RECORD S1 The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, February 13, 1980-Page 5 MERVYN LEROY'S 1933 GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 Starring RUBY KEELER, GINGER ROGERS, DICK POWELL, JOAN BLONDELL, NED SPARKS and GUY KIBBEE. Screenplay by Uniyersity of Michigan's Augry Hopwood and choreography by Busby Berkeley. With elaborate dance num- bers, this is easily the best of the Gold Diggers Series and stands in the front rank of Hollywood Depression-Era-egtravaganzas. Short: BASHFUL BALLERINA (Imogene Coca does a strip tease). Thurs.: Fellini's LA STRADA By ED PRINCE To many people, the music of Arnold Shoenberg represents a conscious ef- fort to dethrone beauty in music. Schoenberg's music is written in an ab- stract and highly dissonant style accor- ding to the twelve tone system of com-, position which he devised to free music' from tonality. Though his works and, Wompositional methods have gained a' substantial following among modern composers and theorists, most of his. music remains unpopular with the listening public. An exception is his Gurrelieder, which is represented in a recent Phillips recording featuring Seiji Ozawa and the'Boston Symphony. Though it contains a few hints as to the nature of Shoenberg's later, better known dissonant style, Guerrelieder is far cry from modern music. Written in the years from 1900 to 1911, it is a product of late romanticism in the style of Wagner, Mahler and Richard Strauss. In' fact, Gurrelieder represents the culmination of the late romantic trend towards musical giantism, and in this respect is very different from his later works, which are largely for chamber ensembles. The work calls for an im- mense orchestra consisting of 25 wood- winds, 24 brass instruments, a huge *body of strings and a fairly large per- cussion section. Along with this are five solo singers, three four part male choruses and an eight part mixed choir. UNLIKE MANY other works of the period which are written for large or- chestra, Schoenberg's Gurrelieder is not a loud work. Indeed, there are many pieces for much smaller orchestra which- make a much bigger noise. Schoenberg wrote for such a large or- chestra so he could write chords and passages in one tone color, such as for the oboes alone of the bassoons. The or- chestral writing is of the utmost refinement aid delicacy, and except in a few places it0 not at all, apparent that such huge forces are used. Gurrelieder is an immense cantata or song cycle reminiscent of Mahler's Klagende Lied and Kindertotenlieder. .It is set to a text by the Danish writer Jens Peter Jacobson which describes the love between King Waldemar and the maiden Tove. Waldemar and Tove meet secretly at night until Waldemar's jealous queen has Tove killed. Waldemar, in a fit of anger accuses God of injustice and is condemned to ride with his vassals in a wild hunt every night after they die. The music is com- posed of a series of songs and choral numbers connected by orchestral in- terludes. Schoenberg's method of writing for voice and orchestra was strongly in- fluenced by Wagner's music dramas. Like Wagner, Schoenberg uses leading motives which represent specific elements of the story. There are themes representing Tove, death and nature among others, and these are often referred to in the orchestra to musically underline the text and to suggest the action which takes place between the sung numbers. The murder of Tove is first described in purely or- chestral terms using the leading motives. After a rapturous exchange of songs between Waldemar and Tove, the orchestra plays an interlude based on Tove's theme. The music becomes more and more agitated, and finally reaches a violent climax which por- trays Tove's demise. IPA *ONE respect Gurrelieder represents a departure from Wagner and a significant step towards Schoen- berg's later style. In the section called "The Summer Wind's Wild Hunt", Schoenberg dispenses with singing and uses a technique called sprechgeong. He has a narrator read the text, but gives indications as to pitch. The result is a kind of inflected speech which falls somewhere between normal speech and song. Schoenberg later used this method in such famous works as Pierot Lunnaire and A Survivor of Warsaw. Though Schoenberg's. writing is in- spired and skillful, Gurrelieder is a dif- ficult work to bring off in concert. Some of the, orchestral writing is awkward, especially in a couple of bridge passages. Some of the choral sections contain a great number of contrapuntal parts, and the texture can sound mud- dled and unclear. None of these problems are apparent in the new recording featuring Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony and soloists James McCracken, Jessye Norman, Tatiana Troynos, David Arnold, Kim Scown and Werner Klemperer. THE WHOLE performance, which was recorded at a live concert, is ex- cellent and a very large part of the credit goes to Ozawa and the orchestra. The playing is simply wonderful throughout. There is clarity and balan- ce in the most difficult and complex passsages and the many solo in- strumental parts are played to perfec- tion. There is never a hint of awkwar- dness in the weaker passages and the stronger music shines. The choral numbers come through well, too. In the sections representing Waldemar's men engaged in their wild hunt, Schoenberg uses three four-part male choruses singing in canon. These sections come off with a great clarity and vigor in the recording, which is quite a feat on the part of the recording engineers as well as Ozawa and the singers. The soloists are also quite good. Most noteworthy is Jessye Norman, who sings what has to be one Of the greatest Toves ever heard. Her voice has a fullness and richness that suits the part of the young maiden beautifully. Her rendition of the song, "Du sendest mir ein leibesblick" is especially awe in- spiring. Here she sings in a hushed, piano voice of pure, golden tone. James McCracken sings Waldemar and Tatiana Troyanos, David Arnold, Kim Scown and Werner Klemperer sing the lesser roles. McCracken's performance is generally good, though he does have a few slips in intonation. There are no problems with the other soloists, who a4l give fine performances. ALL THESE artists contribute to a beautiful performance which is surely a major addition to the list of Schoenberg recordings. Schoenberg only wrote ugly music? Gurrelieder is one of the last great statements of the romantic period in music and Ozawa's recording shows how highly Schoenberg valued beauty in music. By JAY McCORMICK Andrei Gavrilov's, exuberant technique can make a weak concerto exciting, but it can also detract from the power of a mature and thoughtful piece. This dichotomy is evident on his latestalbum. The Prokofiev Piano Con- certo No. . is full of buoyancy, alter- nating with driving passages and loud musical play. Even in this very early work, Prokofiev creates beautiful melodies. The concerto needs to be played with abandon, for the performer to forget his/her inhibitions and be carried away by the piece. If the artist tries to control the music, it can sink under its own weight. Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand in D needs a completely different ap- proach. The music comes from a more mature pen, and though there are several jazz-influenced passages, a more cautious performance is needed here than in the Prokofiev. Gavrilov's playing best matches the style of the Prokofiev concerto. He lacks the essen- tial timing and skilled phrasing that is necessary to bring off the Ravel. But he is on familiar turf with Prokofiev, and with conductor Simon Rattle makes the music jump off the disc. PIANIST Gavrilov has a definite preference for faster tempos; he plays the allegro sections which begin and end this one movement concerto with technical andstylistic brilliance. Rattle and the orchestra, on the other hand, follow Gavrilov's lead in the fast movements well enough, and shine in the slower parts. Rattle leads them through the middle andante section with taste -and inspired phrasing, but when Gavrilov enters, he pushes the tempo, straining the conductor's abilities and the overall beauty of the concerto. The more somber portions of this concerto, mostly found in the andante, are hard to take seriously; they sound like passages from Peter and the Wolf - threatening only on the surface, sin- ce we know that happiness will soon return. THE YOUNG pair balance the piano and orchestra remarkably well, better than Prokofiev did in composing the concerto. The writing for both the piano and the orchestra is very good, but he fails to combine or blend the two in any effective way. The piano dominates a disproportionate amount of the piece, but. Gavriloi's playing makes this a blessing rather than a fault. Prokofiev's first piano concerto could be compared to an early Shakespeare comedy: occasionally unwieldy and slaphappy, but amazing and enjoyable because of its. exuberance and technique. Two short selections for piano solo from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet fill the rest of the first side of the album, providing an example of the composer's more mature works. Gavrilov proves that he understands this side of Prokofiev as well. With no orchestra to hold him accountable, he plays freely, reflecting the wit and beauty of Romeo and Juliet with his phrasing. He times his attacks and releases flawlessly, making interesting turns in the music stand out - but not too far out. SINCE this album seems to be essen- tially a showcase for Gavrilov's piano talent, the choice of Ravel's left-hand concerto is a little off target. Parts of the concerto give this technician a chance to exercise his fingers, but his lack of experience is evident in sections where Ravel becomes introspective.. Here -his phrasing makes the music seem trivial, as if he does not quite believe in what he is playing. The orchestra under Rattle has a similar problem. He fails to control the orchestra in the low, soft opening, and it sounds muddy, overdone. Throughout the first part of the piece, the orchestra seems to get away from him slightly. Gavrilov does not catch hold of the concerto until the driving, march-like theme, introduced by the trumpets, arrives at his keyboard. The orchestra and Gavrilov -snap together with this theme, but go their separate ways as other themes and motifs intrude. The woodwinds interject a light, bouncy, haunting phrase several times during the course of the powerful driving sec- tion. The last time this phrase enters, after a strong section of piano- orchestra interplay, the woodwind time is shrill. Perhaps this is what Ravel desired here, but Rattle takes it too far. Towards the end of the piece, Gavrilov and Rattle seem a bit con- fused. Admittedly, it takes more than brilliant technique to keep the balance at the end of this Ravel concerto. Rat- tle's allowing the orchestra to drown out the piano, forcing Gavrilov to desperately try making his presence heard by pounding heavily at the keyboards. He loses articulation this way, and the piano sounds muffled. Though his piirasing and dynamics throughout the piece are stiff, they degenerate to even lower levels at the conclusion. ANOTHER Ravel composition, "Pavanne pour une Infante defunte" provides a filler for the album. Gavrilov plays this on solo piano, and it sounds again as if he is unconvinced with Ravel's music. Though he handles the Prokofiev solo pieces with style and wit, he lacks extraordinary musician- ship here. Gavrilov is the artist who makes this album worth having. This 23-year-old virtuoso gives the Prokofiev concerto an exciting and expert performance. His energy pulls Rattle and the London Symphony along with him, and the first side of this album sparkles with their energy. But Ravel suffers from their somewhat slapdash approach to his music. This Concerto for the Left Hand in D deserves a thoughtful performan- ce, and the players cannot afford to become impatient with it. The phrasing may be more difficult, but the music has much more power when played with understanding. Be an angel .. * Read b 764-0558 CINEMA GUILD The Anni Arbor Film CoopertiO Presents at Aud. A: GET OUT YOUR HANDKERCHIEFS (Bertrand Blier, 1978) 7, 8:40, & 10:20-AUD. A From the same people who brought you GOING PLACES, this is the story of a young man who gives his lethargic wife to another man in an attempt to cheer her up, only to have her leave them both for a 13-year-old boy. Academy Award winner for best foreign film, GET OUT YOUR HANDKERCHIEFS features absurd humor, a sensational seduction scene and music by Mozart. And also, at the Michigan Theatre, the Ann Arbor Film Cooperative Presents: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 CASABLANCA (Michael Curtiz, 1943) 7 & 9:30-Michigan Theatre* It's still the same old story. HUMPHREY BOGART is Rick, the movies' most famous saloon keeper, who cooly defies the Nazis and the Vichy government to-help old girl-friend INGRID BERGMAN. American cinema's most enduring contribution to romantic myth, CASABLANCA won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay. With CLAUDE RAINS, SIDNEY GREENSTREET, DOOLEY WILSON, CONRAD VEIDT and PAUL HEINREID in supporting roles. Plus short: TARZANA (Steve DeJarrnet, 1978) A film noir starring Timothy Carey and Michael C. Gwynne. 35 mm. Admission $2.00. Tomorrow: The Moysles' SALESMAN and Christian Blackwood's ROGER CORMAN-HOLLYWOODS WILD ANGEL at Nat. Sci. f TONIGHT AT 7:00 & 9:05 OLD ARCH. AUD. $1.50 .I A Revelation for Americans Treasuries of Ancient.Nigeria Legacy of 2,000 Wars This unprecedented loan from Africa's largest nation contains 100 exquisite sculptures of bronze, stone, terracotta and ivory. See Nok heads as.old as Greece's Golden Age, the first known West African likeness of an elephant, and bronze leopards worth $1.000 000 apiece. Marvel at the magnificent heritage of ancient Nigeria! The Detroit Institute. of Arts Now through March 16 ADMISSION: General $2. Students Senior C tWen $1 Members and children under 12 with Adult - Fref HOURS: Tuesday through Sunday 9:30 a m 30 p