J.l x ou. 13,InTHE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGE THREE
Horowitz Here
After Europe
5-Year Tour
Noted Pianist Has Gained
Acclaim On Previous
Tours In This Country
Vladimir Horowitz's return to this
country last year after a four-and-
-one-half year stay in Europe was
the signal for wild rejoicings by crit-
ics and the public from coast to
coast.
Last year's tour culminated in an
unparalleled prrformance of the
Brahms B-flat major Conderto under
the direction of father-in-law, Arturo
Toscanini, in Carnegie Hall in May.
His 1940-41 tour was sold out as soon
as it was announced.
Since the night that Horowitz was
introduced to this country in a fabu-
lous debut preceded by rumors from
From Newsboy To Opera Baritone-
History Of Choral Union Movement Traced
That
's Richard Bonelli
's
Life-Story
From newsboyv to the Metropoli- it was presented four years ago. I Carlo Opera and successes in Italy,
tan Opera's "Baritone of Baritones" It was while he was attending Syra- France, and Germany followed in
in many vears of lessons--that is the cuse University on a scholarship, thatr
story of Richard Bonelli, the man the Dean heard the young man sing. ,
hose life tory reads like an Haratio Musical talent ran in Bonellis fain- TIa name Bonelli was evolved from
haihe Yankee, Bunn, during his stay
nA1:2tir pulp. ' n Italy. where it is quite common
Bonelli worked his way through for the opera manager to demand aI
high school, doing all sorts of odd name of Italian fabrication.
'obs after hours. Newsboy, farmer's I While singing with Mary Gardon
helper in harvest time, bank mes- n Paris he wcs engaged by the Chi-
senger, bookkeeper, gardener in a cago Opera Company, returning to
cemetery, auto mechanic's helper and z , America in 1925. he remained with!
zinc .miner--these were but a few of I that group until he joined the Metro-t
the jobs which kept the prospective polit~an in 1932.-
opera star busy during his school Bonelli is not new to Ann Arbor!
oeas music lovers: he appeared in lastX
Mr. Bonneli who made his debut year's May Festival. He is also in-t
wit the Mertopolitan Opera in 1932, dispensable to the famous festivals
a' Germont, the father in "La Trav- at Worcester and Evanston.
iata," supplements his operatic and
concert appearances with radio
broadcasts. During the past season-Sig Ges t eFrg
he compiled an enviable record. He
was the first Metropolitan Opera Before U.S. President
singer to be engaged for the Ford Marion Anderson's only attack of
"Universal Rhythm Hour," in a stgefigtiThrlogsign
series that ran all summer and in t ;ai rgh nhe ,grign
addition he made three appearances RIChARD >ONELLI career vas when she visited the
as soloist on the Ford Sunday Eve- White House.
ning Hour. She had been invited to sing for
He alone, of all American bari- the President and Mrs. Roosevelt and
tones, was invited to sing at the In- with his ability convinced him to she had prepared an appropriate
augural Concert given in Washing- start out on the venturesome but speech of thanks to the nation's exec-
ton last year in honor of PreIdent glamorous path which is the life of utive for the honor.
Roosevelt. an opera star. When she entered the room, the
This season, the New York Phil- After studying for a time, a friend President rose to greet her, remark-
harmonic has engaged him to play offered him the money to go to France ing that she looked just like her pie-
the important role of Amfortas in and study. He accepted, and after tures. Choked with emotion, the
a concert version of Parsifal. Toscan- Paris, events moved swiftly. He made great contralto trembled with stage
ini selected him for this part when his operatic debut with the Monte fright and forgot her speech.
Sixy -woyears is a long enough in the Latin department, A man of
time for most people to forget that broad culture, amateur musician of
an institution like the Choral Union recognized ability, he made his home
Concert Series ever had a beginning, and the church choirs that he direct-
ed the centers of the musical life
especially a humble one. But the re- of town and University for 25 years.
cent reorganization of the University IUnder his guidance and with the co-
Musical Society, sponsor of the ser- operation of other distinguished citi-
ies. into a unit physically separated zens, the University Musical Society
from the School of Music with which was organized and incorporated for
it had been closely affiliated for the purpose of "bridging the music
many years. makes it apparent that of the community with that of the
the Choral Union was not always University." Provision was made for
simply rollin along wthe development of the Choral Union
simplyrolln an cnn-Chorus, and Concert Series, the Uni-
lnsofar as one man can be point- versity Symphony Oxrchestra and the
ed out as the guiding genius of the School of Music.
early Choral Union movement, it
was Henry Simmons Frieze, who, in At first, the Choral Union was
1879. founded the University Musi- made up of singers from the choirs
cal Society and served as its first of the Congregational, Methodist,
president. Dr. Frieze had come to Presbyterian and Episcopal churches,
the. University in 1854 as Professor and for a short time it was known
as the Messiah Club, linmn its ef-
forts to the singing of (choruses frm
Handel's oratoria. Then its sphere
was extended to include general chor-
al works. other singers -including
students-were admitted. and the
name of the group was changed to
its present form.
Its first concert was given in the
Congregational Church, the second in
the Methodist: and the third in the
Presbyterian Church, all for the bene-
fit of the respective ladies' societies.
Even in that limited world,
Chorus' Favorite Song
In the 20 years of its existence,
the Don Cossack Chorus has sung
"The Volga Boat Song" more than
4,000 times in concerts from Singa-
pore to Sioux City.
_ .. .
1 1
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VLADIMIR HOROWITZ
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[2
[2 I HJm lota l u
NOTHING MORE NEED BE SAID than the name Marian
Anderson, for she has sung in Ann Arbor on previous occasions.
No other artist has ever excelled her in winning the hearts of
mnusic lovers. Her appearances always mean packed houses.
[2fit
[2" H N ONC N F r'
[2r
Europe of a second Liszt, second Ru-
benstein and even by one confused
newspaperman, of a second Paginini
-the pianist has held a unique place
in the musical life of his country, a
place which even his recent long ab-
sence was unable to shake or alter.
He was brought up in the midst of
a highly .musical Russian family.
They did not notice his musical pre-
cocity until, at the age of nine, he
began of his own accord to learn by
heart piano compositions by Grieg,
Rachmaninoff, etc., In another year
he had memorized the piano scoring
of Wagner's "Tannhauser," "Lohen-
gren" and "Parsifal" and was start-
ing confidently on the gigantic Ring
cycle. By this time his parents real-
ized that here was no ordinary gift
and they sent him to the Kiev Con-
servatory.
At the age of 17 he made his debut
and despite the troubled times (it
was during the early 20's) he gave
nine concerts ir' rapid succession.
In 1925 he emerged from Russia and
never returned to his native land.
He made his European debut in Ber-
lin in 1926 and overnight became a
sensation. He made his Amex i an
debut in January of 1928.
.L-
I
-91
T ""hree
jw reat .yinphonies
and
Three Great Conductors
will produce
THE BOSTON SV]IIPHONV
Superb Music
Serge Koussevitzky
Serge Koussei-zky has directed the
destinies of the Boston Symphony
Orchestra for the past 13 years. The
orchestra is now in its, sixtieth season,
and its record is phenomenal. Other
distinguished conductors have presid-
ed over its welfare, but it remained for
Koussevitzky to substantially advance
its accomplishments in many direc-
tions.
was founded more than fifty years ago.
For manyyears it was supported largely
by Colonel Henry A. Higginson, a wealthy
Boston music lover, who is said to have
made his fortune largely from Michigan
copper. The many appearances of this
orchestra in Ann Arbor speaks for itself
as to its popularity in this section of the
cout1iiiry.:
THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
This is the second time the New York
Philharmonic has come to Ann Arbor
after the merger of the Philharmonic and
the New York Symphony, two great
orchestras which both appeared in this
city. Last year the Philharmonic stole
the hearts of the audience. It will be
every bit as good this year, this its ninety-
ninth year as leader of American sym-
phonies.
John Borbirolli
John Barbirolli succeeded Arthuro Tos-
canini as conductor of the New York
Philharmonic. With the position he
accepted the responsibility of main-
taining the forefront position which
the orchestra had attained under Tos-
canini. John Barbirolli has not only
maintained but has carried forward
their artistic accomplishments.
Dimitri Mitropoulos
Dim itri Mitropoiulos will lead the Minneapolis Symphony Orch-
estra in its local debut. The Greek-born conductor four years
a:o took over rhm hton from EIieno Ormandv and since then
o i - t r- - oP% k 1 r-4 -% I I e% M AL I
1t7.,,. . T...,r.11 1,. rsz t rtsst fsira m t rrm a 9A