, 1873-06-07
BONE SHORTCOMINGS.

BONE SHORTCOMINGS.
We fear that the Jubilee concerts hayo not
boon all thoy should havo boon in Wow Of the
impression which the management sproad abroad,
It was not expected in any quarter that tho m,1-
sic would satIsfy critical tasto. No arrange
monts were perfected to this end. No groat mu-
sical attractions wero offered. There was not
the time to organize ovon popular entertain
ments on scale that would compare with those
which Mr. Gilmore has superintended In Boston.
hlusically therefore, there can have boon no par
tieular disappointment, or, II there has beon,
tho people may DO enid to havo misled thom-
selves. TLoro waa IN orchestra Of about 100
performers and chorus Of about 700 Bingors,
who appear to have giVon very good satia-
faction both in tho clasB Of music and the mnn-
nor Of performing IT, to the groat majority Of
those who went to hear thom. But there aro
other things for which tho management Of the
concerts dosorvo to DO called to account. In tho
first place, the fact that the Jubilee was mn in-
diyidual enterprise waB not fairly brought out !;
there woro vaguo indications from tirno to time
Of Lucca, Of tllo Boston Handel and Haydn So
ciety, and other special attractionB which hnyo
not como to the surface; and, while there has
boon no tangible effort at deception, there is d
cortain responsibility for tho exaggerated ex-
pcotations that have prova!led in certain quar-
teru. In tho second place, tho managers hayo
exhibited negligence in many of tho do
tails not ut all characteristic Of Chicago and not
warranted By tho proapocts Of financial SUCCESS.
Everything WIS favorable for their profit. They
woro at no exponBo in providing spacious
building for tho occasion. There wero thou
eands Of people throughout tho country anxious
to tako advantage Of tho excursion rates to
como and SEQ the rebuilt city. To eyory oxcur-
sion ticket WAS o coupon admission to the Jubi-
lee, for oach Of which the managers received 81.
With all these advantages tho managers could
woll have afforded to front thoir audiences much
moro liberally than thoy havo troated them.
They did not attonpt to provide seats for more
than half tho auditorium, and certainly more
than half the people present woro Obliged to
stand. There waH but ono alternative for thoso,
either to push forward with the crowd, whoro
thoy woro in danger Of having tho breath
crushed out Of them, or to rotro to an ond OF
tho building where they might possibly
discern tho moaniugloBa waving Of Mr..
Gimoros baton, but whore they could hear
mono Of tho music but tho blaro Of tho horns
or tho ahrill notes Of the soprani soil. Had tho
platform for tho musicians been located at ono
ond Of tho depot, and seats provided for all tho
pooplo, tlo crowd would have been quieter aud
the music would have been more generally audi
bio and enjoyable Moreover, thoro was mt
ura1 impression among thoao who bought or
cursion railroad ticlots that their Jubilee cou-
pom admitted tho holdor to tho throo concerts,
and thoro hayo been unny complaints TINT this
waa not tho case. Another serious evidence Of
tho mismanagoment was In the oaroless treat
mont Of many Of tho country editors and tho
newspaper correspondents from other cities,
who, as fur as wo can learn, received no at-
tontion whatoyor, ind had mono of Che faoIlittca
for hearing, eoelng, and working which aro
usually oxtonded to tho representatives OF tho
press OH similar occasions. This was all wrong.
Tho country editors, moro than all others, COLI
tributcd to tho financial succoss of tho Jubiloo,
mud. by thoir offorte, brought moro people to tho
city than any other auxiliary elomont Of the oo-
oasion. Thoy wcro ontitled to all the conrtcacs
usual in public entertainments Of this kind, md,
II thoy hayo not received tilcm, they may roason-
ably ontor their complaints.
What wo wlsll to imprcss upon all those who,
aa editors, correspondents, or individuals, have
good oauso to oritiolso some Of tho foaturea Of
the Jubloo conccrta is, that Chicago Ind moth
lng moro to do with them than with Mr..
Marotzok'a Opera Troupe or Mr. MoVckor's
Theatre. They must atand or fall On tlci1 own
morits.