Evening star., 1928-02-22
CLASSICAL MUSIC
GAINING OVER JAZZ
Radio Tests Reveal American
Public Is Deserving Short
lived Hits.
BY LEMUEL r. PARTON.

NEW YORK. February 22.-Classical
music Is winning over jazz IN competi-
tion for the favor of American radio
listeners. Public taste Is improving
year by year. and America as whole
is becoming widely educated and In
crcasingly discriminating In its appreci-
alton of music.
This Is the conclusion drawn today
from tests by broadcasting stations here.
In which previously announced classical
and jazz selections were withdrawn and
the responses noted. 1t has also been
checked by inquiries in several private
and public schools. In which teachers
noted an astonishing familiarity with
classical scores. explainable only by the
radio. Music publishing houses also
reported an increase demand for the
classes. Through the radio. legions Of
Americans who once knew only
ephemeral song hits are now familiar
with Greig, Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart
and Tschaikovsky.
Protest Opera Postponement.
One of the leading broadcasting sta
tions here Monday night withheld its
announced tabloid OPERA" which pre-
viously had been broadcast by artists
Of the Metropolitan Opera Co. Within
the next hour. the station received $50
telephone calls from indignant listeners,
wanting to know why the opera had not
been on. A deluge of letters and tele-
grams followed the next day.
Most of these telephone calls and
messages were from persons who rarely
write letters to broadcasting stations.
officials of the station, analyZing this
incident. concluded that there is vast
informed and critical radio audience
whose response can be gauged only by
occasionally holding out and awaiting
the result. In this instance. there was
no mistaking the verdict Of the audi
ence.
1t is just four years ago that the pro-
posal to broadcast famous singers and
musicians was first made 1t was
vigorously opposed by the Metropolitan
Opera Co. and its artists we're for
hidden TO sing before the microphone.
The Metropolitan later withdrew its
opposition and since then performers
OF great artists have become events of
national Importance Gigli. Geraldine
Farrar. Rosa Ponselle. John McCor-
mack. Mary Garden. Schumann- -Heink.
Damrosch and other great artists have
reached radio audiences covering 48
States.
Many Musicians Engaged.
There arc. In and around Greater New
York. about 1000 musicians engaged In
musical broadcasting. Estimates of the
number so engaged throughout America
run from $4,000 to 10000. and this
number is steadily increasing. Naturally.
the preference for classical music is
more observable along the larger chain
hook-ups. where original programs are
broadcast and stations do not have TO
depend upon relaying hotel dance music
to their audiences. But wherever 1t has
been tested. the drift toward highbrow
selections has been found.
1t has also been found that intelli-
gent interest In American folk music
has been greatly stimulated by the
radio Negro melodies and spirituals
are unfailing favorites and there is an
increasing demand for indigenous
American music. which has attained
somewhat OF classical status.
Union Assails Practice.
The steady outspreading OF the big
"red and blue" chains also has fur
thercd higher musical standards. AL
though the classics now ride the waves