Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-11-18
GRAND OPERA
BY WIRELESS
Hop The Acting and Singing of Great Artists
May Yeti Seen and Heard Simultaneously in
Hundreds of Theatres Throughout America.
= RAND opera by wireless Is a possibility OF
I the near future according to prediction

- RAND opera by wireless Is a possibility OF
the near future, according to prediction
made by II. Gernsback. editor of Radio
Amateur News, who bases his statement on re-
cent report from Chicago to the effect that grand
opera music had been transmitted by wireless
telephone for over 100 miles Sensitive micro
phones placed on the stage OF the opera house
caught the sound waves the impulses then being
stepped up in the usual manner by means OF q
transformer then led into simplifying
vacuum tube. Here the current was impressed
upon the radio telephone transmitter in successive
stages and then sent out over the aerial on top
Of the opera house. Wireless amateurs all about
the surrounding country thus able FOR the
FIRST time to hear grand opera.
Anyone with suitable radio apparatus can
listen in to the music without much trouble,
declares Mr.. Gernsback. mo matter what
wavclcngth the music would be rendered, every
wireless man would find way to listen to 1t
without serious inconvenience.
During the next few years it will be COM
mon enough experience for amateur to pick
up his receivers between and II o'clock in the
evening and listen not only to the voice of such
stars as Caruso, Tetrazzini, Mccormack and
others, but also to the orchestra music as well,
which is picked up by the sensitive transmitters
along with the voice Of the stars The surprising
thing is that 1t is not being done now.
"The probably is due to the fact that
rs yet no means has been found to reimburse the
opera companies for allowing everyone to listen
in. While of course listening to the music is not
as satisfying witnessing the performance in
person. still many music enthusiasts would rather
stay home listening to the music alone than to
witness the performance itself. To your true.
dyed-in~the- wool opera iend the performance Is
Of secondary Importance, the music always COM
ing first.
"But we must give thought to the manage
ment, which cannot subsst empty opera
house if everyone could listen in to the actual
rendering of the opera without paying for the
privilege. Needless to say that the producers
would soon find themselves bankrupt. For this
reason cannot expect that grand opera by
wireless will be an accomplished fact until some
means has been found to reimburse the producers,
and az every wireless man knows, this is very
difficult to do"
MIR Gernsback suggests probably the only
logical way out of this difficulty for grand
opera company would be to advertise in the news
papers, stating that no grand opera via radio
would be given unless certain amount of reve-
nue. were guaranteed by radio subscribers before
"radio performances would be given. This would
mean that probably 10 out of 100 radio stations.
amateurs and otherwise, would pay monthly or
yearly dues to sustain the management, which
then would not have to care how many wero
listening in. This is the only practical solution.
As for technical difficulties, Mr.. Gernsback
says, there are Of course, none. All that is nee