The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-15

CAL PROFESSION.
1t was in 1859 that Napoleon ILL., giorying in his
Italian campaign and navlng as he Thought,
established himself securely. resolved to build an
opera house which should be the GROWING marvel
OF the Paris which he had renovated. He knew
how popular such building would be
with his stage-struck subjects, and he
knew, too that it would require no
great effort OF genius, but only plenty Of money,
to endow France with the most splendid theatre
existing. oddly enough, theatrical architec-
ture had produced no master works since the time
OF the Romans 1t would have required some.
thing more than money to rear new cathedral
ecipsng ST. Peters second palace rivalling
that OF Versailles out IN the matter OF theatres
the san Carlo at Naples the theatre built by Louis
at Bordeaux, and the Imperial Opera at ST. Peters
burg were the only three edlfces aging any claim
TO beauty. so lew monChs were spent in
reflection and in conierring with court architects
about the best site, and at last, on the 29tn Of
prize competition to all French architects but eX
GLIDING foreigners. Although but month was
given to the competitors no less than l13 sets OF
designs were sent IN; but the jury Of thirteen
presided over by Count Walewskl, declined TO SEE
lect any one OF them 1or execution. Seyen arcni-
tects were, however, picked out as having exceued
and Jour
PRIZES WERE DISTRIBUTED
among them Wiz - A first prize OF 5000 francs to
M Ginain, a second OF 1900 francs 10 MN. Botrel
and Crepinet, third OF 200 francs TO N. Garnaud
/ and fourth OF 1500 francs TO MN. Due and Gar
nIer. Before separating, the jury expressed
wish that second competition should De instl-
tuted among the tour prize winners, ana that
the winner this time should have his designs de-
finltely accepted The result OF this second trial
was, that on the I'd OF June, 1861.
NJ. CHARLES GARNER
was unanimously proclaimed winner. IL was q
great blow TO M. Glnain. who having prevailed the
rst time mad made almost certain Of inal success,
and 1t was also surprise to The country, for NJ.
GARNER was but little known. He was then thirty
five years old. and mad been acting as sub-lnspectOr
OF municipal works under the orders OF NJ. Ballu.
In this suDaltern capacity he mad helped TO re-
but 1t never suspected that ne possessed
architectural genus sufficient TO cope with such
masters as Cham, Sechan Due and Vlollet-Leddc,
and his success was truly proof that the compe-
tItion had been conducted without favOrtism.
The explanation OF N. Garnier's triumph is. now
ever, very simple one. He alone among the
architects caught
THE SPIRIT OF THE TINE IN WHICH he LIVED.
Had the competition taken place alter frances
disasters the drst prize would assuredy have
been awarded TO the beautiful opera IN white mar
bic, at once grandiose chaste and severe de-
signed by VI. Due. Had the competition even
been held In the latter days OF the Second Empire,
when the glory OF the Emperor was waning. the
prize must nave allen, If not to NJ. Due, at least
TO NJ. Glnain who had projected monument re-
ana %
OF outline. NJ. Carriers opera house Is not a
national monuments IT Is essentially a monument
OF the Second Empire, and OF the Second Empire
| In It's heyday. It's composite garisn, many col
ored facade Is emblematcal OF a reign which had
made oil Paris q caravan5ary tor all nations, and
which revelled IN Ostentation. II one looks at
the gaudy pile, not yet ten years old, one can al
ready dlSCe N IN IL signs oil decay, ana one is
seized with presentIment that In another GEN.
fury all traces OF 1t Will have disappeared.
DOES NOT BEAR THE MARX OF ETERNITY.
Those gilded busts and those varlegated col.
| umns, those riotous groups OF statuary In bronze
and delicate marble, that gIlttering Apollo VINO
holds up a golden Tyre on the pinnacle, will have
to be constantly regt and urDished at lavish cost
If they are to retain their lustre. The monument
! is a piece OF ialr-weatner architecture which
might have chance OF life under SKY eternally
blue and warm, ike that OF Italy; amid people
Tranquil ana loyal ike that Of England, and
under a government having always large sums TO
spend on amusements But 1t Is not Il ted to " Ith-
! stand rain and snow and, still less popular revo-
lutions. It was WITHIN an ace Of being burned
down under the Commune, and there Is every
to lear tnat at the next great rising incen
diary torches Will make an end OF II. Ii Stands too
nsoiently to escape the Jury OF the mobs- There
are some buildings the august majesty OF which
fits even the most raDid iconocasts with awe, Just
as there are women who, serene IN their matronly
dignity. may pass through the rudest crowds
are others resembling those Haunting lit
! tie baggages, ateem with silks and Jewelry,
| whose demeanOr Is standing provocation TO
insults and imprecations, and this nashy Grand
| opera IL one OF them. IL viii symbolic III the
eyes OF reyolunonlsts al the extravagance OF a
dynasty whose institutions and edicts must be
RACED down before public freedom can ever be
established; and, judged by these tokens IL must
TALL. A French workman VINO passes by the
Louvre lifts his eyes and silently adfnires. Going
/ by the new opera house he sneers. IL he were
hungry he would shake his nst. An this, however,
/ THE MERIT OF N. GARNTER's WORK.
Built as the holiday monument OF = nohdsy
/ reign IL answers It's purpose, and 1t Is not the
/ arcnitecrs lault II nations, ike men, grow too
soon tired OF their holidays IL may be observed,
| however, that the wonderful recibercte oil inner
cOnyeniences which the building displays Is not
| altogether the arcnitects WORK, but was Imposed
on him by tue terms OF the programme drawn mp
| under the Emperor's orders by Count WaleWskl
ana NJ Felix Martin, late secretary OF
TIE Ogera This programme filled seventy solid
pages, and asunmary OF IL will nep 70 convey an
idea OF tue magnificent scale on which the archt-
tect was ordered 70 work. In the first place, he
had TO PROVIDE staDlnp Tor seventy horses,
namely Ten for the cavalry guard on duty at
ordinary nights. fifteen for horses required In stage
performances, thirty for the horses Of the imperial
escort whenever the Emperor should visit the
house, and fifteen for the horses Of the court car
riagcs and outrders. In addition TO tais be had
70 locate inside the building police station, two
infantry guard rooms, telegraph ONCE q fire
station, coach houses, a museum OF musical re-
cords "A waiting room Tor c0urs servants and an
other for the servants OF bordinates, saloon for
aides de-camp on duty, poDilc vestibue where
three hundred people at least could stand without
crowding a crush room nifty metres long. res
taurant a Gale and smoking room, private sa-
looms 70 each OF the boxes ana a separate carriage
entry where 300 carriages could let down their oc-
Cupants under covekin less than quarter or an
nour. AZ TO the EmDeror's private entrance and
box, the suits OF rooms attached 10 IL were re-
unired TO he ten In number, enough TO Urm
GOOD sized mansion by themselves. ALL these con
1itlons and many more have been ulhfled with
TINS result, that the auditorium, though providing
seats Tor 800 spectators occupies not one nfth o.