l
Arts & Entertainment
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Tuesday, February 3, 1976
Page Five
with lass
Daily Photo by SCOTT ECCKER
Guitarist Christopher Parkening, hailed as the protege of Andre Segovia, performs be-
fore an enthusiastic audience last Friday at the Power Center.
Parkeningf short
of high tons
By KEVIN COUNIHAN
l]RAWING on a diverse repertoire of music
spanning several centuries, guitarist Chris-
topher Parkening presented a well - received
recital Friday night at the Power Center.
Parkening first drew attention as the much-
publicized protege of Andre Segovia and his
technique shows the influence of such an aus-
picious mentor. Yet despite his obvious profic-
iency, Parkening's performance was uneven
and occasionally revealed weak harmonics and
missed notes.
This was especially disappointing as Parken-
ing was clearly capable of giving a first-rate
performance. He showed a thorough under-
standing of the instrument and was especially
impressive in his command of tone color, ex-
tending from a velvet-like softness in the mid-
dle strings to metallic sharpness when plucking
the strings near the soundboard.
DESPITE these flaws, Parkening played a
satisfying program, made even more so by his
interesting selection of works. The first half
featured several notable transcriptions of the
Baroque era as in a serabunde and minute by
Handel and selected movements from three of
Bach's famous suites for unaccompanied cello.
Both of these compositions were exquisitely
performed and displayed a superb sense of tone
and phrasing. The Bach selections were the
most appealing, and, of the three movements,
the Courante from the third cello spite was
particularly effective. The Courante with its
lively, dance-like rhythms demands exceptional
accuracy and Parkening gave a knowledgeable
reading of it.
The set ended with compositions by Leopold
Weiss and Fernando Sor whose "Variations on a
sixteenth-note runs and sudden dynamic chang-
es. Parkening took advantage of closing with a
virtuoso work and the audience warmly re-
spended to it.
THE SECOND part of the program high-
lighted works from the 20th century. Opening
with transcriptions from three prominent
French composers, Parkening played a medley
of Debussy's "Girl with the Flaxen Hair", Sa-
tie's "Gymnopedie" (no. 3), and Ravel's "Pa-
vane of the Sleeping Beauty, Empress of the
Pagodas".
Marred only by an inhibitve interpretation of
meter in the Satie work, the triology was a
beautifully refined expression of post-Romantic
sentiment. Parkening somehow assimilated the
imagistic characteristics of the harp and pro-
duced a sensual study of three masterpieces of
the early French school.
The final works were four uninterrupted
selections from the contemporary style of Span-
ish and South American gutiar music. Joaquin
Turina's well-known work "Soleares No. 2" was
performed with deserving elegance by slighted
by occasionally weak chord changes. The "Fan-
danguillo" movement from Frederico Moreno-
Torroba's Suite Castellana allowed Parkening;
to demonstrate a polished flamenco technique.
Mr. Parkening ended with the expressive "Pri-
mavera" from Platero and I by Mario Castel-
nuovo-Tedesco.
A THOROUGHLY enjoyable evening was suit-
ably capped with two encore pieces, "An Afro-
Cuban Lullaby" and Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's
Desiring." The enthusiastic reaction by the au-
dience at the completion of these works was
proof that Mr. Parkening is welcome back at
any time.
THREE YEARS ago, she
started out on the cross-country
tour which, released with her
monumental f i r s t album,
brought her instant fame. Two
years ago, with the release of
her second (and somehave
said, inferior) album, she em-
barked upon another tour, ap-
nearing at the Masonic in De-
troit along the way.
Then, suddenly, she dropped
out of sight. Strange rumors
drifted around the record indus-
try, each month proclaiming
tlia coming of a new Bette Mid-
ler album, but somehow News-
week always ran photos of her
dancing at any new Riviera dis-
cotheque with someone's titled
son and the record never was
cut. It seemed as though she
had dumped her career. This
rumor was fueled by the re-
lease of a fraudulent grade-Z
movie called "The Divine Mr.
J" which featured Bette Mid-
ler in a small part. Her fans
gave up hope.
She appeared on a special
with Elton John and Cher, and
rumors began to fly again. In
the meanwhile, her longtime
mentor and friend, Barry Mani-
low, had struck out on his own,
and she was cast adrift with-
out a musical arranger or di-
rector. Bette had hit - the pits.
PUT THEN, Bette Midler's
triumphant return was an-
nounced. The Divine Miss M
was returning to the Minskoff
Theater in New York City with
her "Clams on the Half-Shell"
revue. The future looked bright.
The critics loved it, the public
loved it - Bette was a star
again.
Bette Midler incorporated a
lot of her "Half-Shell" mater-
ial into the show at Masonic
Friday. It revealed two things;
first, that she had broadened
her anpeal to the middle-of-the-
roaders as well as the scream-
ing meemies, and secondly,
that in so doing she had lost a
great deal of her original kinky
charm.
She has become harder, slick-1
er - less the vulnerable littlei
girl you want to hug as well1
as the bitchy performer oft
1940's hits. She still does the
hits, and the three-o'clock-in-
the-morning jokes, but her ac-t
cessibility has been lost to
Paris. Before her sabbatical,
she had never rubbed elbowsr
with the Rothschilds - now,
that she has, and she seems thek
worse off for it.
SHE OPENED the concert
with that timeworn hit,.
"Friends," performed within
the framework of a vapid hos-
pital bed pantomime. The ap-
plause carried it, but the fans
of Detroit were so starved tot
see her that they ignored this.
She steppedr p to the micro-
nhone afterwards, with her
band pulsating in the back-
ground and s-id, "Did von miss
me, Detroit?" The response
must have been, to say the
least, reassuring.
The first act consisted of a
compilation of her old hits and
some delightful new material.
To assauge the fans, she per-
formed ably,rthough without
her best spirit, in "Do You
Wanna Dance?" and others. But
when Midler trots out the
olies, it's rather like Judy
Garl'nd running through that
rainbow thing one too many
times: she's doing it for the
aldience, but her heart is with
the new.
The new material included a
stunning number by Neil Young,
"Fly Away," and one song, from
her new album (which she in-
cessantly plugged, by name of
Songs for the New Depression),
about ships and sailing away.
The mood is lyrical and love-
ly - it is as if she was trying
to recapture the best of her
past.
THE COSTUMES did nothing
to dispel the image of pure
tackiness. She aoneared at first
in a ragdoll outfit reminiscent
of Liza Doolittle, then switched
to the silver glitter outfit made
esneci 41v for her to wear on
the Cher special - here she
wore it as a parody in his skit
satirizing bad niahtclub singers,
and one in particular named
Vickie Evdie
Act I ended with her per-
formance of "Lullaby of Broad-;
way", while dangling from the
outstretched hand of a stage
prop-King Kong, replete with
Empire State Building on the;
backdrop. The Harlettes (her
three backup women vocalists)
provided contrast as they per-
formed a Busby Berkeley rou-
tine on the stage, while Midler
swung from the gorilla's paw.
Act II began with a truly
startling rendition of "Delta
Dawn", and ended in as appro-
priate a fashion, with "Boogie
Woogie Bugle Boy", that old
Midler standby, stashing be-
tween other numbers such as
"In The Mood," an example of
what Midler calls "hubba-hub-
ba", or 1940's swing music.
BUT THE true joy of seeing
Bette Midler, when not revel-
ing in her music, is her abso-
lute graps of filthy humor,
though not often spiced with
an awareness of when and
where such jokes ought to be
told.
The jokes about Detroit were
rife. She referred to the city as
"the land that time forgot," and
while the audience was still gig-
gling over that one, she added
smugly, "1967 was such a good
year,"
UNDENIABLY her best jokes
of the evening were old rou-
tines from the repertoire of
Sonhie Tucker. Midler spoke of
how she'd like to be a true vul-
garian in the style of Tucker,
bht with a heart of gold; then
she proceeded to tell some of
the smn'ttiest jokes these re-
'newers have heard since they
were in knee-pants.
With the last of these, she in-
angurated a tr!ly novel prac-
tice. In the stvle of Mitch Mil-
ler, Midler conducted what she
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
PROFESSIONAL T HEAT RE PROGRAM
GUEST ARTIST SERIES
in the POWER CENTER
termed1 an "obscene joke-
along" whereby the audience
repeated the joke, phrase by
phrase, in heavy panting rhy-
thm. Decency forbids that we
repeat it; suffice it to say that
an audience of three thousand
was swaying and chanting "Get
off my back!"
She ended the concert in pos-
sibly the most offensive and
hysterically funny manner pos-
sible: dressed in the Statue of
Liberty outfit, she sang a free-
style version of Emma Gold-
man's classic sonnet "Give me
vour tired, your poor, etc.", and
then, as if we couldn't possibly
expect it (believe me, we did),
she ended it all with a noisy and
somewhat enthusiastic rendi-
tion of "Friends."
It may be that Midler is no
tonger one with her audience,
and it may be that she has lost
some of her vulnerable appeal,
and it may be that you don't
w-'n-t to hug her anymore, but
let's face it: Bette Midler is a
star.
SAVING OIL
IN INDUSTRY
NEW YORK (AP) - According
to Factory Magazine, if indus-
try is to convert from oil to
coal to reduce America's de-
pendence on foreign oil, about
42,000 steam plants in factories
will have to be replaced be-
cause they cannot be'converted
to burn coal. This would cost
68 billion over the next 10
years but wold save about two
million barrels of oil per day.
The magazine suggests a less
expensive alternative: replac-
ing only the largest installa-
tions at a cost of S11 billion,
whirh would save 1.6 barrels
of oil ner day.
Toniaht at 7 & 9:00
Ooen 6:45
JfO4*
"Purlie Victorious by Os'ie Davis
TUES-SAT
FEB. 17-21
Advance sales through PTP Ticket Offic
located in lobby of Mendelssohn Theatre
Building. Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 2-5 p.m.
Professional Theatre Proqram Ticket Office
(313) 764-0450 tickets available at
HUDSON'S
I S_______
_ __
.. ..
!! FRESH PEOPLE!!
Theme by Mozart" was stirring
Arts
.Briefs
NEW YORK (AP) - Dorothy
Kirsten, who first sang at the
Metropolitan Opera Dec. 1, 1945,
in Puccini's "La Boheme,"
made a real prima donna's fare-
well to the Met on New Year'sa
Eve, singing Floria Tosca, the
prima donna in Puccini's "Tos-
ca."
Miss Kirsten leaves the MetI
still getting rave reviews for
her singing - and not out of
kindness, but because she sings
well - looking radiant and vi-
brant, with a wealth of memo-
ries and muchdfor which she's
rightfully proud.
She'll still sing, A "Girl of
the Golden West" in Honolulu
and "Tosca" in Cincinnati plus
concerts are coming up. But
she'll be able to spend more
time painting, playing golf and
it
i its extended,
TONIGHT-2 films by John Ford!
TUESDAY, FEB. 3
STAGECOACH
(John Ford, 1939) AUD. A-7 only
A simple parable told with few flourishes; a stagecoach
with human misfits inches across the desert. The con-
trasting characters receive a central movinq force with the
arrival of the Ringo Kid who shelters them through Indian
attacks. problems, and personal conflicts. John Wayne,
Claire Trevor, John Corradine.
YOUNG MR. LINCOLN
(John Ford, 1939) AUD. A-9 only
Early career of Lincoln frcm storekeeper to first big law
case is based on real and conjectured incidents, all woven
into a storv of vounq Abe's defense of two younq men
accused of a murder. Eise.nstein's all-time favorite Ameri-
can film. Henry Fonda.
in AUD. A, ANGELL HALL
$1.25 single show $2.00 double feature
If you have not picked up your Freshman Record. There are still
and soft cover editions available at the UAC offices, SecondI
Michigan Union.
hard
Floor
UAC MUSKET announces
"DOLLY" is Coming!
Get ready to say "HELLO" to "DOLLY," the most entertaining musical
to hit Ann Arbor! MARCH 25-28 DON'T miss it.
INGMAR BERGMAN'S 1957
(AT 7)
An old man (Victor Seastrom) takes a journey
through his past as he travels to receive an
award from a university. Incredible images.
RUDOLPH VAL ENTINO in 1926 )j
SON OF THE SHEIK
(AT 9:05)
The great silent screen lover in the desert ad-
venture that made him tamous. "Romance and
conflict on the shifting sands.'"
BOTH SHOWS OLD ARCH. AUD.
FOR $2.00 Admission $1.25
COMEDY PREMIERES!
THE PROFESSIONAL THEATRE COMPANY
THE ACTING COMPANY
premieres in their repertoire
UAC Concert Co-op
SHAWN PHILLIPS
BOB SEGER
and and
STEVE GOODMAN FOGHAT
Saturday. Feb. 7 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11 8:00 p.m.
Hill Audi. Tickets $4.50 and $4.00 Crisler Arena Tickets $5.00 and $6.00
Tickets for both these concerts on sale now at UAC/Michioan Union Box Office.
Open Monday thru Friday 11:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. For more info call 763-2071
MEDIATRICS
MURDER ON THE ORIENT Shakespeare Cinema
EXPRESS THRONE OF BLOOD
NAT. SCI AUDI. MLB AUDI. 4
FEB. 6 and 7 Price $1.25 FEB. 8 Price $1.00
Times: 7:00 and 9:15 Times: 7:00 and 9:30
FUTURE WORLDS presents today at
Hill Aud. at 3:00 p.m.
ROLLO MAY speaking on "Changing Values in Future Society"
Next Week: JONATHON KOZOL speaking on "Alternate Use of Education"
UAC TICKET CENTRAL now located IN Hill Audi.
HAIR-FEB. 5
Open Mondav thru Friday 1 1:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. For more info call 764-8350
CONGR EVE'S
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