MUSIC
I SUPPLEMENT
L .L
1JIAIfr tga
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, OCT. 16, 1938
Lawrence
Tibbett To Open Choral
- - :
,,
r
t
E
Famed Orchestras
Coming This Year,
Serge Koussevitzky, In Fifteenth Season As Conductor
Of Boston Symphony, Proficient In All Fields
By PROF. EARL V. MOORE
In musical centers throughout the world, symphony orchestras furnish
the basic voice of music literature. Ann Arbor is fortunate in its series of
musical events to hear during the course of the year three of the major
symphony orchestras of America. The program presented by these organiza-
tions represents the point of highest musical interest on the part of many
of the patrons of the concert series.
This year, in the pre-Festival series, the Boston Symphony and the
Cleveland Symphony tinder the direction of Serge Koussevitzky and
--iArtur Rodzinski respectively, will
present the finest ensemble organiza-
800 Concerts tions in the orchestral field. Mr.
Koussevitzky is welcomed as an estab-
Givel On Tour lished favorite. This year he is be-
ginning his 15th season as conductor
Clev lAnd in America. His achievements have
ductors in the musical world. His
. interestis not limited to one school
Artur Rodzinski Directs or period of composition nor is his
Orchestra Now In Its interpretative ability narrowed to one
type of composition. He has been
Twenty-First Season responsible for many first perfor-
mances of significant works of the
Now 'in its twenty-first year, the present century as well as for an un-
Cleveland Orchestra has filled a equalled revival of seldom heard
double decade with musical achieve- works of composers of the past cen-
ment in its own beautiful Severance turies. It goes without saying that'
Hall pnd on wide-flung tours which, the standard repertory of the sym-
with'continuing re-engagements, have phony orchestra is drawn upon free-
included 797 concerts in 26 states, ly for the one hundred or more con-
Cuba and Canada. certs which he conducts in each sea-
Artur Rodzinski, whose outstanding son.
work has furthered the appreciation Mr. Koussevitzky's programs in
and enjoyment of the world's great Ann Arbor have been marked by a
music, continues his splendid leader- variety of interests and a richness of
ship of The Cleveland Orchestra for audience appeal. From Beethoven to
the sixth season and is recognized to- Stravinsky, and from Ravel to Mo-
day as one of the vital forces in the zart, he has led his distinguished
development of music in America, and band of musicians to a series of suc-
of American imlusic. cessful performances in Hill Audi-
Decorated By Poland torium.
This recognition has reached far Preceding the Boston Symphony in
beyond the boundaries of the United the Choral Union Series, is the young-
States, for during the past few sum- er orchestra which makes its home at
mers he has been hailed as guest con- Cleveland. On previous visits of the
ductor with great orchestras in Salz- orchestra to Ann Arbor Mr. Rodzin-
burg, Vienna, Budapest, London, Par- sky has demonstrated beyond ques-
is and Prague, and has been decorated tion the reasons for his fame in the
with the medal of Polonia Restituta field of orchestra music. He is a
by the Plish government, thehighest virile conductor, sensitive interpreter
cultural award that country bestows. anromniggeiso h 0
As associate and friend of Toscani- dcommandiogen tuos dontesas
ni, Rodzinski selected, trained and or- conductor of the orchestra in Cleve-
ganized the NBC Symphony Orches- land, Mr. Rodzrnsky last year pre-
tra; and was the first to present it on pared the new N.B.C. orchestra for its
the air.series of concerts and during the win-
The Cleveland Orchestra began itster, conducted several which were
tours in its very first season and since r broadcaste over ther country. As a
,has restricted the number of concerts conductor of opera, Mr. Rodzinsky
which it gives away from its home cnutro prM.Rdmk
whichditm gie wafro th ome- has achieved distinction as well as in
auditorium. nique was the associa- the concert field. Wagner's "Tristan
tion of the orchestra with the Neigh- and Isolde," "Parsifal," "Tannhaus-
borhood Playhouse of New York in end Sras, "Elscta" in na-
stage performances of symphonic er,' Strauss' "Electra' in "Rosenka-
compositions of Bloch, Borodin, De- valier, and Shostakovich s"Lady
bussy, Enesco, Oriffes, Hannsen, Loef- Macbeth of Mzensk" are but a few of
fler, Rabaud and Richard Strauss. the dramatic works which have been
AnOeratic Pemiere.presented under his leadership. The
ArCleveland orchestra has made dis-
The first production outside Rus- tinct contributions to the cause of
sia of Dmitr Shostakovich's opera, American music by presenting on a
Lady Macbeth of Mzensk, was made in number of occasions significant works
Cleveland's Severance Hall and was by well known or unknown American
repeated with great success by the composers. Names of Samuel Bar-
orchestra under Rodzinski in the her, Edward Burlingame Hill and
Metropolitan Opera House in New Arthur Shepard have graced the
York, with the sponsorship there of Aorah s fheso htya grd the
The he Lagu i Cmposrs.chestra has given inspired readings
The educational work in music, de- of new compositions by these Ameri-
veloped by the Orchestra and far-see-
(Continue: o Page 2) cnI omosrs
LAWRENCE TIBBETT, Baritone
CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA ..
ARTUR RODZINSKI, Conductor
JOSE ITURBI, Pianist. .....
KIRSTEN FLAGSTAD, SOpranO..
BOSTON SY M PHONY ORCHIE1ISTRA
SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY, Conductor
JOSEF HOFMANN, Pianist.. .
BUDAPEST UNIVERSITY CHORUS.
VIKTOR VASZY, Conductor ,
October 27
November 7
November 22
November 30
December 7
..January 10
. . January 25
PRES. CHARLES A. SINK
YEHUDI MENUHIN, Violinist ....... February 15
GREGOR PIATIGORSKY, Violoncellist. . February 27
President Sink Hails
. 60th Concert Season
President Charles A. Sink of the
University School of Music, greets
the coming Choral Union season
with the following message:
The University Musical Societey
takes grateful pride in announc-
ing this annual series, which for
three score years has continued
without interruption. This satis-
faction, however, is ternipered
with sadness, for there will' be
absent from the audiences one
who was familiarly known to
thousands of concert patrons, Levi
D. Wines, who passed away on
Aug. 9 at the age of 86. Mr. Wines
became a member of the Univer-
sity Choral Union in January,
1880; and since that time had
been active in the development of
Ann Arbor's musical activities.
Until 1924 he sang in the Chorus
and to the time of his death served
as treasurer. It was he who during
all these years carried the respon-
sibility of placing in the hands of
participating performers, just be-
fore each concert, the honorari-
ums for their services. Truly his
long period of nearly 60 years of
service has worthily exemplified
the legend of the University Mu-
sical Society: "Ars longa vita
brevis."
The University Musical Society
is deeply appreciative of the loyal-
ty and continuous support of the
music-loving public
Program Of Concerts
The 60th annual Choral Union concert program will open Thursday,
Oct. 27 in Hill Auditorium with Lawrence Tibbett, baritone, as the first
artist on the schedule. Mr. Tibbett, who has been called the most interesting
concert entertainer before the public today, will be one of six solo artists
to appear here during the year. Four ensemble groups, including two
symphony orchestras, will also perform.
Other individual artists scheduled to come here are Kirsten Flag-
stad, soprano, Jose Iturbi, pianist, Yehudi Menuhin, violinist, Gregor Piat-
igorsky, violincellist and Josef Hofmann violinist. The ensemble groups ar
the Cleveland Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Roth String
ROTH STRING QUARTET OF BUDAPEST.
FERI ROTH, First Violin
JENO ANTAL, Second Violin
FERENC MOLNAR, Viola
JANOS SCHOLZ, Violoncellist
March 9
SiCHERZANDO
By WILLIAM LICHTENWANGER
Mayer ling And Hi try
Latest addition to our collection of cinematic anachronisms comes from
Mayerling, whose excellent score was the work of Arthur Honegger. Ac-
companying the ballet in the scene at the opera were snatches from the
Nut Cracker music of Tchaikowsky. It was in 1888 that Rudolph and Marie
Vetsera attended the opera; Tchaikowsky did not complete the Nutcracker
until the fall of 1891. But then, no better music to fit the situation could have
been found, and a plague on realism! Were chronology always strictly ob-
served, art would undoubtedly be the loser.
The Case Of Mr. -Balendonch
Lo, the poor would-be composer! Even when he finally succeeds in
getting a first hearing for his unsung masterpiece (pun-get it?) his troubles
are not yet over. Or at least in one case they weren't:
Last summer in Washington, D. C., Hans Kindler one evening conducted
his National Symphony in two new compositions, one the brain child of one
of his own cello players, John Alden Finckel, the other the work of a free-,
lance, Armand Balendonck. Finckel's work was played first, and in honor
of theblessed event the excited composer was allowed to exchange his chair
in the cello section for a seat in the audience. The event took place, and
with such success, as far as the composer was concerned anyway, that
Finckel remained seated in the house, lost in the bliss of having thus beheld
his creation in actuality.
In the meantime, Dr. Kindler and the orchestra went on with the next
(Continued on Page 3)
Koussevitzky Conducts Boston Symphony For Fifteenth Year
The Boston Symphony Orchestra, one of the most distinguished symphonic organizations in the world, is e fo srenitionsof contemporary angora"swearsin te sart short
now in the fifteenth year of the directorship of Serge Koussevitzky. It comes here Dec. 7, fifth in the Choral mastermeces.s a nga ddweat i ersar sot
Josef Hiofmann, who last season length add that certain something
Union series. (Cont nucd on Page ) these special occasion demand.
Sketches Of Artists And Organizations
To Appear Here This Season
_---
California s.
Mr. Tibbett
"A hail-fellow-well-met, a lithe,
blithe figure, a six-footer with seven-
leagued boots that reach from the
Bahamas to Bohemia," that is how
one critic word-pictured the person-
ality of Lawrence Tibbett.
Tibbett .is no believer in art forl
art's sake, but in art for the people's
sake. It is something to be shared.
Between an artist and his audience'
there should be an affinity that af-
fects both, The artist, he feels, should
not set himself up on a pedestal above
his audience.
He thinks there is a great deal of
snobbery in higher musical circles,
that the jig and syncopation should;
not be despised as "jazz", for one will
the knowledgge and a1ility in the and invalided home. Music had surged
world is useless without character." underneath the legal routine of his
student days in that pre-war.Vienna
Rodzinski Blends Old = and it had been law by day but mu-
sic by night. Now a wise father gave
World With New . . . him freedom to follow the calling
that was irresistable.
Born in Dalmatia, educated for At Lwow, Poland, his music career
the law in Austria, and with a wealth began with modest choral direction.!
01 musial anishin<>om® e- inHi t I
of musical achievement mn the great
symphony halls of the Continent,
England and the United States, of
which he is now a citizen, Dr. Artur
Rodzinski, conductor of the Cleve-
land Orchestra, represents that type
in contemporary American cultural
life which blends the fine flavor of
the old world culture with a lively;
realization of the progress which isl
being made in music.
Catholic in his tastes, Rodzinski'
likes all good music, and the year
Then came an opportunity to try con-
ducting at the Lwow Opera, and soon
sparkling performances of "Ernani,"
"Carmen," and a Polish work, "Eros
and Psyche," brought him to the at-
tention of Warsaw. He was sum-
moned there with the opera and
made an instant impression, result-
ing in a contract to conduct all op-
eras, including German and Italian.
In order to fulfill it he had to study
night and day to memorize scores
that he had scarcely seen before.
This practice stood him in good stead
throughout his career, enabling him
to read and memorize a score in
amazingly quick time.
For five years Rodzinski conduct-
ed the Warsaw Philharmonic Or-
chestra, until one day Leopold Sto-
kowski heard him and brought him to
America. Here he conducted the
MR~ '