Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-12-14
BAYREUTH OPERA HOUSE.
HOME OF THE MUSIC DRAMAS THAT
 WAS BUILT BY WAGNER.

Romantic Walks in the Adjoining For ests-NIeals on the Grounds. Bayreuth was well selected by Wagner as the place for the production of his music dramas. Situated in broad and quiet valley, it is the place for "sweet melancholy and the harmony of soft sounds" At the close of the summer, toward the festival time, delicate haze falls upon the landscape and softens the outlines of the blue hills that rise upon every side. The Wagner theatre is as skillfully set as the scenes of it's finest operas. Probably no playhouse in the history of the stage has been more poeti- cally situated. Its surroundings invite contemplation and repose, At a miles distance from the sleepy little town, it rests on level spot near the crest of a long wooded slope. A narrow avenue, densely shaded, with a broad walk on one side, leads to it. The building itself, an irregular mass of red brick and stone, blazes out in relief against the back ground of forest. Cultivated trees, arch ed and trimmed, darken the ascent from the town; but behind, old woods, with unkept glades and tangled roads, mingle the rustic of their leaves with the strains of the great German master.
 RICH TOILETS.
 The avenue curves to the right in front of the edifice and encircles it, as the public entrances are at the sides. By this way all the carriages arrive, de- posting their occupants at the right en- trance. The two arms of the bifurcat- ing avenue separate from the theatre the two restaurants, the only eating places on the grounds. All the walks and drives about the theatre are free to the public. On a festival day an inn mense crowd of gapers assemblies about the right entrance to watch the carriages unload. A large proportion of these persons are women and girls, attracted by the prospect of seeing the fine turn outs of the visitors. Nor are they mis- taken, for there is rarely seen a finer collection of toilets than those which gather there. It is like a dream of beauty to stand at the entrance on an August afternoon. In an hours loiter- ing there I saw more beautiful women than had ever seen before, even in the capitals of the world. Countesses and duchesses of all realms, men and women, young and old, rich in birth, wealth and position, alighted in succession. One young English lady, who was accom- panied by Frenchman of distinguished appearance, and who might have been daughter of the gods, she was so tall and fair, had some difficulty in getting within, so closely did the eager crowd surround her.
 About a moment before the beginning of the opera little brass band blows a note of warning from the front porch. Then the doors are closed, and nobody can get in thereafter until the end of the act. So scrupulously is this rule ob- served that it is said that member of a royal family, few seconds too late, was once compelled to wait till the next act. On entering one sees the audience stand ing up, in order to give holders of inside seats chance to take them. There are no center aisles, all entrance to seats being at the sides of the hall.
 THE PERFORMANCE.
 Suddenly down go the lights. That is the signal, and there Is a great rustling of clothes and banging of seats. Then the lights die down still further, till you can see nothing of the man in frtepo you. There is silence for about half a minute. No orchestfaDls in sight, and you are wondering whence is to come the music, as the seats seem to run right into the footlights But suddenly long wal l from flute is heard from somewhere doMn below the stare, and In a n1pmenl thef flII 6rchesfra E r rl61e {,
 fe in<eriqr s q I i1}7 sr suceesslon oI raised seatss and 6Z II E ftesf d either Withous side b6x xeasor any elabo rate decoration or trimming. About 1 ,20( persons can be comfortably seated, buI the auditorium looks to be much larger
 A performance lasts about five hours three hours of opera and two hours o entr' 'acte. Beginning at 3:30, there ii an intermission from 4:30 to 5:30, and an other from 6:30 to 7:30. The first entr act' is usually given up to promenading. Dur ing the second there are scenes like thos, at an American railway restaurant. Tn, | OoACo dAC oNd4 SOAy CAiOdSh tO ACSC4h' 1,200 hungry mortals at one time, ant many, to avoid the crush, buy sandwiche and go marching around the groves, sand wiches in one hand, opera book in tn other. On benches conveniently placet may be seen swain and sweetheart, oblivi ous to everything but the toothsomenes of cheese and bread.
 Every young man tries to get througl the eating part in half an hour, so as t have the other thirty minutes for prone made. This walk generally consists of
 plunge into the cool forest, and it is yer, romantic in the hum laden air of tn gloaming. To get to the woods it is neces sary to pass through several little grove and by the side of a hayfeld. The grove are usually the stopping places of mate familias and her brood, and are, there fore, summed by the sentimental Hay ing and the festival go on about the sam time, and to some very susceptible cour les the clover is 50 irresistible that her and there, on the little piles of scente grass, youth and maiden sit with hand clasped, looking out toward the west an it's slowly fading sunset.-W. E. H. ii
 New York Star.