RADIO IN THE HOME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21868, 2 August 1934, Page 15

RADIO IN THE HOME

COMMENT ON PROGRAMMES MADAME ELSA STRALIA THE BOHEMIAN ORCHESTRA BY ALL-WAVE The next overseas artist to tour the national broadcasting stations of the Dominion under engagement to the Broadcasting Board will be Madame Elsa Stralia, the Australian prima donna. Madame Stralia, who will commence her tour at !2YA Wellington, has a splendid reputation as an operatic and concert singer, having sung loading operatic roles at Coveut Garden and having given important performances at the Queen's Hall and Albert Hall, London. The policy of engaging eminent overseas artists has already proved highly successful in the case of Senia Chostiakoff, tho tenor who toured New Zealand with the Don Cossack Choir some years ago. His recent performances from tho national stations havo been received with enthusiasm by listeners.

To-night at 8 o'clock IYA will broadcast an unusual musical treat in its relay in tho second of the series of Bohemian Orchestra concerts. The programme contains the works of a good many composers and includes "Rosamuijde" (Schubert) and "William Tell" (Rossini) overtures, "Rosenkavalier Waltz" (Strauss), Mendelssohn's "Italian Symphony," and compositions of Elgar, Tartini and Herbert. Madame Hedy Biland (violin) is the instrumental soloist. Saturday evening's programme from the same station will meet with wide approval, containing a variety of popular and humorous numbers from 8 to 9 o'clock, an hour's description of tho DettonMeyer wrestling contest, followed by a talk by Mr. H. D. Thompson on "My New Zealand Team Selected from Players of the last Thirty Years." Though reaching New Zealand at rather a late hour for Sunday listeners the broadcast by 2FC of "Michael and Mary," an A. A. Milne play claimed the attention of many. It has long been contended that, to be successful for radio transmission, a play must have few characters and those very distinctly drawn. • "Michael and Mary," as adapted by Mr. L. H. Cecil, provided interesting entertainment that at no time left one in any doubt as to the identity of each speaker, and this in spite of the fact that almost a dozen characters were portrayed. It is not at all unlikely that at some future time this version will be put on the air from the New Zealand stations. The' recorded talk by Professor J. Barcroft, C.8.K., F.R.S., on "V itamins" from IYA last Sunday surely slipped into its place by mistake. A discourse on dietetics, with details of the incidence of beriberi and of scurvy, is hardly appropriate on a glorious Sabbath" afternoon. One suggests that, before the talk was well in its stride most listeners had chosen fresh fields. Apart from this incongruity the afternoon programme was of exceptional merit. The everting Municipal Band relay contained many popular numbers and the programme was enhanced by the soprano solos contributed by Miss Sarah Stacpoole and tho cornet duets by Messrs. F. Bowest and J. Davies.

■ln a short time Suva is to have a broadcast transmitter which has been built in Australia and is to be erected at the Islands by the manufacturers, who intend operating tho plant and supplying programmes for a three years period. Mr. Kxon, a former Aucklander, is on his way to tho Islands to erect the plant* which is of modest 50-watt output, and he is to inaugurate the service.

There can be no doubt that the great majority of receivers in the Dominion were tuned to the broadcasts from IYX. 2YA, 3YL and 4YA of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera "The Mikado" last Monday evening. The whole of the programme from IYX from 7 to 10 o'clock was very pleasing, but doubtless at 9 o'clock many Aucklanders turned to the wrestling commentary from IYA. In case listeners, after an hour's description of the bout, should be in any doubt as to tho result of the contest, the sporting announcer repeated the decision twice toward the end of the relay and the studio announcer in his turn confirmed the result. This repetition may be very businesslike f but }t is tiring and time wasting. >

We are to have at least one "grandstand" description of an All Blacks' match during their present tour. The board has announced its intention of rebroadcasting tho game All Blacks versus Australia. As yet there is no advice of a broadcast of the "Belle of New York," but many listeners arc hopeful that arrangements may yet bo concluded.

For some unexplained the transmitters of botn IYA and IYX not infrequently remain on the air for quite a long time after the stations havo signed oif for the night period. On Monday last the generator of IYX could be heard humming merrily for over 16 minutes after the announcer had signed off, and occasionally the air is burdened for much longer periods. Many listeners) have not very selective sets and these would appreciate the station director at Auckland issuing instructions that, during the period of the test cricket broadcasts at least, both stations should shut down immediately on the conclusion of their programmes.

Last Sunday evening at Mount Eden and three miles airlino from IYA, tho writer heard KFI at very good volume from 6 o'clock onward, and there was not a trace of Auckland's programme The receiver employed was a superheterodyne of four valves and rectifier supplied from an L aerial directional toward IYA. The set had no extra "gadgets" to render it specially selective. Admittedly as one's receiver location nears IYA the difficulty of securing such reception would become greater. The twentvfold increase in power in tho now *IYA transmitter will certainly militate somewhat against selectivity in districts close to the station. But in most parts of Auckland this effect will be offset, in part, by tho location of the new plant out of town and a good doal further away from the populous parts o) the city.

IYA ITEMS FOR THE WEEK To-day (also from lZII).-~3 Bohemian Orchestra, with Mine. 11. Biland (violinist). To-morrow (also from 1ZH): 8 p.m.. Studio Orchestra; 9.2. Briar Gardner. talks on "The Potter of China ; 9.24. Mme. C. Mclvin (soprano); 9.41, Mr. S. Duncan (tenor). Saturday: 3 p.m., Rugby from Eden Park; 8.10, "Japanese _ Houseboy and His Employer" in "Seeing the •Toko"; 8.29, Mr. G. Laird (baritone); 8.38, Carson Robison (sketch), "The B<\c k Porch"; 8.44, Fred Hardley's Quintet, 1 lie Second Serenade"; 9.'3, wrestling, Detton v. Meyer; 10 p.m., "Mv New Zealand Rugby Team," talk by Mr. H. D. Thompson. Sunday: 11 a.m.. service from Epsom Methodist Church (Rev. H. Leggate); 7 P.m., Evensong from St. Mnry's Anglican Cathedral (Rev W, N Panapa); 8.30. relay Auckland Municipal Band concert from Town Hall, Monday: 7.30 p.m., veterinary lecture by Mr. A MacKenzio: ft, theme programme, "Types mid Characters"; 9.20 and 9.35, Gordon Bryan, pianist; 9.55, recordings; 10.30, dance music. Tuesday: 7.30 p.m., hook review; 9.2. talk on classical poetry, Mr. D'Arcy Cresswell; 9.32, Peter Daw. son, with chortle (bass-baritofie); 9,40. Harriet Cohen (piano); 10, danco music. Wednesday: G. 17, International Novelty Orchestra; 7.40. talk, "The Approach to Literatures Poetry. Good and Bad," by ProfessO? W. A. Sewell 8.32, Tladyn Murray (violinist) and Eric Waters (piano); 9.2, talk. "World Affairs," Mr. Alan Mulgan; 9.20, dance music. Thursday: 7.40, talk, "Films. To-day and To-morrow: Today," Mr. R. G. H. Manley; 9.2, talk by member of British Medical Association; 10, pot-pourri entertainment; 10.30, dance music.