This is a machine-generated transcript. Text is unformatted and may contain errors.
Leaving Mr Don as you know most often is a Robert Merrill was supposed to be with us here this evening but because of unforseen circumstances he had to cancel his plans I suppose you are acquainted with Mr Merrill Oh yes we've met before many times in fact some of our listeners may be familiar with the R.C.A. Victor recording we made together in one thousand nine hundred forty six the idea of detail a job and being funny to from the second act of laughter. And of course we are both members of the Metropolitan Opera Company and like me you know the people you work with Well it certainly is a very famous recording of Traviata music as matter of fact we intend to play it later this evening yes it was given special recognition by the first and last review of Recorded Music Awards is that So with that for a musical excellence or because the recording was exceptionally good or maybe both well as you know everyone lost of yet a music of course they have the was a great composer R.C.A. Victor recording technique and know how I made it finally recording I see on this album is A You've already had a great deal of experience in opera and I've watched like to ask you some questions about opera both past and present I wonder if you could tell us if you don't mind how you feel about the opera performances of today as compared with those of the so-called Golden Age of opera do you believe that operas given during the early part of the twentieth century were actually superior vocally and dramatically to those we see today that's a very good question Mr Doyle thank you and a hard one to answer for there it's not easy for us to GA The vocal qualities of a single first who were in their prime twenty thirty or forty years ago we can read about them and we hear discussions by opera fans who actually heard these heartless singers but I think we tend to glorified the past to forget the flaws and limitations these artists may possibly have had. If a realistic recordings of their voices were a variable we could of course compare them with present day operatic recordings and make a fair judgement yes I see what you mean it is regrettable that the performances of these artists couldn't be preserved in a more realistic form however I think there's another factor involved in this comparison that we can actually put our finger on that is the changed attitude toward opera on the part of both singles and the musical public that's an interesting you know could you elaborate on that statement for yes I mean that the whole concept of opera has changed in the last fifty years how do you mean it used to be that opera singers performed for a comparatively small audience and so they perfect their style of. The livery for that audience it is doubtful whether the musical taste of those who attended all but I was and saw this to Kate that as easily the taste of our modern opera fans. For one thing music lovers didn't have the benefit of high fidelity recordings to play in their homes whenever they wanted some good music. I don't mean to criticize the Arbil ity of the singles of those day of course but I don't think they had to meet the Kin critical approval of the anti republic as we do today well that's a really interesting and very analytical statement and it's very true that the musical tastes of the public have been cultivated by more realistic recordings people have learned so much about music through records that now they demand a great deal more from singers and other musicians than they did say twenty years ago and I suppose musicians in turn are always striving to improve their performances and I'm right yes that's right and that's how musical standards are raised it works out to everyone's advantage and progress in the real sense of the word. I'd like to go back to your statement about the change in the concept of opera to date as compared with out of the early one nine hundred there any other differences that you can see in our modern attitude toward opera I think Mr Edwards that opportunity is probably more theatrical and more dramatic than it used to be I say there is a greater integration now of all the components of opera voice of course thrust each setting lightning and so forth there is kinna attention to all details dramatic as well as musical and performance today the public demands Fina productions What do you think that this demand for final production carries over from the opera house in the operatic recordings to yes there is a big difference in the concept of operatic recordings just as in the after performances are see Victor's latest operatic recordings sounded just as theatrical and dramatic as if you were so. Sitting in the Opera House the egg sank to more fear of the performance and the power of the office as well as the volleys have all been transferred to a record through these realistic recording we have a permanent proof of the high quality of the opera performances being given today which really brings us to a very interesting bit of dreaming Could it be that in the far distant future our present their own might be referred to as the golden age of operatic recording like very much for being with us this evening with Albanese lots of success to you in the coming operas a one good night with the R.C.A. Victor records showcase offers now several brand new operatic recordings by a leech of uneasy with John Paul modelled conducting the R.C.A. Victor orchestra on one side of the red seal single record which Albany they sing the earlier you lay doing label from the first act available job by lessening.