Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10
NJ i S &c
BY HELEN FETTER.

reproducer that leads TO the projec-
ton machine is placed just before
starting exactly on the spot that will
bring the first sound to just the
right picture on the tiny film. Should
the film have any accident happen
that would throw it out of gear there
is no way in which the musical rec
ord can be advanced to the portion
of the film that may be next flashed
upon the screen, as this would throw
the whole thing out of gear.
The entire house had to be wired
especially TO install this Vitaphone
and four big horns are established
around the screen to centrallze the
musical reproduction at that point
Two of these horn amplihers arc
above and at the back of the upper
corners Of the silvcrsheet. The
other two are below the screen,
emerging slightly just above the
stage floor level The length of
these latter horns is II feet each;
of the two suspended horns, II feet
each, but this enormous length IS
twisted into multiple coils. Such, IN
very unscientihc language, is an at
tempt to describe the Vitaphone a
the writer saw and heard it at the
Metropolitan Thester one day last
week when conducted on special
tour OF inspection by Mr.. Bell.
1t was a fascinating experience,
and when one realizes the many ben
efts of this newest machine for en-
tertainment and instruction the pos
sibilities for the good it may do seem
limitless. So many small towns may
see the members of a great SYM
phony orchestra such as they cannot
possibly afford to have locally, and
find which instruments are featured
in different passages in a famous
composition, not to mention here
an inspiring Interpretation of such
work. So many young singers who
could not possibly afford even a gal
lery seat to hear the Metropolitan
Opera production of Il Pagliacci"
can sit close to the silver sheet and
get every motion and taking of
breath and enunciation that a lead
ing artist, like Martineli. uses, as
we'll as hear the tones so clearly and
accurately that the nearer can veri-
tably feel personally the tone
placement as it is sounded and emit
ted by the great singer. Here is
way TO check up on your music
teacher, singing or instrumental, and
see for yourself at the same time
that you hear the tone Just how
somebody who has made a success
produces their tone either in the
voice or on all MISUNDERSTANDING,
violin, etc. 1t does not necessarily
follow that the spectator will find
exact imitation beneficial, for there
can be no cut-and- dried rule for any
two people to do the same thing
exactly the same way. No two peo-
pie eat the same way, have the same
shaped mouths, even the same length
vocal chords, so how in the world
can one person dictate absolutely
how a group of others shall act to
achieve the same tone. The same
thing is true OF fingers; in just
touching piano key different peo-
pie naturally get entirely different
color, their fingers are shaped diff
ferently, the width and length of
Z,
much of learning must come from
within the pupil by keen, &C
curate training of ear and earnest
ness of individual investigation and
experimentation. The teacher can
guide, but he or she must have a
vital, intelligent student to guide,
and rules are made, not necessarily
to be broken, but certainly to be
adapted. This is what the presenta-
ton of many famous singers via the
Nitaphone will teach voice students
what many pianists will teach piano
students, etc, apparently ad in
finitum.
MANY of the leading modern COM
~ posers, with Richard Strauss
probably heading the list as dean of
this corps, are doing very worth
while things in the special music
scores written for coordination
with motion picture films. Herr
Strauss has been quoted as saving
that he considers music for the films
as the coming medium for cempos-
ers. Among the rather large group
of modern composers who have COM
posed settings that have been much
discussed are Arthur Honegger,
Michel Maurice Levy. Henri Rabaud
(who was director in 1924 of the Con-
servatoire in Paris. Florent Schmitt
and Eric Satie. An American, who,
while in Paris, aroused special inter-
est in his cooperative musical set
ting for Fernand Leger's photo
graphic work. Ballet Mechanique,"
is George Antheil, born in Trenton,
n. J., the city that makes what the
world takes" Mr.. Antheil, Incl
dentally, is giving the first American
presentation of this famous Ballet
Mechanique" in Carnegie Hall to-
night. 1t will be conducted by Eu-
gene Goossens, at the request of the
composer, who will be present.
Leger screened not living beings,
but certain objects, real distorted or
imaginary, moving at various speeds.
and so obtained curious effect of
rhythm and volume. A powerful
dynamic spirit is said to course
through the work and insistent repe-
titions OF group sounds, made up of
more than Is notes. are found side
by side with extremely choppy and
broken rhythms.
1t is said that the score for this
Ballet Mechanique" requires Is
pianos, II of which are player
pianos; s xylophones. bass drums,
2 sewing machine motors, an electric
fan, two large pieces of tin and
wooden propeller. electrically oper-
ated. The work has been performed
in Paris with no more disastrous re-
suit that ardent Kisses from those
who did not like the work, directed
at the stage, and equally prolonged
and heated Kisses from those who