MUSIC AND MONEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 42

MUSIC AND MONEY.

I A very interesting statistical article on " Music and Money " appears in the March number of Ghambers'B Journal. We learn that before the time of Handel there is practically no record of musioiang having been paid at all. Walsh, bis publisher, paid him pitiful prices for his operas. For at least 11. 'of these works he received no more than 25ge each ; and the largest asm he wa« oxer paid was only £105, which he got for "Alexarid&r'rt Feast."

It almost sraggers one to recall the fact that M~zart.'s "Don Giovanni" brought to its composer no more than £20. For the "Magio" Flute" he .was paid juct 100 ducats, and yet the manager of the theatre at which the opera was first produced made a fortune out of it.

By "The Bohemian Girl" Balfe gained less than £1500, although the " Marble Halls " ballad in tbat very popular work put some £3000 in the pocketß of the publishers.

Mr Wellington Guernsey offered bis "Alice, where art thou. ? " to several music publishers for a £5 note, bat these men of wisdom refused the bargain, o»ly to find, to their sore dismay, that the sono <-v<mtuaHy attained a sale of between 200,000 aud 300,000 copies. Such cas*s are constantly ocean ing. Sir Arthur Sullivan was content to part with his first ballads for a few pounds ; he sold his popular " Hush thee 1 my baby," for £5 ; a successful man, he can now command £700 down for one song ; while for " The lost chord" alone it is said that he has realised over £10.000.

Signor Toeti, the composer of " For ever and for ever," whose first manuscripts were " deolined with thanks," can now command £250 for a song, and as much may be obtained by Mr Milton Wellings, Mr Molloy, Mr Oowen, and a f«w others now at the top of the ladder. s

Frank L. Moir made £2000 out of his popular song, "Only once more"; and it was stated- not long ago that for three songs Mr Mnrzials receives from a firm of publishers some £2000 per annum. — South African proof-readers die young. The last one sucoumbad to the description ell a fight between the Unabelinijiji and Amaflwazlezzi tribes. — " How did you get Borley out of your whist club— did you ask him to rerignl" " No, we didn't like to do that ; bat we all resigned except Borley, and then we all gob together and formed a new club."

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