, 1872-11-10
WANTED-A MUSIC HALL.

Tho chicago Opera House is evidently destined
to be thing Of the future, which will come
with the neccssity-that is, when people want it
and have time to 60 to it. Mr. Crosby has
abandoned all ideas Of embarking in any snch
building project, on his individual responsibility,
being already more than satisfied with artistic
Investments, in which one-half the money in
vested is doomed to lie idle, and the other half
only yields the usual rate Of interest. This rule
will hold good Of all opera houses. On an
average, one-haf the money is expended upon
the auditorium proper, which yields no net
profit. The proposal to erect an opera house by
stock subscription, although it started out very
brlskly, and half-dozen enterprising and ns-
thetic gentlemen subscribed very Handsomely,
failed to meet with public encouragement, and in
the tight state OF Me money MARKET which has
since ensued, the project hes been abandoned.
Tho whole matter Of an opera house, therefore,
remains in stdtu quo- Tho next question which
comes up touches tho disposition Of opera. Al
though We may not have an opera house for
come time to come, ne shall have opera, and
What shall DO done with it' Clearly the theatres
must accommodate our chief luxury. They have
done this before: and can do it again, and in the
present surplus Of theatres, some OF them will
surely be glad to do it before long, It is within
tue recollection Of all our readers, that Chicago
had no opera house until 1865, although it had
ono, and sometimes two, opcra-eeasons ovory
year from 1858 until that time. It will also be-
remembered that, although tho theatres were
smaller than now, and had not q titho of the
stage resources which they now possess, Jet We
had bettor performances OF opera, and
more prosperous seasons, than We after
wards had in tho Opera House. Those
who remomber tie performances OF such troupes
ns the Italian, which combined such artists as
Parodi, Colson, Cordier Wilhorst, Amalia Patti,
Brignoli, Amodio Juncs and susini; and tho
German. in which Johannsen, Rotter, Habel~
mann, Himmer, Carl Formes, and Heruanns
sang, all in their primo, with large and we'll
trained choruses and orchcstras, led by such
musical giants Is CARL Bergman and Carl An
schultz. will also remember the grand ensemble
OF those performances as something which was
never equslled after ne got an opera house
which Was dedicated to art with such q grand
blowing OF trumpets and famboyant splurge.
II tho theatres in those days we're able to give us
opera IN good style, certainly they are better
ablo to do it now, With the immense improve
nents which have been made sinco then.
1he necessity for an opera house
H. therefore, not pressing one.
The public can afford to wait for It,
and, when the conditions Of leisure and money
are fulfilled, they may reasonably expect as fine
= house as there is in the country, and one which
will be IN ornament to the city, and monument
OF good taste and aesthetic culture.
But, as connected both with music and the con-
7en'ence OF the public in general, ne do need
large and handsome hall-one which will fill the
place which Farwell Hall occupied. First, ne
need it for concerts For many 7eaaons. the