New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-07

men and women, with children TO support And
they have been saying vigorously recently that it
Is hard o DO this salary Of 81 a week, and
On opera season running for only twenty weeks In
the year
Thee yse-e children "A this 9tl.-aye. fat three
Of them. thin little creatures, with a cooped In
look. But they we're 4 state Of Wild excitement
over the Christmas rec which sill stood. small
denuded bush, ia corner by the baby's crib; and
they displayed heir Christmas toys the reporter
-"etnes Pferd that would travel along the floor
when he was wound u with key, .wie cine Uhr,"
and three dolls, which they introduced as die
Mutter" doll ana de kleine Kinier" dolls-as
geyy as if their parents, II that moment rehears-
ing in 'Parsfal" over At the opera house. were
not deeply agtated over the fateful question. TO
strike to stTlkC
Presently the parents came ii. These two are
better off than some Of the chorus, as both nus
band and wife sing and draw salaries That. how
ever means that tLey mist hire 4 young girl 10
take care Of the children when they are away at
rehearsal a performance, which il the season Is
every day pretty steadily, from . IL the morning
TIL 10 or Il al night
We hat no wish i strike" said the man, who
is an officer in the CHORAL Union. but 1t ISIS that
chorus singers are not recognized To become a
chorus singer in grand opera requires eight, ten
years OF preparation. A chorus singer must po
studied goot. he must know how 10 sing IN the
German. IN the French in the-Italan; he must hal
the scores Of from sixty TO one hundred operas py
heart. The prorlpter VIII help principal; he VIII
lot help the chorus singer; and II the chofuS
singer makes a mistake he ISIS fined. nySeiA
studied for years before 1 efer sang IN cHoI Us
They hat in Germany what You would call appFeH-
tees IN opera and I became one of those. Here
he opened the doors Of quaint carved music capl-
net OF dark wood evidently brought over from INC
old country; It looked uncornfortably out OF pia00
among the sticks Of cheap American furniture
here are the scores my wife and haf StuuleU'
aeaT(1tl M
There were dozens Of heTn-"A1da' eTotteiu t'ii.
merUng'' "'Fidelio" s'Lohengrin,' Fra tiavoIo'
Elryanthe" all the best known and the less
known; big folioS worn with use. And one must
hat them also here" he added, tapping his head
This man and his wife. like the majority OF cho-
rus singers once hoped to take principal parts anu
indeed. did sing minor ones in Germany. but II
les not easy" he explained, Ito become star IL
one haas the voice. one must vaIt take small parts
There are seasons when you get no PARK yet OlAo
must IL. To become a star one must haI mo
money and one must hat the luck say TO my
vie. Veil II We fail go back TO the chorus. ana
We must eat and TO the chosus We go back II ISIS
Better TO be chorus singer than principal with
out part"
While the man talked. his wife. quiet little
fTau with a rather sweet face, was setting food
On the table; and after a hasty bite the two were
Oh 70 afternoon rehearsal
Few know said Mr.. Marchend. secretary OF
the Choral Union, 10 the reporter, 'how hard
worked chorus singer is. There are rehearsals
for two weeks. without pay before the season
Opens. and during the season the chorus master Is
drilling US always; there piano rehearsals, or
chestra rehearsals, stage rehearsals sometimes We
cannot get out for a mouthful of lunch. we
should have Sunday for free day; but there are
rehearsals on Sunday. Surely the chorus singer
not exorbitant in asking s5 for six performances
To- =s8sFas IS necessary TO grand opera What
would 'Tannhauser' what would Aida be without
tbs chorus? And a dollar is much to the chorus
ginger who gets s. 90 night more than 500 10 the
star who is paid $500"
When Mr. Marchand was asked if he thought the
chorus singers had a right to go back on the con-
tracts they hao signed he grew animated, but
Illogical.
Probably few oAthe minor singers before they
come over from Europe realize bow little dollar
means IN America after all. One of the chorus
singers was telling the reporter what they
are paid in GerInany-from l35 TO 80 marks a
.onth-'but.s he said mournfuly you can 90
almost Innue 9Th 6. ozark & Germany than yal
&C.,