Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-09-10
!. ME. NORDzCH

 son, an institution which shall grow to be the center of students of music, and place where lovers of classical music will be able to gratify their aes- thetic tastes to the full, is the dream of Mime. Nordica, and she has avowed her purpose to bring that dream to re- alizatiOn. The close friends of the prima donna know that the plans for carrying out such a gigantic project have been carefully nursed for many years. At first they were immature; in sense they are immature still; but in the last few days they have taken on such substantial form that their consummation is now practical ly assured. Mime. Nordica has pur- chased a site of 20 acres at Harmon on-the- Hudson, for which she paid $100,000, and is now negotiating for an additional ten acres. She is at pres ent in Munich, where she will secure the plans of the Bayreuth opera house, which will be reproduced in all it's de- tails, together with the other institu- tions in the musical community built by Frau Wagner. She will also en- deavor to bring back with her the di- rector of the Bayreuth opera house to act in the capacity of consulting di- rector, and has planned that the grand opening will take place next summer in the Festival hall, which is to be named in her honor. Walter Damrosch, the well-known musical di- rector of New York, will be the first conductor of the opera house. An architect has been secured, and other details have been arranged and are arranging; so the project may be said to be already well launched.
 The expense of building this Ameri- can Bayreuth on the Hudson will ap- proximate $1,000, ,000, which could well come within Mime. Nordica's fortune, but while she will bear a good share of it, and has already made the initial outlayss such as 3 the purchase of the land, etc, it is believed that the Amer ican public will join in the financial part of the undertaking It is the in tention to make the opera season. and this season will, after the insti- tuition is we'll under way, continue the year around, including the summer not only a high social function, but to have included in it days when pop ular prices of admission will be charged, so that all lovers of classic music may have an opportunity to gratify their tastes. But the social part will be one of the leading fea' lures of the musical festival.
 Arrangements have been made for the sale of 16 boxes at $25,O00 each, regular admission prices to be charged to the occupants of the boxes. Three of these boxes have already been sold and it is believed there will be no diff ficulty in disposing of the others When the opera is in full operation it is believed it will be self-sustaining
 There will also be musical college fin connection with the institution and buildings will be erected for class rooms and dormitories for the pupils In short, the entire plan-theoretical ly and practically-will be carried out along the lines of the musical institu ton at Bayreuth. It will probably re uuire an endowment fund of about q asI fa schools and other departments.
 Mime. 'Nordica will devote the re mainder of her life to this project She will be the active manager of the en terprise and will take prominent mart in the conduct of the school and the opera festivals. singing in leading roles. and attending to many of the ! details.
 The institution that she has taken as her model is located at Bayreuth which is the capital of the government , district of Upper FrancOnia, Bavaria at one time a principality under the rule of Margraves. of the house of Hc [ henzollern. Bayreuth is about 12; miles north of Munich. and is the 1 Mecca of the Wagnerites. as the Wag ner theater was built there especially , for the performance of his operas i This theater was erected S2 years ago on a hill. reached by broad street o shady trees The former residence o Richard Wagner, the Villa Wahnfried is not far away. Wagner is buried fl ! the grounds There is also the house of Jean Paul Richter. whose body lie
 in the Central cemetery near that o Franz Liszt- The building of the Wag [ ner Festival theater WAS the drean
 of wagner's life. and to csrry out hi l plans he secured the aid of King Loui IT of Bavaria which. with small sub scriptions from the music lovers
 made the proposition practicable
 As Mime. Schumsnn-HeiEk says, on can not hope to reproduce the exac
 wagnerian atmosphere along with tn
 wzgneTizn buildings at HaruOn-On