The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1890-02-12
Operas and Oratorios.

Operas and Oratorios.
Mr.. EDITOR:-I spoke of the
Metropolitan Opera House in New
York-its vastness and splendors.
There is no place where such grand
displays can be seen as in An Opera
house when some new and great
Opera is to be performed or even
an old popular one like civilian
Tell or "Sohengrin." The rich are
there in the gay est costumes, heads
and ears and necks and arms and
hands are brilliant with diamonds.
Your typo made me say "country"
diamonds instead of "nOt counting"
diamonds. And the diamonds do
come from the country, but they go
to cities in order to have their
beauties wrought ont by the skilled
Lapidary. Then they are mounted
by the jeweler and fitted in neck.
laces, ETC., and are offered for sale.
The trade can now prepare glass
and crystals to sparkle in the gas
light as brilliantly as the purest
gems of GOlconda, SO that little
way of one cannot tell whether
the glitter is from the pure carbon
Of the real diamond or the silox Of
some American gand bank convert
ed into the purest glass.
In those stalls in the Metropolitan
Opera House, 1t is presumed those
bright girls (for we did not see
much beauty in them) sparkled
with the genuine stones of the
mountains, so rich, 60 rare.
The dresses Of course are in the
latest style, Of which any woman
ought to be ashamed. Point your
opera glass on this side and on that
and what costume Is that with
scarcely any covering on neck or
back almost to the waist? And
there she is scarceiv listening to
the soul-stirring strains in her
more intense interest ia her dandy
beau. Well, We cannot object to
boys and girls talking and coquet.
ting, and should we demonstrate II
will do no good for it is curious how
they do like to see one another. Sc
let them do, but in the name o.
decency let the young lady Of fash
ion observe the prOprieties of hel
angelic nature. Glad / am to say
that we saw some Of them sitting
clothed and in their right minds
This style OF dress Is for tht
"buds." The mature lady, the
!, ur de, the wife, the middle-ageC
and the old lady have each, iI
= some respects a peculiar style, ant
this extends to almost the entire
apparel, sU that iu the great thlOnt
there Is variety not only in faces
but III mats, bOnuets, coats ant
cloaks. 1t Is no easy thing to &c
cut Vi fashion Win sVLue UAe.
n But to the Opera Is it
The word Is th> plural VI The Latll
q opus, meaning "sabus," "Wurks.
lu music, III Is u drama cOll,lsllni
"a vi AIRS, churuses, recl.atiVLs, eLc
enriched Wltn magnificent scei,ery
10 machinery anu OLMtr ueCVrallUls
and representing sOnIe passiOnat
a action" Take Lne Opera vi WI
Tell. 1t Is designed w represen
q the story Of Ills shooting the appl
20 placed by the revellgtlnl officer |
state On tn. head vi lelrs w.,
Ted had refused " Iecushlze III
tyrannOus acts vi the liuuse ,
Austria and WAS threatened VIII
n death If he dlu not Nv what W.
l. thought impossible, viz, hit tn
at apple on his Doys' head. He DIRE
ar his cross-bow and the apple fell an
or Tell was saved. The Opera in son
ne rehearses all the circumstance
~ The King, his Bailitf and 9th,
n characters are dressed in the sty
=. - of the day; so are the numero,
~ :. attendants. The number partic
~ pating in Operas varies in the di
- ferent acts, sometimes q. few, The
~ crowd-they come and 60, tai
this and that position, move rapi
ss' ly, then slowly, 60 in and out
re houses, etc. The aim is to NAL
ar one see things as they were. The
lal is Tell, the boy, the apple, the u
Cd erring aim, it falls, the boy is sa
lid and Tell hears the shouts of L
ng multitude. Generally an Ope
his lasts three or four hours. Some
them are very attractive especial
ay if one has read the story represeI
ed. The scenery Of the country
,od magnifcently displayed. You E
nd the Alps and the hamiets in