The New York herald., 1922-05-28

1t is all top and bottom. The $1,000
a public performer. A good orche
that, but solo pianist, playing in
lie is nothing. In other words it all
reduces itself to a principle pithily
expressed years ago by the pianist,
Alexander Lambert: There is only
one way to make money in this busi-
ness, and that is to be Paderewski."
Piano Playing Poor "Business."
The pecuniary success in the piano
field is not at this moment monopo-
lized by any one man or woman, but
it Is confined to few. And piano
playing would never be classed as
big business" in commercial circles.
TIE violinists are doing better just
now than the manipulators of key
boards. They are pretty well paid,
especially such artists as Mr.. Heifetz,
who is reputed to be equipped with
considerable business acumen.
Those who are acquainted with the
methods of musical business know
that artists of established reputation
do not incur pecuniary risks. The
contract Of a concert musician with
his manager is customarily for so
many concerts at so much for each
one. For example, Mr.. Smithers may
engage the eminent Austrian violinist
Grabstein for forty concerts in the
United States at $500 a concert. Mr..
Smitkers "sells" Grabstein to the local
concert managers in st. Louis, Chi
cago, &c, at a comforting advance
over the price to be paid the artist
plus the expenses of the tour The
local manager retails Grabstein to the
public.
But when Philip Peters, just gradu-
ated from the Kansas City Conserva-
tory (and a very good one 1t is). de-
cides to make his concert debut. he
does not find any Mr.. Smithers stand
ing first on one foot and then on the
other impatiently waiting an oppor-
tunity TO engage him. Philip must go
TO Adams or Charlton or Haensel and
Jones or some other firm OF concert
managers and bowling humbly. say,
"I wish to give recital in New York
In order to begin my career" And
then Adams or Charlton or the other
will calmly answer "well. my son,
that will cost you about $1,000.
II He Produces the $1,000.
Let us suppose that Philip produces
tie thousand. He Is duly advertised
and announced in the Sunday music
notes OF the various papers. The eve
ming Of his recital finds Town Hall or
Aeolian properly lighted up, the ushers
and doorkeepers at their posts, and
the man In the box office sitting at the
receipt of custom. WEat custom
Hundreds of little sheets of paper
bearing q legend like this:
Harmony 4 Counterpart.
Concert Managers.
Date, Nov 20.
Place, Town Hall.
Attraction, Philip Peters.
Admit two.
e.. Exchange for seats at box office. i;
II Philip has any friends in this
town he may personally sell few
seats or even a box or two. But his
receipts will not set Off any brilliant
percentage against the thousand.
What next2 Philip gets his news
paper criticisms the next day, and the
day after that New York has forgotten
that he ever lived. Kansas City pa
pers will probably copy the New York
comments and have a kind word or
two to say about their talented young
fellow townsman's success in New
York. Philip sits down to wait for the
enga gements. And unless he has
achieved such a pronounced success as
Levitzki did on his first appearance.
they never come. IT all has to be dor .
overland overland over.
Some of those about whom you read
in the musical papers have been doing
II over and over for years. You may
think that they are among the sue
cessful ones OF the musical world
when the cold truth is that they have
hackers who keep them on their feet
one of the apparently successful re-
cital singers once said to this writer:
"The only one OF us who makes
much money Is John Mccormack"
Resort 10 Sensational Methods.
Tho conditions being such, It is not
at all astonishing that many young
musicians resort to sensational or in.
artistic methods in the hope of making
money by them. There Will be more
and more OF this IL agencies for manu-
featuring mediocrities continue to in
crease. Instead Of trying TO raise
money to teach music TO larger and
larger numbers every year, the kindly
women and men engaged in such en-
terprises might better expend more
energy on finding means to prevent
hopeless ambitions from riding straight
for unhappiness.
But " Ia vain to expect that any