Page Two THE MICHIGAN DAILY Saturday, October 31, 1970 A Page Tw, THE MICHIGAN DAILY Saura, Otoer31 17 music Contemporary sound in a boring display By JOE PEHRSON I can't say the evening of the last concert of the Contemporary Music Festival series was entirely wasted. In particular, I learned the method by which one makes music, which is only mediocre in its own right, important. Glenn Gould claims the concert situation is dead. I do hope the pretentious atmosphere of the Friday night concert at Hill audi- torium turns its ceremony into funereal rights. The separation of audience from the music presented was incredible. Musical concepts were transcribed into visual display, the concert hall display, and conveyed to the listener in a package that reminded one of some ostentatious Christmas wrapping. Music, which in its own right, couldn't claim conceptual importance was emphasized by these methods - methods which have no place inside or outside any musical establishment. I found it tremendously difficult to get past this atmosphere, but since there was music presented on this program (I'm tempted rather to evaluate the display, certainly the focus of attention for this concert) some comments should be made on the material. The University Chamber Choir presented three works which wre discouragingly similar. Ginastera's "Two Chorales" from the opera Bomarzo served as a pleasant, but unstimulating locus for the other works - "Psalm 54" by Charles Ives, and two pieces, by Schoenberg: "Verhundenheit" and "De Profundis". Ginastera's piece was a locus in terms of dissonance: both Schonberg pieces and the Ives piece have greater dissonance. Un- fortunately, this slight difference in dissonance level was the only real distinction between the three works, really too similar to be presented in a choral sequence. The Ives was disturbingly muddy. I believe this was more than an acoustical problem - although bad acoustics attributed to this problem. Ives is tremendously difficult to perform properly, and I was left with the impression that appropriate emphasis was not placed on the individual elements in this piece. In fact, what might have been an amazingly interesting piece was actually drab, and usually its tremendously difficult to destroy the enthusiasm inherent in any of Ives' work. "De Profundis" (Psalm 130), by Schoenberg, the other piece worth mentioning separately, includes elements of "sprechstimme", Schoenberg's spoken elements. This contrast created some interest which was lacking in the other pieces. Ginastra's "Piano Concerto" is a pretentious gem. Some of it, surprisingly enough, is actually good. Barbara Nissman, soloist, should be complimented for a spectacular performance, both in technique and conception. She had an amazing sensitivity to music which, in many cases, was not really worth the effort. Tech- nically, this performance wa almost flawless - quite spectacular. Unfortunately, the performance by the University Symphony Orchestra, in the concerto, was nowhere near as good. The last movement, in particular, was atrocious. As a friend of mine suc- cinctly stated, Ginastera "copped out" after the second movement. The first movement "Cadenza e varianti" was quite good, and allowed for some interesting interplay between orchestral and solo piano elements. This movement included some of the better music by Ginastera I have yet heard. The second movement "scherzo allucinante" began quite well but ended with some stylized serial elements which were really out of place. The third movement "Adagissimo" was tiringly dry, and the performance of the last movement "Toccata concertata" made it impossible to tell what the music was like. The last piece on the program "Estudios Sinfonicos" by Ginas- tera was an appropriate test for the validity of his music. The titles of the separate movements were extremely intresting, and includ- ed many of the topics which are at issue in contemporary music: "For densities", "For a single note", "For aleatory structures". In other words, this choice of material made it possible to evaluate Ginastera's contribution to separate issues of the contem- porary music scene. He failed miserably. None of these movements made a serious attempt to deal with the subject matter. Instead, elements of the subject were treated in a "musical" manner - at least in Ginastera's conception of a contemporary "musical" manner. This means, essentially, that the music was made lighter as elements of content were incorporated in a popular context. The burden of reconciling the titles with some sort of serious attempt at new music was avoided. It's too bad he ever decided to write this piece. Now we know exactly where he's at. J JimMorrisongetsindecent.sentence MIAMI (1') - Bushy-bearded Jim Morrison, self proclaimed "king of orgasmic rock," was sentenced to six months in jail Friday and fined $500 after be- ing convicted of dropping h i s pants in front of a Miami rock music audience last year. Morrison, his curly brown hair draping over his shoulders, was dressed in a wool jacket adorn- ed with Indian designs as he silently listened to his sentenc- ing on the indecent exposure and profanity conviction of last month. The lead singer of the "Doors," who dropped his pants during a concert at Dinner Key audi- torium, remained free on $50,- 000 bond. "You are a person graced with a talent, admired by many of your peers," Criminal C o u r t Judge Murray Goodman told Morrison. "Man tends to imitate t h at which he admires and t h o s e gifted with the ability to lead and influence others should strive to bring out the best, and not the worst in his admirers." Morrison's performance spark- ed several campaigns against in- decency, including an Orange Bowl rally attended by 30,000 persons several weeks after the rock concert. The Daily is anxious to cor- rect errors or distortions in - - news stories, features, reviews - or editorials. If you have a com- plaint, please call Editor Mar- tin Hirschman at 764-0562. Associated Press I FcBielF Svice meeting, Sun- DailyOfficialBulletin!day, FieldeNov.1, 7:00 p.m. Union 3C. ARMAmericn Revolutionary Media presents Creative Arts Festival Mass Meeting SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31 Tues., Nov. 3, Union Ballroom 8:00 SATU RDAY, OCT. 31 Da Cae d p.m. "Express Yourself". Day Caendar* .* *« U of M Flyers' Second Annual "Avia- Halloween Film Festival Residential College Conference: "New tion Day", Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Academic Community," East Quad, 8:30 Rain date: Nov. i. Cars eave union -3 HORRORS- a.m. evein 15 min. Airplane Rides, everyone -- Center for Chinese Studies and Chin- welcome. ese Students Assoc. Film: A Chinese * * ~ * the Original Language film and "Night at the Pe- T f o d rn king Opera" (short), Nat. Sci. Aud., .7 O ffice of St i t cl anizati Fs FRANKENSTEIN andfe9spom. Oct. 30th, and Mon., Nov. 2nd. On Tues- Professional Theatre Program: "Lit- dat we an be fond on tei with Boris Karloff 7:40 & midnight tie Murders." Lydia Mendelssohn Thea-dayreocan e foundU thenird floor of te Michigan Union in rooms331-341 Roger Corman's I* * * HAUNTED PALACE j j omen's Liberation Coalition Coin- ORGANIZATION ntee meeting 2:00 p.m. 3516 SAB, with Vincent Price, Lon Chaney, Jr. Nov. 1st. in Color 6:00 & 10:30 p.m. NOTICES China Cinema: A Chinese language VILLAGE OF THE DAMN ED ;",:..... ."""",",,~ ctonfilm with EnglishsutlepusV L A EO T E D MD :"::::,: F::, >< er:,{:":: ::::::;<>? >: second feature, Night at the Peking a Free University Steering Committee Opera Oct. 31, Sat. 8 p.m. Nat. Sci. Children freaked out on the nuclear family" meeting, Sun., Nov. 1, 7 p.m. at 1309 Aud. Chinese Students Association in Washtenaw No. 3. Potluck dinner. Open conjunction with Center for Chinese Continuous from 6:00 p.m -3:00 a.m. $1.00 to community; all invited. Studies. Admission charge. 3_____y_____CANTERBURY HOUSE CINEA II330 Maynard ~btwn William & Liberty (paid political ad. Dear Congressman: My son died in Viet Nam. Is this the price of pride? -Mother 1°m the Joe the whole Contrys talking, about! "A TRIUMPHI A RIP-SNORTERI A 'THIS MINUTE'FILMI" --Judith Crist c'JOE' MUST SURELY RANK IN IMPACT WITH 'BONNIE AND CLYDE'!"-Time Magazin S * * * I LOVE ITI"--Chicago-sun Times "TAUT AND COMPELLING!"--washington Po.t "cWILL BE A BOXOFFICE SENSATION! --Chicago Tribune "AN OCCASION FOR CHEERING!" -Philadelphia Daily News 1 "A MASTERPIECE! -chicago Today 7"CLEARLY THE MOVIE OF THE MOMENT AND MAYBE THE MOVIE OF THE YEAR!I -Washington Star * **2* BRILLIANTLY DONE, DEVASTATINGLY FUNNY! -New York Daily News Haircuts that don't look like haircuts TRY US DASCO LA U-M BARBERS E. Univ. off South U. 44 ,4" nth, AAP 10i COLOR A CANNON RELEASE ( E under 18 must be accompanied by adult guardian SAT, 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00, 1 1:00-SUN., 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 O O FPiTH POrUM IFIFTH AVENUE AT LIBERTYV liiIDOWNTOWN ANN ARBOR INFORMATION 769-8700 adults $2.50 (matinees $2.00) children $1.00 all shows NOTE: IN ORDER THAT WE' MAY BETTER ACCOMMODATE THE CROWDS FOR 'JOE,' THERE WILL BE NO KIDDIE MATI- NEES THIS WEEKEND' DESI ARNAZ and HIS BAND "It kinda chokes me up"- -FRED MERTZ "Counterrevolutionary"- -FIDEL Once while you were at the' movies "After seeing this I wish I never let him go." - we were at a flood. LUCY } ROMAN POLANSKI'S Cul' De Sac "A Halloween horror"- -L. TAFFER FRI. & SAT.-7 & 9:30 75c AUD. A-ANGELL HALL *4 COLOR by DeLuxe' I® UntdoArtistsI MAX VON SYDOW 0 LIV ULMANN " BIB ANDERSSON Exporing the 6DIAL basic human ,iAk11bY failing 8-64 16 A- ~s a a a a a a HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL WED., OCT. 28: The Cat People dir. JACQUES TOUTNER (1942) Girl believes she turns into a cat as a result of a curse. THURS., FRI., OCT. 29-30: The Day the Earth Stood Still dir. ROBERT WISE (1951) Michael Rennie tries to save Earthmen from themselves. SAT., SUN., OCT. 31-NOV. 1: 111 YEARS OLD AND STILL GOING STRONG! THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEN'S GLEE CLUB WILLIS PATTERSON, Director presents a JOINT CONCERT with THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS MEN'S GLEE CLUB WILLIAM OLSON, Director I U - - -.a'