New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-28
IN AND ABOUT THE HOUSE.
HOW THE OLD OPERA -GoEIs CAME BACK. WHAT
THEY FOUND AND HOW NATURAL.
|

IT ALL SEEMED
New-York has again opera. There was n whole
dreary season without one-a season. that Is to
say according TO the calendar-but only n blank
waste OF time to the minds OF the people who used
to give the bright life and light TO the circles OF
boxes who found the opera House their peasantest
meeting place and the most favorable one TO let
everybody their pretty gowns. Yet this class
did suffer much az another. They had plenty
OF other amusements and resources They missed
the opera. OF course. for strange as II may seem
and contrary to general belief as II is the people
In the boxes do like music. some OF them and they
know good music when they hear H. The efficacy
OF its charms is not confined to soothing savage
breasts by any means He who has no music IN
his soul Is III for treasons and conversely one
who IL not III for treasons must have music In his
soul. And II Is not safe to assume because
people wear pretty gowns that they come 10 the
opera for other purpose than 10 show them.
Yet. after all. those who missed the opera most
were the gallery people. whom nothing but pure
love OF music could ever tempt 10 climb up and
sit close under the roof OF the house for a whole
long evening. The evenings longer yet with
out the gallery and the music last winter.
Last night they all back In their old places.
To those who went up and down Broadway past
| the Metropolitan Opera House by day. last year.
there not much difference to be seen. The
house stood there. just as II always did. and that
was all But In the evening II was different. There
no lights any more, the doors were as fast
closed as prison doors. and the stree, more
populous there than II anywhere else. Every
thing seemed the more dark and deserted for the
memories OF what 1t
1t all changed again last night The house
never was bright before. The Hobbies never
looked inviting. The old good-humored crowd
around the doors and reached away up TO
Forteth-st. and down to Thirty-nnth-st. The peo-
pie who had no hope OF ever getting inside were
watching for the carriages OF the fortunate.
waiting to get sight OF their dresses and trying TO
peer far into the house they could to help
them TO imagine what they would see II they could
peer further. The boys had opera books sell,
opera books Of Faust" II anybody could posi-
bly, want the llbretto OF that opera and not have IL
already. Yet. surprising 1t may appear bust.
really good. There the familiar
ticket spectators. besides. who had seats In the
gallery TO sel much cheaper than they could be had
inside: they said They the very same
SPECTATORS. too who were there two years ago
After all. the box people the ones who give
character to the opera. All theatres have gal
leries but only opera-houses have circles OF boxes
and only an opera house can ever have such an
audience that which assembled last night
Even the scene outside could not have been 30 gay
and happy without the carriages that hurried about
and got In one another's way and blocked the pas
sages and waited for one another to make ROOM
quite as II they had never been at an opera house
before. instead OF having left of the habit OF con-
slant attendance less than two years ago The
people who got out OF the carriages had scarcely
more than passed the door before they began to
admire the improvements In the opera house
There was the lobby itself. TO begin with 80 much
lighter and more cheerful than It ever was before
Then there the elevators four OF them ON IN.
Fortieth-st side They carried passengers 1870
minute they were put TO the test up TO the grand
tiers OF the dress circle and the balcony There were
hundreds who might have used them who had not
learned vet where to find them. or did not even
know thev there at all but they saved many
steps for persons whose steps up 0lghts of nfatrs
were a WEAKNESS TO the flesh but who cared enough
for music TO endure them chcerfuIy II Il had been
necessary
1t was not particularly hard in the old days to
orchestra floors. but it was ridiculous to have to
DO IT. The h9or was ns down in the right place
through The passage and into the house, ssy Sa sH,
to see how much Mr. E!fatrick. the architect.
Some wants there were IN the old house nobody
could ever supply without fsso rebuilding the whole
ali that could be done had been done s mS more
than cS Sonse masR than used to
before vas s STees a9p restored Opening the
CHEF cause In this way Of course the house moi
only looked but naturally was larger There was
es IN the house in it, and there %a U d ne .b 1.s
for standing-roon behind ard ell around The
unprecedented at the Metropolitan In fact II such
a crowd mad ever tried to stand there before. II
Auditorium There were probably thousand or so 80
more people standing than the house would eve-
little pens that used to flank the orchestpa floor
know that 1t grim joke before to sneak OF The
"g The Circles themselves looked Iarosr ,oo than
they did before This must have BEEF, nm oocal H.
onea Illusion The change due 70 Se lighter
coors OF the decorations, The whole house looked
bigger ooE Nobody used to ana CLEANER than
before but nobody who saw It last 1icht would