Thematic guide through the music of Parsifal. With a preface upon the legendary material of the Wagnerian drama

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Thematic auide throuah the inusic of Pars

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THEMATIC GUIDE

THROUGH THE MUSIC

OF

PARSIFAL

WITH A PREFACE UPON THE LEGENDARY
MATERIAL OF THE WAGNERIAN DRAMA

BY

HANS VON WOLZOGEN.

TRANSLATED
BY

E. C. CARRICK.

LEIPZIG

FEODOR REINBOTH.

NEW YORK
COPYRIGHT BY G. SCHiRMER.

A Preface npon the Subject Matter of the
Music Drama Tarsifal".

Because the dramas of Eichard Wagner dealt with
early Germanic or mediaeval legends, critics generally have
committed the mistake of judging them according to the
standard of the existing old German poems upon which
these legends were founded. For "Tristan", they have cited
the Epic of Gottfried von Strassfeurg; for the "Eing of the
Mbelungen", the Nibelungenlieder. Those, who perceived
-that Wagner's Nibelungen poetry had little in common with
the Nibelungenlieder brought forward instead, the Edda-
Lieder, and treated the new drama as a dramatized form of
these old Skaldic poems; thus our poet has been reproached
for leaving German soil in order to bring his subject matter
from a foreign land.

This is incorrect and very foolish. Wagner's subject
matter is much older than these confused, fragmentary,
Skaldic settings of old beliefs and legendary recollections;
not to speak of the epic arrangements of the 13* century.
Their characteristic features were first brought to Europe
by ^ryan races from Asia, and since then with constant
changes and condensations have passed into the possession
of the Germanic races, especially the German people.

The Eddalieder, in so far as they treat of the Siegfried
legend, are German, but outside of this they are Celtic-
French, as are also Tristan and Parsifal, whose hidden
subject matter, so universally human, was first brought to
its ftiU ethical realization by German poetry, and thus became
the possession of the German people. But the legendary lore
distributed among the nations of WesternrEurope was origin-
ally in possession of the Aryan-Germanic tribes; and every
German poet who has since then seized upon this subject
matter and treated it as if it were the original poetical out-

— 4 —

pourings of our own peculiar national feelings, only made
it more than ever our own. When his efforts were in any
marked degree successful, he had provided us with what
was not only a new, and in itself perfect form of the old
matter, but at the same time with an enlargement and
explanation of its original, spiritual and moral contents.
Both were dependent on the poet's own idiosyncrasies and
particular school of art, and these again were determined
by the times in which he wrote. The singers of the middle
ages created epics expressing only the spirit of those ages,
and it never occurred to the poets of later times to
present these same works, perfect in their own style, in a
modified form as expressing the spirit of another age.
Therefore it was folly to suppose that by simply taking the
leadiiig characteristics of the epic and putting them in
dramatic form that one would create a real Tristan or
Nibelungen drama which would satisfy the demands of a
modern world. Well might the public assume an unsym-
pathetic attitude towards such a piece of literary trickery.

We can not arrive at a perfect realization of the old
subject matter by an outward change of form, nor by a
mere sketch of the contents even when put into the best
poetical setting. "Daily' it must be „conquered" anew; and
such a conquest Wagner made when he adapted this old
material to the new musical drama and made it appeal to
the sympathy of a generation elevated and refined by works
of art. It was necessary to bring out the fundamental and
universally human element contained in this much changed
and ever altering legendary world. But then, it had to be
worked out and put into a form suited to the knowledge
and view of the world of the national spirit which had in
the meantime developed — a form, engendered by this same
spirit, which was destined to furnish him with a pure and
"stylvollen" mode of expression.

Inspired by such a desire the Singer of the "Niebe-
lungenUed' wrote in an entirely new form according to the
"epos" of that time the old legendary material with the
power and individuality of the at that time Christian Ger-
man spirit. The more the national spirit outgi-ew its histo-

— 5 —

rical garments the nearer it approached the Universally
human element in the material and thereby arrived at art
in its purest form: what exists today in this national spirit,
first as purely German, then as that deeply rooted, sym-
pathetic, life consciousness common to humanity, and lastly
as a' tendency to artistic ideatity, was concentrated in the per-
sonality of a tragic poet, the bi-eath of whose creations was
music; and this personality embodied the developed national
spirit in a corresponding but new form of the old material.

Because music the most highly developed artistic mode
of expressing the true German spirit was given him as
his mother tongue, Wagner was able, even in these modern
days, to reanimate the old material; this we perceive at every
good performance of his works. The high ideality of the
subject allowed him to take as the basis of his creative
fancy, not only the heathen mythology — to which it ori-
ginally belonged, — that is to say, those heroic pictures as
portrayed in the national poetry of old Germany — but also
the realm of the highest Christian ideality as symbolized in
the Grail. But had we not music from Bach to Beethoven
this ideal would have remained unknown to us, as it re-
mained partly unknown to those singers of the Nibelungenlied
who had only words at their command. German music in
its sphere has realized for us that for off ideal, and made
it a familiar sublime reality. In the musical drama the
gods and goddesses of those ancient days an endowed with
Ufe as being splendidly typical of those passions and thoughts
which are in reality the fundamental supports of all poetic
material; and the heavenly, for oflf sublimity of the God
created Christ man as portrayed in the legend of the Grail
(since the time of Wolfram von Eschenbach inseperable from
the subject matter of Parsifal) becomes also a reality.

Wolfram was not the first writer who infused the reli-
gious spirit into the legend, — the combination of the heroic
Parsifal with the religious Grail Saga already existed
and had been achieved in the poems of Chretiens de
Troyes — ; but in Wolfram the spirit of the Grail legend
pervades the whole poem with so much sacredness that we
here first recognize the full significance of the combination.

„ 6 —

But we can by no means take Wolfram as a standard for all
time, his writings bear throiighout the mark of their own
day: his GraU chivalry is the "ecclesia militans" glowing
with all the splendor of the chivalry of the Middle ages,
his Christian spirit is the spirit of the church of his day,
even although the poet displayed it with so much individual
force. A writer after the time of Wolfram would not dare
to seperate Parsifal from the GraU, he would also need to
portray in the GraU the essence of deepest religion as it
is understood by a true Christian soul of our own day, who
has by spiritual strength arrived at an advanced stage of
religious development. Whatever was of value to the new
musical drama in the religious ideal found in Wolfram's
poems, or in any other settings of the old substance,
Wagner added to the structure of his religious tragedy,
now perfectly created and called a Sacred Drama.

The seperate parts of the legend we shall now shortly
consider, especially as they form the leading characteristics of
the music drama vrith which this work has to do.

The Grail

refers to that holy vessel spoken of in the oldest legends of
the Aryan people wherein was contained the divine drink,
that intoxicating result of ancient culture, that spiritualized
product of nature. They believed that by partaking of Soma,
Hoama, Wine, Mead they received the spirit of God. Inward
elevation, purification, and strength to serve their God bound
the partakers together in a mysterious holy brotherhood:
especially so in Eleusis, where Demeter and Dionysos were
partaken of in bread and wine. This is the prototype of
the Christian sacrament. The Celts in the British Isles also
ascribed a holy vessel to Ceridwen, their Ceres, or Demeter.
In a later legend after the Christian era it appears as a
charger in which lies a bloody head. The blood of their God,
(like the torn body of Dionysos Zagreus among the Greeks,)
assumed here in the North a material shape for which the

— 7 —

legend of John the Baptist may have served as a model.
This legend, (given by the so called Mabinogi MS. of the
14*'' century) is that of Peredur, which corresponds exactly
with the story of the French Perceval. No matter whether
the origin be Celtic or French, at any rate we first find
in France the appelation "Grail* and the story that this was
the holy vessel used at the Last Supper. This holy vessel
(with the the Patena) was given by the Saviour to Joseph
of Arimathea — who caught therein the blood of the Cru-
cified One — that it might preserve his life in prison till
Titus released him, and was baptised by him. In Titus we
find the first traces of the Titurel who afterwards appears
in the GraU. We hear of this holy vessel in the 'Perceval
le Galois' or "Comtes de Graals' of Chretiens of Troyes
(t 1190) as a holy,purifying heirloom inherited from Joseph
by the kindred of Perceval. In the poems of Wolfram who
wrote in 1210 in the same style, there suddenly appears,
instead of the vessel, a stone which was brought to earth
by the heavenly hosts and was in the keeping of the
"Templeisen", the holy knighthood of Titurel who lived on
Monsalvatsch, a sacred mountain, inaccessable to sinners.
Receiving every Good Friday from the consecrated bread
given them by the holy dove, new power to work miracles,
we find in this knighthood of Wolfram, a manifestation of
divine nature, with direct allusion to the Last Supper and
death of Christ. Wolfram ascribed the tradition cf the stone
to the poet Kiot, on the authority of Telegetanus (which
means in Arab, astronomer) a half Jewish Spanish -Arabian,
— this points to Oriental astrology. At one time in Spain
the Christians under PelayO fled before the Moors and
retreated into the mountains in the North taking with them
the sacred reUc; undoubtedly this event offered a splendid
opportunity for the formation of such a body as the

Grail Enighthood.

These, taking their ideal from a religious knighthood in
the Middle ages, represented the ancient mystic brotherhood.
We find in these knights, (called Templeisen by Wolfram)

— 8 —

many points of resemblance to the Templars mentioned
in the old Grallic legend of 'the head in the charger." They
were specially represented in Northern Spain as successors of
the Gothic opposers of Paganism, The Templeisen were fed
and strengthened by the Grail; from afar they heard the
cry of suffering and went forth into the world to shield the
innocent and punish the guilty. The names of those chosen
were inscribed on the Grail. These were the knightly em-
bodiment on earth of divine love. In all their legends we
read that they bore besides the Grail, as a symbol of
Knighthood,

The Bloody Lance.

Although Mabinogi did not recognize in this, a relic
of Christ, Chretiens of Troyes, on the other hand, identifies
it with the spear of Longinus which pierced the side of the
Holy One. In Wolfram's writings aU trace of this signi-
fication is lost: the bloody spear which was greeted with
loud lamentations by the Knights of the Grail when carried
round their hall, was a poisoned weapon with which a Pagan,
while struggling to gain possession of the GraU, gave Titu-
rel's successor, Amfortas, King of the GraU, who was
engaged in a love intrigue, an incurable wound. This Am-
fortas is

The Infirm Sing

who appears in all the legends. Mabinogi represents him as
a lame old man, Peredur's uncle; but in this narrative his
infirmity has little connection with the story; the lance and
bloody head here introduced have reference to the murder
of Peredur's father, and the object of the hero's life is to
avenge his death. In Chretiens' writings the infirm king
(Le roi pecheur) is the king of the Grail; Wolfram mentions
the name Amfortas which signifies weak or suffering but
also speaks of his white haired grandfather Titurel who was
represented as confined to bed in the Grail mountain. The
figure of Amfortas represents, in the knighthood. Suffering
incurred by sin. The offence was sensuality, a transgression
against the laws of the holy order; the spirit of Paganism

which is the embodiment of sensuality inflicted the punishment.
In both versions salvation is to be brought by a promised
knight who will come and "question". This knight is the
hero of the united Grail and Parsifal legends:

Peredur - Perceval - Parzival - Parsifal.

He is so far the antitype of Lohengrin, for we see in
the latter the knight who went forth to save, whereas
Parsifal only sought and asked for the Grail — or wandered
without asking. The ideal longing to possess the Grail (which
must forever be hidden from sinners) is the highest ambition
of holy knighthood; it is the ideal striven for in lifes battle,
manifested in the death of Christ, represented and partaken
of in the Sacranient of Faith. —

The Gallic name Peredur is explained by "Per-gedur"
which means "the cup seeker". On French soil the hero
is first heard of as 'the seeker for the Grail". To
derive the name Parzival from the Gallic "Per-kyfaill" was
even more harzardous than to explain it, as GSrret did, by
the Arabian "Parseh-Fal", which means "the pure, simple
one" (der reine Thor). As such he was now to be represented
in all legends. For by purity and simplicity salvation was
to be brought. The stories of the hero's childhood as told
by Mabinogi agree with the later representations of Chretiens
and Wolfram. Fatherless, he was brought up in solitude by
his mother. The ignorant boy was tempted to go forth into
the world by a vision of knights; according to Chretiens
he went forth in a peasant's dress and according to Wolfram's
in a fool's. The latter calls him "der tumbe Mare" and also
"der reine Thor", son of Gamuret and Herzeloyde a descendant
of the house of Anjou. Mabinogi relates that after many
foolish adventures he comes to the castle of his lame uncle
but did not ask the signification of the bloody lance and
the head. According to Chretiens and Wolfram he arrives
at the mountain of the Grail where it has already been
announced that he by his question wUl heal the infirmity
of the king. But the simple one does not ask the question.
Once more he returns to the world in search of knightly
adventure. There the curse of this sin of omission overtakes

— 10 —

him, according to Mabinogi as a wild dark haired maiden,
according to Chretiens as "la demoiselle" according to Wolf-
ram as 'Kondrie la sorcifere', the witch, also a messenger
of the graU. Now he must wander and seek until he finds
again that Castle Wonderful. And he meets a holy or
repentant knight who in all accounts reproves him for
carrying arms on Good Friday. According to Chretiens and
Wolfram the hermit knight gave no further information
regarding the GrraU. Mabinogi makes the entertainer of
Peredur a hermit; whUe Chretiens and Wolfram represent
him as a former teacher of knightly virtue, named Gurnemans
and also as one who later giver information concerning the
Grail (Wolfram's Trevrezent). At last the seeker finds the
castle; according to Mabinogi he revenges his Mher's death,
according to Chretiens he mends a broken sword and cures
the king by asking for the, lance and Grail, according to
Wolfram the cure is wrought by asking the question 'What
aOs thee, uncle?" He reigns as king in his stead.

Wagner s Parsifal.

The simple story which Wagner tells contains all
the leading characteristics of this legendary material. He
is the pure, simple one, the posthumous son of Gamuret
and Herzeleide, who tempted by a vision of knights
leaves the solitude of the forest and goes forth into the
world. By foolishly slaying an animal, he accidentally dis-
covers the kingdom of the Grail. The suffering of king
Amfortas is the result of a struggle with Klingsor, the
representative of Paganism (this is the famous sorcerer we
read of in all German fables) and this also while engaged in
a love intrigue. The lance is the sacred spear of Longinus;
the king goes forth to battle bearing the holy relic; Kundry
who is in the power of Klingsor, clasps him in her arms;
Klingsor robs him of the sacred spear and wounds him;
only by the touch of the spear can he be healed (Wolfram
talks of the wound being "cooled" by the spear). But the
spear can only be regained from Klingsor by the "pure,
simple one" (der Reine Thor) promised in the writing on the
Grail, who will preserve his purity when brought in contact

— 11 —

with sin; this can only happen when he has the strength
given to him by consciousness of Amfortas' sin, and this
consciousness can only be gained by the deepest sympathy
with the sufferer. So runs the writing of the Grail:

•Made wise by pity
This fool wiU be.
Wait for him
Chosen by me."

Thus the epic "question' becomes a dramatic motive. According
to "Wolfram the question was superfluous because Parzival
knew the answer before he asked it but in the epic it
represents the pity he felt for the king and thus symbolizes
the deed of mercy incumbent on the hero. This deed of
mercy according to Wagners is quite dramatic and takes
the form of action, namely: he must regain the spear,
instead of merely asking a question: he must touch the
wound with the spear he has regained, as a healing act of
knowledge born of pity. Gurnemanz the armorer of the
knighthood (in whose person we find imited in the drama
both hermit and knight, two distinct charaetersin the epic)
believes that this simple one who has so miraculously dis-
covered the kingdom of the Grail, is the promised one and
leads him to the feast of love in the castle. But alt-
hough filled with unknown pain — Parsifal feUs to understand
the suffering of the king. Once more he is cast forth into
the world of folly and wickedness and in the magic garden
of Kllingsor he is brought in contact with sin. But even in
the very arms of Kundry he withstands temptation, for now,
when tempted himself, he remembers the sufferings of Am-
fortas and awakes to a full understanding of their sinful
significance. Now grown wise by true sympathy he wins
the spear from the destroying hand of the mighty sorcerer.
But because of Kundry's curse he is compelled to wander
for many a long day. With no power save his own he
must now guard and preserve the sacred relic, the knowledge
of sin and suffering, amidst the dangers and animosities of
the world, in many a hard battle; then only will he find
again the way to the Grail. On Good Friday he reaches the

— 12 —

sacred kingdom, the weapons of worldly warfare must be laid
aside on the day of redemption; and with the sacred and
now purified spear he heals, in the sanctuary, the sinner's
wound. He reigns as king.

Wagner's Grail.

The Grail as also the spear has its full religious
significance. Both symbol's are represented as having been
brought (like Wolfram's stone) to earth by the heavenly
hosts and delivered into the keeping of Titurel who buUt
For them a sanctuary ("which no sinner findeth") on a
mountain in the North of Spain that refuge in ancient days
for the pure faith. This account agrees also with that of
Albrecht von Scharffenberg (Wolfram's successor) the writer
of "jiingeren Titurel" (1270); but while in his writings
everything served to epically display the glories of chivalry,
in Wagner's narrative there is a deep religious meaning and
it is pervaded throughout by the spirit of the Christian
Sacrament, the Last Supper and death of Christ. This is
portrayed by the participation in the Communion by the
pure and holy of the order, whereby after having partaken
of the actual blood and body of Christ they are filled with
His spirit and go forth to fight in the cause of justice and
innocence, showing forth heavenly love by deeds of mercy
on earth. Because of Amfortas' sincaused wound, the
Holy One himself must suffer and go forth into the world
of sin that he may care for sinners. But the Godlike power
which springs from knowledge bom of pity frees him from
the sorrows of human sin and brings "Salvation to the
Saviour." Having thus hallowed the legend which refers on
the one hand to the oldest significance — mystery — and
on the other to the ideal conception which made the
Christian hope of salvation a possibility, the dramatic con-
trast to Christianity (as embodied in the knighthood of the
Grail) could only be found in Paganism. This contrast was
already shadowed forth but not fully developed, especially
in the larger epic poems. The chivalric epics have repre-
sented much more the famous knighthood of the Bound
Table than that of the Grail. In all legendary poems beginning

— 13 —

with those of Mahinogi, Parsifal is said to have joined the
court of King Arthur. Wolfram made much more of the
contrast; at Arthur's court amidst the highest knightly splendor
in the world the curse of the messengers of the Grail
(Kundry) falls upon him; and when he returns penitent to
this same court she tells him that he is free from the
curse. This legend of the court of King Arthur, an ima-
ginary picture peculiar to the Middle ages, could not be used
in constructing a religious drama in our own days; its
whole character is that of the chivalric Epos, which existed
(even with Wolfram) on the numerous adventures of Arthur's
Knights. Its association with the legends of the GraU and
Parsifal was unnatural and merely external, caused by the
ever increasing need of the greedy epic for new material.
The proper contrast to the Grail is found in the „Chateau
merveil" the enchanted palace of the heathen Klingsor, which
in Wolfram's narrative forms merely an episode. Wolfram's
Master of the Mirror and of the Four hundred Captive
Maidens can be identified with

Wagner's Klingsor,
the unknown enemy of the GraU who wounded King Amfor-
tas. Besides Parsifal, who represents earthly chivalry, Wolfram
introduces, with Klingsor and his confederate Orgeleuse, Gawan
and many names of magic flowers and wreaths, mystically
symbolic, which are also to be found in the account of the
Grailking's love intrigue. Wagner utilized every thing which
might have reference to his hero Parsifal who is even men-
tioned by Wolfram as a predecessor of Gawan rejecting the
love of Orgeleuse. He gave to the pure one, cast forth by sin
into the world to wander and seek, a simple and dramatic form
which yet coincides in every particular with the descriptions
given in all kindred legends. Orgeleuse, the temptress, he
identifies with Kundry the messenger of the Grail, who cursed
Parsifal, and with the mistress of Klingsor's flower spirits.

Wagner's Kundry.
This is the most interesting of all the character creations
the poet undertook for his drama. In this figure are com-
bined nearly all the varied and seperate personifications of

— li-
the womanly element, which were to be found in the epic
settings of these legends. All these women had their origin
in one mythical image, namely, in the Germanic Walkure,
and farther in the many multiplied forms of the mothers
and wives of the Gods. Kundry is depicted in all the legends
as having this WaUnire nature, and therefore she is at one
time represented as malevolent, at another helpful, and again
saving. Thus she represents the two sides of woman's character
as we find it delineated in these fighting, slaying, protecting,
beneficent, mythical WaUmi-e. In all the legends she first
curses the hero and then removes the curse or helps him by
telling him his fault, thus she (as in Mabinogi) appears
transformed to a beautiful youth. This two sided character
with its mythological foundation Wagner condensed for
dramatic purposes; he further identifies her with the Herodias
of the German legend. Herodias is also a WaUnrre figure, a
Frau Hero or Herke — an everlastingly restless spirit that
wanders to and fro on the earth; and here we find her
likeness to Kundry, the wild horse woman of the Grail, whose
Northern name, Gundryggia, is to be found every where
in the Eddalieder as personifying the Walkure or fighting
spirit. It was said that Herodias laughed as she bore the
head of John the Baptist in a charger, and the bloody head
blowing upon her, she was doomed from that time to wander.
So she became a feminine Ahasverus, consort of the wild
hunter Hackelberg, which means "mantel bearer", "Wodan"
asgod of storm and death. In Wagner's narrative this
demoniacal partnership is formed between Kundry and the
sorcerer Klingsor, the Gallic equivalent to whose name is
Gwyddao, Gwodan, Wodan. As in the Gallic legend the
bloody head was symbolic of the suffering Saviour himself,
so Wagner's Kundry laughed not at the bleeding head of
John the Baptist but at the cross bearing Christ: she
encountered his gaze and was doomed thenceforth to laugh,
and wander through the world trying to find the Saviour,
who by love could free her from the curse. She shows her
penitence by good deeds, and serves the GraU: but the
curse of her sin urges her ever anew to evU. Klingsor the
representative of Heathendom and the sworn enemy of Christ

— 15 —

who is alone safe from her alluring wiles by reason of his
own wicked deeds, has power over her while she is lying
in the charmed slumber of weariness. He compels her
to serve him by assuming a beautiful form, woman's most
dangerous and alluring side, which gives passion power
whereby she works destruction to the knights of the GraU.
She has corrupted Amfortas; but Parsifal the pure one
resists her temptations. Impelled by her hopeless longing
for salvation through love, the unhappy one seeks to find this
saving, Godlike love, which her fallen nature craves, in
the sinful passion awakened by her devilish beauty. Only
one, Parsifal, grown wise by true love bom of pity under-
stands the mad foUy of this course and tears himself from
her embraces. She being thus repulsed curses him; but the
victory of purity has deprived Klingsor of his power, the
spear is now in Parsifal's hand. Freed from her demoniacal
master, and humbly penitent, Kundry enters the service of
the GraU; after Parsifal returns to the sacred kingdom, the
ever laughing one weeps when she receives the blessing of
baptism from the hands of the new king. Thus salvationis ex-
tended to the sinning woman. Eedeemed, and filled with the
radiance of God's grace, she dies; but the redeemed knighthood
strengthened anew by the light of the revealed Grail, continue to
perform deeds of Christ like pity and mercy in the service of the
sanctuary of Godly love, now freed from the suffering of sin.

The Object of my Guide.

I have already spoken of the 'motive' in a long intro-
duction to my commentary on the 'motive" of the 'Gotter-
dammemng' (Mus. Wochenblatt 1877, No 8 and 9), also in
the preface to the fourth, enlarged edition of my guide to
the 'Ring of the Nibelungen", and lastly with the greatest
possible brevity in my guide to "Tristan" (Leipsic, Senf) in
the chapter on music. I do not wish to repeat here what
has been so often said before, but only to remark that it
treats of musical themes commonly called 'motives' which
form the basis of both symphonic and dramatic phrases. On
the one side they are worked out according to the external.

— 16 —

but still in regard to style, well established laws of symmetry,
contrast, change, repetition — on the other, according to
the inner laws of the drama, they are interwoven, assimilated
and much varied. While their discovery is the marvelous
work of genius the true artist appears in their further
musical development.. In compositions in the musical dramatic
style, the creative power must of necessity be animatedly sustai-
ned throughout; it is not sufficient to erect a structure of artistic
beauty alone; the music tone should follow the most subtle
motions, shades, moods, and feelings of the poem. The
development of the themes should be a musical reflection of
the dramatic movement; that is to say, it should portray the
inner spiritual power of the poetical situations and motives.
To discover how an artist rythmically and musicaUy
employs and varies his themes, how he works them out in a
new style and adapts them to longer pieces or shorter figures, is
very interesting to the musician, without any special reference
to the drama as such. I have not written this work for the
musicians, they must treat Wagner's compositions from their
own special standpoint. I can tell them nothing in their field
which they do not already know better than I, and to dis-
course thus would not assist the unprofessionals ; these are in my
position, they are not professional musicans. But just for them
I have written these guides in order to give them a general
idea of Wagner's style of organizing, and of the harmony
existing in his works between the musical and the poetic
motives. I have heard that many have had to thank a
previous acquaintance with my writings for a true enjoyment
of Wagner's works. I do not at all claim that my works give
enjoyment. Music acts directly on the feelings and no kind of
reflection can ever supply the place of this receptive element.
But the path to feeling is less free than is commonly
supposed. So it sometimes happens that too great ignorance
regarding the poetry which gives expression to the music, or
prejudice arising from a false conception of the meaning, or
musical ideas limited to old forms, hinders and interferes
with the direct action of the music. An earnest perusal of
these remarks may among other things help to counteract such
predispositions; on the other hand I believe that they will

— 17 —

serve as a help to a better understanding of the direct action
of the artistic object. Even this may be of some use.

One word more! I must adopt my method of giving
distinctive names to those themes which I desire to make
prominent and impress upon the memory. This is often
difficult and can never be wholly successful, since the musi-
cal soul of a motive cannot be perfectly grasped. My names
are only of value as marks of recognition, others may choose
entirely different and better names than I. The baptismal
ceremony cannot be dispensed with when we desire to speak
of motives which are not confined to any single part of the
symphonic movement, and could not therefore be expressed
by numbers. This was proved to me by an amusing expe-
rience of recent date : even before the publication of the piano
arrangement there appeared in the "Berliner Musik Welt'
several rather hasty and superficial articles on the subject,
and the author of them, for fear he should be thought a
seeker of musical guides, addressed a few energetic words of
protest against my particular kind of work, and closed in
the following remarkable manner:

'If I give names to motives, it is not that I intend
to adopt a bad habit, but because I wish to make more
prominent and intelligible certain salient points whose
meaning is obvious."

Consequently he makes use of the following: the Bell
motive, the Swan motive, the Klingsor motive, the Magic
motive, the Grail motive, the Spiritual motive, the motive
of the Last Supper, the Eedemption motive, and the Triolen
motive of the flower girls, Parsifal's heroic motive, the Pain
motive of Amfortas, the Kundry motive, and the motive of
"the wandering Jewess". Accordingly I have thrust myself
into the danger of being accused of plagiarism by making
use of these designations, and holding fast to my "bad
habit' I write in the same ''unmannerly' style this my last
"thematic guide" — for:

the Music of "Parsifal".

■Wolzogen, Parsifal.

— 18 —

The Overture

leads us to the sanctuary of the Grail. We hear the solemn,
earnest melody, sung at the end of the first act during the love
feast of the Knights. They are not manifesting to the
world, as in Lohengrin, the power of the Grail, by coming
forth from a mysterious distance in knightly splendor to
render assistance; but the divine power of love and faith
which disclosing itself to the human heart can create from
believing souls a holy brotherhood fervent in the service of
God. The message of everlasting love, which had compassion
on mankind and offered itself up a sacrifice for their salva-
tion, sounds tenderly and lovingly through the perfect stillness,
with the intoned melody of the 'Speech at the feast of love",
(Liebesmahlspruch) (I 1.):

1.

I. Der Liebesmahl-Spruch.

a. (Schmerzensfigur.)

I

tei

^^

:pq=

fJ^F=^-^---^

m-

Nehmet Mn meinen Leib, nehmet bin mein Blut,
b. (Speermotiv.)

Amidst the soft tremolo harmonies of the string instru-
ments, the divine spirit of love enters the longing and
waiting hearts of the worshippers, and as though drawn
heavenward by these thriUings of the inmost soul, they repeat
the sacred words in gentle prayer. The second part of the
speech follows in the same manner (I. 2.):

— 19

^^

^Nrr^ J jyi ^^J^l^ 0=^

Nehmet hin mein Blat, nehmet Mn meinen Leib,

^'jj^JW jIjv iii'^i_j5'j. - B

aof dass ihr mein gedeakt.

The brotherhood of fsdth is now firmly united; and, as though
springing from the musical spirit of the speech, the sublime
form of the Grail appears with solemn splendor, in the
ascending figure of the true Grail motive (II):

n. Das Gralmotir.

(SpSbtere Sohlussform.)

^

^

I

-g^^

-a — ^-•-

^^

» • I

«==#:

=e

^

:St

Here the music, which hitherto appeared as though softly
borne from afar on ^gels* wings, reaches for the first time,
a forte, with which is introduced, triumphant and grand, the
third principal motive of the Grail — the "Faith" theme
(Glaubensthema) (m):

ni. Das Glaubensthema.

i

^

m

^^

*

^^

//

i

I— J ^^^ I -^ I

M > r ' y b^^-J-^i- ^4 ¥-r-^'-B^

P

fc^

^^ ^' ;i^ J .J-^

— 20 —

that lofty melody sung by the boys at the feast: 'Faith
lives! the dove doth hover, the Saviour's gracious messenger."
Here, introduced by the wind instruments, it resounds as a
call of faith to the whole knighthood in the service of holy
Love; when the Grail motive has once more gently ans-
wered its first appearance (which passes away diminuendo),
there begins, starting from p., and gradually increasing to
ff., a sublime play of its themes, passing with the different
instruments from high to low: a picture of the brotherhood
of mankind, which is repeated at the close of the first act,
when the knights after the Love feast solemnly embrace
one another. Dying away pp., the same theme is once
more heard from the heights in this glorious, universal
song, as if the blessing of Heaven was being given to the
divine union on earth; then it vanishes in a deep roll on
the kettle drum , as though a dark curtain of clouds was
drawn before this sublime picture of holy bliss. This
closes the first part of the overture.

Almost imperceptibly, with low groans, this ominous
roll changes from the fundamental tone of the overture
("oP") to a thrilling tremolo on the sixth and tonic
C/", av") and therewith is disclosed the other and worldly
side of the Grail, the picture of the sufferings of divine love
in the world and in the human heart. With the faU of
Amfortas, sin and want have entered the holy sanctury of
the Grail. But here in the overture the tones of suffering
may be taken in a more general sense. The holy one who
gave his body to be crucified as atonement for mankind,
dead and suffering in sin, is every day crucified anew in
the sinful human heart, and even the holy souls in that
faithful community are not free from the curse of an ever
renewed desire to sin. Thus the melody of the Liebesmahl-
spruch is now heard rising from the deep tremolo of the
basses, but breaks off almost immediately in its passionately
sorrowful middle phrase (I. 1. a) amidst a plaintive tremolo
on high notes whose sudden entrance makes it appear as if
the whole musical world were rent in twain by the dying
agonies of the crucified One. The middle movement is now
seperately and sighingly repeated. Twice the melody of the

— 21 —

Liebesmahlspruch. passes before us in different keys, in its
most sorrowful form, as if in renewed suffering, and the
third time having risen with each repetition a minor third higher
it appears in the sad key of "d" minor; its middle movement
is thrice repeated and is taken up by the instruments one
after another. It is as if we saw that pierced and bleeding
Christ, that supreme passion of pain, that grieving but still silent-
ly grieving One; then the closing movement (I. 1. b) joins in,
and after being three times interminglingly repeated passes
into the simple but impressive Elegiac figure (I. 1. c).
Already the idea of future solace is shadowed forth, and
appears as a Chant which afterwards forms a part of the
song sung by the youths at the feast. — "The sinful world
with a thousand pains etc" (XIV) Now the suffering is past
— only a few gentle sighs — the closing portion of the
Liebesmahlspruch is heard, then sinks into the depths: and,
depicting the blessed trust of the believer in the everlasting
love of God, which shall continue when sorrow and death
are no more, the first part of the Liebesmahlspruch with the
soft tremelo accompaniment (as at the beginning of the
overture) soars to the heights, like a ransomed soul to
heaven.

The First Act.

The first scene of the first act is divided into two parts,
rest and motion — events and narrative characteristically
mark the distinction.

L

The first scene discloses Gurnemanz and the armor bearers
silently engaged in their morning devotions; trumpets sound
the call to awake, and repeat the Grail motive of the
overture. Gurnemanz then calls upon the boys to arise
and their quick movements are accompanied by a drastic

— 22 —

variation upon the 'Faith" theme (Glauenstheinq, III, 1),
which like a tuneful spirit can by traced through all the
actions of this faithful knighthood; now in an abridged form
we hear the principal figure, with a martial and vigorous
developeflient which serves later on to portray the rash and
walike desires of Amfortas. Now it seems as if a strong hand
is put forth to q^ell the rising storm: "It is time now
to wait on the king" — this is sounded forth on the
languid tones of figure (IV), which afterwards in the form
of a Suffering motive accompanies the entrance of Amfortas
on a litter.

tt

mt.

^^m

ii^iz

j-'jtn

ai

:iliD

9-*

rV.AmfortaB' Leidensmotiv.

te

P^^^^

letc:

:5«to.:

^

^

^

J._ti

m

w^

^^

Here we see side by side the splendor and the sorrow
of the knighthood; the t^iird element — Hope enters
almost immediately in the harmonies of the "Speech of
Promise" (Verheissungssprvich) "of the pure, pimple one"
(V), which are united ^-o iJi the \yords of Gurnemanz

— 23 —

addressed to the knights who now appear on the scene:
•Fool's we, to hope for help from thence" and "only one can
help him, only one".

V. Der "Verheisnngsspruch (Thorenmotiv).

i

^iS

«

*

^

■ }. « g.

-^St-

r- ' r T ■'^H

Dnich Hit - leid wissend, der

rei-ne Thor:

r - i- f

^

=t

Der mit

leid - veil rei ne Thor:

s

Har-re sein,

i j.-ri>

den ich er - kort

ii^

?-^

Har re sein

Suddenly a motive belonging to the second part breaks
in, preceding the appearence of Kundry; amidst a rushing
unison of octaves the Wonder draws near; a stormy movement
— one might almost call it martial — springs forth from
below and rises chromatically with short vigorous leaps; having
reached a fortissimo the true characteristic Kundry njotive
(VH) rushes downward through four octaves: "There the wild
one leaps down' ! — What here signifies merely a downward
leaping is in reality the musical symbol of Kundry's curse
which follows her throughout the whole drama; it is a
m.ovement of the most passionate restlessness; thus the demon
of her sin pursues the unhappy one from world to world.
It also portrays her never ceasing demoniacal laughter, the
echo of her curse from her own bosom, so in this wondrous
legendary figure we have a perfect musical illustration of
the curse, and the accursed.

— 24 —
VI. Kundry's stiirmische Figur (»Rittmotiv<').

I

Ie

p

gg^^E^^^

9i=^

j^=^ -jv{j ^-{j

£^

sa^ffiS"^^^?

: etc

Vn. Kundrymotiv,

l-^

i

--P

^^iSi

^p^

^

-r

^ ^

i

9i=

|3^

P:^

it!t

^^0

^^^^^

— 25 —

Two short chord connections, gently clarified at the word
"Balsam" — and when Grurnemanz asks, "from whence hast
thou brought this?" a few uniformly descending thirds; this
depicts Kundry the "helpful" as we shall again find her in
the third act. But at the mention of "Arabia", the home
of her magic, the chromatic harmonies of the Magic motive
(Zaubermotiv) threaten softly in three long protracted tones
(s. IX), which are afterwards constantly associated with
"Kundry in Klingsor's service". So the image of this
strange woman passes fleetingly hut still characteristically
before us.

Again the "Suffering motive" (Leidensmotiv) of Am-
fortas rises before us, with its impressive, chord accompani-
ment. The sad procession draws near, with the king reclining
on his litter, and it is greeted by Gurnemanz with a touching,
and plaintive cry. At the words 'Lord of a victorious race",
a second variation on the 'Faith theme" (Grlaubensthema)
(III. 2.) is introduced.

in. 2.

i

^^

i

fi=^

^rJzrSg

Des sieg - reich-sten Ge-schlech - tes Herrn.

d:

db

^

Try

Vs-

This strain so full of blissful pride — is a reminiscence of
those never to be forgotten days when Titurel reigned, and
the pure relic was still unstained by sin. But immediately
with the words "to see him thus, the slave of his infirmity"
low tones, as if coming from the Liebesmahlsprueh, remind us
of the king's wounds and of the sufferings of the Holy One.
Here, there is silence for a short space; the litter is laid
down. With Amfortas song ("after nights of pain") there
is developed from the "suffering motive' (Leidensmotiv) a

ehanoiiig plaj of smpleiiiterniingling melodies: "morning glory
of the woods' wlri«ii we shall often meet later in the
'ilurmur of the woods' .das WaldeiT-anidien) (MIL).

i

TUL Das WaldesraascheiL

r- a — m ! —

V J J

m

fi=^

4 I.

We cannot stop lo consider here all the derails of die fDllow-
ing dialogue, e. g. . tie Grail moliTe and Kjingsor harmonies
accompanying the mention of Gawan's departure; but it is
worthj of notiee Thar the Word of Promise vTerheissnngs-
sprach ^^V is here used for the iirs: time in its fnll melody:
' grown wise through pity, the pure simple one' It appears
repeatedly throughout the scene, and indeed tintou^hout tiie
whole act, as a kind of refiBin at the end of each seperate
part. It now follows the entrance of the Grail messenger
iJCnndry'l into ihe dialogue, as it did above on the occasion
of Kundry's first conversadon with Gumemanz, but with her
fierce motiTe she breaks of further converse . and the kings
procession moTes on onee more towards tile ^aks, while
the "Leidensmouv' sinks down and passes into die "Wsides-
melodie'. Solitary and silent Kundry and Gumemanz remain
behind in the peaoefol srlade.

n.

The second part may be accounted epic, but observe
that here we do not treat of narrative aloae, Gumemans'
first three movements contain many short answers, which he
returns to the impetuous questions of the youths, (who
have drawn rear in reference to Kundry, and, without
relapsing into a pure narrative tone they lead tis to a better

— 27 —

understanding of that wondrous and ever present personality
in her three fold character of Grail messenger — the accursed
one -; — and the slave of Klingsor's magic.

The first lively movement of Gurnemanz, (with which —
when Kundry asks "are the animals here not holy' — the
GraU motive strangely and mysteriously harmonizes) contains,
whenever the name of the tempestuous, restless Grail mes-
senger is mentioned, figures which burst forth chromatically
and partake of the character of Kugdry's "Riding" (Eitt)
motive.

The second movement — an earnest, pensive contem-
plation of Kundry's strange and wondrous nature — makes
allusion to the origin of her curse — "the glance of the
Saviouir she mopked* — by the introduction of the Liebesmahl-
spruct, "to atone for the sins of her former life' which
passes into the "Kundry's laughing' motive (Lachende Kundry-
mptiv), and is followed by a repetition of the harmonies of the
"Verheissungsspruch" of the "simple one'. The accursed
woman longs for this meeting with the "simple one" who
will save her, and seeks herself by simple deeds to serve the
truth. Both movements close with sentences in rhyme whereby
.Gurnemanz with fatherly, kindly earnestness, brings within
his remarks the comprehension of the. boys; this speech is
heard in the second movement ("she does them good") in a
short variation of the "Glaubensthema".

The third movement ("yes — if she remained oft absent
from us" — ) the picture of Kundry in the service of
KJingspr, is slowly wrought put in the chromatically as-
cending and descending strains of the "Magic' motive, (Zauber-
motiv) (IX) whereby a mystic twilight is diffused over the
whole scene. Here the moyenient borders aga,in on the
narrative style but, immediately passes away in the personal-
agitaition of Gurnpmanz, if^hen he considers the sorrpw brought
by Klingspr to the knighthood. Thus the Magic motive
passes by a rapid crescendo intpa forte, out of which the Kundry
motive dashes downwards ("Thou thpre, from whence hast
thou roamed?') in a remarkable, chordlike form of the
"Zaubermptiv' ^r- "why dost thou not help us then?'

— 28 —
IX. Das Zaubermotiv.

-T— # 1 ! j I I .H ^tf-ta — ^1—

l=t.S5iii

iitese

■V.

\pp

r

^

i

9t^^Eg -tiki-%te^^^ i

'^ ,.

s

"I

&

etc.:

i

What follows is as a matter of fact a sad monologue
carried on by Gurnemanz, who is buried in thoughts of that
dreadful event, the wounding of his king: "Oh wounding,
wondrous, holy spear!" This sad cry is introduced by the
middle and concluding parts of the "Liebesmahlsspruch" which
struggles forth full of convulsive pain in a passionate
swelling tremolo. (Remark here, that more especially the
middle part of the "Spruch", — this plaintive movement
on the minor second (I. 1. a.), so erpressive of suffering,
— portrays the wound of the Saviour, and also the sin caused
wound of humanity, but the ascending concluding movement
(I. 1. b.) is used to represent the holy spear which inflicted
the wound). The exit of the king is accompanied by a
martial variation of the "Glaubensthema' (III. 2 + 1.), which
however, diminishing and retarding is lost in the harmonies
of the "Zaubermotiv": "a terribly beautiful woman charmed
him". These devilish strains are rent by the laugh of the
'Kundry motive", wrought up to a fortissimo, — "the
spear has pierced him" — followed by the "Pain part" of
the Liebesmahlsspruch, which, with the elegaic figure of the
close (I. 1. c.) and the broken plaintive "Endspruch" accom-
panies this powerfnlly dramatic movement. 'It is a wound
that ne'er will close". After Gurnemanz' conversation vdth
the messengers in reference to the kmg's condition, (during
which the "Waving of the woods" is heard again) Gurne-
manz repeats these words like a gentle despairing refrain.

— 29 —

After the youths question regarding Klingsor there follows
the really great narrative ("Titurelthe holy hero", Var. I of the
Faith Theme) a piece of music perfect in itself, as artistic
as it is effective, delineating chiefly, in a solemn and mysterious
manner the descent of the Grail, and the signs of purity — the
'Spear, and the Grail" — by means of a new angelic soaring
variation of the "Faith Theme" (III. 3. 'Before him bends
in solemn sacred night), whereat it is joined by the Liebes-
mahlsspruch, (through which the Grail motive sounds) with
a rythmical change of the Middle movement, leading later
to the gloomy Good Friday Motive ('There on the cross")
III. 3.

i

1^' ttj^ J.

-j-

M

f .\ ^ i-^

^=1

^^

\%

r-T"

ir

I

er Zen - gen - gii - ter h8ch

stes

Jt^

=g=

u

SL^

li^-

±

JWnnder-

gat,

das ga-ben sie in nn - se-res EOnigs Hnt

-b-S

^

?5=

iki

r

■bsr-

- bo-

1 ^

Now the Grail motive arises in all its majesty, depicting the
erection of the scantuary for "the holy relics' The sacred
ness of the Grail's splendour is here unfolded to us:
the motive goes on intensely and inwardly ascending resoun-
ding through the more confined ascending and descending
movements of the leading (Haupt) motive, typif3dng the
scearch of the chosen for the Grail 'bypaths no sinner findeth"

30 —

till the majestic words at the dose: 'the wondrous power of
the Grail to strengthen', when it once more appears dim. —
By way of contrast, the dark element of the heathen sorcerer
makes itself heard in a gloomy tremolo in the Bass. The
pleasure which he takes in working evU, lying in wait, ever
ready to corrupt, is expressed in the dosely related Kbng-
sor motive (X) and Magic motive vIS'i. in which strains
from the Flowermaiden scene in the second act intermingle.
Ktmdry's Laughing motive ("to evil pleasture" etc.) is not
wanting in this devilish combination of hate, corruption,
and destruction. The Klingsor motive dies away pp.. and
the Grail motive rises anew: '•When Titurel now gives the
kingdom to his son' , but a violent impetuous figure, from
the martially extended Faith theme leads to Amfortas suffeiing,
and combines again the close (Sehluss) of the narrative with
the previous memories of Gurnemanz. And although this
is a reversion of the course of events it dramatically influ-
ences the epic character of the situation. The Spear motive
— for so we must here name the closing movement of the
Liebesmahlsspmch — falls before the power of the Kundry
motive, and the Klingsor motive is repeated continually.
Magic has won the day, the Spear is in Klingsor's possession,
and his motive continues in the ascendency during the
whole part.

5. Das Klina;sormotiv.

^

=^

^P

f^

~^P$

tl*-

f^-^"^

Again there enters, as a closing word to this great narrative,
the short solemn passage from the prayer of Amfortas;
the Suffering figure of the 'Liebesmahlsspruch" expresses its
fervour; mystically floating GraD. harmonies cause the "holy
dream face' to rise up before him, that 'speaks to him

— SI —

distlnetly". At ffiis point the taelody of the LiehesmaMs-
spritch heiard in its' fullest significance, but sinking anon to a
pianissimo introduces the "Verheissungssp'ruch" of the "pure,
sinijjle one" Whicih here appears in full. This motive Brings
the iifst scene to a close.

The second scene of the first act shows us Parsifal in
the Mrigdoin of the Grail, then the ^anora'ma and the "feast
of love'.

I.

The boys are repeating softly in qiiartett the vfonderfiil
words of the Verheissuiigsspruch, but before they reach the
end, a quivering sound, as of an arrow in its flight, breaks
in upon the music — it is the beginning of the Parsifal
motive (XI) The wildest commotion arises. The "Swan"
moiave of Lohengrin, like the rushing of wings wildly
trerhbling and fluttering, sends forth from far and near
confused terrified cries. Just as the ' confusion , reaches a
climax Parsifal appears with his exulting ery: 'Truly I shoot
what flies, upon the wing!" — and his own original motive
sweeps along, for the first time complete, full of heroic
pleasure.

XI. Das Parsifalmotiv.
I

^^^^ m^£i : ^

^

£fce

m

^n rg-r

■ ^ ^ TLTZ

feH ^-J^

-»Hr-

w T3

-Z?-i

32

But this jubilant outbreak of youthful arrogance is almost
immediately silenced by the beautiful and impressive admo-
nition of Gumemanz.

The peaceful stillness of the forest filled with the gentle
twittering of birds (Forest melody), the joyous flight over the
waves of the holy sea (Swan harmonies), the broken, im-
pressive representation of the death of the swan, (ushered in
by the elegaic Schluss of the "Liebesmahlsspruch", taken out
of the Parsifal motive) — the language of music such as
this had the power to work a mighty transformation in
the heart of the guileless boy, and intensely agitated he
breaks and throws away his bow and arrow. Here his own
vigorous motive is heard ending with a cry of divine
pity. Pity has entered the heart of the ignorant one, and
his motive, which has formerly sprung forth so boldly
sounds softly and timidly, as though inquiring, and accom-
panies in the following dialogue, with gentle awe, the questions
and the ever resounding answer 'I know not". When he
fails to remember the many names by which his mother
called him, the Herzeleid motive (XII) sounds very sadly.

XII. Das Herzeleidmotiv.

i

^^

¥

^==t

s?T3??s*'T=e*=*r*=5*^

fe"-

This first part of the dialogue is brought to a close by a
little orchestral movement; the youths return once more to the
king's bath, and some reverently carry away the dead swan;
here the "Swan motive" forms a plaiative echo to "Suffering
melody" of the King's march.

The second part of the dialogue is worked out in an
animated manner. Immediately following the dreamy me-
lodious portrayal of his awakened memories in reference to
his mother, Parsifal breaks forth with childih glee into his
former motive: "In forests and meadows wild we were at
home".

— 33 —

This chaxaeter of a youthful, unfettered, adventurous
life is continued throughout the whole dialogue, ia -which
Kundry also takes part, and is augniented by ihe introduction
of Kundry's "Eiding" motive, which nevertheless has a likeness
to the Parsifal motive — 'and once by the edge of the
forest some men aU glittring did pass". As memories crowd
faster in upon them Parsifal and Kundry take the words
each from the other, and the "Eiding" and "Parsifal" motives
chase one another away in turn. On learning of his mother's
death (Herzeleid motive) joy is dispelled; the animation of
this movement reaches a climax with Parsifal's passionate
attack upon Kundry. The wUdness of the Parsifal motive
with its cry of pain ff. is quickly quenched by the deep
long drawn out bass notes of the Herzeleid motive. Kundry
hastens to the assistance of the wearied fainting boy and
brings him water; it is worthy of notice that the Kundry
motive accompanies even this gentie act of the unhappy wo-
man, rising _^. from the "Edding' motive. Upon this passionate
display of emotion the solemn words of Gumemanz fall like
a gentle blessing: °he banishes evil who returns it with
good". Prom out of the succession of thirds of "Kundry
the helper' there comes a melody which is repeated a^ain in
the last act, but here it is soon swallowed up in the gloomy
Magic motive. And now Kundry begins to stagger, over-
powered by magic sleep; her plaintive broken sighs for
"rest" are silenced, Klingsor weaves his spells ever more
closely around her, until at last she vanishes from sight.

n.

Now for the first time the "Motive of the BeUs"
(Motiv der Glocken) falls on the ear, and their ever changing
chimes are heard through the whole act; during the transition
in the rise of the GraU motive, it takes the form of a
thematic figure (XTTT. 1.) which introduces, in a simple
manoer, with its characteristic syncopated accompaniment and
constaatly upward floating harmonies ("a", 'e", "e/"; then
"e", "g", "b^"), the wondrous change from time to space.

Wolzogen, Parsifal. "

— 34 —
XIII. Daa Glockenthema,

^

^

I

XTTT. 1. (Verwandlnngsmusik.)

" "■ \ \

fe=

P=^ mu.-l-k

--1^=^

m

TV

-^ J-

?=7

Glockenthema.

Ptf

r

- J ,^ 3 3 J it-

I

»

- £rH^J - £rH ^ ■ L f fj C f-r^

«E^=flEe£

HH

^^

g32

:etc.:

Gralmotiv.

m

lilllf

:etc.:

Therefrom is developed after the inspired strains of the Grail
motive — 'wlie*©. is the Grail' — the processional music,
which accompanies the moving panorama. Then arise with
great power, mournful dissonances ascending and descending
as though a wanderer were climbing rugged clififs, then chro-
matically descending thirds, their (Wehelauten) ''cries of woe,
developing into the Lament of the Saviour (XIV), heard later
in the song of the youths: — "in the sinful world with a
thousand pains (XIV).

XIV. Die Heilandaklage.

ffej

^^

^

W-

&=fel^

^^'f"^^^

Die Wehelaute.

3

giSfc

, ^4: St^StL

^J>

?=:^zici:^

35

^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^

It seems as though the strains of the music led us with
the worshippers through the realms of the suffering king, as
if we really drew near to the hall of the GraU. Twice from
the stage the trumpets sound forth the Liebesmahlsspruch, and
a constant chiming of bells on the pure motive notes (XIII)
proclaim our arrival in the sanctuary which presents itself to
us in the magnificently splendid ff. of the Grail motive.

The great scene of the Liebesmahl festival which begins
here may be divided into five parts, the first of which is
composed of three processional choruses, while the second
passionately worked out, portrays the preparations for the
reveation of the Grail, (Titurel's summons and Amfortas' re-
fusal), in the third the Grail is revealed amidst prayer
and blessing, and then immediately closed, in the fourth the
Sacrament is solemnly partaken of accompanied again by a
triple chorus, the fifth and last comprises the departure of
the knights, and the ejection of Parsifal.

The «Beir motive (XIII. 1.) sounds through the whole
the first two choruses, and the manly powerful bass tones of
the knights are heard singing in unison as they draw near
"for the last time' to the "Liebesmahl". An interlude joining
in with the accompanying motive, depicts the more hasty en-
trance of the boys to the middle gallery. After the Grail mo-
tive majestically ascending to a ff. at the closing words of
the men's chorus has died away amidst the chiming of beUs,
and all the knights have assembled in the hall, the youths
begin their wonderful alto and tenor song, a masterly
work of a religious character for three and four parts,
with long drawn plaintive sighs which spring from the

3*

— 36 —

Wehelaute of Amfortas, and are intensely expressive of
human suffering, rising like the lament of the •redeeming
hero' in a "sinning world' (XIV). The interlude of the
"HeUandsklage" which is henceforth thematically related to
the ascending syncopated chords of the 'Bell' motive, —
depicts the ascent of the boys to the highest invisible dome
gallery, from which descends, without accompaniment, at
the end of the youth's song, as if sung by angels, the softly
floating "Glaubensthema' (III) — 'faith lives, the dove
soars' — which begins and is worked out in four voices.
The sofb fluttering of wings is heard as the Holy Ghost passes
through the sacred space; a short refrain pp., four bars
from the 'Glaubensmotive" and GraU motive, with the low
chiming of beUs, then perfect stillness reigns: — in awed
excitement we await the beginning of the divine miracle.

From the depths of the background, as from a grave
the sad cry of Titurel resounds, like the voice of the undying
conscience of mankind — "my son, Amfortas, dost thou
officiate?" The melody of the words — "must I die,
unaided?" — returns again thematically employed with short
vigorous syncopations when Amfortas answers — 'my father
wUl'st thou officiate?" — and also at his great outburst of
despair which follows (wildly entering with the "Kundry mo-
tive") — "no! let it remain unrevealed!"

Titurel:

9^=t^r-^r i ^=^j^j=|: ^f-^-^^^^ '^"'

=p=

±

±

Muss ich eter-ben, vom Eet-ter nn - ge-lei-tetT

Amfortat

¥:

^i=^=M

^

Weh - vol - les Er-be, dem ich ver - fal-len !

This outburst of despair brings home to our hearts, in a
grand tone picture, the sufferings of the unhappy guardian
of the Grail. Here the Grail melodies are torn with a

— 87 —

perfect passion of pain. 'Oh! punishment — punishment
unpaitdlelled!" — this heart rending plaintive cry peals
forth to tie sorrowful strains of the 'Heilandsklage" (XIV).
And thereafter amidst brightening Orail harmonies, the
first passion of emotion gradually subsides — "longingly I
must seek him and for his saored greeting". So yeai-ning
the song passes into the Grail motive in soulfully sustained
tones; and tbe 'Heilandsklage" dying away pp. takes the
same upward path of prayer — "I must reach to him!" —
where now is revealed gleaming, the vision of the sacred
i-elio, and the whispered words of the royal penitent are
softly veiled by the mysterious, upward rising, strains of
the "LiebesmaUsspruch". — But the sad 'I^^ensmotiv"
of the king (IV) breaks in on the sacred stillness, and sets
free the rising and falling waves of the "Zaubermotiv" which
rush wildly downaward into the Kundry motive — ,in the
world of sinful longing with wild fear". From the wound
of Amfortas who, captivated by pleasure fell into sin —
"wounded by a stroke from tlie same spear that wounded
the Saviour" — pours forth warai sinful blood, as firom
the pierced side of the Holy One flowed blood drops of
pity for sinful humanity. Here the cry of the sufPering
Saviour issues forth from the plaintive, repeated "Sohmerzens-
figur' (I. 1. a.). But the Grail motive struggling to ascend
is forced to yield to the Klingsor motive which now makes
itself heai-d full of devilish pride trying to excite the hot
blood of sin, and the Kundry motive again set free forms
a mocking accompaniment to the dreadful despairing cries
of tbe sinner who is longing and seeking for salvation. As
at the end of the overture there sounds forth at the last
words of his fervent prayer -^ "mercy! all pitiful One! ah,
have mercy!" the expressive, plwntive, elegaic development
of the "Liebesmahlsspruoh", which then softly dies away
amidst the echoes of Amfortas sighs breathed forth with the
faint, pleading words — "take my heritage — close my
wound." Once more the rising waves of passion are stilled
and from above as if touched by an angels hand there falls
on the bent head of him who is silently kneeling, the gentle
voices of the boys, sending forth the solemn greeting of

— 38

peace — "grown wise by pity the simple one, wait patiently
for Wm I have chosen". Warningly the deep voices of the
knights are heard as they join in a low hushed song. And
this part closes as it began with the call of Titurel
(terminating in the fundamental tone) — 'reveal the Grail".

But the mystery of the scene deepens: amid the sighing
strains of the "Liebesmahlmotiv", Amfortas arises, and it rings
out ever more clearly from a deep tremolo, in separate fervent
parts while the holy cup is being revealed. But deep twilight
has fallen and there sounds forth from the highest part of
the dome the words — "take my body, take my blood" —
accompanied by the soft rhythmless motions of the orchestra
and sung by the boys voices in two parts each of them
being followed, as in the overture, by the gentle swelling
strains of the orchestra. Thus the sacred melody is borne
to the heart of the praying king and to the souls of
the faithful assembled there together. So divine holiness
sheds its eternal light on the earth, and on the most sacred
places and depths of the human soul but it lies with mysterious
sadness on this lofty Godlike mystery then — as at the
end of the overture — the low "After music" of the sacred
melody takes up the "Wehelaute" of Amfortas. But at the
moment when the son has forgotten his sorrows and is
gazing at the Grail which illumines the darkness with its
wondrous light — the father's voice arises from the grave
in holy rapture — "Oh! sacred joy! how gladly the Lord
greets us today".

Soon the soft ''after music" of the "Glockenmotiv" passes
iato the legendary, gently swaying melody of the boy's chorus
— "wine and bread of the Last Supper" — which is
sung while the knights partake of the Communion. The
Youths' voices take up the melody in lower tones. The choruses
combine together and almost immediately the double chorus
of the knights joins in with heroic strength — "take of the
bread, take of the wine". At the first verse the "Glocken-
motiv" is heard, at the second, mighty strains like the
warcry to a holy battle. Finally the songs of praise sung
by the knights', the youths, and the boys intermingle
rrntU they form one united soaring strain from the Grail

— 39 —

motive, which bears the voices of the choras, sinking to
earth, up to the kingdom of divine love. As in the overture,
with the closing development of the Faith theme, the invoked
spirit of love comes down into their midst and blesses the
brotherhood, who embrace one another.

But the suffering cries of Amfortas break in on the
blessedness of the brotherhood; the wound bleeds anew and
the king is carried away on his litter. The knights depart,
as at the beginning, to the chiming of beUs, and the repeated
strains of the "Heilandsklage". The theme of the "Pure,
simple one" also enters here but Parsifal remains unmoved
by the call. When the chiming of the bells has quite died
away Gurnemanz turns to him and with short, broken,
angry tones from the 'Thorenverheissung" asks — "dost thou
know what thou hast seen?" But the short figure from the
"Liebesmahlsspruch", (I. 1. c.) (expressing such intense pain
and longing, and which in the king's cry had so deeply moved
iim although he did not understand the reason), answers
instead of the silent boy. To a violent, ascending figuration
of the Parsifal motive Grurnemanz thrusts him from the
temple and in the short rhyming words of the Knight the
"Song of the Swan' is heard; the exit of the sorely dis-
appointed old man shaking his head and shrugging his
shoulders is again accompanied by the short broken form of
the "Verheissung". But like a heavenly comforting sign of
its unfulfilled oracle the whole Promise ("grown wise through
pity' etc.) is heard sung by a single alto voice, and dying
away in the heights is taken up by the soaring melody of
the chorus; — "blessed in faith". — Then a few deep bell
tones and the curtain falls.

The Second Act.

The Overture.

After having been transported to Heaven at the end of
the first act, the beginning of the second casts us down to the
depths of Hell, form which seems to break loose unrestrained

— 40 —

(in the wild 'Yorspier) all the devilish rage of sin and de-
stmction. First the Elingsor motive (XT) arises from the
depths of the bass in its most fiendish form and at last
reaching a ff. in the high positions it remains in the as-
cendency dnring the whole of the first half of this indescribably
overpowering piece of mnsie. And this fierce exciting be-
ginning leads t« the loud, piteons 'Wehelanten' of Amfortas
(XIV) sounding here like the agonized shrieks of human
souls enslaved by evil Twice thev ring out j'j. in the
heights and then wail in the distance, and the Kundry motiye
ever higher and more shrilly laughing springs forth, re-
peating seven times in succession, its despairing, hellish
cries of triumph. Dnring this second half the Klingsor
motiv maintains its power below, at least in its masterly
closing notes. which now arise as if invoked and
immediately join in the *ilagic' movements, here worked
out as motives. After the Sorrow chord has been struck
for the third and last time in the middle of the Kundry*
motive, this motive appears for the fifteenth time and now
alone, rushes downward through three octaves: the curtain
rises, and we find ourselves in the sorceror's tower and he
himself ready to summon the unhappy woman to his service
to work the destruction of the boly and guileless youth.

I

In the short scene between Klingsor and Kundry, we
see the powers of evil concentrated in the devilish might of
the soreeror The motive, which at the beginning creeps along
lite a snake lurking in the abyss, coiling itseK round the
"the master of sin' — ■ the ''Magic" motive with the •Kling-
sor' motive predominate through this scene, and show by
their combination with the seldom silent Kundry motive the
power which evil gains over the unhappy woman. But in
between these three ruling motives the speech of the "Simple-
' Youth" who is drawing near is heard, with at times a slight
reference to the Parsifal motive at the words — 'al-
ready my magic castie waits for the fool' — and after-
wards — 'the greatest danger must today be faced' —
and again in short measures at the words — 'Ha! who

— 41 —

withstands three sets thee free* — and also at the end
of the scene — "thou childish stripling' etc. But the
"Wehelaute' — these thirds so expressive of woe —
which until now have always been heard in connection
with Amfortas now issue forth in the hellish outpourings
of the "Magic" harmonies, like cries of pain coming
from the demon's victim and in them perhaps the cul-
minating point of this scene is reached, enveloped throughout
in devilish wickedness.

Klingsor has subdued Kundry with his own motive ("Arch
fiend, Eose of Hell!") and from out of these slow downward
shuddering harmonies the plaintive "Wehelaute" is heard.
The figure of the accursed one appears with a dreadful
shriek that sounds as if it came in terror from one half
waked from deep slumber and from it the Kundry motive
bursts forth in a wild uprearing figure.

Moaning and sobbing she strives in vain to find words with
which to answer the fierce, mocking call of her master;
then, when her Magic motive can only by heard in short
sighs there springs forth with the fervent words — "Longing,
longing!" — the Wehelaute of the "HeUandsklage" but it
passes away almost immediately into a figure which, when
Klingsor mocked the knighthood, appeared soaring upward in
a light bewitching tremolo, but here it springs up, half
defiant half longing, in a violent form of the Kundry mo-
tive — "there — I served."

This upward leap closely connected with the "Kundry"
motive accompanies, with a laughing echo, the whole dialogue

— 42 —

so strangely drastic, violent short, and full of strife —
"I will not" — an anguislied reminiscence of the elegiac
figure (I. 1. c) — "thou must' — 'thou canst not hold
me" — "but bind thee" — "thou?" — 'thy master" —
'by what power?" — and so on to the dreadful climax —
'Ha! Ha! Eirt thou virtuous?" — when there is a pause in
this stormy troubled scene of devilish passion: a pause but
no repose, for KUngsor's fary and passion return raging to
his own sinful bosom and in that dreadful solitude filled
with fearful memories they rend one another. The Klingsor
motive lends its tones to these words of the sorceror — „ dread-
ful power of hellish impulse." But here in contrast to the
suffering Klingsor the picture of the suffering Amfortas ap-
pears as if offering the sorceror malicious comfort; the
'Wehelaute" and the 'Leidensmotiv" (IV), and ultimately
both together, appear after a dissonant shrilly broken of
uprising of the Grail motive — "soon I feel that I myself
shall be the guardian of the GraU!"

Like the lamentable laughing of a soul inwardly suffering
and conquered by the magic power of sin, shrill, devilish
chord triplets are heard resounding. They begin with the
short stormy dialogue and continue throughout Khngsor's
madly defiant and ultimately beseeching cries. When
Kundry sorrowfully remembers Amfortas' weakness and the
weakness of all who have fallen thi-ough her, and knowing
that a new victim wiU soon be brought she struggles once more
convulsively, and we hear the broken, syncopated "Wehelauf
of Amfortas: — but she sti'uggles in vain against that rising
power, her way to salvation by love leads her, because of
her curse, through the poisoned paths of enchanted sin: —
"only he who withstands her, can set her free!" — Here
p. the Parsifal motive sounds. Klingsor moves to the battle
ments of the tower to follow the movements of the foolhardy
boy as he presses onwards; his sti-uggles, his mastery of the
knights, his arrival at the magic garden. He watches the
scene with Satanic mockery, sure of conquest, and recounts
it to the mourning Kundry, while she ceasing to wail, breaks
into a wierd laugh and vanishes.

The attack on the castle during the time Klingsor stands

— 43 —

watching is a piece of music full of fiery life ; like spring breezes
it passes fresh through the magic sphere, and deals blows around
with the irresistible, foolish courage of a gay youthful spirit.

^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ E g

:etc.

Variationen des »IlittmotIvs«.

^

E5^S

iEF^^^^^^pp^*^^

:ete.

Amidst the rushing of octaves, rising ever anew from below,
a variation of the Stormy figure of the "Eitf motive (a) intro-
duces, as if it were thrust upward by the trills of the Kundry
laugh, a glorious triumph-song in the complete melody of
the Parsifal motive, with the words — ,they falter, they fly".
But to this is joined a short intermediate movement —
"every one bears home ward his wounds" — in which the
quick beats of the "Thorenmotive" are again heard, till
at last the Parsifal motive breaks in triumphantly, but is
muffled in its joyous ascent by a quick tremolo, with which
it starts anew stretching itself gently out as if looking
around in surprise, and then in a charming figure of the
Flower voices it sinks back again into the whirring harmonies
of the Kundry Laugh. This is the accompaniment to Klingsor's
captivating song melody — "Ah! how proudly he stands on
the battlement, how laugh the roses in his cheeks, how
childishly astonished he gazes into the lonely gaiden" —
but Kundry is already at work and the charm is well and
rightly chosen whereby this fool is also to be ensnared,
his mother's motive (XIT) here joins in softly and while
giving him her dying greeting the temptress seeks to seal
his soul with the hellish stamp of her kisses. With a
crashing ff. sinking again to the depths dimuendo the Klingsor
motive is heard as at the beginning of the overture, the
tower of the sorcerer falls, and the magic garden arises
before us in all its oriental, supernatural, magic splendor of

44

flowers, these most luxuriantly beautiful productions of Hell's
glowing warmth.

II.

During the following scene between Parsifal and the Witch
maidens when sweetest melodies pour forth in inexhaustible pro-
fusion, the oft repeated Parsifal motive marks off the seperate
divisions.

The Parsifal motive begins the first movement, and with
a new remodelled form of the Stormy figure, in the style
of the previous ,Sturmmotiv" (see above b.), depicts in an
animated manner the thronging together of the terrified girls.
Two terzetts for solo voices and two three voiced choifs appear
on the scene becoming by degrees more and more vehement.
During the vigorous ascent of the repeated, expressive, halftones
at the end of the figure the first theme of the Maidens bursts
forth in /. (XV. 1.): in the accompaniment it whirls along
skipping and fluttering with excited triplets midway, continually
pressing upward like the rushing together of anxious seekers,
while the foundation of the whole — the song of the solo voices
— changes about with it, as if the tones also were anxiously
and chromatically following: — 'my lover wounded!" —
-^ "where shall I find mine?" — and so on.

XV. 1.

\_

Madchenklage.

m m ir urt^-.-^

^

^

¥-

r r T "I

This is the Maidens Lament which later on having arrived at
a deeper significance and power serves to express the longings
for salvation of all who live in this enchanted world. At
the climax of the general excitement where the whole chorus
joins in the calling and questioning — "where is the enemy?'
— and when in the meantime the theme of the solo singers

— 45 —

has ascended from "el'' to «bt'' at the last "Wehe!", a
second theme enters (XV. 2.). The maidens have canght sight
of Parsifal — 'there he stands' — the solo voices cry vdth
terror, the chorus repeats the words, and immediately takes
up an accompanying figure which ascends in thirds — "see
him there, see him there!" This figure is woven into the
instrumental accompaniment of the new theme, which on its
side expresses artless surprise in a charmingly mischievous
manner, but here because of the general excitement, it
portrays terror.
XV. 2.

i

"S- F etc".

Seht ihn dort! Seht ihn dort!
This theme also ascends steadily and quickly till the first
theme once more enters — *Woe! woe! he slew our lovers'
— and so on. This also reaches a climax at the repeated,
triplets of the "Halbtonschluss' the general outcry ending
suddenly in 'el'' — 'accursed shaUt thou be", — whereupon
the Parsifal motive joins in powerfully in a new key.

The Parsifal motive in its perfect development depicts
the leap of the youth from the heights, and his first artless
laughing words: 'Beautiful children! ought I not to have
slain them?' are accompanied by the soft extension of the
motive, as was the case when Hingsor watched from the
tower. And now in a changed tone p. the maidens converse
with him quietly and kindly; their terror and excitement past,
they are inclined to be gay and their conversation is accom-
panied by the second Theme, so well suited to express Par-
sifal's mischivous wondering manner. The marvellously tender
extension of this theme accompanies the first solo questions
and Parsifal's answer. The first theme appears in the little
movement 'So thou wilt not harm us'. At the closing re-
petition of the Schlussfigor the whole chorus joins in: "Who
will play with us now' and a general laughing and running
foUows Parsifals ready pleasant answer.

— 46 —

Amidst many alluring trills the Parsifal motive is de-
veloped into a long interlude.

Wreathed with tender flower melodies this same inter-
lude appears once more, as if developed from a sweet subdued
interweaving of the Motivansatz. Here the maidens who have
remained in the background also advance toward the now
trusted stranger and the others withdraw to deck themselves
in secret with flowers. AU this takes place lightly and
laughingly like child's play, without the intended character
of sensuality. This is the sweetness of nature which with
playful intoxicating power exercises the spell of wonder
over the simple captive. With the words "we do not play
for gold' the maidens take up the mischiveous second theme
which ascends in a series of trills; now the others having
decked themselves with flowers return, and a short contest
ensues, accompanied by the gradually descending figurations
of the till now triplet themes, which softly abating pass
into a luUing peaceful motion. In this manner they float into
the (in^/^ tempo) melody of the long drawn out ' Carres -
singsong" Kosegesang (XV. 3.): "Come, come, gentle youth!"
XV. 3. (Kosemelodie.)

i

ji,i^^Uu-UxU-.ldJ

j^EeEEj

-£

^

'^T

Konmi', komm',

hoi

der Kna - be!

i

fe£

^

^^^U

1^3

P^=S=Ei

4

Komm',

komm', lass

mich dir

I I

— 47

i

ii

(^fe*

E^fci

EJEf:f^=a^

bliihenl Eomni'l Dir zn Wonn' nnd

La - be gilt mein min-ni-geB Miihenl

XV. 4.

Sohmeichelfigni.)

I

^

w^

des

Gar

48 —

WMle the chorus work ont the melody, the solo toices enter
in a longing caressing figur afterwards characteristically em-
bellished by triplets of semiquavers; "Come, come, oh
gentle boy'. The solo voices of the second half of the
maidens join in, and both choruses combine in the working
ont of the fundamental melody in which at last all the
voices ascend together. "To make thee joyous and happy
onr loving care we give". The "Schmeichel figure'' (XV. 4.)
weaves its fragrance closely a round Parsifal's simple nature.
'How sweetly you smell! are you then flowers?" — This
figure also forms the varied fundamental theme of the follo-
wing charming song: 'Pride of the garden and fragrant
spirits'" for solo voices, with which the Kosemelodie inter-
mingles in the form of an accompaniment: Finally the chorus
joins in softly; 'Grudge not the flowers their reward ■",
also at the wonderfully expressive closing words of the
solists: 'There we droop and die'' Here the Schmeicbel
figure, moving like flower leaves gently stirred by the soft
breath of summer, after a few strains of the Maiden's Lament,
breaks out cres in tender trills and passes into the returning
fundamental melody of the "Kosegesang"'.

To this second song, which touchingly expresses the
longing of the flowers for salvation there is added tlie
coaxing entreaties of the maidens that their gentle comrade
will play with them, and they cling round him childishly
and carressingly: 'Oh take me to thy bosom!" etc. Here
the strains of their first song.

— 49 —

Here Parsi&l's Call is again heard and also the Parsifal
motive softly and in minor, as if in timid defence: *ff you
will that I play press not so dosely around', these words,
their now impatient playfellow sings to the strains of the
Maiden's Complmnt. Here a third — or taken with both of
the other songs — a fifth and last theme of the maidens
enters (XV. 5.), as if developed from the repetition of the
Parsifal motive, chord like, skipping, ascending and des-
cending like merry, lightfooted spirits running hither and
thither and constantly interrupted by Uttie warding off mo- >
vements in the bass at the hurried cries: *Why dost thou
scold?' 'Because tou quarrel' — 'we quarrel only because
of thee' —

XV. 5.

When the chorus joins in, the element of excitement, heard
in the first theme is once more perceptible and the second
theme is heard giving a light charming merry character
to tine song: 'See the flowers woo the butterfly.' WhUe
the maidens are jaTiging all together ('No! he is mine —
no ours — yes mine') the last theme brings this play. fhU
of fiBgrance, and sweet sounds to a sudden end with the
Parsifel motive — (in a? as at the b^inning) 'Cease! you
cannot catch me!' — which in its tarn ginfrs almost imme-
diately into the wondrous Thorenharmonien : 'Parsi&l! —
wait!* — This is Kundry's first call —

For a short time the 'Thorenharmonien' remain floating
over the astonished youth; then comes the Herzeleide motive
(Xn.) 'Wait here Parsifal! Greeted thou art by joy and
salvation!' The unseen one addresses the maidens, and her
sweet voice gentiy bids them go and tend to their wounded
knights; here as they are being sent away we hear their
Pleading melody, (XV. I) and also when they gently, plaintively
and poutingly one by one leave off playing 'To leave thee, to
fly firom thee!' The whole chorus then joins with the last

Wolsogen, Parsrval. 4

— 50 —

Theme, in ores, ('Pare well, thou proud one, thou gracious
one") and with the mischiveous spring over the "fermate'
(Thou fool) they, softly laughing disappear in the direction
of the castle.

III.

In this act the great scene, between Kundry and Parsifal
may be devided materially into two parts; the first, and distinctly
smaller one, shows how the youth is spellbound by the sweet but
painful memories of his mother's forgotten love which are called
up by Kundry's exquisitely tender song. The second, on the other
hand shows us the moment of transformation with powerful, dra-
matic intensity, which in spite of its lengthy development is still
conceiltrated, the awakening of Parsifal to a moral consciousness
of his human power to save, Kundry's strivings after salvation by
love, and the victory of piurity with knowledge, over the infatuated
longing of the sinful woman.

As in the former scene the first conversation between the
'nameless one" and Kundry the "name proclaimer" takes place
amidst the Thorenharmonies; and after Kundry has given her
short account of the father's death, the Herzeleid motive
enters, in the form of a long drawn out solo song, which
is immediately joined by a gentle little figure — a forecast of
Kundry's Sacrifice ("Hingebung") melody, which appears later:
(s. XIX.) "Here I have waited to tell thee this". These first
lines in the picture of love seem as if drawn by the hand
of a spirit in the heart of the listening boy, to whom its
double, secret nature will soon be revealed.

The first part is almost entirely taken up by the long
account which Kundry gives Parsifal of his mother — magic
strain^ from the "far off home" of the narrator lead into
the tender love sphere of the Slumber song: "I saw the child
on his mother's breast. ' This sweet lulling melody, already
suggested, breathes throughout in a childlike form the spirit
of the Herzeleid motive, so that here we have the Idyll and
the Elegy marvellously combined. The Herzeleidmotive itself
enters when the .meaning of the name is indicated: 'sorrow
in the heart" , and at the words "the delight of her eyes
rejoiced in her suffering" the motive throws ofl^ its elegaic
character and takes the lively */g Figuration (compare XII. I.)
with which the song is brought to a melodious close. — The

— 51 —

second part is worked out in the same style from the same
motives: 'On the moss twas softly bedded" as far as: "the
hot dew of a mothers tears" etc. . . .

XII. 1.

(Leidenschaftliche Figviration des Herzeleide-Motives.)

^^^^l#fS^

I

E±

3^&5;a-t

Here follows an interlude far "from warfare" which is cha-
racterised by a low, as if distant martial motive punctuated
by ^|^ notes in the Bass, with a regular whirring */g tremolo
from which emerges "only sorrow had she' the deve-
lopment of the previous Passionate figure (XII. 1.) with its
wild impetuous ascent: "Cannst thou not hear her pleading
cry?" then with fierce passion 'when she seeking then
overtook thee" till the joyful climax: 'wildly her arms were
cast around thee" when it suddenly becomes dim (*/4): 'Wert
thou distressed when thou wert kissed" and then ceases — .
Here the second Herzeleide motive appears, intensely sorrow-
ful, as though sighing sadly, in the sorrow of painful memo
ries: (XVI).

XVI. Das zweite Herzeleide-Motiv.

B^

^W

i

:^=

:£

¥.

-Ist=

z^.

1 ^^ I

W

Doch ihr Wehe du nicht ver-nah-mest

Here are portrayed the sorrows and cares of love; first a
mother lamenting for her child, then a child for its mother;
a small triplet figure joins sf. thematically inbetween, ex-
pressing inward terror. So the song continues till it reaches
with the first Herzeleid motive, its simple, sad, quiet end:

'And — Herzeleid — died!" —

4*

— 52 —

Parsifal's piercing cry rings forth from short, monoton-
ously trembling syncopated cres. chords; the expressive
figure of the Liebesweh (XVI) accompanies his lament and
its deeply sorrowful strains are heard at the words "Gentle
mother — forgetting thee". When Kimdry sweetly and ca-
ressingly comforts him ('Was pain till now unknown to
thee") the only answer she receives from the grief stricien
boy is a dreary repetition of that tender woeful cry.
'Mother — could I forget thee!" — Then suddenly in the
Spear motive from the Liebesmahlspruch there arises before
him the picture of the sacred spear and the forgotten suf-
ferings of the holy brotherhood: 'Ha! what have I for-
gotten!" Here the Kundry motive burst forth for the first
time, and with a quick movement 'the Eose of HeU" turns
the thorns of that inward sorrow, which springs from the
delights of love, to the heart of the sorrow bound youth.
This she effects amidst the alluring strains of the Kundry magic
motive, (Learn to know that love by which Gamuret was
held") and when it ceases there appears the Passionate figure
of the first Herzeleidmotive which again ascends to the
Kundry motive. Amidst these enchanting strains, strangely
and expressively worked out pp. by the violincellos she
presses on the youth's mouth 'the first kiss of love". —
The last tones of the chromatic motive, sounding like broken
distressed sighs, suddenly draw together, symbolizing new
and vigorous but painful Ufe: here the Schmerzenfigure of
the Liebesmahlspruch breaks forth from the sighs with
sudden strength (as when Gurnemanz told of Amfortas' fall)
and draws forth with it //. the 'Wehelaute" -Lament of Am-
fortas. "Amfortas!" — this, Parsifal's second cry of memory
— seperates the scene into two parts, and thereafter into
the drama of Sin and Trouble, Salvation enters.

The second part of the scene may be devided into three
portions : — Parsifal's vision of the suffering Saviour — Kundry's
narration of her curse — and the last conversation between these
two, culminatiiig in Kundry's outbreak of despair when she curses
Parsifal.

The first part of Parsifal's Vision, the loud lammenting
cry when Kundry kisses him, and he feels in his own heart

— 53 —

the pain of Amfortas' sincaused wound is interwoven with a
wild storm of Kundrymotive figures, andWehelauten: — ("Oh
lamentation! Oh! misery!") the piercing tones of the Schmerzens-
figur are also heard ,1 saw the wound bleeding", and it is
worthy of notice that at the words: 'No, it is not the
wound" the Magic motive passes into the Leidensmotiv (IV)
then a passage of stormy figures piu /. introduces anew
the "Wehelaute*. "Oh anguish of love' followed by
a downward rush of the Kimdry motive. This is the climax
of the first expression of lamentation — Now follows
as contrast the vision of the Grail mystery during which
the echoing syncopations of the last wild motive are puri-
fied in the majestic harmonies of the Grail: the Liebesmahl-
thema enters in its mystic might and "every soul thrills
with the rapture of redemption". — But the Kundry motive
enters once more; the charm is broken and passionate
sorrow rends the human heart; the Lament of the Saviour
(XIV), (as at the close of the overture) sounds forth in
contrast to the rapture of redemption, answering like an
echo from the heart of the sinner. Still above all human
pain as though rising from the depths of the all merciful
heart of God there rings out with convulsive power this
plaintive cry "Kedeem me, save me from those sin stained
hands'" to the strains of the Liebesmahlspruch; then ending
sorrowfully it dies away in the Schmerzensfigur. With the
last fervent words of Parsifal's prayer these woeful echos
cease in the sighs of the 'Heilandsklage". 'How can I a
sinner atone for such sin" — a great change has taken place
in Kundry's soul: when she now bends low before the
"rescued one" (Parsifal) he is no longer to her the victim
whom in order to serve Klingsor she must corrupt, but 'the
noble knight" the longed for, beloved "Saviour" who by
his love can redeem even the goddess of sensuality. This
transformation is portrayed by a new motive, a longing,
ascending, penetrating figure with an entrancing, heaven
ward soaring, beseeching close.

54

XVn. Das sehnsuclitige Motiv der Kundry.

Gelobter

l^feQ

Held — eEtflieh' dem Wahn : blick' aufi sei
(Begleitung der Verfiihrungsschilderung.)

rr

etc.

hold der Huldin Nah'n!

But now in tte 'Huldin" Parsifal recognises the destroyer
of Amfortas, and throughout this second part of the vision,
which musically illustrates in detail her alluring caressing
beauty, the Kundry motive is constantly heard, and with
artistic variations adapts itself to the finest touches in this
picture of temptation (XVII. b.). And when the picture is
completed with that "terrible kiss„ this motive ascends, and
is merged /. in the 'Wehelaute', but immediately breaks
free and flies rapidly upward: "Destroyer! -~ depart from
me" then, as though thrust away it sinks downwards:
Torever — forever — depart from me!"

Immediately Kundry's new Longing motive (XVII. a.)
enters with impetuous energy and surrounds, like a love
incantation, the first uprising of a melody, already touched
upon, which is full of unbounded enthuiastic self aaorifice
(s. XIX): 'So also feel now" etc. — 'Oh couldst thou
know the curse", — What but the Kundry motive, the wild
musical expression of her curse could here thematically
characterise the transition to her narrative? But then — - a
solemn, anxious pause, and a short gloomy roll from the kettle
drums accompanied by a Klagelaute which expresses with its
sighing triplet appogiatura the sorrowful spirit of Good
Friday: this is a preparation for the vision of the cross
bearing Christ.

55

XYIII. Des Heilands Erscheiuung mit dem
Charfreitags-Motiye.

J-

^m^^^^

^i

s^^#jM

Lietesmahlsprnch.

^^

&

i

Charfreitagsmotiv.

"I saw Him — Him" — and the Liebesmahlspruch, which
softly describes with sublime awe that journey of agony
when the Saviour bore his cross, then ends as if wailipg
in the rythmieally broken Schmerzfigur of the Good Friday
motive. But the Kundrymotive breaks in hastily and shrilly,
ascending exultingly with the wild figure heard before in
the Klingsor scene: and "laughs!" — 'Then his glance fell
on me": and from the long drawn out strains of the "Wehe-
laute" the ('Heilandsklage") Saviour's Cry arises full of
in mexpressible sublime sorrow. Thus the sorrow of God
looks down on the sinning world.

But even with the remembrance of divine suffering,
magic strains arise, and thrust the Afflicted one forth to the
wanderings of her curse; while the Heilandsklage is heard
soaring ever higher full of infinite longing. Then it sinks
into sUenee amid echoing syncopated notes; but out of them
the "mysterium" of the Grail harmonies arise in wonderful
majesty, and form a beginning to the ascent of the sacred
motive: the accursed one believes that she will again see
her Saviour "Already his glance rests on her' — but the
langh of the Kundry motive breaks in on the blessed
sacred peace of the moment, so beautifully expressed by the
monotony of the deep tones of the song, and roused to
stUl greater fury by the Klingsor motive in the bass,
storms on to the close 'Only to scream to rage, to rave, to
storm', this is the fate, of the 'accursed one". From the

66

depths of her passionate sorrow there arises in plaintive tones
of longing a wild demand for that love and salvation, to be
found in the arms of the loved hero: "Let me but on his
bosom weep, only one hour united be to thee: even if
rejected by the world and God, Redeemed and purified by
thee I'll be' the entrance here of the Hingebungmelodie lends
to these last words an expression of intense enthusiasm
(XIX).

XIX. Das hingebende Motiv der Kundry.

^t-P-j-f^ S^ ^

Und ob mich Gott nnd Welt ver-stSsst, —

^^!E% ^f | V ^p .^^ ^

Parsifal's Answer: "In eternity thou wouldst be damned with
me" is introduced by the same theme as Kundry's former
song (XVII): and at the following words "forgetting for one
hour my mission" the Thoren motive enters with lofty
majesty as a sign of the noble power of healing; but here
the Answer takes the form of a passionately expressed war-
ning characteristically distinguishes it from all others both
as regards text and music — and appears, to glorify
Parsifal's whole personality. Here we see before us the
wise "Thor" "the pure one", as a mighty preacher of the
true salvation; in accordance therewith, the expression of
his song, with it's simple dignified recitative, approaches
that elevated declamatory style, (already found in Tannhauser)
in which religious devoutness, as the embodied power of faith,
finds "stylvoll" musical utterance. But with the remembrance
of the sufferings of the holy knighthood and the necessary
atonement, the "Wehelaute" of Amfortas enter, and the
passionate Kundry motive is also heard 'To mortify the flesh".
Here, inbetween, a wonderfully touching song from the
"Glaubenstheme" sounds forth: "But who did fully, clearly,
see in him, the true fount of salvation?" Indeed this music
is of such a strange mysteriously forbodeing character,

— 57 —

especially in the voice part, that it could only spring (in
this tragedy of a 'Saviour's Salvation", from the divine sphere
of the Grail itself. The "Wehelaute" and the Kundry motive
oonclude with Parsifial's last cry lament. — "Oh miseiy,
what a curse". This warning song of the hero, which coming
after Kundry's narration of her sorrow appears as if glorified
by the sublime vision of the Saviour — and here Parsifal is
for the first time the true hero of the Drama. The last
powerful climax in this scene is arrived at by a series of
lively dialogues, and, especially in the declamation of Kun-
dry's song, with its wide bold intervals ("Attain thou now
to godliness" — "consecrate thy time to God") the highest
plastic expression of devilish passion is reached. While Kundry
in this last outbreak of despairing rage makes use in her
song, of the Sehmeiehelfigur (XV. 4) with protracted intensity,
the "Madchenklage" also joining in later as if fervently invoked,
'Let me love thee thou Godlike one" the hero answers her
assaults, earnestly and resolutely in a powerful combination
of the Parsifal motive with the ascending passage of the
Grail motive. Now there remains nothing for the conquered
sinner but her own terrible, rushing, laughing Kundrymotive
which rages through the whole of her last angry effusion
against Amfortas, and is heard even at the words "whom I
mocked — mocked" — lending them an expression of
unrestrained devilry. The Spear motive is heard full of power
through these mocking piercing harmonies, and gives occassion
for Pai-sifal's question: "who dared to wound him with the
sacred weapon?" Here the "Stormy figure' springing up,
with wild leaps, into a passionate working out of the regulary
ascending, chromatic, fimdamental form of the "MSdchenklage".
"Ha! madness! — pity me!" — closes with a suggestion
of the "Hingebungsmelodie" ; a burst of longing at the
intensely retarded ending: "Mine for reference to one hour
— only one hour to be thine!" — chase away the last
despairing words, unaccompanied and broken by synco-
pation — : then comes Parsifal's second repulse, full of
horror: 'Avaunt! unhappy woman!"

A furious downward spring of the Kundry motive leads
to a wild syncopated repetition of the Klagechromatik ("stop

— 58 —

his way close his path") followed now on Kundry's side by
an angry upward leaping , stormy figur" also heard in
the exceedingly characteristic animated song: "and if thou
fliest from here, and if thou findest all the paths in the
world!" When this figure breaks off above, as if in despairing
search for the sacred scantuary "the path to which thou willt
not find" — the 'Zaubermotiv" arises excitedly from below
and Klingsor's motive joins in with threatening growles at
the bitterly pronounced curse: "Wander! wander", — here
a short Wehelaute "so familiar to me"" — and then the wild
broken end: "Thou I decree shalt accompany him".

Klingsor himself has appeared on the ramparts and hurls
the desecrated weapon at Parsifal; here the Klingsor and
Spear motives are heard in combination. But radiant the
sun breaks forth from the threatening storm clouds, the
splendid triumphant strains of the Grail motive arise, as if
carried on heavenly breezes; making the sign of the cross
by the power of compassionate knowledge, Parsifal causes "the
castle with all its "magic splendour" to fall down in ruins.
Like withered flowers the maidens lie on the ground and when
the last sounds of the crash have died away in gloomy
"tritonus " sounding as if they came from the depths of Hell,
the "Madchenklage" is heard sighing in a tender melody.
With Kundry's last glance at the departing figure of Parsifal
a lamenting longing cry rises ff. full of sorrowful passion.
Parsifal turns away and the curtain falls amid the deep
tremolo of 6 minor chords.

The third Act.

The Introdaction.

with the first tones we enter the melancholy depressing scene
of the "Verodung" (XX.) The se tones form the principle
theme during the whole of the first half of the act as though
they were seeking disappointed, and strains from the music
heard later at Titurel's burial, enter during the working out
of the theme

59

XX. Das Thema der Ode.

¥^l4}ji' ^>'- ^^^^

-*— S"

TrauermuBik.

te teEEfcj^

tt!ij=r|2S

p^ji=^^=^=t=^S=^

gp^^^^F^^^

a=

^TT

^F^

^

-^ -^v K ^

^S

j n fed :

J

etc.

«

^=^

Prom this is developed a more animated measure which is how-
ever not less sad, hopeless and troubled — : a picture of Parsi-
fal's wanderings. The syncopated , broken variations, of the once
stormy Figure of the Eittmotive (VI.) seek anew unavailingly to
gain the ascendancy. The chromatically ascending Contrary
movement of this motive employed thematically at the be-
ginning of the Overture) can be heard intermingling throughout.

^^^^^^

8 bassa

Jr

60

After a short halt on the Verodungstheme, as if it were
casting a desponding glance around, the ascent of the
Wandering Theme continues , rythmically altered , with even
greater intensity and vigour, till one almost expects to see it
take the form of the Grail motive in its rapid ores Here
the motive of Kundry's curse breaks forth with it rapid f.
and rushing downwards, through three Octaves thrusts the
unlucky wanderer away from the sacred goal of his dreams,
and once more back into the world of trouble and strife.

This is depicted in the following part of the Overture;
The Speer motive, from the "Liebesmahlspruch", which rose
up during the Kundry motive like a holy weapon shielding
from sorrow, and exerting the despondiag one to be couragous,
enters there in combination with the short strokes of the
Thorenmotiv. So the guardian of the sacred heirloom must fight,
in a world hostile to nobility and goodness, against the dangers
of impurity which ceaselessly threaten him, without allowing the
holy weapon to be sullied in the strife. This motive can be
heard inbetween, like a battle call, or a longing cry for the
expiation of suffering, but is warlike even in it's cry of
despair, which rises once more tumultuoulsy to a ff.

Thorenmotiv.

Kampfruf.

Here during, a quick transition, the strains of the
accompaniement take the form of the Klingsor motive; the
Thorenmotive dies away amidst the deep notes of the kettle
drums, and as the curtain rises the jMadehenklage' (XV. i)
sighs forth softly from the strains of the Ode. We are in
the kingdom of the Grail and on the morning of that holy
day Kundry's moans bring the grey headed Gumemaz out
of his hermitage.

I.

The finding of Kundry, the return of Parsifal, Kundry's bap-
tism and blessing by the hero, with the closing episode of the

— 61 —

"Blumenaue", or the „Charfreitagszauber'' devide the scene in the
kingdom of the Grail into four parts. The scene is pervaded
throughout by the spirit of Good Friday; as — on the morning
of a holiday which rose shrouded in mist, the hope that the sun
will break forth becomes a delightful certainty when the light
rising gradually higher and higher shines out at last triumphant
— so is it here; the Verodung, which predominates both in the
accompaniements, and the songs, yields when nature arises puri-
fied, and Salvation proclaims in the glistening dewdrops of the
Easter morning that the penitent sinner weeps.

Magic strains accompany the sighs of the returned
wandrer, who remains invisible, and the KUngsor motive
appears as though imagining that it still has power, 'never
thus did an animal grieve; but already at the words 'sacred
morning" a short charming melody (from the Entsiihnungs-
gesang) (s. XXI. 1) which appears later on, breaks forth
but is silenced by Kundry's deep sighs as her motive enters
painfully, longingly, wresting itself free from the bonds of
magic (s. XXL 1. a.). — The quick movements of Gumemanz
as he goes towards the thorn hedge, from behind which
the sighs issue forth, and tears the branches apart, are
illustrated by a short instrumental movement, consisting of
lively ascending figures, which passes into the Hingebungs-
melodie (XIX) when the last concealing branch is torn
away: *Ah — she once more here!" — And now with the
last call of the old man to awake. — Winter has fled,
spring is here" — there is for a short time a murmuring
sound as though the joys of spring were breathing over us
full of rapture and life: strains enter having the character
of the 'Entsiihnungsmelodie". But again for one anxious
moment, life ceases, when Gurnemanz finds Kundry lying
"cold and stiff' as if dead; while he is busyffl^ himself with
her, a second, small, instrumental passage, musically illustrates
his movements, and is introduced by a tender figure which
seems to sigh longingly for the first Expiation melody (Page
XXI. 1. b). But at every endeavour the sad voice of the
"Verodung" is immediately heard through all the figurations
of the accompaniment. At last, corresponding to the beginning
of the scene, the ' Madchenklage " is heard in long drawn tones
portraying the breathing of Kundry as she awakes from her
deathlike sleep, and leads to a soft., zephyrlike rising of

62 —

the Grail motive: — the Kundry motive starts up convul-
sively ff. — a shriek — consciousness returns — and she
who was forever accursed awakes to Eternal spring and
redemption.

XXI. 1. Die erste En^uhnungsmelodie.

u

is

^

3^

a. (Enndry'B tiefster Senfzer.)

m^^^^i

b. (Sehnsachtsseufzer n. d. Entsiihnang.)

1=

35^3^M^

^

I*-

fei

^^^^^^§

I I I

I

T f

As she now arises and takes her first step in the domi
nion of the Grail since we last saw her, that thematic succes-
sion of tones and chords which characterized her first ap-
pearance in the drama is again heard, but is now joined to
a small triplet figure in the bass, which by soft trembling,
expresses the astonishment of Gurnemanz at the change
which has taken place in her. Now she is indeed Kundry the
Helper — the server — , and her only words during the
act — "to serve — to serve" — conclude with impressive
simplicity this retrospection of the best moments of her
former life.

She goes into the cottage to fetch the water pitcher for
filling, and Gurnemanz astounded watches her as she goes —
'how different now her gait!"

63

^fc -iO-tXl

i

Gralmotiy.

W\>

i

-^-•-H>^

i

:etc.

We here encounter the charm of "Charfreitag" (Good
Friday), whose motive from the "Liebesmahlspruch" (XVIII),
thrills with holy awe, and bursting forth from the solemn
Grailmotive it ends in the Elegiac close of the Holy Speech:

— "oh! day of grace without compare" etc. — But this
is not the end, from the dying away of the "Heilandswort"
there is spun out tenderly and softly, but as if groping
uncertainly, a lulling joybreathing melody full of gentle morning
charm — the prophecy of the 'Blumenaue": is fulfilled by the
silent entrance of a new guest to the Grail, — one who
comes with hesitating steps, as if in a trance — the Unexpected

— the Seeker — Parsifal on his wanderings.

Parsifal's entrance is characterized by his own motive
clothed in sad minor and, breaking off in strains of melancholy
longing already often heard, it is borne down by the short
faltering tones of the Ode motive, which sorrowfully suc-
ceeds, but does not so soon leave him. The ascending chromatic
passage from the "Irren" of the introduction emerges several
times in between. Gumemanz now rebukes the sadly silent
guest for bearing arms in the consecrated place on a holy
day: his pious admonition is again accompanied, in strangely
solemn harmony, by the GraU motive and the Charfreitagsmotive.

— Thereupon Parsifal lays aside his arms and sinks upon his
knees in mute prayer before the holy spear which he has stuck
in the ground; Gumemanz recognizes him — recognises the
spear, and breaks at last from his awed astonishment into
fervent thanksgiving Meanwhile Parsifal's prayer introduced
by his own gloomy motive, to which the "Spear motive"
is softly and slowly joined, is midway accompanied by the
sacred strains of the "Liebesmahlsspruch", enveloped in a
solemn mystery of trembling, floating harmonies. Thereupon
chromatically descending, there issues forth an intensely
enthusiastic figure ^- 'ah! which path did he find?': the
Middle voice (hidden by the upper voice) of the Verheissungs-
sprueh, whose Thoren motive is immediately heard, gives (with

— 64 —

a slight touch of the Atonement melody") animation to the
expressive echoing cres close of the Liehesmahlspruch, like
the outpourings of a soul in a state of sublime rapture: "Oh!
holiest day, to which I now awake!' With the "Heilands-
klage" ending _^., and now appearing as a song of hope
dispensing redeeming power, the Grail motive again enters
'dim', as Parsifal rises and tenders his simple greeting to
the 'gray haired knight" — 'happy I, again to have found
thee!" — Most beautifully are these simple words joined to
the corresponding refrain of the motive, but at Gumemanz
joyous reply the continuation of the ,Ode motive", (from
the beginning the Overture), theis followed by a small figure,
which proves to be a rythmical shortening of that motive,
and which later forms the chiet motive during Gumemanz'
narrative of the sufferings of the GraU knighthood (s. XX- 1.).
But before this narrative Parsifal addresses these present
'by paths of doubt and suffering I came' — and these words,
fnU of sorrow, self experienced, engrave on the soul the picture
of his wanderings, already musically portrayed in the Overture.
Thus we have here a repetition of the same motive figures.
After the first measures of the syncopated 'Irremotiv', the
'Waldesmelodie" rushes in between and reminds us involun-
tarily of its affinity to the musical spirit of the 'Atonement
melody" of the 'Blumenaue". Then at the pa.ssionate cry:

— "to him, to whose deep lament I once in foolish wonder
listened' — the 'Leidensmotiv^ of Amfortas (IV) breaks
forth in the bass, and the 'Thorenmotiv' follows in a some
what longer phrase. At: — "alas! the way of salvation ne'er
to find" — the 'Irremotiv" again wanders and feilters, (as
in the Overture) till it reaches the despairing forebodings of
the Grail motive — 'when I thought I already knew ViiTn

— then doubt seized me'; at the description of the fight
over the holy relic, the second part of the Overture is
repeated; the "Thorenmotiv" now boldly appears and gives
fresh vigor to the musical movement, leading it to a final,
triumphant outbreak of the now perfectly freed Grail motive
'before thee gleams uninjured and sublime — the sacred spear
of the Grail!"

The 'Liehesmahlspruch" with an interlude of the

— 65 —

*Charfireitagsmotiv' immediatdy resounds at Gurnemanz' in-
tensely joyful cry — "Oh! grace, greatest salvs ion!' — , and
at the last words — "0 holy, sublime wonder!" — when
through the Elegiac close, delight finds vent in tears, the
long silent "Glauhensthema* announces from on high the
healing of all woe, and by a tender modulation leads to the
beginning of Gurnemanz' narrative — "Ah! my lord, if
t'was a Gurse — believe, it is removed". But with this
modulation the "Glanbensthema" is changed into a melody
which we have already heard at Gurnemanz' former cry of
joy, as an upper voice to the 'Thorenmotiv"; now singing
with holy emotion of blessed purification and atonement it
leads once more into the Grail motive — "here art thou,
— this the dominion of the GaQ.' This picture of desolation
and sorrow in the Giaihug causes a repetition of the be-
ginning of the Overture; and the mention of the suffering,
death-dearing Amifortas calls forth his ,Wehelaute* with the
Eundry motive. During the following part of the narration
which portrays the general condition of tibe knighthood the
shortened figure of the "Ode*, before refered to, (XXI 1.) is
led through many thematic changes

XX. 1. (Verfcarates Ode-Thema.)

pi=^

>a-^U i

Here a passage — ,No more, a message comes to us" leads
in a solemn, earnest manner, with the finidamental tones of
the "Gloekenthema", harmoni9ally darkened, to the first
w&ming of tiie mourning choixees, heard later at Titurel's
obsequies; then it also dies away into the "Ode" motive
— "Id this comer of the forest I concealed myself" etc. Over
the desolation of grief, now breathes, in lightest spiiitlike pp.,
a touching strain firom the Titurel variation of tiie
•Glaubenstiiema' (in. 2.) ending in the Grail motive —
•Titurel my noble lord" — then, at the last repetition of
the "Ode" motive stops, as if choking with emotion — "he
died — a man — lite all!"

Wolsogen, PuafaJ. 5

— 66 —

A loud {^ of pain is wrung from Parsifal's breast —
*and I — I am the cause of all this misery!' — Sorrowful
longings for redemption pervade his song; the "Thorenmotiv"
— "to bring deliverance I myself am chosen" — sinks as
if fainting into sUence: overcome by passionate pain Parsifal
sinks senseless to the ground under the burden of sin for
which he must atone. Kundry hastens to help him, brings
water from the spring, bathes his forehead, loosens his
coat of mail, and busies herself in tender, womanly acts —
whereat the vehement upspringing movements of her ° Stormy
figure", subside and give place to a refrain of the 'Hin-
gebungsmelodie" (XIX) in two, short, gentle, long drawn out
phrases which at the end sound as if pleading for salvation.
Now all is silent — 'Not so! — the holy spring itself
shall make our pilgrim's bath refreshing." After a few, deep,
sonorous tones of the "Glockejjl'motiv", the new theme of
"Segen" -Blessing and "Taufe" Baptism (XXII) arises in solemn
earnest harmony.

XXII. Der Segenaspruch.

5*g

ii

J— J3iJ

E=g=mfe^ ^

f f

I ?>• -=- — — I ♦-:-—■•

'■ ^f f

*f 3.

In the following part of the scene the new motive predo-
minates, and appears four times, always as an introduction to
the significant actions of feet washing, blessing, the anoint-
ment, of Parsifal and the baptism of Kmidry. In a manner
as gentle as solemn it unites the holy character of the Grrail
with that of tender Spring, which as living symbols of the
Atonement and Resm-rection surround these devout actions with
an ever clearer meaning.

After the first 'Segensspruch", the second "Entsuhnungs-
melodie", whose strains we have already noticed immediately

— 67

follows , tenderly , and joyously. It appears in two parts,,
and is heard both before and after the beautiful words of
Gurnemanz — ' And now shall the dust of his long pilgrimage
be washed away" (XXI. ad. 2 + 2).

XXI. 2. Zweite und dritte Entsuhnuugsmelodie.
ad 2.

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Already bright the morning sun shines down upon the dewy
flowers, and into the redeemed souls of men; but the loud
rejoicings of Deliverance and the delights of Easter are not

5*

68

allowable before the devout band of the faithful has been
strengthened and glorified for the Last journey by the
consecration of holy deeds of love. At these words — "the
holy mount awaits us' — the solemn warning sounds of
the "Trauerchor* (XXXIII) are heard, and they recall the
condition of the knighthood when preparing for their last
sorrowful feast. The motive of the "Verodung' again
follows in its shortened forni.

XXm. Der Trauerchor.
I

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ii tif p.,

ttfwmr^

^^3^^^

t ^TiT^- ^'m^:

A^ ^l.T^ ^ ^

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Meanwhile Kundry begins her faithful task of feet washing;
and as the eye of the reclining one turns upon her, an
expressive repetition of that strain from her narrative La the
second act — 'I feel his eyes already on me" — accom-
panies the saving glance of the beloved hero, then ceases in
tender loftiness and is tenderly resolved into the previous
"Atonement melody" heard in the Overture (XXI. ad. 2.)
"thou washest my feet let this friend and anoint my head."
Gurnemanz words of sublime emotion — "blessed be thou,
thou pure one, through purity" — are heard in the second

^ 69 =-

"Segensspruch" and as before the se(jpnd "Atonement melody"
(XXI, 3.) soars after it in soft dissolving brightness — "By
thee all the sorrows of sin are softened!' — Accompanied
by a light flowing figure, the "Segensspruch" is then
repeated for the third time; it introduces the anointing of
feet by Kwndry, and like tender sighs expressing devout
resignation and humble longing breathes through the
music which softly accompanies this action, passing at last
into the fervent strains of the "Madchenklage' — "thou
anointest my feet ■■ — letTitorel's comrade anoint my head' — ,
whereupon the "Parsifal motive' — "today as king he will
greet me' — introduces /. the anointing of the head. The
truly kingly greeting of Gumemanz is joined with soulfiil
fervor to this motive and to the connecting tones of its
continuation — "thou pure, thou pitiful, patient one' — ;
and the "Thoremnotiv' with an accompanying figure, resembling
the "Heilandsklage' flows into the Parsifal motive at the
transition to the f ascent of the Grail motive — "let the
last weight be taken from his head.' ^—

From this splendid majestic climax grand solemn chords
lead to the fourth [pp.) appearance of the 'Segensspruch"
which now resounds as a holy, baptismal hymn ■ — "thus I
my first duty do perform' — ; the Grail motive arises, and
from it the "Glaubensthema" soars forth like the holy dove
over the waters — "be baptised and believe in the Eedeemer!'
— At the baptism, this sacred theme falls blessingly on the
head of the sinner, who is bending to the earth and weep-
ing bitterly, then ceases in the expressive closing strain of
the "Heilandsklage' (II Act: "then his gaze fell on me*);
the look of the Saviour shines forgivingly from the eyes of
His pure messenger on the weeping woman, now freed from
her curse; — Redemption enters at the moment of the divine
benediction as light penetrated into the world at the word
of the Creatoi' — from the last strains of the "Heilands-
klage" the melodic web of the "Blumenaue" (XXIV) is
softly spun out in gentle placid undulations.

The rich, pure magic of newly awakened spring is
revealed, and loveliest voices singing of the joys of Eedemption
fill with softest rapture, the fragrant, blooming, dewy expanse

70

of the beautiful, still world, on that sunny day of the Sa-
viour. At Parsifal's tender cry of ecstasy — "ah! how
beautiful seem the world today!" — the melody is worked
out in canon form and is followed by the yearning, impulsive,
and later gently soothing development of the first "Atonement
melody" (XXI, 1.), which at the beginning of the act casts
a gleam of hope over the desolation of the scene. But again
it is silenced by gloomy strains — "that is the spell of
Good Friday, my Lord" — whereat with an awful tremolo
the "Liebesmahlsspruch" ascends to the "Charfreitagsmotiv",
till with repeated sighs — "woe! saddest of days" — it is
resolved in the conclusion of the speech — "thou see'st it
is not so'

XXIV. Die Blumenaue.

[ rr-i - H=^=^^ ^

^

t^

etc.

^0^-

etc.

A second time the "Blumenaue" emerges brilliantly from the
the gloomy clouds of Good Friday and forms with its melody
in canon form, a graceful sounding basis to Gurnemanz'
instructive song upon the blessedness of Good Friday. An
interlude of regular swaying movements fromi of the Grail
motive — 'in the Redeemer's loving foot steps, now every
creature rejoices" — introduces a third appearance of the
chief melody in triumphant /. — "Will their prayer hallow
him?" etc. Once more, as a contrast, the vision of the
Saviour on the Cross passes before us in heavy tritonic notes
on the kettle drums — "she cannot see him upon the
cross" — ; and then, as if from intense longing to see the
Saviour, the Close of the "Liebesmahlsspruch" arises with
the Elegiac figure in an ascending sequence, until the pre-
vious "Entsuhnungsmelodie" returns now fully develepod, and
charmingly varied. — "now grasses and flowers appear in the

— 71 —

meadows". A soft swelling chromatic passage — "as God with
heavenly patience" — leads with softening dimuendo to the
fourth entrance of the "Hauptmelodie"; again the wealth of
melody rises to a soaring crescendo and at last the Grail motive
rings through the "Blumenaue' resounding over all like the
joyous, sacred, sublime triumph cry of Good — "Nature today
pardoned regains her innocence". Thereupon a joyous variation
of the "Entsiilmungsmelodie" begins /. but gently, subsides and
ends, by means of the first Figuration of the melody, in the
longing tones of the "Madchenklage" — "I saw them perish
who once mocked me. " With the following words — "whether
today they yearn for redemption?" — this passes softly into
the "Heilandsklage ' then gives place to the fifth, and last return
of the principal melody of the "Blumenaue" in softest pp.
The words of the song are tenderly interwoven with the
melody and express sublimest joy — "thy tears too become
blessed dew: thou weepest — see, the meadows rejoice."

Thereupon, like a sigh of blissful ecstasy, the refrain
of the last Atonement melody wells up, but soon diminishes
and again soars away : already we hear sounds of woe in
these diminishing strains; distant bells, deprived of their former
closing tones, give warning of the mournful celebration which
is pending in the Grail mount, and the figure which constantly
accompanies the succeeding "Panorama music" , and the
Funeral choruses (compare XXIII) is joined to their thematic
tones. But over the oppressive solemnity of these strains
the splendid Parsifal motive now rises triumphant, and
accompanies the hero at the beginning of his journey to the
sacred house of suffering. So we will accompany him with
firm steps into the dark mysteries of the new transformation.

The Transformation Music.

Fearfully forbidding the Begleitungsfigure sounds through
all the music as it rolls onward unceasingly; and therein arc
heard, falling like the grievous blows of Pate, the woefal

72 —

starains of the. fully dev.eloped Second motive of "Herzeleidp"
— a motives eixpresging indeed "Heart suffering' and the love
sorrows, of Mankind, and also every torment which Love
imposed; on the Kedeemer himself! —
XVI. 2.

It is as though a picture of the life of our hero passed
before us; from the sufferings of his mother's love till this
journey of agony when he carries the cross of redemption:
once more upon the last journey he must bear compas-
sionately the whole weight of evil, that the world, to which
he was called, to bring salvjation, with cruel severity laid
upon him. — It is a sphere of deepest suffering, upon which
we enter with him, through wl^ch we advance as the mo-
tive leads us,, horrible, yearning for deliverance, yet stubborji
to every new blow of Bate; like Gurneman? aarrative it is
wrapped in the harmonies of the "VerSduug" and- moves
with, painful deceptive cadences, each in supcessiou, follow the
pitjless ever a(ivancing steps of the Beglpitungs figure, in
which the sounds of the Bells intermingle, increasing tiiey
finally usher in a ff.. development of the woeful lamenting
Schluss-figure of the whole Interlude:

§xr.- tJ N- ^J I^^J I' ^- fr^T^ ^

r

fe.f. ^i h\ s-

i

1^

w-

— 73 —

As tfee earlier Accompanipient (Beg:leitungs) fignjfe,. hitherto
sile?it, advances anew ajiii the "Qdemptiv* sounds, now in fiill,
the Q-jail-Temple isi revealed to, our gaze, and the knights
dothed in g;lpomy funeral garments, some beaicing Tituj^el's
corp^se, and oiihers with Amfortaa and the Grail,, move frqm
different sides amidgt the antiphones of their double chorus.

n.

The bane of deep mourning and woeful de&p/on<clen«jn may
yet be heard in the choruses of the ta^ts, and the same
musical means of expression are here made use of" which we
noticed in the Interlude of the previous scene at the mention
of the celebration. Th^- here form in a characteristic mariner
the melo^p and harmonic formatjon of both choruses. It, is
worthy of notice that the- first verses end four times in the
Grail motive. The So^rowfiil' movement of the Interlude is
joined to the choir whieh ac companies Amfortas, while the
choir bearing Titurel's remains is accompanied by the Theme
of the Bells. But as the alternate songs become shorter, the
first figure from the "Verod'ung'' brings the assembly to a
pause with painftil sounds of woe, and at the end as they
all unite together in. wild repetitions of that plaintive cry
—r- "For the last time' -^ the strugglmg, pressing, Schluss-
%nxe of the Interlude-, derived, from the melody at the be-
ginning of the Overture, again enters and gives these, cries
an expression full of anguished lamentation. The BeUs now
ring out, and only cease at Amfortas' cry, faint with
spLflfering -T— "Alas-! alagj' woe unto me*' -^ thereupon the
"Gde' mfltiye is: repeated in- its. abbreviated fcrm..

The unveiling of Titurel's porpse calls forth ff. a
piercing and rapid ascent of the "Leidensmotiv' (IV) which
descends through three octaves, as if it fled at the sight of
this supreme passion of pain, but it i& immediately overcome
by the> gpft. sustaineil tones, of a new motive soundjjjg Ubei a
•Weihegruss' sftpred gr-eeting. fXXV). Here the motive first
forms, a ^hprt "ritppiel" to the prayer — "my father, mo&t
hlessed of heroes ' — ^ before becoming the thematie foundatipn
of the prayer itself^ this is especjaljiy characteristic, of gJl the

— 74

greater songs of Amfortas. It breathes throughout with the
noble repose of that proud, blissful time when Titurel reigned,
At the words — "Oh! thou who now in splendor divine the
Redeemer himself beholdest" — , it is resolved into the
"Glaubensthema" and now one observes an inner, though not a
authenticated relationship between these two themes.

XXV. Der Weihegruss fiir Titurel.

WiO^ ^^

TT^rfTr^'

m

fe ^i'j i^h^^^^i

^^^^

f—^rr^^

1

At this point the prayer refers to the revelation of the Grail
and the "Liebesmahlsspruch" and the Grail motive again enter:
but with the last sentence — "Death! death! the only mercy!'
— a musical figure appears as a motive of Love's Woes
in which a resemblance to the "Herzeleide" motive may be
discerned; here it accompanies alone the last heartfelt, pleading
words of Amfortas' prayer, first, with marvellous tenderness,
and then in the form of a passionate lament.

XVI. 3. (Gebet des Amfortas.)

i^^^i^^^ ^^i=T^^

^ %

^

^^^p^^^^p

But the tumultuously rising importunate cries of the knights
'Do thy duty! thou must! thou must!" — arouse anew in
the wearied Amfortas feelings of the deepest despair. "No! no

— 75

more!" — The "Leidensmotive ' which accompanied him at
the beginning of the drama now also at the end, when his
soul rises in revolt against life, joins itself to him with wild
passion in an extended, defiant, ascending form.

I

IV. 1.

mt

=Mg-^

m^

-^

IV. 2.

tti

^

-»i^

Efe

-^

At the last words "Draw thy sword" the keenness of his
despair is expressed, as at the corresponding portion of the
Lament in the first act, by the devilish power of the Kling-
sor motive, now chasing before it rushing 'magic move-
ments" which at last dash into the Grail motive — 'There
the Grail itself shall give you light."

Parsifal — the new king of the Grail, has already entered
with the healing weapon; as he advances, and a new and
loftier realm is disclosed to view, the harmones of the Grail
motive are marvellously altered — "only one weapon avails:
only the spear which gave the wound can close it." —
When with a touch of the spear he closes Amfortas'
wound, all is transformed; the close of the Liebesmahls-
spruch resounds, with the "Spear motive", joyously, proudly
triumphant, and the Leidensmotive, which has just given
expression to defiant, devilish passion now appears pacified
and gentle, in the presence of suffering relieved (IV. 2.).
"Blessed be thy suffering, which gave the timid Pool, Pity's
greatest strength, and purest Wisdom's might." The "Thoren-
motive" following the changed "Leidensmotiv", enters as a
sublime symbol of pure triumph, swelling ever higher and
higher, until the entrance of the triumphal song in the
Parsifal motive, which with regal splendor accompanies
Parsifal as he advances to the middle of the stage — "The
holy Spear! — I bring it back to you!" Then the "Liebes-
mahlsspruch" and the Glaubensthema (Form III 3.) greet

— 76 —

with a short solemn song this reunion of the Grail and the
Spear; the Liebesmahlsspruch taking no longer the "Pain
Figure", in which it formerly bewailed the sacred wound
of suffering, soars unfettered to blessed freedom (I. 3.) and
retains to the close of the act this new form, which
portrays the power of God's love as revealed by the Word
of Redemption.

I. 3. (LiebesmahlBpruch ala Erl5sniigswort.)

I

|Fr^j„),^h->a->444fj-r^Pfc^

^^^
^

.==j — f—if-

P^^

"Oh! wonders of joy sublime' — this last sacred, rapturous
song of the new king begins with the "Glaubensthema" —
and here, as at the end of the Overture the ascending
''Spear motive ", with the "Elegiac Figure" and the "Heilands-
klage" itself express the healing of sorrow and its change
to soul blessedness. The "Thorenmotive" and the "ErliJsungs-
wort'form a refrain, as Parsifal mounts the steps of the scantuary
giving in his Last words his first Kingly command "Reveal
the Grail', — Open the shrine" Amid strains as of golden
harps the Grail motive announces the unveiling of the long-
concealed blessing-giver, and at Parsifal's silent prayer it,
is followed by the holy, closely related "Erlosungswort"
and "Glaubensthema*, one the celestical flower of the other's
divine love cravings. A divine glory streams from on high
through the deep shades of the hall; at the words "highest
holy miracle* — the choirs softly begin with the "Thoren"
motive which here appears manifested as a rea^'HeUandsmotiv";
and at the words — "Redemption to the Redeemer" — the
"Erlosungsworte " rising from the deep voices of the men
passes through the choir of youths and ascends to the boys,
who bear it above all the other voices to the highest height,
and there, on long held tones, like the Sun of Eternity

— 77 —

it sends forth beams of glorious divine light. 'The Glaubens-
thema sinks down from the heights with softest flutterings
while the voices intermingle like spirits of light joyously
playing together in a state of blessed unity; the Holy Dove
soars as if in blessing over Parsifal's head, white he gently
swings the Grail before the upturned gate of the knights;
Kundry sinks to the ground, her spirit passing away amidst
the sacred strains; and as now the Grail motive in all its solemn
splendor comes forward to render homage to the new King
it seems to disclose once more newer, higher, and purer
spheres of divine wonder, through which the "Glaubensthema"
joyously flows like a shimmering river of light. So the visible
reality of this sublime scene, fading frOm sight, is enve-
loped in a heavenly ether of more than earthly happiness,
through which fuUtoned to the end, the divine "Erlosungs-
wort", from the last GraU motive, soars released to realms
of bliss eternal.

-^^ei-

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