Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
OPERA BROADCAST
TO Be RADIO FEAT
Most Elaborate Pickup Plan
Will Carry Faust" to
Fans of u. S.

! The most elaborate system OF
pickup" apparatus ever used In
broadcasting will be brought into play
| by engineers of the National Broad
casting Co., Friday night, in sending
| the Garden Scene of the Chicago Civic
| Opera Co.'S production Of Faust" III.
rect from the stage of the Auditorium
to stations of the National Broadcast
ing Co. s red" and blue" networks.
separately. and in various combina-
tons, Is or more microphones will
carry portions of the music to a spe-
cially constructed mixing" panel in
stalled in the Auditorium where the
different parts will be balanced and
combined by competent musicians be-
fore the music is relayed by special
circuits to the company's speech in
put control" at 1875 Broadway. New
York, for distribution to the stations
included in the networks.
Engineers of the company who have
been in Chicago since Wednesday eX-
perimenting with pickup" apparatus
In the Auditorium report that every
member of the radio audience should
! hear the famous Garden Scene, one
of the most beautiful in grand opera,
with all the color and vividness of the
original music. Tests made up to last
night indicate that when the great
broadcast event goes on the air from
1880 to 11:15 pm. eastern standard
timel, the vocal work of the princi-
pals and chorus and the orchestral
music will be blended into a unit in
which every part will register with
proper emphasis.
The principal characters who appear
in the Garden Scene" of Faust"
will be portrayed by the following ar
fists of Chicago's great lyric organi-
cation; Marguerite, Edith Mason;
Martha. Maria Claessens; Faust,
Charles Hackett; Mephistopheles,
Vanni- Marcoux: Siebel, Irene Pavlos-
ka.
Opposite Studio Program.
The great problem, according to com.
pany engineers, is to make the pick
up" flexible enough to fulfill broad
cast requirements. In this respect. the
broadcast Is the direct opposite of a
studio program, where the direction
of the artists themselves provides the
necessary fiexibility. The regular per-
Torrance of the opera cannot be
changed in the slightest degree for
the broadcasting, with the result that
the pickup" and mixing" arrange
ments must be relied upon to insure
that every portion of the music plays
its proper part in the radio presenta-
ton.
At the present time seven micro
phones are hidden in the footlights to
pick up the voices of the principals and
chorus, placed in various parts of the
pit" to carry the orchestral music,
two concealed on the stage at advan.
tageous points to absorb solo and duet
numbers, two suspended high over
the seats of the audience to provide
general balance and carry to the in
visible hearers the atmosphere of the
opera house and one for the an
nouncer, who will handle the event.
All of these microphones can be
blended together at will, and every pos
sible combination of them may be
used when necessary. The engineers
now in Chicago have made careful
study of the Garden Scene" as pre-
scented by Chicago's great lyric or
ganization with the particular object
of ascertaining the course of the &C.
ton and the positions of the members
of the cast and chorus during the diff
ferent numbers.
Diagram of Stage.
A complete diagram of the stage has
been made, showing the location of
the microphones, which are designated
by numbers. During the actual per-
Torrance 1t is planned to have an OBJ
server posted in the Auditorium at
point where he can follow the action
on the stage in detail.
Accommodation will be main