The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-01-14
PARIS TEMPLE OF MUSIC.
4 VISITOR : DESCRIPTION or. TIE
NEW GRAND 0pERA-HOUSE.

\ Paris letter says: 10 describe
the new Academic Nationulc dc
Music, which has been ten years
in the course Of construction. so
that your readers might have
some idea Of its wonderful mag
nificcncc, is so utterly impossible
that we will only cndeavor to
give general idea Of its outward
appearance. 1t is finished on the
outside, but two years Of work has
not yet completed the interior,and
twoyears more are required for its
ornamcntation. There is 10 better
way Of conveying to an American
an idea of anything that he has
not seen than 10 tell him the cost
Of it. Well, this new 0pcra-bousc
has cost 100000 francs or about
s8,O0O,OOO in gold, including the
sqnac Of ground or which it
stands. 1t is Il government insti-
tuition, and was intended us one of
the crownlng g!ories Of the Napo-
leonic Empire. Who will first oc.
cupy the magnificent retiring
rooms Of the Emperor and En-
press it would be difficult now to
say. The opera,housc occupies an
open space from which radiatc the
Boulevards Capucincs, IlaIicns,
RueS Scribe, Auber, Halccy, and
Ncuvcs dcs Matturine, like the
spokcs Of Il wheel. The area it
occupies has i front Of 403 feet,
and 4 depth Of ACT. 1t fronts on
the Place dc 'Opcra, the width Of
which must be abou! coo feet in
one direction, and 1000 in the 9TH
er, being the junction Of all these
great thoroughtarcs. To stand in
the center Of this ':place," and
look AZ the front Of the building.
with its groups, statues and bu<ts
Of exquisite execution, and the
towering dome. crowned BY Q
group Of brOnzcd statnary: puts
onc ont Of conccit of the old mas.
ters Of both statuary and arcii
lecture. The streets that cncirc!c
the building are ail not less than
one hundred and fifty feet in wij,th,
aud fine view of it cau be obtain
cd from any ofLhe great thorough
fares. But it is not thu front only
that is ornamcntcd with statuarv
and busts but the sides and even lhc
rear, while the sculpture of all thc
parts Of the building is most c:ab-
crate. Indeed, the side views arc
more satisfactory. and give ! bet.
ter idea Of its immcn,ity than Tie
front, as the lateral projections
with carriagc-ways under archcd
porticoes: by which vehicles will
reach 10 the level Of the first row
Of boxes, arc among the most ut.
tractivc portions of the building.
The interior is being completed to
correspond with the grandeur Of
its exterior ornamcntation There
arc five rows Of boxes, and, iudc-
pendent Of the cheap galleries,
there will be seats tor $500 per.
SOS. Each box has q small Dri
v"ic Sni1h attached to it incIu-
ling those ofthc fourth tier. These
arc lifted up as little drcssingrooms
for the ladies TO retire to. between
the acts. The portion for the au-
diencc IS built entirely Of stone
and iron. The stage is 80 feet
broad and l25 feet deep. The ma
chinery Of the stage is wonder
full, and cannot be described, furth-
er than that by an immense exca-
vation far below the foundations
Of the building, to the depth of IF
ty feet, the advantage in scene
shifting is obtained Of having the
side scenes and flies all Of a piece,
and raising them from below. \ sub
terranean sheet Of water was en-
countered in making this exca7a.