Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-16
AIDA TAKES LEAD
IN OPERA ON RADIO
Famous Star to Be Followed
by Others on Programs
This Season.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

| Nine. Frances Alda's announcement
| that she will leave the Metropolitan
| Opera Co. at the end of this season to
| devote her talents to radio, coupled with
the fact that practically all OF the great
| operatic and concert artists have lost
| their old aversion toward radio, has
prompted speculation about when the
METROPOLITAN Opera itself will permit
the broadcasting of its performances.
Repeated overtureS from the networks
and from commercial sponsors OF radio
programs have failed to shake the
Metropolitan from its stand against the
encroachment of radio. There Is re-
port current in radio circles, put I'M
verified, that the directors OF the great
New York operate company have re-
Gently shown a more favorable attitude
toward the idea OF having microphones
installed in their new citadel OF nne
music
While the Metropolitan stands aloof,
the Chicago Civic Opera permits the
broadcasting of its presentations. Rosa
Raisa, appearing in Aida" was heard
directly from the stage over the WIZ
network last week, and parts OF the
Chicago Operas performances are regu-
lar Saturday evening network features
during the present season.
On Air Back In 1922.
In fact, the Chicago company has
favored radio from the early days OF
broadcasting, having authorized all or
part of its performances to go on the
air as far back as 1922.
Most of the Metropolitan's stars in
recent years have accepted radio con-
tracts, appearing before microphones
during and between seasons. Nine.
Aida, however, is the first to forsake the
operatic stage altogether for the radio
n
her detection as did Walter Damrosch,
the conductor-the desire to reach
wider audience.
Tonight the voices of Nine. Aida, Miss
Merle Alcock, Pasquale Amato and AL
fred O'Shea will be heard in the first
of series of six Puccini operas, to be
broadcast monthly over a coaSt-to-coast
network of the National Broadcasting
Co. Nine. Aida will sing the lead In
in the other studio performances OF
Puccil-i's works, which will include La
Tosca," Girl of the Golden West"
"Manon Lescaut" and la Boheme."
Gennaro Papi, who formerly directed
IT.. liam operas for the Metropolitan, will
be the director, and Deems Taylor will
narrate the stories Of the operas to the
radio audience.
Schumann-H eink on Air.
The Puccini performances apparently
are heralding season OF high-claSs
music on the networks. Nine. Ernestine
Schumann-H eink will sing over the
same network tomorrow night. accom-
panied by a 43-piece orchestra, con-
Quoted by Giuseppe Bamboschek, long
the conductor of the Metropolitan or
cheStra.
John Mccormack, the Irish tenor,
returns to radio On Thanksgiving night,
November %, after an absence of nearly
three years. The Columbia Broadcast
ing System next Friday evening, Mo-
vember %. will resume the weekly musi-
Gale broadcasts from the Curtis Insti-
tute of Music in Philadelphia over its
Nation-wi hook-up. Various other
ambitious musical plans are being made
by the national chains.
In the lighter vein, the return OF
Harry Lauder Sunday evening, Decem-
Der !, will please many radio fans. The
N. B. G. network also announces that
the famous radio comedy team of Amos
n Andy" beginning Monday night, No
vember 10, will be heard from to TBS
o'clock each evening instead of the for
mer late hour. This change Is said to
be due to the complaints of parents
against the late hour broadcast.