New Britain herald., 1927-01-22
OPERA BY RADIO
 IS VERY POPULAR
Even the Critics Approve ol
 Program

New York, Jan. 22 Pl-Opera-by- radio will increase the so-calieo musical audience in the Oniteo states by millions in the opinion oi Walter Damrosch, for 42 years con- ductor of the New York symphony orchestra.
 Early today, at the close or one of the most remarkable evenings ne said he had ever spent in his home' the conductor said:
 "The nationwide broadcastlng oi an entire act of Gounod's 'Faust 10 millions of people, insuch an eA- cellent fashion as I heard 1t in my New York studio last night is or satisfactory significance.
 "It mean. the making available Of good music to millions heretofore starved for the want Of II.
 "It i, an answer to those artists who talk against the radio. They are simply blind. They fail to pro- feet themselves into the future.
 America, in fact, through the radio may actually be enteung golden day of musical appreciation.
 Seated in his music room in East sIst street, with Mir. Damroech and his daughter, Mrs. Thomas Finletter, Mir Damrosch sat back at lO:30 p. m. New York time in new role.
 The baton with which he has d. rected for nearly two generations was idle for the evening while the conductor acted as music critic Tn New York for the Associated Press while the objects Of his comment raised their voices in unsuspecung song a thousand miles away.
 Mir. Damrosch's criticism however, was broken by enthusiastic com ments on tone uality and the habits of the condustor soon rode down the critic.
 His right hand beat the air.
 "Ta tee, ta tah, te dee" he hum med. Now the clarinets. There. Hum. To thing, now-that comes a
  sons heard that note.
 "I could sit here," he unused, and conduct an orchestra for a sololst in Chicago. It would be perfectly simple. Sometime that must be done, The only thing is I would not see the movement of the lips
 Mr, Damrosch as critic, consider ed the performance excellent
 Every instrument of the orches- ira was faithfully transmitted. he said, "and to me it recalled the times when I conducted Faust when I was young, first in German at the Metropolitan, and later with Nellie Melba, as Marguerite, in my own company.
 Faust was a happy choice for national broadcasting. Not many of even the opera-goers have heard if. Once the most popular opera Tn the world, it faded for a time. Then twenty years ago Lohengrin was all the thing. then Aida. then La Boheme.
 To-day it is hard to say what IS a really popular opera. Faust IS so peculiarly French in spirit, It's style of singing has almost disappeared.
 However perfect the reception or the music seemed to me, opera loV- CTS miss something ny hearing the opera over the radio. The specta- cle of the drama thus far cannot be transmitted.
 Tt is possible that pure music will gain, however, since the radlo audience not having to look upon stage sets and individuals may the better concentrate on the music it. self.
 "I am confident that those who heard will want to hear more and more opera whenever possible.
 "It looks to me as if radio were becoming a new home-maker Tn America, perhaps the greatest home maker, and if we can give the peo- .ple at home the best music 1t can not fail to have it's effects.
 Whether the American public really gets hold of opera, as opera is perhaps a question. Whether II would not be better to sing in Eng fish, is another. We must remem- Der. however. that we are not an isolated phenomenon in the history of culture. We more or less nave to follow the tracks of the rest.
 "Germany for a century had nothing but Italian opera. Then came Weber, and Mozart, and hnal- ly Wagner. When the country was ready. a musician of its own race threw Italian overheard and gave the world native opera. when Wagner spoke, his voice swept the world.
 "Who knows what seeds might not be sown In America, by this aerial extension of music into places ,rI,,ro ,,, ,tcio Ia cel6On heard p''