TAILOR-MADE

Radio Record, 10 June 1938, Page 18

TAILOR-MADE

MUSIC. IN _ AMERICAN © RADIO. a MUSIC -the picking, cutting and piecing. together of music to set the mood ‘for-radio dramatic . productions-is a . fine art which Josef Honti, NBS: staff conductor, probably: knows more about than any musician in, radio.» , In the seven years, he has: been , associated: with the American Broadcasting Company, + Honti.. supervised the background: ‘music: for.many important dramatic productions. The business of selecting music to establish the mood that any given: -drama is to.express is a task which may take: Mr. Honti-anywhere: from a day toa.week. He goes about it’ with methodical precision’: and patience. First, he reads the -:script. carefully, making notations as he goes along. Second, he confers with the director of the production to ‘deternjirié the nature of the musical cues and: their . proper spacing. Third, be selects: the. music. The last step is easier. noted than achieved. When music appropriate. for the drama is not to be found, Mr. "Honti writes it himself... Sometimes he spends an entire week poring over. scores... in painstaking research. . Piecing together the music to play, behind the dialogue is the most. interesting step of all, says. ]Honti.* And> once a show is thus pieced together and: ¥ehearsed, there is no further recourse. to the score. ‘Honti meniorises it-in- order to keep one eye on his orchestra: and the other on the actors and the produc: tion man, ‘ a .-