Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-11

ough artist in his able operate lecture:
BY request between the second ana
third acts he played the ever beautiful
"Tannhauser" overture, which thrilled
his hearers, and at the close of this Sc
lection received an ovation, responding
with "The Storm" which in the first
part depicted perfect calm, the second
part the storm and again the calm,
ending in beautiful pianissimo.
It is to be hoped that Mr.. Kingsley
will repeat this great work OF Wagners
in the near future, and VIII also give
Los Angeles opportunity of hearing the
other lectures which he mas IN ms eA-
tensive repertoire on Wagner.s operas.
Thanks to Mr.. Kingsley for this genu-
inc musical feast of the music drama,
"Parsifal."
1t might be interesting to many II
right here l give the story in its en-
tirety of this marvellous opera ana re-
vive the memory in a brief history OF
it's first production, and so forth.
Richard Wagner finished 'Parsitaf
in 1879, and it was first produced at
Bayreuth on July %, 1882, just seven
months before the composers death.
On that occasion Nine. Frederica Ma
terna was Kundry. Herr Winckel-
mann was the Parsifal and Herr Scarla
was GurnemanZ.
The theme of this opera is pity. suf-
fering and through it redemption. Ac-
ton takes place in the north of Spain,
vicinity of Mt. Salvat, where was
built the castle of the Holy Grail, in
which stood the sacred chalice brought
thither by angels when Christianity
was endangered. Produced for the
first time anywhere outside of Bay
reuth, on the evening of December "a,
1903. at the Metropolitan opera house,
New York under the direction of
Heinrich Conried. with Alois Burg
staller as Parsifal, Nine. Milka Ter
nina as Kundry, Anton Van Rooy as
Amfortas, Robert Blass as Gurne-
man and the flower maidens recruit
ed from the then newly founded Con-
reid Metropolitan opera school. Or
chestra was under the direction of AL
fred Hertz "Parsifal'' is the most re-
markable of all operate compositions,
for the reason that unquestionably 1t
is reflex of the subsiding moods of one
OF the most finely imaginative musical
talents in purely dramatic channels
with which mankind has yet made ac-
uuaintance. 1t is the closing and
crowning work in the tempestuous ca
reer of Wagner, who all his life had
been the militant, overheated antago-
mist, burning with eagerness for SINGER
ity of musical expression, misunder-
stood, deprecated, maligned and cor
daily hated of bigoted detractors.
Through heaven knows how many con-
flagrations of high passion he had
passed and in "Tannhauser," Tristan
and Isolde" his excited Imagination
had surged in great engulfing floods.
And then, what agonies of physical
torture had racked his slender frame!
To friends he was constantly COM
planning as follows: II am not salts
fed with my head; the nerves OF the
brain are terribly strained; excite
ment and lassitude-never true rest;
shall / really never be much better!
[ am so fearfully oVerwrought and
unnerVed that the least bit of writ
ing is a torture to me- The nerves of
my brain.-there is the bother! have
cruelty taxed them. 1t is possible l
may yet one day go mad. sharp
knife often cuts into the nerves of my
brain: besides which | am weak and
feverish in all my limbs. When L
think of the pain and discomfort
which are now my chronic condition l
cannot but feel that my nerves are
completely shattered.
Who will deny, upon reading pititul
outbreaks like these. that the heart
rending wall of Amfortas as heard in
"ParsifaT' are but the echo of Wagner s
own physical torments? And who will
further gainsay upon hearing OF the
consolatory. tender and compassionate
music. in acts l and 2. that it again -
depictive of the calm and repose which
Wagner in his waning days must have
craVed with insatiate desire. That the
exalted and deeply religious tinge OF
the Grail legend took such firm hold
upon the composers mind under condi'
tions like these may readily be under
stood, and must ever rebound to his
credit.
As the curtain rises on act l of Par.
sifal' Gurnemanz, one of the Grail
knights, with two young shield bearers,
guardians of the castle, are seen asleep
at the foot of a tree in beautifui
forest glade. They offer up their morn
ing prayer and as they proceed toward
the castle are met by procession
which is bearing the wounded Amfortas
upon a littler to his daily bath In the
lake. In a subsequent dialogue Gurne-
MANI tells the pathetic story OF the
kings mishap, when the savage, puz-
zling Kundry appears and offers a
balm, saying that if it will not help
Amfortas nothing can. and then re