Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-18

metropolitan contract would call for $4,000
performance, and the Metropolitan
management made no approaches toward
a renewal she signed with the manage
ment OF the Boston symphony organiza-
t!on-next TO the metropolitan Opera the
most important musical enterprise in this
country.
Like Carusos Farrars is now q name
to conjure with in advertising the annual
sale o, subscription seats and boxes The
subscription sale is the manstay OF the
opera season. The larger the number OF
fayorite artists advertised the larger the
advance sale for the Whole season even for
Monday nights, though for those perform.
ances no definite casts are scheduled.
Therefore, to retain Farrar would do more
toward increasing tine profits or diminish
ing the deficit of An entire season than is
represented by the larger receipts for those
individual performances OF which she is
announced "a the special attraction
Rut even this tangible result as between
Farrar and no Farrar seems TO give clio.
Guent support to the justice Of her reported
demand for a raise from 1900 TO So .Oo0
per performance The following table ap-
proximates the exact situation:
One per- Fifty pc.
tormancc formance.
receipts receipts
!, "Farrar role" by Farrar $4,000 $500. 900
BY her best substitute AT
the same fee . 10000 100000
Extra receipts due TO
Farrar .............. 81 900 $2OO. 00O
Less Farrar's increased
fee .......... TOO s5,ooo
Management still gains
through Farrar. $4,000 Sl65.uuu
Receipts Of $1,000 represent s<"capacity
house"-All seats sold--which has comectr
be the expectation when either Caruso o.
Farrar Is billed for q fayorite role With
out taking into account the circumstance
that proportion OF the substitute" per.
formances woul6 fall on the Monday sub.
scription nights. when seatholders are
obliged TO accept what Is offered to them
the $4,000 estimate would be too high
probably $4,000 would be nearer the TRUTH
But The Monday night subscription neccs
sarily enters into the compute ton.
So it Will be seen that Tarrar, III ~
handing a 500 increase in her fee par
performance was asking only little NOR
than one-sixth Of the extra receipts drawn
through her reputation and efforts. with
out considering the favorable effect upon
the annual subscription sale of the an
nouncement that she heads the list "f
women principals.
Now there are AT least one hundred an!
sixty performances each season in While.
none Of the prime public favorites appear
and Of operas which have in themselves Nc
certain drawing power. Many of thcs,
are necessarily given at loss. Usual!
the four performances completing tie
Wagner ring are given at q profit tnouyl
the price or orchestra seats for those PEI
formances Is 81 instead of Sc the biz
night price.
That it is the big nights" meanin.
favorite principals in their most successful
roles. which save the Metropolitan from Il
deficit. or enable II to show a profit on Il
given sea son, is indicated by the fact that
there has never been seasons profit as
great ms the extra receipts drawn by
Farrar above those drawn when even the
next most acceptable soprano appears in
the same roles.
The metropolitan management figures
that the average expense per performance
is $4,000 Any amount under that means
n loss. For the last two or three seasons
the annual expense bill for the home sea
son and the t"'o weeks road tour mas
footed up a round Si.I00O00. This amount
does not include rental for the Mctrnpo!i
tan Opera House. which is paid by turning
lover tn the stockholders in the real estate
company the thirty-ive boxes In tho
..rterre tier-otherwisc known as The
Diamond horseshoe"-for all opera per-