Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-08-07
A TEMPLE OF MUSIC.
Plan of the New Academy of Music
The New Building to be the Hand
soonest in the State-The Plans
Complete and Work Begun.

-
soonest in the State-The Plans
Complete and Work Begun.
On Saturday, August 4th, the plans
for the new musical temple to be erected
by Mr.. o. w. Childs were completed
and arrangements made to erect an ed
ifice that shall be an honor and orna-
meut to the city of Los Angeles.
THE SITE SELECTED
Is on the east side of Main street, near
First street, including the present num-
bers s, 10 and ~ South Main street.
The lot is spacious and ample for the
object intended, being 70 feet front by
270 feet deep. The front of the build
ing, two stories high, will be Of Gothic
architecture. highly ornamented with
symbolic and lofty battlements of an
imposing appearance. The entrance,
ON Main street, will be eighteen feet
wide, with stores on each side. In the
rear of the stores the grand auditorium
will be erected, 65xSO feet, and 43 feet
high. This will be the finest audience
room in California. In the parquette
will be 675 opera chairs, placed at double
the ordinary distance from each other,
that prevails in other audience rooms, a
convenience that will be appreciated by
ladies, who find it very unpleasant to
occupy the crowded chairs of opera
houses in other cities.
These chairs will be the latest and
most approved patterns, richly uphol-
stored, and placed on an incline. so that
all the audience can have q full view of
the stage.
THE BEAUTIFUL GALLERY
Will be semicircular, and fashioned in
beauty with the perfection of symmetry.
1t will be capable of seating $50 persons
without occupying the aisles. The Or
dinary seating capacity will be 1925,
but by the use of chairs in the aisles
the number of spectators at can be
accommodated will be over 400 persons
in the parquette, gallery and proscenium
boxes.
The acoustic properties will be of the
most perfect character, and the ventil-
alton thorough and complete. The
front OF the gallery, the walls and the
dome will be finished ins the highest
style of the art of frescoing. The pre-
vailing tints will be of a positive nature,
and brilliant in the extreme. In har-
mony with the name OF California as
the Golden State, the ornamentation
will be liberaIly interlaced with gold.
The contrast between these colors will
be most striking and delightful.
The prosceninm will be beautiful
creation of art. The srch will be 32x3l
feet, and resplendent with brilliant and
gorgeous hues. On each side of the
arch will be two beautiful proscenium
boxes, that will command view of the
audience and the stage.
THE STAGE APPOINTMENTS
Will be of the most elaborate character.
The size of the stage will be seventy-two
feet in width by forty feet in depth,
affording the most ample room for cho-
ruses and the professions that form q
part in the great operas, like "Semiram-
ide" and lie Prophetic" Colonel Gray
has gone to San Francisco to engage a
scenic artist to paint the scenery here in
Los Angeles. There will be seventeen
different scenes painted in the highest
style Of art, and in which will be ex-
hibited the highest triumphs Of shades,
shadows and perspective. The drop
cnrtain will be rich and very brilliant, in
fit contrast with all the other appoint
ments Of this temple of beauty. On the
north side will be an alley way to afford
access TO and egress from the stage, and
into which doors may be opened from
the auditorium for the speedy exit of
the audience in case of danger. All the
appointments are tasty and artistic, and
the ornamentation and coloring will be
significant and triumph Of art and
science. Every tint and arch and angle
will have relation to some other SINH
lar object, and possess significance and
power. The view from the stage will
be like that of beautiful flower. The
lighting will be of brilliant character,
but softened to delicious radiance that
will be agreeable to the eye Of both the
audience and the artists. An extra floor
will be prepared to overlay the par
quette for fairs and social parties. The
building is so complete in all its details
it is difficult to suggest any improve
ments. Col. A. NJ. Gray, who designed
the building, and will superintend its
construction, has built seven opera
houses on this coast, the last one being
the elegant little theatre at San Bernar-
dino.
THE WORK HAS COMMENCED
By the clearing away Of the old build
ings to make way for the foundation
walls. A contract has been made for the
brick with Mr.. Samuel Heilner, who is to
furnish 100000, more or less. for this
great building. Col. Gray is now in San
Francisco to engage the best artists, who
are disciplined and skilled in the orna-
mentation and decoration OF the interior
Of theatrical buildings. He has made
the construction of concert halls and
Thespian temples subject of much
study, and has had a large and long ex-
perience in the business, so that what
ever he undertakes will be success.
The cost Of the whole building will be
about $4,000, and the value Of the
ground is about $4,000, making the
value of the complete establishment
about 800, 600.
Mr.. Childs deserves great credit for
his enterprise in preparing so beautiful
place for the gathering of those who
desire to hear the choicest strains Of
music and eIoquence, in surroundings
corresponding in excellence and lowell