Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1905-01-21

| league DOOUS anu DdSJen W JHS dlIdi
of Apollo. The audience, however,
was large and fashionable Gov. Cut
Ter and his military staff occupied
stalls, showing that the sword and the
tuning-fork may, at times, lie side by
side. This, even though the military
staff wore no side-arms and Mr.. Shep-
herd declined to use tuning-fork. In
the Symphony orchestra vast improve
ment was not to be expected in a per-
iod of few weeks. But, those of us
who made comparisons, found that the
orchestra showed unmistakable signs
of a greater confidence, a greater re-
sponsiveness, between the musicians
and the baton. 1t demonstrated that
Mr. Shepherd is inspiring his men
with his own musical enthusiasm, and,
that they, in turn, are giving to him
a fuller measure of musical conf
dence. This happy condition of being
mutually en- rapport, existing between
| the director and his orchestra, was
shown in the uniform precision and
care which marked the execution of
the violins and strings in general.
One of the dailies wrapped the horns
over their brass knuckles,. because
they were, at times, trifle rebellious.
In some of the numbers they were as
matter of fact, given more to pres
sure than precision. But musical Rome
was not built in day and Salt Lake
horn-blowers are not entirely hopeless.
Their consciences may be brassy-a
mere instrumental weakness, easily
remedied. The opening number, the
"Pique Dame" displayed such gen
eral brilliancy, both in reading and in
depreciation, that the orchestra's
Suppe stock, went, at the very outset,
into high figures. In MoZart's difficult
Symphony No. 80, only three move
ments were rendered, but they were
charmingly developed and well accen-
tuated, while Mr.. Shepherd applied the
birch over the musical backs of his
men with the temperament of a must
clan to whom Mozart is something
more than a name. Massenets Suit
No. 4, Scenes Picturesque" with its
free, easy movement and sensuous
touches, was in striking contrast to
the stately Mozart, and, by the ring
ing applause it received, testified that
we all love a touch of French spright-
Illness. But thanks to Massenet, we
were given the only orchestral encore
of the evening-Boccherin ravishing
Minuet And right here Mr.. Shepherds
violinists showed their daintiness of
touch and dizziness of lingering, play
as if Apollo had stretched for them his
golden hair. If this interpolated num-
Der had ended the program, everybody
|. ladies, too-would have gone out of
the house shouting. 1t was a case of
playing upon the excitable nerves Of
an audience, quite as much as upon in
struments. Mr.. George e. Shelton,
tucking his violin under his chin and
invoking the spirit of Paganini, gave a
, concerto from Mendelssohn which APP
pealed to classical ears and put ap-
plausive energy into our hands. Mr..
? Skeletons well-known modesty was al
, most crushed beneath the floral weight
J of two big bouquets. Miss Luella Fer
) rim Sharp received personal welcome
that brought back her operate days.
l Before ten o'clock the concert was
5 over. Mr.. Shepherd believes in the
r virtue of short programmes and he is
2 perfectly right in assuming that there
Q is limit to our capacity to absorb the
Q music of the masters. Early in March
the Symphony orchestra will give its
third concert, while in the meantime
/. we should keep our classical ear-drums
:. free from frost.