PARSIPAL, piiest4;11. A festival music drama by Richard Wagner. The outline of the music was finished in 1879. the orchestration in 1882. and the first performance was given in Bayreuth, duly 26, 1882. The story based upon the Arthurian legend of Perccyal and the Holy Grail. and particularly on the metrical version by Wolfram (See PEE CEy.ar..) The scene is in or near the Castle of the Holy Grail (Slonsalvat. Spain). The prin cipal characters are: Parsifal; ..\mfortas, who has been one of the Knights of the Grail. but who has lost the holy Spear, been wounded by it. and has fallen into the power of Nlingsor. a magician hostile to the knights; and Nundry, one of the beautiful women through whom Kling sor hopes to gain authority over the knights he has over Amfortas) by tempting them to break their vows of chastity. In the first act the inexperienced Parsifal is brought to the castle by one of the knights, witnesses the adora tion of the Grail. but does not appreciate its
significance, and is cast out by the knights. In the second act Parsifal withstands Klingsor's various attempts to 11i111, even liniffiry is unsuccessful, and he finally wins from the magician the Holy Spear :111,1 starts on hi- ,earch tor the Castle of the Grail, whose importance ne now realize,. In the third act, after a lapse of many years, Parsifal meets Kundry and one of the knights. Kinidry has repented. and alt. r baptizing her Parsifal is led by the knight to the castle. There he heals the old wound of Ainfortas by tmiching it with the Hole Spear ( the only possible cure) Kundry dies in hap piness. and Parsifal is hailed as King of the Knights of the Grail. See the article WacxEit.