Evening star., 1927-10-31
DAMROSCH T0LEAD
RADIO SYMPHONIES
Dean of Conductors Plans
Series of 20 Concerts
f. Broadcast.

Walter Damrosoh, dean Of American
musical conductors, who retired last
wear from more active musical life for
the purpose of devoting himself,
with other tasks, to the opportun-
tiles for musical culture inherent in
broadcasting, will conduct the New
York Symphony Orchestra In a series
of 90 radio concerts, beginning Satur-
day. it was announced today by David
Sarnoff, vice president and general
manager Of the Radio Corporation Of
America.
The concerts will be sponsored by
the Radio Corporation of America, and
are expected to reach at least 100000
600 radio listeners in the United
States through a chain Of % stations.
The Radio Corporations Washington
station, WRC, however Is not listed
among the % scheduled to broadcast
this feature, the closest and most
dependable being WBAL, Baltimore.
Every Saturday Night.
The concerts will be broa dcast every
Saturday night from to 9 o'clock
for a period Of 20 weeks.
The event, Mr.. Sarnoff declared, not
only marks an important step in the
musical appreciation of millions or
people in the United States, but IS an
event of considerable Importance to
the technique of modern radio BROAD
casting.
For the first time. one of the lead
ing orchestral organizations of the
country. under the baton of the dean
Of American musical education, Will
broadcast series of concerts con-
trolled and directed by the conductor,
not from the acoustical and other re-
ouirements of limited audience in
a concert hall. but for the vast un.
seen audience which will receive the
music through the air.
HITHERTO" Mr.. Sarnoff pointed out,
'the great symphony orchestras or
the country whose concerts have been
broadcast have been conducted from
the concert hall. The orchestra was
playing for the benefit primarily of
the seen, not the unseen, audience.
1t was left to a technician at the
mixing panel of the broadcasting sta
ton largely to reconduct the concert
at his power keyboard. DIR. Damrosch
has rendered a great service both to
music and to radio in the study that
he has made of broadcasting tech
nique, so that the musical conductor,
not the technician, might interpret the
orchestral score to millions Of people"
Sees New Field.
After the first few concerts in a
temporary studio, Mr.. Damrosch will
conduct the New York Symphony
Orchestra in the "R. C. A. Hour" from
the main studio of the National
Broadcasting Co, now being made
ready at I'll Fifth avenue, New York
Damrosch, who is now completing
plans for the series of 20 concerts. de-
clares that experience has convinced
him that radio has opened new op.
portunity to the musical conductor
for the expression of musical art to
millions Of people.
"Who knows" he asked, whether
in the future the great conductor of
the air will not vie with the conductor
in the concert hall for place and fame
in musical culture? Music must be
conducted with due regard to
dynamic values in broadcasting IL the
great audience Of the United States is
10 receive the authentic message Of
the composer. Likewise. the indi-
vidual members of an orchestra must
adjust themselves as a body to the
technique Of playing to a limitless
auditorium, to invisible millions of
people.
"After a public musical career of
over 40 years, / had begun to think
that my work was done; could only
repeat myself, 1t seemed, to the audi
ences before which I appeared with
the New York Symphony Orchestra
year after year. But radio has opened
a new field for musical culture Of vast
Importance to the public, to music and
musicians"