The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, October 10, 1978-Page-7 A flawless Horowitz By MARK JOHANSSON If one ev~nt could be singled out as the high point of the 1978-79 University Musical Society year, it probably took place last Sunday. Clearly the sense of history and the outstanding solo vir- tuosity of Vladimir Horowitz made Sunday afternoon unique and memorable. Horowitz's performance was the opening concert of the 100th Choral Vladimir Horowitz Sunday, October 8, 1978 Hill Auditorium Polonaise-Fantasie, Op. 61 .,....Frederic Chopin Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55 .... Frederic Chopin Mazurka in B minor, Op. 33, No.4 Sonata in B-flat minor, Op. 35 ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frederic Chopin Moment Musical in B minor, Op. 16. No. 3 Sergei Rachmaninoff Moment Musical in E-fiat minor. Op. 16, No. 2...........Sergei Rachmaninoff Consolation ........................Franz Liszt Mephisto Waltz....................Franz Liszt large work and one of his most free and characteristic. The Polonaise opens with a series of dramatic chords which Horowitz played with authority and resonant bass. Soon, the rhythmic melody soared brilliantly over the accompaniment, and quickly ascending scales and chor- ds were used to form layers of sound or precise ornamentation, depending on the pedalling. HOROWITZ' STYLE is so romantic he can make melody from essentially non-melodious material, like the rapid right-hand chords and runs played against massive left hand chords which leap wild intervals. The Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55,'one of Chopin's most intimate wotks, displays a simple beauty, but is by'no means simple to perform. In the meldoy, Horowitz used a full, watm tone and an expressive rubato to create an emotional tension. After a mofe feverish middle section with a bold; ringing melody, the first section retiir- ns.' The piaftissimo at the end was played clearly, and with great delicacy and expression. Ch opin's Mazurkas are among t$e best examples of Romantic music in- spired by folk idioms. The Mazurka in B minor, Op. 33, No. 4, reflects the exiled composer's longing for his natiue Poland, and a first, simpler one ndte melody is contrasted with a second melody of charging chords. Here, the audience sat spellbound as Horowitz See HOROWITZ, Page 8 Daily Photo by ANDY FREEBERG Pianist Vladimir Horowitz treated an appreciative Hill Auditorium crowd to a flawless performance last Sunday afternoon. RE CORDS s Tormato Yes Alantic 19202 By MARTY LEVINE When the new Yes album has nine short songs and a genuinely ugly cover (with a bad pun besides!) something is either very wrong or very right. Ever since the success of their fourth album, Fragile, Yes has 'been in- creasingly involved with the or- hestration of synthesizers, the con- truction of sometimes free-form or "artsy" double-album-long works that develop. musical themes, and the prophesizing of some vague galactic community of man. Rock fans have been disturbed by the overseriousness and aloofness of the band, and the heavy, brooding quality that has per- vaded (and, in the opinion of some, ruined) their subsequent albums. BUT THE alienation of their listeners has caused the band to step back and re-assess their music. It appears that ,Yes has played out its cosmic liturgy in last year's fine Going For The One, and has foregone 25-minute songs for a chance to rock. In the new album, Tor- mato, Yes has harnessed the beauty and pretensions of art-rock to the power of electronic instrumentation. The result is a more rock-oriented Lp with less of last year's cathedral-type sound. The tunes in Tormato are intriguing, if not catchy - the band never stoops to conventional melodies. The many keyboards on this album are not over- bearing but tasteful. The intricate guitar work is no longer disturbing, but simply amazing in its speed and vitality. Lead composer and singer Jon An- derson's boy-soprano voice is a delight on "Circus of Heaven," a splendid trip through the bright fantastic. Cascading guitars and keyboards make Anderson's colorful lyrics very effective. Ander- son's son, Damion, even sings the closing line of the song. His voice is only a bit higher than his father's and just as sweet. Though it is shocking at first, this move fits Jon Anderson, who is ever the angelic and celestial child. "ARRIVING UFO" is a powerful composition, full of energy that lasts perhaps one explosion too long. Steve Howe's piercing guitar and Alan White's synthesized drums herald the coming of outer space to earth, and An- derson's lyrics, for once, bring an un- common lucidity to the event. "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" is a less suc- cessful version of last year's "Awaken," complete with slow build up, dramatic pauses, and the Yes trademark - a wash ot synthesizers. With this song Anderson has stretched his cosmic mind past the beautiful to the obscure and the incomprehensible, writing lyrics with a dour urgency that only he can understand. Crosby and Nash have probably done more for whales with their elegant "Wind on The Water," but Yes's "Don't Kill The Whale" is a good rocker. The lyrics are incredibly banal - "Don't hunt the whale, dig it, dig it" - and the group once again has taken to chanting the latin name of their song's sea-going creature. This is one step above "bop- shoo-wop," but only one step. "Whale" has a flying Rick Wakeman keyboard solo and driving guitars, and looks to be the Lp's hit single. "MADRIGAL" is the only acoustic song on the album, with a majestic mix of harpsichord and Spanish guitar. What would have been a love song with any other group has turned into a heady fantasy by Wakeman and Anderson, the group's spaciest dreamers. The sim- plicity of last year's "Wondrous Stories" makes this seem ponderous. Following, it is "Release, Release," which would have made a great show tune. Indeed, like their earlier hit, "Roun- dabout," "Release, Release" is about performing as a rock band. White's drum solo is the best ever on a Yes album, whipping the song's middle sec- tion into a very effective break. This section, surprisingly, is backed by fake crowd noises to capture the mood of a concert. Whatever strange melodies they've saddled themselves with, the talent of the individual musicians comes forth in a live performance. The questions about rock's purpose raised by the song are valid ones, especially for a group whose music is still developing. ".. . THE pressure's on, is there lack of consideration?" Anderson asks. And he concludes, "You won't see me in front, but you can't leave me behind." Yes, in this, their eleventh album, may finally be capturing an aLudience and a working style. For a band that's been around for "ten true summers long," this is truly something to rejoice about. 1 BRU BECK QUARTET Dave Darius Chris Dan QCT. 13, 14-8:30 pm with guest appearance by JACK BROKENSHA MUSIC hAI CENTER 350 Madison Avenue, Detroit BOX OFFICE: 973-7680 L Take 1-94 to southbound )-75. Use Madison Ave. exit Next Attraction: SAN FRANCISCO BALLET Oct. 18-22 Tickets by phone with MC, VISA or at door: $9.50, $8.50, $7.50, $5.50 f:-"... 7 N 'ili on o Dijffernt Mothers." '"Ths album constitutes a collaboration, experimental in nature, between Iim and myself It is an attempt for both of us to move outside our oWn recognizable boundaries and try neu directions- new forms of music which we rarely get to explore on our own. It is a chance to stretch, an opportunity to grow, andiz hell of a lot of fun.I <.. .. 1 .