The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-07
FORTUNES IN VOICES.
Prices Paid Singers in Former Times
and Nowadays.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.

From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
The philosophers stone-that dream of
the old chemists-takes many forms now
adays, but none more beautiful than that
of the voice of the great singer-a truly
potent spell to open the gold mines of the
earth! The amounts that have been paid
TO the famous sopranos, tenors, contral-
toes and bases that have appeared from
time to time above the musical horizon,
sound well-nigh fabulous, says Chambers
journal, and are not little interesting to
consider. To go back to the early days of
the last century. and to the early days of
the Italian opera, in this country, Mrs.
Catharlne Totts, its first lady interpreter
in England, claimed high salaries at the
theater in Lincoln's Inn Fields. She
drew considerably over $500 for a season;
and at one time she was singing for 20
guineas night-high terms in 1908.
AT the same theater, twenty-six years
later, the great singer Farineili, during
the three years he spent in London,
though his salary was but Il 500 a season.
earned at least $4,000 yearly, for at but
one of his numerous appearances at court
the Prince of Wales gave him a fine
wrought gold snutfbox, richly set with
diamonds and rubies, in which was in-
closed pair of diamond knee buckles, as
also purse of 100 guineas, Later in life
AlC dGLGJbC4 du GukdEtultub db Inc court
of Spain, at a salary of $4,000 francs
(about G1,979) per annum.
Two years after Farinelli had left Lon
don, the other great singer of the time,
Cafareli, appeared at the Kings
Theater, but did not fulfill the expecta-
lions he had raised though at Venice he
received ESQ and a benefit of 9335 for a
season of three mOnths-higher terms
than had previously been paid to any
singer.
In 176S Gabrielli, one of the most beauti-
full of women and magnificent of sopranos,
demanded 5000 ducats salary from Cath
crime II. of Russia. The empress objected
that it was larger than the pay of field
marshal. 'Then let your field marshal
sing for you," retorted Gabrielli. as Caffa-
| relli had replied before under like circum-
stances.
That phenomenal soprano, Aguiari, was
in 1775 paid e100 night for two songs at
the London Pantheon conceatS-an i'm
mense salary those days. About thirty
years later Catalani was receiving some
5000, for the season in Portugal. and in
1906 she came to London for promise of
42,OOO for the season, from September
18th to August, 1907, with further, sum
e1OO to defray the cost of her journey to
London, and one benS fit night free of ex-
pense. AS a fact however, she drew
from the Kings Theater in the Haymar-
ket $4,000, including benefits, and her to-
tai profits in 1907, with concerts and pro-
vincial tours, were e16.700 She once re-
ceived 200 guineas for singing God Save
the King" and "Rule Britannia" and for
her services at one festival she was paid
$4,000. Her charities, however, were in
Vulnerable, and it is estimated that she
earned at least $4,000, 900 francs at con-
certs for such purposes alone. AS an in
stance of her reckless extravaganza, it is
tot NJ hot tln aracf of lno,. f1Y. l
wants for single year amounted to e103.
Melibran was engaged by Mr.. Alfred
Bum for nineteen nights at e125 per
night, payable in advanced Singing at
Drury Lane, in English opera in 1888, she
received $4,000 francs (e3, 200) for forty
representations, with two benefits, which
produced not less than $4,000 francs
(e2,OOO). Two years later, at the opera
in London, she drew 90, us for twenty
four appearances. Such sums were paid
to her at the English provincial festivals
as had never before been heard of; and
at La Scala she received nearly e1S,O00
for 185 performances.
In 1888 Mario was offered eco a month
for his first appearance, though this was,
of course, largely the result of his roman
| tic history. Alboni's salary at Covent
Garden in lS47 was raised from $500 to
TO 81, 600 the day after her first appear
ance, singing as she was against Jenny
Lind at the opposition house. Sontag
was paid &c, 900 for d season of sixrmonths
at her majesty's theater in 1919.
Rubini, who began his career at thir-
teen years of age by singing, for francs,
an air in new drama by Lambert, made
| immense sums in later life, realizing
| $4,000 pounds at one concert in st.
Peters burg. Unlike Mario and Mara,
who both died in comparative poverty
Rubini saved large sums and left behind
him one of the largest fortunes ever
! amassed on the operatic stage.
Jenny Lind was naturally paid enor-
nous sums in the course of her triumph
ant career. During tour of two years
| through the state, commenced in 1850,
she made 100000, gaining a husband as
we'll
These pecuniary traditions are ade-
quately preserved by at least two present.
day singers, to whom hundred or two
for concert is an ordinary sum-Madame
Patti and Madame Albaui 1t is current
knowledge that the usual terms of the
former are $500 per concert in London,
and e400 pounds in the provinces; and it
was announced the other day that for a
prospective tour in tho states, during
which she is to give about forty-fve per-
formances-sOme at the Chicago exhibit
tiOn-she will receive e40.500, or $500
per concert, plus all travelling expenses.
Madame Patti lately refused an offer of a
tour in Brazil at the remuneration of
81 200 a night.
Fairly handsome salaries are paid also
TO leading artists of the Vienna opera.
| The form is just now worth about one
shilling and three-pence, and Herr Win
kalman, a tenor, who appeared in London
in German opera some Years ago, is paid
$4,000 forms (e1 ,625) for a season of nine
months. NJ. Van Dyke gets about "A. 1000
FORMS but he sings only seven months
in the year in Austria. Frau Materna.
who is soon to retire, to be replaced by
Frau Klaisky, gets the same. amount for
the whole year; and Frau Schluger. the
dramatis soprano, receives 10000 forms
per annum. The tenOrs thus get more
than the sopranos.
Before leaving the subject of singers
salaries, it were curious TO mention the
remuneration received some years ago bv
Nine. Zelie. Of the Theater Lyrique. at
Paris, while singing at a concert in the
Society Islands, in the course of a tour
round the world. She was to sing an air
from Norma" and a few other songs,
and bargained for third Of the receipts.
She found that her share consisted of
three pigs, twenty-three turkeys, forty