Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 19, 18 November 1932, Page 9

Our Mail Bag

Opera for the ABC. IN Patea, like other small towns, we radio listeners-in are at a great disadvantage of not being able to hear the many great artists from the other world other than over the radio. The Broadcasting Board receiye enormous receipts from our license fees, and one may well ask, What do we get from it? ‘The Australian companies are most liberal, I have recently had the pleasure of hearing 2FO and 2BL Sydney and 3LO Melbourne broadcasting the yarious companies, and the programmes were a treat to listen to. The recent Sunday broadeasts of the Imperial Opera Company might as well be followed bv the full company’s strength

of a good opera.-

J.C.

F.

(Patea

{Our correspondent should bear in mind that when the A.B.C. broadcast an opera all stations are linked by landline, making the average cost per station fairly small. Here the state of the existing lines make the proposition impracticable.-Hd.] Overseas v. N.Z, Programmes. As’ a listener who until recently has missed hearing very few of the evening sessions of 2YA, I cannot agree with your correspondent 8. J. Mullons that New Zealand programmes are "immensely superior" to overseas. ditto. Since the Broadcasting Board took con-. trol, and: especially in the last few months, we have had.so many records of so-called humour repeated with such frequency that to quote one listener’s remark, "they are moss-cov-ered." ‘To quote a few. Gwen and Daisy out of sorts (of this one I would suggest that anyone who can enjoy more than one dose of ‘fiu must be a glutton). Hiccups. Layton and Johnstone items. The Isle of Hootcha Kooteha, and I had to draw another pound out. Buying a House. and other Clapham and Dwyer items Laughing Gas, and I could quote many more that have been repeated so often as to become nauseating. I must, however, quote Richard Tauber, who has hardly missed more than a day at a time for months, so much so that I do not want to hear him again for at least six months. As a contrast to this from overseas we have had recently complete renderings of "Carmen." The "Barber of Seville," "La Traviata," "Floradora," "The Vagabond King," "Blijah," and to come "The Pirates of Penzance," as well as yariety programmes. One other contrast, Szigeti. From overseas a full programme with full orchestra. Those of us who were lucky enough to hear him from Sydney can hardly applaud the New Zealand broadeast. In fact, I think it about time that the N.Z.B.B. did -something more than write articles on what they are going to do. In this connection I suggest that one of the first things they should do is to bring the transmission of 2YA somewhat more up to date. Listeners might then be able to appreelate the Concert Orchestra. Now it sounds more like a penny whistle and a carpenter drawing nails than an orchestra, Perhaps that is pulling it a bit strong, but it is the best I can think of to describe the want.of resonance. and. failure to properly reprodtice the deep bass notes.

Wr A further need is reasonably correct speed in rendering items. March time used to be 120 beats per minute; recent renderings by 2YA tested by a met ronome read 186, 144, and 156. Surely a wide margin. Finally, after all this fault-finding, a word of praise for the Christchurch Musical Society for their rendering of ""Tannhauser," a fine performance which I enjoyed, although Old Man Statice was at his worst. What is Wellington about that they never give us anvthinge’ like this?P

Listener

H.

W.

Those Howlers. (AN you advance some suggestion a8 to how a howler in our neighbour hood can be shifted? He has been ruining all our programmes, and he dodges about all over the dials ‘The worst feature is that neither the Post Office nor the electrical departments will do anything. We have had to put up with him for three months now, and the situation is becoming unbearable.

W.H.

C.

(Hawera).

[We suggest you complain to thé chief radio inspector, Wellington, and state what steps you have taken to have him removed. Actually the law provides for the confiscation of any. radio apparatus that is being used te annoy neighbouring listeners.-Hd.] Grand Opera Chorus. wish to register a strong protest against the criticism relating to the proadcast of the Grand Opera Chorus which appeared in Neutron’s notes re cently. { Over 30 listeners I have asked hava agreed that the broadcast was the bes& ever heard from 1¥A, and as a music lover I am certain that is no exaggere ation. Is "Neutron" another jazg fiend? Whatever he pretends to be, one thing is clear and that is that his

eondemnation is unwarranted-

In

dignant

(Auckland).

English Sets. IN your issue of November 4 in "Ras dio Round the World" you deplore the attitude of Hnglish set makers not catering for the local conditions, and you state that there are hundreds of millions in countries where conditiong are similar. ; If you refer to America you musi know that the tariff wall is erected to keep English manufacturers out. I cane not think of any other country where the hundreds of millions are. It is deplorable that this British Doc, minion should have adopted American conditions for broadcasting instead of using the same methods as Hngland and Hurope seeing that America refuses to buy our goods, In the same column you also state that at the Radiolympia orders were placed for 2,000,000 receivers, and that the export business has increased 350 per cent. These fige ures surely justify the English set make ers in refusing to change their routine for the few sets which this small come munity could take, especially as they know full well how this country has pandered to America. There are, however, many Hnglisk firms making radio components, and these could be imported and assembled in this country, thereby providing work

for many unemployed youths.-

J.

E.

Horsfield.