New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-05
OPERA IN ITS PERFECTION.
HOW GREAT SUCCESSES ARE ACHIEVED.
A SMALL ARMY CONSTANTLY AT WORK IN THE or

The production Of Tristan und Isolde ut the
Metropolitan Opera House has marked the highest
pont in the success Of opera in German as given
nj that house This result is no haphaLard mat
Ter but is the outcome Of judicious management
And to no one more than to Director Edmund c.
Stanton is this due.
OF what is involved in this success the general
public has and have but little idea The or
chestra led by the skilled hand of Anton Sedl, is
heard thestrong and resonant voices and the dra
matte fervor OF Albert Nicmann. Lilh Lehman,
Marianne Brandt and Herr Robinson are listened
10 with pleasure and witnessed with satisfaction
the scenery is greeted with applause chorus and
ballet call forth comments OF admiration costumes
and properties heighten the scenic effect and the
machinery of the stage-cspecially as was note
worthy on the night of the production Of Tristan
und Isolde moves without flaw fault to the
mind OF the observer Yet all this is merely the
action of one controlling mind-that of the man
eeer who has been empowered to select the sing
ers. engage the conductor choose the heads Of the
various departments who are TO execute his ideas
1t is in the choice of all this material that Mr..
Stanton has displayed a Judgment and eXecu-
tive ability.
SOME IDEA OF THE WORK DONE
The amount OF work involved in all this is merely
Immense glance at the various departments
and the activity therein involved gives only a
Peck is one Of the important factors in this great
work. His work and that of the scenic artist.
Henry E Hoyt run largely together, and they in
turn are subject to the control of the stage man
ager Her Van Hell Mr. Peck once with
Mrs. Drew in Philadelphia. then with Samuel Col
vile at the Fourteenth Street Theatre. by
whom he was highly commended to Mr. Stanton.
is a young of slender form and active
mind and body The frames AMI en- as
for the painter prepared under his direc-
lion and the Is set, unset and reset at rate
which makes the German singers stare in amaze
ment His work begins at s a. m and many a
time. when for instance. opera Friday
night is to be followed by another at the Saturday
matinee, he and his men are occupied until a. m.
getting the stage ready. Scenes lowered
moved back to the drop-cut. and there let down
and stored away for further Under the huge
stage l02 by sc feet. four floors forming a Gel
lar thirty feet deep. where traps. patforms sters.
hrops. and all the novel paraphcnalia of the stage
stored tier or tier A walk through this maze
leaves the idea Of almost endless space and unhm-
tied stage machinery.
Mr. Peck always has sixteen men at work and
twenty when there is a rush from opera to opera
They are to be seen up in the flies in the wings
ousy bees here AMI there. In getting the stare
ready for opera after a ball. thirty men are kept
In one long compartment under the stage one may
zee stored away double of steps used in the
first scene of the Queen OF Sheba" To set the
first in this opera takes twelve men hour
while they can strike II up and set the second
In seven minutes. The "op' scenery room. with
scenes standinr in groups is in the master machin
Isl S domain. with a corresponding the op
poste side these with the stock stuff form. ap
parcntly. and acres of canvas.
On the first fly floor cOrdage and double
blocks and falls in abun lancc. These with attend
ant wndlasses work the heavy drops. four men to
windlass The borders and curtains are worked
from the scconl fy floor far up in the air from the
uage. An immense field it is that MIR Peck has
to cover: yet his work is so systematized that he
is enable at short notice to execute an idea com
punicatcd by Mr. stanton or the stage manager.
MANAGEMENT OF THE LIGHTS.
Gas engineer Stewart mas his hands full of gas
I'M electric lights. lie has succeeded, after ex-
perinents long continued. in substituting the cleo
tic for the calcium light for the stage and he says
ts Is the first instance of practical success in that
wav From a small space adjacent 10 the stage
marked with plated wheels called keyshe contro
the border ground. bunch and strip lights AM
"han-eis" which inumue the 81 age. switches on
an of the electric current which runs to the Or
rhcstra lamps, reduces or Increases the light
night effects at pleasure even causing light to leap
from the point Of the sword in the "Wal1ure,
AMI steam hurst from the earth. Seven su1rs
Of electric lights have been placed in the borders
and the 90 hghts from each are 70 take the place
pf gas Mr. Stewart hopes n time to substitute
electricity for gas the whole stage lllum nation
In the gas en- slneers room are SUNS an moons
ready for use One electric moon de- endent on
ncaDdesccnr light with It's metal circle covered
with tin foil and presenting six lights. three red
and three white. has been injured by the Customs
authorities So that it needs reTairs Globes for
color effects glass slides cctrc wires an SNAP
laml s." constitute rart Of the material IN which
Mr. stewart IS experimenting FOR electric ere Us
In his care is the sword OF Faust to which is 10 be
connected a battery attached 10 the person when
spa ks Of light arc TO be struck from IL IN dneful
combat. The star IN "lannha ser stands dis
closed AS an ncandesccnt light behind a screel
The propcrt, master Alfred j. BIadwel. with
.orl 5 Of a dozen AS stunts is constantly engaged
N the preparation Of properties, an Herr schahell
zceTs a constant eye on the manufacture OF COS
tumcs The armory Is feature IN itself and a
number of men are at work cleaning and repairing
N1nOr or manufacturing new
SCENERY AND STAGE EFFECTS
On the huge bridge spanning the stage Henry
Hoyt and tie scene painters are at work Alr
Hovt is a man Of original ideas and he has ad-
vanccd himself to q position such that his fellow
artists are glad to drop in on him To see what new
points may be learned. On FRIDAY ne was at Work
on the flower scene for merlin in the last act.
This scene with "a dark wood and castle view
Will DO btlcss be the striking scrncs Of the opera
so far as the scenic art Is concerned The huge
cny as here stretches out seventy feet and up forty
l., cry thinr is on a colossal scale
The en- .incer Mr. Mckay. with half dozen men
un Ter him. Is the head Of another important de
paitmcnt lie consumes from 5.VOo 10 oOVV
pounds Of coal day. part OF his work S to
keep an eve on the the momcter during the per
Torrance and Mr. stanton from his box can also
assist in that work by watching thermometers
there and sen ling word by tube for higher or
lower temperature. The ventilation Of the Opera
House is so perfect that $4,000 cubic feet of air
can be turned into the building in minute and
the whole atmosphere changed every min