Show B M F T The Te e Music Student Abroad l r MUSICAL BUREAUS US By PIETRO BY PIETRO rT T may be bo of ot somo Bomo Interest to further 1 desultory interrupt our extremely studies In musical history with a afew few ew further reflections on musical conIn con- con In Berlin Perhaps no on one factor fac fac- factor tor tor of ot musical life in Europe Europa Is la more moro evidence abroad and less understood Eat lat at home than the musical bureaus which are arc an as numerous as concert halls and nd far better patronized A bureau v HB s II the middleman In musical affairs Here are ore the opera houses theatres ind nd concert halls to be filled tilled on the theno theno theone here the instrumentalists one no hand and are singers actors and conductors n the other hand It stands to reason hat that of the or musical as- as turned loose from the Berlin conservatories yearly earlY besl beside e the other ens of ot thousands coming In hero each 1 from all 11 other sources no one or I m. m dozen could try out the voices vio i Ins or pianists who would otherwise besiege their doors f Therefore the bu bureau bu- bu eau reau stands stand as a means of ot sure de deene defense de- de ease ene between the operatic or concert stage and all possible and Impossible debutantes The managers generally refuse t to hoar hear singers not brought to them b by bureau representatives while She the custom Is so fixed that few aspirants aspirants as- as would presume to approach a without the tho backing of ot an nn ani first class i Titer Thero are about a dozen bureaus bureaus in Berlin Is IB perhaps per per- the best known and the old oldest est haps aps there thero are Harder Harders s Salter Salter-a. hen are with withas Martins Martin's Prahl's s and class more of ot the same high as many Land and and a host of ot others with varying g decrees de- de grees crees of ot class and popularity Host atthe of at have offices on Class bureaus the high lass high Linden Unter Un tel dar dor f and Most Dost of ot them comand combine com com- bine the tho theatrical prote Profession operatic and concert work wort Yet all an have either tho the tho opera or the ie concert as the tho leadIng leading lead lead- taking second the other ing feature Music for tor social and charitable lace Is sometimes managed by f functions sometimes separate bureaus and through the re regular lar agencies K Keep ep Lare Staff Stuff of at these large largo bureaus l keep i h. Each clerks and andt to fifteen staff of ot from ton with several severa stenographers t a called and n none d lists WI who a are 0 secretaries or busl- busl one or two private associated agents who are directly stoss nos a 1 head ot of the bureau with the several flats ocCUpy The agency ma may business of the largo large of one i or 01 floors separate In be housed a o or usually Is y office outer The Tho crowded The Inner In- In and very ven i very large r b by the thel clerks clerics occupied tier ner rooms are aie various rio des de- de in the arranged l are aro represented presented b by the bureau f v s r most office Is after all thee the The Tho outer whole absorbing in the and interesting n g Here sit the old and the young oung place lace the rich and th the a poor he who ho Is posa pos pos- J a thone and she who of at on one talent boasts boast V loudly of at her ten Some are lean are fair tall fat and twenty more weary Most ot of these plain and fort forty are newly aspirants for public place students their diplomas J- J graduated clenched In their hands with an tightly y chin chint tired grip on the 1 and hope It should quiver with t f fi rear car lest i long IonS delayed En Easy Ear to o Get Gd Entrance ot of getting In Is simple j The process walk In as and open the door sing over my baby used to 1 mother mouth No T on one e is ister's rosebud open ter's crowded seats There are arc the debarred walls an and 1 wainscot the dark Stuffy atmos atmos- stuffy laden germ t nr i ng the and tobacco breaths beer here the patient faces of ot he tho theof ot of the n men cn and d the patient wai ting for the tho alays there I u. u women Into one ne neot verdict But It if a student fi goes o outer rooms without its ot these Introduction some other teachers or appointment secured he heIs heis of and hour and hours ll there thero many Is apt to sit with scant attention wen even da s 5 the teacher for tor he or she sho In co comes ne Amerlean Amerlean Amer- Amer usually has the stand in as s lean slang puts It to get a n hold on these After matters matters all It pays pas arid and get Ket the tho tho matter platter I down over o h here hal to a al to business put the b basis finishing You JoSS touches como come to make malte education and on debut your our TO musical that shall either astonish the a 11 teachers teacher's s natives i c and onri open wide Ide the CAreer f for lor you OU at home or shall open openSe Se the house door to you ou In n this opera f exclusive musical country So It pays pas for tor introducing 1 if teacher to pay your for making tho the You ou pa pay nn an appointment with the tho a agent pa pay the for hearing you pay the tho agent agent tor for getting an Interview low with the bl big manager land and pa pay the manager tho the orchestra tho the company tho the audience the staff stat tho the press and the call can bo boys arrived Whether have Then you O you stay or not Is quite another matter matter mat- mat ter CIt It Is a ver very ors simple business matter matte I Tou You csan c cIt can play the v violin or piano sing nn an aria or conduct an nn opera While here I Is an opera house or an ant orchestra orchestra orchestra orches orches- tra who wants a violinist a pianist an alto or n a coloratura singer The situation sit sit- ma may require an artist of tho the first second or third class variety and aud only ly a trained ear and intelligence can toll tell how to adjust the tho place to the as as- as- as Potatoes and shoes are 10 graded and put In classes Wh why not singers and Instrumentalists el How It Works Work orb t f The modus operandi is simple Tou TouKO KO go to the tho agency and If It you OU have no appointment you Just have havo to wait walt till 1 your turn as In a doctors doctor's office when whon tho the attendant asks you ou what you want while to You Tou may have havo a good long lonh wait alt but 1 will sa say that the dash dosh and alertness of 0 our American students does does' secure attention where others t taU fail When at last you ou are asked into tho the Inner rooms of 0 the agency where the sits at the piano or strolls about with a bored air all on Iris his tired preoccupied face it Is strictly up to toj j you to make goo good If It you OU have talent no fear but It t will be bo recognized t 1 These men have dozens of calls for tor all ull Kinds and casse classes of musicians But 1 If your our training Is badly done your our voice ol e poor your our violin tone un uncertain or your piano touch mechanical you jou will m surely be bc aware of It under under tho the critical eye oyo Hn and 1 ear car of or this master of oft t i his trade He lie listens to a hundred voices a da day and a like number of at In- In trum S. S The Tho The asks you ou for your our music you tremblingly hand him your our aria or song he strikes a chord and bawls out at you You Tou plunge Into your theme ting sing one two possibly three bars bars bars- bars and and nd 1 if you OU are nrc only halt ready or half halt talented talent talent- ed you are arc apt to hear his voice snap out nut That will wll do thank you OU And you are dismissed with with scant courtesy to allow the ono one behind to toI I take a te your trembling place OH as tremblingly trem trem- to be bo bawled ono one at to start one two wo three bars and tI then n that t awful That will do do thank than you Plenty of ot Failure t t And Ad you g go out with 0 only nO one comforting com- com forting ray In all the heavy gloom Which Is settling tJ dow down own upon you asi us as s J r i you Germay ou Ha say y There Thero 1 are arc other the failures them German Germa T And woo woods 9 seem to be full of ofas you end up either at home n as HS a te teacher or go o in 11 for Cor more study 0 gr grind I nd and more morr monc money If It you I a re s successful tho real head hend of ot the tho S 5 b bureau c a pops out of oC his inner office toll tolls you to sing again and begins o to toI rnA snake e terms with ya you ou u I C y makes t the tho mare marc go Ot of course courso faster factor l 4 tt and n better in Europe than in presto 71 lit Is the land of Qt formality high gh courtesy coUrtes andr and S r cryst Crystallized sentiment but but It u Is ls mostly sot 80 sold d 1 1 at 6 So much per mn y You fl can buy your our way past kapel- kapel mos master r a General manager and into S. S host mORt any opera hou house o in the land But Dut DutA It la Is expensive expensive lve en very You Tou need an A Aladdin j 1 a e e where tho trees bear jewels Jew Jew- eI els for r fruit TI Y f The re head d of the tho burr burr bureau au knows eer every i stage e In n the tho empire the vacant post post- In each ono one the artists required the tho salaries rleS paid Its It's his business He Se knows exactly what contracts and terms will be paid and what It means to him himIn himIn himin In royalties ties Agents or bureaus bureau used to get et a n five rive per cent commission on all en engagements engagements en- en paid b by the tho artists them them- selves Now tho opera house pays half halt of oC that and the tho artist half Moreover If It a n re re engagement ment occurs at tho the same house the agent arent receives three per cent of ot the tho mone money as long as It lasts oven even if it that should be twenty years The Price Trice Some I ID I'D Iny ny Some Somo of my friends write me me lally the girls to ask If theres there's any truth In the stories you OU hear over there thero thereabout thereabout about our American girls paying the tho price of ot their musical advancement with their beauty and charm Yes it Is in some instances So far tar as 35 I am amable amable amable able to Judge girls of all nationalities often ofton pay this price some of them grudgingly grudgIng and with loathing But if it they have little mono money less talent and a poor or inferior voice coupled with a 3 vaulting ambition a a. determination to get there at any cost they are at the tho mercy of at unscrupulous managers and agents It la is a hard and an unequal l world one Is forced force to admit for the tho ambitious ambitious ambi ambi- girl Yet Utah has already alread given the world more moro than one girl of ot genius and brilliant t power who has ha t preserved her unsullied purity and womanhood It can be done if It the girl is of ot Iron will wUl and has a determination to make mako her success out of ot her real art and not compromise compromise compromise com com- promise by betrayal of ot her higher self eU i So o much for that The Tho great musical a agents hero here are friends and trusted companions of or their patrons and artists They The are aro scrupulously scrupulously lousy honest and are Indefatigable In their en endeavors to place their clients To be bo the tho German manager of ot Caruso Farrar Hemple Hempe or wold adds lustre and wealth to an any agent And the they are arc wealthy wealthy shrewd firm and dogmatic the heads of ot the musical bureau of or Berlin |