Time to change the way we (don’t) pay singers
NewsIt is an open scandal in the opera world that a singer who learns a part and rehearses for six weeks is not paid a penny unless he or she actually performs the role in front of a paying audience. If the singer falls sick, there is no fee. That’s months of work for nothing.
Why nobody has bothered to change this system despite frequent outcries is an issue of laziness and complacency. The people who run opera houses and festivals simply don’t care – or don’t care enough.
In The Times this morning the tenor Allan Clayton, who’s about to sing Peter Grimes at Covent Garden, rages against the unfairness.
Discussing this with the director Barrie Kosky, he found out that directors like him, by contrast, get a third of their fee on commission, a third on day one of rehearsals, and the final chunk on the first night. “So they have earned all of their substantial fee — substantially more than any of the singers — before the singers have started earning.”
His solution? “It might be a difficult switch for opera houses, and they might have to ask sponsors for some money, but [let’s] say to everyone, ‘As a show of good faith, on the first day of rehearsals, here is one performance fee.’ ”
was he the first to speak out on the subject ? … any way – way to go – hover over the situation 😉
PS every work must be paid
No Alexander, only _quality_ work must be paid, not _every_ work.
Dear ‘Guest’, I presume any singer contracted to undertake a role is deemed to be of sufficiently high quality to be paid, unless a major casting error has been made, in which case the situation should become clear almost immediately the ink is dry. Would you like to work for two months, only then to be told that you’re not being paid as your work is ‘not of sufficient quality’? I suppose not.
Dear William Evans, you presume wrongly, plenty of singers who are cast in roles they can’t sing, but I wasn’t thinking of them when I wrote my comment. I was thinking of singers showing up first day of rehearsals without knowing their role at all. I was indirectly commenting about Clayton’s proposal “As a show of good faith, on the _first day of rehearsals_ , here is one performance fee.” In my opinion, a singer who shows up without knowing his or her role (as in knowing the text and the score), should not be paid on first day of rehearsals because his rehearsal work won’t be quality work. Rehearsals aren’t for the singer to learn his or her role from scratch, rehearsal are for refining your role, and for rehearsing together with the rest of the cast. You would have known my opinion had you bothered to scroll down, there is a longer comment by me written on the same day as my reply to Alexander. Far from me to deny anyone payment for good work. I am very much in favor of paying rehearsals, if the singer does the prerequisite work of learning the text and the score by himself. As to Alexander, he is well known on SD. He is Russian, possibly pro-Putin (not that his political views have any bearing on this case), and probably can’t rid himself of his communist upbringing, asking everybody should be paid handsomely, regardless of quality. He must have plenty of friends sharing his opinion, considering the reaction to my comment. He is in favor of paying for _every_ work, I am in favor for paying handsomely for _quality_ work.
Lol. As if. How many times must singers now bear with the ridiculous waste of time that is a director not knowing their ass from their elbow?!?!
It is common for them now to demand 7 week rehearsal but not know a word of the score and use us as props moving us around while they figure their sh$t out. Why should we show up needing to be completely off hook when they can’t be bothered with anything that looks like a damn PLAN?
Two wrongs don’t make a right. As to overpaid stage directors and conductors, just scroll down and you’ll find my opinion on them, written two days ago.
I agree completely that any singer contracted to perform a role should be required to know that role in detail before first rehearsal – that’s how opera has always worked in modern times. I’m not sure it’s wise to speculate as to Alexander’s political affiliations, nor on it’s potential influence over his view on remuneration (unless you know of this personally, of course); I am certainly not in a position to comment.
and who will set the criterions of quality ? you ? hope you are not biased and of Jesus-like set of mind and soul 😉
What a blooming imagination you have, Aleksander. The connection between Jesus and payment plans for opera singers is best known to yourself. Pity you can’t rid yourself of your communist upbringing, demanding everybody should be paid regardless of quality. Just because quality is a novel notion for you, it doesn’t follow there isn’t criteria for it. For rehearsals, read above.
judging from the quality of your endless posts here your cause happiness whenever you go (away) … for the unpaid singers, I guess … 😉
PS and that was not my words, but Mr. Wilde
Cheers 😉
You are so devoid of understanding, now you quote random quotes not fitting the context. Alexander, no amount of twisting my words will deflect from the fact that you can’t rid yourself of your communist upbringing. Paying everybody without paying attention to quality (pun intended), is what destroyed Soviet Russia’s economy. RF is just a different name for the same bankruptcy.
If you have read my posts as you claim to have done, you would know I am in favor of paying singers for rehearsals. I guess the need for manipulation dies last with people like you. Shrug.
I do understand you are an expert in Soviet economy and Mr.Putin’s communism and Mr.Trump’s way of ruling et al ( including the ways of raising children ) Me not 😉 I am pleased my posts made your days here and gave you some ways of expressing yourself 😉 There is no need for you to go to a drugstore for a sedative when you are satisfied with your rants 😉
The difference between us is that I’m here for enterntainment and you for self-affirmation 😉
I’m glad I could help you to solve your childhood problems with that … sending love to you and the world … and my smile to boot 😉
Your verbose reaction and name calling tell me I scored a hundred with my previous comment. The surfeit of emojis tells me something uncomplimentary about your age.
I wondered if you would agree that you might get even higher quality work from a singer who is not worrying and stressed about whether than can afford to pay their weekly hotel bill or eat correctly during a lengthy rehearsal period? If some of the stress around daily living conditions was relieved wouldn’t it have a good impact on those singers and their voices? Surely it is the role of Administrators to support the production to obtain the best result and that includes the welfare of the contracted artists. Of course some companies and structures are aware and supportive .
I wonder why folks are so intend on misunderstanding comments? Being in favor of quality is completely unrelated to paying or not paying rehearsals. As it happens, I am for remunerating rehearsals, scroll down and read my comment written two days ago.
Elisabeth Kulman made this her warhorse and her work needs to be continued.
That is right. But some time later Elisabeth K. obviously gave up, practically leaving the stage(s)
The unfair system has to change and Clayton’s idea is a good start.
Many artists get rehearsal fees and have for years. It is a negotiation !!
The stars, perhaps. But not the singers who really need the money.
True, but then not always they. I remember a world-renowned tenor getting refused an advance on his fee in a production a few years ago.
In my experience, there are very few houses that are not prepared to pay a rehearsal fee, and even a learning fee. It depends on the agent. And this is not just for stars – even for my youngest singers, they get a learning fee.
to the unitiated, if they are paid in advance, what guarantee is there they would actually sing the scheduled performances? A stage director has at least done work that would carry on without their actual presence and they are done on opening night. Perhaps singers need a learners fee, and a rehearsal fee and then a performing fee. But why not negotiate it?
I agree, though a third of the fee on commission, as it is done for stage directors, would be exaggerated for singers, it invites scam – singers will overbook like crazy and cash from every opera house incautious enough to offer them a contract. I am glad Clayton’s proposed solution starts with rehearsals.
‘As a show of good faith, on the first day of rehearsals, here is one performance fee.’ Provided that the singer’s gig is at least three performances, and he knows his role on the first day of rehearsals, doesn’t show up just to collect.
Opera houses don’t have to ask sponsors for some money – just pay your stage directors less, they aren’t worth their fees, nor are your chief conductors worth their exaggerated fees. Nor are your star singers worth their exaggerated fees, come to think of it.
Except, of course, that singers need to maintain relationships with opera houses. You don’t scam someone if you’re expecting to continue working with them afterwards. Besides, they need to actually show up to rehearsals to get paid – they can’t double book rehearsals…
The obvious solution: pay a weekly rehearsal fee (and, if needed, lower performance fee to balance out costs).
“You don’t scam someone if you’re expecting to continue working with them afterwards”
“Besides, they need to actually show up to rehearsals to get paid”
I was thinking of a commission fee scam, not rehearsal fee scam. You call in sick and keep the commission fee. You can’t do this very often but you can do it nevertheless from time to time, when you feel like taking a paid break. Considering how often singers cancel performances, it won’t look strange. Singers who can’t get enough performances won’t do it, but singers who don’t have to worry about bookings may feel tempted, if the commission fee is high enough.
Anyway, we both agreed a commission fee is out of question.
And then what happens when the singer (invariably) gets sick and can’t go on? Does she/he give the house a refund? Gee, I can’t imagine any complications with that scenario . . . . .
That is exactly the point – no they keep the money! The singer did work – which includes work that benefits the house (other singers get to rehearse with their partners, staging gets refined in rehearsals, etc.) – and they deserve to be paid for it.
It’s not about the timing of payments – it’s about what is considered as ‘work’ worthy of remuneration.
It happens in cancellation clauses; the singer/agency responsible for up to $$ money if they cancel the performance – these clauses are already alive and well, just need to now include any fees paid before the opening performance date, etc. Just needs to be negotiated.
But I agree with Emil, they did work.
Fear of not getting the money back, JoshW – It’s then between the agency and the artist to figure out the money; now it is whether or not the agencies want to take on that risk! So, the agencies need to have a clause in the contract with their singers that if they don’t pay back, etc within so many days – the agency is not responsible and worst case – they will be dropped from the agency. Sounds harsh – but this may be the only way it will work. (It’s a risk for agencies, for sure too – they don’t want to be straddled with a bill because the artist didn’t pay the company back after not performing.)
Further to this; don’t forget that force majeure clauses would then need to be updated too/negotiated.
I am surprised Kosky should have said so, him having been Intendant of a German opera house for a long time. In Germany, rehearsal fees range between a rhird of a fee per rehearsal week to one fee for all rehearsals. This goes for new productions and is standard procedure. Also at KOB.
I spent some years attached to a company full time ( outside the UK ) and so had a monthly wage, but I did know of a singer who raised the money for living expenses to be able to accept a guest contract for a production by busking in the streets of London. Not the best thing for the voice to do on a daily basis in a damp climate.
He had to wait until the end of the series of performances to get paid. That meant living for a whole month – paying hotel , food etc until the money came in. He was supporting a young family at home. Is it any wonder so many talented singers give up after a few years? This whole issue does need to be addressed.
Is this a European model? I would think in the United States and Canada the singers are all represented by AGMA (and yes, even a European star like Jonas Kaufmann would have to be members) and there would be some agreement at least about per-diems and such.
It definitely isn’t right that the singer bears all the risk of being unable to perform, due to illness or such.
The situation is very common. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes singers are “hired” by major music festivals and receive a minor compensation, but nothing for accomodation or travel… And festival cities are very expensive during festivals! I even knew of a singer who stayed for 21 days, did not sing at a performance, and had to stay at a village 19 km away (only play he could find at a decent rate during the summer), riding his bicycle every day to attend rehearsals.
Same goes for assistant conductors: often assistant conductors are not paid unless the assistant gets to conduct a performance (in opera), or has an active role during the concert (conducting off stage, for example). One of the tricks is that the assistant is brought as apprentice or Hospitant and not even given a salary. Some even go as far as paying their own expenses just to be there.
In Europe, a rehearsal fee is always given (normally equivalent to 1 to 3 performance fees). America needs to simply learn from their more successful European counterparts, like they need to do in so many fields outside of music as well…
I’m afraid that is simply not the case, I have worked for many European opera companies and they don’t pay for rehearsals.
I have never NOT had a rehearsal fee negotiated in my guest contacts here in Europe… It is very standard now
If singers got paid in advance, the opera industry would collapse with all the sudden illnesses.
Well said, Allan
For most contracts Singers have to pay travel and accommodation and added expenses which can be very high whilst rehearsing for free and then if they fall sick for the shows those expenses have no income to cover them. It’s very precarious. When companies moan about some singers not turning up to all rehearsals they might remember that this is all unpaid time (and a lot of time often too) and time that costs the singer in expenses. Only paying for performing is ridiculous but very common and no, it is not just down to agent negotiation, many companies will not pay rehearsal fees or if they do, they don’t come close to covering costs.