THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Thursday, February 25, 1970
THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursday, February 26, 1970
I ... i
cinema
'I AmCurious'
Are,'you?
By NEAL GABLER
If you hear a kind of communal pant, chances are it emanates
rom the Fifth Forum Theater. I Am Curious (Yellow) has arrived
n Ann Arbor, and a horde was on hand to greet it. Among the
irst nighters getting their jollies was very probably a contingent
rom Ann Arbor's finest as well as the DA's office. It's comfort-
ng to know that whenever those perverts across the sea try to
uin our minds, Eugene Staudenmeir will be here to protect us.
So much has been said about the film that its title has already
ecome synonomous for all the nasty things those demented
,uropeans try to peddle in our Puritan land. Why, I'll bet there
s a whole generation of youngsters who are convinced they'll get
yphillis if they even look at a marquee bearing those now-famous
iords. Because of all the hub-bub, it is pretty difficult to look at
he movie, objectively. If this were any ordinary film - if
ackie Kennedy hadn't gone to see it - what would I say?
records
Classics: A profusion of both good, bad
14ATIONAL -CFNFIAlCo"PpCn-TC'N
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PLAYING I1WILL E
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By R. A. PERRY
I wish that I could recom-
mend the new Beaux Arts Trio
performances of Mozart's Six
Trios for Piano, Violin and Cel-
lo. (World Series PHC 2-022).
The music combines the bouyant
lyricism of fast movements with
the languid serenity of andantes
in a manner that keeps a listener
constantly engaged. With trans-
parent textures, the composi-
tions are easy to follow and thus
intellectual delight adds to the
pleasures of sentiment. Though
not one of the six trios equals
Mozart's masterpiece, the
String Trio K. 563, the fine
works enevertheless have not re-
ceived the attention on records
that they warrant.
The new World Series release
cannot be whole-heartedly re-
commended for several reasons.
As a group, pianist Menahein
Pressler,'violinist Daniel Guilet.
and cellist Bernard Greenhouse
provide middle-of-the-road read-
ings that neither dare to give
the music the heft it will bear
nor strive to produce refine-
ments of precision that can yield
a valid performance on the oth-
er end of the limits of aesthetic
plausibility. They too often
phrase perfunctorily, too seldom.
sing with convincing feeling.
Daniel Guilet, who was the
leader of Toscanini's NBC Or-
chestra from 1951-1957, would
hardly seem the man to be in-
secure in pitch, but he is just
that on these records, and since
his slightly ambiguous placing of
notes does not seem aimed at
the creation of expressive phras-
ing, one can only mark him
down. Cellist Bernard G r e e n-
house is too little in evidence,
and even if one conceives of the
cellists presence here simply
to add a richer foundation,
Greenhouse still fails to emerge
sufficiently.
Another more objective disad-
vantage of these recordings lies
in the quality of recorded sound,
which ranges from excellent to
execrable. The first movement
of K. 502 has been recorded
with much presence and clarity;
flip the disc over for the second
and third movements and you
discover that the sound quality
is harsh, fuzzy and terribly dis-
torted.
These various deficits are a
shame, for there is much lovely
playing on these two records by
pianist Menahem Pressler, pre-
sently a Professor of Music at
the University of Indiana. His
touch is light but cutting where
need be, and his phrasing sensi-
tive and moving. He alone, how-
ever,'rcannot overcome the over-
all drab performances of these
playful works.
Another recording which fails
because of the artist's lack of
contact with the proper spirit
of'the music is a disc that marks
the U.S. debut of violinist Yosh-
io Unno. (Columbia MS 9411).
Mr. Unno. a product of the
Tokyo University School of
Music, appeared recently in Ann
Arbor with the NHK Symphony,
Japan's finest orchestra. In re-
viewing that concert, at which
Mr. Unno played Khachaturian's
pot-boiler concerto, I remarked
Well, for one thing, director Vilgot Sjomen, whose past credits
include 491 and My Sister, My Love, doesn't seem to be able to
make his point. He throws in a structure that is remarkably similar
to Stanton Kaye's Brandy in the Wilderness: is is a movie partly
about a'movie which happens to be the movie we're watching. If
you didn't get that don't feel bad. It takes several readings and
maybe several viewings.
Sjomen, who appears ccasionally, bemoans the fact that his
star and his love, Lena Nyman, isn't politicized. So he sets about
to politicize the character she plays in the film within the film.
The curious lady interviews common Swedes, Yevtushenko, Martin
Luther King,. Jr., and Olaf Palme. "Is there a class structure in
Sweden?" Somehow through her interviewing (Or is it through.
the script?), she gets radicalized. It's a tactic the poli sci people and
SDS might want to collaborate on. Survey research - the Great
Radicalizer.
But, as you probably know by now unless you've just gotten
back from an extended stay in Tahiti, Lena is curious about more
than politics. She meets Bone . . . For those of you who are
salivating, I'll say a few words about the love-making. It's all here
in lurid black and white with grunts, contortions and body move-
ments. Unfortunately, Lena has, in her own words, "droopy breasts
and a fat belly." That shouldn't bother most of you, I'm sure, but
if you're looking for Ali McGraw, be forewarned, you'll be getting
something closer to Shelley Winters.
For afl the nudity and even taking Sjomen's past efforts into
consideration, I Am Curious (Yellow) is not solely a sexploitation
film. After all, any film that deals honestly with society, especially
the sort of society we've been led to believe Sweden is, must say
something about sex. The thing that disturbs me about the movie
is not sex but politics. If it is supposed to be a movie about a
confused lass in a confused world, as I believe it is, then I think
,the film is less than successful; it seems to be just as confused as
everything else. The picture might have been better, and certain-
ly more entertaining not to say inspiring, if it had stuck to sex.
Sjomen does try to show us the craziness beneath the words
we speak. Sabotage-Fraternization-Non Cooperation. Those words
are used frequently, but the speakers are interchangeable. Social-
ists, conservatives, advocates of non-violence, all come out sounding
the same, andfor all her radical rhetoric, little Lena can't find an
island of sanity to commit herself to.
But society's confusion is neither startling nor original. And
even though that's the primary message of the film, I Am Cur-
ious (Yellow) tells us much more. Its real message is that some-
thing must be terribly wrong with US when such a whimper can
'ignite such a bang.
letters
A Daily reviewer's
campus-widet aimage
that the violinist possessed an
admirably prodigious technique
but that he stood miles from the
expressive spirit of the music.
Well, ditto for this recording,
on which Mr. Unno tackles Sar-
asate's Zigeunerweisen, S a i n t-
Sains' Introduction and Rondo
Capriccioso, the two Beethoven
Romances, and the sugar-floss
tidbits of Massenet's Meditation
and Tchaikovsky's "Melody"
from Souvenir d'un lieu Cher.
Such programming w o u 1d
perhaps not be so bad if Mr.
Unno had some' feeling for the
flavor of gypsy music. It is in-
credible to read that he stud-
ied with Joseph Szigeti, the
master par excellence of an ebul-
lient, free, "digging" style. On
this new recording, Mr. Unno
simply does not have, for all of
his enormous technical prowess,
the necessary flavor of schmaltz
in his tempurament.
The following recordings I.
found worthy of adding to my col-
lection for the reasons briefly
stated below.
Many are familiar, through
78's or occasional Lp repressings,
with the work of Serge Kous-
sevitzky as conductor of the
Boston Symphony; fewer, no
doubt, are familiar with Kous-
sevitzky as composer. Compos-
ers Recordings, Inc., has just
released an interec.ting disc that
features Koussevitzky's Con-
certo for Double Bass and Or-
chestra. (CRI SD 248) The first
few bars seem to promise a
satire on Beethoven's Eroica,.
and indeed the concerto hardly
explores the avant-garde prem-
ises available in 1902, the year
of its composition.
Still, given its conservative
stance, the work is sufficiently
melodic, ruminating, and dra-
matic to hold attention; Kous-
sevitzky, who began his career
as a bass player, writes con-
vincingly for the instrument,
though less praise can be laid
upon his orchestration, which is
very thin in spots. Bass soloist
on the CRI recording is Gary
Karr, who, as all 23 living en-
thusiass of that instrument
will tell you, is the reigning bass
virtuoso. This CRI recording
also offers the only present re-
cording in Schwann of Ernest
Bloch's Sinfonia Breve.
Enthusiasts of -Renaissance
music are more numerous, and'
thus the "Seraphim Guide to
Renaissance Music," a three
disc set on the budget Seraphim
label, should sell well. It should
also sell well because the per-
formances of the Syntagma
Musicum of Amsterdam are
thoroughly excellent; using au-
thentic ancient instruments and
singing in Latin, French, Ital-
ian, Spanish, Dutch, etc., the en-
semble traverse five centuries of
vocal and instrumental, secular
and religious music The instru-
ments provide fascinating
sounds, i.e., a gemshorn, a flute
made from the horn of an ibex
is used to render a work by Al-
fonso el Sabio, 1230-1284. Several
exciting dances from the Ital-
ian trecento are presented by
shawm and percussion ensem-
bles.
This three-record set, which is
excellently recorded and anno-
tated, was originally available
only as an expensive Electrola
import; at its budget price, this
winner of both a Grand Prix du
Disque and the Edison Award
represents an extraordinary buy.
Shostakovich's popular F i f t h
Symphony has received m o r e
propulsive and caustic perform-
ances of its allegretto and al-
legro movements, but seldom
has the largo ever received such
gorgeous, full-bodied string
sound as the Philadelphia Or-
chestra give it on Columbia MS
7279.
Connoisseur Society has re-
leased (CS 2012) the longest
single raga ever recorded; A 11
Akbar Khan, sarodist, performs
The Rag Kanara Prakaar, a n
evening raga eight minutes in
duration, and manages to ap-
proximate more closely the cu-
mulative effect of performances
that in India run all night.
4-
BEN KADISH PETER YATES JONMORTIMETR P. RYN uJONES c; S
C,.n,, hl , 1*,CE
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ONE SHOW
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AT 7:20
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8-6415
DUSTiI HOFFMAN
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music
A trip into Beethoven
3020 Washtenaw, Ph. 434-1782
Between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor
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By JIM PETERS
,There were, I suppose, many
factors which influenced the
choice of the four quartets per-
formed by the Stanley Quartet
to celebrate the Beethoven year;
but of the four, the two quartets
given in recital last night at
Rackham supplied the best.ma-
terial, displaying the skill of the
performers and delineating the
identity of the composer.
The Quartet in F minor, opus
95 contrasted well with the fol-
lowing piece on both levels. It is
a brief, furious excursion into
Beethoven's harmonic talents,
four rapid movements of voice
tension. If it were a matter of
purely elucidating the counter-
point of the sections, the Stan-
ley Quartet's performance would
have been more enjoyable. But
here the sustained motion of'
the quartet, the sharp contrast
of motifs, must be retained
throughout the entire piece.
Certainly the opening allegro
was played with out con brio
gusto, as intonation troubles
plagued the first violin. Dyna-
mics, however, were well in hand
with sharp balance emphasizing
the Juxtaposed ideas. In the
next movement the brilliant sec-
ond violin seemed more sure of
its contrapuntal prowess, and
it was not until the hesitant
bridge to the third that the
Quartet had fully mobilized its
potential.
After their equivocation of
the beginning, the players'
* energy and enthusiasm began
to match the power of the quar-
tet. The forzando-piano con-
trasts of the central section,
whirring towards the finale, at
last seemed real; and the fury
of the opening relented only for
the introvertive trio.
With the fourth movement's
return to F minor came the
tenseness that had been merely
hinted at previously. In the ma-
jor coda the four musicians re-
solved all their difficulties, con-
tributing sure craftsmanship to
the music's intensity which sud-
Oenly just stops.
The more broadly designed
B-flat Major Quartet from
Beethoven's opus 130 was excel-
lent. Perhaps, the fuller develop-
ment of lines present in this
quartet allowed for more de-
liberate execution; perhaps, the
group itself was more comfort-
able in this music.
The quartet's tight ensemble
complemented their expansive
interpretation, each melody set
gem-like into the fabric of the
piece; and the steady rise of
emotion, begun even in the ada-,
gio ma non troppo, proved their
sensitivity.
The second and third move-
ments were the most vibrant.
Bright rhythms moved through
the presto with sotto-voce wiz-
ardry only to be examined more
closely in the andante where
instrumental motion carried the
conversation expressively.
Although the alla d a n z a
tedesca is meant more as an in-
termission between slow move.
ments, the quartet used it as a
sympathetic transition to the
langorous cavatina, signalling
contemplation before the mas-
sive Grosse Fuge which was
meant to follow.
The peripatetic rondo which
superceeded the Fuge as sixth
movement is a masterful, if not
equally weightyhreplacement.
The playing here suggested
monolithic strength; and yet,
each voice was precise, building
through power, not with it.
Stopping after only four quar-
tets is probably a difficult thing
for the Stanley Quartet to do.
They have given us their Beet-
hoven; and, perhaps, last night
there were some glimpses into
who that cranky German really
was.
Admission $3.00
Ticket Information 764-6118
BOX OFFICE HOURS: FEB. 23-26, 12:30-5 P.M.; FEB. 27-28,
MAR. 2, 3, 12:30-8 P.M. (CLOSED SUNDAY, MARCH 1)
School of Music and Deportment of Art 0 University of Michigan
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Operetta by
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Conductor: JOSEF BLATT
Stajge Direction:
RALPH HERBERT
FEBRUARY 27 and 28
ARCH. 2 and 3
Mendelssohn Theatre
8 P.M.
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Center for East European Studies
and Department of Anthropology
THURSDAY, FEB. 26-4:30 P.M.
JEAN POUILLON
-Anthropologist & Editor of Les Temps Moderne
"Sartre et Levi-Strauss"
in French, no translation
WEST CONFERENCE ROOM, RACKHAM
To the Editor:
I am not one to make a habit
of writing to newspapers but in
this case the. circumstances dic-
tate the necessity of some form
of reaction. I am refering to
your insipid and odious com-
ments about the concert on Sa-
turday night. "Cannonball Ad-
derly was nothing special, just
'good' " according to y o u r
critic who feigned some degree
of musical sophistication.
I have no idea of the state
of mind he was in while attend-
ing the concert. Perhaps that
was his problem. He attended
it, he didn't participate. Perhaps-
he sat too far back in the audi-
torium. Maybe if he had seen
the performers faces, the joy
and the tension, he might have
viewed it differently. I myself
have never been so moved by any
performance as I was Saturday
night.
All this aside though, the is-
sue still remains: why are re-
views in the Daily so cynical?
You view things through the
eyes of a pseudo-sophisticate. and
pass off the vision as the
The Michigan Daily, edited and man-
aged by students at the University of
Michigan. News phone: 764-0552. Second
Class postage paid at Ann Arbor, Mich-
igan, 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor,
Michigan 48104, Published daily Tues-
day through Sunday morning Univer-
sity year. Subscription rates: $10 by
carrier, $10 by mail.
Summer Session published Tuesday
through Saturday morning. Subscrip-
tion rates: $3.00 by carrier, $3.00 by
mail.
"truth." Perhaps your goals are
being attained however. Your,
reviews are read and discussed
by all and they are quickly be-
coming a campus wide stand-
ard for judgment; if the Daily
doesn't like it, it is probably
worth seeing.
Ken Jacobs
To the Editor:
I just finished reading your
review of my play Esperanza.
I felt that most of your crit-
icisms were quite justified and
the only thing that really dis-
turbed me is that you seemed
to be treating the play as a
drama. That was never my in-
tention in writing it. I consider
it a comedy with many elements
of pure farce.
I don't know if this would
have made any difference in
you review, but, just in case
there was any misunderstanding
on this point, I wanted to clear
it up.
Susan J. Shaw
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Program information 662-6264
HELD OVER
2nd
BIG WEEK!
CHARLIE. BUBBLES
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Directed by ALBERT FINNEY
Starring: ALBERT FINNEY, LIZA MINELLI
FRIDAY and SATURDAY, FEB. 27 & 28
Aud. A, Angell Hall, 7 & 9:30 P.M.
.75c
Next Week: BONNIE AND CLYDE
SHOWS AT:
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Teacher:j BALKAN FOLK DANCES
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Fri., February 27, 8-12-Elementary and Intermediate
Sat., February 28, 1:30-5-Intermediate and Advanced
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