The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-31
Bell, one of New Yorks foremost crit

Bell, one OF New YORK foremost CRU
les, says:
Apart from their ability to earn
money for the management, great
singers are justified in demanding high
salaries. Their talents are fnfreQuent
and extraordinary. There are hum
dred fine actors for one fine tenor,
there are so famous actresses for one
famous prima donna. At present Mel
ba has the sweetest soprano voice in
the world, Calve has the greatest "a
matte expression in song, Nordica is
the chief Wagnerian prima donna and
Jean de ReSZke is the most celebrated
tenor. These artists are unequalled-
They have no rivals. They are beyond
the reach of competition. If we want
the best opera we must have them to
sing it. 1t may be thought, and it has
often been said, that now, when Maui
rice Grau controls the two great opera
houses of the English-speaking races
the Metropolitan and the CoVent Gar
den-he could make his own terms
with singers; but that is short-sighted
argument. If Mr.. Grau We're to say:
VOLTA, NJ. Jean. in future 1 shall give
you no more than $500 night" NJ
shall not sing for you" To which Mr..
Grau would reply, Then, if you do
not agree to my terms l shall bar you
out of the Metropolitan and Covent
Garden" WhereuDon NJ. Jean would
say: "Bien, l shall sing in Paris and
St. Petersburg, or L shall take holt
day" This matter ended, MI Grau
would lay his plans before the stock
holders of Covent Garden and the Met
ropOlitan, and they would say:
Hello, what's this? Where is our
tenor? Where is Jean de Reszke ?"
oh cries Mr.. Grau, his terms are
too high; 1 cannot afford to engage
him. But in his place shall give you
Cappi and Salignac and Tamagno."
mo, no." cry the stockholders, and
subsequently the public, too; IF you
don't give us Jean de Reszke we
shan't subscribe for boxes or any
tickets. We must have the best opera
and we are willing to pay for it, So
in the end, Mr. Grau has to engage
NJ. Jean and Madame Melba and
Madame Calve and Monsieur and Sig
nor and Madame everybody that the
public wants, else his opera falls into
disaster.
Further than their exclusive possess
sion of the centre of the worlds opera
stage great singers must make hay
while the sun shines Your tenor or
soprano will last no longer than the
First Gravediggers tanner, some eight
year or nine year" If he carries out
his present intention to retire soon
from professional life, Jean de Reske
may not last so long as even that
limited period, for he arrived at the
maturity of his powers only half a
dozen years ago. Calves fame and
high salary began with "Cavalleria
Rusticana;" Melba's great renown is
not seven years old; EameS came into
applause four years ago; Nordica is
only a two-year-old celebrity. The
only singer of modern times who has
lasted long is Patti, and her voice is
now merely a faint memory. If her
doctors hopes are true, Melba will
return to us in six weeks, fully rested
and restored to health by her holiday,
and prepared for duty in the spring
season at the Metropolitan. This will
be the most expensive vacation ever
undertaken by an opera singer Nine.
Melba'S regular income from our i'm
presarii is $1,000 a week, or q total
amount for her holiday of $4,000. In
addition to that sum she earns 81, 500
for each concert, or probably about
$4,000 in six weeks. But if she should
not return at the promised time her
loss must be prodigious. She would be
deprived of the income to be earned
during the spring engagement and her
South American tour would be can
celed. For that season of concerts
alone she is to receive $20O, 000
Jean de Reszke earns more money
than was ever paid to a tenor. His
fixed salary is, indeed, less than that
received by Tamagno, who had 81 900
night, while NJ. Jean has only 1880
But, in addition to his salary, the
Polish tenor draws % per cent of all