Big Figures

From two sources, last week, word came that musicians get big figures (financially), think in big figures, have tiffs in big figures. And loud was the cry that they care more for these figures than for music.

George Engles, manager of Schumann-Heink, Taliey, Paderewski, Heifetz, estimated that the U. S. spends 20 million dollars for music each year. His budget allots six millions to the 13 major symphony orchestras, three and a half millions to the Metropolitan and Chicago Opera Companies, the rest to individual artists, summer concert orchestras, a few minor opera companies. Grade A box-office attractions, according to Manager Engles, are Pianists Paderewski, Hofmann, Rachmaninoff; Violinists Kreisler, Heifetz, Elman, Yehudi Menuhin; Singers Schumann-Heink, Garden, Farrar, Jeritza, Galli-Curci, Taliey, Ponselle, McCormack, Chaliapin, Gigli, Schipa. Their gross receipts amount to some three millions a year.

But the figures in one Louis Sherwin's "Report on the Music Industry" in the March American Mercury are high enough to be incredible. He estimates that Paderewski earned $1,000,000 from concerts in two years, that ten other instrumentalists and singers* had earning capacities which equaled or exceeded Paderewski's. He also notes: "One young pianist of quite recent reputation was paid $12,000 for a week at a movie theatre. Thereupon, Kreisler refused an offer of $15,000 for a similar adventure, not on the ground that it was beneath his artistic dignity, but because the sum was below his weekly earnings in recitals."

*Among these are Hofmann, Heifetz and Kreisler, Galli-Curci and Schumann-Heink, McCormack and Chaliapin.