1929-08-27 — Page 11

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1929.

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OPERA HOUSE

THE PASSING OF COVENT GARDEN

POSSIBILITIES OF SITE

Covent Garden Opera House is to The present leases of the Opera House, which have been held since 1899, expire in February, 1932 and, unless the proposals for the extension of the market are changed, the Opera House will he pulled down in little more than two years' time.

So we break with a long tradi- tion and perhaps begin another, writes an architectural correspon-

dent in a Home paper, and so we reach a point in our cultural his- tory where we must properly decide what opera means to us.

It would be idle to repeat that

Tel. C. 3517.

}

THE CHINA MAIL,

RADIO TOPICS

TO-DAY'S RADIO

BROADCAST BY Z.B.W.

ON 350 METRES

The following programme will be broadcast to-day from the Gov-

Broadcasting ernment

Station

2.BW. on 350 metres:

5.30-6.30 p.m. Programme of Chinone Music. (Records supplied through the courtesy of Sincere Co., Ltd.).

.

7.48 p.m.-Evening weather re port,

8 p.m. Evening Programme. (Parlophon Records

supplied through the courtesy of Canton Trading Association, Ltd.), "The Mikado" (Sullivan), Selection,

Edith Lorand Orchestra. "La Tosca" (Puccini), Act 2,

Soprano Meta Seinemeyer "Yeoman of the Guard" (Sullivan),

Selection H.M. 1st Life Guards. "Arguments", The Radio Favourites,

Clapham and Dwyer. "Cavatina" (Ralf), Violin Solo, "Melody" (Kreisler),

Tossy Spiwakowsky. "The Barber of Seville" (Rossini), "Mefistofele" (Bolto), Bass,

Angusto Garavello. "Marcheta", Waltz, "What'll I Do?", Waltz

Marek Weber & His Orchestra. Magic Flute" (Mozart), Bass,

Ivar Andresen, "I'm Fond of Swistle's Ness Milk", "I Never Wronged An Onion",

Comedian

the souts were plentiful and less "Der schonste ... Harry Fay,

expensive.

in

2 new

Edith Lorand Orchestra.

Glocken am Abend" Auditorium for 5,080 We may assume, therefore, that "Ob, Messenger of Love" (Gounod),

"The Incense Rises" (Donnizetti},

house opera

the

Soprano Margherita Salvi. auditorium should be larger-as "Of Le Philadelphia", large as it is possible to make it "Father O'Flying", Bass,

Reginald Whitehead. An auditorium of acoustically.

"Barcarale in F sharp" (Chopin), 5,000 people-not a very large one

Favourites, nowadays-stands a better chance coforte Son Alfred Hohn. Clapham & Dwyer. of paying for a performance than one of 2,000. This would mean a "Rigoletto" (Verdi), Soprano, change in our attitude towards

"Peer Gynt" (Grieg), opera and our time-hondured ideas of designing pretty opera houses.

Boxes should be reduced to a minimum, and instead we should have great sloping tiers of seats. This has been done in Berlin with great success acoustically. It will not give that exclusive atmosphere, but nowadays the love of opera is not exclusive.

Such a large auditorium would

in every large capital of Europe: demand a large site, and a site giv

there is an important opera house -occupying 1 position of civic grandeur, but in London, the largest city in the world, there is none, for the English are different: from other nations and opera has grown but tardily on this soil. But it has grown. During the long two hundred years' history of the Cuvent Garden opera-from 1732 to the present day-the opera has been continuous except for the short breaks during the rebuilding of the theatre; and, with this, there has been an increasing popu- lar demand. One house has suc-

ing good access facilities for the

Mignon (Thomas),

Margherita Salvi.;

Emmy Bettendorf. "Barbier von Sevilla" (Rossini),

Overture..Dr. Weihmann and the Symphony Orchestra. "Tennis", The Radio Favourites, "oh, Tell Me Nightingale" "The Pipes of Pan Are Calling",

Soprano .......Kate Winter. 10.30 p.m.-Close down,

Clapham and Dwyer.

is also an American colony at the Cavalla development.

Transportation Problem

BROADCASTING

"THE ARTISTE HAS NOTHING

TO FEAR FROM RADIO"

JOHN MCCORMACK'S VIEWS

}

The problem of transporting crude rubber from Liberia to the United States will be considered after production becomes heavier, Mr. Firestone said. No difficulties In every country where broad- in this connection are expected, casting has been established musi- however. Mr. Firestone made cians of all classes are complaining his last trip from New York that it is having a harmful effect to Liberia in fifteen days, and call-upon their art. ed attention to the difference in Now, as a working artiste--and I! time required to reach Sumatra have to work for my living as hard and the Malay plantations.

as the man who plays in the or- chestra of a cinema or the lounge of an hotel-I have given the matter careful thought and I do not feel that the musician has anything to fear from mechanical music in any form.

"A plantation usually produces five years after the rubber is planted," he said. "We have taken over 1,000 acres planted in 1919, but later abandoned. This tract is now producing a little more than 600 pounds to the scre."

Mr. Firestone stated that he could see no reason why the re- moval of British rubber restrictions would affect the plans of the American tyre manufacturers in Liberia. "The splendid yields in Liberia have removed any element of doubt regarding the success of the plan," he said.

The fact is that broadcast- ing has come to stay, and not all the managers in the world can stop it.

They are like someone trying to keep back the hungry waters of the sea. It is far wiser that instead of should turn our reviling it we

of.. thoughts to the best methods utilising this new invention..

Coming to Terms Twenty years ago actors were be- He added that his father, Mr.wailing the fact that the cinema Harvey Firestone, Senior, Henry was killing the stage. Time has Ford, and Thomas Edison were shown that they were false pro working along different lines "to-phets. There are more theatres ward a common goal" to insure the than ever to-day-New York has freedom of American tyre manufac- three times the number it had turers from any other attempts at twenty years ago and the chief rubber restrictions.

influence of the cinema has been in teaching theatre managers to give their audiences great comfort.

"BEAM" TELEPHONY

HONG KONG MAY SOON TALK

TO LONDON

re-

Twenty years has taught all those concerned that the art of the stage and the art of the screen are quits. separate and need not necessarily compete with each other.

In exactly the same way the pro- duction of gramophones and London, by air mail). Last in a Paris office picked up an ordin-by musical artistes bat actually there are to-day far more people right (July 18) a fournalist seated cords at a low price was bewailed ary telephone instrument and heid interested in music than there were held a conversation with a group of engineers on board the Cunard liner "Berengaria," then 2,000 miles from Cherbourg homeward bound from New York. This was a test of a system by which passengers on trans-Atlantic liners will soon be able to converse by telephone front their cabins to subscribers on shore, either in America or in Europe.

great number of people and cars. MANAGED BY RADIO commercial basis.

there is

WHAT IS BEING DONE ON A RUBBER PLANTATION

$

twenty years ago..

The large audiences which opera now commands has been created largely by gramophones which en- able them to hear fine artistes in their own homes and realise that good music is not necessarily either unintelligible or "highbrow."

ment that few programmes are more than half an hour in length. In a concert-hall an audience will

Telling Personalities When radio is more firmly estab It is a further indication of the lished people will realise that no remarkable progress that is being mechanical device, however scien- made these days in the develop tifically perfect, can equal the ap- ment of wireless telephony on a peal of flesh and blood. No one So awift has ever contests that a photograph is It should be an island site at least

been the progress of the Beam as good as a painting by a master, 200 ft. by 150 ft., and so placed as

system, used in these cases, that and however much we may enjoy there is every hope that the day is the gramophone records of a great to be easily accessible in the West

not far distant when the Straits singer those who have heard him End of London, yet set back from

in a main road so as to allow room

Settlements and the F.M.S. will be person will never find the for the movement of arriving and

the mechanical music anything but a linked telephonically with London The tyre manufactur-Mother Country. There is no rather wistful memory. departing cars without disturbing

reason why this developinent The fact that broadcasting can: the main road traffic. There should ing centre of the world-Akron, be a large space nearby for the Ohio-is now in direct radio com- should not take place within the not catch the real personality of munication with a modern town next four or five years, at the an artiste is proved by the state- parking of cars.

Amongst the available sites interests in the heart of the Liberian

bailt by the Firestone rubber in latest.

Not many days ago engineers at London at the moment, none that would serve perfectly, jungle. Officials of the Firestone the great Beau wireless station at

one or two that would company at the Du River develop Bridgwater, Somerset, held a ten listen to a great singer for two ment project may send a message minutes' conversation with Austra hours without showing signs of ceeded another upon the same his- serve at all. The best one is to the Akron headquarters and re-lia by Bean Australia is a greater boredom. But try a two-hour song

bably the Dorchester House site in toric site, and this, the third one, Park Lane, but, we understand, the fceive an answer within ten minutes. distance from England than recital on the wireless and I think "It is a matter of minutes instead Malaya, but the commercial de the broadcasting company's mail arrangements for the sale of the 1858, has carried on and amplified use to the National Sporting Club of months now," Harvey Fire-velopment of a service between bag would contain a heavy batch

are almost complete. Here, there stene, Junior, who arrived in Ton-Australie and England will precede of complaints next day! This house, with its vertical tiers

a service to Singapore.

The interest of a wireless of little boxes, was built for the would be an opportunity to erect a don recently after an eight weeks

It is worth recalling that, in audience is intermittent and 1 opera-going public of seventy years building with some civic pride and visit to the Liberian development,

Since then the world has one that could be seen in a pleasant told the United Press in an exclu-1920, Captain Round, of Chelms-imagine that in many homes clas- ford, spoke to the British delegates sical music is accompanied by the changed, and, largely through the

on the way to the Imperial Pressrattle of plates or desultory conver- Another possibility might be the companied her husband on the trip. agencies of general education, and cow through the good work of site of St. George's Hospital with They were met in London by S.G. Conference in Canada when they sation.

But what wireless can do is to broadcasting,

the properties adjoining if there Carkbuff, Secretary

were on board the Victorian, about the movement of

1,000 miles out at sea. Five years stimulate in men and women the public interest, although slow, has were sufficient money forthcoming stone company.

to build the governors another hos- "The radio Installation is very later passengers on the Southern desire to hear great artistes. The

suade them to move into it

designed by Barry and opened in

the tradition.

ago.

walk of life.

and only

setting,

of Aldwych still unbuilt on, but

sive interview. Mrs. Firestone ac-

of the

New Plant in England

Fire-

710W

at reported, in a few weeks time a Lon-man travelling across Canada on the Canadian National Railway will be able to lift up a telephone and call his hotel, though the train may be moving at a speed of 60 miles

What is the Demand? The demand has grown and grown, but there has been nothing to satisfy it. The prices of seats have been prohibitive for the great mass of people, and even for those who were able to spend the money seats have been unobtainable. here again there are difficulties;

The Firestone company is Night after night the house has also it has been suggested that the been packed and hundreds still only place where one could get the building a modern tyre plant wait patiently to get in. Season right amount of space would be on Brentford, on the outskirts of after season every seat has been the Government properties in the don, Mr. Firestone revealed. sold, yet each project is said to neighbourhood of Exhibition Road; "Our new plant at Los Angeles," have been unprofitable. Is there no but would the call of opera be so he said, "is our conception of an solution to this question of opera strong as to take people out so far ideal tyre plant, and the works at in our own country?

Supposing that there were suffi- our next opera house will have the it. Excavation has started and the 1 These are, of course, spectacular cient support for the view that the character of a national monument foundations will be in soon. The feats, but the conversation held last liberal performance of opera was in the centre of London, to be seen Los Angeles plant will produce "Berengaria" is considerably more

night between Paris as essential in civilising the com- by all.

5,000 tyres a day, but we have not munity as State-aided schools, Perhaps the best of the available yet decided on our unit of produc-important as it is the first effort to put such a service on a commercial churches, and art galleries-and it sites is the Lansdowne House site. tion at Brentford."

basis. is difficult to see why it should not | As foreshadowed it is almost cer

Within the next few weeks it is hoped to establish a regular ser vice, via Paris, with an extension of facilities so that passengers may telephone from one ship to another

as that? Besides, one hopes that Brentford will be modelled after an hour.

and

the

is

THE

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HONG KONG

BUSINESS DIRECTORY.

grown and extended itself to every pital in a quieter position, and per- valuable in questions of adminis- Railway steamer, "Lorina," convers- / family that has switched on the tration," Mr. Firestone said. "Ited from the English Channel to en-loud-speaker during dinner and is; The Lansdowne House Site also gives our American colony, gineers in Marconi House, London. disappointed because it

classical recital suddenly hears à The available site at the end of which numbers about 125, all the This was the first occasion on Lower Belgrave Street, near Vic-news of the day. We feel very which an ordinary land telephone, song of great beauty and immedi- the toria Station, has also been men-much at home, although Liberia is relayed by wireless, was used for ately become interested in tioued, but this is rather small and some 6,000 miles from the United this purpose. More recently the music.

Westminster Abbey Thanksgiving

An Orden!. of a difficult shape. There is a part [States."

Service for the King was relayed They realise that a song is not by Beam to Montreal, Canada, and necessarily unintelligible because to Sydney, Australia. Now, it is it is called "lieder" or "aria," and within a week they try visiting a concert-hall Far from keeping people away from concert halls and opera-houses, I think that used judiciously wireless can stimulate an interest in music far better than any advertising campaign.

If for no other reason than that it helps invalids of all classes to waiting to get well, broadcasting BOOKBINDING. white away the weary hours of deserves to be encouraged.

Even to the experienced artiste broadcasting is an ordeal. He is conscious that the slightest, slip will be heard by millions and that he cannot, as in a gramophone re cord-recording studio, scrap the song and start again. He seems to be at the mercy of a machine. It is an ordeal, but an ordeal that I an prepared to face occasionally.

What we have to learn is that we have gifts given to us and that it is up to us to make the best use of them, q

Neither wireless nor the cinema can destroy the value of personal and magnetism, and, contract genuinely interested will seek out

Rubber for the Brentford plant be so then the State would make talu that a new street will be cut will be bought in the London mar- Mr. Firestone explained. some grant and opera could go for through along one side of it--as aket, ward with greater courage. Then, prolongation of Stratton StreetThe plant will be entirely modern and not till then, comes the ques- and there will be a new street at and as near perfect as we know tion of a great opera house and an the back, making an island site of how to make it," he added. appropriate site for it. There must about 200 feet by 150 feet. It is "We have 50,000 acres of rubber be some point at which, if one in the centre of the West End, it lands in Liberia, of which 15,000 makes the audience big enough, the has streets on all sides-two of acres have been planted," he stated. performance will pay. We have them not used for through traffic-We hope to have as much again never reached that point. We have and there is the large space of under cultivation by the end of the turned away good money at the Berkeley Square as a setting for a planting season, in the fall. A doors.

fine, architectural master-piece and, modern town has been built at the Our difficulty is to gauge the size incidentally, as a parking space for Du River development. Housen for

cars

our employees are equipped with

a service on a.com

STANDARD TIME:

SUNRISE AND SUNSET IN COLONY

Sunrise and Subset 17 Hong

of our potential opera audience in

we have no proper But if there were anything like running water and all electrical ap Kong for August (Standard time of sooner or later those who are London; for means of judging it. Where it is a vational policy towards the arts pliances, including electrice well known that a theatre cannot and towards townplanning, we frigeration. The Dn River settle. the 120th Meridian, East of Green hold many people, many people will could easily earmark the ideal site ment is 40 miles by road from Monwich), are as follow:-- not go near it, although they would fronting Piccadilly Circus on the rovia, the Liberian capital

Sunrise, Sunset

like to get into it. Sir Thomas north side and leave it to the mare Another town has been built on August Beechman's League of Opera has Intelligent generations of the the Cavalla River, in the sonthero over 10,000 subscribers. This is a future to pay for the building and end of the country, some 250 miles useful guide, but 40,000 does not put it up. There would at least from the Du River. Between 12,000 represent one quarter of the people be some hope in this to hand on and 15,000 natives are employed on

Wade the Firestone plantations. who would gladly go to opern it to our children,

27

28

29

6.04 - 16.45 6.00 6,44 6:04 6,42

6.05

642

There

6.05

6.42

the artiste in person.

Science may change the methods

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