irresistible appeal
was beautifully interpreted by the art
list. Johannes Bischoff's Amfortas
was thorough Teutonic impersona-
ton, the robustness of which is COM
parable to Mr. Griswold's Gurnemarfz.
OF the principals last night these two
were the most satisfactory. They gave
the vocal weight necessary to MAIN
tain the effect of impressiveness that
the orchestra and the stage pictures 50
adequately conveyed last night. The
chorus of the knights in the Grail
temple in the last half of the first act,
and of the youths and women's voices,
all three of which chanted the hymn of
faith, were fine bits of ensemble sing
ing. A charming effect is obtained
through the arrangement of these
choruses.
The knights are visible in the hall,
but the choir of women's voices and the
celestial choir are both concealed and
arranged in such manner that the
voices of the latter float down SEEM
| ingly from on high, and the former
from distance half way up. The
| celestial choir's choral is a joyful paean
| of faith so purely melodious that it's
appeal is irresistible. 1t is during the
singing of this chorus that the "Eucha-
rist" motiv assumes its full impress
siveness In the orchestration. 1t was
reverently and most impressively read
by the musicians under the leadership
of Mr.. Rothwell.
The prelude to the second act, full
of exuberant voluptuousness, prepares
| the audience for the change of scene
from the temple of the Grail to the
garden peopled by enchantresses. Mr.
| Savage's flower maidens enchant the
! eye as well as the ear. Here the music
moves on with something of a swirling
rush but so trippingly did the song fall
| from the lips of the dancing maidens
! that one was apt to lose sight of the
fact that it was tripping music. In
terwovep with the typical motiv Of
Parsifal is the teasing playfulness Of
those who would seduce him and the
| intricate theme is vocally difficult Like
the other parts of the music drama as
presented last night, both orchestra
and chorus were satisfying.
The second act, vocally, is kundry's
act. Mime. Hanna Mara, who sang the
role last night, is not great artist She
has limitations both of voice and of
temperament that prevent her from
satisfactorily embodying the character
as Wagner created it. She is, however.
a sincere artist who does nothing to
| grieyously offend the ear. Her descrip-
| ton of ParSifaFs childhood was sung
with vocal sweetness and displayed req
uisite vocal strength. 1t was, how
| ever, the orchestra rather than Kundry
| who dominated this scene Something
more than faithful and a vocally COR
rect reading of the music is necessary
| TO present fully the German masters
| conception of the temptress who is
| also, during many measures of the
music she sings, a penitent without
hope of redemption.
The Parsifal of Pennarini also had
It's vocal defects. One of these was a
| pronounced huSkineSS and another a
faulty enunciation. Pennarini's voice
is robust and it is always expressive,
but it was not until the third act. after
the baptism, that it was entirely sat-
lsfying. In the exquisite pastoral
which he sang after the feet washing
the grand unsupported lyrical qualities
OF great sweetness and strength were
revealed, and in his final song in the
temple of the Grail the huskiness had
dropped like a veil from his voice and
1T rang out strong and resonant and
unclouded.
1t is impossible to conclude without
! mentioning again the orchestral beauty
of the "ParsifaI' ST. Paul music lovers
heard last night. In the Good Friday
| spelr which Immediately follows the
baptism the orchestra, perhaps, exhib-
tied its fullest powers of pure. melodic
expression, but from the opening pre-
| Jude this expression was NOTICEABLE