Männergesangverein Arion Ball

     “The Arion fancy dress ball will take place to-morrow evening at the Academy of Music; and as the magnificent decorations for that occasion—painted by Nicolai Meister—will be allowed to remain during the week, visitors to the opera on Friday night (when L’Africaine will be repeated) or to the Saturday matinee, will have an opportunity of seeing these attractive embellishments.”

     “Extensive preparations have been made to insure the entire success of the Arion Ball, to take place this evening at the Academy of Music.  The police authorities publish the following notice, relating to the order of precedence of hackney coaches on the occasion:—

     ‘No. 26. (City Hall) Metropolitan Police Precinct Company to the Arion ball this evening, at the Academy of Music, will be admitted at the main entrance in Irving place.  Coaches will approach from Third avenue through Fourteenth street in delivering their company.  In taking up, coaches will form (for the purpose of receiving company) in the same order and line established for their delivery.  Gentlemen will please take the coach at the door, and not wait for any particular carriage.  Fare in all cases will be one dollar for each passenger without regard to distance in the city.  No coach will be allowed in line excepting such as have passed inspection. 

                        Chas. N. Brackett

                        Captain Inspector of Hackney Coaches’”

     “[O]ne of the most enjoyable [balls] ever given by the society. The burlesque characters were droll, and the allusions to current events witty as well as funny. Meister’s decorations for the house were unusually rich and gorgeous”

     “[A]ttended by an immense crowd of people, the greater part of whom were dressed in fancy costumes.  The festivities began at an early hour, but did not end till near daylight.  The Committee being, no doubt, desirous that the ‘Arion Ball’ of 1866 should not be reported in the newspapers, we refrain from publishing further particulars.”

     “The two great German singing societies, the Arion and the Liederkranz, annually give each a ball at the Academy of Music, at which the good people of the fraternities meet en masque and have jolly good times.  The ball of the Arion Society was given last night; that of the Liederkranz follows on Thursday of next week . . .

     It was very well known that the ball which the Arion proposed giving would be crowded. Two thousand people quite comfortably fill the Academy floor, three thousand crowd it, and beyond that none but a Cincinnati packer can comprehend the density of the situation. There were probably 2,000 tickets sold and at least 500 complimentary tickets issued. This secures an attendance not far from 4,500, to which add at least 500 people who were admitted on divers [sic] pretexts, and we have the pleasant little company of five thousand. At a masquerade ball a crowd is quite as manageable as at any other, but for some reason each mask demands twice the room than an ordinary undisguised individual would require. But on this as on all such occasions, and particularly if our German friends direct the affair, with all the crowding there was no ill humor, no ill nature, no ill feeling.

THE DECORATIONS.

     The Academy never looked better than on this occasion. The decorations were mainly tapestries and draperies lining the entire front of each circle. The colors were rich and gorgeous—crimson and gilt worked into quaint figures of the mediaeval style. Flowers in bounteous profusion perfumed the air on every side. Baskets and bouquets arranged with skill and taste were placed at every point, and the place looked like a vast and beautiful garden of flowers. From the centre of the ceiling fell gracefully long festoons of evergreens entwined with flowers and buds; at the rear of the stage, over a platform for acrobatic and other displays, was a vast figure of Apollo riding a dolphin, lyre in hand, over which a scroll appeared the name of Arion. This beautiful figure was designed by Mr. CALLYO, the capable artist of the Academy, whose figure of ‘Fame’ attracted universal commendation at the Reception of the Seventh Regiment, and whose operatic scenery is known to us all so favorably. There was not much in detail of which we can speak. The general air of splendor given the Academy by the gorgeous magnificence of the drapery was the theme of general remark.

THE BALL.

     A masquerade ball to-day differs little in its main features from that of yesterday, or that of last year. There are always good, bad and indifferent maskers; always people who know what they are about, and full as many who don’t. On the occasion of which we write, with the exception of the procession, we noticed none of special excellence. There were Harlequins, Columbines, Newspapers, Shakespeares, Comus, Kings of all manners and ages, Warriors, Indians, innumerable Firemen, Soldiers, Flowers of many names and species, &c., &c., ad infinitum. By 9 o’clock the floor was well filled, the circles crowded, and when the procession moved it was with some difficulty that room could be made for it.

THE PROCESSION.

     The peals of laughter, the roars of approbation with which the festive Arions greeted the procession was equaled only by the intelligence with which they grasped the point and appreciated the wit of the burlesque. The procession consisted of two grand divisions, representing War and Peace. [a detailed description of the portrayals follows]

      The procession did not enter the door until nearly 12, at which time the floor was absolutely dense with masks and spectators. The divers [sic] burlesques met the uproarious reception they so richly deserved, the political references being particularly applauded.

     Prior to the grand entrée at the far end of the room, under the musically-inclined Apollo, whose gas-jets, by the way, were all unlighted at this crisis, a series of acrobatic evolutions, were performed by a number of limber chaps whose legs and arms and spinal column were made of india-rubber, gutta-percha, or some other pliable material. Pumpkins, and other ordinarily well-behaved fruit of the soil, seemed possessed of a rollicking mood, and availed themselves of the carnivalism opportunity to roll about in the most gay and festive manner—while manakins [sic] worked by invisible agencies conducted themselves in the most inebriate and kick-legular style.

THE DANCING.

     Dancing began at an early hour and was kept up with great spirit all night long and very far into the day.  The following is the programme: Walz, Die ersten Curen, Strauss; Quadrille, Carnival, Strauss; Galop, Echo, Bergmann; Lancers, Souvenir, F. Rietzel; Shottish, Automats, Spindler; Walz, Lebenspulse, Lanner; Quadrille, Fashion, Strauss; Polka, Blumenlese, Rietzel; Galop, Nondescrit, Faust; Lancers, Arion, Rietzel; Polka Redowa, Estelle, Voss; Walz, Morning flowers, Strauss; Quadrille, Olymp, Strauss; Gallop, Victoria, Rietzel; Shottish, Arion, Bergmann; Lancers, Carnival 1866, Rietzel; Walz, Immer heiterer, Strauss; polka, Album, Rietzel; Quadrille, Reunion, Reitzel; Polka Redowa, Sassafrass, Strauss; Gallop, Waterfall, Rietzel.”

CONCLUSION.

     The ball was a great success.  The decorations by Nicola Meister were admirable; the costumes by the celebrated Charles Buckheester were in many instances superb, and in all appropriate; the music could not be surpassed.  The supper was abundant, well served and excellent.” [a list of the committee members ends the article]

     The attendance was not as high as last year, but there seemed to be more participants in masks this year. Detailed description of the decorations.

     Very well organized and well executed event with grandiose decorations (by painter Nicola Meister and the florists Hanst) which were unparalleled by other event scenery at the Academy. The big procession went very well despite the difficulties of formation. We would prefer, however, that they perform several small farces instead of a big procession.