New-York tribune., 1909-02-13
"PARsIFAL" AND IT'S HERO.

When a singer has Intelligence, voice that IS
fairly acceptable with sure knowledge OF the
music he is required TO perform and OF the con-
ventIons OF the operatc stage. 1t may seam ittie
unreasonable to ask that he also gifted with the
physcal aspect appropriate to the characters ne Is
10 reuresent. There are indeed. muslcI dramas
in which this final qualification may be waved
though "Parsifal' which was repeated yesterday
artsrnoon at the Metropolitan Opera HOUSE before
q large audience, not one OF them The Aitredo
Of LA Traviata.' for example, may be CT almost
any appearance that is respectable and suf1cienty
youthful. and he will pass muster II the Duke III
..2i1oletto'' be cynlcay good humored. II Hhad-
annas IN Aida be manly enough to look the SOL
dtsr and II Tannhauser, in Wagners OPERA De
slammed with the marks OF worldly experience ana
strong passion be little quarrel with the
saveral forms in which these salient characrersttcs
are respectively embodied. But the hero OF Parsi-
faI" can be only sort Of man, so narro" Is 'he
latitude allowed by the extraordinary cololtloils
imposed upon him by the creator or this music
drama Youthful vitality and buoyancy must Dc
the dowry of the guileess foolish one whose com
ing the oracle predicted together with freshness
- ,rnocerc, Of expression rejecting nature YET
-.L.d ~, exDerience after his baptism or nre
ths light OF sacramentL earnestness and ldeansIh
must shine from his face " ne IS 10 De III
,r,, +rus sense It is this aspect OF unconscious
,ocenca Of soul that. ir the nature OF things, Is
-. g. often met in the ranks Of mature artists
or in the world of grown men IN any walk OF me
xor s n easily counterfeted; the ParsiIal thHt Is
80. convincing to the eve as well as 10 the ear
,st nossess at least instructive feeilng TOT uS
-h,.o -obe OF primitive purity wagner mao al
-, demanded something near the imposslole III
VI ao-1,er dramas, but he was never more eAseh'
tbon when selecting the elements making up .ie
.-.orelitv of Parsifs1. Even the whoie healteu
.,a.sness Of the young Segfried moving III an
otn,osnbere magical and remote. Is less lnaecSio
- ,ir1 Who would depict il than the spsclal anu
5,s+irctiye quality Of the Grail hero.
yIy,,h tbese thoughts in mind it Is no renecuoh
c,r, B11rrian's conscientious efforts TO
- .hat until the third act OF yesterday faI
-. he failed utterly to suggest the nnal es-
sIai - +,,,,,ar character Mr.. Burr1an's face
- go roundsnely jovial TO indicate the splritual
,,o-.,b,I,ties OF the youth, and MS poses ,"Vt7
au,.,,,, IVA ntnE in Imagination what ne olu was
.s,n5 and came much from the head, little from
a. haart The matured conqueroT OF huhdry anu
Il1sr ,s easier TO portray, and Mr.. Burrian aAso
prohted. in his representation oi .ne .ite .ba
+be last act by the beard that distinguishes tne
- fror, the youth. II would be pleasant 10 say
.hot the German tenor sang the music WIN peautS'
- a. would scarcely be accurate. Tor mere was
. ,hros+v and forced quality about most OF mis-
tones His diction. however. was clear ana Fis
emphasis just 49,
The other presentations Of this Parsifal per
,ormance were familiar, and most of them were
odv,i-sh,e The wonderful Kundry Of Nine OiVe
prar,stad challenges appreciation at every
Fra.b revelation, Never has she poured into the
great scene Of the second act tenser or more
varied range of emotion. Her facial expression IN
describing to Parsifal her mocking at the Saviour
ss ~ unirnagnable horror. the lines of her curl
o,sIv mobile mouth relaxing until the pognancy
~ her anguish Overwhelmingly conveyed
throughout Mime. Fremstad acted with inspired
rouer ana her singing benison and "a de-
light To be classed with what she contributed was
the conducting OF Mr.. Hertz, who secured from
the willing and responsive orchestra readins OF
-. score that aboundsd in interest and had many
nobls moments. Mr.. Feinhals and Mr GLASS. MI