MELBA’S EARNINGS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9419, 15 April 1909, Page 3

MELBA’S EARNINGS.

An article in the Strand on singers’ rewards has drawn an interesting statement from Mr John Lemmone as to Madame Melba’s earnings. The article stated that at the head of all singers in the matter of fees is Madame Patti, “ with her douceur of £llOO an evening, which works out at about £4O a minute.” Oaruso comes next, acooridng to the article, with £SOO a night, and Melba’s fee is commonly £BSO a night, which is closely approached by -Tetrazzini’s. Mr John Lemmone writes to the Argus, which printed extracts from the article, to say that the Strand does an injustice to Madame Melba. He says the qffioial statement as to operatic artists’ remunerations, published by the Oovent Garden Syndicate in the London Press a few months ago, showed that during the last twenty years only two artists have received £SO a night and upwards at that house—Madame Patti and Madafte Melba. A statement recently issued by the two Opera Houses in New York showed that Ma lama Melba receives 600 guineas a night in New York, £2OO in excess of the next highest fee paid to any singer on the combined lists. Since Madame Patti’irretirement from the stage, thirteen years , ago, Madame Melba has been, says Mr Lemmone, the most highly-paid singer in world, ‘‘Sne can draw more money in any-city than any living singer, and the extraordinary fact of the Royal Albeit Hall, with its seating accommodation of 10,000, being sold out a week in advance of her November concert, was a record never approached even by Patti, and should be still fresh in the memory of the Argus readers. In Sydney Madame Melba established the world’s record during her season 1902 3, when her net share of a single concert came to £2360.” Clearly, 'then, the Tetrazizni “boom” has not affected Madame’s position at the head of the operatic stage.