UINDAY, ARIL 25, 193"

T HE M IC HIG AN D A ILY

PAGE ELEVEN


FetiaVoins
Young Pianis

ored with a Ph.D. by the University
of Breslau, wrote his thesis in the

Conflicting Forces Of Human
Nature Found in Plot Of 'Aida'
The Characters Struggle .
't~h CI: act~ ~rugleChoral .Director
In Fate-Laid Trap Of C
Own Emio ns--
(Continudcc From Puge 9)
one to his sacred and preparatory
rites at the Temple of Vulcan. Only
Aida remains, torn with bitter an-
guish between instinctive love for
family and country and her sweet,
new, all-consuming affection for her:
Egyptian lover, praying for death to
deliver her from her plight._
The short but highly impressive,
second scene of the first act is laid-
in the dimly-lighted interior of the!
Temple of Vulcan, with rows of grim <
columns, staring statues, and pots of:
burning incense. In phrases of Ori-{
ental character and accompaniment
the ministers of Vulcan invoke the.
favor and protection of the Almighty
Ptha for Radames and his followers v
in the forthcoming conflict. The
priestesses enact a sacred dance; JUVA HIGBEE
Radames prays, receives his arms,
and departs upon his mission. ________________

Former University
Stucdent Tellsf
European Interest
Thor Johnson, former leader of the
Little Symphony during his student
days at the University of Michigan
and now spending a year in Europe
as holder of the Beebe Foundation
Scholarship of Boston recently sent
the following letter to Charles A.
Sink, president of the School of
Music
"The May Festival program has
just reached my desk, and I must ad-
mit that I continue to marvel as well#
as my teacher, Prof. Nikolaj Malko,
and my acquaintance's here in Prague,
at your magnificent schedule for this
Festival. They all say that you cer-
tainly deserve the highest commen-
dation for maintaining such iigh
standards. The people over here can
hardly imagine such a Festival in
America!,
My work in this third episode of
study here in Prague is fast proving
to be of infinite value and interest,
and especially under the private di-
rection of my teacher, Professor Mal-
ko, conductor of the Copenhagen
Symphony and the German Opera
here in Prague. Before the revolu-
tion he was chief director and con-

. 'esti cct o linist

Yvurxg , 'anist

Festival Notes
As Compiled By
Li citen wan ger
(Continued from Page 10)
were omitted, but even so, we still
think they could "take it."
It may have been a case of musical
indigestion brought on by over-eat-
ing which caused one reviewer of that
concert to see, in the Finale of the
Second Symphony, "a dragon that
had received a mortal wound and
was throwing its unwieldy body about
and lashing wildly with its tale."
Wonder what some critic would say
if he met Honegger's "Pacific 231"
coming home in the dark!
The subjects of Doctor's theses'
have often provided "a source of
innocent merriment," with their
reach from the awful sublimity of the
medieval question as to how many
angels could. dance on the point of.
a needle, to the problem of the offi-
cious young Assistant Principal in
"Chalk Dust" who had made an ex-
tensive survey on the matter of win-

form of an overture, the "Academic
Festival," based on German student
songs. The result is neither sublime
nor trivial, but a polished, pleasing
piece of music.
Which reminds us of the irrepres-
sible chatterer who frequently played
hostess to Mark Twain in her box at
the Metropolitani On a certain day
she asked the humorist if he would
care to accompany her that evening.
"What is the opera?" he inquired,
to which the answer was, "Aida."
"'Aida?' Well, I rather think I
should like to go," he said. "You
know, I've never heard you in 'Aida.'"
Arthur Hackett Says
Singers Are Prominent
(Continued from Page 9)
born in Rome, early abandoned a ca-
reer as a civil engineer as did Mr.
Morelli. Hailed as the "Young Chal-
iapin" in his performances in Italy,
he was for three years the leading
basso under Toscanini at La Scala.
It was here that Gatti-Casazza heard
him and induced him to join the
Metropolitan in 1926. Since that
time he has sung every season with

JOSEPH KNITZER.
ductor of the Petrograd Opera and
later, the Moscow Philharmonic.
Speaking of May Festivals, I must
mention that Miss Ruth Posselt and
Mr. Josef Lhevinne were both here in
Prague recently, and it was my priv-
ilege to spend a while with both of.

EUGENE LIST
them and naturally our talk turned
to Ann Arbor and Festival time. Miss
Posselt remarked: "It's the most un-
usual thing; everywhere I keep meet-
ing May Festival acquaintances. Last
week in Stockholm after my concert a
lady came back to say that she had
heard me at the Festival.'"

dow poles.

Johannes Brahms, hon-thee company.

Ainneris Broods Over Love
Act II opens in the luxurious apart-
ments of Amneris, who is being at-
tired by her slave-maidens for the
triumphal feast. While she broods
upon her tortured. love her atten-
dants sing of the glorious victory of
Radames and his cohorts over the
Ethiopians, and young Moorish slaves
amuse her with exotic dances. At
the entrance of Aida the attendants
are dismissed and Amneris with as-
sumed affection tricks the hapless
girl into a full confession of her
love for Radames, and with a heart
full of hatred dares the sorrowfu]
and suppliant slave to vie with her
for the possession of the desired one.
In the final scene of the act takes
place the magnificent reception givenr
the triumphant homecoming war-
riors, who bear with them all the
lavish spoils of war and the cap-
tured Ethiopians. To the strains of
the long and brilliant March, resplen-
dant with fanfares and culminating
in a mighty paen of rejoicing, the
stage-street is filled with masses of
welcoming people and the triumph-
ant warriors. The last to enter is
Radames, borne under a canopy by
twelve officers. He is greeted as the
savior of his people by the King,
who promises to grant any boon he
may ask, and by Amneris, who places
upon his head the crown of victory.
Aida Recognizes Father
At Radames' request guards bring
in the captiv Ethiopian warriors
among whom Aida recognizes her
'father, dressed as a common officer.
Concealing his .exalted rank, Amon-
asro proudly pleads before the king
for mercy for him and his fellow
prisoners. While the merciful cries
Qf the people clash with the vengeful
cries of the ruthless priests, Radames
gazes with tender pity and renewed
passion upon the tearful Aida-a look
which stirs fresh jealousy and hatred
in the bosom of the watchful Am-
neris. As a result of Radames' in-
tercession, the King freps all the
Ethiopian captives except Amonasro.
whom the relentless High Priest de-
mands be held as a hostage. And as
a crowning gift to the victorious
leader the King bestows upon the
undesirous Radames the hand of the
gloating Amneris.
Prays To Goddess Isis

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At the beginning of Act III Am-
neris, on the eve of her marriage,
comes to pray at a Temple of Isis
located on the rocky, moonlit shore
of the Nile. Before the Temple Aida
cautiously enters and is approached
by her father. Pleading long and
craftily, Amonasro persuades the
wretched girl that her only hope of
ever enjoying the love of Radames
is through inducing him to betray
his country into the power of Amon-
asro's followers. The father conceals
himself, as Radames approaches and
protests his unswerving loyalty to
Aida. The latter taunts him with
charges of lack-love and finally goads
him into unwittingly revealing the
dsired military secret. At this Amon-
asro comes forward, to be followed
immediately by the listening Am-
neris from the Temple, with the High
Priest and accompanying guards.
Ainonasro drags Aida with him in
flight, but the hapless Radames yields
with proud dignity to arrest.
Pleads For Love
The opening scene of the last act
takes place in a hall in the King's
palace between Radames' prison cell
and the subterranean death cham-
ber in which the traitor is doomed to
perish. Tortured by her desperate
and unyielding passion, Amneris
pleads with Radames to vow her his
love and accept her intercession on
his behalf, but Aida's unfortunate
but faithful lover steadfastly refuses.
Called upon i Y judgment by the
priests to defend himself, Radames
submits quietly to their accusations,
and is led into the death chamber
to the priest-aimed curses of the mis-
erable Amneris.
The final scene shows Radames in
his grimr' and gloomy sepulchre, above
which is seen the resplendent inter-
ior of the Temple of Vulcan. He
utters a prayer that Aida may never
learn of his fate-when suddenly he