The New York herald., 1876-11-20
THE Projected OPERA HOUSE.

VIEWS OF THE NEW YORK PRESS ON Mr..
srRAKoscHs LETTER-A GOOD PLAN, A
cAsrLE IN THE AIR AND BAD INVEST
MENT.
The letter OF Mr Maurice strakosch, published in
" bniidng grand opera house the site OF the HIP
podrome, mas naturally attracted much attention The
programme laid down by Mr. strakosch ior his
Temple of Art" is brilliant thar it Is TO be hoped
that he viii succeed in getting tho money 10 carry out
the proJcct 10 completion.
The Times is disposed to treat .he proposal as =
joke, will be by the following extracts:-
We may as well order our carriages, gloves and
bouquets We have the grand opera, and, what Is
more 10 the purpose grand opera house. The ma
so,sn has waved n's wand ana presto the thing Is
years building opera house. The foundations were
laid while Napoleon Ill playing at Imperialism In
the Tuercs. The last OF gliding put alter
several revolutions, and while Frenchmen
trying TO convince themselves that they lived
creation, manage such things better To pe sure the
New York Court House (tacetously called new) has
of granite which Mr. Mullett has pu, up Tor Post
Oice is still CHASTITY VISION Of ncompetencss inside.
But MI Maurice Strakosch, an adopted son or the Re
public. all delight TO honor, has built great
opera house IN day. rhat tremendous edihce, cover
Ing entire block of ground, crowned with AIRY
dome. and hlled with Singing BIRDS from every cline,
The opera house we are informed is to be 42o feet
long and 200 feet wide IL is well be exact about
such things, when the structure is in the air. /.
much easier s'make believe" /" the Little Mar.
shoncss would say, when you have real dimensions
NUNS Hppodrome otherwise known as Gimorc's
Garden The agile elephant, The graceful hippopot-
anus, the fragrant hyena and the dhdent Levy
shall all give way to the melancholy tenor,
tho afflicted soprano the Joviai basso and The gloomy
baritone. Moody aud Sankey shall be succeeded by
Cspoul and Faure aud 'sAh che a morte'' qulvcr on
the air whore Hold the Fort once cracked tho sky
Madison avenue, and of an imposing appearance. We
are glad OF this The public dearly loves facade
II II had been merely front or ~ frontage on Mad
avenue, venture to say that the popular dis
appointment would have been very great
facade being PROVIDED Win practicable doors and
tude Is for the singers. Having built cage lin
nlihs Of column, ano type), we must proceed TO
to say, IL also done. Mr. Stra4osch informs that
the divine Patti has formally promised" to come
over and sing beneath our stately pleasure dome
French opera comiquethe real article. not opera
sor1e-is to be produced IN the opera house.
This glittering structure "a home for a regular
English operstic season. We are getting SWIM
mingly Even the principal feature Tor the arst ses
is announced, and readers will be reoiced
know that this Is to be tho performances Of Wagners
"RlDg der Nibelungen" Moreover the house is to bo
in the strctest sense international opera house,
and, since the great German is to have iair chance
With his OF the future, Verdi and Gounod havo
each promised to write new. special and exclusive
operas for this truly International castle in the
For we must adc that tho stately pleasure dome, the
groned ccilng, arcntrave, perissyo, and even tho
mimic stage are all in the air yet For 81, 900, O00
can be realized Lei this paltry sum be forthcomng
and the glorious fabric shall rise the Mr..
Barnum's sawdust Palace OF Euchantment, ;, and the
places of the tatooed Greek noblcman and The much
medaed Gilmore will know them no more
SIMPLE PRACTICAL AID FAIR
The Tribune, IN discussing Mr. Strakoschs project,
hys:-
Tho varying fortunes of this establishment,
the Academy OF Music especially during tho
hist lew years, have been due rather to cor.
lam peculiaritics OF lis organ zaton and tho
tence OF good, permanent operate STALL than TO any
deterioration in the general musical taste OF peo-
pie ON the contrary, the latter never intel
isent and less capricous than at present Tne stock
holders Of the academy enjoy rights which, the
ayers OF opera complain materially diminish their
receipts and those Inducements oi comfort which
must be offered TO tho pubic Hence scale
prices which cuts down the attendance, and partly
defeats the larger aim which such nstituton should
Include. IL tho musical cultivation OF tho people
desired the opera must be something than the
luxury oi q fortunate CLASS
Mr.. Maurce strakosch, who has had experience of
thirty years in such matters, comes forward with q
proposition which comments itself TO the attention OF
sur best citizens IL is the construction OF new and
Tar spacious and complete opera house
She block occupied by Gilmores Garden.
Certainly a better location could not be found
The space is 420 by 200 teet which would
admit OF building capable OF seating 5000
persons, and stage ample enough tn admit OF the
Erandest scenic elects Tue convenences OF approach
and exit all that could be desired Mr.. Strakosch
announces that he has the refusal OF the property,
Of the house. with all the necessary scenery and drs
matte outfit, would require equal sum. This he pro-
p by issuing 000 shares at 900 each,
ire holders OF which would emitted Tree admis
son bit seats; in addition TO which he
offers redeem cancel 100 shares cvery year
are privileges completely annulled. Als plan
equally simple, practical and falr
II successful Mr. Strakosch promises ~ give us Wag
ners great 'Nibelungsn Ilogy," operas specially
written Tor US by Vordi and Gounon, Adsina Patti
truo French opera comique (Which we do not know
yeti, and Hiss kellogg English opera The capacity
rates, and large class now almost entirely shut out
from enjoyment OF the best musical arr, would be
able TO attend There nothing extraordinary these
promises-no,hing, In fact. which city ike New
YORK ought no. to p.sssss our people are already
it. and the Of the plan. ambitious as may
seem, will be assured II its protector can simply
the public that he able to give the best talent
aud the best performance.
OPERA NOT WANTED.
The World thinks that the public do not want
need Italian opera 1t says
Mr. Maurice strakosch's scheme for an internasiona
opera house proceeds upon Two assumptions One Of
them that the crying need of New York is ior poly
glot opera and the other that there Is great public
demand for another opera house In both OF these
things IL seems TO US that he is mistaken We are
frequently assured, mostly by managers that city
Of cosmopolitan character and metropolitan pre-
tensions IL not complete without home
Of Italian opera, and that in behalf
Of culture and refinement ought to have a good
bankrupt because the public would take their
Wow OF the matter. They give opera pretty much
every year. Once in four or nvc seasons they have
star who the The other three or four
small section OF the public comes and and after
wards stay away and forgcts whether any opcra ts
going not. until IL remarks IN the newspapers
shat the has gone to Europe and the chorus sing
gers have sued the manager Tor their saiaries.
The truth appears be that tho public has longer
any particular for Italian opera, and we sympa-
.hize with the public rather than with tho managers
A. elegant amusement Italian opera, which Is an
sthsr for opera, has Clean out OF fashion,
and nothing short of q superatiycy attractive, and
therefore superlatively expensive, prsna donna
noat q single season OF IT, This s true OF New
York, but Is also nearly Of Lonaon, which has
nearly three times tho population and nearly ten
times the opera going population OF New York,
for man ayers 10 draw upon. = For ten years
there has not been successful novelty" in ltaian
opera, and we havo expect one for ten
years TO come. Tho only thing III dramatic music
which pretends TO be alive rs Wagner's emusic
drama which 10 as different possible IRON Italian