The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-11-15
DRAMATIC AND LYRIC
A Chicago Letter That Will In
tereSt Salt Lake.
OUR CHORUS AND THE FAIR
Chat With B. B. Young-'sinbads" Sue
cess-COming Events
Notes
CHICAGO, Nov. ). 1891.

CHICAGO, Nov. 5, 1891.
Though we left Salt Lake full of regrets
that we were forced to miss the Gilmore
concerts, the chance of hearing Theodore
Thomas and his new Chicago orchestra
formed some sort of recomuense. We
reached Chicago on a Thursday morning,
and from the big list of theatrical and mus,
ical attractions laid out for the week. we
readily chose an afternoon with Thomas at
the grand Auditorium. Chicago's great
strides IN music form one of the astonish-
Ing things In that wonderful city's prog
ress; steadily it is gaining on New York
In every direction, and in the way of great
buildings, New York is already outstripped
After she had gained the Worlds fair by
one OF the most magnificent and liberal sub
scrlptions ever known, Chicago set to work
with VIII TO make of herself an undoubted
art centre. Fifty of her wealthest men mt
down their names to guarantee Theodore
Thomas thousand dollars year each. and
Tor sum that equals the salary of the
Presldentof the United States, Mr.. Thomas
consented to shake the dust of New York
from his feet and to make his home in
Chicago, for period of at least five wears.
his nrst act on reaching here, was TO or
ganlze an orchestra of seyenty-fiye men
after the model of his great New York or
ganlzatlon. Chicago had some superb in
strumentallsts, and it only required a few
weeks work to MAKE up a body not q whit
inferior to the New York orchestra. The
Auditorium was engaged and a series of
public concerts arranged for-afternoon and
evening. Prof. Eddy aided at the great
organ OF the building, and the effect NAV
be imagined. On the afternoon we at
tended, the great building was not very
wen hlled-lt holds 1850 people-but we
were told that the audiences came ont in
force at night. In order to educate the non
ular taste, the prices of admission are kept
low, from % cents upward, and the pro
gramme OF each concert contains descrin-
ton Of the numbers played, with a sketch
OF the life of each composer whose work is
presented. Thomas is a wonderful leader
with only one fault his selections run to
the ultra cldSsiQue, but his orchestra is So
magnificent that it makes the algebra of
music ineligible and interesting to the
popular ear.
Our party was surprised and delighted TO
run across our old Salt Lake friend. b. b.
Young, the baritone, on the streets Of Chi
cago the other day. At his invitation we
caleo at tne conservatory Of music, an
other institution successfully established
by Chlcagoans--whereb both he and Madame
Young are pow engaged as salaried teach
ers for term of three years. They teach
vocal instruction, and Madame Young also
has charge Of the department of Italian
language. The conservatory is in the An
dltorium building and is very pleasantly and
commodiously located. Most of the teach
ers, and there seemed to be a good number
are Italian, and as we sat in the ante rooms
and chstted with Mr.. and Mrs Young. the
hum OF voices on all sides made one think
he was In Italy rather than Illinois Every
sort OF instrument is taught at the Conser-
vatory, and the mingled strains of pianos
comets, flutes, mixed up with vocal exer-
clSeS. reached in hS,
sion as we talked. Mr. Young sang one nv
two songs for us, and showed that his noble
baritone voice is strong and sweet as ever
He and his wife are at liberty to accent
concert and drawing room engagements
outside Of the conservatory, though they
can not teach elsewhere, and we Judged
HAY were very happily oircumstanced.