GOLDEN NOTES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 88, 16 April 1895, Page 4

GOLDEN NOTES.

Madame Patti began modestly enough. In Ibsi), when she made her debut in New York, Mr Strakosch held her contract for five years, paying her £80 per month for the first, £150 for the second, £160 for the third, and £200 per month for the fourth and fifth years. When she came to Londou, a practically untried girl of eighteen, "Mr Gye engaged her for fivo years at a salary of £150 a month for the first year, £200 for the Becond, £250 for the third, i'29o for the fourth, and £400 for the fifth, the lady to sing twice a week. Until her marriage to the Marquis de Caux, she never _ received from Covent Garden more than~;£lso per night, and Mr Strakosch declared that Grisi and Mario, when at the height of their fame, never got more than £50 per night. Now Madame Patti can command £800 per concert in London ; she had £1,600 a night for sieging at at the Cincinnati Opera Festival ; and at Buenos Ayres she is rewarded with a sum of £2,200 ! No wonder that in the minds of most artistes Paradise is situated in the neighbourhood of Craig-y-noB ! There are plenty of people who think that these sums are out of all proportion to the artistic value of the singer. Such was the opinion of the Jimpress of Russia when Gabriell asked five thousand ducats to sing at a •itate concert. " Why," said the Queen, "that is more than I pay to my field-marshals." " Then let your . field-marshals sing for you," was reply.