Bargains in Musicians.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 205, 5 September 1901, Page 4

Bargains in Musicians.

Berlin, July 12. Bkklix, the most musical of cities, has started an “ Exchange and Mart for the hiring of musicians. . Of course, the first names in the musical world are not to be found there, but hundreds of others of loss note may be. The Berlin public and, for that matter, the public of other German towns, insists usually on having music in the restaurants and beerhouses, in the public gardens, at birthday parties, weddings, etc., with the result that instrumental music is far more largely cultivated here than in any other country, public entertainments are, nevertheless, often at their wit’s end to know where to find musicians, and it is chiefly to meet this want that the “ Exchange.” has been started. On an afternoon some 5,650 musicians of all sorts and conditions assemble here —men, women and prodigy children. There are artists on all instruments of wood and brass, drummers, players of the piano, violin and bass fiddle, of the zither and mandolin. Hither come the proprietors of the different establishments and select the artists. The rooms have various musical instruments scattered about, so that should an entertainer be in doubt regarding the capacity of his artists lie can easily test it. There is also a telephone, and about -i p.m. it rains orders from all quarters of the city. The Berlin Exchange lias some of the best musicians in the world on its books, men broken down by drink and bad living, who have earned their £2G a night. Some of those now go from saloon to saloon and play the piano for their meals and a few nickels. One can get a first-rate pianist for an evening, a man who will play the finest music in the world, for ss.