FOUR .TilE MICHIGAN DAILY ,ritics Acclaim Joseph Szigeti As 'Incomparable Violinist' Violinist Rated With Kreisler, Jaseha Heifetz Gets Praise Of Prokofieff And Bloch For Playing Of Their Concertos - "Time" magazine for Jan. 23, 1939,' iroclaimed: "Of today's fine fiadlers, he finest are brilliant Jascha Heif- tz, mellow Fritz Kreisler, fastidious oseph Szigeti. Connoisseurs, who udge by form rather than knock- uts, have long rated Szigeti tops." . It is now 12 years since Stokowski evealed Joseph Szigeti to the Ameri- an public in a Philadelphia Orches- ra debut. Since then the "incon- ,arable violinist" has encircled the lobe twice on successful tours. Awarded Medals For his performances, Szigcti ha wen recipient of such honors as tLel rench Legion of Honor, the title of ommandcr of the Order of Leopdid f Belg'um, the officer's Cross oft he Hungarian "Ordre pour le Mer- te." The style of his playing, accord- ri.k to one critic, "vividly recalls the erfect beauty and balance of a Ben- enuto Cellini masterpiece." The last two years have brought oseph Sigeti to far greater promi- Lence than ever before. In 1939, izigeti and Kreisler were chosen the nly violinists at the London May fusic -'es ival. Also in 1939, he was olost iu the Beethoven Cycle in Wrusse, under the great Beethoven rterpreter, Weingartner. I'rokofieff Praises Great composers have expressed} ,w at the violinist's interpretation o heir works. Serge Prokofieff calledI in the "greatest interpreter of. my. ) najor concerto," he was termed a glorious violinist" by Carl Gold- iark; Richard Strauss hailed, Szig- ti's playing as "wonderful." Ernest Bloch said of Szigeti: "I an't describe my emo ion in listen- ng to your records of my concerto! Vhat joy to hear it come to life with uch color, such astonishing contrasts, o muc himagination!" Joseph Marx xclaimed that Szigeti was ."Perfec- ion itself! This sorcerer can do jus- ice to everything." Even Benny Goodman has said, Szigeti is my musical idol." Price To Present Ctri lon Programs Prof. Percival Price, University arilloueur, will play short pi'ograms n the Charles Baird Carillon each vening at 7:45 p.m. preceding the 'estival concerts. He received his training in Canada nd Europe and holds among other wards, the 1934 Pulitzer Prize for iusic. He is the author of the book, The Carillon." Metropolitan I Baritone Star Native Artist Norman Cordon Began His Career As Choir Boy At Four Dollars Per Month Norman Cordon, the Metropolitan Opera's new bass-baritone star is truly an American artist. Born in Washington, North Caro- lina, he started his singing career as a choir boy, earning four dollars a month. He attended Fishbourne+ Military Academy and later entered the University of North Carolina, where he played in a saxaphone quar- tet. It was there that he began the serious study of music which he con- tinued for four years at the Nash- ville Conservatory of Music under GaCetano de Luca, then for two years in Chicago under Hadley 'Outland. Career Launched Cordon's real singing career was launched when, after a series of per- formances with the San Carlo Opera Company, he was signed by the Chi- cago Grand Opera Company. He made his debut with that organiza- tion as Angelotti in "Tosca," and was hailed by Herman Devries, dean of Chicago criticis, as "a singer of great promise." Cordon followed this very success- ful first appearance with an amaz- ing operatic record, which included learning simultaneously a score of roles in 15 lyric works and singing 24 performances in five weeks with ever-increasing success. Appearances Listed . Next came appearances with the Detroit Civic Opera, the Philadelphia Orchestra under Stokowski, a return engagement with the Chicago Grand Opera Company and a 39-week radio engagement. Last season he sang with the St. Louis Grand Opera Company as Landgrave in "Tannhauser." Re- turning to Chicago, he sang in "Thais," "Rigoletto," "La Traviata," "Turnadot," "Aida," "Lucia," "Car- men" and "La Famma" with the Chicago City Opera Company. Who Said Spare Time? In answer to the question what a symphony player does with his spare time: If he is a member of the Phila- delphia Symphony Orchestra, he is rehearsed by Conductor Ormandy for three hours daily. He averages four concerts a week in the busy season, and travels thousands of miles each year. On top of that, he usually has outside playing and teaching engage- ments. Sparertime? Hah! Feuermann, Austrian Cellist, Is 'One Of Greatest Virtuosi' Schna bel Reveals Modern Trends Pronounced by critics "one of the$ greatest living virtuosi," Emanuela Feuermann, the Austrian cellist wast exiled from his post as head of the ! cello department of the famous Ber- lin Hochschule fur Musik five years ago, and turned toward the Unitedl States as the "last frontier of liberty." Feuermann, who, with his wife took out citizenship papers a few 1 months ago, was born a little more than 30 years ago to a family of musicians at Kolomea, Galicia. He made his debut when only 11 years old with the Vienna Symphony Or- chestra under Felix Weingartner. The young artist had studied first with his father, a gifted cellist and later with the famed Julius Klengel. When only 16 he was appointed to a professorship at the Conserva- tory of Music in Cologne. From there he assumed his post at the Hochschule ---until his exile. America And Music Upon entering America, the cellist was struck by the widespread and intense interest in music so prevalent here. "Europe has for centuries had a great musical tradition, but of late it has been resting on this tradition," Feuermann observed. "The United States is doing something active about music;--I have never seen so many schools with fine music de- partments, so many clubs that exist just for music. Every child seems to be studying music in some form. With such an admirable state of affairs this country will soon have the highest standar d of musical appreci- ation among the people-at-large that 'any country has ever achieved." Feuermann's first American ap- pearance was as guest soloist with the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Bruno Walter five years ago. Recognized In Europe Although he is becoming widely known in American concert circles, Feuermann's recognition in Europe: as a soloist is widespread among the great orchestral conductors. In addi- tion to his appearance with the Vien- na Symphony, he has been featured with the Berlin Philharmonic under Bruno Walter, Wilhelm Furtwaeng- ler and Artur Nikisch; the Hamburg! Philharmonic under Carl Muck; the Paris Symphony orchestra under the, baton of Pierre Monteux; under Pierne withthe Cologne Orchestra; the Berlin Opera Orchetra under Otto Klemperer; the Leipsig Gewand- haus Orchestra under Fritz Busch, and again with Monteux in the Am- sterdam Concertgebouw. Whenever his concert dates call for night travelling, Emanuel Feuer- mann considers it imperative to re, serve an extra Pullman berth for his cello. The famed virtuoso never lets his $30,000 Stradivarius out of his sight, and since cellos are too cumbersome to leave in train aisles or to crowd in the same berth with oneself, he of1 necessity must book an upper and a lower. It's a two-man job getting Artur Schnabel, the pianist who plays nothing but the classics at his recitals, confesses that everything he has written himself has been in the ultra-modern manner. For that reason he has never played his own works publicly and seldom in private preferring to "cre- ate them and then cast them adrift to make their own way." Questioned about how he recon- ciled composing ultra-modern music with his policy of performing nothing but the classics, the pianist said: "One cannot control the form that music takes when it comes from within one. If I tried to distort my music into the form of the classics I should be merely an imitator and dishonest with myself." "The music I have written is of the kind that some people would de- scribe as 'offensive to the ear' but that is generally associated with so- called ultra-modern music," he added. 6 . 4 Brahms Concerto Played by Two GREAT ARTISTS JOSEPH SZIGETI EMANUEL FEUERMANN AT THE FIFTH MAY FESTIVAL CONCERT these two fine musicians will appear in a violin and cello concerto, with the hPiladelphia Orchestra. /Mr. Feuermann, who has gained widespread recog- nition in this country during the past five years, appeared as solist with Europe's finest orchestras. I * MR. SZIGETI has gained great popularity in the twelve years that he has appeared on American concert stages. Besides his performance in the Brahms concerto, he will join Miss Lily Pons in her performance at the May Festival Concert on May 10th. I ., m U m The 1940 The Univ rsity Musical Society presents.the forty-seventh annual May Festival, to he held May 8-11. For almost fifty years the May Festivals have presented the outstanding Music Personalities, and this year have again attained the same high standards. x SOLOISTS LILY PONS.... DOROTHY MAYNOR .... ROSA 'TENTONI. ENI) 5ZANTH( GHOVANNI MA RTIN ELLI LAWRENCE TI I3ETT . Soprano Soprano . Soprano SContralto .Tenor Baritone ROBERT WEEDE .............Baritone NORMAN CORDON RICHARD HALE JOSEPH SZIGETI .... ..Bass . . Narrator . Violinist ORGANIZATI ON S The Philadelphia Orchestra The University Choral Union EMANUEL FEUERMANN Violoncellist ARTUR SCHNABEL...... . Pianist CHORAL WORKS "THE INIMITABLE LOVERS" Vardell "SAMSON AND DELILAH" 0 i The Young People's Chorus A very linlted nuirier of tickets will he on sale over the counter so long as the supply lasts at the School of Music lab 10 041_ - Saint-Saens -,-!,d% 1 11 11 11 1