Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-05
Chicago. March End. 1879

Chicago, March End, 1898,
Special Correspondence.
Perhaps no people in the world are
more fond of music than are we of the
city Of the Great Salt Lake; and know
ing the love which exists in the hearts
of my fellow Utahns for the divine art,
l send herewith sketch of the musi-
cal world of Chicago. There is so much
Of musical nature in the windy city
that my letter will be necessarily some
what lengthy.
The first season OF opera in Chicago
was In 1850, at Rices theater. La Som
nambula was the opening bill with or
ehestra and chorus. A good audience
assembled. Music, Heavenly Maid, was
having full sway, and all went well I'M
til the third act, when an alarm of fire
was given, and an hour later the place
was burned to the ground
After many disappointment. Chicak o
heard her first opera In 1858, when
Lucia was produced. Adelina Patti and
ole Bun made their first appeara nee
here during the same year In concert.
In 1854 the New York Italian opera
company appeared. playing a brief ELI
Since that time artists almost lnnum-
cradle have been heard in Chicago.
The Apollo Club OF Chicago is said to
be the leading choral organization
of the United states. In 1872 George p.
Upton,the eminent critic of the Chicago
Tribune, formed the choral society
which has since assumed such an i'm
portant position. 1t consisted at that
time of thirty male members, with Silas
q. Pratt as musical director, who was
shortly succeeded by n. w. Dohn. In
1875 William l.. Tomlins was secured
as musical director. and when opportu-
nifty afforded he instituted mixed
chorus. The Apollos have produced a
great many oratoriOs. They have pre-
scented the Messiah over twenty times
and have a record Of about fifty ora
torios and other selections produced
many Of which have been given sew
eral times. The Apollo club is a self
sustaining institution, and its receipts
for the year 1896 We're $4,000.
William l.. Tomlins, conductor. artist
teacher and present jirectJr Of tn.
Apollo club, is n man Of great icts,.nal
magnetism. AS a chorus master he
possesses great genius. and the degree
of excellence attained by the Apollos
Is due to his work of the past twenty
years.
The Chicago Conservatory of Music
uAih AIl If ltfRltu IN the
magnificent Auditorium building: with
Steinway pianos for the teachers and
students. Perhaps no institution in
America can boast of such a nucleus of
noted instructors. and still II is an un-
endowed school OF art, The conserva-
tory numbers among its instructors
Leopold Godowsky, pianist; Clarence
Eddy, orgonist; Max Bendix, violinlst
Arturo Marescalchi. baritone. and S. r.
Jacohsohn, i. Il. Gleason Anna Nor
gan, Edward pvorak and other must
! clans Of less prominence. The artistic
strength of this institution can be Inn
mediately seen when 1t IL remembered
that Godowsky is one of the foremost
pianists OF today; that Eddy Is the
greatest American organist that
Marescalchi Is a great baritone OF
| operate fame, not to mention the
names of Dvorak, Jacobsohn, Gleason
| and the several others who compose
this cluster OF conservatory instructors
The Chicago orchestra. Eighty men
soloists. artists; pouring forth fioot
| Of divine melody under the masterl,
baton of the great Theodore Thomas
| The most delicate tones of a singer car
be distinctly heard with the entire or
chestra filling In an accompaniment
Twenty first violins, and every wrist
every arm bends together. Concert,
are given frequently in the Auditorium
| and although the most classical musi,
Is played, the building is nearly Away,