BROADCAST MUSIC is one of the most prominent features of all wireless entertainment programmes, alike in Europe and America, as well as, it may be added, in all other parts of the world—Japan for instance—where broadcasting is known. Natur ally, however, the mode of procedure adopted in this case and that varies greatly, and it has been thought desirable accordingly for present purposes to deal separately with existing methods and conditions in (I.) Europe and (II.) the United States.
The growth of British broadcasting in its first six years can be most easily measured by the advance in the quantity and the quality of the music transmitted. Music,—of every class, because every degree of taste has to be catered to—formed all along the bulk of the programmes, latterly some 7o per cent. But the first broadcast music was of a very humble order, comparable rather with a parish room entertainment than with a serious concert. In the early days,—the latter part of 1922,-the broadcasting of opera, oratorio, or symphony concert may have been dreamt of ; it was certainly not thought of as within the realm of possible achievement.
The first broadcast concert recorded in Great Britain was a garden fete at Hampstead in July, 1922, at which listeners were treated to an entertainment of unconsidered trifles of the lightest type; a note was printed at the foot of the programme, announc ing that an organ pipe would be blown before the transmission to assist listeners in the tuning of their receiving sets. During the next four months, various other musical feasts helped to prepare wireless enthusiasts for the first so-called orchestral programme. It was provided by some nine players plus an assisting pianist, and comprised a selection of better class light orchestral music with vocal and instrumental relief. That was in December, 1922. It was a considerable advance upon its predecessors, but it was a slight matter compared with what was to happen in the next few weeks. The British National Opera Company was giving a Christ mas season at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and its directors were approached by the British Broadcasting Company (as it then was) with a view to arranging a broadcast from the theatre. On Jan. 8, 1923, Mozart's "Magic Flute" was trans mitted with such success that performances of "Hansel and Gretel," "Pagliacci," "Siegfried," "The Marriage of Figaro," "Faust," "Madame Butterfly," "La Boheme," and "The Valkyrie," followed in quick succession. And a noteworthy feature of that early stage of broadcasting's history is that the performance of Puccini's "La Boheme" had the added glamour of Dame Nellie Melba's collaboration.
The success of broadcasts on so large a scale had the inevitable result of widening the scope of the Company's own musical organization to an extent and with a rapidity that can be only briefly summarized here. The orchestra was increased, for in stance, from the nine good men and true who carried the whole burden of the early concerts, by the addition of a Mustel organ which filled in the missing wood-wind parts, and by a cornet and trombone. The next step was to reinforce the Mustel organ by single wood-wind and two horns, together with a contra-bassoon to strengthen the basses. Next, the strings were augmented, and then the wood—wind; an extra trumpet, another trombone, a harp were added in turn, until a small permanent symphony orchestra of 37 carefully chosen players, with complete wood-wind, brass, and percussion, came into being. The organization is run on the "no deputy" system and can be augmented to 5o, 6o or more players selected from a list of regular reinforcements. And, as a permanent chorus was established about the same time, it soon became possible to arrange complete opera and oratorio trans missions as well as concerts of symphonic music : the broadcasting studio became an opera house or concert hall according to the requirements of the programme.
While these changes and developments were going forward in the London studios—the headquarters of British broadcasting, similar organizations were being built up at the other main stations of the company. By the end of 1924 there were eight other towns in England, Scotland and northern Ireland, each of which pos sessed its own permanent "Wireless" orchestra and choir, con ducted by a musician of experience and repute. For the first time in the history of British music, daily concerts were being given on all seven days of the week, by orchestras and choirs capable of undertaking the mcst serious and important works in practically every branch of music. Light and popular music naturally formed the backbone of the programmes: as interest in wireless spread, the newcomers to the great body of listeners naturally included many thousands to whom serious music was a new thing. A gradually increasing proportion of the best music of every age and country was broadcast, and at least once a week, something of the standard of a symphony concert was broadcast from every station of the company.
Some system was needed, to prevent overlapping and omis sion, and a scheme was prepared in accordance with which the so-called "standard music" was performed regularly on a definite plan.
Nor was it only orchestral and choral music which was thus carried into most British homes. Chamber music, songs, and instrumental pieces have all been cultivated with the same care and thoroughness. At the London station a special feature was made of contemporary chamber music. Apart from the regular broadcasts of established masterpieces, a series is organized each season with the specific object of presenting to British listeners something of the latest developments in the chamber music of all schools and countries. In that way Great Britain has kept in touch with modern tendencies.
But transmissions of music from the stations were by no means the sole consideration of the Company and, later, of the Corpora tion. It was soon realized that greater value and interest could be given to the programmes by the broadcasting of public con certs. But here, strong opposition from existing concert organ izations had to be faced, so strong indeed that the company had to institute its own public concerts. These were inaugurated by a short season at the Central Hall, Westminster, in the winter and spring of 1924 and 1925. A number of concerts in the provinces were also relayed, notably those of the Halle Orchestra, Man chester,—which was, incidentally, the first organization to recog nize the permanent importance of broadcasting,—the Scottish Orchestra, the Liverpool Philharmonic Society, the Birmingham City Orchestra, and others which were alive to the value of the new service.
During 1924 and 1925, a further series of symphony concerts was arranged by the B.B.C., in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Later, the Albert Hall was tried, with an orchestra enlarged to 15o players, to meet the acoustical shortcomings of that vast auditorium. Eventually, however, the Queen's Hall, whose lessees were originally unflinching opponents of wireless music, opened its doors to broadcasting, and by the autumn of 1927, the real centre of London, as of British, music, became also the scene of the B.B.C.'s most important concerts. It will no doubt remain so until such time as the Corporation finds itself the possessor of a concert hall.
Since the autumn of 1928, choral works at these concerts have been sung by "The National Chorus," a voluntary body of 25o picked voices recruited by the B.B.C. from choral societies in the London area. Its members are all pledged to continue in active membership of their original societies, the B.B.C. hoping thus not only to avoid trespassing, but even to assist the cause of British choral music.
In 1927 the Corporation assumed responsibility for the Queen's Hall Promenade Concerts, which were on the point of coming to an untimely end. With Sir Henry Wood as conductor, the Cor poration carried out a series of concerts on the traditional lines, following it in 1928 with a longer and equally successful season. Co-operation with other concert undertakings throughout the country is extending, and in 1928 the Corporation joined hands with several local authorities to found the National Orchestra of Wales, to give regular symphony and popular concerts in Cardiff. Side by side with its development of public symphony concerts, the Corporation has cultivated opera, not only by transmissions from the studios with a repertoire ranging from Monteverdi and Handel to Puccini, Debussy and Schonberg, but also by broad casts of performances under the management of the International Company at Covent Garden, the British National, and Carl Rosa companies.
To sum up, it is not too much to say that every form of music, in the best form in which it can be heard,—from the Three Choirs Festival or the great cathedral services, through all the range of oratorio, opera, choral and symphony concerts, down to dance music and revues, in Britain, and even, by means of continental relays, abroad, has been, in the first six years of British broad casting, brought within the reach of every home throughout the country. (P. P.) When wireless was first considered for amusement purposes in the United States it was recognized that a new set of problems would have to be solved to meet conditions that were very differ ent from those encountered in wireless used for commercial pur poses, the only use made of it until that day. It was also recognized at the outset that the most important factor in the broadcasting of amusements would be the transmission of music. Its general appeal and its wide range both instrumentally and in composition gave promise of giving great variety of entertainment. But natu rally there was ignorance at first as to (1) what types of music could best be broadcast and (2) what kinds would most readily interest the listening public. One thing, however, was certain, namely, that a far better kind of reception for the listener would have to be developed than had been attained for commercial uses. At this time, those who had devoted their time to wireless were largely engineers and their associates who were primarily concerned with its mechanical problems, but obviously if musical performances were to be introduced this demanded qualified direction and the careful study alike of the technical considerations involved and of the tastes of the public.
In the result, solo singers, male and female, were heard first; then chamber music organizations, such as string quartets and wood-wind ensembles; and finally full orchestras. As to the kind of music chosen it was found from the first that "popular" music made inevitably the widest appeal and further that with the then increasing craze for jazz music, the jazz orchestra was a par ticularly useful medium for broadcasting purposes; and jazz has remained in a prime position during the years intervening, a fact due both to the popular taste in music and to the exceptionally happy manner in which the typical jazz orchestra lends itself to effective transmission. Those, therefore, who may be disposed to decry the prominence given to this kind of music in broadcast ing programmes must find a reason, if not a justification, for it in this fact.
Voices at first presented severe problems, especially the high soprano, which in spite of considerable research and careful ad justments remains still the most difficult kind of voice to broad cast. The contralto voice, on the other hand, is generally satis factory, the like applying to tenors, barytones and basses. In the case of vocal ensembles the male quartet has proved a far better medium than the mixed quartet, a fact which is accountable for the large number of excellent male quartet performances which are to be heard in radio programmes to-day. So far as choruses are concerned, it has not been found practicable to broadcast more than from 16 to 20 voices from a broadcasting studio. But suc cessful broadcasts of larger bodies have been made from what is known as a "remote control," that is by placing the microphone in a concert hall when a public performance is being given.
And the same plan has been adopted with good effect in the case of orchestral music, such famous organizations as the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony and the New York Symphony orchestras, to name but three of many, having all been constantly heard in this way. The last-named orchestra has also been broadcast from a special studio in New York in a series of performances separate and distinct from its own regular concerts. In this manner the performances of these great symphonic or ganizations have been enjoyed by millions of music lovers who would otherwise never have had an opportunity to hear them and so have been enabled to make acquaintance, in many cases for the first time, with some of the most important works of the great masters.
Ranging between jazz and symphony, radio broadcasters have to a certain extent presented music in all other divisions of musical literature as well. Thus chamber music, religious music, operetta and musical comedy have all been represented. In the case of chamber music it is perhaps worth while pointing out that special care should be exercised in regard to the works chosen. For unless the listener to whom chamber music is new finds this music of distinct appeal, he will in no sense be won by it and will in evitably turn his dial, exercising a prerogative which is every radio listener's. Works of a decidedly melodic nature are the safest for broadcasting purposes, as has been established in numerous tests. On the other hand, harmonic subtleties which may come through well enough in concert performances are apt to suffer badly in radio transmission and thus only an imperfect account of a composition of this type is presented to the listener.
In general it may be said that there is certainly a wide field for all types of programmes and that the future of broadcasting would seem to depend on its universality of appeal more than on anything else. Commercial broadcasting, that is, hours of broad casting which are paid for by large commercial corporations, has in many cases arrested the wheels of progress in this field, the desire too often being merely to interest the largest number of listeners by means of performances of the most popular and obvious types of music, in presentations often undignified and boisterous. But this would seem to be but a passing phase, and the more enlightened broadcasters of this class have long since begun to recognize the value of good music in their appeals to the unseen public.
Attempts have been made to broadcast recitals of organ music, as well as performances on the organ in church services, many of which are regular features of Sunday radio programmes. On the whole, however, the organ does not broadcast well, owing partly to its excessive volume, which is apt to present difficulties to the operators responsible for its transmission. Fearing, consequently, that the full organ will "blast" and generally work havoc, the latter are inclined too often to adopt excessive toning-down methods which are fatal to satisfactory results so far as the hearer is concerned.
Nor is it only organ music which suffers in this way. Indeed, the situation which obtains to-day as regards the artistic sending out of music requires the attention of all serious-minded musicians and music lovers. As has been already said, while wireless itself is not new, its application for the purposes of entertainment is still in its comparatively early stages; to which it may be added that it demands specially-trained and musically-equipped operators if the best results are to be expected. Yet in point of fact com paratively few of the earlier operators, whose standard of culture generally speaking hardly surpassed that of telegraphists, were so equipped, nor are they to-day, many of them possessing no knowl edge of music at all. Hence the unsatisfactory character of so many of the broadcast performances, as these men do not know the compositions which they are sending out and frequently, by a simple move of the hand on their boards, destroy a musical effect which an orchestra and conductor have perhaps spent hours of rehearsal to obtain.
The future, certainly as regards the broadcasting of concert music, or music that is of better quality than the popular music of the day, will call for operators schooled in musical literature, and sensitive to the effects which conductors, instrumentalists and vocalists are striving to achieve. The question is indeed whether the existing operators are to become musicians or whether those already musically trained should be chosen as operators; and there can hardly be any doubt as to the course which should be adopted. Hence it is probable that all radio stations of the future will be manned by musically-educated operators who will be capable of dealing in an efficient and artistic manner with the musical per formances which they are called on to send out.
There has been considerable speculation as to what the tastes of the radio audience really are. Arguments have been advanced contending that as a large percentage of this audience is un familiar with concert music, the projecting of programmes of this kind of music on the air cannot satisfy the general taste. There would seem, however, to be another side to this. In the drama and in all departments of the stage, whether light opera, grand opera, or musical comedy, there have always been those who believe in giving the public the obvious, and frequently, the meretricious, classifying this procedure under the head of giving the public "what it wants." A consideration of the history of the stage offers convincing proof, however, that in the long run this is not always the soundest or even the most profitable policy. On the contrary, managers of the more far-sighted class have con stantly produced works with limited appeal but definite artistic substance, which in time have become classics and whose original unpopularity has seemed incomprehensible to later generations. And, beyond question, this is the policy which will always corn mend itself to the idealist and to the director with vision, as opposed to the one who desires immediate success, universal ap proval and quick commercial profits.
Radio broadcasting in the United States of America will un questionably be obliged to make the choice between these con flicting policies. (A. W. KR.)