THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursday, January 23,1969 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursday, January 23,1969 f ...._ d _: _. music" -!, . inevitable EVALUATION OF FACULTY? RC faculty to debate Ipass-fail gradings NOW SHOWING NATIONAL SENERAL CO.RPORA,7 FOX EASTERN THEATRE s(S FO AVILL-GE 375 No. MAPLE RD. '769.1300 NATIONAL EPNERAL COF~PORAr~. MON.-FRI. -7:00-9:15 SAT. -SUN. 2:15-4:30- '6:15-9:00 By R. A. PERRY He shuffles onto the stage like a shy, tired rabbit, this Grand Master who has perform- ed with and known all of the major musicians and composers of our century. Artur Rubin- stein's presence on the stage was awesome, for, like Eliot, or Picasso, or Flagstad, or Caruso he represents not only the best of his kind, but also history. As a musician, Rubinstein is not, only an expert pianist but an artist as well. What does it mean to say that a man is not only an excel- lent musician but an artist? It means, I suppose, that the per- former must not only possess a perfected technique, a develop- ed musical intelligence, and an integrated conception of the musical work at hand; many, many fine soloists possess such hard-earned qualities. The mu- sician who is an artist "as well" must somehow have perfected a spontaneous decision - making process in which the succession and development of notes and dynamics make one forget the very decisions involved. Aldous Huxley liked. to say that Beauty in a work of art' lives trapped within the ele- ments of construction and somehow independent of them. Certainly the transfixing and transporting insights of a work of "art depend on the elements of constructions, but these su- preme qualities can only be evoked when the succession or juxtaposition of elements in no way appears arbitrary, but seems formed only and perfectly out of the integral needs and balances of the art work itself. ed or prominent. Although I have always revered Schnabel's performance of the Impromptus for their plastic'turns of ingen- ious subtley, Rubinstein's rendi- tion accomplished the same un- interrupted reverie with even greater simplicity. Beethoven's "Appasionata" Sonata was offered as the main feature of the evening and one wondered whether, at 83 years, Rubinstein could pull it off. He did so magnificently, with in- credible control and power, and what fluffs occurred were flaws as if a freckle blossomed on the calf of Michelangelo's "David." Of this sonata, which comes between Beethoven's "Eroica" and his G major Piano Concer- to, the composer - intellectual Ferruccio Busoni wrote that "the melodic element . . gets lost in a kind of table-land of modulatory and figurative elo- quence." Busoni says thatin the first movement, "the persistent- rush and intensity of temper- ment take the place of what should be content." In opting for the longer melo- dic line (of Wagner), Busoni perhaps overlooks the exquisve- ness of the brief melodic turn- ings that emerge so painfully amongst the larger dynamic and structural developments. These Rubinstein brought out beauti- fully without sacrificing any of the drama or especially clarity of the larger issues. Most won- derful was the air of resignation in the bathetic ending of the first movement and also the upper register climax of the slw, repetitive second move- ment. The finale ended in an electrifying show of virtuosity -but for the sake of the piece and not the pianist! The second half of the pro- gram opened with some dreary Villa-Lobos- work ("The Baby's Family") but happily moved next to the music which Rubin- stein has been playing for 75 years: Chopin. The G-minor Ballade was taken much slower than Rubin- stein's 1960 recording and some of the flow and sparkle of that earlier performance escaped last night's more introspective and slightly stiff version. The F- sharp major Nocturne received a more model-ate approach too, with each note, of course, in place and fully felt. Withdthree standing ovations, the audience sadistically asked for more. By BARD MONTGOMERY The Residential College faculty will meet this afternoon to con- sider modification of the RC sys- tem of pass-fail grading. Suggestions to change the sys- tem are a response to the insis- tence of scholarship agencies and graduate schools that candidates submit grade point averages. Residential College students are graded only in literary college courses. They receive written evaluations, along with a mark of SGC survey finds values (Continued from Page 1) the average student, "who gets some bargains, some average deals, and occasionally pays the worst possible price for a product." McKay says consumer ignor- ance exists because students buy incidentals in.small quantities and not in one big shopping excursion. "Housewives buy a large amount of items all at once," he explains, 'and after two or three times they begin to realize how much excess money is coming out of their pockets. "A student on the other hand, buys a few incidentals at a time and probably doesn't realize that the extra dime he is paying might be due to deliberate price swell- ing." McKay supervised the pr4ce sur- veys which discovered that aver- age prices in Ann Arbor for toilet- ries were six per cent higher than prices in Birmingham, Michigan stores. Birmingham is a large suburb of Detroit. SCU feels the difference be- tween' individual stores may be explained by such variables as differing rent, overhead, and transportation of stock. However, this does not neces- sarily justify the price mark-ups. "If the merchant is justified in passing on his operating costs to the student consumer, the student is equally justified in seeking the most efficient, most reasonably operated stores, and shopping ac- cordingly." SGC will accept the report to- night at its weekly meeting. "pass" or "fail" in most RCj courses. Prof. Sheridan Blau, chairman of the RC's Pass-Fail Study Com- mittee, concedes that "it is unfair to match students competing for the same award against different criteria." Blau will suggest that RC fac-* ulty members adopt grading sys- tems that will most appropriately measure achievement in each specific course. RC Dean James Robertson says the current pass-fail system "is based on the belief that in small classes it makes much more edu- cational sense to write out an evaluation so that each student has a clear notion of his pro- fessor's estimate of his progress." "The absence of letter grades allows students to set their own pace without the constraints of a two-dimensional system," he ex- plains. Ivan Parker, associate director of financial aids, says his office examines transcripts submitted by RC applicants, but does not con- sider instructors' evaluations. "In borderline cases," he says, "we ask the RC staff if the stu- dent has better than a 'B' aver- age, or whatever the minimum standard is, and they say 'yes' or 'no' The faculty will also be asked to consider a proposal for the es- tablishment of a "Student-Faculty Advisory Committee on Teach- ing." The proposal, formulated by a study group, calls for the commit- tee to "recognize teaching excel- lence, and take note of faculty members who are unsuccessful in RC teaching and make appro- priate suggestions to the dean." Prof. Alan Guskin, a member of the study group, explains, "The purpose of the advisory committee is not to get rid of anybody on the faculty. On the whole the RC faculty is excellent, and an ad- visory committee is unlikely to be necessary. But the day may come when an advisory committee will be useful, and it hurts less to establish it now. This kind of thing can be most easily done in the RC. Hopefully, it may diffuse throughout the University." F' )JOHnnWAYNE TONIGHT T-LABS Discussion-pros and cons of sensitivity training 142 Hill St~ FRIDAY AND SATURDAY The incredible mind and music of BOB FRANKE and his eclectic non-band I"' ULYSSES'A SUPERB FILM!":I -Life Magazine 4 0 of Stanley Quartet: As usuol By JIM PETERS Likewise, for a musician to be I doubt if Artur Rubinstein knew that he had the Stanley an artist, nothing in the form- Quartet for competition last night, but it really doesn't matter. tion or recreation of his con- There was a goodly sized crowd at Rackham Aud. despite the ception of the music can appear allure of a star performing at Hillsuperfluous or p e r f u n c t o r y. Which is not to say, of course, The musicians played very well, and their music was fascinat- that there exists only one con- irg. I don't know who plans the Quartet's programs, but they are ception of a piece of music, only fine examples of balanced selection, mixing historical periods with that the execution of the ele- insight and brightening the standard repetoire with the sparkle of ments of that conception must twentieth century works. be "perfect." They began with Mozart. All the familiar Mozartean tools are Artur Rubinstein's pianism is found in his "Quartet in G Major, K. 387," the sprightly trills, the perfect not because his concep- ng melodic lines; and it's all balanced, all shaped and formed tion is necessarily right but be- , n ;ncause note follows note with by Mozart's pervading wit. complete inevitability, because First violinist Ross led the group into the opening allegro not one gesture has any tinge movement in perfect style. The movement begins with a lively of the perfunctory. No effect melody which is seen muted; and there is no dramatic ending, just serves any other master than the soft rustling of strings which dies away. the integrated insight which The thrilled cadences of the second movement passed to the leads the pianist through the lyric andante cantabile. The melody in the upper strings rides piece. aver celloruns, moving through very romantic turbulence. And young piano player -- Frager the finale springs to life like the ticking of tiny watches, motion Ashkenazy, Gould, Barenboim, which too dies away at the end after a quite dramatic false Cliburn, Watts, .Serkin, Brown- cadence. ing, Ogden, Petrov, and Graff- And the changing mood continued with Anton Webern's "Five man, to name a few-in which Movements for String Quartet, opus 5." These five sections were a each performer outdoes the good enough reason for me to miss that piano recital. Webern gets next in virtuosity and fervor, to some fine sounds out of these four men: shrieking harmonics, hear the quality of Rubinstein's pizzicato crashes. Shudderings in the cello move up through the playing becomes almost ana- strings; there are solos and duets in the second section, and some ronisticbu ertainl voice of strange guitar-like sounds come from the cello in the third part. Rubinstein's keyboard to those The five pieces are a battle-ground for conflicting sounds and of the younger pianists one may noises. And in the midst of all this come bitter melodic sections, think of the poetry of Robert writhing in high-pitched strings. And the "Five Movements" end Frost, deep and religious, to the with tihe style of the Mozart Quartet; fast nfurmurings quiet down declamatory style of Andrei to a lifeless climax. Voznesensky. The Stanley Quartet feels this music as much as Mozart or n sclari offablepressiorn was Haydn; and all their sensitivity, their timing, their timbre knowl- immediately seen in the two edge makes them masters of Webern and Bartok too. Schubert Impromptus from Op. 'Beethoven's furious "Quartet in F ,minor, opus 95," the last 90 which opened last night's piece, is as enigmatic as Beethoven ever gets. The first movement Hill Aud. recital. Nothing was flashes right to the end, and ,a short repeated cello line in the pushed, not one note overstress- second movement constantly signalled a lessening of the fury, a return to simple quiet melodies. The Stanley Quartet next performs on Wednesday, Feb. 26, C at Rackham. Although they probably won't have such famous com- petition then, I'd match them anytime against big stars. They are in-Cl i fie controlled, expert performers, -which I've said many times; and What's more, their concerts are free. <- - Sell' j 1 N fll C THURSDAY and FRIDAY TOUCH -OF EVIL Directed by Orson Welles, 1958 MARLENE DIETRICH ORSON WELLES CHARLTON HESTON in Daily "Welles at his most grotesque" C ,)7:0O&9:05 ARCHITECTURE - iasSIf eu s 662-8871 7AUDITORIUM "MAN AGAINST SOCIETY" showing DIAL 5-6290 ENDS ThursdayANTONIONFIS L'AVENTUBA SOne of intfernatioiAlcinema-ography' At Admitance will be denied to a ~AMl under 18 years of age. r. $lamg MRO O'SHEA "* BAB)ARA r0Ai AMURICE ROEVES " T. P. WcKIENNA " ANNA MANAIIAN Phodpced .1,4d',pctnd by 1OSEPH1 STORY( .Screnplan y 10}SEP11STAU anwd fPRED AINE S A WAFTER RAM( ORGAMEZAtIOUI PRESENTATION x*Rleasned by (,44r ' .r..W e LIMITED ENGAGEMENT-TUES. thru Fri, "ULYSSES" 7:00-'BALCONY" 9:15 ill. ............ 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