The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-29
$780, coo IN THREE MONTHS.
Paderewski's Share OF the Profits of
His Tour.


and Two in st. Louis-How He Lives
While on Tour-Some Embarrassing
Experiences-His Plans for the Future.
The concert season which Paderewski
closed a week ago yesterday was a unique
enterprise in thu history Of musical enter
tanning, not only in this country, which
is of course the only one in which the
financial reult of such an undertaking
would be possible, but in the whole field
of such endeavor the world over This
concert tour, lasting over three months,
yielded IN gross $247, 600, and the pianist's
share of it was 80 per cent. Of the series
of concerts given by him over the coun-
try. the most extraordinary results were
achieved during the week commencing
Jan. IS. That week four concerts were
given, two in Chicago and two in St.
Louis The first concert in Chicago at
the A auditorium on Monday evening net
ted IS, 089 and the second, on Wednesday
afternoon, yielded 81, $50. The two con-
csrts given that week, in ST. Louis, on
Thursday and Saturday, yielded respect
lively So, s19, and S4,779, making for the
week total of more than S21. 900. Out
| of this there were to be paid the expenses
of the concerts, which were not great.
| The great pianist was accompanied only
| by his manager, John G. Dryer, his seq
rotary, Hugo Goerlitz, and piano tuner
from Steinway's, who looked after the
tuning Of the instruments in the towns
in which Paderewski played. He had
travelled before with the pianist, and was
familiar enough with his wishes to take
entire charge of these matters. So it will
| be seen that the tour was not attended
| with any great expense. Even Patti.
whose earnings never reached the figures
of Paderewski's, is compelled to carr
with her a more or less numerous COM
pany of singers and orchestra, but the
pianist was supported only by his instru-
nent.
Mr.. Fryer ami other men who are in
terested and informed in the business of
music find the phenomenal success of this
tour more surprising from the fact that
it depended upon the piano. recital, which
is regarded today asi the most difficult
possible form of musical entertainments to
make profitable. The experience has been
both here and in other cities of the coun-
try that the recital has failed to attract
coat sit down at piano and play for two
hours or more is form of diversion
which even the most musically inclined
people are not any longer inclined to fire.
quent. But in spite of the lack of taste
for this style of performance, the sue
cess of Paderewski, the phenomenal and
unprecedented financial success. as well
as the hysterical Juror that he has
achieved, has been accomplished only by
thelmeans of his own genius, his person
ality and his piano. 1t is.true that one
man In Nashville left the hall after he
had heard several numbers and learned
that Bthere was to be nothing besides
Paderewski and piano.
"The whole business is damn money
making scheme" he said to the local
manager when he asked for his money
back. "becaus you ought to have an or
chestra, anyhow, and couple of
| singers"
But this evidence of disappointment
was contrast to the usual experience,
which was, as every body knows, as or eat
triumph in the cities outside New York
as was here. Paderewski, however, feels
| that his New York audiences are more
enthusiastic than those in any other
town. He used to say to Mr.. Fryer that
ho1 1fua hovu in, fnru be 60
| tonic and Houston the curiosity of ths
public to see him was greater than it's
desire to hear and judge him as must
clan. The experience at the concerts in
these towns where he Ewas unknown
proved to be invariably the same. The
big audiences greeted hill. at first ortiz
oally and alphabetically, bus before the
end of the programme the enthusiasm
| and demonstration were certain to come
In only one city did Paderewski confess
to feeling of disappointment. He is
| very sensitive to the attitude of an audi
ence, and quick to detect any failure to
respond to his efforts. This happened in
New Orleans, where the attendance was
| large, but;at the conclusion Of his concert
| there the pianist said that he realized his
| hearers had not been appreciative of what
he had struggled to do. This was a
! unique experience during his tour, and
New Orleans, which was one of the few
| Southern cities that supported Walter
Damrosoh's opera company, and has for
years had regular opera of its own. was
| the one town in the United States which
withheld from Paderewski the fervent
approval that ne had found in other
places. Persons who are familiar with
the situation concluded that New Orleans
concentrated its interest in music in the
opera, and that outside of that field its
interest was slight. Louisville, South
ern city notorious for it's Indifference to
| music, greeted Paderewski with an i'm
mense audience and the customary enthu.
siasm.
I'VE travelled In a private car" Mr..
| Fryer said to The Sun reporter. "Padere-
wskj, Mr.. Goerlitz, Mr.. Ficher, and my
self, end most of the time we lived in the
car, going from there to the theatre and
returning after the performance to din
ner, often starting for another place as
/ soon as the concert was finished. Pade-
rewski still suffers dreadfully from in
somnia, and the only time he seems able
to sleep is when others arc beginning to
wake up. He mover partakes of anything
on the day Of his reoitals beyond cup Of
tea, which he takes in the morning.
ale still smokes Russian cigarettes as
| necessarily as ever ana in the absence of
any opportunity to play pool or billiard