PERSONALITIES of the WEEK

Radio Record, 26 June 1936, Page 10

PERSONALITIES of the WEEK

"A Voice to Dream Of." "THERE is more voice in the throat of Florence Austral] than you will find in almost any two other sopranos you can name, and particularly gorgeous voice at that... . Her’s is the kind of voice that Weber and Wagner must have dreamed of when they were writing their music," wrote one New York

critie after Florence Austra] had sung at one of the Wolfsohn series of symphony concerts in place of Hulda Lashanska, who had succumbed to influenza, Unheralded, Madame Austral sang to, and completely won, an audience "not only unprepared to hear her, but probably previously unaware of her very existence," to quote Warren Storey Smith. The concert over, the American papers were mentioning her in company with Schumann, Heink, Sembrich and Lehmann, Florence Austral will be heard from 2YA on Thursday, July 2, A Man of Parts. JOHN GOSS, the English baritone, is a man of enthusiasms which unfailingly lead in the direction of solid successes, He inspir-

ed the London "Daily Express" stunt of a community singing revival some years ago. The movement assumed tremendous dimensions, culminating in the Albert Hall "sings," when audiences numbering ten thousand gathered to sing the grand old. songs; atid even larger "choirs" wed those which assembled in the footbal club stadiums with the same object. John Goss has made extensive researches into the fields of English folk musie and sea shanties, with satisfactory results to his hearers, As director and soloist with the London Singers he has delighted numerous audiences at Home and abroad. He will be heard from 3YA on Saturday, July — 4. Tossy’s Early Start. TOSSY SPIVAKOVSKY, the popular young Russian violinist, began to display decided musical talent at three years of age, when his most beloved plaything was a tiny violin. At six years of age Tossy (which is just plain Russian for Thomas), began his first lessons under the guidance of Arrigo Serrato, in Berlin, On Serrato leaving Germany at the beginning of the Great War, Tossy eontinued his studies under Professor W. Hess until he was ten. At his debut in Berlin, before the whole of the Berlin Press, he caused a furore and was acclaimed by all as a prodigy with a great future, and on all his tours through Europe his success was sen; sational. At eighteen he was engagé as the first solo violinist of the Berlit Philharmonie Orchestra, being the youngest violinist ever to have filled that position. Tossy plays at 1YA on Saturday, July 4. Argentina’s Blind Admirer. ON one occasion, Helen Keller, that marvellous: woman whose brain is in her fingertips, was taken _to a recital given by La Argentina, the Spanish dancer. Miss Keller’s only contact with the sights and sounds of the living world is through her sensitive fingertips and the light-ning-like messages of an interpreter’s "fingers in her hand. On grasping the great dancer’s hand the blind admire¢ articulated quite clearly La Argehtina’s name, then with deft fingertips _ stroked the dancer’s glossy head, mur-

rrr Try) LLL LLL Le ddd dededokekekeddok hed LL DANCE FEATURES Next Week’s Sessions EX'S week’s feature dance sessions from the national stations: TVA, Thursday, July 2: "Take Your Partners’-a programme of dance numbers in strict tempo. Saturday, duly 4: Old-time dance programme, 2VA,. Wednesday, July 1: Duke Ellington and his music. Friday, duly 3: New release dance programme. Saturday, July 4: Relay dance music by Henry Rudolph and his orchestra. SYA. Tuesday, June 30: "Dancing Time"’-another programme of dance numbers in strict tempo. -this time with interludes by Les Allen and his Canadian Bachelors. 4YA, Monday, June 29: An hour with Rudy Vallee and his Connecticut Yankees, with interludes by the Bill Billies. ae a a 0 a Oe aE a rm a ot

muring: "Oh, but you are beautiful!" She was led to the row of costumes ranged in order for the various dances of that day’s programme and admired most the one worn in Argentina’s "Cielo de Cuba" number. Little wonder the great dancer eyed her blind friend with humility and wonder, Argentina features castanets music in

1YA’s dinner music session on Wednesday, July L Orchestre Raymonde. 'THE members of the Orchestre Raymonde, numbering some 26 players, are all British, in spite of the name they have elected to play

under. Their conductor’ is G. Walter, a name said to conceal the identity of a young musician widely known for his clever and sparkling arrangements of many popular orchestral works. His idea is primarily to adapt his orchestrations to microphone technique, to which he has given serious study.