The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-19
THE OPERA In GERMANY
UNDER MUNICIPAL CONTROL AND Is
GIVEN FOR THE PEOPLE.
Salaries of Prfma D0nnas for Eleven
Months Equal to One Week
in This Country.
william Z. curtis. in chicago Record.


matter of education as well as enjoyment,
as essential TO the well-beng of a commu-
nifty churches or water works parks,
and usually the opera house is the finest
building in a town excepting the cathedral
and the city hall. OF late years there has
been good deal of rivalry in the erection
OF opera houses. The finest in Germany is
probably at Dresden, where it is conceded
thar the best company of singers is found
under the patronage of the King of Saxony,
who pays a subsidy in addition to the APP
preparation from the city treasury to get
the best music that can be had. At the lit
tie town of Wiesbaden. a watering place
where people so for rheumatism, neuralgia,
paralysis and kindred Diseases there is also
a magnificent opera house and a splendid
company, which is claimed to be better than
that at Berlin although it is supported by
a city not larger than Freeport or Rockford
Ill. The opera house at Frankfort is also
a fine building and was erected twenty years
ago at the expense of the city with the as
sistance of sixty-seven rich residents who
contributed 100000 marks. 1t is smaller
copy of the Grand Opera House at Paris
and seats 1900 persons. 1t has dress cir
Gle and four galleries. There is also beau
tiful opera house at Leipsic and another at
Munich.
In all these German cities the director of
the opera house is a municipal officer APP
pointed by the mayor and confirmed by the
Council just like the chief of police or the
superintendent of streets and alleys. He has
the absolute charge of musical affairs, and
in Frankfort is the manager of the theater
Also which belongs to and is supported by
the city Each year an appropriation is
For ba of
the opera, based upon the probable receipts
from the sale of boxes and admission tick
ets The revenues are pretty regular. They
will average nearly the same every year.
The best box is reserved for the Emperor
and other members of the royal family
when they visit the city. That box is al
ways on the right Of the stage. On the OPP
posite side is a similar box reserved for the
landgrave of Hesse and other dignitaries.
The boxes are used by the officials of the
city when there are no kings or queens or
princes in town. The rest of the boxes in
the first balcony, which is considered the
best location are most SumptuouSly deco
rated, are rented by the year by the rich
people of the city, who do not hesitate TO
sublet them to their friends from time to
time. Some of these boxes have been occu-
pied by the same families ever since the
opera house was built In other towns or
Germany where they have old opera houses
families have occupied the same boxes for
generations paying so much year into the
city treasury.
THE COST OF BOXES.
Boxes In the next gallery, which are not
quite so good, are sold in the same way,
and in the third gallery the best ones are
also permanently taken, so that stranger
coming to town often finds that he must
content himself with the poorest seats. If
he will consult the PORTER Of his hotel
T-@A
get him a good box without the slightest
difficulty unless it is a gala night. The
owners of the fashionable boxes are easily
reached and are usually willing to sell their
places for a night or for a number Of
nights, provided nothing is said about it.
Single gentlemen and others who want
limited number of seats can buy one, two
or as many as they like in the parquet by
the week, month or year. At the beginning
of the season a calendar is issued which
gives the programme for the entire year,
extending from Aug. l to June 30. During
the month of July the singers and orchestra
are given q vacation. Ii a person Goes not
wish to buy a seat for the whole season
he makes out his list for so many nights
In October so many in January, so many In
March, and so on, at the beginning of the
season. and makes his arrangements ac-
cordingly. In this way nearly three-fourtns
of the entire revenue from the opera is paid
into the treasury the first month or the
season, and the council knows what 1t can
depend on III making It's dPpIOpAldIlOlAS.
Over here in Germany the opera is not
intended to be a money-maktng business
any more than church or public scnool:
1t is for the education and enjoyment OF
the people Therefore princes are kept
down Boxes holding six people cost about
10000 marks, or 1880 for the season of
eleven months Single seats in these boxes
are sold for an evening at about $l75. Boxes
holding four persons cost IN proportion:
costs from 200 to 800 marks, or fEom SOU
to $3.50. A parquet seat for single per-
Torrance costs eight marks or y. In the
second gallery you can rent box for the
year for about two-thirds and in the third
gallery for one-half the cost Of those IN the
first balcony, or 5000 marks a year single
seats for the evening in these upper tiers
cost from so cents to 81, according to their
location 1t 9nH to % the best oper
in the world by paying from 10 cents to S5
cents.
Sunday is the gala night. Then everybody
who owns a box occupies 1t If he can ar
range to do So Monday is usually the or
night, when the opera house is closed. The
singers are employed by the year, and the
calendar is made up so that. the principals
Chorus and the orchestra and those men
and women who take the minor parts must
be always there. Many or the chorus and
are shop keepers or merchants or artisans.
Some may be music teachers. heard or
one gentleman whose COOK ana ooacn hiaa
made it rather incoEvenient when the fam
ily wanted to drive to a performance
SALARIES OF THE SINGERS.
The salaries paid amazingly low,
when compared with the incomes of the
atrical and musical performers in the
United States. The first soprano, the prima
DONNA seldom gets more than 5000 or S.
600 year, the first tenor a little less, and
so on down to the chorus and orchestra,
who are paid sums that seem trihing-$20O,
$500, $500 a year. Some of the principals
consider themselves well paid If they re-
ceive 1880 salary, while the soloists in the
orchestra are satisfied with 81 900 and 81 200
a year. But they are assured of perma-
nent employment, and at the end OF GER
tain number of years are entitled to pen
sions like schoolteachers and employees in
the civil service of Germany.
A German schoolteacher can draw a pen
sion amounting to about $50 a year after
teaching twenty consecutive years, and aft
er teaching thirty years the amount is in
creased TO 800 or 800. All the municipal
governments pension their employees for
service after twenty-five years or more
The same is true of the government rail-
ways and every branch of the civil, as we'll
as the military. service of Germany. The
attendants in the public libraries art gall
leries and museums the guide who shows
you about the Emperor's palace or the roy
al castles, are all entitled to this distinc-
ton when they reach a certain age or serve
a certain number of years. That is one
cause of the conservatism of the country
and the lack of progress. These men and
women hang on hopefully to any kind of a
government position they can get knowing
that ii will give them shelter and bread at
least, as long as they live, if they behave