, 1881-10-09

T THE ESTHET1cS OF A DECADE.
, Iha progress OF Chicago during the tc
r years succccding the great fire is III no wa
t more clearly shown than in the growth q
!, music and tile drama, for the reason tha
} they are considered rs luxuries, and hes1c
: no attention Was paid to them until matcri;,
necessities had been rctstablishetl. Conse
quently If it can be shown that there l1a
been decided csthetic growth it follows, q
matter OF course, that in all other direc
t1ons the growth must have been mucl
greater. At the time Of the fire there wert
i'll this city six theatrcs-Crosby's Opera
llonse, which was also devoted to music
McVicker's, 1iooley's, Woods Museum, thf
Glooe, on the West Side, aud the Dearborn
which had come to be the home of ligh-cas:
nlllstresy. OF these the Oper1-lIouse wa:
known fnr and wide rs one of the finest
houses in this country. 1t had been retittetl
and refurnishcd ut immense cost, and
1heodore IitoMas was to have commenced
a long season Of orchestral concerts on the
evening of the first day Of the firr, but never
got nearer to the building than the Twenty
second street station nf the Lake Shore Ruil-
road. There was large sale Of seats, but
the tlcketholders never occupied them. Tile
elegant house was lit up only All hour before
the lire for the inspection Of visitors, 50 that
there were but few of our citizens who had
the pleasure Of seeing the cx1uistfy appolut-
| eu and decorated interior. With tho eXccu-
ton OF the Opera-1lonse our theatres had
little to boast OF. They were fair average
theatres. conducted in oltl-fashioned WAYS,
Iil{t fairly n.trnDiyaI 4 IF
| except the Globe, which was all old wooden
shell, we're destroyed. We have HOW nine
tirst-class theatres: McVickcr's, the Grand
opera-llousc, uooley's. iIayerlv's, Lyccupl,
! Criterion. Academy of Music, National, and
Olympic, aiA a host Of little variety theatres.
1hey are more elegant i'll their appointments
and decorations and better furnished with
all tile appliances that make for the comfort
OF audiences than anything We possessed be-
lore the ire The increase Of patronage is
shown by the Increase III the number of
thealres. AMI DS the rapitl advance Of the city
10 tie position Of one of the great dramatic
centres Of the country, attracting ]lithcr not
only all the great stars in the profession but
the best of the New York companies, who
come here and locate for whole summer.
Inc n't1slcat rccuperation Of the city is
equally wonderful. At the time of the fire
music was in Il very tiourlsl,n= condition.
owing to the impulse given it by the erection
OF the Opera-llouse six years previously.
Though we had 10 musical societies 10
speak OF except among tile Germans, the
opera seasons during those six years have
never been cpualcd- iii the history If |
Chicago, and all kinds Of music
and all classes Of musc-teauhers were |
handsomely patronlzcd This ground wc
have not only recovered. but VIC have 7
even advanced. Then we lad but three |
prominent hal1s-Farwell alul Crosby's Music
Hail. the latter for minor concerts, aid Tur-
iicr Hall OIL the North Sile-MctropoIitan
Hall having fallen into tlistsc. Now VIC have
the elegant Central Mnsic-llall, which stands
rs monument to tile memory Of its'bni,ler,
George B' Carpenter; the cozy little Fair
bank Hall; McCorm'ck's S, Brands, and Tur-
Her Halls OIL the North Side; the llaw Far
well Hall and tic huge Exposition Building,
which has several times been utilized for
colossal musical occasions, and numerous
stnafl halls. Then the last of our AMERICAN
societies, the Oratori0, which was tho s,tc-
:cssor of the Philharmonic, had lust cx-
plrcd. Now we have the Apollo Club, the
Beethoven Society, the Mozart Society, the
Bach and llanlef Society, numerous Ger
nan and Scandinavian societies, several
aides clubs, and Il score of vocal
lnd instrumental quartet organizations,
many Of which have extended their reput;-
lou i'll concerts throughout the West. Be-
ore the fire our organizations rarely pro-
[ucetl anything but miscellaneous sons-pro-.
rams: now they are bringing out every sea-
OIL the large works in music, many OF them
or the first time in this country. Then the {
anne of our orchestral players was confined I
0 ChlcaEo; nuw Theodore Thomas has
eaded thirty of our players and astonisned /
Milwaukee, ClevelaVt and Cincinnati with r
1eIr performances. 'Then it was considered r
treat to hear the Thomas orchestra fur two G
r three nights in Il season; now we have c
ad the great conductor here for two entire ] q
with concerts every evening. Tie a
"oWufng mark Of our progress is shown by a
'e selection Of Chicago as one Of the cities Il
the great triad Of festivities to be given e
ext May, which will be the most notable I.
usical occasion ever known i'll this coun- Il
), aid will compare fayorably with any S,
Ing of the kind ever known i'll Europe, i
The progress Of art has been slower. Many 81
our best artists left the city Immediately &
ter the fire, and few q Them have returned.
le Academy OF Design was reopelled three il
af5 at{of, but diti not succeed very well. Il