Tuesday, June 24, 1975
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Five
'Gurre-lieder' from Boulez
has exciting, tense emotion
By RICHARD JAMES
ANYONE FAMILIAR with Pierre Boulez
knows his penchant for both program-
ming and recording unknown, frequently
contemporary music. His recent expertly
conceived release of Arnold Schoenberg's
Gurre-lieder is certainly no exception. It is
a work that has been heard by few people
in the 54 years since its completion and
which has only been recorded twice prev-
iously.
Even to most dedicated music enthusiasts,
the name Arnold Schoenberg conjures up
the memory of ugly, cerebral music. Noth-
ing could be fher from this image than
the composers Gurre-leder. It is a work
which Schoenberg himself believed to be
possiblythe fi statement of the dying
19th-century aesthetic - h r, at once, to
Wagner's harmony and leitmotives, Mah-
ler's delic ately o hestrated song cycles and
Berlioz's monumentality.
Boulez's recording joins only the one by
Rafael Kubelik on the market, and exceeds
it in nearly every way. The only other re-
cording, an excellent one by Schoenberg's
friend -and admirer Rene Leibowitz, is no
longer available.
The Gurre-lieder is a difficult work to
perform, constantly threatening to perish
under the weight of its almost sickeningly
heavy romanticism. The success of Boulez's
recording comes primarily from his vic-
tory over this problem. He manages to
maintain a great deal of emotional tension
throughout, something Kubelik fails to do
quite frequently.
Under Boulez's direction, the BBC Sym-
phony Orchestra delivers a distinguished
performance, allowing Boluez to bring out
the subtle, almost chamber orchestra-like
effects in Schoenberg's orchestration.
A great deal of credit must undeniably be
given to the soloists on this recording. Jess
Thomas as Waldemar is equally adept at
maintaining tension in this work. His rich,
full voice shows great flexibility in bringing
The "Guerre-lieder is a diffi-
cult work to perform, constant-
ly threatening to perish under
the weight of its almost sick-
eningly heavy romanticism.
The success of Boulez's record-
ing comes primarily from his
victory over this problem.
off the many moods of his part - pas-
sion, contentment, anguish, fury and irony
-very well.
Somewhat to the contrary, however, I was
a bit disappointed in Martha Napier's per-
formance of Tove - a role she has almost
made her own since the outset of her ca-
reer. While she does some lovely things
with her songs, the overall interpretation
was a bit tori light and frilly. It didn't really
blend with the efforts of Boulez and Thom-
as.
Yvonne Minton as the Voice of the Wood-
Dove is incomparable. Her voice is easily
as rich and powerful as Jess Thomas's and
her well-known dramatic sense makes her
segment of the work, possibly the most
familiar excerpt, memorable.
Gunther Reich, in the role of the Speak-
er, delivers his melodrama towards the end
of the work with a rather loose interpreta-
tion of the 'sprechstimme' pitches - a cur-
ious speech-song style of declamation de-
veloped by Schoenberg. Although inappro-
ptiate fo most of Schos berg's later works
Dontaining 'sprechstimme', this freedom
was specifically sanctioned and even sug-
gested by the composer for Gurre-lieder.
Of the entire performing conglomerate,
only the choruses failed to come up to the
standard set by Boulez. The generally good
quality of the recording suggests that one
can not shrug their muddy delivery off as
poor recording. Much of the dramatic final
chorus is very hazy due to their imprecis-
Other than this and my slight indifference
towards Martha Napier's contribution, I
find it hard to offer anything but positive
commentary on Boulez's recording. The
performance is an exciting one, providing
a welcomed replacement for Leibowitz's
much older recording.
Executive inaction delays
CIA investigation: Church
Cantinued teom Pate 31
said that the CIA "took orders
from the top" in carrying out
illegal activities.
GOLDWATER, a member of
the intelligence committee, said
the panel's probe will show the
CIA did not want to do some of
the things it did but felt oblig-
ed to follow orders.
Sen. William Proxmire, (D-
Wis.), told Goldwater that it
should be established who was
responsible for CIA misdeeds.
Proxmire said the CIA has
engaged in activities that can-
not be justified but that 80 to
90 per cent of its activities have
been "absolutely essential."
Church made his comments
just hours after White House
Press Secretary Ron Nessen
announced that an arrangement
had been worked out to supply
the committee with photocopies
of raw data and documents
gathered by the Rockefeller
Commission on alleged murder
plots.
THE photocopies will be tak-
en to the committee under
guard in the morning and will
be returned to the White House
and locked in a safe overnight,
according to Nessen.
Church indicated that he was
aware of this arrangement and
said he had no complaints about
the procedure which had been
worked out.
"The hang up here is that
there are gaps in the itforma-
tion that has thus far been sup-
plied the committee,". Church
said.
Church said the situation
would not force a delay in
Tuesday's scheduled appear-
ance of John Rosselli, an un-
derworld figure linked to re-
ports of CIA plots to kill Cas-
tro. Church added that Ros-
selli's apparent willingness to
testify has not been altered
by last week's slaying of Sam
Giancana, another underworld
figure named in plots against
Castro.
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-TONIGHT-
JOHN WAYNE in Howard Hawks'
RIO BRAVO (1959).
John Wayne, Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson star in this
Classic Western. In terms of economy, style, depth of
exoression and sheer entertainment value, only a few of
John Ford's masterpieces can touch it. Rio Bravo is the
culmination of 40 years of style and craftsmanship. The
some themes apparent in his 1930's pictures are preesnted
here: the code of the professional, the fight respect, the
value and limits of friendship and the importance of respon-
sibility-not to society, but to oneself.
AUD. A, ANGELL HALL
7 & 9:30 p.m. $1.25
TICKETS ON SALE AT 6:30 P.M.
A film rap will be held immediately after the first show for
all those interested in informal discussion of the film.
TOMORROW NIGHT! WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25th
SPECIAL AREA PREMIERE!
BEATLES' AND
ROLLING STONES' FILMS
O BEATLES at Shea Stadium
* BEATLES at the Coliseum
O BEATLES "Revolution" Promotion Film
* JOHN LENNON-"Instant Karma"-At Toronto
" ROLLING STONES-Ed Sullivan Interview
-9 P.M. ONLY-
-7 & 10:30 P.M.-
ALAN BATES and GENIEVE BUJOLD
IN
THE KING OF HEARTS
Both Films in AUDITORIUM A, ANGELL HALL
BOTH FOR $2.25 $1.25 EACH
tickets on sale for all the evening shows at 6:30 p.m.
Boulez
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