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RALDTHURSDAY, Oct. 27,1938GOUNOD'S FAUST OPENS THE OPERA SEASON RSCHM'D* Synch ro-Opera makes its first appearance in America at the Mosque in Richmond on Friday night, November 4, according to the announcement made today.Synchro-Opera. originated by a young Russian-American conductor, Vladimir Shavitch, is a term applied to a system which blends the performance of living singers with musical reproductions for the chorus and orchestration. In Richmond, Mr. Shavitch will conduct Gounod’s “Faust, synchronizing the stage voices of opera stars from the Metropolitan and Salzburg Opera Companies with the sound tracks made by world-renowned musical aggregations.Since those days in 1863 when Clara Louise Kellogg first sang the poignant music of Marguerite to a New York audience in crinolines and stock-cravats. Gounod's opera “Faust,” based upon the medieval story of Goethe, has held the leading place in the repertory of practically every opera company heard in America. It has been given more often than any other opera. The outstanding popularity of this fine old score has made it the initial production choice at the importantly grounded new organization called Opera-On-Tour, which, musically and dramatically, has set out to keep step with tomorrow.Opera-On-Tour, as its name might imply, essays to bring opera i within the reach of those who cannot sit under the shadow of the golden horseshoe of the Metropolitan Opera. But it goes farther than that; it brings a presentation of the most modern standards by virtue of the perfection of modern mechanical devices, the brilliance of such designers of costuming and settings as Signor Montedore, chief of the staff of Radio City, coupled with the stage direction of a Rein-sf:hardt-trained Brentano. The freshness of its presentation outstrips all previous efforts in the field of operatic production.But the re-vitalization of the stage picture is only a part of the step forward of Opera-On-Tour. Comprehending that the limitations of the usual small touring orchestra is an almost insurmountable one in the proper rendition of opera, this new organization has thrown precedent to the winds and, securing the services of the great London Philharmonic Orchestra under the leadership of Sir Thomas Beecham, recorded both the entire score of “Faust” orchestrally and the choral parts sung by the chorus of the Covent Garden Opera.Not content solely with those recordings in the replacement of the orchestra for Opera-On-Tour, Prof. Theremin, probably the leading savant in the field of phonetics, was commissioned to work upon and perfect controls which bring these magnificent recordings dynamically, rhythmically and tonally within the instant control of the conductor.The conductor and originator of this unique operatic production is Vladimir Shavitch, whose first presentations thus synchronally devised were given in London and Moscow, where they were received with such outspoken approbation that the reports were front page cable news by Walter Duranty to the New York Times.Richmond has been chosen for the premiere of this newest sensation in the field of opera and on November 4 will be given an opportunity to view and to hear this most modern production of Gounod's masterpiece, which, whether given in the manner of yesterday or surrounded by the debutante society of today, is still full of the devil.
Newspaper Details
Roanoke Rapids Herald
Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, US
Thu, Oct 27, 1938
Page 8
Full Page
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NY, USA 01 Feb 2025
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