Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-27
Behind the Microphone
BY THE RADIO EDITOR.


must complete the picture" con-
nection--that is, make sure that
the two persons, 2 miles apart, see
each other distinctly.
Central does this with an ap-
| paratuS that shows In miniature
perfect copies of the televiSion
faces as they appear to the phone
users. This apparatus has two
eye pieces, one showing the face
of the person at the calling end
and the other the face at the re-
ceiving end. 1t is an odd senSa-
ton, like looking at the empty
space separating two persons, and
seeing materialize there clear
images of eyes, hair and facial
contours and colors.
X
MILTON J. CROSS, radio an
nouncer and winner of the
American Academy diction award
medal in 1929, belongs to that
rare species of human beings
known as natives of Manhattan
Island. In spite of that handicap,
he admits he knows something
about milking cows, following a
pillow and getting up at am. His
high school vacation days were
passed on farm.
x X
FLOYD GIBBONS, the headline
hunter, is the first radio celeb
rity to become smile. LAS fast
as Floyd Gibbons is heard fire.
quently in New York City.
RADIO listeners were surprised
Az to hear John S. Young, N. B.
c. announcer, burst into song
during program recently.
Equally surprised was Young. He
had just announced number on
a musical program and then be-
gan softly singing the number to
himself, unaware that a micro
phone close by had been left open
inadvertently by the studio engi-
neer. Several bars of Young's
song had gone speeding over ether
waves before the microphone was
faded out.
TWO compositions of classic
music and a program of gems
from comic opera will be features
of this weeks presentation by the
Columbia BroadcaSting System
locally through WMAL. Selected
arias from Mozart's Marriage of
Figaro" an opera that has held
sway over audiences for nearly
$50 years since it's debut in vi
emma, will be heard during the
Grand Opera Miniature at 9:15
Tuesday evening. Marion McAfee,
soprano, will sing the roles of Su-
sauna and the Countess, in both
of which she appeared while with
the American Opera Co. Ivan
Ivantzoff, who will be remem-
bered here for his stellar roles
with the Washington Opera Co.,
will sing the part of Figaro.
The last two movements from
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony"
the scherzo and the finale, will
open the symphonic interlude in
the Columbia network program
beginning at pm. Thursday.
This symphony is an influential
factor in eighteenth century mH-
sic, being one of the first to stress
the variation of the central
theme, rather than to provide
variety of melodies. 1t served to
increase the Importance of the
music by infusing unity in the
work.
In the program Of comic opera
gems to be heard Friday at 3 pm,
numbers will be sung by Crane
Calder, basso; Helen Nugent, con-
tralto; Earle Palmer, tenor; Marie
Gerard. soprano. and the quartet,
Numbers will be selected from
Caryll's 1.-THE Pink Lady" Friml's
Little Whopper" and De Koven'S
Foxy CUTLER" among other
operas.
A NOVEL orchestral presenta-
= ton will be offered over an
N. B. G. network when another
program of the classical series is
broadcast Thursday evening from
9 to 10 o'clock. The orchestra,
which has been augmented to
more than 80 pieces, will be heard
in a program entitled "The Cycle
of the Dance" The evolution of
he dance will be traced from early
in the seventeenth century until
it's development as a special art
form in the ballet. In this pro-
gram instruments of the various
eraS of the evolution will be used
by the orchestra.
The program will be in four
parts. In the first section the
music of the seventeenth century
will be reproduced on such in
strumentS as the spinet, the viola
d'amore and the viola de gambia.
III the eighteenth century group
the dances will be played by a
classical orchestra, while the
nineteenth century part of the
program will be presented by
concert orchestra.
AN Hour With Shakespeare
! the Sunday night series in
| which the plays Of the Stratford
| bard are being presented in tab
! loid form, Is bringing Shakespear-
can stars to the N. B. G. studios
Clarence Derwent, who was a
member Of the repertory company
| at Stratford-on-Avon, played 9
part in recent production OF
"Othello."
r X
THE voice of Jessica Dragonette
soprano soloist of the Cities
Service concert. will not be hearc
for three weeks. Miss Dragonettt
sails from New York today fol
Portland, Me. From there she viii
motor to Kennebunk Beach for &
| vrtill tHa konH IN thf