New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-27
FROM PHILADELPHIA.
IRE NEW GRAND OPERA HOUSE,
THE GREAT INAUGURATION BALL.
from o.. SPse.A Correspondent

scccsnt Of the imnaturty Of tAs.ci!y 10 Pop-la-
tion wealth sid musical culture, IS Of the hlAacA
embarra,szents commencing in ISSS, aae wAisA
bad ten On lSl0) proStrsted credit sad c1ser-
| Prise al over the county. In face, however 81
th,.e disadyastsets, our Quaker ucissbors v-,ss
| the first eemI,anity in America to entertain sc-s-
Ou,y the scheme Of lyrical snd drr-istic ins!i'E-
ton comparable IN al poirts to the lsrssst Az
most complete il Europe, ard to this eni ths at
| tempt so far prospeTtd that a, adequsts To- wac
secured ard subscriptions for tie building mads to
the mt Of about two hundred thousand dci.s %.
At the yoint, wing to the diiell,ies referred We,
the effort WAS abandoned. To the srchitectSys l.
economical, moral aud artistic fcstugss Of tbs. ~
terprise. however. is due whatever las s'ace SSa
achieved in .he sane direction in our City Of New
York srd elsewhere in The United States.
The Ph latelpha Academy Of Music. which 10
psugurated TO hight by the greatest bal sTer gi'r~
in the city, is most honorable approximation to
the reality of The original project which have ast'
mentioned. The Academy faces eastward On Broad
s'rset-a noble avenue one bundred snd twenty ftct
vide. bisectng the old city-p between the De,s'
ware and Schuykil rivers, at the distance Of about
8 mic from each. The northern iaDk Of the hoass-
is Locust street and the southern on ground re-
served for the purpose, SO as to iusulste IL BY
court Of adequate width. Chestnut street, where
fashionable shops, snd Walnut, where fashicasSss'
dwellings, pudomrate, are respectively only scves
sud FIVE hundred feet Distant The builjirg Is ono
hundred and forty feet FROM one hundred and ffty
feet in the rear, and two hundred and thirty eight
feet deep The material Of the first story Is brown
VI Il k..ol
The cornce Of iron, sanded to correspond with tbs
bas mcDt and the roof of plates Of galvanized irco.
The sty lie of architecture is simple ard imposing,
and judciously adapted to the xed material. Tia
front has five high srched doors extending along 3
projection Of ninety feet, and ore grand window st
each extremity. Over the doors is solid stone bal
COPY. The openings of the second stoy-the ca
teri al appearance of the house being only two sto
res-correspcnd with those Of the first. On tho
eide streets, there are thirteen similar openings to
each story, i've Of them being doors in the rs!, pro-
tected also by stone balcony. The high. OF the
building is apparently about seventy feet Ita
altogether exceedingly well conceived.
Access 10 the interior is provided by five door,
each ten feet wide on the Broadstreet front and a.
equal number on each side street, making the total
openings in the clear $50 feet-dstrbuting the audi
ence at its exits In different directions and assuring
the clearing of a full house in a very few mautes.
The front doors extend along line Of ~ feet CIV
ing admission to q vestibule of the same length aud
ten feet deep. At each side of the yestibule srs
ticket-C fces, communicating respectively with tho
managers and directors rooms, about y iect
square, which occupy the two front corners OF tho
building. These rooms provided with hro--
proofs of the best description, and have private
doors communicating with other departments Of
the building. A ticket.ofl ON Locust street. for
the upper tiers OF boxes, also opens directly into
the manager, room, thus bringing two of the re-
ceiyers under Bis immediate supervision.
Passing through tsc front 'estibule by archeJ
door, corresponding in number and size with tho'"
Of tie exterior the grand yestlbulc is,roached-s
noble apartment ninety feet vide and thirty feet
deep. 1t is lsnkcd by two grand stairways, each
thirteen feet WIDE aud rising right aud left parallel
To the front Of the house. The inner well Of this
hsll is pierced by doors opposite to those in front.
also corresponding IN proportions with them. Be
tween the doors are pilas,ers These and the walls
are ircscOed in imitation Of various fine marbles.
and the ceiling is relieved by deep aud enriched
panels. The newell. posts Of the stairways are very
massive, Of carved walnut, forming the base Of
stands of the same material which support elegant
gilt candelabras, topped by bronze Mereuries.
handsome chandelier decorates the center Of the
hall Proceeding inward on the same i'Oor the lobby
of the parquet circle is entered, which cOmpasses
The auditorium II is thirteen feet wide, except at
the extrtmities where it approaches the stage de.
partment, narrowing there to nine feet On ons
side Of the house this lobby communicates with
ladies' retiring room, and on the other with
eentemen's. 4 hsndsome elliptical staircase ahords
inter ior comm uDcatlOn with the first and second
tiers OF boxes, and under the grand front stsirwoys
access 10 bad 10 the gentlemens reireshment room
in the basement, which is eighty BY forty feet.
From the lobby, thus described, admission is had
to the parquet.crcle, and to the Parquet BY ser
eral doors and corresponding aises 81 convenient
dstances The obbies Of the other tiers are OF thu
,euoe proportops as the lower That Of the next or
nrineinsl floor connects with the dresEcirce, and on
lie front with the Foyy or grand saloon. This Is
. very beautiful apartment both 10 proportions ano
,,Ie It's over the entrance and grand vestibue', w
Get long and 10 feet WIDE with groned ceiling j. feet
high Il Is lighted by1iye great arched easement WIN
dow, nc feet wide each the front doors and open
ing upon the stone balcony above described AZ eacb
extremity /. communicates with large and elegant
oupepy or ref.eshmert rooms and aso with the naio
,tsirways. Throughout its length On both sides ara
i1teen Roman Ionic columns fun relief upon piasefs
ard .ymount.d By ornate entsblature. Ten brilliant
oo,, chandeliers depesd from the sprrg OF the arches