Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-07-21
LUCK Of GREAT Singers
Fortunes Earned in America
Not Always Kept.
Mime. SEMBRICH'S WEALTH
Operate Favorites Of Generation
Living at Their Esse-others
Obliged to Teach--Etelka Gerst
er's Case Unique and Pathetic
Divas With Brief Glory.

Inc great popuIdIlly VI vague
music has made it possible for Ger
man singers, such as Herr Knote ana
Nine. Ternina to earn large sums in
New York, says the New York sun.
But the German opera houses do not
lay high prices to their own singers.
when the intendants of these theatres
pay 81 600 a performance, 1t Is to the
yiolettas and Lucas, not 10 the
Brunnhildes and Elsas.
German audiences are satisfied with
their own singers in these Wagner
roles
The singers of the last generation
made their fortunes here, just as th1e
of the present day have done. The
noted sopranos, with the single ex-
ception of Nine Sembrich who is re-
puted to be one of the wealthiest OF
all singers, made their fortunes in the
United States. So did the tenors, like
Campaini, who died poor, through his
own recklessness, and Jean de Reszke,
who is still a rich man. Abbey &
Grau paid Nine. Sembrich $4,000 and
her expenses during her first visit to
this country, which was her second
year on the stage, but her fortune
WIS earned in Russia
The American prima dounas earned
their money in their own country.
Clara Louise Kellogg, who sang from
1861 for about twenty-five years, has
an ample fortune, on which she lives
now in great comfort. Her home at
New Hartford, Conn, is not preten-
tious. but has every comfort and Mrs.
Carl Strakosh, as she is now, spends
much of her time in travel.
Nine. Eames has a large following
here, but she practically sings no.
where else. She has appeared at Monte
Carlo, St Petersburg, Paris and Lon
don, but she is now heard chiefly in
New York.
Clara Louise Kellogg, on the con-
trary, enjoyed great success in Rus
STA, and for years sang regularly in
Italian opera in London. Although
her career was not long, she had plenty
OF opportunity to earn her fortune,
as she sang during the season OF
1s74-75 125 times. Half as many ap-
pearanees satisfies the most indus
trious prima donna nowadays.
One of her most popular contempor-
ares was also her compatriot. This
was Annie Louise Cary, about the
most popular contraltc that this coun-
try has ever produced. She was born,
as Mrs. Strakosch was, in 1912. Miss
Kellogg, as she was called, made her
debut in 1861, and Miss Cary sang for
the first time a few years later, at
Copenhagen.
She was immensely popular in Rus
eia and In Brussels, where she ire
quently sang. For seven seasons she
was engaged at the opera house in
Hamburg she sang a great deal in
concert and oratorio. One Of her
most popular operate representations
was Amneris in Aida"
+, Eteik1 Gerster is now teaching in
New York where, in 1878, she began
q career that made her one of the most
popular singers ever heard there. II
her voice had not failed before she had
sung Jess lhan ten years she would
lot probably now be teaching
i. She knew no failures while she kept
her voice. and sEs gould aayes sung llgg
there for years, such Reputation did
she make when she sang at the Acad-
envy. As a beginner, Etelka Gerster
sang in Venice in 1876, but before 1887
she had lost her vice and Vas COM
relied TO leave the stage.
q Nine Gerster began to teach in
1896. During the intervening years she
had given concerts in small towns but
with little success. Her activity as a
teacher may continue for years, how
ever, and that is one advantage she
gains in having her career as a singer
cut short
Nine. Gerster sang only at the Acad-
envy. 1t was at the Metropolitan that
she attempted to appear in concert
after her voice failed Ii was long
time before she could he persuaded
that il was really gone. She mall-
tanned for years. that it was in "a good
condition as ever, and that she was
merely the victim Of cdbal Her
case was unique in the history OF op-
era singers. Never before was a
woman so famous with a career OF
only seven years.
Christine Nilsson. who has not sung
in public for almost twenty years, not
only earned most of her large fortune
in the United States, but invested II
here. 1t was only a few years ago
that she sold her investments in Bos-
ton real estate and reaped a great
profit on her money she mad origin
ally paid out Alfred Rothschild ana
much to invest her earnings judicious-
UP for her, just as he did in the case
of Adelina Patti
When Nilsson made her first APP
pearance here, in 1872 it was in con-
cert at Steinway Hall. The following
two years she sang in opera, and she
returned twice afterward to sing in
concert. She was able to sing -four
.s..l-