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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 1939
Six May
Festival
Concerts
eature
Three Organizations;
To Offer Otello
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4).,
Gladys
Swarthout
i
Program For The 1939 May Festival
Will Open Program
Evening Of May 10
Popular Star Of Opera,
Radio Returns To
Concert, Motion Pictures And
Ann Arbor For Festival
Gladys Swarthout, star of radio and motion pictures will open the
forty-sixth annual May Festival Wednesday, May 10, with the Philadelphia
Orchestra under the baton of Eugene Ormandy. This will be the first con-
cert program featuring 13 solo artists and three organizations, olimaxed by
a presentation of Otello in concert form May 13.
Muss Swarthout, who is a soprano, began her operatic career with the
Chicago Civic Opera Company. Before her debut with the Company, she
learned 23 roles during the summer- _ _-
preceding her debut,
After years of intensive training,
Miss Swarthout became, connecte
with the Chicago Civic Opera Con-
aany although she didn't know a
single complete operatic role, She
had sung in concert and had been
urged by her friends many times to
make an 'ttempt at opera. Finally,
these friends took matters in their
own hands and arranged 'an audition
for her in Chicago. She went there,
sang a few of the operatic arias she
had learned from her concert reper-
toire and a few days later, was off-
ered a contract for the following sea-
son.
Learned 23 Roles
But if she had neglected her opera-
tic' repertoire before. this audition,
she made amends during the summer
preceding her debut. In those few
weeks, she learned 23 roles.
Proof of her operatic success lies
in the fact that for the past nine
years she has been connected with
the Metropolitan in New York. She
made her debut there as La Cieca in
"La Gioconda" in 1930 and since
that time has appeared as Niejata
in "Sadko," GGiuletta in "The Tales
of Hoffman," Adalgisa in "Norma,"
Preziosilla in 'Forza del Destino,"
Mrs. Dean in "Peter Ibbetson," Pier-
rotto in "Lnda di Chamounix."
Despite this enviable record in
opera, however, Miss Swarthout fav-
ors concert singing even though she
believes it is more difficult.
"In concert a singer is the whole
show," she de~clares. "She has to win
and hold an audience entirely through
her voice and personality. She can-
not depend on acting, or costume ort
scenery or the many other convenient
distractions that one can lean on in1
an operatic performance."l
Intelligent Program Needed
"This makes a concert appearance
much more difficult. A singer has toi
be on her mettle, putting everything3
she has into the interpretation and
execution of her program. And 5she
must choose an intelligent program,l
satisfying both those who want the
classics and those who want lightl
tuneful songs."
That Miss Swarthout has succeededK
in these respects is evidenced byt
the press comment her appearancesf
have aroused. ."She radiates youth,t
grace and freshness. A mezzo ofx
great warmth, richness and purity,"t
the Baltimore Sun writes. "Lovely to
look at and heaven to hear" . . . "al
voice as lovely as herself" has been
other tributes.
Miss Swarthout has gained addi-
tional fame in radio and motion pic-
tures. During the past four years she
has been starred in four sound films:
"Rose of the Rio Grande," "Give Us
This Night," "Chamipagne Waltz"
and "Romance in the Dark.' She has
also appeared as guest artist on in-
numerable radio programs, but she
still claims the concert stage is her
"first love."
Boston Orehestra
Gave First Festival
Born during the hectic days of the
"panicof 1890," the University May
Festival has survived wars, depres-1
ions and recessions to become onel
of the country's preniermusical
events.I
Founded in 1894 when Ann Arborr
was more of a farming region thana
a cultural centre, the Festival has
attracted 'nation-wide rennnitions
WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 10, at 8:30
Soloist
GLADYS SWARTHOUT, Soprano,
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
EUGENE ORMANDY, Conductor
Overture to Leonore, No. 3 ... ....... .,Beethoven
Dido's Lament from "Dido and Aeneas" ....Purcell
Recitative and Rondo ................ ... .ach
GLADYS SWARTHOUT
Symphonic Poem, "Don Juan"...........Strauss
Monologue de Didon from "Les Troyens
a Carthage"......... .. ... ....... Berlioz
"Una Voce poco fa" from "The Barber
of Seville" ... ........................ Rossini
MISS SWARTHOUT
Symphony in D major, No. 2...........Sibelius
THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 11, at 8:30
Soloists
SELMA AMANSKY, Soprano
JAN PEERCE, Tenor
RUDOLF SERKIN, Pianist
THE UNIVERSITY CHORAL UNION
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
EUGENE ORMANDY and,'EARL V. MOORE.
Conductors
Choral Symphony ....... .......... .McDonald
SELMA AMANSKY
UNIVERSITY CHORAL UNION
Concerto No. 5 in E flat for Piano
and Orchestra . . .................. Beethoven
RUDOLF SERKIN
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, MAY 12, at 2:30
Soloist
EZIO PINZA, Bass
THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S FESTIVAL CHORUS
EUGENE ORMANDY and JUVA HIGBEE,
Conductors
Andante for Strings, Harp and Organ .,Geminiani.
Fantasy No. 1 in D major for Five Strings
(Transcribed for large orchestra) .. .... Jenkins
Aria from "Boris Godounoff" ., . , , .. Moussorgsky
Aria from "Don Carlos",_-.,. ..'........ -Verdi
EZIO PINZA
Group of Songs:
The Nut Tree ..... ... . .Schumann
Cradle Song, Serenade in D Minor, Hedge
Roses, Wohin ................. .Schubert
YOUNG PEOPLE'S FESTIVAL CHORUS
Aria from "Don Giovanni".............Mozart
Aria from "The Barber of Seville".......Rossini
Esarnillo's Aria from "Carmen"..........'Bizet
FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 12, at 8:30
Soloist
MARIAN ANDERSON, Contralto
MEN'S CHORUS OF THE UNIVERSITY
CHORAL UNION
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
EUGENE ORMANDY, Conductor
Compositions by Johannes Brahms
Academic Festival Overture
Rhapsodie for Alto, Men's Chorus, and Orchestra,
Op. 53.
MARIAN ANDERSON
MEN'S CHORUS OF THE CHORAL UNION
Songs with Orchestra.
a) Dein blaues Auge
b) Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer
c) Der Schmied
d) Von ewiger Liebe
MISS ANDERSON
Symphony No. 1 in C minor
SATURDAY AFTERNOON, MAY 13, at 2:30
Soloist
GEORGES ENESCO, Violinist
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
SAUL CASTON and GEORGES ENESCO,
Guest Conductors
PROGRAM
Overture to "Egmont". ............. . . . Beethoven
Concerto in D major, Op. 61, for Violin
and Orchestra .. . .............Beethoven
GEORGES- ENESCO
INTERMISSION
First Symphony -
Rumanian Rhapsody, No. 1 . .. .......... ..Enesco
CONDUCTED BY THE COMPOSER
SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 13, at 8:30
Soloists
HELEN JEPSON, Soprano
RICHARD BONELLI, Baritone
ELIZABETH WYSOR, Contralto
GIUSEPPE CAVADORE, Tenor
GIOVANNI MARTINELLI, Tenor
NORMAN CORDON, Baritone
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
THE UNIVERSITY CHORAL UNION
EARL V. MOORE, Conductor
PROGRAM
"OTELLO" (In Concert Form) . ... , . .. .Verdi
An Opera in Four Acts
For Soli, Chorus, and Orchestra
Otello ................ GIOVANNI MARTINELLI
Iago..................RICHARD BONELLI
Cassio.............I...GIUSEPPE CAVADORE
Montano, Lodovico, and the Herald.......
.........................NORMAN CORDON
Desdemona................ HELEN JEPSON
Emilia.................ELIZABETH WYSOR
GLADYS SWARTHOUT
Tenors' Ban!
Signor Piiiz
Voices Opmion
They Have All The Best Of
it, Metropolitan Basso'
Says; Cites Opera Music
"The tenor? Ba-a-ah! He has every-
thing his way, The story of the
opera is written for him. He is the
hand~ome lover, the noble knight,
the spotless hero. The most brilliant
music is written for his voice. He is
the darling of the audience. He gets
the applause, the cheers, the bravos,
and in the end he gets the girl."
Ezio Pinza, the Metropolitan basso,
is grousing about his operatic lot.'
He has been called the bad boy, the
villain, the menace of the opera. "I
am the big bad wolf of the Metro-
politan," he says.
Mr. Pinza is not jealous of his
high-voiced colleagues. Not a bit.
Jealousy is foreign to his nature. He
says so himself. He does not envy
the tenors their success. What he
envies is the ease with which they
can achieve success. You must admit
Mr. Pinzas got something there in
the way of a nice difference.
"The basso," says Mr. Pinza, "he
has a tough time. He must be good.
MR. PINZA
Symphony No. 5 in C minor ...
......Beethoven
Philadelphia Orchestra in 40th Year,
Composed Of 100 Virtuoso Members
All'
Group Founded In 1900,
Stokowski And Ormiandy
Now Head Organization
The Philadelphia Orchestra this
year enters its 40th season as a mu-
sical organization. Founded in 1900
"to encourage the performance of
first class orchestral music in the
city ofPhiladelphia," it has grown
from its original modest proportions
to a concert instrument of the first
rank, composed of"100 virtuoso mu-
sicians.
There have been four conductors of
the Philadelphia Orchestra. Fritz
Scheel, who began with the orchestra
in 1900, established during the seven
years of incumbency the firm foun-
dation and high standards since
maintained by the organization. Up-
on his death in March, 1907, a worthy
successor was selected in Carl Pohlig,
who left the position of First Court
Conductor at Stuttgart by permis-
sion of the King of Wurtemberg, to
accept the proffered post in America.
He was succeeded in 1912 by Leopold
Stokowski, who developed the orches-
tra to the post of high eminence
which it occupies in the world of
music today. Sharing the leadership
with Mr. Stokowski is Eugene Or-
mandy, former conductor of the
Minneapolis Symphony, whose bril-
liant _ musicianship and virtuosity
have been widely acclaimed.y
Virtually every artist of distinc-
tion in the musical world has ap-
peared as soloist with he Philadel-
phia Orchestra, and the guest con-
ductors include such distinguished
EUGENE ORMANDY
dition to present the works, not only
of contemporary European compos-
ers, but also those of American mu,-
sicians. There has been evolved
through the years of close unchang-
ing association an orchestral body
capable of handling with utmost ef-
fectiveness the great compositions of
all schools, from classic and romantic
to the ultra modern,
Elizabeth Wysor Called
Most Promising Contralto
Elizabeth Wysor, brilliant young
contralto, has been called "the most
nrnmisnz of Amnrir'new n anara_
Orinandy First Conducted
Stadiun Concerts, Then
Acted For Toscanini
Eugene Ormandy was born in Bud-
apest n November, 1899. His father
named him for Jeno Hubay, the
famous Hungarian violinist. Predes-
tined for music, at the age of two
he could identify the compositions, 1
after hearing the first measures.
Almost before he was able to stand
he was drawing recognizable tones
from a one-eighth size fiddle made
especially for his use. He was five
when the Royal Academy of Music
accepted him as the youngest pupi,
ever admitted to the famous school
Ormandy's first public appearance
was at the age of seven. His master's
degree was awarded him when he
was fourteen. Two years more brought
him an Artist's Diploma, and at seven-
teen he was made Professor of Music.
His first trip to America was made
at the age of twenty-one. The con-
cert tour of the United States went
glimmering. Penniless, with little
knowledge of the language, Ormandy
obtained a post as violinist in the
last chair of the string section at the
Capitol Theatre in New York and
five days later S. L. Rothafel (Roxy)
had made him concertmaster.
At a moment's notice, some time
later, he was called upon to substi-
tute for a sick conductor. His success
was such that he was made assistant
conductor. The next step was into the
field of major orchestras. Eugene
Ormandy's first opportunity was at
the Stadium Concerts, when he con-
EZIO P1NZA
But the tenor he is popular even if
he is not good, 'He can,_ sing lousy
the whole night and all at once he
hits a high note and holds it half a
minute till you think he will choke
and the people they go crazy.
"In Italy the public they demon-
strate very mich in the theatr. One