The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-24

the pressure will be extended over a
time will be still longer. for one rea-
son because the San Carlo Opera Com
pany is to extend it's New York activi-
ties to eleven weeks. The Chicago or
ganization has already heightened It's
stay within our hospitable gates, and
In the winter of 1929 will almost
certainly make further addition to
fits visitation.
The number of orchestral concerts
has grown to positively alarming pro-
portions. Some one of the numerous
instrumental bodies must suffer. 1t is
no secret that fear for the life of one
or two are entertained. 1t Is wholly a
question of endurance on the part of
packers" Meanwhile the recital list Is
amazing. The season began with rush
Of rectalists, nearly every one of whom
has been critically condemned as far
below the standards required in public
performance. Nevertheless the fact re-
mains that every available date has
been booked in Aeolian and Carnegie
halls and that other auditoriums are
engaged as rapidly as possible One hall
yet uncompleted has more than twenty
dates booked.
JuggIery in Figures.
The inference Is that music is bril-
liantly successful business. Indeed, one
of the themes which appeals with ire
sistible force to some editors is the vast
sums Of money spent by New Workers.
for musical entertainment. No season
is permitted to pass without at least one
article showing that this metropolis
hands out something in the millions for
| the JOY of hearing shrieking sopranos.
a mir I'M .Nia
The truth is that there is startling
amount OF jugglery in the figures. New
York pays big money for opera. That
money Is made to talk for all the rest
/ of the business. The orchestras are
maintained at n loss. Every one con-
nected with the business of music knows
that. All of them, except the Symphony
Society OF New York, have bodies of
guarantors behind them. The Symphony
Society is kept on. it's feet by one man,
Harry Hardness Flagler
1t Is true that much money is paid for
the privilege of hearing orchestral mu-
sic. Some orchestras "sell out" at every
&C ncert but they do not show a profit
Their chances of arriving at the money
making stage are becoming less and
| less every year. The union musician is
taking care of that. He is following
| the now well established line of labor
boss's profit. Eventually he may sue
coed in bringing about a condition UNI
der which such idealists as Mr.. Flagler
may have to pay deficit amounting to
tho total cost of a seasons concerts
That these Flagler people may grow
tired of the game and quit never seems
TO dawn on the union musician.
In the face Of such facts what do all
these simpering young recital perform
ers expect to accomplish? One OF the
most successful of the concert singers
of the younger generation once re-
marked to the writer. 'Only one recital
singer in this country makes any money.
Y hats John Mccormack" The writer
believes this too have been an over
sta tement But II is no exaggeration to
say that you can count the money
makers on your fingers without count
ing any finger twice.
Nothing hut at the Top.
And here is an indsputab,e truth
which every young aspirant for musical
success should take to heart. Music is
| the one profession In which there Is alb
solutely nothing but the top.
There is no middle. A doctor of mod
crate achievements can find place some
where and a practice which will enable
him TO live. A lawyer without public
population can mako a good living by
taking care of peoples business affairs
| for them. An author who cannot sell a
81 ort story for more than $50 and whose
widest dreams would not picture him as
entering tho earning class Of such men as
Edwin Lefevre can. nevertheless, make
living with his pen.
But in music there Is no place for the
respectable performer. IL you are not
Gabrilowltsch or Bauer you are a
teacher That IN your doom. You settle
down in your home town, where the good
folk cannot be convinced that you are
rot genius. and there you teach other
young persons to do what you could not
do well enough yourself. and perhaps
once or twice q year you appear In public
with much applause and no profit (be-
cause all your friends expect free
tickets), and maybe you go as far as
.he next tovn to give a concert. Then
YOU return to your teaching.
III you are violinist your case Is even
worse You cannot go about playing the
violin all by yourself You must at
| least have an accompanist, and accom-
oanists insist on eating. md their food
costs money. Furthermore, the railways
will not carry them for nothing. The
violinist cannot live by Bach unaccom-
panied sonatas alone. What a PITY
Market for vfoIinfsts Active.
The market for violirists is consider
ably more active this winter than usual
This II owing, OF course. to the impor-
tstion OF foreign specimens OF extraor-
binary excellence. The chief cause OF
the activity OF the violinist market Is
Jascha Heifetz. To be sure, young per-
sons are very foolish to suppose that be-
cause Helfetz gained remarkable sue
cess they can do likewise; but that Is
what is the matter. Just let Juvenile
prodigy Of the Hofmann type rise above
The horizon and YOU would find that in
few months there would be half q
dozen OF them In sight.
Unfortunately most OF the new vio-
iinists play very we'll. The situation In
6nncrihnd an unfortunate because when