The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-08-24
THEY COME HIGH.
Prices Paid to Artists at Private
Entertainments.

entertain ulCntSs
Ignace Paderewski received $500 for
playing recently at a musicale in LON
don, and Melba, who sang at the same
function, got $1,000 for three songs.
Plancon was among the other soloists
and received sums proportionately
as large. Probably the price paid to
Paderewski Is the largest given to any
musician at private entertainment.
The London musicales are arranged on
quite different scale from that which
is customary here. They are not nearly
so expensive in this city, says the New
York Sun. Melba was engaged last year
to sing at a musicale and received about
the price paid to her in London. But
that was the only engagement Of the
kind which she had during the winter.
In London she has appeared frequently
at private houses,s and sang but three
times at Covent Garden. For a per-
Torrance Of an entire opera she re-
ceived at Covent Garden $1,000. With
the assurance Of a certain number of
drawing room engagements it can be
well understood that Covent Garden
could be neglected, with it's greater de-
mands and its smaller compensation.
But the situation is exactly reversed
in this city. 1t is the public perform
ances that pay. while private engage
ments are scarce. Melba's appearance
last winter was followed by that Of
Nordica, who is said to have received
5000 for singing at fashionable mu-
sicale. Sembrich sang before club here
and her fee was $3.50. After that ap-
oearance she announced that in the
future the price Of her services would
be considerably higher. Calve. who
rarely appeared at private musicales
got $1,000 for singing one afternoon at
the house Of a well known merchant
After that she declined to appear any
more in private on the ground that 1t
was as much as she could do to attend
to ser work at the Metropolitan. Emma
Eames has not sung at conspicuous pri-
vate musicales since her first season
here. Rejane played with several men,
bers Of her company at the house Of
millionaire. and her compensation for
acting in q twenty-minute comedietta
was $500.
Yvette Guilbert proclaimed on her ar
rival here her willingness to sing at
musicales for $1,000. But there
was little demand for her ser
vices. and she appeared only
once or twice under circumstances
which made 1t seem that she had not re-
ceived anything like that sum. She had
supposed that her services would be
very much in demand, and her chagrin
at the indifference Of society to her
presence was frequently expressed with
great emphasis There seemed to be .
prejudice against her by the people Of
society, who seemed to think that she
would not be restrained by the atmos.
phere of drawing room, but certainly
sing something that would shock every
body. Yet she finds plenty of drawing
room engagements in London and Paris.
The singers who entertain the guests
at the New York musicales are usually
the local artists. who receive compare
lively small compensation for their SER
vices. They are really more novel than
the opera singers. The set of society
people in this city who entertain in q,
way that would be likely to include the
presence Of the operate singers at their
musicales all go regularly to the opera
and constantly hear these singers under
much more favorable circumstances
than are possible in residence. what.
ever the size may be.
In London, on the contrary. the art.
lists appear only few times, and 1t 10
greater luxury to hear them. New York
would rather listen to them at the Met
ropolitan. and for that reason they are
The singers who do appear at these mu-
sicales are Of class almost unknown
to the fashionable society. They are
choir and concert singer. who are
rarely heard in this city, and they are
more interesting to society than the
performers they hear regularly at the
Metropolitan.
The men Of the opera companies ore
rarely heard In private. Jean de Reszke
has always refused to appear ct must
Gales, although Edouard, during his
first season here, sang at several
houses. He explained the difference be-
tween his action and his brothers by
saying that he was married man with
family and could not afford to lose
the money he made In this way. Signor
Campanari has sung more frequently
In private than any other member OF the
company. although signor Cremonini
used to be popular during his first sea-
son here. David Bispham has appeared
several times. But the list Of men sing
ers who entertain society Is small.
The instrumentalists are more in de-
mand. Among these the pianists are
foremost, but. as society here does not
pay anything like the prices 1t does in
London. the number Of these eminent
ones is not very large. Josef Holman
last year appeared only once 1t
private house. and Ysays was not in
great demand. There 10 enough music
ut the opera and in the concert rooms
10 entertain society.
E