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183. PARSIFAL
Sacred Festival Music-Drama in Three Acts By Richard Wagner
Libretto By the Composer (The Poem, based on the famous Grail Legend)
First Produced Baireuth, July 22nd, 1882
Chief Characters Kundry, Parsifal, Gurmanez, Amfortas, Klingsor
It will be plain to all that the story of " Parsifal "is an allegory, and that the incidents and
characters of the piece are symbolic of human development, of the conquest of Good over Evil,
and of the revivified spirit soaring triumphant above the baser instincts that struggle to draw it
back. Amfortas represents suffering and guilty humanity. The body of humanity, grievously
wounded by the throbbing, burning poison of sin, can only be healed by the restoration of the
Genius of Good, which is symbolised by the Spear, which has obtained mastery over the powers
of Evil. Klingsor represents everything opposed to Good, being the mainspring and source of all
evil. Kundry, the instrument subject to the power of the instigator of ill, signifies the temptations
that beset the seeker after Truth-the evil moral law, which the pilgrim can only resist with the
strength which is given by purity and faith. Finally, Parsifal himself is typical of the Saviour of the
world, the pure and blameless One, the Conqueror of temptation, whose pity and love for
wounded, guilty humanity brought salvation to all, and by redemption threw open the way to
eternal Life and Love.
THIS noble work was the last and most wonderful composition of the great master, and was the
crowning triumph of his life. By means of it Wagner has given us a perfect picture of the real
meaning of Christianity, and of the true beauty of the mighty Gift of Love bestowed upon the
world by the great Father of all. The outline of the action is as follows : - The Holy Grail, or
Chalice, from which our Saviour drank at the Last Supper, and which afterwards received the
blood that flowed from His pierced side as he lay on the Cross, has been brought, together with the
spear which wounded Him, by angels to Monsalvat, in Northern Spain, where the good King
Titurel has built for it a Temple-Sanctuary and Castle, and provided for its service a number of
pure and stain-less guardians, known as the Knights of the Holy Grail. The faithful service of the
latter brings great reward, for the Holy Grail possesses miraculous powers of healing; and with the
sacred spear Titurel keeps at bay the Infidels and all opposed to the Power of Good. But, owing to
his declining powers with advancing years, Titurel resigns the kingship to his son, Amfortas; and
then great trouble falls upon the Grail guardians, which is explained in the first act. As the curtain
rises Gurmanez, one of the chief Knights of the Holy Grail, awaits with his esquires the approach
of the wounded King, Amfortas, who is presently brought up the mountain-side on a stretcher, to
bathe his wound in a healing spring. He has been wounded by the wicked sorcerer, Klingsor, the
greatest enemy of the Holy Grail, who has set up a Palace of Magic, surrounded by an Enchanted
Garden of Pleasure, in which dwell lovely sirens, who, by their fascinating wiles, lure the Grail
Knights from the paths of honour and duty; and Amfortas, having yielded after a great struggle to
Kundry, the most beautiful and enticing of these witch-maidens, the Sorcerer, her master, thereby
gains possession of the sacred spear, dealing the fallen Knight a wound which will never heal until
the holy relic is once more restored to its ordained guardians. Amfortas, full of repentance and
grief for his sin, was rescued and brought back to the Sanctuary, where he has since dwelt in