The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-08
THE CHARACTER OF KUNDRY.
THREE GREAT IHPERSON4TIONS
~ NEU IORk.

Fremstad-li0w Diiierent InterITe-
tatIons of the part Are Justified
by Text and Music-Iheodorc Thomas
Awake Awake To me-
Thy master calls thee, nhmec'S being.
World old dewitt Rose OF Hcdomi
IIerodlas vert thou and what e.sel
GundryRgla there. kundry hcrc
To met To me. thon Kuuir
Thy master calls. To mel
This is the invocation Of Kirgsor as
worded in the version OF Wagner's Par
eifal' made by George Turner Phelps.
which Is by far the most literal and there
fore instructive translation Of the book
yet produced 1t il with these none too
clear ordinations that Wagner sought
to set before Us his conception Of the in
congruous character which has now been
remarkably interpreted for New York
audiences by three accomplished artists.
Those who have observed closely the
career OF the solemn festival play through
the New World must have found food for
speculation in the different aspects of
Kvndrv as set before the public cousidera-
ton by Mines. Tcnina and Nordica and
Miss Olive Fremstad The inevitable
American question has repeatedly been
asked; Which is the best Of the three?
Once let American music lover, settle That
matter to their ssitisfac, ion and thcn they
will accept only one Interpretation of the
role
This is an unwarrantab.e G't'tHo" Tor
hundrp is indefinite many sided 'innnni
and wholly illogical. She uay be inter-
preted in moro ways than one The g'>ai
original hlndry was Amaia Mticma.
1t is impossible TINT she cputd nave re-
sembled either Terniua or Frematad IN tho
slightest degree. Nordica's kUndrgis moro
like Maternal than j. any other YET ihet
can hardly be accepted as satisfying proof
that it is the only true embodiment Louis
Ehlert. who witnessed the original per-
Torrance wrote thus
"Materna reproduced the scenes 81 the
first act in a style that was not too wild.
those Of the second act with decency and
the third act with a force 81 cNpr, ou
that took away the breath Of her listeners.
HE forgot that she had nothng TO sing;
her art must have been wonderful Tho
kiss lasting forty-hve seconds knowing
ones have computed it, length naturally
became stumbling block for her, TOO
Is 1t not remarkable that with Wagner
even kiss is of too long duration? Raw
ishing in effect were her bathing of Par
sifaps feet and the first bitter weeping
Most Of us sobbed with her
That would apply better to Nordicl than
to Fremstad. 1t would not I've innpp,icahe
TO Temina. especially that plt which lays
emphasis on the decency of th>aecond act.
This same Ehert also wrote:
Wagner is probably not 20 proud Of
any other composition as Of that Of Kundry.
1t is entirely his own | say composition.
since she could not be imagined a. an or
Ranic being Wagner himself compares 4
Kundry with Herodias Of whom il is related (
that she loved John the Baptist II is said
that when she attempted TO kiss his dis
severed head upon the charger it blew
upon her. Herodas. however. represents
but one half Of haHiry. the other half is
Magdaen JcHRe cOquoHe piCllc der0tci
She proceeds from coquctte TO penitent.
In her love for PdTsii1i she eNpiates her
faults and il redeemed 10y the baptism
This may be interesting anl affecting. c1r- Z
tainly, but it would -elure p1't 10y divine f.
grace TO make both those aspects appear
plausible in one f[rrs. That T. Is difficult 7,
10 represent The seductive cicnrnt in the 7
penitent We learn from Corupgi1 And his /
Magdalen has the advantage o.! Lac past I
in her favor.
Ehlert, it must he confessed writes Of I
Kundrv a II she were a suhiinated Candle I
and, after ALL IS tlIt not pretty nearly /
the TRUTH But he is mistaken as 10 The I
masters compromising the VA gialcn and /,
the penltent. Except for a brief moment /
in the garden scene hurGrg is never the {
two at once When in the midst of her /
trance, while striving to WORK her magic /
seductons under the influence of kipggar's /
spell. she suddrnly recalls her past and bc- /
gins to tell how she srw the Saviour and how
wlokedly she treated Him. Stc and Nag- /
ner together get their psychology dread /
fully mixed But Wagner was nd OF .
mental states in whicn memory Wa para |
lived on one point To return 10 me fr.n- /
cipa thought. the most satisfactory Of all /
summaries OF tic character If E,,Hfry i. /
that made by Richard A.dricA in bis Guide .
20 Parsifai lie ,ly5
~She lives a liff az ..ua and a life Of reropt- /
snce. She seeks salvation Icy ser.i,p
the Grail and doirg worries Of rcrarce. /
she ia filed with lor ring 10 meet again "a
COMPASSIONATE being who shall release
her from her torment t,- the rawcr Of r.