Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-07-31

son, an institution which shall grow
to be the center of students of music,
and a place where lovers of classical
music will be able to crafty their aes-
thetlc tastes to the full, is the dream
OF Nine. 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 a sense they are immature still;
but in the last few days they have
taken on such a substantial form that
ly assured. Nine Nordica has pur.
chased a site of 20 acres at Harmon
on-the-Hudson, for which she paid
100000, 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 d.
rector of the Bayreuth opera house to
act in the capacity of consulting d.
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 d.
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 100000, which could well
come within Nine. Nordica's fortune,
but while she will bear a good share
of it, and has already made the initial
OUTLAWS, such as the purchase of the
land, etc., it is believed that the Amer
lean public will join in the financial
part of the undertaking. 1t 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 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
crafty 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 $4,000 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
fculty in disposing of the others.
When the opera is in full operation,
it is believed it will be self-sustaining.
There will also be a musical college
in 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. 1t will probably re-
quire an endowment fund of about
100000 to aid in carrying on the
schools and other departments.
Nine. 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 a prominent
part 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 Ho-
henzollern. Bayreuth is about 1875
miles north of Munich, and is the
Mecca of the Wagnerites, as the Wag-
ner theater was built there especially
for the performance Of his operas.
This theater was erected 90 years ago,
on a hill, reached by broad street of
shady trees. The former residence of
Richard Wagner. the Villa Wahnfried,