Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-26


MaSSenet.
From a tentative experimental
thing the broadcast of the opera
has come to be an event looked
forward to each year by the music
lovers of the nation. In January,
1925, N. B. c. made a broadcast of
the opera Faust" from the Chi
cago Civic Opera House. So sue
ceSSful was the pioneer opera
broadcast that the following year
they became regular feature and
the demand has subsequently
grown that they continue.
Wallace Butterworth, Chicago
announcer has been selected to
announce these programs because
of his unusual knowledge of the
opera. Butterworth knows seven
roles letter perfect and Is familiar
with all the artists of the Chicago
Civic Opera and with all the opera.
In addition to this he speaks both
French and Italian and is fami-
liar with German.
IN line with the development of
radio broadcasting from a maze
of experiments to definite scienti-
f1c knowledge, the towers of Sta
ton VIDAL are to be insulated
and, according to announcement
by Frederick r. Huber, director,
work of detuning the tower Struc-
ture is to be started at once. This
is being done to increase the sta
TONS signal strength and thereby
improve its service to it's listeners.
For some time experimental
tests of the field strength deliv-
cred by VIDAL have been under
way at Glen Morris, Md, 20 miles
north of Baltimore, where this
stations tranSmitter is located.
Through a survey made by the
Bell Telephone Laboratories with
special field strength measuring
equipment, 1t was found that
WBAL'S signal strength could be
improved by redesigning the radi-
ating system. The engineers found
that the steel towers resonate at
WBAL'S operating frequency and
re-radiate out of phase with the
radiation from the antenna, thus
neutralizing part of the effective
radiation; consequently, plans
were made for insulating the
towers so that the distortion Of
the field radiated from the an
tenna will be eliminated and will
result in radiation efficiency of
100 per cent.
The work of inserting porcelain
inSulators in the tower legs will
be done under the supervision of
G. w. Cooke, chief engineer. To
do this, it will be necessary to jack
up the towers by means Of special
grillage and modification of the
concrete foundations, inserting
the inSulatorS under each tower
leg. Calculations indicate that
a signal twice as strong should
result from this insulation.
CESARE SODERO, maestro of
the National Broadcasting Co.,
probably holds the world record
for direction of operate produc-
tions. In the more than five years
he has devoted his efforts to the
direction Of broadcast opera he
has conducted more than 200
radio operate presentations.
Practically every recognized opera
in the world is familiar to the
maestro and he has condensed
and reScored approximately 100
operas for broadcasting.
Sodero not only is recognized as
a gifted conductor, but has an i'm
preSSive record as a composer.
He Is the creator of "Ombre
Russo" or Russian Shadows"
which had its world premiere in
the radio studios and which now
is recognized musical drama.
He also composed several Italian
operas and has many standard
symphonic compositions to his
credit.
The maestro was born In Naples,
birthplace Of so many fine must
clans, in 1885. He made his debut
as an operate conductor when he
was IA years old, and when he was
16 he composed a ballet that was
performed for 70 consecutive eve
nings in Alexandria, Egypt. His
own instrument is the cello, but
he is familiar with and can play
virtually every instrument in q
symphony orchestra.
He came to the United States
and toured the country under the
Henry w. Savage banner as mu-
steal director of the Puccini opera,
''The Girl of the Golden West"
Following this experience he was
conductor for four years of the
Aborn English Grand Opera Co.
and previous to his alliance with
bradcasting he was musical direc-
tor Of the Edison recording lab
oratories for IL years.
During his work in New York
more than $4,000 different must
clans have been under his direc-
ton. His first radio work was for
Station WEAF and when the Ma
tional Broadcasting Co. was or
ganized Sodero was placed in
charge Of the National Grand
Opera Co.