HALF A MILLION FROM ONE SONG.

North Otago Times, 2 December 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

HALF A MILLION FROM ONE SONG.

£.B.D. OP THE MUSIO MARKET. It has been stated by Mr. Henry T; Finck, the well-known American critic, that in his opinion the most profitable song over written waa "Listen to tho Mocking Bird," by which publishers in all parts of the world have realized £500,000 and which was bought in the first place from tho composer for £7. And, according to the samo authority, £16,000 was netted from Arditi's " Kiss Waltz." ' " QUEEN OF THE EARTH," The highest prico ever paid for a song is tho £2,240 which was paid a few years ago at an auction sale for the copyright of Mascheroni'B " For All Eternity." This song had then nearly its full term of copyright to run, and its shares with " Queen of tho Earth " the honour of being the most popular of modern compositions, Ourioußly enough, " For All Eternity" was refused by soveral publishers before a well-known firm agreed to undertake the publishing of it; and the venture turned out to be a very lucky speculation, Tho copyright of a song lasts forty-two years, and, ol course, the nearer It approaches the end of its copyright period tho less it is worth in the auction-room. About tho eamo tlmo that the copjright ol" For All Eternity " was sold, however, somo remarkable prices were alao fetched by other compositions. "Farmer's Violin Tutor," for instance, was sold for £1,752, and tho simple, though very pretty piano piece, " Fairy Barque " consisting of six pages, realized £l,Blo—over £3OO a page. As a curious instance of the musical peculiarities of tho public it is interesting to note that while this little piano piece was sold for nearly £2,000 in 1883 the whole of Verdi's opera, "II Tfovatoro," only reached the sum of £503. Operas j seem to have been more appreciated thirty years ago, Judging from tho fact that in 1871 Wallace's " Marltana " realized tho sum of £2,232, and this amount was eclipsed when shortly afterwards £2,500 was paid for " Lurllne," written by the same composer, ,In 1883 Balfo's opera, " Roso of Castillo," fetched £958 and Weber's " Oberon " £428.

PROFITS OF WAGNER'S OPERAS,

Talking of operas, It is interesting to note that Wagner's heirs fl ro said to make £28,000 annually from royalties from the great composer's worka. Richard Btrauss is estimated to havo earned £2f5,000 In twelve months, while the late Sir Arthur Sullivan made £38,000 a year during the great run of the Gilbert-Sullivan operas at the Savoy. Humperdinck's royalties fr 0 m " Hansel and Gretel" amounted to £IO,OOO in one year, and both Mascagnl and Leoncavallo are believed to have received in fees £20,000 apiece for " Cavalieria Rusticana" and " Pagllacci."- " Tit-Bits."