Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-02-12
FABULOUS SUMS ARE
SPENT FOR GRAND
OPERA SEASONS
Million and a Quarter Re-
quired to Successfully Con-
duct Twenty-Five Weeks
Program at Metropolitan.

New York, Feb, t2.-Tho recent visit
of Oscar Hammcrstein and his warm
Ing to the nobility and others OF Lon
don that he cannot produce opera ON
wind" and that unless subscriptions
are In the near future forthcoming he
will shut the doors OF his new London
opera house, has created wOndcrmeut
ON the part OF the general public ns
20 lust what Il costs To successfully,
and sometimes otherwise. produce
FIRST class opera az the Metropolitan
opera house in New York Inquiries
along these lines have convinced Us
that the Mctropoliian'B season of ~
weeks can hardly cost less than 81.
5O.000-perhaps more
Opera Is subsidized by the govern
ment In most European countries, but
in New York and London the wealthy
must guarantee against loss by genor-
Gus subscriptions. No one man, unless
he Is many times millionaire and "a
bigger philanthropiat, may aspire TO
present Il successfully. It Is impossible
Co get the accurate cost OF producing
opera at the Metropolitan opera house
but Gatti.Ga2azzi the manager, for
instance, IS credited with salary o.
$30.000 a year Toscanini, the con
ductOr, Is said To receive a like sum.
Their predecessors received, perhaps,
but third Of this amount.
SO IL ~ with the singers. While such
artists as Patti and Jean de Heszke
we're paid large amounts for their APP
poaranCes. the salaries OF all artists
now engaged are much higher than
they were In former years. So, too,
the chorus and the ballet are better
paid. the cost OF the orchestra, much
enlarged is greater per man, and so
on through the stage hands and Office
men and employees generally the ex'
pcnditurc is considerably greater than
In former years.
The eXact amount the best singers
are paid has never been authoritative
ly made public, but il Is generally I'M
derstoOd that Cgruso receives $4,000
for every performance; some say II
Is as much as $4,000, but the former
figure Ii probably nearer the marx.
Johanna Gadsld and Geraldine Farrar
each are said to receive 1900. Emmy
Destln 81 900. Louise Homer $500 for
each time they face the iOOtlighta, be
Il matinee or night, and SO on through
the line.
In addition to the principal singers,
who make a formidable list there are
half dozen or more conductors she
staEe managers. the chorus masters,
the orchestra, the chorus. the ballet
the accountants the clerks, the ush.
ers. the stage hands the mechamciuns
and "A small army Of cleaners, of whom
the public Is more or less cOgnizant,
10 say nothing OF the cost OF scenery
and costumes-a big Item In these
days OF Overdress,
Another enormous expence of which
the general public knows but little
rs the renting OF warehouses for the
storage of scenery. The Metropolitan
must hire six OF these houses. After
every performance the scenery hss TO
be carted of 20 one OF these and the
! settings for the next opera put I'm is
I place Oscar Hammerstein is quoted
as saying that season OF twenty
weeks cost him more than Sl,OOO.OOO.
+ II this be true. the Metropolitan =
season OF twenty-five weeks costs AZ
least 81 .25O,0O0, and maybe more.
/ II is current gossip that two we'll
I known and very rich men have IN
contemplation the project OF establish
/ ing and endowing house for the pro
duction OF opera ln English. In order
TO accomplish this they must there-
l fore, face the proposition OF spending
at least 81 00O. 900. And then comes the
I question-will u pay?
BIC Military Building.
! Plans are filed this week FOR the big
gest military building In the world. TO
be three times the size Of Madison
suuare Garden. II Is 10 be the Eighth
Regiment Armory. ana Il to be- erect
ed on the site OF the jerome Park
reservoir. fronting COO feet on Kings
bridge road and 375 feet along Jerome
avenue. The cost Of the building is
estimated at 81 0O0,O0
One Of the features OF the armOry
win be q drill floor 800 by 500 feet
aud Is 10 be large enough to admit OF
ARTILLERY evolutiunB by the entire rogi
ment The drill floor will also have
on parapet emplacements a gun bat
/ terry and q mortar battery, The fOr
mer viii contain a teninch dlaappear
lng gun set up. just as ia modem
fertilization The latter viii have ,
l2-nch mortar capable OF dischars
ing "a l0lG-pound prOiectile. The NOR
tar viii be surrounded by several 10.
FOUNDER rapid Gre guns. undcr the
drll floor win be- r0adways AM nF
paratus large enough TO handle an IN
tire wagon train az once. These wagon
train roadways viii have 10 lclt Il
right OF them quartermaaters store
rooms. repair shops tailors aud hrr
nessmakers' quarters and the HE
Company quarters. with private .oom'
for captains and iieuienante. suit a
for the commanding officer an ma
staff are provided In wings OF th'
drill floor. A delinquency court room
lChlna