Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-05-14

lett, are converted into apparently living
bowers Of evergreen, the branches Of one in
tsrlapping with those Of the other, forming
at the top continuation of cedar and arbor
Wits festoons. E,ch pillar is surmouated
with picture OF one of the old masters,
Beginning at ether side of the stage with
| Mozart, Scbum ann, Beethoven, Nendelssohn,
| Bsch, Verdi, Meyerbeer, Handel, Wagner,
Schubert, R9ssiui and List, all in the order
mentioned. Each Of these is Get 10
wreath OF evergreen, around which is
draped two American Gags and one repre-
senting the nationality Of the composer
whose picture it decorates. Above the line Of
decorations, at tbs top Of the gallery, is an
other display of American flags, larger and
more pretsntious.
THE Promenade.
| The sides underneath the galleries hsve
been judiclously reserved for promsnsdes,
and, OF course, will become the Standing
room" section. The heors are covered with
mating, so as 10 avoid the possibility Of
noise from the restless ISLANDERS" moving
around and shutting their feet during the
! performance. The walls Of these sections
are also decorated with taste, and add to the
picturesque appearance of the auditorium.
| THE AI.LEs.
But two aisles have been reserved-one in
the center, and extending the entire length
Of the building, of convenient width to Ga-
| init oil the easy passage OF six persons
abreast. The other aisle extends crosswise
| the building about its center, and affords
| safe and essy exit from any of the chairs to
| the promsnsdes on either side, or to the
main aisle, thence to the main entrance.
COMFORTABLE SEATING CAPACITY.
The arrangement of seats in the grand
| auditorium has bsen done with an expert
snced eye TO comfort and convenience. The
| body of chairs il divided into four grand
| divisions by the two sisles above described,
| and altogether are subSivided int sections
| represented by the seven letters of the alpha
bet we'll known to musicians as the Eve tones
and two semi-tones of the diatonc scAle-A,
| B, C, D, E, F and g. This, no doubt, wss
| the idea of those who conceived this arrange
| ment of the chairs, bat the writer was not so
| informed. The sections begin with letter A
| nearest the stage, embracing the first ten
rows on either side of the main aisle, each
| row containing thirty-two chairs, a section
| thus embracing 800 seats, and the entire
| seven sections 2240 chairs on the main floor.
| The chairs are fastened together at con-
venient distances by being nailed to thin
strips of wood, holding them frmly, so that
| they cannot be detached. The rows are then
| arranged sufficiently far apart 10 admit Of
| easy passage between without snnoyan to
occupants, and are thus fastened TO the floor.
Ia the disposition of premium sehts sections
G and ID were designated
1.-THE BOUQUET sEcTIoNs,",.
upon the hypothesis that they were in the
most eligible part of the house regards
| distance from the Stage, and where the
| sounds from the voices and instruments
| would strike the ear more pleasantly than 10
| other sections, nesrer TO or further away. Il
1 IL, hat ri Ia
sll the premium seats we're selected, especial
ly that Of Mr.. Eugene Leiay.
| TEE GALLERIEs
! Here we we're again surprised at the
| changes that had been wrought. These
hitherto receptscles for old lumber aud cast
| away plumber are now as Clearly and
orderly as any other part OF the build
| ing. An smphithester OF comfortable chairs
| and seats has been arranged in the end and
on either eide, not one OF which but has an
unobstructed view of all parts of the stage,
as well as of the immense audience that will
| occupy the seats on the lower floor. The
walls aad every pillar, IS well as the railing
| and borders are all tsstefully decorated with
evergreen and hags, the American Gag pre-
dominating in large number The seats are
| all easy of access, and lettered and numbered
SO as to be readily designated by correspond
ing numbers on the coupons OF the tickets
of admission. The painter has also been
here, and his touches are recognized 10 the
bright appearance Of the surroundings Re-
turning to the floor below we took in
| THE STAGE.
Here is the grand conception Of the entire
the utmost the best endeavcn of designer,
architect and builder. The fret considera-
ton was capacity to comfortably contain the
Immense chorus Of the Mozart Society,
the seventy musicians composing Mr.. Theo-
dore Thomas's orchestra, and the artists &C.
Comparing them. The next, and quite as
important, was the arrangement OF that Ca
pscity 60 as TO be in unobstructed view from
every part of the building above and below.
The next and most important consideration
was the construction OF the stage in such
manner as to produce the most pleasing
acoustic effects. 1t was no ordinary under
| taking, and we take occasion 10 pass ludg-
ment that the result will BE- found as perfect
ly successful as could have been reached
with the means at hand. The front OF the
| stage ia about Eve feet above the floor, and
at the base is fixed q platform extending the
full width OF the stage, on which will
be arranged a miniature garden of flowers
and eyergr.ens, beginning low in the center
and rising gradually toward the sides Of the
stage where those unsightly Egyptian pillars
formerly stood, and combining with the
decorations on either side Of the hall. The
front is semicircular, with a projection IL
the center, on which the directors platform
is placed. the space Immediately around
this platform will be occupied by the or
chestra. Back of them platforms rising one
above another extend to the rear OF the
| stage, each platform being senicircular like
the froutof ia. stage, aud containing row Of
chairs for the members of the chorus-all in
easy view OF the director, and presenting a
picture to the audience that will eclipse in
beauty anything ever before witnessed in the
South.
| THE soUNDING-BoARD.
The sounding board risgs from the back
of these platforms, and, beginning in grad
ual curvature, increases as it rises, until it
| ovsrarcbes the entire stage from back to
'front.' 1t 10 painted azure blue, and it is
said will form splendid background to the
picture, under the strong light OF the six
electric arcs suspended from the beams oil
the galleries. We asked Mr.. j. B. Cook
what rules governed in the conception oi
this fern Of background, 10 which he cheer.
fully replied:
By way of analogy the law Of sound is in
clude6 under the ssns law that governs heat
and light, and sound is produced by the vi
brstions Of the atmosphere. or rather its IN
dulations, the sSme as ia assigned TO light
|
theory OF forces Sound diminishes in thu
inverse ratio as the square Of thu distance
and in su open space IL lost in this ratio il
every direction, but by reflection can be in
,, tensi6ed and directed, aud hence science has
been brought into reputation and tae result
has been The sounding board, reflector o
sound. Now, as sounds differ from one sn
other in three respects, pitch, intensity and
3 quality, and the pitch or tone depends OF
!. Inc length Of the wave or undulatiou IN
l given time, the question ar.ses, 10 VIVA
, fora should this board be, whsthe
, fat or curved; or if curved, OF Whs
/, curve. This curve depends greatly on tn
E shape and size Of the building 10 which th'
8 desired effect is to be prodaced, for the in
I tensity or loudness does not depend on tn
] length OF the wave, but Ga the degree o
| compression which the air receives, that il
on the violence Of the impulses given. Tn
e timsre, or euslity OF sound, is Influences
0 through By the strata o. air in crooked 0
8 curved lines. Such being the law, and the d
n mensisns of the building being given, IN
e problem sought was Of WHIST curvs 10 Civ
1 to toe sounding board, the necessary vIbr2
It tory motion TO the Atmosphere excited o
brought into action by mechanicsl or oths
nearz. TIE science Of msthem atics u n
il hrHf1 m nj