file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #bjbfd-;h4htm or #bjbfd-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/dirs_/#b_/ j_/b_/f_/bjbfd_/bjbfd-;h_/#bjbfd-;h4htm7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/dirs_/#b_/ j_/b_/f_/bjbfd_/bjbfd-;h4zip7 ,,parsifal ,story and ,analysis of ,wagner's ,great ,opera by ,h4 ,r4 ,,haweis ,author of ,my ,musical ,memories1 ,music and ,morals1 etc4 ,illustration3 ,,richard ,,wagner ,illustration3 ,funk and ,wagnalls ,symbol ,funk ,wagnalls ,company ,new ,york and ,london #aije ,,note-- ,this story and analysis of ,parsifal was first published as a part of ,mr4 ,haweis' well-known work1 ,my ,musical ,memories4 ,the interest it has excited seems to justify its republication at this time in a separate volume4 ,f4 ,w4 ,co4 ,published1 ,february1 #aijd ,,contents ,,page ,,wahnfried #e ,,parsifal #aj ,,act ,i #ah ,,act ,,ii #da ,,act ,,iii #ee ,,when ,,the ,,curtain ,,fell #fg ,,illustrations ,,facing ,,page ,portrait of ,richard ,wagner ,frontispiece ,parsifal and ,gurnemanz ,passing ,through the ,ravine 7,act ,i7 #cj ,the ,great ,hall of the ,holy ,grail 7,act ,i7 #cf ,parsifal ,entering the ,grail ,castle in ,triumph 7,act ,,iii7 #fb ,,wahnfried ,i visited ,bayreuth on the #bdth of ,july1 #ahhc1 and attended two crowded performances of ,wagner's last work1 ,parsifal4 ,in the morning ,i went into the beautiful gardens of the ,neue ,schloss4 ,on either side of a lake1 upon which float a couple of swans and innumerable water-lilies1 the long parklike avenue of trees are vocal with wild doves1 and the robin is heard in the adjoining thickets4 ,at my approach the sweet song ceases abruptly1 and the startled bird flies out1 scattering the pale petals of the wild roses upon my path4 ,i follow a stream of people on foot1 as they move down the left-hand avenue in the garden of the ,neue ,schloss1 which adjoins ,wagner's own grounds4 ,some are going--some are coming4 ,presently ,i see an opening in the bushes on my left2 the path leads me to a clump of evergreens4 ,i follow it1 and come suddenly on the great composer's grave4 ,all about the green square mound the trees are thick--laurel1 fir1 and yew4 ,the shades fall funereally across the immense gray granite slab2 but over the dark foliage the sky is bright blue1 and straight in front of me1 above the low bushes1 ,i can see the bow-windows of the dead master's study--where ,i spent with him one delightful evening in #ahgf4 ,i can see1 too1 the jet of water that he loved playing high above the hedge of evergreen4 ,it lulls me with its sound4 ,wahnfried6 ,wahnfried6 it seems to murmur4 ,it was the word written above the master's house--the word he most loved--the word his tireless spirit most believed in4 ,how shall ,i render it8 ,dream-life6 dream-life6 ,earth's illusion of joy6 ,great spirit6 thy dream-life here is past1 and1 face to face with truth1 rapt from the fickle and the frail1 for thee the illusion has vanished6 ,mayest thou also know the fulness of joy in the unbroken and serene activities of the eternal ,reality6 ,i visited the grave twice4 ,there is nothing written on the granite slab4 ,there were never present less than twenty persons1 and a constant stream of pilgrims kept coming and going4 ,one gentle token of the master's pitiful and tender regard for the faithful dumb animals he so loved lies but a few feet off in the same garden1 and not far from his own grave4 ,upon a mossy bank1 surrounded with evergreens1 is a small marble slab1 with this inscription to his favorite dog3 ,here lies in peace ',wahnfried's' faithful watcher and friend--the good and beautiful ,mark 7der gute1 schne ,mark76 ,i returned1 too1 to ,wagner's tomb1 plucked a branch of the fir-tree that waved above it1 and went back to my room to prepare myself by reading and meditation for the great religious drama which ,i was to witness at four o'clock in the afternoon--,wagner's latest and highest inspiration--the story of the sacred brotherhood1 the knights of ,san ,graal--,parsifal6 ,,parsifal ,the blood of ,god6--mystic symbol of divine life--for the blood is the life thereof4 ,that is the key-note of ,parsifal1 the ,knight of the ,sangrail4 ,wine is the ready symbolical vehicle--the material link between the divine and the human life4 ,in the old religions1 that heightened consciousness1 that intensity of feeling produced by stimulant1 was thought to be the very entering in of the god--the union of the divine and human spirit2 and in the ,eleusinian mysteries1 the sesame1 the bread of ,demeter1 the earth mother1 and the kykeon1 or wine of ,dionysos1 the vine god1 were thus sacramental4 ,the passionate desire to approach and mingle with ,deity is the one mystic bond common to all religions in all lands4 ,it is the cry of the human2 it traverses the ages1 it exhausts many symbols and transcends all forms4 ,to the ,christian it is summed up in the ,lord's ,supper4 ,the medieval legend of the ,sangrail 7real or royal blood7 is the most poetic and pathetic form of transubstantiation2 in it the gross materialism of the ,roman ,mass almost ceases to be repulsive2 it possesses the true legendary power of attraction and assimilation4 ,as the ,knights of the ,table ,round1 with their holy vows1 provided medieval ,chivalry with a center1 so did the ,lord's table1 with its ,sangrail1 provide medieval ,religion with its central attractive point4 ,and as all marvelous tales of knightly heroism circled round ,king ,arthur's table1 so did the great legends embodying the ,christian conceptions of sin1 punishment1 and redemption circle round the ,sangrail and the sacrifice of the ,mass4 ,in the legends of ,parsifal and ,lohengrin the knightly and religious elements are welded together4 ,this is enough4 ,we need approach ,parsifal with no deep knowledge of the various ,sagas made use of by ,wagner in his drama4 ,his disciples1 while most eager to trace its various elements to their sources1 are most emphatic in declaring that the ,parsifal drama1 so intimately true to the spirit of ,roman ,catholicism1 is nevertheless a new creation4 ,joseph of ,arimathea received in a crystal cup the blood of ,christ as it flowed from the spear-wound made by the ,roman soldier4 ,the cup and the spear were committed to ,titurel1 who became a holy knight and head of a sacred brotherhood of knights4 ,they dwelt in the ,visigoth ,mountains of ,southern ,spain1 where1 amid impenetrable forests1 rose the legendary palace of ,montsalvat4 ,here they guarded the sacred relics1 issuing forth at times from their palatial fortress1 like ,lohengrin1 to fight for innocence and right1 and always returning to renew their youth and strength by the celestial contemplation of the ,sangrail1 and by occasional participation in the holy feast4 ,time and history count for very little in these narratives4 ,it was allowed1 however1 that ,titurel the ,chief had grown extremely aged1 but it was not allowed that he could die in the presence of the ,sangrail4 ,he seemed to have been laid in a kind of trance1 resting in an open tomb beneath the altar of the ,grail2 and whenever the cup was uncovered his voice might be heard joining in the celebration4 ,meanwhile1 ,amfortas1 his son1 reigned in his stead4 ,montsalvat1 with its pure1 contemplative1 but active brotherhood1 and its mystic cup1 thus stands out as the poetic symbol of all that is highest and best in medieval ,christianity4 ,the note of the wicked world--,magic for ,devotion--,sensuality for ,worship--breaks in upon our vision1 as the scene changes from the ,halls of ,montsalvat to ,klingsor's palace4 ,klingsor1 an impure knight1 who has been refused admittance to the order of the ,sangrail1 enters into a compact with the powers of evil--by magic acquires arts of diabolical fascination--fills his palace and gardens with enchantments1 and wages bitter war against the holy knights1 with a view of corrupting them1 and ultimately1 it may be1 of acquiring for himself the ,sangrail1 in which all power is believed to reside4 ,many knights have already succumbed to the insidious arts of ,klingsor2 but the tragical turning-point of the ,parsifal is that ,amfortas1 himself the son of ,titurel1 the official guardian of the ,grail1 in making war upon the magician1 took with him the sacred spear1 and lost it to ,klingsor4 ,it came about in this way4 ,a woman of unearthly loveliness won him in the enchanted bowers adjoining the evil knight's palace1 and ,klingsor1 seizing the holy spear1 thrust it into ,amfortas's side1 inflicting what seemed an incurable wound4 ,the brave knight1 ,gurnemanz1 dragged his master fainting from the garden1 his companions of the ,sangrail covering their retreat4 ,but1 returned to ,montsalvat1 the unhappy king awakes only to bewail his sin1 the loss of the sacred spear1 and the ceaseless harrowing smart of an incurable wound4 ,but who is ,parsifal8 99 99 99 99 99 ,the smell of pine woods in ,july6 ,the long avenue outside the city of ,bayreuth1 that leads straight up the hill1 crowned by the ,wagner ,theater1 a noble structure--architecturally admirable--severe1 simple1 but exactly adapted to its purpose4 ,i join the stream of pilgrims1 some in carriages1 others on foot4 ,as we approach1 a clear blast of trombones and brass from the terrace in front of the grand entrance plays out the ,grail motive4 ,it is the well-known signal--there is no time to be lost4 ,i enter at the prescribed door1 and find myself close to my appointed place4 ,every one--such is the admirable arrangement--seems to do likewise4 ,in a few minutes about one thousand persons are seated without confusion4 ,the theater is darkened1 the footlights are lowered1 the prelude begins4 ,act ,i ,the waves of sound rise from the shadowy gulf sunken between the audience and the footlights4 ,upon the sound ocean of wind the ,take1 eat1 or ,love-feast motive floats4 ,presently the strings pierce through it1 the ,spear motive follows1 and then1 full of heavy pain1 ,drink ye all of this1 followed by the famous ,grail motive--an old chorale also used by ,mendelssohn in the ,reformation ,symphony4 ,then comes the noble ,faith and ,love theme4 ,as ,i sit in the low light1 amid the silent throng1 and listen1 ,i need no interpreter--,i am being placed in possession of the emotional key-notes of the drama4 ,every subject is first distinctly enunciated1 and then all are wondrously blended together4 ,there is the pain of sacrifice--the mental agony1 the bodily torture2 there are the alternate pauses of ,sorrow and respite from sorrow long drawn out1 the sharp ache of ,sin1 the glimpses of unhallowed ,joy1 the strain of upward ,endeavor1 the serene peace of ,faith and ,love1 crowned by the blessed ,vision of the ,grail4 ',tis past4 ,the prelude melts into the opening recitative4 ,the eyes have now to play their part4 ,the curtain rises1 the story begins4 ,the morning breaks slowly1 the gray streaks redden1 a lovely summer landscape lies bathed in primrose light4 ,under the shadow of a noble tree1 the aged knight4 ,gurnemanz1 has been resting with two young attendants4 ,from the neighboring halls of ,montsalvat the solemn reveill--the ,grail motive--rings out1 and all three sink on their knees in prayer4 ,the sun bursts forth in splendor as the hymn rises to mingle with the voices of universal nature4 ,the waves of sound well up and fill the soul with unspeakable thankfulness and praise4 ,the talk is of ,amfortas1 the king1 and of his incurable wound4 ,a wild gallop1 a rush of sound--and a weird woman1 with streaming hair1 springs toward the startled group4 ,she bears a phial with rare balsam from the ,arabian shores4 ,it is for the king's wound4 ,who is the wild horsewoman8 ,kundry--strange creation--a being doomed to wander1 like the ,wandering ,jew1 the wild ,huntsman1 or ,flying ,dutchman1 always seeking a deliverance she can not find--,kundry1 who1 in ages gone by1 met the ,savior on the road to ,calvary and derided him4 ,some say she was ,herodias's daughter4 ,now filled with remorse1 yet weighted with sinful longings1 she serves by turns the ,knights of the ,grail1 then falls under the spell of ,klingsor1 the evil knight sorcerer1 and1 in the guise of an enchantress1 is compelled by him to seduce1 if possible1 the ,knights of the ,grail4 ,eternal symbol of the divided allegiance of a woman's soul6 ,she it was who1 under the sensual spell1 as an incarnation of loveliness1 overcame ,amfortas1 and she it is now who1 in her ardent quest for salvation1 changed and squalid in appearance1 serves the ,knights of the ,grail1 and seeks to heal ,amfortas's wound6 ,no sooner has she delivered her balsam to the faithful ,gurnemanz1 and thrown herself exhausted upon the grass--where she lies gnawing her hair morosely--than a change in the sound atmosphere1 which never ceases to be generated in the mystic orchestral gulf1 presages the approach of ,amfortas4 ,he comes1 borne on a litter1 to his morning bath in the shining lake hard by4 ,sharp is the pain of the wound--weary and hopeless is the king4 ,through the ,wound-motive comes the sweet woodland music and the breath of the blessed morning1 fragrant with flowers and fresh with dew4 ,it is one of those incomparable bursts of woodland notes1 full of bird-song and the happy hum of insect life and rustling of netted branches and waving of long tasseled grass4 ,i know of nothing like it save the forest music in ,siegfried4 ,the sick king listens1 and remembers words of hope and comfort that fell from a heavenly voice1 what time the glory of the ,grail passed3 ,durch ,mitleid wissend ,der reine ,thor1 ,harre sein ,den ich erkor4 ,wait for my chosen one1 ,guileless and innocent1 ,pity-enlightened4 ,they hand him the phial of balsam2 and presently1 while the lovely forest music again breaks forth1 the king is carried on to his bath1 and ,kundry1 ,gurnemanz1 and the two esquires hold the stage4 ,as the old knight1 who is a complete repertory of facts connected with the ,grail tradition1 unfolds to the esquires the nature of the king's wound1 the sorceries of ,klingsor1 the hope of deliverance from some unknown guileless one1 a sudden cry breaks up the situation4 ,a white swan1 pierced by an arrow1 flutters dying to the ground4 ,it is the swan beloved of the ,grail brotherhood1 bird of fair omen1 symbol of spotless purity4 ,the slayer is brought in between two knights--a stalwart youth1 fearless1 unabashed1 while the death-music of the swan1 the slow distilling and stiffening of its life-blood1 is marvelously rendered by the orchestra4 ,conviction of his fault comes over the youth as he listens to the reproaches of ,gurnemanz4 ,he hangs his head ashamed and penitent1 and at last1 with a sudden passion of remorse1 snaps his bow and flings it aside4 ,the swan is borne off1 and ,parsifal1 the guileless one 7for he it is71 with ,gurnemanz and ,kundry--who rouses herself and surveys ,parsifal with strange1 almost savage curiosity--hold the stage4 ,in this scene ,kundry tells the youth more than he cares to hear about himself3 how his father1 ,gamuret1 was a great knight killed in battle2 how his mother1 ,herzeleide 7,heart's ,affliction71 fearing a like fate for her son1 brought him up in the lonely forest2 how he left her to follow a troop of knights that he met one day winding through the forest glade1 and being led on and on in pursuit of them1 never overtook them and never returned to his mother1 ,heart's ,affliction1 who died of grief4 ,at this point the frantic youth seizes ,kundry by the throat in an agony of rage and grief1 but is held back by ,gurnemanz1 till1 worn out by the violence of his emotion1 he faints away1 and is gradually revived by ,kundry and ,gurnemanz4 ,suddenly1 ,kundry rises with a wild look1 like one under a spell4 ,her mood of service is over4 ,she staggers across the stage--she can hardly keep awake4 ,sleep1 she mutters1 ,i must sleep--sleep6 and falls down in one of those long trances which apparently last for months1 or years1 and form the transition periods between her mood of ,grail service and the ,klingsor slavery into which she must next relapse in spite of herself4 ,and is this the guileless one8 ,this wild youth who slays the fair swan--who knows not his own name nor whence he comes1 nor whither he goes1 nor what are his destinies8 ,the old knight eyes him curiously--he will put him to the test4 ,this youth had seen the king pass once--he had marked his pain4 ,was he enlightened by pity8 ,is he the appointed deliverer8 ,the old knight now invites him to the shrine of the ,grail4 ,what is the ,grail8 asks the youth4 ,truly a guileless1 innocent one6 yet a brave and pure knight1 since he has known no evil1 and so readily repents of a fault committed in ignorance4 ,gurnemanz is strangely drawn to him4 ,he shall see the ,grail1 and in the ,holy ,palace1 what time the mystic light streams forth and the assembled knights bow themselves in prayer1 the voice which comforted ,amfortas shall speak to his deliverer and bid him arise and heal the king4 99 99 99 99 99 ,gurnemanz and ,parsifal have ceased to speak4 ,they stand in the glowing light of the summer-land4 ,the tide of music rolls on continuously1 but sounds more strange and dreamy4 ,is it a cloud passing over the sky8 ,there seems to be a shuddering in the branches--the light fades upon yonder sunny woodlands--the foreground darkens apace4 ,the whole scene is moving1 but so slowly that it seems to change like a dissolving view4 ,i see the two figures of ,gurnemanz and ,parsifal moving through the trees--they are lost behind yonder rock4 ,they emerge farther off--higher up4 ,the air grows very dim2 the orchestra peals louder and louder4 ,i lose the two in the deepening twilight4 ,the forest is changing1 the land is wild and mountainous4 ,huge galleries and arcades1 rock-hewn1 loom through the dim forest2 but all is growing dark4 ,i listen to the murmurs of the ,grail1 the ,spear1 the ,pain1 the ,love and ,faith motives--hollow murmurs1 confused1 floating out of the depths of lonely caves4 ,then ,i have a feeling of void and darkness1 and there comes a sighing as of a soul swooning away in a trance1 and a vision of waste places and wild caverns2 and then through the confused dream ,i hear the solemn boom of mighty bells1 only muffled4 ,they keep time as to some ghastly march4 ,i strain my eyes into the thick gloom before me4 ,is it a rock1 or forest1 or palace8 ,as the light returns slowly1 a hall of more than ,alhambralike splendor opens before me4 ,my eyes are riveted on the shining pillars of variegated marble1 the tessellated pavements1 the vaulted roof glowing with gold and color2 beyond1 arcades of agate columns1 bathed in a misty moonlight air1 and lost in a bewildering perspective of halls and corridors4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 #aijc1 by ,pach ,bros41 ,n4 ,y4 ,,parsifal ,,and ,,gurnemanz ,,passing ,,through ,,the ,,ravine ,i hear the falling of distant water in marble fonts2 the large bells of ,montsalvat peal louder and louder1 and to music of unimaginable stateliness the knights1 clad in the blue and red robes of the ,grail1 enter in solemn procession1 and take their seats at two semicircular tables which start like arms to the right and left of the holy shrine4 ,beneath it lies ,titurel entranced1 and upon it is presently deposited the sacred treasure of the ,grail itself4 ,as the wounded ,king ,amfortas is borne in1 the assembled knights1 each standing in his place1 a golden cup before him1 intone the ,grail motive1 which is taken up by the entering choruses of servitors and esquires bearing the holy relics4 ,gurnemanz is seated among knights2 ,parsifal stands aside and looks on in mute astonishment1 a guileless one4 ,as the ,holy ,grail is set down on the altar before the wounded king1 a burst of heavenly music streams from the high dome--voices of angels intone the celestial phrases1 ,take1 eat and ,this is my blood6 and blend them with the faith and love motives4 ,as the choruses die away1 the voice of the entranced ,titurel is heard from beneath the altar calling upon ,amfortas1 his son1 to uncover the ,grail1 that he may find refreshment and life in the blessed vision4 ,then follows a terrible struggle in the breast of ,amfortas4 ,he1 sore stricken in sin1 yet ,guardian of the ,grail1 guilty among the guiltless1 oppressed with pain1 bowed down with shame1 craving for restoration1 overwhelmed with unworthiness1 yet chosen to stand and minister before the ,lord on behalf of ,his saints6 ,pathetic situation1 which must in all times repeat itself in the history of the ,church4 ,the unworthiness of the minister affects not the validity of his consecrated acts4 ,yet what agony of mind must many a priest have suffered1 himself oppressed with sin and doubt1 while dispensing the means of grace1 and acting as a minister and steward of the mysteries6 ,the marvelous piece of self-analysis in which the conscience-stricken king bewails his lot as little admits of description here as the music which embodies his emotion4 ,at the close of it angel voices seem floating in midair1 sighing the mystic words3 ,durch ,mitleid wissend ,der reine ,thor1 ,harre sein ,den ich erkor4 ,wait for my chosen one1 ,guileless and innocent1 ,pity-enlightened4 ,and immediately afterward the voice of ,titurel1 like one turning restlessly in his sleep1 comes up from his living tomb beneath the altar3 ,uncover the ,grail6 ,with trembling hands the sick king raises himself1 and with a great effort staggers toward the shrine--the covering is removed--he takes the crystal cup--he raises it on high--the blood is dark--the light begins to fade in the hall--a mist and dimness come over the scene--we seem to be assisting at a shadowy ceremony in a dream--the big bells are tolling--the heavenly choirs from above the dome1 which is now bathed in twilight1 are heard3 ,drink ye all of this6 ,amfortas raises on high the crystal vase--the knights fall on their knees in prayer4 ,suddenly a faint tremor of light quivers in the crystal cup--then the blood grows ruby red for a moment4 ,amfortas waves it to and fro--the knights gaze in ecstatic adoration4 ,titurel's voice gathers strength in his tomb3 ,celestial rapture3 ,how streams the light upon the face of ,god6 ,the light fades slowly out of the crystal cup--the miracle is accomplished4 ,the blood again grows dark--the light of common day returns to the halls of ,montsalvat1 and the knights resume their seats1 to find each one his golden goblet filled with wine4 ,during the sacred repast which follows1 the brotherhood join hands and embrace1 singing3 ,blessed are they that believe2 ,blessed are they that love6 and the refrain is heard again far up in the heights1 reechoed by the angelic hosts4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 #aijc1 by ,pach ,bros41 ,n4 ,y4 ,,the ,,great ,,hall ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,grail ,i looked round upon the silent audience while these astonishing scenes were passing before me2 the whole assembly was motionless--all seemed to be awed by the august spectacle--seemed almost to share in the devout contemplation and trancelike worship of the holy knights4 ,every thought of the stage had vanished--nothing was further from my own thoughts than play-acting4 ,i was sitting as ,i should sit at an oratorio1 in devout and rapt contemplation4 ,before my eyes had passed a symbolic vision of prayer and ecstasy1 flooding the soul with overpowering thoughts of the divine sacrifice and the mystery of unfathomable love4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the hall of ,montsalvat empties4 ,gurnemanz strides excitedly up to ,parsifal1 who stands stupefied with what he has seen-- ,why standest thou silent8 ,knowest thou what thine eyes have seen8 ,the guileless one shakes his head4 ,nothing but a fool6 exclaims ,gurnemanz1 angrily2 and1 seizing ,parsifal by the shoulder1 he pushes him roughly out of the hall1 with3 ,be off6 look after thy geese1 ,and henceforth leave our swans in peace4 ,the ,grail vision had1 then1 taught the guileless one nothing4 ,he could not see his mission--he was as yet unawakened to the deeper life of the spirit2 tho blameless and unsullied1 he was still the natural man4 ,profound truth6 that was not first which was spiritual1 but that which was natural2 before ,parsifal wins a spiritual triumph1 he must be spiritually tried2 his inner life must be deepened and developed1 else he can never read aright the message of the ,grail4 ,the life of ,god in the spirit comes only when the battle for ,god in the heart has been fought and won4 ,fare forth1 thou guileless one6 thou shalt yet add to the simplicity of the dove the wisdom of the serpent4 ,thou art innocent because ignorant2 but thou shalt be weighed anon in the balance and not be found wanting2 and then shalt thou reconquer the holy spear lost in ,sin1 rewon in ,purity and ,sacrifice1 and be to the frail ,amfortas the chosen savior for whom he waits4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the foregoing events occupied about an hour and a quarter4 ,when the curtain fell the vast audience broke up in silence4 ,the air outside was cool and balmy4 ,in the distance lay the city of ,bayreuth1 with the tower of the ,alte ,schloss and the old church standing up gray against the distant ,bavarian hills4 ,all around us lay the pine woods1 broken by the lawns and avenues that encircle the theater and embower it in a secluded world of its own--even as the ,palace of the ,grail was shut off from the profane world4 ,here1 indeed1 is truly the ,montsalvat of the modern drama--a spot purified and sacred to the highest aims and noblest manifestations of ,art4 ,in about an hour the ,spear motive was the signal blown on the wind instruments outside1 and ,i took my seat for the second act4 ,act ,,ii ,a restless1 passion-tossed prelude4 ,the ,grail subject distorted1 the ,spear motive thrust in discordant1 the ,faith and ,love theme fluttering like a wounded dove in pain1 fierce bursts of passion1 wild shocks of uncontrolled misery1 mingling with the carnal joy music of ,klingsor's magic garden and the shuddering might of his alchemy4 ,the great magician1 ,klingsor1 is seen alone in his dungeon palace--harsh contrast to the gorgeous halls of ,montsalvat4 ,here all is built of the live rock1 an impenetrable fastness1 the home of devilish might and terrible spells4 ,klingsor is aware of the coming struggle1 and he means to be ready for it4 ,he owns the sacred spear wrested from ,amfortis2 he even aspires to win the ,grail2 he knows the guileless one is on his way to wrest that spear from him4 ,his only hope is in paralyzing the fool by his enchantments as he paralyzed ,amfortis1 and the same woman will serve his turn4 ,kundry6 ,the time is come1 the spells are woven--blue vapors rise1 and in the midst of the blue vapors the figure of the still sleeping ,kundry is seen4 ,she wakes1 trembling violently2 she knows she is again under the spell she abhors--the spell to do evil1 the mission to corrupt4 ,with a shuddering scream she stands before her tormentor1 denying his power1 loathing to return to her vile mission1 yet returning1 as with a bitter cry she vanishes from his presence4 ,parsifal has invaded ,klingsor's realm2 the evil knights have fled before his prowess1 wounded and in disorder4 ,kundry is commissioned to meet the guileless youth in the enchanted garden1 and1 all other allurements failing1 to subdue him by her irresistible fascinations and hand him over to ,klingsor4 ,in a moment the scenery lifts1 and a garden of marvelous beauty and extent lies before us4 ,the flowers are all of colossal dimensions--huge roses hang in tangled festoons1 the cactus1 the lily1 the blue-bell1 creepers1 and orchids of enormous size and dazzling color wave in midair1 and climb the aromatic trees4 ,on a bright hill appears ,parsifal1 standing bewildered by the light and loveliness around him4 ,beautiful girls dressed like flowers1 and hardly distinguishable from them at first1 rush in1 bewailing their wounded and disabled knights1 but1 on seeing ,parsifal1 fall upon their new prey1 and1 surrounding him1 sing verse after verse of the loveliest ballet music1 while trying to embrace him1 and quarreling with each other for the privilege4 ,about that wonderful chorus of flower-girls there was just a suggestive touch of the ,rhine maidens' singing4 ,it belonged to the same school of thought and feeling1 but was freer1 wilder--more considerable1 and altogether more complex and wonderful in its changes and in the marvelous confusion in which it breaks up4 ,the guileless one resists these charmers1 and they are just about to leave him in disgust1 when the roses lift on one side1 and1 stretched on a mossy bank overhung with flowers1 appears a woman of unearthly loveliness4 ,it is ,kundry transformed1 and in the marvelous duet which follows between her and ,parsifal1 a perfectly new and original type of love duet is struck out--an analysis of character1 unique in musical drama--a combination of sentiment and a situation absolutely novel1 which could only have been conceived and carried out by a creative genius of the highest order4 ,first1 ,i note that the once spellbound ,kundry is devoted utterly to her task of winning ,parsifal4 ,into this she throws all the intensity of her wild and desperate nature2 but in turn she is strangely affected by the spiritual atmosphere of the guileless one--a feeling comes over her1 in the midst of her witchcraft passion1 that he is in some way to be her savior too2 yet1 womanlike1 she conceives of her salvation as possible only in union with him4 ,yet was this the very crime to which ,klingsor would drive her for the ruin of ,parsifal4 ,strange confusion of thought1 feeling1 aspiration1 longing--struggle of irreconcilable elements6 ,how shall she reconcile them8 ,her intuition fails her not1 and her tact triumphs4 ,she will win by stealing his love through his mother's love4 ,a mother's love is holy2 that love she tells him of4 ,it can never more be his2 but she will replace it1 her passion shall be sanctified by it2 through that passion she has sinned1 through it she1 too1 shall be redeemed4 ,she will work out her own salvation by the very spells that are upon her for evil4 ,he is pure--he shall make her pure1 can she but win him2 both1 by the might of such pure love1 will surely be delivered from ,klingsor1 the corrupter1 the tormentor4 ,fatuous dream6 ,how1 through corruption1 win incorruption8 ,how1 through indulgence1 win peace and freedom from desire8 ,it is the old cheat of the senses--,satan appears as an angel of light4 ,the thought deludes the unhappy ,kundry herself2 she is no longer consciously working for ,klingsor2 she really believes that this new turn1 this bias given to passion1 will purify both her and the guileless1 pure fool she seeks to subdue4 ,nothing can describe the subtlety of their long interview1 the surprising turns of sentiment and contrasts of feeling4 ,throughout this scene ,parsifal's instinct is absolutely true and sure4 ,everything ,kundry says about his mother1 ,herzeleide1 he feels2 but every attempt to make him accept her instead he resists4 ,her desperate declamation is splendid4 ,her heartrending sense of misery and piteous prayer for salvation1 her belief that before her is her savior could she but win him to her will1 the choking fury of baffled passion1 the steady and subtle encroachments made while ,parsifal is lost in a meditative dream1 the burning kiss which recalls him to himself1 the fine touch by which this kiss1 while arousing in him the stormiest feelings1 causes a sharp pain1 as of ,amfortas's own wound1 piercing his very heart--all this is realistic1 if you will1 but it is realism raised to the sublime4 ,suddenly ,parsifal springs up1 hurls the enchantress from him1 will forth from ,klingsor's realm4 ,she is baffled--she knows it2 for a moment she bars his passage1 then succumbs2 the might of sensuality which lost ,amfortas the sacred spear has been met and defeated by the guileless fool4 ,he has passed from innocence to knowledge in his interview with the flower-girt girls1 in his long converse with ,kundry1 in her insidious embrace1 in her kiss2 but all these are now thrust aside2 he steps forth still unconquered1 still guileless1 but no more a fool4 ,the knowledge of good and evil has come1 but the struggle is already passed4 ,yes1 sinner1 ,i do offer thee ,redemption1 he can say to ,kundry2 not in thy way1 but in thy ,lord ,christ's way of sacrifice6 ,but the desperate creature1 wild with passion1 will listen to no reason2 she shouts aloud to her master1 and ,klingsor suddenly appears1 poising the sacred spear4 ,in another moment he hurls it right across the enchanted garden at ,parsifal4 ,it can not wound the guileless and pure one as it wounded the sinful ,amfortas4 ,a miracle6 ,it hangs arrested in air above ,parsifal's head2 he seizes it--it is the sacred talisman1 one touch of which will heal even as it inflicted the king's deadly wound4 ,with a mighty cry and the shock as of an earthquake1 the castle of ,klingsor falls shattered to pieces1 the garden withers up to a desert1 the girls1 who have rushed in1 lie about among the fading flowers1 themselves withered up and dead4 ,kundry sinks down in a deathly swoon1 while ,parsifal steps over a ruined wall and disappears1 saluting her with the words3 ,thou alone knowest when we shall meet again6 99 99 99 99 99 ,the long shadows were stealing over the hills when ,i came out at the second pause4 ,those whom ,i met and conversed with were subdued and awed4 ,what a solemn tragedy of human passion we had been assisting at6 ,not a heart there but could interpret that struggle between the flesh and the spirit from its own experiences4 ,not one but knew the desperately wicked and deceitful temptations that come like enchantresses in the wizard's garden1 to plead the cause of the devil in the language of high-flown sentiment or even religious feeling4 ,praise and criticism seemed dumb2 we rather walked and spoke of what we had just witnessed like men convinced of judgment1 and righteousness1 and sin4 ,it was a strange mood in which to come out of a theater after witnessing what would commonly be called an ,opera4 ,i felt more than ever the impossibility of producing the ,parsifal in ,london1 at ,drury ,lane or ,covent ,garden1 before a well-dressed company of loungers1 who had well dined1 and were on their way to balls and suppers afterward4 ,i would as soon see the ,oberammergau play at a music-hall4 ,no2 in ,parsifal all is solemn1 or all is irreverent4 ,at ,bayreuth we came on a pilgrimage2 it cost us time1 and trouble1 and money2 we were in earnest--so were the actors2 the spirit of the great master who had planned every detail seemed still to preside over all2 the actors lived in their parts2 not a thought of self remained2 no one accepted applause or recall2 no one aimed at producing a personal effect2 the actors were lost in the drama1 and it was the drama and not the actors which has impressed and solemnized us4 ,when ,i came out they asked me who was ,amfortas8 ,i did not know4 ,i said the wounded king4 ,as the instruments played out the ,faith and ,love motive for us to reenter1 the mellow sunshine broke once more from the cloud-rack over city1 and field1 and forest1 before sinking behind the long low range of the distant hills4 ,act ,,iii ,the opening prelude of the third and last act seems to warn me of the lapse of time4 ,the music is full of pain and restlessness--the pain of wretched years of long waiting for a deliverer1 who comes not2 the restlessness and misery of a hope deferred1 the weariness of life without a single joy4 ,the motives1 discolored as it were by grief1 work up to a distorted version of the ,grail subject1 which breaks off as with a cry of despair4 ,is the ,grail1 too1 then turned into a mocking spirit to the unhappy ,amfortas8 ,relief comes to us with the lovely scene upon which the curtain rises4 ,again the wide summer-land lies stretching away over sunlit moor and woodland4 ,in the foreground wave the forest trees1 and ,i hear the ripple of the woodland streams4 ,invariably throughout the drama1 in the midst of all human pain and passion1 great ,nature is there1 peaceful1 harmonious in all her loveliest moods1 a paradise in which dwell souls who make of her their own purgatory4 ,in yonder aged figure1 clad in the ,grail pilgrim robe1 ,i discern ,gurnemanz2 his hair is white2 he stoops with years2 a rude hut is hard by4 ,presently a groan arrests his attention1 moaning as of a human thing in distress4 ,he clears away some brushwood1 and beneath it finds1 waking from her long trance1 the strange figure of ,kundry4 ,for how many years she has slept we know not4 ,why is she now recalled to life8 ,she staggers to her feet2 we see that she too is in a pilgrim garb1 with a rope girding her dress of coarse brown serge4 ,service6 service6 she mutters1 and1 seizing a pitcher1 moves mechanically to fill it at the well1 then totters but half awake into the wooden hut4 ,the forest music breaks forth--the hum of happy insect life1 the song of wild birds4 ,all seems to pass as in a vision1 when suddenly enters a knight clad in black armor from top to toe4 ,the two eye him curiously1 and ,gurnemanz1 approaching1 bids him lay aside his armor and his weapons4 ,he carries a long spear4 ,in silence the knight un-helms1 and1 sticking the spear into the ground1 kneels before it1 and remains lost in devotional contemplation4 ,the ,spear and ,grail motives mingle together in the full tide of orchestral sounds carrying on the emotional undercurrent of the drama4 ,the knight is soon recognized by both as the long-lost and discarded ,parsifal4 ,the guileless one has learned wisdom1 and discovered his mission--he knows now that he bears the spear which is to heal the king's grievous wound1 and that he himself is appointed his successor4 ,through long strife and trial and pain he seems to have grown into something of ,christ's own likeness4 ,not all at once1 but at last he has found the path4 ,he returns to bear salvation and pardon both to ,kundry and the wretched king1 ,amfortas4 ,the full music flows on while ,gurnemanz relates how the knights have all grown weak and aged1 deprived of the vision and sustenance of the ,holy ,grail1 while the long-entranced ,titurel is at last dead4 ,at this news ,parsifal1 overcome with grief1 swoons away1 and ,gurnemanz and ,kundry loosen his armor1 and sprinkle him with water from the holy spring4 ,underneath his black suit of mail he appears clad in a long white tunic4 ,the grouping here is admirable4 ,gurnemanz is in the ,templar's red and blue robe4 ,parsifal in white1 his auburn hair parted in front and flowing down in ringlets on either side1 recalls ,leonardo's favorite conception of the ,savior's head1 and1 indeed1 from this point ,parsifal becomes a kind of symbolic reflection of the ,lord ,himself4 ,kundry1 subdued and awed1 lies weeping at his feet2 he lifts his hands to bless her with infinite pity4 ,she washes his feet1 and dries them with the hairs of her head4 ,it is a bold stroke1 but the voices of nature1 the murmur of the summer woods1 come with an infinite healing tenderness and pity1 and the act is seen to be symbolical of the pure devotion of a sinful creature redeemed from sin4 ,peace has at last entered into that wild and troubled heart1 and restless ,kundry1 delivered from ,klingsor's spell1 receives the sprinkling of baptismal water at the hands of ,parsifal4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the great spaces of silence in the dialog1 broken now by a few sentences from ,parsifal1 now from ,gurnemanz1 are more eloquent than many words4 ,the tidal music flows on in a ceaseless stream of changing harmonies1 returning constantly to the sweet and slumbrous sound of a summer-land1 full of teeming life and glowing happiness4 ,then ,gurnemanz takes up his parable4 ,it is the ,blessed ,good ,friday on which our dear ,lord suffered4 ,the ,love and ,faith phrases are chimed forth1 the pain-notes of the ,cross agony are sounded and pass1 the ,grail motive seems to swoon away in descending harmonies1 sinking into the woodland voices of universal ,nature--that trespass-pardoned ,nature that now seems waking to the day of her glory and innocence4 ,in that solemn moment ,parsifal bends over the subdued and humbled ,kundry1 and kisses her softly on the brow--her wild kiss in the garden had kindled in him fierce fire1 mingled with the bitter wound-pain2 his is the seal of her eternal pardon and peace4 ,in the distance the great bells of ,montsalvat are now heard booming solemnly--the air darkens1 the light fades out1 the slow motion of all the scenery recommences4 ,again ,i hear the wild cave music1 strange and hollow sounding--the three move on as in a dream1 and are soon lost in the deep shadows2 and through all1 louder and louder1 boom the heavy bells of ,montsalvat1 until the stage brightens1 and we find ourselves once more in the vast ,alhambralike hall of the knights4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 #aijc1 by ,pach ,bros41 ,n4 ,y4 ,,parsifal ,,entering ,,the ,,grail ,,castle ,,in ,,triumph ,for the last time ,amfortas is borne in1 and the brotherhood of the ,grail form the possession bearing the sacred relics1 which are deposited before him4 ,the king1 in great agony and despair1 bewails the death of his father and his own backsliding4 ,with failing but desperate energy he harangues the assembled knights1 and1 tottering forward1 beseeches them to free him from his misery and sin-stained life1 and thrust their swords deep into his wounded side4 ,at this moment ,gurnemanz1 accompanied by ,parsifal and ,kundry1 enter4 ,parsifal steps forward with the sacred spear1 now at length to be restored to the knights4 ,he touches the side of ,amfortas1 the wound is healed1 and as he raises the spear on high the point is seen glowing with the crimson glory of the ,grail4 ,then stepping up to the shrine1 ,parsifal takes the crystal cup1 the dark blood glows bright crimson as he holds it on high1 and at that moment1 while all fall on their knees1 and celestial music 7,drink ye all of this7 floats in the upper air1 ,kundry falls back dying1 her eyes fixed on the blessed ,grail4 ,a white dove descends and hovers for a moment1 poised in mid-air above the glowing cup4 ,a soft chorus of angels seems to die away in the clouds beyond the golden dome-- ,marvelous mercy6 ,victorious ,savior6 ,words can add nothing to the completeness of the drama1 and no words can give any idea of the splendor and complexity of that sound ocean upon which the drama floats from beginning to end4 ,the enemies of the ,grail are destroyed or subdued1 the wound they have inflicted is healed1 the prey they claimed is rescued2 the pure and blameless ,parsifal becomes the consecrated head of the holy brotherhood1 and the beatic vision of ,god's eternal love and ,real ,presence is restored to the knights of the ,sangrail4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when ,i came out of the theater1 at the end of the third and last act1 it was ten o'clock4 ,the wind was stirring in the fir-trees1 the stars gleamed out fitfully through a sky1 across which the clouds were hurrying wildly1 but the moon rose low and large beyond the shadowy hills1 and bathed the misty valleys with a mild and golden radiance as of some celestial dawn4 ,when the ,curtain ,fell ,when the curtain fell on the last performance of ,parsifal1 at ,bayreuth1 which1 on the #cjth of ,july1 #ahhc1 brought the celebration month to a close1 the enthusiasm of the audience found full vent in applause4 ,the curtain was once lifted1 but no calls would induce the performers to appear a second time or receive any individual homage4 ,this is entirely in accordance with the tone of these exceptional representations4 ,on each occasion the only applause permitted was at the end of the drama1 and throughout not a single actor answered to a call or received any personal tribute4 ,behind the scenes occurred a touching incident4 ,the banker ,gross led ,wagner's children up to the assembled actors1 and in the name of their dead father thanked the assembly for the care and labor of love expended by each and all in producing the last work of the great dead master4 ,siegfried1 ,wagner's son1 thirteen years old1 then1 in a few simple words1 stifled with sobs1 thanked the actors personally1 and all the children shook hands with them4 ,the ,king of ,bavaria charged himself upon ,wagner's death with the education of his son4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,hour-,glass ,stories ,a ,series of ,entertaining ,novelettes ,illustrated and ,issued in ,dainty ,dress4 ,,first ,,seven ,,now ,,ready ,price1,transcriber's ,note3 ,missing text net1 each ,by ,mail ,transcriber's ,note3 ,missing text ,i4 ,,sweet ,,anne ,,page ,,by ,,ellen ,v4 ,,talbot ,a brisk little love story full of fun and frolic and telling of the courtship of ,sweet ,anne ,page by her three lovers4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,herr ,,doctor ,,by ,,robert ,,macdonald ,a crisp1 dainty story of the schemes and pretty wiles by which a traveling ,american heiress wins and is won by a ,german nobleman4--,minneapolis ,times4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,transfiguration ,,of ,,miss ,,philura ,,by ,,florence ,,morse ,,kingsley ,author of ,titus1 ,prisoners of the ,sea1 etc4 ,this clever story is based on the theory that every physical need and every desire of the human heart can be claimed and received from the ,encircling ,good by the true believer4 ,miss ,philura is enchanted with this creed1 adopts it literally1 and obtains thereby various blessings of particular value to a timid spinster1 including a husband4 ,it is a dainty little story1 and quite out of the common4--,philadelphia ,daily ,evening ,telegraph4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,sandals ,,by ,,rev4 ,,zelotes ,,grenell ,a beautiful little idyl of ,palestine concerning the sandals of ,christ4 ,it tells of their wanderings and who were their wearers1 from the time that they fell to the lot of a ,roman soldier when ,christ's garments were parted among his crucifiers to the day when they came back to ,mary1 the ,mother of ,jesus4 ,v4 ,,parsifal ,,by ,h4 ,r4 ,,haweis ,an intimate and appreciative description and consideration of ,wagner's great opera4 ,illustrated with portrait of composer and scenes from the opera4 ,,vi4 ,,esarhaddon ,,king ,,of ,,assyria ,,by ,,leo ,,tolstoy ,three short stories1 allegorical in style1 illustrating with homely simplicity1 yet with classic charm1 ,tolstoy's theories of non-resistance and the essential unity of all forms of life4 ,written for the benefit of the ,kishinef sufferers4 ,publisher's and author's profits go to ,kishinef ,relief ,fund4 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,trouble ,,woman ,,by ,,clara ,,morris ,a pathetic1 even tragic tale1 but one which carries the most optimistic of messages4 ,the unobtrusive moral of the story is that the way to find consolation for one's own trouble is to consider those of others and to lend a helping hand4 ,,funk ,,wagnalls ,,company1 ,publishers ,,new ,,york ,,london