A guide to Parsifal, the music drama of Richard Wagner; its origin, story, and music (1904) (14597907939)

Identifier: guidetoparsifalm00aldr (find matches)
Title: A guide to Parsifal, the music drama of Richard Wagner; its origin, story, and music
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Aldrich, Richard, 1863-1937
Subjects: Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883
Publisher: Boston : O. Ditson Company New York, C. H. Ditson & Co. (etc.)
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive



Text Appearing Before Image:
laying about him as hecomes, disabling the castle guards and mountingthe garden wall. Change of scene: The wholecastle sinks; and there rises in its place the magicgarden full of tropical vegetation and a luxuriouswealth of flowers, a place of allurement, glowingwith light and color. At the back, a wall, uponwhich stands Parsifal, gazing in astonishment atthe scene before him. A throng of beautiful dam-sels appear in haste, as if suddenly disturbed fromsleep. They bewail the loss of their lovers, thecastle guards, whom Parsifal has so quickly dis-posed of, and call upon the rosy youth to comeand play with them. Parsifal descends amongthem and listens to their chatter and their en-dearments. One after another they slip away andreturn in the guise of living flowers. Pressingaround Parsifal, they ply him with their blandish-ments. At first amused, then half angry at their/ insistence, he turns to make his escape, when he■ hears his name called by Kundrys voice:Parsifal —tarry!V (26)
Text Appearing After Image:
The Story of Wagners Parsifal It is the first time it has been pronounced.Parsifal stops short: Parsifal? he says; so oncemy mother called me. Kundry, still invisible,beseeches him to stay. Finally she is seen throughthe branches — but how transformed in appear-ance! Now she is a young woman of exquisitebeauty, clad in a drapery of shimmering irides-cence, of orchid-like color, showing the glint ofemeralds and fiery opals. Reclining upon a flow-ery couch, she is a figure of wondrous charm.She calls him again by his name: Fal Parsi —so Wagner attempts to derive the name Parsi-fal from Arabic words meaning foolish pureone; she tells him of his mother, Herzeleide; ofhis own babyhood, of her care for him, of hergrief at his departure and of her death. Parsifal,terribly affected, sinks down at Kundrys feetoverpowered, overwhelmed with self-reproach.The enchantress begins her wiles; wreathing herarm about his neck she comforts him; tells himthat confession is absolution: Transgression w