In the Wake of the Week's Broadcasts

Radio Record, 10 June 1938, Page 6

In the Wake of the

Week's Broadcasts

HOMELY TALKS THAT GO OVER.

New feature of the commercial stations that should be sure of success is "Tony Wons’ Scrapbook." which has been coming about 11 o'clock in the morning from all ZB’s except Dunedin.

Actually there is nothing very substantial about this feature-it is just

a soft-voiced Ameean talking "uplift" and reading poetry. All the samefi he does it so persnasively that, blow me, if you don't start thinking that flies never fall into ointments anyway! Sooner or later you realise tht, of course, they do. But Tony Wons

bas been a pleasant. little narcotic while he lasted. He'll*get along, will Tony!

RECORDINGS ARE BLESSING TO LISTENERS

Though anyone who might say that Mr. Douglas Cresswell's first recorded talk on "Famous New Zealand Estates," given from 4+YA the other Friday night, was uninteresting, would

be talking stupidly, 1 was, nevertheless, conscious of a feeling of disapnointment. Tt was just

a vague feeling, and 1] eeuld uot quite Jay my finger on the cause of it. I think, maybe, I expected a more gen-

eral history of the families concerned. rather overlooking the fact that the talks deal with estates. Lowever, we will let that go. I qdid feel Somewhat grateful to the NBS for recording the talk. and recording it excellently, too, I liked the speaker’s yoice, and T liked his concise and entertaining manney of putting his subject across. The recording of such speakers is a thing for whieh the NBS gets little praise, and listeners should be more widely grateful. ‘Phere was a time when far-off listeners Imnissed worthwhile talks. Now, ouly rarely.

PRODUCERS NEED WEEDING OUT?

I have been doing a little thinking (and survived the ordeal), us a result of listening to studio plays from 4YA, and I have come to the conclusion that there are too many producers being

given plays. I am not really thinking of any one particu: lar producer ut the moment, and the

indifference of "The Legend of — the Moonlight," from 4YA last Monday, has not particularly influenced — this comment. So far as I can see there ure about a dozen producers to-day who put on plays in sequence, so that at least 12 weekg must elapse before 4 ¢eertain producer is heard from againsometimes much longer, us recorded plays are dropped in from time to time on the nights when studio plays are looked for. Of. this small army of producers there ure only a few whose finished products show real signs of careful rehearsal, and ua true understanding of the author's requirements, plus an equally true under standing of the difficult technique of rudio; the remainder convey the impression that a reading before the ulicrophone is all that is required, and obviously no rehearsal has been considered necessary. I do think that those producers who do their best with plays which are often quite unsuitable for radio performances should be given greater consideration than those whu accept a play and thrust it through the microphone any old how at all

IMITATION DOES NOT ALWAYS FLATTER

Imitating is an art thut has beeu successfully exploited by countless comedians on the stage und over the radio, but used purely in a burlesque sense. When the "Chatterboxes," in

two sketches. "That's My Story" and "What's the Idea?’ were heard over 3YA last week,

could not help thinking that while the matter could have been worse, there was upparent an almost slavish copying of the kind of turn put over by the inimitable Clapham and Dwyer. The artists took themselves very serivusly, and, in the first number, seemed a trifle excited, with the result that oceasionally a gag wus mutiled by 9 tou rapid retort. Let us bave snappy turus by all means. but is there any need to steal the thunder of artists who have made that type of work inimitably their own?

MR, EVERYMAN AND HIS MUSIC

To find out whut the musical taste of everyman might be, I listened eurY sously to "verymun’s Musie’ from "AB last week, and on the whole T think the station hit it pretty well,

There wus 4 song by Peter Dawson--how the vigour of him lasts in spite of the years !-two

charming little other-worldly pieces of musie from Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs, und a song by ai "huskyvoiced" woman singing "There are Blossoms on Broadway While I am Walking With You." I was dubious about everyman’s reception of the last number, though we know he is u sentimental old gentleman, and further, try as IT might T could myself pieture nu blossoms on Broadway, except perhaps, a few pansies,

GIPSY MUSIC NO LONGER EASTERN

1 was entertained in the right sense when 4ZB put over a session devoted to gipsy music. It wag not so much the music that appealed to me, although that, in itself, had no small

appeal, tere Was a most interesting commentary in be tween items, dealing with the gipsies

und their nomadic lives. Jt appears that they migrated centuries ago from the East and set up’ their homes, more or less temporarily, in Western Europe. Originally their musie was characteristically Eastern, but as their years iz Europe grew, the whining melancholy of the East became lost and a more robust, tuneful music took its place. There was certainly nothing’ whining abour the music that was played. during this session, although any listener must haye sensed the influence of Slav . airs. A good show, 4ZB.

ONE OF THE BEST 1YA PLAYS

Those who listened to the studio presentation of Edward Wooll’s play, "Libel," from 1YA on Sunday week last must have enjoyed it. I thought it one of the best plays produced by

&2 wational statloit for a long time. Adapted by J. B. Yaldwyn, a Wellingten barrister,

"Libel" was produced by Mr. J, M. Clark, who has been responsible for muny fine plays from this station. It is an ideal play for broadcasting. There are no irritating effects which sometimes divert one’s attention from the subject. The atmosphere of the court scene was splendidly caught. There was no padding, and every line told, and the fact that it was limited tou action aud change of scene made it all the mure easy to appreciate from the entertainment point of view. The acting was uuiformly good, too, the cust a Strong one. Running smoothly throughout, "Libel" gave evidence of being exceedingly well produced. Let's have more such plays, please.

NIGHTMARE EGG SERIES.

Not Jong ago the South Africun radio eWspapers became highly indignaut at the chillsomeness of certuin recorded BBS murder and ghost plays broad‘ast to budding Springboks. One won-

ders if the new ZB feature, "The Witel’s Tale," will ever get over in the tender « heurted

Union, I think not. "The Witeh's Uour," if episodes so far are ty pieal, wil] be the best nightmure egg vet provided by radio in New Zealand, Forget to be reasonable by listening with the light off...

! HEARD A GREAY VOICE

"Would you like to hear a great singer?" I was asked when visieing 1YA last week. I was taken into the small room where they try over re cordings, On the turntable was placed two sample dises

made by the young Aucklander, Oscar Natzke, who has just completed three

yeurs’ study under the great teacher, Signor Gareia, at the Trinity College of Musie, Londen. The voice that I

hheard-a perfect bass-astounded me, ‘as I’m sure, it,. will astound those who ; ‘tune into 1YA at 9.35 p.m.-on Wednes"day, June 15; ~whén’ thése same ‘two recordings will be heard for the first time by listeners. They were .lent to 1YA by one of the number of Auckland men who assisted Natzke to go-to England to finish his musical studies. -With Herbert Greenslade as accompanist, they were made by His Master’s Voice and sent’ to Auckland. In "VBbreo," ai operatic arig sung in Italian, Oscar Natzke demonstrates a marvellous range. ‘The other song was Tschaikowsky’s "Pilgrim’s Song," in English. ~ ’ 2 A

COULD BE QUICKER . WITH THE GONG

Who listens to radio amateur triais? Countless thousands, I suppose, and occasionally some real talent is discovered. But as an item for the mul- . titude they can be overdone. Hows

ever, from 35ZB theother night came. #. fine young ‘¢ontralto, who,’ with more training-a

good deal more-may have possibilities. For the rest, the competitors were not outstanding as far as the ordinary listener was concerned. Still, no doubt they gave a tremendous amount of pleasure to their "sisters and their cousing and their aunts," One could wish, however, for a litle more discretion on behalf of those in charge of the amateurs, for, when a turn is palpably impossible from the entertainment point of view, it would be kinder to the performer and the listeners alike if the gong spoke a little earlier.

NOT ENOUGH HUMOUR ON SUNDAY

Wn the whole, the Commercial stations put on satisfactory programmes for the entertainment of Sunday night listeners. There is plenty of variety. and the fare ig not heavy or boring.

Yet there is a Singular lack of humour, and three or four hours of a programme, however

vuried in other respects, tenas CO Dtcame monotonous when the necessary variation of humour is conspicuous by its absence. I do not know what is the reason for the Commercial sfitions’ attitude, unless it is based upou the assumption that the main National stations haye carried on for yeurs, ignoring bumour on a Sunday night and "got away with it’; but, whatever the reuson, it is tine there was i change in policy. Privately-owned B stations always realised there was 4 place for humour on the Sunday pregrammes. ws

VOLUME IS NOT IMPORTANT

I listened to a fine piece of coloratura work from IYA one night last week, when Miss Patricia McLeod sang delightfully the seldom-heard aria, "Queen of the Nignt," from Mozart's

opera, "ihe Alagic E'lute.’ She has 2 sinall voice, but 1 is beautifully true, flexible and fluta

like. Miss McLeod ts a good example | of the truth of the saying that. for radio work, volume means little. After all, it is quality and intonation that count, more than actual volume. She possesses both. In fact. she hus a perr fect radio voiee.