£8OOO Weekly for Singers.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14141, 26 February 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

£BOOO Weekly for Singers.

COST OF OPERA IN NEW YORK. The New York opera season costs the. directors of the .Metropolitan Ooera House over £14,000 a week, which is believed-to be. a record sum, and is as' much as it.costs to operate the five German royal "which arre under the, direction of the Berlin Court. The expenditure account is made up as follows: Singers-, £B,OOO Scenery and costumes 2,000 v. Orchestra ............... 1.2Q0 Stage hands, etc. ... 'BOO ■ Chorus 740 Advertising and printing 500 Conductors 400 -- . Officials ' '4OO < . Ballet „...„ 200 Heating and lighting 120 V Total ~.£14,360 ._ The most highly paid singer is Caruso, who receives £4OO a performance. He sings three times a week during the, season, as a rule, drawing .£I2OO for his appearances. Signor Bonci receives £3OO a performance, Mmes., Destinn and Fremstad are paid £2OO each, and the lesser singers receive from £SO to £l5O for each production. The scenery and- costumes bills,'are very heavy, because of new operas, and because of a demand from "the patrons, of the Metropolitan that a shorty life be allotted to the settings and dresses of the old operas. ;- : The Metropolitan orchestra contains 160 the number being sufficient . for simultaneous performances

in two plac.es,, whenever necessary* The lowest wage -poid ■ an orchestra performer is £1 8s an evening, while Soloists and har pand bassoon players, because of their rarity, receive much higher wages. There are 200 stage: hands at the Metropolitan, including; scene-shifters,., electricians, "door-keep-ers," call .boys, . costume-keepers, and I other assistants. . They are all paid the union rate of wages, and their salaries average £1 a week: The chorus numbers 185 regular performers, while there is a reserve force of 70 members of the opera school, whoc are called upon whenever necessary. The lowest! paid chorus.: member _ receives £4 a J week, while some who r have small speakparts receive' considerably more. The conductors are paid 'an average of about £7O a performance, which, of course, includes i the time they have to : devote to -reeharsals. t They are probably hardest workers of the entire ! opera corps. There are 65 ballet girls, who averaege £3 a week. ■ The receipts, at the Metropolitan do not average more than £12,000. a week: The. average weekly deficit of £2OOO is partly made up by occasional performances given in Philadelphia and Baltimore,' and "by opera comique, which the Metropolitan singers and nrchestra give at the New Theatre, in i New. York.. There are not many weeks, however, in "which the Metropolitan can make both. ends meet. The reverse balances are. met by the directors, who are to, coterie 'of New York music-loving millionaires, and who do not object to drawing on their own bank accounts for the purpose of contributing to the production of the highest grade opera. The directors do not care to make any | money for themselves from the opera. Herr Dippel, the associate manager of the Metropolitan, said recentlv : "The Metropolitan Opera Company is fortunate in having a hoard of directors which is more concerned with givine opera in as perfect a manner as possible than'in"making money. It. is to be hoped !that some day our institution may be put on a self-supporting [basis... In that case, it is probable that i whatever \money is left over at the find of the season will he used to establish ! a pension fund for singers- who ■ have i served ■ their ■ davs of usefulness at the , Metropolitan. At present there is no I question of there beintr any money rej.maining.at the close of the season."