The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1889-11-23
$500 PER ANNUM
BAYREU1H OPERA HOUSE.
HOME OF THE MUSIC DRAMAS THAT
WAS BUILT BY WAGNER.

A Five Hours Performance-Scenes Around
the Edinco During the Opera Season.
Romantic Walks in the Adjoining For
ests-NIeals on tho Grounds,
Bayreuth was well selected by Wagner
as tho 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 tho landscape and softe,.s tho
outlines of tho blue hills that rise upon
every side. The Wagner theatre is as
skillfully set as the scenes of its finest
operas Probably no playhouse in the
history of the stage has been moro poeti-
cally situated. Its surroundings invite
contemplation and repose. AT miles
distance from tho sleepy little town, it
rests on level spot near tho crest Of
long wooded slope. A narrow avenue,
densely shaded, with broad walk on
one side, leads to it. Tho building itself,
an irregular mass of red brick and stone,
blazes out in relief against tho back
ground of forest. Cultivated trees, arch
ed and trimmed, darkcn the ascent from
the town; but behind, old woods, with
unkcpt glades and tangled roads, mingle
the rustic of their leaves with the strains
OF tho great German master.
RICH TOILETS
The avenue curves to the right In
front of the cdificc and encirclcs it, as
the public entrances arc at tho sides.
by this way all the carriages arrive, de-
posting their occupants at tho right en-
trance. The two arms of the bifurcat-
ing avenue separate from the theatre
tho two restaurants, tho only eating
places on tho grounds. All tho walks
and drives about tho theatre arc FREQ to
the public. On festival day an inn
mense crowd Of gapcrs assemblies about
the right entrance to watch the carriages
unload. a large proportion of these
persons are women and girls, attracted
by tho prospect of seeing tho fine turn
outs of tho visitors. Nor are they mis-
taken, for there is rarely seen a finer
collection of toilets than those which
gather there. 1t is like q dream of
beauty to stand at the entrance on an
| August afternoon. In an hours loiter-
ing thcrc saw moro beautiful women
than had ever seen before, even in tho
capitals Of tho world. Countesses and
duchesscs of all realms, men and women,
young and old, rich i'll birth, wealth and
position, alighted in succession. Ono
young English lady, who was accom-
panied by Frcnchman of distinguished
appearance, and who might havo been
a daughter of the gods, she was so tall
and fair, had somo difficulty in getting
within, SD closely did tho eager crowd
surround her.
About IL moment before tho beginning
of the opera q little brass band blows
note of warning from tho front porch.
Then the doors are closed, and nobody
can get i'll thereafter until the end Of tho
act. So scrupulously is this rule OBJ
served that it is said that q 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, i'll order to give holders of inside
seats Il chance to take them. There arc
no center aislcs, all entrance to seats
being at tho sides of the hall
THE PERFORMANCE.
Suddenly down 80 the lights. That is
tho signal, and there is a great rustling
OF clothes and banging of seats. Then
tho lights die down still further, till you
can sec nothing of the man in front of
you. There is silence for about half n
minute. No orchestra is in sight, and
you arc wondering whence is to come tho
music, as the seats seem to run right into
the footlights. But suddenly a long wall
from flute is heard from somewhere
down below tho stage, and in Il moment
the full orchestra is in play.
The interior is simply 4 succession Of
raised seats, and not of the softest kind,
either, without side boxes or any elabo-
rate decoration or trimming About 1900
persons can be comfortably seated, but
tho auditorium looks to bo much larger.
a performance lasts about five hours;
three hours of opera and two hours of
cntr'actc. Beginning at $3.50, thero is
an intermission from 4:30 to $50, and an
other from G:30 to 1880. The first cntr' r'acto
is usually given up to promenading. Dur
ing the second there are scenes like those
at an American railway restaurant. The
cafes are scarcely large enough to receive
1900 hungry mortals ut ono time, and
many, toavoid the crush, buy sandwiches
and go marching around the groves, sand
wiches in one hand, opera book in the
other. On benches conveniently placed
may besccn swain and sweetheart, oblivi-
GUS to everything but the toothsomencss
| of cheese and bread.
Every young man tries to get through
the eating part in half an hour, SO as to
have the other thirty minutes for prone
made. This walk generally consists of
plunge into tho cool forest, and it is very
romantic in tho hum laden air of the
goaming. Toget to the woods it is neces-
sary to pass through several little groves
and by the side Of a bayfield,. The groves
are usually the stopping places Of mater
farnilias and her brood, and are, there
fore, Stunned by the sentimental. Hay
ing and the festival go on about the same
time, and to somo very susceptible coup
les the clover is SO irresistible that here
and there, on the little piles of scented
grass, youth and maiden sit with hands
clasped, looking out toward the west and
its slowly fading sunsct.-W. E. II. in
New York Star.
Cnscrewing Fountain Pen.
II you use fountain pen, and find it
difficult to unscrew the nozzle, wrap q
rubber hand n fa1u fip,ao around II rTbot