The evening world. Newspaper, December 26, 1903, Page 9

# THE » EVENING Director of the Opera-Hquse Affirms Wagner’s Music @x- erts Deep ReligiousInfluence— Frau Cosima’s Vanity, Not Her Purse, Was Touched, He Says—Fear of Bodily Injury Kept Him from Bayreuth— Feels Applause Should Come Only After Second Act—Ten Performances of “ Parsifal ” to Be Given Here. such a big, grave production. Such is apt to be one's impression of Heinrich Conried, who, in producing “Parsifal,” won for himself in a single night a fame which with careful use and protection against moths ought to last a lifetime, At first Mr. Conried seemed almost diffident, 0 shy was he at being drawn .toward the sub- Jest .£ his achievement. But it wasn’t long before modesty was routed by enthusiasm. Hie eyes lighted up and glowed like unto the Grail as he sald with German gusto: “My anticipations were more than realized! The manner in which ‘Parsifal’ was regeived was A RATHER funny little man to be behind : 4 something. beyond what I had dared to dream, ~‘I have done the best I could,’ I said to myself, when the hour for the beginning of the petform- ance on Christmas Eve arrived, but I stood trem~ bling behind the curtain for fear that best might not be good enough for New York. How glad, how relieved, I was when the performance was erided I cannot express!" Here Herr Heinriclsighed deeply and pushed ‘pack his‘ thick, rebellious hair. “ah!” he exclaimed, “how mistaken was Mme. Wagher when she said ‘the nation of dollars’ could not appreciate this great work. She was vwrong, and I—yes, I—was right!” wt eo a Cad Rad a R. CONRIED spoke more kindly of Frau M Cosima than she has spoken of him. “No,” he said, thoughtfully, “I do not think her criticism of me was prompted iy a com- mercial spirit. {t was her vanity, not her purse, which was touched, She was the Queen of Bay- reuth, and now she was to be robbed Of a por- tion of her power—that was it.” Again the director of the Metropolitan sighed, }/but this time it sounded suspiciously like a sigh jjot satisfaction. “1 have taken from her no money, for now she will make more money than ever, How? Be- cause of the added interest this American pro- duction of ‘Parsifal’ will give to the performance at Bayreuth. More people than ever will travel thero now to see ‘f al.’ Not so many Ameri- cans—yes, you are right. Americans will prob- ably “ay, ‘I can seo a darned sight better produc tion ight in New <ork.’ But tze people of cther countries will Journey to Bayreuth iy far greater numbers, I believe, because of the agitation—and agitation means advertisement—which the pro- duction here has caused. It has called the atten- tioh of the whole world, I might say, to ‘Parsl- fal.’ And I have done nothing Which can make me feel ashamed. America had the righ to see *Pareifal,’ I honestly believed, and J feel that the reception of the work has justified my agtion, Could any one ask, more? “And: as for Mme. Wagner's declaration that the singers’ in this production: would be} “But the pie Latlesiaabn. “ th ia det a ils elect Clae ne be o m sing in Bayreuth again, well, they don’t want to go there—there is no money in it ¥ GENERAL impression .that Mf. Conrle@ had offered Wagner's widow a vast sum | for the right to produce ‘Parsifal’ here when he was last abroad was corrected by him. “I have made her no offer since eight years ago, when I wanted Anton Seidl to give ‘Parsifal’ here. He would not do so unless Mme, Wagner This she refused, so that set- On my last visit gave her consent. tled the matter at that time. to Europe I had intended to visit Bayreuth and makes overtures to secure the work. advised against this. I was warned that if I went to Bayreuth I might be killed. Not by any member of the Wagner family, of course, but by some crazy peasant who might imagine I had come to Bayreuth to steal its treasure—its tra- “Then fear kept you from going there?” cautious Conried, would not be nice to get it so with a club.” And to illustrate his meaning he gave himself a thump on the back of the neck. answered the S TO the reported wish of Wagner that there should be no applause, and the deflant com- duct of Thursday night's audience, Mr. Conried “Phe audience did ‘what [consider was exactly tight in remaining silent during the first act and at {ts closo, and then applauding at the end of the But I think it would have been better if there had been no demonstration at the end of | ‘To me it would seem that the first and third acts are so deeply religious in spirit that appiause is out ef place. Whes you see grea. towering mountains and grand scenery you don't jump and cry out in ecstasy. greatly impressed, You may say, ‘It ts sublime! but you say this quietly to yourself, for you are too dwed to speak aloud. You feel this in your soul, you don't express {t. should be, according to my idea, with those two ats. For myself, when Parsifal rises in the sanc- tuary of the Grail, with the knights bowed before him-and the white dove hovering above his head, I should rather go quietly away with that picture the performance. It {s niagnificent!” to] “a8 ne wpoke 1 enw, evan iva acral 6 w WORLD'S HOME »# MAGAZINE #2 ‘sent bright and gay and beautiful, andN think it proper that the singers should be applauded. Artists hunger for applause and do better for it. It is the bread of life to them, They live.on it.” ad o* oe ot rd 9 charge of some members of the clergy that “Parsifal,” because of its unmistakable sym- bolism, 18 sacrilegious was met with the emphatic answer: “If any man can eit through a performance of ‘Parsifal’ and then declare it sacrilegious, I #ay that man js insane!” # Mr. Conried made this flat-footed statement with 4 marked show of feeling. “In every case, 6o far as I know,” he went on, “such objection has come from clergymen who have never witnessed a performance of ‘Parsifal.’ They have reached this conclusion simply from reading the story. Therefore they are unfair, The story is the smallest part of the work, I confess I would be unable to judge if I had only read the | mere words, They tell nothing compared to what the music tells. The music is all—everything. It is the musie which brings out the full meaning of the work, I should not care if the actors spoke Chinese, The music would make me understand. It would make a criminal understand, and for the moment that he listened it would make him bet- ter. I do not believe any one can hear that rever, ential music without being affected. It is mightier and plainer than any spoken or printed word."' Rod a Rd Cd Sd R, CONRIED was quite breath fervor, but he stopped only for an instant. “That is ‘Parsifal’ is a success. When it was being rehearsed {t was difficult to get the stage hands to go on with thelr work—they were always stopping to listen, Ifelt then that ‘Par- sifal’ would be a success in America, ‘These men,’ I said tg myself as I watched them, ‘are a part of the masses. And if workmen are impressed by this music, what will be it; effect upon the more intellectual people of New York?" "” Mr. Conried related a somewhat similar inci- dent. 4 “once,” he said, ‘when I was rehearsing a play for production at the Irving Place Theatre one of the actors came to me and said; - “‘Why don’t you give up this play? worthless and will be afatiure’ It fa atre RES a resting on the edge of the pail, intently listening the history of the Irving Place Theatre.” to what the actors were saying. “*You are mistaken,’ I told him See how interested she is. ‘Look at that “Parsifal,”” Mr. “The play proved one of the most successful In “Ray Plan Who Sees ‘Varsifal’ and Then Calls It Jacriledious Is Insane’’=--}teinrich Conried. WY =<S Ye Copried Pee LTS ge(zas} ; LHS Farsifal fetive: Rober R) Conners 14% Strect, to give ten performances in the event of the pro« duction being a success. But | announced five per- formances, for the reason that if ‘Parsifal’ were a failure I could easily stop with the fifth per | formance. I have now fixed definitely the number of performances at ten. I can't very well giva | more, for the reason that but nine Thursdays re- | main of the New York season.’ “And will 'Parsifal’ be given in other cities?” “Oh, no;"" was the decisiye answer. ‘It is too large a production to take on the road, and RE will be ten New York performances of | then”’— Conried informed me | “You have changed, then, your first purpose to «W_well, {t would be hardly | give but five performances?” the explained, “it was my original plan! CHARLES DARNTON. He caught himeelf. “What?” he thing to dp." hat? ‘Now, what did he mean ery for American plays will beya succes’ that everybody two Instances next i stage debut in the role of a maid.’ tre, sing “Fau! je role ot Taracl Zang: |} Care (nis which wil | temating as Marguerit, Francis: J. eu ny ine ymore, Lucille Watson. Georgia Mendum The other Ameri and written by Augustus nomas, will be offered at the Criterion heatre on ‘Tuesday evi atmosphere which promisesto be He will take us into a New York} 4 department store, and seek to show that tow ¥ a comedy of New York life, the scenes such an establishment has its romanttc|o¢ which are Inid in the Fifth avenue home of a broker. The action transpires in less than twelve hours, beginning with a dinner in ¢he evening and ending In he ‘breakfast-room next morning. The centres about the friend@hip of two girs—one beauttful, impulsive and 4, the other’ thoughtful and h to take upon herself and returning, educated | a ight by the now famous lay ends happily. play the com and other parts will be taken by Ada For Over Twenty Years Dwyer, Ida Lewis, Laura Ho) Tews, Pattison Selten, the Misses Frank Doane and Herbert oe | | , Ethel Barrymore, in “Cousin Kate,’ comes to Daly’s on Monday night for} Have Been the atweek, Churles Frohman, on the Mon- | day following, produ ne ey FAVORITE HOME DYE3 “or Brandon ‘Tynage | They are Guaranteed to Mave as well as its commercial side. the floorwalker, 1s in love with Connie Bowles, a saleswoman, but Con nie hates the very floor he walks on. Clarita de Baxter, once a saleslady, but comes in with a nice cloak, and he, be now a soubratte, young man to bu ing the “ange Ukes Connie's that he engages her for a part in th falls in dove with him, but supplants the comedy-opera, A new production of cppagiie ingmmaay Reters, Pa" ns | EAST AND DURABLE COLORS Tyeatre on. Manda) We have a special department of a and not only wins him, Clarita as the star 1s shown rehearsing on the Savoy Theatre, and when Mr. m. ne theatre, Is required up and resigns, Henry W. Savage's y will, at W 5 rs = B 5 ~ who will make her o American Plays and One by Israel Zangwill. y. Thur Fy matinees, Rennyson al- "on M and Saturd ought to be, well! se tre-on Mone | Boylo and Harrison W. Bennett, ss ratrong. sympa: | M a Pietro Gaerardi as er of the will be sung Of a abused Gon: |" Wednesday and Friday eveo~ > y, who learns [0 | Saturday matinee, with hose boots she | 3 and Miss Brooks pee tt when she comes he role of Leonora, Miss Lyell! a and Mr. Sheehan as Mfr six years later, Is om- | = — rt Conness and Sarah | anawer {ree any Qu ng roles, ; | About dyeing. Send. samples. of ° tion ‘boaalble,/ ‘Direction Book | AMON lish grand a t End Thea- 7 Amusements. WALLACK’S * The Funnteat Play in Town,—Times. COUNTY Special Notices ohn's. Medicine 1s the baat Quaint Comedy, CHAIRMAN. Matinees Wea »_ New Year's and Sat. 14th St. Theatre ROBERT B. MANTEL in TUE CORSICAN BROTHE: ROBERT EMMET ee B HALF MUMAN, HALF MONKEY Amusements. Valeneita's Perforining SIN Ay. “ALABAMA NEW EMPIRE SEARS", LAST TWO WEFKS. B Maude Adams ath EXTRA MATINEE NEW LYCEUM Wm. 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