THE MICHIGAN DAILY
rni Martinelli, Helen Jepson, Old Star And New, Sing In (
L
i
f
artinelli Still
t Concert Idol
After 25 Years,
gan Career There In
[913 After Getting Start
[n ItalianArmy
lovanni Martinelli has become
ually a permanent fixture in the
erican operatic and concert world.
the Metropolitan Opera many
ers have come and gone since he
le his debut there in -1913. Last
r he celebrated his 25th anniver-
at the New York Opera.
't, until he went into the Italian
ay at 'the age of twenty to do his
scription duties for two years, he
b3ly was a much better cabinet-
ler than a singer. His father was
he business and devoutly hoped
b Giovanni, being the eldest of 14
dren, would follow the paternal
Metropolitan Director Found,
Jepson On Whiteman Program
I
or
Ito
sio
wa
'iza's Ambition As Boy
Was To Become Bicyclist
Most boys want to become firemen
aviators but Ezio Pinza, famous
alian basso, wanted to be a profes-
onal bicycle rider. Singing in opera
,as the last thing that entered his
Rudolf Serkin Made His Debut
With ViennaSymphony At 12
Rudolf Serkin was born in Bo- needed the money that might accrue
But the army upset all those plans,
not by giving him a rifle, but by put-
ting a clarinet in his hands and plac-
ing him in the four-piece band at-
tached to his unit. Giovanni pre-
ferred singing, however, and was ad-
vised by an officer who heard him
one day, to make it his career. The,
officer indicated that he could put
Martinelli in touch with a wealthy
family in MiVlan who would advance
money for his studies.
Disposing of his father's objec-
tions, Martinelli studied for two.
years, and made his first public ap-
pearance in 1910 in Rossini's "Stabat
Mater." Two weeks later he made
his operatic debut in the Teatro Del
Verme in Milan, and resolved to for-
swear opera forever. It seems he
dropped his sword and made several
other faux pas.'
But the very next year, he became
interested in Puccini and wen to
Rone for a part in "The Girl of the
}olden West." Toscanini was to con-
duct the performance, and as Marti-
n'elli had been singing publicly for
less than six months and. in that
period had sung in only three operas,
he was a little ill-at-ease. As he ex-
plains it: "I studied hard onsthe role
of Dick Johnson in the Puccini opera,
but could make little headway. The
style was different from the other
operas I knew, and it puzzled me.
"At my first rehearsal with Tos-
canini, my bewilderment increased.
I fumbled the lines, mangled the
musical phrases and seemed unable to
portray the character. Toscanini
glared at me, muttered something.
and banged the score shut.
'It is impossible,' he said, 'you:
will not dol'"
"I should have been crushed but
at twenty-four I was not so upset
as I might be today if Toscanini
made a similar pronouncement."
"'Very well,' I replied to the furious
maestro, 'at least I can say that I
have been in Rome and that I have
worked with Toscanini.'
"The maestro looked up in surprise
at this unexpected reaction. Then he
familiar. After a triumphant debut as
Rudolfo in '"La Boheme," he has
gone on to sing in 57 different operas.
He has created several roles: La-
Febvre in Giordano's "Madame Sans-
Gene" on Jan. 25, 1915; Fernando in
Granados' "Goyescas," Jan. 2, 1916,
and Paolo in the American premiere
of Zandonai's "Paolo and Francesca,"
Dec. 22, 1916.
In addition to his many operatic
performances, Martinelli has given
concert performances throughout the
United States, Latin America and
Europe.,
Bass-Baritone
Cordon Proves
Operatic Find
Signed By Metropolitan
In Spring s Performance
Acclaimed I By Critics
From the South comes a rich new
liass-baritone voice-that of Norman
Cordon, suggesting in its timbre the
omber melancholy of Negro spirit-
uals
Mr. Cordon has now beensigned
by the Metropolitan Opera Associa-
ion, fulfilling the prediction of Her-
n-an Devries, dean of Chicago crit-
cs, who remarked, at the start of
Mr. Cordon's career, "Here is a singer
of great promise."
Despite his early success, the life
of Norman Cordon .has been that of
a normal American. Born in Wash-
ngton, N.C., he began singing as a
choir boy. He attended Fishburne
Military Academy and the University
of North Carolina, where he played in
a saxophone quartet. His serious
study of music began when he spent
four years at the Nashville Conserva-
tory of Music under Gaetano de Luca,
hen two years more under Hadley
Outland.
He undertook an operatic career
with the small San Carlo Opera Com-
pany, but was discovered by the Chi-
'ago Grand Opera Company and
made a successful debut with that or-
ganization as Angetti in° "Tosca."
Immediately he was given a score of
roles in 15 lyric works and sang 24
performances in 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
ssored such a greats success that he
received immediate acclaim in the
New York Times.
Gatti-Casazza Gave Singer
Audition After Hearing
Her On Bi-oadcast
A modern Cinderella tale is the life
tory of Helen Jepson, glamorous so-
pfano of the Metropolitan Opera, ra-
dio, the motion pictures and the con-
cert stage. Born in Pennsylvania,
Miss Jepson was bred in Akron, Ohio.
From childhood she had an intense
desire for vocal expression. After
graduation from high school she
worked at whatever she could find
while waiting for opportunity to be-
gin serious voice study.
One summer she met a director of
the Curtis Institute of Music who
took an immediate interest in her
after hearing her sing. He advised
her to apply for a scholarship at the
Institute, which she did with imme-
diate success, winning three in a row.
In 1930 she made her debut with the
Philadelphia Grand Opera Company,
graduating from Curtis Institute the
same year, with high honors.
For a considerable period, however.
Miss Jepson remained in comparative
obscurity, until Paul Whiteman "dis-
covered" her and made her the vocal
star of his radio program. Not long
after, Gatti-Casazza heard one of
hemia, now Czecho-Slovakia, of Rus-
sian parents. His father as a young
her broadcasts, was so impressed that
he immediately sent for her and after
an audition gave her a contract with
the Met. She made her Metropoli-
tan debut oposite Lawrence Tibbett.
She has since been starred in per-
formances of "La Traviata," "Faust,"
"La Boheme," "Martha," "Othello,"
and Thais," at both the Metropoli-
tan and Chicago Operas. Not the
least of her virtues as a prima donna
is her sparkling youthful beauty.
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..,
hea. man abandoned a career as a singer
Pinza might have made his New and became a merchant in order to
York debut in Madison Square Gar- support his large family. Rudolf was
den during a six-day bicycle race the fifth of a brood of musically tal-
rather than at the Metropolitan Opera ented children. At four, perched on
House-if not for his failures on the a high stool, he could already play
banked track. the family piano creditably and was
"Bicycle races covering 180 mile able to read music with facility.
stretches were more in my line than Here was a child prodigy ripe for
acting or singing," the young basso the customary exploitations. But
tells newspapermen. although his parents desperately
.. . . ,. i
I I
from exhibiting their gifted son' in
public, they wisely listened to the
counsel of the celebrated Viennese
pianist, Alfred Gruenfeld, who point-
ed out the dangers of a premature
career. On his advice the boy was
taken to Vienna and placed under the
tutelage of Prof. Richard Robert.
At 12 Rudolf Serkin made his debut
as guest artist with the Vienna Sym-
phony Orchestra. But though he
achieved a great success and was of-
(Continued from Page 2)
_ _. ____ . ____ :J
EZIO
PINZA
The
Greatest
Basso
in the World"
San Francisco Chronicle
i
i
of the
JUVA HIGBEE
conductor
YOUNG PEOPLE'S FESTIVAL CHORUS
EZIO PINZA with a voice as warm and flex-
ible as a tenor's, yet deeper and richer than
a baritone's has brought basso singing to a new
level of perfection. His operatic and concert
career is filled with spectacular successes.
The Young People's Festival Chorus, directed by
Juva Higbee, is made up of several hundred young
people from the Ann Arbor schools. Miss Higbee
has worked with this organization for many years,
influencing the musical career of many of her
students.
MAY FESTIVAL,
Third May Festival Concert, May 12 at 2:30
FRIDAY, MAY 12
2:30 P.M.
,et us try again,' he said. 'Per-
we can do something'."
o years later Martinelli was
d by , the Metropolitan, after
ng the role of Gennaro in the
sh premiere of "The Jewels of
[adonna" in the Covent Garden.
record at the Metropolitan is
SI I I
I'LWliii
.. '---'- -_--._'!-
'The
PHILADELPHIA
SYMPHONY
OR CHESTRA
JAN
PEERLCE
eAn American-born artist, JAN
PEERCE has thrilled millions of
music lovers with his rich tenor
voice during his frequerit appear-
ances on the concert stage and
Conducted by .EUGENE ORMANDY
quest Conductor ... GEORGES ENESCO
associate Conductor . . SAUL
CASTON
on the radio.
This thrilling orchestra needs no introduction to music lovers anywhere. They
are renowned for their exceptional performances both here ,and 'abroad. The
May Festival is proud to present them to Ann Arbor again this year.,
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