B.B.C. Opera Broadcast Style Challenged

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 34, 1 March 1935, Page 43

B.B.C. Opera Broadcast Style Challenged

" ® are in the midst of a furious argument with the B.B.C. as the coconut shy and Sir Thomas Beecham as the Thrower-in-Chief, his favourite role," writes Dr. Keith Barry in 4 recent article from England. . ' Sir Thomas Beecham, the ,famous Finglish conductor, has launched. an attack on the B.B.O. for broadcasting mutilated opera. The present argument has arisen over a "potted"? opera. The work in question was "Hansel and Gretel." which in full length takes . about two and a half hours to run through, admittedly too long for a continuous broadéast, "To massacre the music of a piece like this," said Sir Thomas, "is as rational as omitting half the lines in a blank -yerse play of Shakespeare. In the interests of both art and decency there should be no further tampering with the. masterpieces of music," . The famous conductor has raised a pretty problem, in which all listeners should be interested. Notwithstanding the verdict of this expert on such matters, however, it must be realised that few listeners would be prepared to sit through two and a half hours of operatic music without being able to see the play. And.the broadcasters must still cater for the likes of the majory