ARTS
Wednesday, July 31, 1985
4
The Michigan Daily
Page 8
Summer Fest scores artistic success
certs which featured all the organ Ensemble, under the direction of a neighbors. Their program included tone quality and a more than substan-
By Neil Galanter works of J.S. Bach, in honor of the former DSO violinist, made their Ann short little skits and introductions by tial amount of affection.
composer's 300th birthday this year. Arbor debut at the festival. Misha different members of the ensemble. The gold medalist, Jose Feghali,
HE SECONDAnnual Ann Arbor A concert took place daily, giving Rachlevsky and his ensemble This was a most unique and in- was less impressive and slightly
Summer Festival has come to a audiences a chance, on more than one received a lukewarm review fromthe novative way to begin the three-week disappointing. Although Feghali
close, and once again it has ended a occasion, to hear an equally balanced Ann Arbor News in his well-balanced festival. donated some substantially solid
three-week series of versatile and representation of Bach's works. programming of music by Diamond, Other unique contributions to the musical ideas, his performance-of the
vital musical events. This year's Mason claims that the audiences for Shostakovich, Bach, Mendelssohn and festival were performances by the Beethoven Third Piano Concerto with
festival had several successful the Bach-Birthday series grew and Rossini.Rachlevsky's group is made great pantominist Marcel Marceau, the World Youth Symphony Orchestra
musical concerts and some that could grew. She poses the question: "In up of talented young musicians and who always goes over well with his of Interlochen's National Music
be billed as not so successful. what other city in the United States with the proper maturity they should audiences, Ann Arbor being no excep- Camp, was not as musically inspiring
University organist and wunder- could you have a series of 16 con- go far. tion. Brian Glow, also from Canada, as Bianconi's performance.
musician Marilyn Mason contributed secutive recitals and have the audien- The festival opened on a humorous was the festival's only guest Attendance was high, according to
what was probably the most unique ce keep coming back for more? The note with a performance by the magician! Featured on the same Summer Festival Executive Director
thing musically at this year's festival. Bach series was a great success!" Canadian Brass Ensemble, which was programa as the Northwood Or- Robert Alexander. There wer several
Mason organized, planned and played A newly formed group from Detroit the first group in a long strand of per- chestra and Canadian contralto sold-out performances such as the
in a series of 16 marathon Bach con- called the Renaissance City Chamber formers representing Ann Arbor's Maureen Forrester, Glow provided Canadian Brass on two nights, two
the audience with tricks from his nights of Hal Holbrook in his por-
sleeve while the orchestra conducted trayal of Mark Twain, and the 1,000
9pen-airt urns ,iiro otedatmos here byDon T. Jaeger performed music of years of Jazz program was also a sell-
Bach and Mozart. John Guinn of the out.
Detroit Free Press claimed that "I think all in all, things went well,
L Bull The outdoor seating lends the events a everything from the early shorts, on Glow's performance was only "mildly and we learned some things that we
By Byron L.Bmore relaxed, casual atmosphere as up through his peak features and into interesting" however there were can apply to next year's festival,"
opposed to the stuffy, often suf- his more obscure work in '40s and many among the audience that said Alexander.
NE MORE WORD, if you please, focating confines of a campus lecutre '50s, the series was as fascinating as it seemed to enjoy the -change of pace Alexander also mentioned that the
on the Summer Arts Festival. hall or the just as often freezing air- was enjoyable; it's not surprising that that it brought to an orchestral con- outdoor free activities that were a
Now that the local clamor over the af- conditioned climate of the local first the Michigan found great success with cert. part of this year's festival sparked I
fair - where it's many shortcomings run theaters. Aside from a cloudburst the venture. No doubt next summer's My most enjoyable moments were high attendance.
were, why it wasn't very successful - one night and a light drizzle the next Festival will see the grand old from the performances by the top And ... that's the story of the sum-
has ended, I'd like to throw in this one - for which contingency plans should Michigan coming up with some way of prize winners in the recent Van mer festival. Things will be a little
parting observation about where it have been made - the films resulted topping themselves, though we can Cliburn Piano Competition, silver quieter here in Ann Arbor now. At
unquestionably succeeded - with its in many pleasant evenings. only wait patiently to see what they medalist Philippe Bianconi, a char- least for August that is. But.. . come
film showings. If the idea is repeated next year - cook up - perhaps another retrospec- ming Frenchman, made a strong im- September, there will be a great big
The free nightly showings of classic and it by all means should - my only tive series, perhaps another of their pression with his interpretations of accelerando, and we'll go full speed
films atop the parking structure ad- suggestion would be to book a more marvelous screenings of a silent Haydn, Brahms, Ravel, and into the University Musical Society's
jacent to the Power Center - dubbed aggressive, though still light, classic to the accompaniment of the Prokofiev. He proved himself to be a 1985-86 International Series of Presen-
the Top of the Park - featured open schedule - including films by Capra, Ann Arbor Chamber Orchestra. strong, clean player with a glistening tations.
air screenings of light film fare, from Hawks, maybe an old Bogart or two.
Buster Keaton to a couple of Astaire- Otherwise whoever came up with the
Rogers musicals to a series of silent idea of open-air screenings deserves a
horror shorts. And while the seating hearty congratulations because these
- metal folding chairs - and less activities quickly attracted a
than ideal sound - a couple of following, perhaps in part because
inadequate speakers that were they were free, but just as importan-
periodically muffled by the sound of tly because they took place outside
passing planes - could perhaps have where you could actually enjoy the
been better, capacity crowds showed Summer Festival atmosphere.
up for most of the screenings and Also not to be uncongratulated are
everyone seemed to have a pretty the folks over at the Michigan Theater
grand time. for their very fine retrospective on the
The reasons are obvious enough. films of Charlie Chaplin. Covering
y
FPPP"'
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6
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I
A fowl 'North by Northwest'? S
'Follow That Bird,' a feature film from the folks who bring you Sesame Street, opens Friday in Ann Arbor. The
film stars that towering golden fowl Big Bird himself. Big Bird plays Big Dodo, also a towering golden fowl,
who gets lost wandering away from Sesame Street. The film includes appearances by the Muppets, John Can-
dy, Chevy Chase, and Waylon Jennings.