Cost Of Operatic Stars

A good deal has lately been said about ie schetuo of the Strakosch brothers to jring down the coat of operatic stars. It was with tui eyo to this result, we are old, that they obtained the management f the principal opera houses in Europe, and arranged to become the chief mangors of opera in this country. They wero to control all the opera houses of note, and then it would be easy to conrol the stars. But tho contract they ïave made with Adelina Patti for a seaon of one hundred nights in the United States does not look much liko cutting own salaries. They agree to givc Patti 12,500 a night, and pay her traveling exenses and those of her husband and four ther persons, and tliey are to bind the ontract by depositing $100,000 with the [essrs. Eothschild. If they mako any noney out of this enterprise it will not e becauso they deserve it. Tho price ïoy agree to pay the star will neoessitate n extravagant prico for tickets - a price ut of all proportion to the valuo of the ntertaiutuent thoy will have to offer. 'hey engaged Nilsson at $1,500 a night, nd charged three or four dollars for admission to the Academy, and the result was a dcad loss to them. Nilsson has neo reduced her figures too $1,000 o ight, and the managers havo hardly )een able to pay this. How they are to ay Patti $2,500 a night, or $250,000 for ne hundred nights, and the traveling xponses of half a dozen high-living adíes and gentlemen besides, is a conunruin that I certainly won't undertako to olve. But the contract is a queer cotnmentary on their programma for reducng the cost of opera by bringing the alaries of stars down to moderate figures. !t looks liko a Congressional soheme of etrenchinent with a viow to increase tho