THE MICHIGAN DAILY
SU)NI~iY, AAVWH i2,?1939
Georges
Enesco, Famed Violinist, Is Composer Of A Grand Opera
Pinza's Boyhood Ambition Was
To Be Professional Bicycle Riler
v,_
Most boys want to become firemen
or aviators but Ezio Pinza, famous
Italian basso, wanted to be a profes-
sional bicycle rider. Singing in opera
was the last thing that entered his
head.
Pinza might have made his New
York debut in Madison Square Gar-
den during a six-day bicycle race
rather than at the Metropolitan Opera
House-if not for his failures on the
banked track.
"Bicycle races covering 180 mile
scertches were more in my line than
acting or singing," the young basso:
tells newspapermen. "I practiced rid-
ing as much as twelve hours every day
for a whole year" And I entered all
the races.",.
"Winning them?" he is usually
asked-
"Ahb, that's where the operatic
career comes in," he answers, laugh-
ingly . . . "When, after a whole year,
I didn't bring home even one little
prize, my father demanded that I
do something worthwhile. Although,
I had studied civil engineering, I
tried a new field-singing. I was
ready for my debut when the war
broke out. But that changed every
plan again. I joined the Italian artil-
lery, and kept my voice on ice for
four years. You see, I served in the
Italian Alps."
Escaping the war without so much
as a scratch, the giant basso finally
made his long-postponed debut in
Rome in "Tristan and Isolde." A few
years later, he was leading basso at
the La Scala in Milan, under the
direction of Toscanini, and while
singing there, was heard by Gatti-
Casazza of the Metropolitan. Brought
to New York, he scored a spectacular
stkcess.
Enesco Traces
Love Of M ~sI'(
To Aneiestry
Learned Violin Playing By
Ear From Hearing Songs,
Of Roumanian Gypsies
r
Georges Enesco, world-famous vi-
ohnist, composer and conductor
traces his intense love of music to
his Roumanian ancestry. His father
was a farmer, and as a child, Georgesf
was really exposed to the national
flavor of the Roumanian folklore and
music. He was so profoundly affect-
ed by the music of the gypsies that he
asked his father to get him a fiddle
such as the one he had seen a gypsy
musician play. Without knowing a
note, he repeated faultlessly the songs
he had heard. Perceiving that the
boy was unusually gifted, his father
took him to the best teacher in Rou-
mania who instructed him until his
seventh year, and then suggested that
the be taken to Vienna.
Studied At Vienna
lIe was eager to study composition
t the famous Vienna Conservatory,
and only consented to play the violin
because some instrument had to be
included in the curriculum, and the
violin classes were the least crowded.
Enesco was fortunate in attracting
the attention of the director Hellmes-
berger, whose grandfather had
learned conducting from Beethoven,
and of the influential Bibesco fam-
ily. At the age of 13 he entered the
Paris Conservatoire, studying violin,
composition and theory with such
masters as Massanet, Faure, Gedalge.
Three years later the Conservatoire
awarded him the highest prize for
violin and shortly thereafter he made
his concert debut, playing the Beeth.
oven Concerto with the Colonne Or-
ci iesta.
Cordon Is South's Gift To Music
From the South comes a rich new choir boy. He attended Fishburne
bass-baritone voice-that of Norman Military Academy and the University
Cordon, suggesting in its timbre the of North Carolina, where he played in
somber melancholy of Negro spirit- a saxophone quartet. His serious
uals. study of music began when he spent
Mr. Cordon has now been signed four years at the Nashville Conserva-
by the Metropolitan Opera Associa- tory of Music under Gaetano de Luca,
tion, fulfilling the prediction- of Her- then two years more under Hadley
man Devries, dean of Chicago crit- Outland.
ics, who remarked, at the start of He undertook an operatic career
Mr. Cordon's career, "Here is a singer with the small San Carlo Opera Com-
of great promise." pany, but was discovered by the Chi-
Despite his early success, the life cago Grand Opera Company and
of Norman Cordon has been that of made a successful debut with that or-
a normal American. Born in Wash- ganization as Angelotti in "Tosca."
ington, N.C., he began singing as a Immediately he was given a score of
roles in 15 -lyric works and sang 24
performances i five weeks.
Next came appearances .with the
Detroit Civic Opera, the Philadelphia
Orchestra's presentations under Sto-
kowski and a. 39-week radio engage-
ment. Last spring he was signed by
the Metropolitan Opera Association
and in his opening performance
scored such a great success that he
received immediate acclaim in the
New York Times.
CONCERT CALLED HARDER
On the question of concert versus
opera singing, Gladys Swarthout is
of the opinion that the former is de-
finitely more exacting because in
concert "the singer is the whole
Ishow."
_ ..
GEORGES ENESCO
f_____________ ____ ____________ __
NOTICE
The right is reserved to make such changes
in the programs or in the personnel of partici-
pants at necessity may require.
Tickets are
sold at purchasers' risks, and if lost, mislaid,
burned, or detroyed in any manner, the Univer-
sity Musical Society will not assume responsi-
bility, nor will duplicates be issued.
Concerts will begin on Eastern Standard
time. Evening concerts at 8:30 and afternoon
concerts at 2:30.
Holders of season tickets are requested to
detach the proper coupon for each concert and
present for admission (instead of the whole
ticket).
Concerts will begin on time, and doors will
be closed during numbers. Late comers will
be required to wait until admitted.
Lost and found articles should be inquired
for at the office of Shirley W. Smith, Vice-
President and Secretary of the University,
University Hall.
Those who leave the Auditorium during in-
termission will be required to present "rain
checks" in order to re-enter.
Traffic regulatiorns will be enfoced by the
Ann Arbor Police Department and the Building
and Grounds Department of the University.
For obvious reasons, notices will not be an-
nounced from the stage.
Rehearsals are private, and auditors will not
be admitted.
An art exhibition will be conducted in Alum-
ni Memorial Hall during the Festival.
The Steinway is the official piano of the
University Musical Society.
SEASON TICKETS
for six concerts by "Stars," Choruses, and Or-
chestra, are $3.00, $4.00, $5.00, for those
holding "Festival" coupons; and $6.00, $7.00,
and $8.00 for others.
The prices of the individual concert tickets
will be $1.Q0, $1.50, $2.00 and $2.50.
SEND COUPON TODAY
U
H1
of Princess Bibesco, Her Majesty was
prevailed upon to give him an au-
dience. His performance- was such
that she immediately appointed him
to" the post of Court Violinist.
Enesco's first visit to the United
States came in 1923 when he was en-
gaged to conduct and play as soloist
with the famous Philadelphia Or-
chestra. Since that time he has made
12 concert tours in this country,
playing and conducting. This year
and last he has conducted the New
York Philharmonic in the absence of
John Barbirolli.
It is not generally known in this
country that, besides his other
achievements, Enesco has a grand
opera to his credit. His "Oedipus"
taken from the Greek tragedy was
first produced in Paris in 1936, and
made a marked impression. Al-
,though Enesco' had composed the
title role with the late Russian basso,
IFeodor Chaliapin, in mind, when he
brought the score to the singer,
Chaliapin, who was in his 60's found
the part too taxing for his voice and
reluctantly declined.I
In checking up on himself, Enesco
states that he has composed three
and a half symphonies (the other
half he hopes to finish this summer),
two suites, much chamber music,
several sonatas for violin and piano
(of which the third received its pre-
mier performance by Yehudi Menu-
hin on his 18th birthday, some songs,
and one opera.
'TIMES' APPLAUDS CORDON
The New York Times, on the oc-
casion of Norman Cordon's debut
said of him: "Cordon displayed poise
and assurance in the delivery of his
music. His voice proved' dh6 of con-
siderable volume and commendable
quality ,and was intelligently em-
ployed."
Star of Stage
Star of Radio
I
Star of
Also Composed
Enesco divided his time'eytween vi-
olin concerts and composing. He
toured France, Belgium, Holland, and
not only played, but often conducted
the various orchestras with which he,
appeared. His compositions particu-
larly the First and Second Roumani-
an Rhapsodies, began to be played
widely, and he returned to Roumania
a figure of international acclaim.
Established in the ranks of musical
greats, he was presented to Queen
Elizabeth of Roumania, who wrote
poxetry under the pseudonym of Car-
men Sylva, and who was a devoted
patron of the arts. Having been
disappointed in many of her prote-
ges, the Queen had refused to hear
any others. Through the influence
Screen
coming for the
]FIRST MAY FESTIVAL CONCERT
She radiates you/h, grace and freshness. A inezzo of
, rea/ warn/h, richness and puil
-BALTIMORE SUN.
GLADY,
s
SWARTHOUT
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... ______________7JE i
CAST
OF
GREAT
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JEPSON
MARTINELLI
BONELLI
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A Brilliant
Supporting Cast
"
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CAST
In Concert
Form
MR. CHARLES A. SINK
ANN ARBOR, MICH.
Enclosed find remittance of ..............for.. ....... .
May Festival Tickets, as follows:
Otello..
GIOVANNI MARTINELLI
SEASON TICKETS
Number:
(Six Concerts)
.. .at $8.00 each $.......
at_$7.00 each $.......
SINGLE CONCERTS
Number:
ago .. . RICHARD BONELLI
Cassio ................GIUSEPPE CAVADORE
Monlano, Lodovico, and the Herald
..... .NORMAN CORDON
Desdemona ................. HELEN JEPSON
Emilia ..................ELIZABETH WYSOR
,
.Wed. Eve. at $,.....
Thurs. Eve. at $........
HILL AUDITORIU'M
I May 10,11, 12, 13
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