The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-12-15
Weber-Larkin Recital Of Wagner's
Great Composition Before Mon
day Music Club is Most
Pleasing.
ONE OF BEST OFFERED
History Of Opera and How it Came
to be Produced in This coun-
try is Interestingly
Told.
IBs Miss Clara Gertrude Fry.

One of the most educational and en-
pertaining features presented in the
Monday Music club course this sea-
son was given last evening at the =.
w. C. A. auditorium by the Misses
Weber and Larkin in their lecture re-
cital on Wagner's opera "Parsifal.
Miss Henrietta Wagner is a gifted
pianist and her Interpretation was
ideal, distinctly bringing out the rep
resentative motifs or themes. Miss
Weber gave concise and instructive
explanation of the opera preceding
the reading. Miss Irene Larkln has
splendid mental grasp of her sub
ject and Is reader OF charming per-
sonality 1t is seldom that we have
the pleasure of listening to such
perfect ensemble; the unity of pur-
pose, understanding and insight was
carried over to the listeners as har-
monious whole.
Occasionally the singing lash OF
adversely drives genius from the beat
en- path and forces it through despair
to leave the usual road and produce
the fruits of it's capabilities. Such
genius is usually Regeneration, cul-
minative quality, which creates a new
era in art Richard Wagner was such
an one, early in his career attempts
ing that which was the most popular
in the lyric drama style OF the time
1t is not difficult to trace the three
elementary principles out of which
Wagner perfected his system. First,
the advantage, dramatically, of legend
airy subjects; second, the practical
and intelligent production Of the sub
ject, and, third, the application OF the
representative theme. In short Wag-
ner exploited the theory that the
opera is a drama in which music Is
merely the chief means Of expression,
consequently we find many instances
OF marked boldness in his harmonies
and ha~s, progressions as the occa-
sion demands, in order to carry out
the ideas Of the poet, and Wagner
was a poet. as well as musician, and
q socialism, fact SO strong were his
political views he was considered a
revolutionary character
High School Conductors.
It has been said "The musical
dramas of Wagner have not only
been the high school for orchestral
virtuosos and conductors, but above
all, for dramatic singers
"Parsifal" was first produced in the
United States in the city Of New York
under Mr.. Gonried, director OF the
Metropolitan, in the year Nineteen
Hundred and Three, an act which
made Mr.. Conriea's first year one
long to be remembered. "ParsifaP' had
never been produced outside Of Bay
reuth and Nj. Conreid announced his
purpose of presenting it in America.
Objections arose. Mrs. Wagner's pro-
test was accompanied with legal
threat.
According to Wrehbiel, THE ground
of her appeal to Mr. Canreid was that
to perform the Drama which had
been especially reserved for perform
ance in Bayreuth by the composer,
would be irreverent and illegal. It's
production was simply an appropria-
ton Of property for which the law,
owing to the absence of convention
touching copyrights and performing
rights between Germany and the
United States at the time provided
neither hindrance nor punishment"
So "Parsifal" has continued to be
produced at different times since Mr.
Conreid took his bold STEP
The foregoing account OF the opera
and it's composer is written to give
the general public an insight into the
vast amount of study and continuous
reading, not only an opera but history
and literature as well, that would en-
able the two artists on last evenings
program to give such splendid in
depreciation of so great a master
piece.
The club llostesses were Mrs. j. III.
Bissell and Mrs. N. T. Wilcox.
The house committee: Miss Adele
Foster and Miss Katherine Sage.