Page:The history of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'.djvu/63

 BIRMINGHAM.

��be a short complete work : " but, however this may be," he says, " don't let us have a ragout after- wards."

Meanwhile the Birmingham Committee were completing their arrangements. The fee paid to Mendelssohn for his attendance at the Festival was 200 guineas. Madame Caradori-Allan (the soprano) received a similar amount. Other fees were : — Staudigl (the original Elijah), 150 guineas ; John Braham (then sixty-eight years old), for one morning performance ("The Messiah"), ^50 ; Dr. Gauntlett, as solo organist and organist in " Elijah," ^30. Cooke and Willy, violinists, (leaders), £40 and ;{"2o respectively; Dando, violinist, ;£"ii ; thirty-eight chorus-singers from London, £6 each, instead of £'/, as at the previous Festival, the difference being a free railway ticket.

The Committee had some financial difficulty with the " Italian Party," which seemed to be an indis- pensable and expensive feature of these Festivals. Mario, when treating for himself, doubled his former terms ! Mr. Beale, the agent of the " Italian Party," asked for Grisi, 380 guineas ; Mario, 320 ; Lablache, 75; and Benedict, 50; making a total of 825 guineas for the three singers and their accom- panist. This amount alarmed the Committee, who resolved: "That these exorbitant terms be rejected, and that, the services of Benedict not being required, an offer of ;if700 be made for the other three." The fee of ;^ioo paid to Moscheles as Conductor- in-chief of the Festival, and that of £"210 to Mendelssohn, cannot be considered exorbitant, ( 45 )

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