HALF A MILLION FROM ONE SONG.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 23, Issue 7, 26 January 1912, Page 5

HALF A MILLION FROM ONE SONG.

,£.3.0. OF THE MUSIC MARKET. It has been stated by Mr. Henry T. Piuck. the well-known American critic, that in his opinion the most 'profitable song ever written was “ Listen to the Mocking Bird'," by which publishers in alj parts of the world have realized £500,000 and which was bought in the first place, from the composer for £7. And, according. to the same authority, £16,000 was netted from Arditi’s ‘‘ Kiss Waltz.” ” QUEEN OP THE EARTH." The highest price ever paid for a song ia the £2,240 which was paid a few years ago at an auction sale for the copyright of Mascheroni’s ‘‘Por 1 All Eternity.” This song had then nearly its full term of copyright to run, and its sha es-with ‘‘Queen of the Earth " the honour of being the most popular; of. modern coinposi--1 tions. Curiously enough, ‘‘Por All Eternity” was refused -by several publishers before a well-known firm agreed to undertake the publishing of it ; and the venture turned out to be a very lucky speculation. The ■, copy- , right of a song lasts; forty : two years, and, ,of course,; the nearer it approaches the end of its copyright period the less it .is worth In the auction-room. About the same time that the copyright of " Por AH Eternity ” was sold,, however, some remarkable prices were also fetched by other compositions. " Parmer’s Violin Tutor," for in- 1 stance, was sold for £i,752, and the 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 the public it ia interesting to note that while this little piano piece was sold for, nearly £2,000 in-1883 the whole of Verdi’s opera, “II Trovatore,” only reached the sum of £503. Operas seem to have been more appreciated thirty years ago, judging from the, fact that in 1871 Wallace’s " Maritana " realized the, sum of £2,232,. and this amount was eclipsed when shortly afterwards £2,500 was paid for “ Lurline," written by the same composer. In 1883 Balfe’s opera, " Rose of Pastille," fetched £958 and Weber’s “ Oberon ” £428; - 'PROFITS OP WAGNER’S OPERAS. ‘ I Talking of operas, it is interesting to note that Wagner’s heirs’ a re said to make £28,000 annually from royalties from the great composer’s works. Richard Strauss is estimated to have earned £2'5,000 in twelve months, while the late Sir Arthur Sullivan made £38,000 a year during the great run of the Gilhert-Sullivau ; operas at the Savoy. Humperdinck’s royalties from “ Hansel nn.l , Grete.l " amounted to £IO,OOO in one year, and both Mascagni and Leo:; ■ ‘ cavallo are believed to have received in fees £20,000 apiece for “ Cavalier - ' la Rusticana " and " Pagliacci,”— f" Tit-Bits.”