MUSIC AND THE DRAMA. 185 
present century, when such poets as Iffland, Goethe, Schiller, &c., devoted 
their muse to the drama, and when more account was made of the proper 
artistic talents of the performers than now. At present immense sums are 
expended on elaborate scenery, splendid dresses and decorations, artificial 
effects by means of machinery, and on the construction and fitting up of the 
the building; but with the exception of a few very distinguished performers, 
the salaries given to the actors are not such that we can expect exhibitions 
of true artistic talent from them. The opera especially, with its costly 
accessories, has contributed a great deal to depress both the tragic and 
comic drama. 
The Buildings. 
As early as the times of the Greeks and Romans especial buildings were 
erected for musical and dramatic performances; and under the head of 
Architecture we have given descriptions and representations both of the 
odeons of the Greeks (page 41 and Plates Div. VII., pl. 17, figs. 1, 2, and 8) 
and of the amphitheatres of the Romans (page 65 and Plates Div. VIL, 
pl. 14, figs. 2 and 3). In modern times great sums are expended on the 
erecting of concert-halls and theatres, and science has employed all its 
resources to construct them in the most suitable manner, so that they may 
meet the many requirements both of the public and the poet. 
1. Opzons. The first and great requisite of a building destined for musi- 
cal performance alone, is a large spacious hall constructed in accordance 
with the rules of acoustics. As such halls are found here and there in 
other large buildings, it rarely happens that buildings are erected exclu- 
sively for the purpose; nevertheless, the Odeon in Munich, the Singing 
Academy in Berlin, and the building of the Society of the Friends of Musie 
in Vienna, furnish excellent specimens of this class of structures. The hall 
of performance should have an elevated stage for the musicians, and a 
space in front of it to afford convenient accommodation to the audiences 
that may be expected. Sometimes raised galleries are carried round the 
walls of the hall. As regards the form that should be given to a concert-hall, 
acousticians are not yet agreed. Some of them are in favor of an almost 
elliptical or semicircular form, while others prefer a rectangle, and each can 
adduce plausible reasons in support of his opinion. It seems to us that a 
very suitable form is an oblong rectangle with rounded corners. The ceil- 
ing should be built flat, or but very slightly vaulted. But above all things 
are required smooth walls, with as few breaks as possible ; accordingly they 
must be kept free from curtains, as all interruptions and all draperies, espe- 
cially of woollen, swallow up the sound and interfere with the resonance. 
In addition to the hall proper, an odeon should have apartments for the 
ticket-office, the ante-rooms, the wardrobe, and the retiring-rooms for the 
artists who are not constantly engaged in the performance. Separate en- 
trances for the public and for the musicians should by all means be provided. 
2. Turatres. The ancient theatres were very different from those in use 
at the present day ; in the first place, because the performances took place 
in them in the day-time, and not as with us by artificial light in the even- 
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