The Washington times., 1919-11-27
OPERA RA|MPRESS|ONS.
OF A MUSIC CRITIC
Quotes Washington Irving's
Account of the Pastime in
the Long Ago.

An interesting article on impress
sions of opera. new and old. is set
forth by the music critic OF the Ne"
York Sun. who writes:
The truth is that opera Is become
a habit with thousands OF people TO
whom abstention from II would De
little short OF a bereavement. Tne
metropolitan Opera House is a social
center, a resort Of the town, a meet
ing place for all sorts and conditions
of men who do not affect a profoun1
consideration OF literature or the
musical glasses. They go for pas
time, not for philosophizing. The sos-
emn critical discussions OF the pur-
poses and methods of composers con-
Germ them not In short. the institu-
tion OF opera Is just what il was we'll
nigh seventy years ago when Wasn-
inxton Irving used to frequent the
Astor Place Opera House. de wrose
thus:
1T is filled every night. Every
body Is well dressed. and 1t is alto
gether one of the gayest prettfest
and most polite looking theaters /
n Il
ed a single performance since L have
been in town. - One meets al
ones acauaintances at the opera, and
there Is much visiting from box -
box. and pleasant conversation. be-
tween the acts. The opera a house is.
IN fact the great feature in polite
society in New York, and 1 believe
II is the great attraction that keeps
me in town. Music is to me the great
.sweetener OF existence, and / never
enjoyed Ii more abundantly than at
present
I'm this account one finds much 20
fit the present time. In one particular,
however. there has been a market
turn to the pages of Richard Grant
White.
Opening Of Opera.
Writing about the first perform
aAce)Qs47) In the new house, he said:
Rarely has there been an assembly
at any time or in any country so eIe-
CANT. with such a generally suffusad
: air Of good breeding. and yet it could
not be called splendid in any one Of
its circles. At the Astor Place Opera
House that form of opera toilet fo-
ladies which q now peculiar to New
York and few other American ciths
came into vogue demi-toilet Of
marked elegance and richness and yet
without that display either of apparel
or trimming or Of the wearer's per-
sonal charms which is implied by 'run
evening dress" in fashionable par
lance
Mr.. Irving's delightful glimpse of
opera In Astof place invites the recor-
lection OF some similar items in a,
noble lady's account of much earlier
opera house. Tne Princess de
Caposele writes gossiping letter
10 friend after the first perform
%nce at the San Carlo. Naples, in I131 !.
1t is o'clock in the morning /
come from, the threater of San Carlo,
opened this erening for the first time
TO the astonfshment OF the Neapoif-
tans With music and ballet, inaagu-
rated In the presence of his nIx1esty
may God keep him The signoie 9
my husband. Prince Caposele, who
has just now gone to bed and is
sleeping, wearied by continual visits
TO the boxes. possessed, as you well
know. little box in the old theater
OF San Bartolomeo, for which we paid
at the distribution only ninety
ducats. For the same box in the sec
ond tier. which we have now at the,
San Carlo. my husband gladly paid
$50 ducats for the satisfaction OF TAX
ing pleasure in the neighborhood of
the King and paying court to him.
Prices Raised.
so they raised the prices in those
days. too. and the fashionables, to be
in the fashion and in the company of
the fount OF honor, opened their
purses with ayidity. Further on in
her letter the princess says:
Ny coinure was a rAmadigi, al
though / do not much like this style,
but the hairdresser says that the
curls frame pleasantly my oval face,
And IL is necessary to obey the hair
dresser. Beauty patches are now
worn in protusion. but Il put on only
passionee, two gslantes and an as
sssine on the corner OF my lips. 1
wore some pearls in my hair and
had double string OF them around
my neck. My turtle dove bodice,
very low, for they wear them so at
present was ornamented with pearls
as were the openings and the edzes
Of the puaed sleeves. All this orra-
mentation with other embeIIishmeuts
was an amiAble gift from my hus-
band. who bought it in Paris. Tne
vest. which You alone know well was
Of rose colored silk with tulips in,
H..