Evening star., 1933-06-18

far too much space for all the way from the
plump Tetraxzini to the ample Matzenauer their
waistlines have made their vicarious suher1ngs
seem barely plausible.
Every one who has ever sat IN the diamond
horseshoe or the peanut gallery" must at one
time or another have stif1ed broad smile as
he saw in the melodious La Boheme" con-
sumptive Mimi who tipped the scales at 225.
or heard in the tantalizing Faust a sweet
young Marguerite who would never see 40 again.
In the language of the movie fans what the
opera needs and needs badly, is sex appeal
So long as operate tenors and sopranos re-
main unprepoSsessing to the vision, how can
they hope to captivate the great American
public, Ammo Domini 1888?
DUT II a method can be devised through the
- avenues Of modern scientific invention
which will couple the silver throats of the born
songbirds with the hipless physiques Of Holly
woods finest, why shouldn't opera become
most popular entertainment?
The answer Is that way out has been dis
covered and from all present indications opera
may see a splendid rebirth. The audiences OF
the near future may find themselves watching
slim, handsome Andre ChenierS, fetching
Rosinas and beautiful Aidas as they hear, as II
from the beautiful throats and lips of the per-
formers themselves, the perfect voices Of gifted,
though hidden singers.
The musician for whom this kind of opera
has been an ambition is the man whose CO.
operation has helped to make its possibility
into imminent reality. Last year Leopold
Stokowski, the conductor Of the Philadelphia
Orchestra, let slip few words in which he
prophesied new type of opera with beautiful
actresses on the stage and the singers invisible
at some distant point
When he was questioned as to the actual
method of operation he refused to divulge his
secret. All he would say was that 1t had
nothing to do with radio or recording.
But now Stokowski's secret is out, and the
wedding of engineering and music r-oves to
be even more amazing and weird than anyone
had dared TO imagine. Demonstrations of this
new combination of physics and art were given
recently in Philadelphia and in Washington.
At both places the audiences were astounded
by what seemed magical effects, and the pos
sibilities opened up in the operate and orches-
trail fields were practically limitless.
The entire trick is pulled, not by mirrors, as
the saying goes, but by telephone wires, dialS,
amplifers and microphones. The method is
not that of broadcasting, but perfected sys-
tenn of electrical transmission which made it
possible for the Philadelphia Orchestra to play
in its home town while its leader. Stokowski.
worked the dials In Washington for the per
formance there.
In the same manner a singer could be In.
say New York. while the opera was being per-
formed, say. in Cleveland. Her voice could be
brought over the wires so perfectly that the
audience in Cleveland would be under the
complete illusion that the singing coming
from the person on the stage who was acting
out the role.
So remarkable is the auditory perspective"
as the engineers call it, that the listeners be-
Heve they can locate the exact spot on the stage
from which the sounds are coming, when in
reality they are being transmitted over wires
that carry them hundreds Of miles.
THE laboratory research took more than two
] years Of steady work. 1t was done under
the supervision Of DR.. Harvey Fletcher, director
Of acoustical research in the Bell Telephone
Laboratories. 6tokowski himself assisted ana
when the demonstrations were given, he con-
Tolled the sorority electrically by twisting some
sadgets and dials from his box IN the audi