OPERA ON THE SCREEN

Evening Star, Issue 21518, 16 September 1933, Page 6

OPERA ON THE SCREEN

FAMOUS CONDUCTOR’S PLANS Leopold Stokowski, conductor of tiie brilliant Philadelphia Orchestra, is a visitor in Hollywood. He is engaged on an active artistic mission. He wishes to study the possibilities ot sound-pic-ture production as a medium for music drama. He is of the opinion that operas of highest artistic purpose will some day be written for the cinema. Many are confident Mr Stokowski will find sound-picture production, even m its present youthful condition, a practicable medium for music drama. Reproduction of voices and orchestra on the screen, while not by any means perfect, can be profoundly impressive. The screen, beside, can mount dramatic scenes of the grand manner more superbly than can the stage. It could escape crudities and artilicialities of performance that have plagued personal opera ever since opera started. Difficulties of Wagnerian sotting would be no difficulties at all in the movies. The Rhinemaidens in ‘ Rhinegold,’ the flying Valkyries and the magic fire in ‘ Walkure,’ the monster in ‘ Siegfried,’ the transformation of seen© in ‘ Parsifal ’ —all would be easy. The problem of fine musical production in the cinema is not a technical problem, however. It is an economic problem. If there were a way to finance fine music on the screen, production would not have to limit itself to opera. Symphony, solos, chamber music could likewise be recorded for tho benefit of communities that are not served by first-rate musicians in person. Serious music production in the movies would bo enormously expensive. Costs would never be met by box office returns. The production would have to be aided by Government subsidy or by private endowment. Any subsidy or endowment that can be raised these days for music is needed far worse in other places than in the Hollywood studios.