The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-25
Seventy-five Thousand Dollars for
Hundred Concerts Represents One
Artists Idea of Acceptable None
tary Consideration Conditions
Resulting From Sudden Rise

, was in 1900 at Budweiss in Bohemia
Then he went to the Vienna Carl
theatre in a similar capacity. He con-
Quoted season of light opera in
Petrograd In 1901. Next year he re-
turned to the Vienna opera, where he
became assistant to his friend Gustav
Mailer. Two years later saw him in
Paris conducting the first French per-
Torrance of die Fledermaus" as Les
Chauves Souris." Returning to Vienna
he became conductor at the Theatre
an der Wien, famous for its premiere
of "Fidelio' and THE Magic Flute"
For nearly three seasons, beginning
in 1906, he was director at the Royal
Opera in Prague and also conductor OF
the Philharmonic concerts in the Bo-
hemian capital. In 1909 he was called
to be director of the Grand Ducal
Theatre of Mannheim, where he also
conducted the Philharmonic concerts
and Oratorio Society concerts. While
resident of that city he made fire.
quent visits as "guest conductor" to
London. Milan, Rome. Petrograd, Mos
COW, Brussels, Cologne. Vienna, Munich !
and other prominent European musical ,
centres. 1t was he who conducted the J
first performance of "Parsifal" in Eng j
land in 1914. Such was Mr.. Bodan-
skys distinguished reputation that
when the Metropolitan Opera Company
was seeking a successor to Alfred
Hertz his name was the first If not the
only one seriously considered and no
Joined that organization in 1915. He is
now in the process of becoming an
American citizen.
Expenses Mount AlarmingIy.
The increase in the compensation OF
the orchestra conductor has been
gradual. although the demand OF the
Italian and the Dutch choice OF the
Boston orchestra did jump >he average
nightly. Both the pepINr con-
ductors of the New York Philharmonic
and the New York Symphony NOr-
Chestra, Josef Stransky and WalteS
Damrosch, receive large salarles-said
TO he in the neighborhood of $50, 900 a
year. probably more than less that
amount-and Leopold Stokowski, con-
ductor Of the Philadelphia. who has
Just developed such phenomenal popu-
larity in New York. is another we'll
paid conductor. The first conductor to
receive $4,000 a season here was
Wassily Safonoff during his conductor
ship of the Philharmonic.
There have been many other details
in orchestral concerts which have
caused their expense to mount alarm
ingly.
The compensation OF the must
clans" said a concert master OF one
of the local organizations to TIE Sun
reporter, has already increased under
the rulings of the musical union 20
per cent. If the increase now proposed
by this body goes through, as there is
every reason TO fear il may, there will
he 20 per cent. increase added TO
that, So during the last few years
the compensation Of the musicians
alone will have increased 40 per cent.
Then the expenses Of travel the
rent of halls. the fees Of soloists. the
printing Of the posters-all these items
have advanced TO an unbelievable ex-
tent during the last few years. But
so far there has been little increase in
the price of the orchestral concerts.
But that Is bound to come"
New York has spent its money dur
ing the last season, however, with more
than the usual liberality. All the or
chestras seem to have enjoyed good
seasons, The Metropolitan Opera House
is said To have had The largest year of
its existence and the Chicago Opera
Company reported large profit at the
Lexington Theatre from it's five weeks
season. The popular concerts at the
Hippodrome drew phenomenal audi
ences 1t Is said that more than $4,000
persons attended two concerts on the
last sunday John Mccormack, Enrico
Caruso. Ameleta Galli-Curci and
Geraldine Farrar gathered In concert
and opera the largest personal rewards
OF the gear.