Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-10-31

capital in a single year should be prlma
donna, Men are very proud OF their
achievements and OF their independence,
but they cannot do this or even anything
like il. And as we hear the figures, real.
ize the sums to which they amount, and
speculate over the specnlations which
they involve, we feel indignant, and ask
what they have done to deserve this
wealth There, indeed, is the gold, but
where is the equivalent for it? The do
minion Of what are called "Queens Of
Song is the great tyranny OF the day,
and speculative fever seems to have
fallen upon managers, destined TO in
crease every year, and to rage with
greater fury in the New World than in
the Old. The triumphs of Mile Nilsson
across the Atlantc--estimate in that
simplest of all denominations, the pound
sterling of lawful money Of this country
were something extraordinary but
European capitals can also bear witness
to the supremacy of the prima donna.
The famous cantatrice ofthe 0peraHouse
at Berlin, M lie Mallinger, the beloved
pupil OF Wagner, and the originsi repre-
sentative of all his operas, closed her
then current engagement with the man
agement last May. AS it would be i'm
possible to keep the Berlin Opera House
open without Wagners music, and as
Mile Mallinger is the only prima donna
that the German public will accept in
these roles, it became necessary to make
immediate arrangements for the renewal
of the old engagement. 1t might seem
at first sight that it was only question
of pounds, shillings and pence, or, to
speak more accurately, OF guldens and
Friedrichs; and that as the drawing
powers of this singer must have been
accurately known to the manager, might
have been almost settled by an account
ant. But the stipulations which the
singer asked for, and, it is said, insisted
on, were not to be conceived upon such
simple premises. She would have an
engagement for limited or extended
period Of time, but required that the con
tract should be tor the rest Of her natural
life, provided, however, that she should |
be permitted leave of absence for three |
months in each year. After setting forth |
these more general conditions, queations |
of detail were gone into. She was to |
get FIVE hundred guldens for each repre-
sentation, the fewest number Of perform
,ances at this price being fixed at eight
in every month. A pension c. sasS sasS gui- /
dens in reserve, and the triaing advance
OF $4,000 gpldens to be paid Immediately, |
completed the last OF the more import |
ant terms Of the contract. And yet even
with such figures, and with conditions so
onerous and peremptory before us, there
is great deal to be said on the other
side. We can scarcely realize what
life Is that Of the prims donna, and how
rare is each Of The several qualities
which must betcombined to make great
singer. We think of the opera season
Of our city with its rehearsals, its tri-
nmphs, its novelties, and its reviyals,
but we scarcely realize THAT this season
is but part OF tbs prima dnnnaa an
nual programme-that Hamburg or Ba-
den is to follow, and Paris and St. Peters
burg, and perhaps the great deep to be
crossed, and Verdi and Gounod to be
sung under the American skies. How
terrible must be the fatigue of life, and
what rsse measure Of health must be
the fortunate owner of other qualities
possess in order to enable her to exer-
else them.