European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 14, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Achiu lieder Why Are american singers scoring in Europe s opera houses America s Rebecca coot and Tom Woodman perform in to Arf s the marriage a Figaro he is on contract to he Darmstadt opera and she performs with Fie Mannheim opera. By Carol Patterson Woodman staff writer  do you  we re in ovine to Germany  Mcl about a million other questions went through my mind and out of my Mouth when my husband told us that his burgeoning opera career was to Lake us o Germany. He was t talking a  he was talking More than 10 years. Once i became accustomed to the thought of Why did i minor in French in colleges started planning panicking and All those various and sundry other things that anyone planning a move across the  makes. Why would an opera Singer move to Germany first Germany has More than 75 full time opera houses. That s quite a drawing card for Young singers. The United states has Only one full time opera the metropolitan opera House in new York. Probably the biggest reason Why All those american sounding names Are on the programs at virtually every opera House in Germany is that there is More work in fur pc than in the . For the Many american singers coming out of the music schools opera studios and universities. The second largest reason is Money. Since opera in Germany is subsidized by the government it is possible for opera houses to maintain full time opera companies. A full time House includes singers dancers orchestra members and administrative personnel. Because the companies Are subsidized they Don t have to worry about any publicity and the big name sell. German opera houses hire their singers on the basis of Talent for a contract period of usually two to three years. In this fashion the companies can perform any number of productions and do not have to hire performers for each individual show. Things Don t work that Way in the United states. Singers Are hired on a per performance basis and the salaries they charge Are outrageous. And this starts the most vicious Circle in the performance world today. Because the salaries the singers in the United states demand Are so High opera companies will hire Only those singers who will bring in Money the big names. This leaves Young singers out in the cold with no Opportunity to perform in the bigger opera houses and no Chance to gain the experience that might just one Day make them into that big name Star. From a publicity standpoint this makes sense. How can a non profit organization Hope to make Money if it does t have people with stature singing however once those Star singers have passed Leir prime where Are the Young singers to be found Well not being Able to wait or that Lucky break they All went to Europe got lots of experience on the operatic stage there and Are now charging an Arm and a leg to go Back to the Stales losing. That in turn puts the american opera companies in financial binds that tighten every year. An opera Singer in Germany is guaranteed work continued on pjiic1 s o stripes Magazine november 74, 7905