The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-01
LUCK Of GREAT Singers
Fortunes Earned in America
Not Always Kept.
Nine. SEMBRICH'S WEALTH
operatlc Favorites Of Generation
Living at Their Ease--others
Obliged to Tesoh--Etelka oerst
er's Case Unique and Pathetic
Divas With Brief Glory.


music has made 1t possible for Ger
man singers, such as Herr Knote and
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 lntendants of these theatres
nay $1,000 performance, 1t Is to the
Violettas and Lucias. not TO 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 thoie
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 wealthest 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 mau. Abbey a.
Grau paid Nine. Sembrieh $l25,OOO and
her expenses during her first visit to
this country, which was her second
year on the stage, but her fortune
was earned in Russia.
The American prima donnas 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 apeared 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
sia, 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 1876 times. Half as many APP
pearances satisfies the most indus
trlous prima donna nowadays.
One OF her most popular contempor-
aries was also her compatriot. This
| was Annie Louise Cary, about the
| most popular contralto 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 few years later, at
| Copenhagen.
She was immensely popular in Rus
sia and in Brussels, where she fire.
quently sang. For seven seasons she
was engaged at the opera house In
| Hamburg. She sang great deal in
concert and oratorio. One of her
most popular operate representations
was Amneris in Aida"
Etelka Gerster is now teaching in
| New York, where, in 1878, she began
| career that made her one of the most
| popular singers ever heard there. II
her voice had not failed before she had
sung less than ten years she would
1
She knew no failures while she kept
| her voice, and she could have sung
| there for years, such a 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 voice and was COM
| relied to leave the stage.
1 tn 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 singer
| cut short.
Nine. Gerster sang only at the Acad-
emy. 1t was at the Metropolitan that
she attempted TO appear in concert
after her voice failed. 1t was long
time before she could be persuaded
that II was really gone, She main
tained for years, that 1t was in as good
condition as ever, and that she was
merely the victim of a cabal. Her
case was unique in the history of OPP
| era SluBtIb. NtNOI bVlbhN was u
woman so famous with 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 age
that she sold her investments in Bos-
ton real estate and reaped great
profit on her money she nad origin
ally paid out. Alfred Rothschild dlo
much to invest her earnings judicious'
up for her, just as he did in the case
OF Adelina Patti.
When Nilsson made her first ap-
pearance here, in 1872, 1t was in con
cert at Steinway Hall. The following
two years she sang in opera. and she
returned twice afterward to sing il
concert. She was able to sing foul
times a week without trouble, which
was the reason for the large profits
| She made