River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-12-04


Verdi's latest and most ambitious
work, the opera of AIDA" with it,
marching armies, gorgeous scenery, anC
rich costumes, has already become d
favorite with the opera goers Of the
city, thanks to the enterprise of Mr.
Strakosch, but those who only view il
from their seats in the auditorium OF
the Academy can form no very correct
idea of the work involved in putting an
opera on the stage. 1t was the writer s
privilege to be behind the scenes dur.
ing the rendering of the opera. As he
entered the stage door he was stopped
by the vigilant door tender, Mr.. Ere
high, but word not only gave him adj
mission, but seat by the doorkeeper' $
side. 1t was early, and the performers
were just beginning to arrive. Stage
carpenters were hurrying to and fro !;
scene shifters were setting the scenes
for the first act. Calcium-light men
were rolling retorts of oxygen and by.
drogen into position and fitting the re-
Electors, and property men and super
intendents of wardrobes were hurrying
through the doorway with loads of
pasteboard armor, wooden spears and
swords, and heaps of gorgeous clothing
for.
THE GRAND EGYPTIAN ARMY.
Potentini, Cary, Carpi, Del Puente,
and the other artists were in their
dressing rooms, but the chorus, ballet,
and "army" we're clamoring for ad.
mission. eve have seventy 'supers, a
lot Of extra orchestra, carpenters. and
ballet, and am expected to know them
all and let no one in who is not to take
part in the performance. We have
some people here you wouldn't expect
to see. That good-looking, well-dressed
young fellow that just went up stairs to
the dressing rooms is clerk in a dry
goods store. He comes here night after
night, getting forty cents for his duties
as super There was a book-keeper
that came last season, and paid a
boy fifty cents night to watch his
clothes while he was on the stage. He
said lie was willing to pay ten cents to
see the opera, and that why he came. !"
As the door-keeper said this, neatly
dressed, lady-like young woman enter
ed,~ "Sne's trying to support her old
mother. They are very poor. Yes
terday she said she hadn't only seven
teen cents in the world, but Mr.. Stra-
kosch has hired her and she gets dol
lar a night for appearing as priestess
and waiting lady, and she's as happy as
she can be. They used to be well off,
and she's perfect lady. No, she
doesn't sing-she's only super.
NOTES OF PREPARATION.
The time drew near for the first act.
Mr.. Van Hamme, the stage manager,
had come. Signor Muzio, thu director,
on whom so much depended, was on the
stage drawing on his white kids. The
first call bell rang, and from their dres-
sing rooms above there came a host of
strange figures--Egyptian priests and
priestesses in long flowing robes and
picturesque turbans Ethiopian slaves
with corked faces and red gowns; Egy p.
tian soldiers in shining armor ard fierce
false boards; ballet girls who shivered
in their thin dresses. We're the
dancing boys" said small voice.
"There are twelve of Us" and a dozen
small, black-legged, black-aTmed, black.
faced youngstars trotted in. All
little girls, said Freligh, "and regular
monkeys, too. You cant do anything
with them" "Tra la-la-la," sounded
deep voice, and swarthy-faced fig.
ure in gorgeous robes stalked with
stately strides across the stage, singing
gayly. IL was Florino, the basso, Ram.
tis, the priest, when the curtain rises.
And then came Potentini, picturesque
in gay feathers and Egyptian orna'
ments. with bronzed face and sandeled
feet. talking and laughing with Carpi,
the tenor. I'm a moment more she was
to be Aida, the Ethiopian slave, and he
Redames, the Captain OF the Guard
Then Cary, the stately Amneris, daugh
ter Of the king, and Scolara, clad in
purple and gold and glttering crown
With him talked Del Puente, who wore
the tiger skin Of the Ethiopian chief.
tain. In the meantime the stage man
ager was not idle. Ills quick eye
cNNHiNh w ~ WV hiAiiiE Nih WV
body on the stage, even to the minutest
detail.
THE REAL MONARCH.
"You have on the wrong waist" tC
a ballet girl "where are your brace
let's "That's the wrong dress en-
tiiely," TO another; "you arc a priest
ess, not waiting woman" "Your face
is not half black, you Nubian slave e
black your cars" "IIere, you Egyp
tian soldier, you have yorr helmet OF
hind side before" "Little girls, come
here and let inc sec you dance-one
two, three, four, five. six, seven, eight
that's right; once more, not SO fas
One, two, three, four" and so, lik,
n good general before a battle, he re
viewed his forces, and as the frs
strains from the orchestra sounded
from before the green curtain, tn,
stage was cleared, the great throng o
performers crowding into the wings
Tug.aIing a.ling, the curtain slowll