The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-03-29

SALARIES or DRAMATIC AND OPEgArIc ARTISTS.
Recent events in this city and Philadelphia
have directed attention 10 the manner in which
the business Of the Opera il c0nducted-a sys-
tenn it seems, which leaves the manager and the
public entirely within the control of the artists
In the case Of one rebellious singer in this city
the manager WAS quite close TO loss of three or
e1tOrtiOn Of an artist who received salary Of
two thousand five hundred dollars per month.
In Philadelphia another artist closes his en-
gagement, and then is hired from week to week.
He demands his pay in advance, ard receives
check payable on the day when the salary would
have been due. He then demands that this
check shall be cashed in advance of date, and
that being refused declines to sing. lie was. of
course, discharged from the company, and will
probably never again sing in the United States
The above are only two instances OF the
arrogance and assumption of the majority Of
the Opera artists. In the first place, they re
ceive one or two months salary in advance, thus
obtaining credit from strangers when they
would not be trusted for sixpence worth Of
maccaroni at home. After they get here the
manager must keep them, however bad they
may be, and the public has to swallow them.
Last summer there was paid for advances in Eu-
rope thirty five thousand dollars What artist
has been brought out this season, except Formes,
who is not included in the above named ad-
vance, who has satisfied the public or been Of
the smallest profit to the manager? Not more
than one or two. There are paid now in ssla-
ries to the artists of both Opera troupes some
thing like twenty-five thousand dollars per
month, and this sum might be reduced oue-half
without any serious loss to the public, for Of the
twenty or thirty artists nominally of the first
class there are not over half dozen that the
public cares to hear.
The salaries range too high from top to bottom,
and we cannot see why there should be such
disparity between the wages paid to first class
dramatic artists and Opera singers. The highest
salary of an actor in any stock company is two
hundred and fifty dollars per week; but that is
a single instance of very great public favorite
who appears as semi-ssar. There are few
dramatic salaries say three or four, which come
up to one hundred dollars per week, but the
salaries Of actors range from fifteen to fifty
dollars; generally they are nearer to the smaller
than to the larger amount. At the Opera the
principal singers receive six hundred, five HUI
dred and four hundred per week each, while the
smallest pipe Of them all does not dcign TO emit
its harmony under two hundred dollars per
month. The only way that the manager can
afford to pay the salaries at all is by using the
artists to sing in concerts aud extra perform
auces. The salaries are much higher than in
Europe One prina doapd has been threatening
to go home for the last two seasons but she has
not gone yet because she knows that she never
can make SO much money there rs in the country
OF The Yankees. 4 baritone who was glad TO
get two hundred dollars per month whea lac
came here is nov considered cheap aud desir-
able article al eight hundred. II is true that
salaries. both dramatic and operate, have adj
years, and have shared in the general expansion.
OF course, when the panic came they had TO
share in the general contraction. The actors
took it with a good grace, but the singers, with
one or two exceptions, absolutely refused TO
take OF sixpencc, or to give the manager IN
hours credit over the time that their pay was
due. 4 p,imo donna gets as much salary as the
President Of the United States, tenor IL
paid better than Cabinet Minister. bari
tone more than u Judge Of the Supreme Court,
and 70 on. Even the chorus singers are paid
three times The salary that is given in Europe,
and are good for nothing s., that.
After all il done Isauy OF the artists take every
occasion 20 abuse The country and the people
that pay them 20 well, and will Cor the slightest
Cause caprice, half bottle too much vine,
refusal. Of free tickets for rctinue of adj
mirers-dcciine TO sing and throw over The pub
lie and manager without ihc slightest hesitation.
Paid and pettcd Ike princes and princesscs, The
artists almost begin to think they really have
deeposic sway over the public, and scem 10 con
yoy the idea that they are comforting favor by
taking the money from "you Yankees" Il is
20 be hoped tLstyou are permeatcd with proper,
respectful humble gratitude.
MAYOR TTENANN's REFORMS Mayor Tic.
mann has only commenced his work OF reform.
out of fifteen hundred lottery and policy men
be has only arrested about thirty; out Of three
thousand houses of III fame lac has only vcnti-
lated half dozen: out OF three thousand gam
bler- he bas only sPpreheoded about twelve Of
the lowest grade; out Of three hundred gambling
houses he has only broken up Eve or six.
Truly. the Mayer has mighty job before him.
The cleansing &C The Augcan stables was moth
ing TO IT,
CcicE rAssGCY non CALIFORNIA We have sccn stated
most Of cur city cotemrcrarcs cha, or the ss, arrival
from California trip performed ~ shorter space