The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-01
WILL SPEND SIX
 MILLION ON MUSIC New York Demands Best Sing
 CTS In the World ALL EUROPE IS DRAINED Growth of Appreciation In the Younger M observation-disclosures Districts Share In Advance of Musi-
 cal Education.
ALL EUROPE IS DRAINED

New York, November 3O.-(Special.)- SSix million dollars for serious, high grade music, the largest sum devoted to this purpose by any city in the world, will be spent in New York during the present season. And even this does not include the small fortunes spent annually for so- loists and choirs in the fashionable churches, nor the more moderate sums expended for organists and singers in tho rest of the 1,166 churches of greater New York. For its Sunday music, New York probably pays $GO0,OO0 a year addi- tional and employs an army of probably more than 15.000 musicians. It is, of course, also exclusive of the great sums paid for lighter music at the comic op- eras.
 For grand opera alone, Father Knick- erboc!ser will spend s2,oOO,O00 just for seats and boxes in order to delight his soul with high notes and the deep tones of the worlds greatest sopranos, tenors, con- traltos, bassos, mezzos and baritones And this does not include the Croesus-like sums spent on carriage hire, flowers, gowns and jewels, that my lady of fash ion may, from her box, join in the battle of the eyes with her social rivals. New York is the only city in the world which supports two houses for opera and prob- ably either of these can show, during q single season. n greater army of stars of first musical magnitude than any Eu- ' ropean house can boast. For the rivalry between the two musical rivals, the house of Conried and the house of Ham, merstein, has drained Europe of it's song birds. Gold has been literally shoveled out to procure the best voices of the world and both opera managers keep clever agents in Europe who, almost like Pinkerton detectives, follow up every clue which points to a new voice, and then catch the bird in a cage of Ameri- can gold. As a result, this year many of the most famous European homes of opera stripped of their best known sing CTS, have been compelled to turn fran tcally to lttle-known singers have wei comed with rejoicing new corners of promise who would have been compelled to fight for mere hearing before New York purloned the big stars. Caruso, Bonci, Zenatello, Dalmores, Melba, Nor dica, Mary Garden, Schumann-H -Heink. Geraldine Farrar. Sembrich and scores of names as well known have come to grace New York's musical feast and to share in America's musical Golconda.
 Twelve Operas a Week.
 These two opera houses average to- gether about twelve operas a week and two Sunday concerts. To this must be added 96 symphony concerts by New iYork's eight symphony orchestras, the hundred O. more soloist concerts at which orchestras are employed. the dozen or more choral concerts. the oratorios, rthe innumerable solo recitals, the scores of musical programmes given by clubs and the numerous organ recitals In churches. All these musical affairs, in spite of the pinch in financial circles. will be well patronized.
 The salaries earned by some of the in- dividual musical performers are to be envied even by trust presidents. Caruso 3s said to receive nearly $2500 night for his operatic performances in New York. He himself declares that his voice will net him s24O,D0 this year, mostly earned In America, including about $100000 for ap- bearing at private musicales given at the homes of wealthy Americans. Melbas 8 wonderful soprano Is equally well re- warded, and thence the scale ranges down. When Adelina Patti was In New York in the eighties, 1t was said that she received $6o00 a night a figure which rath- or Melba in the shade. But nature has that time such stars were scarce in New York while now the operatic Armament is studded generally with them.
 The musical spirit of a city. however, cannot be estimated merely by the num- ber of dollars 1t spends But 1t is signi- ficant of new musical spirit that New