New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-21


security of the house, moreover apparatus for ex-
tinguishing a fire on the stage-where alone it can
originate-has been introduced large slylight is
weighted to fall open in of fire; great water
tank has been placed over the riggng-l0ft which
has connected with it an extensive network OF pipes
with apertures stopped with extremely fuslble
solder, so that even a small fire would open the
holes and call down drenchlng shower from
above.
| APPEARANCE OF THE AUDIENCE-ROOM.
| More interesting to the majority of persons who
expect to witness the dedication of the new house
| on Monday to the purposes of musical art than
these details is doubtless a description of the inte-
rior as it will unfold itself to their view. The un
| finished Broadway corner will probably discourage
| a long look at the building. They will perhaps see
that much of the FACADE is finished is severely
and unostentatiOusly carried out in the style OF the
| Italian Renaissance, and that tcrra-cOtta panels
with graceful dancing and singing figures relieve
| the monotony of the light -cOlored brick walls.
Already here however, they will catch the pervad-
| ing cOlOrtono of the opera hOuse-a yellow which
is to be melowed into an ivory tint by the gaslight.
If the pleaSurc-seckcrs Of that fortunate class
that can afford to pay 81 200 a season for box, to
| say nothing of the incdentals, and can look the
| possibility of assessment calmly in the face they
will probably drive under the light iron porte CO.
cheres on the Thirty-ninth and Forticthst sides of
the building and enter the vestlbulcs there, Mlich
are respectively seventy by thirty-thTec and hlty
| by thTty-thTee feet in size Thence they VIII seek
| their boxes by private staircases The less rchiy
blessed portion of humanity will prefer the main
entrance from Broadway giving access to the PIin-
| cpal staircase, which has n VcStibulc sixty feet
| long and thrty-ive feet wide Besides these three
VeStibuleS and their stars use can be maze OF Jour
starcascs leading only To the balcony ana gallery
which have separate entrances, in the SIDE streets
| near Broadway. Musicians artists Chorlsters and
dancers have their entrances, and there are so
! many doors opening into the theatre on ITS fouI
sides that il Is estimated that all the occupants OI
a. l,1 silv de %
! minutes. few less than 600 persons Will nave
chairs in the parquet $50 will have chairs in the
| balcony and $50 in the gallery / he rest OF the
| 800 sttings of the house are in the boxes.
| These boxes are in tiers which rise perpcndlcli-
larry from the level of the parquet floor to the bal
cony. They describe sweeping curves starting from
| the proscenum in the west end OF the room whose
| contour is shown in the accompanying diagram
The first row of boxes that completes the horseshoe
is the parterre through which the main entrance 70
the paTquc runs as indicated by the vacant lndile
box ON the first diagram. Below this row near ne
| stage are six balgnOir boxes three on Il sue
| Above il are the two rows which have been named
respectively the first and second TIERS; above leS'
is the balcony. and above II the gallery OF family
circle The fines of all the tiers are alike, ana also
their decorative details except that the fronts
| the balcony and gallery have been hghtened by
! making them open. The partitions between tn.e
| boxrs lpapirr-mache with iron frames and silk
coverings have curved front and TOP so that Oe-
tween the first row of chairs they are Invisible 10
| all except the occupants. BY this means, although
the tiers are perpendicular the effect Is obtained or
| unbroken lines of dazzling toilets and lovely
| women, OF course none but lovely women wiz
| attend the performances IN this new tcnpl"J Inc
boxes are of the size in all the tiers ana open
| from the back into small salons whose doors com
| muncate with the spacious corridors that follow
the curves of the tiers ana give admission on th'
other side to the foyer the assembly rooms, cafes
| and smoking rooms. 4 multitude of simple fixtures
with electrical connections are relied on for light III
addition to two immense rings OF gas-Jcts that hang
below the dome of the ceiling In ANTICIPATION l
the happy time when the problem OF electric Hght-
ing shall have been wholly solved, wires Tor electric
| lamps run all through the building
: There is no pTOSccnIum of the accepted type IN
the opera house. The curtain opening, lori{-'slt
bv fifty feet in size, is surrounded 10y gigantic
frame above which the chief decorative points
of the room. The whole is carried out III metal
The stage Is surpassed in size by the stages OF two
oDera houses in the world, and only two-thc Sew
| Oncra in Paris and Imperial Opera in 81. Peters
burg 1t has a width Of 1O1 feet, depth of 80; and
from its lowest floor to the roof Is 100 1cct high
In front Of it is the orchestra with room for 100
musicians. As built this orchestra Is sunk sum
GENTLY below the level of the lOOr 20 conceal the
performers from all but the occupants OF the upper
tiers, the purpose being to AVOID that disturbance
| of the illusion of tho play which comes from the
| sight of the scraping and blowing ana picking ana
| pounding company Immediately before the foot
lights The floor laid upon an cgg-shapcd
sound chamber of masonry, and the best results in
respect both of play and music were expected
| Unfortunately Sign3r Ni4ncsi objected to ihc con.
persuaded Mr. Abbey 10 demand that the noor
should be raised. TO this the directors, who are IN
| sympathy with Mr.. Cadys innovation, reluctantly
consented and for a time at least the orchestra will
he spTawlcd between the audience and the perform
ers in the Old-fashOncd manner.
FURNITURE AND INTERIOR DECORATION
1t has already been mentioned that the rchitcct-
ural forms of the building are those Of the Italian
Renaissance, and they have been adhered to with
academic consistency. 1t has been Mr.. Cady's con-
fcssed intention to avoid all transient fashions and
keen clear Of tho architectural humoTs of the day.
! He has chosen style that is approved and he has
striven to subordinate to it all the details of the dec
Grafton How far he has succeeded in creating
! lasting. rcpOseful work, harmonious in purpose,
forms and coloring not oven lac himself has yet had
a complete opportunity to learn. He has had 10
work in uneastic lrOn and he has not attempted to
make il look Ike another material. He has not
tried to be sensational jumbed homogeneous Gle
mcnts in catchpenny effects He has worked amid
ncrbaps more than the ordinary embarrasmcnts OF
AN architect and has had to sacrifice often to
/ omy and cXpcdency, yet he seems to have adhered
! faithfully to his ground principles. Whcnlthe build
| ing is finished he will have built IT for consider
ably less than million and half Of dollars, and
made il enduring indesructible by fire. and admir-
| ably adapted to its purpose.
Mr. Cady was fortunate III having associated with
him as decorator OF the interior j.. L. lredwil, OF
| BOst0n Mr. Trcdwill is aTchitect well as
| decorator and he vert with Mr.. Cady along the
nath of honesty and consistency adapting his de
signs and his cOlOrs to the architectural forms
which they to garnish, emitting all garlslncSs
and avoiding every taWdry effect The deepest col
0ring i'm the audicnceroOm is i'll the carpet of the
floors and the upholstery of the chairs, which are OF
n dark, rich red. The SILK Inning OF the boxes ana
the curtains between them and the salons are of fab
RIGS made expressly for the purpose. They have an
old gold ground and large raised figures OF conyen,
tial design raised in darker shade with deep red
threads which give out mild TOsc-cOored glow.
The tier-fronts, ceiling and proscenum have been
kent in light key of color, Mr.. Cady's aim has
Leen 10 secure a pervadmg ivory tint and he has
RIM almost through the gamut of yellows and
picked out the raised designs Of the metal work in
generous gold Amidst the flqgree designs OF the
5iiasters that carry the work above the curtain
ppneninQ are pictures of singing and playing
cReTnbs and back of the bold consoles which pro
ioct from the side walls are figures called The
fbornsD and "The Ballet" painted by Francis
MAYNARD while above the middle of the opening in
n segmentary arch is an allegory with Apollo as