THE RADIO WORLD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 May 1938, Page 2

THE RADIO WORLD

PEOPLE AND PROGRAMMES ON PARADE NOTES AND COMMENTS. DAWN SERVICE RECORDING TOMORROW. (By “Listener-In.”) Dawn Parade. Tomorow afternoon at 4.30 o’clock, a recording of the Dawn Memorial Service held at Martin Place, Sydney, on Anzac Day will be presented from the four National stations. All who have already heard this service have been stirred by its reverence and splendour. The “diggers” who were fortunate enough to take part in the Dawn Parade have stated it to be one of the most impressive ceremonies they have ever attended.

Failure and Success. At its first production at the Scala, Milan, on February 17, 1904, Puccini’s opera, “Madame Butterfly” was accorded an unfavourable reception. “The critics,” writes Ernest Newman, “are sometimes blamed for their unsympathetic attitude towards the work of an innovator. In the case of ‘Madame Butterfly’ it was the whole audience that refused to give the new work a fai? chance. Some of them no doubt disliked the exotic quality of much of the music, necessitated by the Japanese atmosphere. Perhaps, again, the singers and the performance generally were not as efficient as they might have been. But whatever the reason for the fiasco, of the fact of tl|i fiasco there was no doubt. The audience that night behaved as badly as only an Italian audience can do when it is not being given the fare it expects. Puccini was so angry that after the performance he took the score away with him, thus making a second performance impossible.” The opera was put on again at Brescia on May 28 of the same year, and was this time an success. Performances in England and New York followed and “in a very little while it became a part of the repertory of every opera house in the world.” Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” will be heard in complete recorded from 4YA tomorrow- night.

Highlights at a Glance. Tomorow night: Auckland Municipal Band and Mrs Reg. Richards (pianist), IYA; N.Z. Grand Opera Society in excerpts from Italian and French opera, 2YA; recitals by Noel Newson (pianist) and Ailsa Nicol (soprano), 3YA; complete 'recorded presentation of Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly,” 4YA.

Monday night: Studio presentation of radio play, “The' Footsteps After” and wrestling commentary, IYA; compositions of Sibelius and wrestling broadcast, 2YA; Woolston Brass Band, Valmai Moffat (’cello) and Ernest Jenner (pianoforte), 3YA; concert by Dunedin Glee Singers and recorded play, “The Wedding Ghost,” 4YA.

Tuesday night: Bright recordings and dance programme, IYA; Cesar Franck Cameo and works of modern British composers, 2YA; recorded serial features and the Wellbrock brothers in popular songs of the day, 3YA, Nelson Eddy and other favourites,, followed by concert by the St. Kilda Band, 4YA. Wednesday night: Instrumental and vocal classics and a studio presentation “Songs of Rarotonga” by Princess Takau Rio and party, IYA; concert orchestra and a play by Oscar Wilde, “Lady Windmere’s Fan,” 2YA; classical programme featuring Cynthia Her-bert-Smith in a pianoforte recital, 3YA; recorded variety concert, 4YA. Thursday night: Dora Lindsay (Scottish comedienne) and the Auckland Artillery Band, IYA; Four Kings of Rhythm, the Swing Time Harmonists, Bernard Currey (English pianist and the Wellington Apollo Male Voice Choir, 2YA; studio presentation of “Lawrence of Arabia,” a dramatic radio study in personality, 3YA; recorded orchestral concert and vocal interludes, 4YA.

Friday night: Readings by Mr D’Arcy Creswell and Helen Gray (violin), IYA; bright recordings and brass band programme, 2YA; Eileen Joyce (pianist) and Enrico Caruso (tenor) in recordings, 3YA; serial features and chamber music, 4YA.

Tuning Up. “My grandfather lived in Amsterdam, and used to provide music and orchestras for concerts, weddings, christenings and sprees,” wrote Herman Finck in his “Memoirs.” “On one wedding occasion, as the band begari to tune up for Mendelssohn’s ‘Wedding March’ the mother of the bride rushed at him and asked him what was that noise. He said his men were tuning up. ‘But this is ludicrous,’ she said, ‘I engaged you three months ago!’ ” Herman Finck and his orchestra are frequently heard in recordings over the air.

Dance Music in Plenty. There is still plenty to please dance band enthusiastsfrom the National stations next week. Following the wrestling broadcast from 2YA on Monday night, there will be an hour of recorded dance music. At 10 o’clock the same night, 4YA Dunedin will present dance music by Edgar Hayes and his Orchestra. Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy, Elizabeth Welch and Phil Harris will provide the interludes. From 9.20 to 11 o'clock on Tuesday dance recordings will be heard from IYA, while at 10 o’clock, the same night Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra will be on the air from 3YA. Interludes will be presented by crooner Ring Crosby. On Wednesday night at 10 o’clock, Tut Coltman will be heard from 2YA on relay from the Majestic Cabaret, and at the same hour Dick Colvin and Music will entertain from 4YA. "Travelling the World with Rhythm” is the title of a dance programme scheduled forbroadcast from IYA at 10 o'clock on Thursday night. Two studio combinations,

the Four Kings of Rhythm (the popular "swing” pianists) and the Swing Time Harmonists will broadcast from 2YA on Thursday night and from 3YA the same night, there will be nearly two hours of dance recordings from 3YA. Arthur Pearce will conduct his usual programme of new dance recordings from 2YA next Friday night and the Savoy Dance Band, broadcasting from the Savoy Restaurant, Dunedin, will be heard from 4YA.