Radio Digest (Mar 1928-Oct 1929)

RADIO DIGES T — Illustrated 67 World Celebrities Heard Over Radio Improved Broadcasting Brings Stars to Microphone to Give Their Best — Brief Biographies TIMES have changed. Not so long it would have been considered practically an insult to have asked one of the great opera or concert stars to broadcast over the Radio. "The idea! Radio is simply a boy's toy — an electrical plaything to amuse the youngsters of a scientific turn of mind." But all that has been changed. No artist is too rare and superior to "go on the air" in these days. The greater they are the more important it is that they should cultivate their Radio audiences. Today there are thousands familiar with the works of the great stars where there ■ were only scores before. Some of the most prominent celebrities to be heard over the Radio are represented in the short biographical sketches that follow. ALDA, FRANCES, Soprano (Ahl-dah). Frances Alda's amazing versatility is one of the most conspicuous of the many gifts bestowed upon her by nature in a prodigal mood. A mere list of the operas in which she has sustained leading soprano roles would fill a paragraph. Since making her debut in "Rigoletto" at the Paris Opera Comique in 1904,' she has sung a great number of exacting roles. As the wife of Giulio Gatti-Casazza, general manager and impresario of the Metropolitan Opera, she has long taken a prominent place as a factor in American musical affairs, and her vocal gifts have won her countless friends at the opera and on the concert platform. Perhaps the fact that she was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, has given her a special sympathy with American musical aspirations. Her voice is singularly fresh and sweet, though capable of remarkable color -shading. AMATO, PASQUALE, Baritone (Ah-mah-toh, Pahs-kwahl-leh). Pasquale Amato was born in Naples, and was not originally destined for a musical career. After his voice developed under the teaching of famous masters, however, it became evident that he was destined for operatic success. One of the most gifted baritones of the day, he has achieved success not only in Italy, but also in London and other European music centers, as well as South America. He made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera house in New York, 1908, in "Traviata." BACHUS, WILHELM, Pianist (Back-hus, Vil-helm). Wilhelm Bachus has been touring the world, as a concert pianist, at intervals since 1900, when, as a lad of sixteen, fresh from the hands of Eugen d'Albert, he was recognized as an artist of the foremost order — one of the few who reach that goal of perfect artistry so many strive for, and strive for vainly. He was born at Leipzig, the home of so much of the world's really great music. In 1905 he began teaching in England, where he won the Rubinstein prize for piano-playing. He made a notable tour of the United States in 1912-14, and he has repeated this with the highest kind of recognition vouchsafed the artist. His playing is characterized by a brilliant, sound technic with a sutble and delicate sense of tone-color, and a feeling for the musical phrase like that of the poetic phrase in words. BAUER, HAROLD, Pianist (Bow-urr). Harold Bauer is an artist of intellect fired with emotion. He was born in England, but, as his name indicates, of German, and of Welsh, descent. When only ten years old, he made his debut, in London, as a violinist, and he for nine years toured Great Britain in this capacity. He then met Paderewski, who strongly advised him to study further, in Paris; and while teaching the violin there, he studied and mastered the piano, which he ever since has made his chosen instrument of expression, and which he plays with an art which admits of few rivals. He made his debut as a pianist in 1893, and first appeared in the United States in 1900. He has toured everywhere, has upheld the finest and most robust ideals of music throughout the world, and now, with mature life, has come into that place in the art-life of the world which is given to but very few. BESANZONI, GABRIELLA. Garbriella Besanzoni is one of the great mezzo-contraltos of the younger generation. She is by birth a Roman, and it was in the Imperial City that she first made her operatic debut at the Costanzi theater. Her fame spread rapidly as she appeared at one Italian opera house after another, including La Scala at Milan. She appeared then with high honors at the Reale of Madrid and the Liceo of Barcelona. Her "Santuzza" in Italy was a triumph, as was her "Carmen" in Spain, where, as a rule, this opera had formerly been received with coldness. South American and Mexican engagements led to her coming to the United States, where she was instantly engaged to sing with the Metropolitan Opera company. Signorina Besanzoni's voice is remarkable for its range and beauty. She has mastered roles as unlike as Amneris in "Aida," and Norma in the opera of the same name. BOHNEN, MICHAEL, Baritone, is the possessor of an unusually powerful, rich baritone voice that is capable of negotiating the most difficult operatic roles with that splendid brilliancy and ease which can be acquired only through years of experience and performance. Bohnen was born in Cologne, and first sang in concert at the age of fifteen. From that time his appearances were one success after another. His debut in opera was made in Dusseldorf where he rapidly gained recognition and soon became one of the leading members of the company. Then Count Von Hulsen, the intendant of the Berlin Royal opera, heard of his sensational success and obtained his services for Berlin. He has been a member of the Bayreuth Festival since 1910, and was formerly the leading baritone in all the great Wagnerian parts at Covent Garden,. London. He is now a member of the Metropolitan Opera company and of the Vienna Opera company. BONELLI, RICHARD, Baritone, is the newest of the young Americn musicians to have his name written in capital letters for his successes on the operatic stage. Now, in his second year as a principal baritone of the Chicago Civic Opera, Bonelli is one of the important members of that great organization. For Bonelli has not alone a remarkable voice, he possesses all the other attributes necessary to operatic success — confidence, intelligence, personality, musicianship and dramatic fire. The quality of Bonelli's voice resembles more the Italin timbre than that of the northern voice. It is rich, full, powerful and sonorous, with warmth and range. Bonelli comes by his musical talents naturally, as several members of his family were accomplished musicians. He was born in Port Byron, N. Y., and his younger days were spent in Syracuse, where he went to the public schools and later became a student of Syracuse university, bent on a career of mechanical engineering. Aside from his college studies, Bonelli took up the study of music, and languages, which interested him so greatly that he determined to give up engineering. After his graduation from college, Bonelli went abroad to study with the great Jean de Reszke, who told him that he had a great gift of dramatic instinct. The young American artist later completed his studies in America and his debut was made at the Academy of Music in Brooklyn as "Valentine" in "Faust," in which opera he scored a tremendous success in his first year with the Chicago Opera. Returning to Europe, he was engaged with the Monte Carlo Opera. His sviccess was so notable here that Bonelli's services were immediately in demand all over Europe, and he subsequently appeared in important opera houses in Italy, Munich, Hamburg, Dresden, Berlin, Paris and Havana, Cuba, in the leading baritone roles. Bonelli's first appearances with the Chicago Opera were made in 1925 and his success was instantaneous. Bonelli has recently appeared with the Los Angeles and San Francisco Opera companies and in concert. BORI, LUCREZIA, Soprano (Boh-ree). Lucrezia Bori's real name is Lucrezia Borgia (or Boria, in Spanish), but she prefers to be known as Bori. Though of Italian descent, she is a native of Valencia, Spain. Permited to follow her obvious destiny as a singer, she went to Milan for study, and eventually made her debut in Rome as Micaela in "Carmen." Her first season was very successful, and she followed it up with success in South America. After another European season she was engaged for the Metropolitan Opera company in New York. The memory of her success at our leading opera house is still fresh in the minds of music-lovers, and she needs little further introduction. She is one of the youngest singers ever heard in opera in this country, and her youth and beauty, together with her lovely voice and dramatic ability, make her unique. CASALS, PABLO, Violoncellist (Kah-sahls, Pahb-loh). Pablo Casals is such a recognized master of the violoncello, that it is common knowledge that whenever he visits a city, its orchestras are likely to be bare of cellists, as they all flock to hear him play. This great artist was born in Vendrell, near Barcelona, Spain, in 1876. He was the son of an organist, from whom he learned to play the violin, flute and piano. At twelve he took up the 'cello, began to win prizes, and in a year or two he began his concert career, which has brought him the highest honors that may come to an artist, including the profound admiration and respect of those of his own craft. His playing is almost unbelievably smooth, finished and elegant. CHALIAPIN, FEODOR, Bass (Shal-yah-pin, Fed-or). This remarkable Russian basso is not simply a singer but an artist; not merely a personality but a man. Being such, he has had not a "career," but a life. He was born at Kazan, Russia, in 1873. At 7 he was a cobbler's apprentice; he became wood-carver, book-binder, pawn-broker's clerk, novice in a monastery of the Russian church, and longshoreman on the Volga at 17 cents a day. At 17 he was in comic opera at $6 a week — machinist, prompter, stage manager, singer, all in one. Not long afterwards he was singing in Moscow at $6,000 a year. He upset all stage tradition, expanding, not breaking, rules. In Boito's "Mefistofele" he appears with the upper half of his body nude and covered with luminous paint. CHAMLEE, MARIO, tenor, is an American artist, born in Los Angeles, California. He is one of the youngest of the great artists of today and his musical career has been a rather phenomenal one, inasmuch as he leaped to fame in an amazingly short time. While a student at the University of California, Chamlee first demonstrated his great vocal ability in a college musical show. He studied under Alberti of Los Angeles. Then his unusual career began. Each appearance seemed to push him further up the ladder of musical fame until now he is recognized as one of the world's greatest living tenors. His operatic .debut was made as ' 'Mario Cavaradossi" in "Tosca," with the Metropolitan Opera company of New York City, and has been a member of this famous organization ever since, and his popularity is ever increasing. Mario Chamlee's voice is alive with youth, personality and power such as is found in only a few great artists. His great number of admirers is increasing at a rapid rate through his splendid recordings on Brunswick records. As a foremost member of the New Hall of Fame, Chamlee has achieved a most enviable position. COATES, ALBERT, Conductor and Symphony Orchestra. Albert Coates. despite his English name, is of Russian birth, although of mixed English and Russian parentage. He has conducted and trained orchestras in almost every country, it would seem, in which the symphony orchestra is known as a type of musical organization. A student of Nikisch's, he began conducting in public at Leipzig itself; thence took charge of various operas throughout Europe. In 1911 he became chief conductor of the old Imperial Opera; later he went to England, and then came to the United States as guest conductor, later as conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic orchestra. He is a composer of pronounced ability; a musician of profound