Evening star., 1933-12-31


A step in the right direction of muSi-
cal education has been made by the
American Tobacco cos broadcast road Ste every cry
Saturday afternoon of the Metropolitan
Opera.
The programs the Cadillac Symphony
musicians are broadcasting are strictly
fine music, of which too much can never
be had. Today, the artist to be fea-
tured Is Jose Iturbi, the Spanish pian-
list. with Eugene Ormandy. conductor Of
the MINNEAPOLIS Orchestra, as director.
grams are Yehudi Menuhtn, Tito
Schipa, Lucrezia Bori, Josef Holman,
Vladimir Horowitz, Lotte Lehman,
Efren Zimbalist, Elizabeth Rethberg
and Lily Pons. with such conductors as
Leopold Stokowski. Sir Henry Wood
Eugene Goosers. OSsip Gabrilowitsch
Fritz Reiner, Walter Damrosch and
Tullio Serafln.
The value Of this series of 13 weekly
concerts and IA weekly operatic broad
casts Is inestimable. Music lovers all
over the country. who often are not
near concert center, will be able to
hear the type of music Of which they
have been deprived and others will
have an opportunity to gain more
PlO1lI 1lOlIA OIL Chll a AlCdl llAS VI IAIC bCos
artists in worthwhile programs. 1t is
to be hoped this is only the beginning
and that other commercial hours will
engage the best talent and realize the
money it costs is well spent.
The agitation against the radio
musical programs has been going on
for some time, principally voiced by
those in the musical profession. In
answer, the radio executives took the
attitude that they were more in touch
with the general taste OF the American
public, and that it was their duty to
give the public what it wanted, which
apparently was jazz and more jazz,
varied with sentimental croonings OF
unbelievably ordinary lyrics set to the
type of melodies that come into the
mind of mediocre musician when he
sets out to please the public.
In the novelty Of the first days of the
radio, anything was accepted without
criticism the mere fact Of being able
to turn knob and hear music proving
q delight. It was soon evident, however,
that q certain type of music monopo-
lized the radio programs, and that only
q certain class of listeners were being
catered to. Then the battle started be-
tween the suffering music-lovers and
the radio program builders.
Whenever musicians have gathered,
the radio has been discussed and pro-
tests have been filed, unsuccessfully
as far as results were concerned. The
answer of the radio executives to all
complaints was invariably that the fan
mail showed great appreciation Of the
programs, and that. therefore, this must
be the preference of the American pub
lie. The only conclusion 10 arrive at
was that the musical public suffered in
silence, or was too fine to institute a
bombardment for better music.
Consciously or unconsciouSly, they
achieved their objective, however. Last
Summer, through the electrical power
companies in various cities, the radio
rlagnateS were appriSed that the use
of the radio had considerably dimin-
1Shed, sometimes as much as SO PEI
cent. A check-up showed that the radio
audience tuned in to the programs II
desired to hear, and for the rest, the
radio was silent. The programs which
had the most listeners were those which
featured better music, and by simply
turning of the radio, a great portion
of the public expressed its disapproval
Of the continuously ordinary music II
was asked to listen to. This was the
most effective means Of bringing the
radio program makers to their senses
for the value and life of the radio in
dustry depends on its popularity with
the public.
At the seventeenth biennial conven-
ton Of the National Council Of Women
held in New York City on November
% and "a, Mrs. Elmer j. Ottaway
music chairman, made q scathing de.