Wednesday, June 5, 1974
TH MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Five I
Wednesday, June 5, 1974 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Five
Dodd Photo by TOM GOTTLIE8
Salute to Broadway
Prof. Willis Patterson, right, and a group of nattily-dressed cohorts let out a mighty sound in a rehearsal for Regards to
Broadway, an original revue to be presented at 8 p.m. Thursday Friday and Saturday at the Power Center. The revue
will feature University faculty and students along with members of the Ann Arbor Civic Theater dancing, singing, and
paying tribute to Broadway's finest moments. Tickets are available at the Power Center for $5, $4 and $3.
McGarrigIes: Qiet art
Ars Musica
makes
aural love
By TONY CECERE
My grandmother used to say that
there was only one way to cook - with
tite and love. The members of Ars Mu-
sica have never had any contact with
my grandmother, but they sure are tak-
ing her advice to heart, as demonstrated
by their program "The Art of The Har-
psichord", given at St. Clare's Episcopal
Church last Sunday and Monday eve-
nings.
Two concerti for multiple harpsichords
by J. S. Bach dominated the evening, the
Concerto for three Harpsichords in C
(BWV 1064) and the Concerto for four
Harpsichords in A minor (BWV 1065),
the latter work being an adaptation of
the Antonio Vivaldi concerto for four
violins. Flarpsichordists Lisa Crawford,
Penny Crawford and Charles Fisher
were the guest soloists, along with Ars
Musica's own director - harpsichordist
lvyn Lawless. The time and love must
have worked, for both performances
were flawlessly executed.
The program opened with a spirited
quartet for flute, oboe, violin and con-
tinuo from the Tafelmusik (music for a
banquet) of George Philip Telemann.
Marty Ronish, baroque flautist, and Su-
san Kieren, baroque oboist, both per-
formed exceptionally well, overcoming
major difficulties inherent to their au-
thentic instruments. The lower pitch
and mean tuning used by the group com-
bined to yield a dark and rich spectrum
of tonal colors much different from mod-
ern flute, violin and oboe timbres.
A piece titled Sixth Sonata for violin
and continuo from Premier Livre (first
book) of Senaille le fils followed, dis-
laying the admirable baroque violin
techniqite of Nelva 'Teirake.
A Suite in G for viola da gamba and
continuo of Marin Marais came after in-
termission. Enid Sutherland evoked
many subtle shadings from the viola da
gamba, from guitar chords to flashy
double and triple stops. The Marais was
in fact a tour de force of unusual sounds
admirably played.
The two Bach concerti made the eve-
ning complete. As Lawless told the au-
dience at intermission, "We ended up
tuning over 510 strings, and Ann Ar-
bor's amous humidity didn't help any!"
The four harpsichords did go slightly
out of tune by the end of the program,
but it didn't diminish the effect of the
music.
Bach divided the work evenly in both
concerti, and the four players matched
styles and instruments exceptionally
well. Frankly, the sound of four harpsi-
chords is glorious.
Ars Musica succeeded in creating
something more than an excellent pro-
gram of baroque music performed on
authentic instruments. Ars Musica creat-
ed a total musical experience of unre-
proachable quality. Unlike all too many
professional musical organizations in
America, they took the time and work-
ed out of love for music. My grand-
mother would have been proud.
By GARY THOMAS
OK, I admit it, I'm prejudiced. I des-
pise those electric bands who play loud
music because they associate artistic
ability with decibel levels. Nothing turns
me off more than going to a rock con-
cert and seeing some band demolish
their guitars because it is "exciting"
while 11,00 stoned cretins yell "boogie"
at the top of their already decimated
lungs.
Flashiness may be excellent show-
manship, but it leaves a large gap where
art is supposed to be. I would not waste
my money to hear a group like Slade
play 10,000-decibel drivel.
So that may account for my state-
ment that Kate and Anna McGarrigle
were outstanding at the Ark Saturday
night, displaying both a high sense of
musicianship and a degree of sensitivity
I have found lacking in other musical
quarters.
It would be hard for anyone to find
fault with the sisters McGarrigle. The
most diehard rock fan would fall under
the spell they cast with their singing
and playing.
Kate McGarrigle is the wife of Lou-
den Wainwright 1tt, also a fine song-
writer and performer, and has outhored
a number of songs, Sister Anna is less
of a songwriter and more of a singer.
They joined forces at the Ark for their
first professional appearance Friday and
Saturday night. The result was an al-
most flawless show.
Their material ranged from tradi-
tional folk to songs written by Kate
or Anna. Both are accomplished on a
number of instruments, including guitar,
banjo, piano and bass,
But their strong point is their vocals.
Their vocal harmonies weave in and out
like the threads on a bolt of soft silk.
The voice is perhaps the hardest instru-
ment of all to learn how to use well, and
it was obvious they were accomplished
at it. "Willow Grove" (with the Ark's
Dave Siglin pitching in admirably on
gititar) showed their talents well.
The sisters McGarrigle also know how
to choose material. Drawing from little-
known folk sources, they performed a
couple of charming French - Canadian
songs. They then moved on to some tra-
ditional songs of American folk.
But their real power is in their own
material. Kate writes most of the songs,
all of them rich in texture. As a song-
writer, she is perhaps one of the most
talented among the legions of singer-
songwriters that I have heard. She dis-
plays gentleness and sensitivity that
make her songs indescribably beautiful,
and she avoids the pitfalls of cliche that
so many songwriters fall into.
For the audience, the high point of the
evening was "The Work Song." Written
by Kate and performed by Maria Mul-
daur on her solo album, it is reminiscent
of the Band's "Night They Drove Old
Dixie Down." Both are distinctly Amer-
ican in nature and draw from the Civil
War period. It is an extremely power-
ful song of black music in America. "La-
bel it garbage/label it art/You couldn't
call it soul/You had to call it heart."
So far, Kate and Anna McGarrigle
have yet to put out a record of their
own, but they mentioned they are ne-
gotiating with Warner Brothers and one
may be forthcoming shortly.
For the sake of musical sanity, I cer-
tainly hope so. In an age where flashi-
ness seems to outweigh talent, it would
be a pleasure to have Kate and Anna
McGarrigle to listen to over and over
again . . . and again . . . and again .. .
cinema
Tonight's best bet:
Notorious
Cinema Guild, Arch. Aud.
7:30, 9:30
Thanks to the income from
his 1939 Gone With The Wind,
RKO mogul David 0. Selznick
managed to lure the then-young
and rising British director Al-
fred Hitchock away from the
world of British cinema in 1943
to make this first of the great
Hitchcock features.
In keeping with the spirit of
World War II film industry, the
theme of Notorious is anti-
Nazi. Nevertheless, the picture
seems almost dateless, since
any filmgoer can appreciate
the excellent performances of
Cary Grant and Ingrid Berg-
man, Ben Hecht's brilliant
screenplay, and Hitch's usual
steady hand on the helm.
-David Blomquist
Funny Girl
Ann Arbor Film Co-op
And. A, 7:30, 9:30
Barbra Striesand is one of
the few superstars in today's
Hollywood. The film that put
her on top was Funny Girl, the
story of the great comedienne,
Fanny Brice.
Streisand gives a great per-
formance as Brice, full of the
style and humor that is a trade
mark of both of these remark-
able women.
Omar Sharif plays Nick Arn-
stien, of Mafia fame, who was
also Miss Brice's first husband.
Sharif is his usual, handsome,
wooden self, producing not very
convincing performance.
Nevertheless, this film is full
of the famous songs of the orig-
inal Broadway ve
Streisand is in exce
even if Sharif is not
The sequel to
called Funny Ladyi
in the works. Onces
and will sing and a
mito your heart-ora
is what the producer
tonight
rsion, and Liza Minelli is outstanding as master of c
lent voice, the girl at the center of a smoke-filled
" whirling drama taking place at irector B
this film, the end of the Weimar Repub-
is presently lic and the beginning of the a well-des
again Sreis- Third Reich. Award for pu
ct her way Always a favorite with view- chirming bu
at least that ers is Joel Grey, who plays the
rs hope.
cerentonies of the
cabaret.
ob Fosse received
erved Academy
utting together this
it chilling movie.
-David Blomquist
--David Warren
Cabaret
New World Film Co-op
And. 3, 7:30, 9:30
Cabaret is, of course, a mu-
sical film, but not in the old
chorus-girls-and-tuxedos sense
Perhaps the key to the suc-
cess of this remarkable pic-
tiure - the only successful
flick ABC turned out during its
short Hollywood career-is that
for once the music exists for
the story instead of the other
way around.
Michigan Daily
Arts