New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-28
HISTORY OF THE BUILDING.
OPERAS THAT HAVE BEEN Produced THEIR
THE BOXHOLDERS

OPERAS THAT HAVE BEEN Pl9DutED IuEhr'-
THE BOXHOLDERS.
The Metropolitan Opera House occupies the whole
OF the block included by Broadway, seventh-ave.
Thirty ninth and Fortieth sts. The architect Of the
building was j. Cleveland Cady and the decorator f. p
Tredwell. The building Is Of bun brick stone and iron
and is in the Italian Renaissance style The width OF
the building IS 1877 feet and the length os4 feet In Thr
ty-nnthst and :239 feet in Fort,cthst II is soven
stories high at the fronting In Broadway. One
Of the the ground Moor is occupied by the
Bank Of Amsterdam, and the other By restaurant.
The large assembly suitable for concerts dances
receptions, etc. occupy the second floor at the Thirty
nnth-st corner. The remainder Of both corners Is
composed OF apartments The middle OF the front OF
the building is four stories high, and the most Of the
space Is devoted TO OF various sorts for in
connection with the opera house and the assembly
rooms. All can be used together II desired, in the
case Of largo balls.
The vcstbue opening to Broadway Is 63 By IS
feet In dLe, and the vestbules opening to Thirty
nnth-st and FOreth-st are respectively 20 BY 80
and so by 80 feet. All these vestibulos lead In TO
narrow horseshoe-shaped corridor, which extends
around tho whole auditorium, and ends at the pros
cenium wall each SIDE There arc similar
ridors extending around the two tiers of boxes and
the dress circle. These reached by handsome
flights Of stairs from the front vestibulc and addt
tlonal flights the sides. There ore two complete
tiers Of boxes called the parterre and first tier and
there also twelve boxes a level with the Or
chcstra floor There thlrtysix par1erre and
thirtyscvcn frstter boxes. The original plan pro
vdcd for another complete tier but this changed
to the dress circle. Above the boxes are the dress
circle balcony and gallery. The seating capacity OF
the house is about 5000.
The general tone OF the decorations OF the house
was old gold. though several colors used to a
greater less At the sides Of the proscenum
arch were figures representing music and the ballet.
an L.
MS the GENITAL figure and ut either side Of II were
statues OF the muses. In separate inches. Tho In
teriors Of the boxes were upholstered In dark red
Each box had an nnte.room the back Of II, and
these also were originally decorated In dark
red but OF them rcdecorated. according TO
the taste OF their owners No changes were allowed
In the decorations OF the boxes themselves, ms they
were visible from the auditorium nnd mus, be s
mike.
The stage said at the time IT WAS built to bc
the largest I'm the world except those Of the grand
opera houses Of Par, and st. Petersburg. 1t WINS
IOl feet wide and 90 feet deep, with height from
the foundation 10 roof Of 40 feet. All scenery for
II had be made extremely large scale. The
curtain opening 45 fee, wide md 80 feet high
There was u organ at the south side OF the stnge
II was built by H. l.. Roosevelt for the musical
festival held In the 9Th Regiment nrmory In 1881
and was also used nj the musical festival In Chicago
In 1882. The stage occupied the whole OF the west
end OF the building except little which was nsed
for Offices and with the further exception OF dressing
rooms and such other rooms as were necessary TOT
making storing and using the mechanical and other
equipments for the production Of operas
The house wa trliit By the Metropolitan Opera
uon,r Comyny Limit ID. The enterprise
sicned BY the limited number OF boxes At IN" Academy
Of Music and tn. inability OF many who wanted boxes
10 get them. The house was opened on October =.
1888 II was managed for the first season by Henry
L. ND oh ScPpnc Mr.. Abby being thr
NOMINAL manager and Maurice Gran was business
manager The opening performance was "faus''
and tho principal singers were ltalo Canpanln ana
Nine Christine Nilsson. Colonel Mapeson was then
director nj tho Academy q Music. and used every
effort to make his company. which was headed by
Patti a success at the expense Of that Mt The Mctro
polltan Opera IIousc. The result was TINT no money
va, made nj either hDus,. and the losses al inc
Metropolitan were supposed to have been aD0t
quarter Of a million OF dollars.
The next ,scason II was determined 10 try German
opera. ard DE- Lcopold Damrosch became musical
d. rcctor The house now under the Immediate
control OF the Board OF Directors elected by the stock
ho,dcrr and Edmund c. stanton represented them aS
director OF the house. DR.. ramrosch died before the
end Of the season and his soil. Walter Damroseh'
sucrccdcd him and finished the season For the next
winter Anton scidl made musical director ana
Walter D.inrosch his ASSISTANT. Under TINS or
ranrcmen German opera was given up to the end
nj the season before the last. The operas were pro
duced I'm way which made the hOnse famous all over
m. world and few productions OF German opera that
hsv, ever been could excel some that nave beer
eeer hero several Of the Waencf music dramas were
Given her, for the first time In th' country IRIS
tan and IAodcn wa, sung December j. loS6'
"sicgfried" on November o, 1887. ana Inc H"'"o
cold on january II. 1stJ.
Near the end OF the season. which was hhished
cnry in 1901 TIE directors resolved to try l'ahah
opera once more and made a contract WIN Nopc'
4 Grau to manage the season. By TINS eoh'ra'' inc
directors gave the managers the Louise, hshtd ana
heatcd and paid them S",ooo Tor each performance
The stockholders retained the use OF their boxes
and Abbey 4 CIau were left 20 gain or lose what
tev might on the sale the rest Of the house lhS
was the season Of last winter A remarkably hne
opera company engaged ana operas "cfo s"ns
I'm italian and French. A. Niancn was musicai aN''
for and Ieonis Sasr assistant conductor. lowarh
tho end OF the season Anton sedl was engaged 10
conduct few Of the German operas which were theh
attempted. For time IT seemed as II Inc scaso,
xss a decided failure but a turning point eamo Win
tho arrival Of Jean Lassalle In the middle OF me
winter aad some remarkably hne performances vi
Faust, "The Huguenois7 and one or two other
op.ras In fact "Faust," which was given repea'cdp'
may be said 10 have saved the season.
I'm the cid Abbey q Grau wished to continue the
management OF the house provided the conditions
could DO made somcwhA, more favorable 10 thehi'
few days after the close OF the reghla: season tc
house was leased to Abbey Grau for three Year,
10 begin on October mex. They werc 10 nave i'''
control Of H. wlthou rent. ana the stockhoidor'
u.r. IN have the use OF their boxes for all perform
ances OF the regular season and TO pay to the mana
gers &C. 900 fo each OF these performances, as was
done last season
on his return Europe early this month Mr. Ab-
hey announced that the operT. season would begin e
In Novomber and continue for thirteen weeks, with the
execution OF two wrecks at the holiday time when the
company would go to Chicago. The company was 10
include Nine Meba, Nine. Emma Cave Jean ana
Fdonard de Rrszke. Jean Lassalle Nine Emma
Eamcs Miss Margaret Reid Mile Mathihe Banermes'
ter, Mile. Lillian Nordica. Mile. Grcta R'sy' Nine
Caroline Ferens Nine sofia Scalchi. olympia Guer-
Ter signor Rinald NJ Trieste, Sgnor Martapoura and
Sgnor Vascheul. Among the operas announced 10 be