N f THE MICHIGAN DAILY SUNDAY, a xs L.a . +u ii a v ra t N it ri 1 A. 1 n N. Y. Philharmonic IsNation's Oldest Symphony Orc hestra Two Mergers Form Present 104-Man Group Only Three Concerts Given In First Season To 109 Presented Last Year Oldest orchestra in the United States and third oldest in the world, the New York Philharmonic-Sym- phony, has come a long way" since its beginning almost a century ago. The organization as it stands to- day is the result of two mergers, one between the New York Philharmonic and National Symphony in 1921 and one between that group and the New York Symphony in 1928. Although the personnel of the Philharmonic has only grown from 63 to 104 since its beginning, the number of concerts given has in-. creased greatly. In its first season only three were presented, in the next sixteen there were only four and in the following' ten years five. During the past year, it is interest- ing to note that 109 concerts were offered by the orchestra in New York and 18 were given on tour. Conductors Listed The two conductors who did most to shape the destinies of the Phil- harmonic were Carl Bergmann and Theodore Thomas who were fol- lowed in their work by Seidl, Emil Paur, Walter Damrosch and then a series of guest conductors from all parts of the world. In 1906 the system of engaging guest conductors was abandoned and Wassily Safonoff was selected to head the orchestra. He was followed in 1909 by Gustav Mahler who was; followed in turn by Joseph Stransky. Wilhelm Mengelberg led the organ- ization for the next nine years and introduced Wilhelm Furtwaengler. for the first time as guest conductor in 1924. The following year saw Arturo Tos- canini on the podium and the begin- ning of 11 years of great music under his baton. With him the Philhar- monic-Symphony traveled to Europe in the spring of 1930 and played 23 concerts to sold-out houses in fifteen different cities. During the next five years such noted men of music as Erich Kleiber, Bruno Walter, Otto Klemperer, Ber- nadino Molinari, Artur Rodzinski and Sir Thomas Beecham led the organization at different times until it was turned over to its present con- ductor, the brilliant young English- man, John Barbirolli. Born on Dec. 2, 1899 in London, Barbirolli had the happy artistic combination of British birth and Latin background and, as the son of an Italian father and mother it was the most natural thing in the world for him to become a musician. On his paternal side there had been mu- sicians as far back as the family could remember and both his father and grandfather had taken part in the first performance of Verdi's "Otello" as members of the orches- tra. Early Talent Signs Little "Tita," as he was called then, showed early signs of talent and when he was seven he began the study of the violin.Although he pro- gressed rapidly he was handicapped by a great deal of nervousness and tended to walk up and down while practicing. This habit grew very up- setting to the adult members of the family until Grandfather Barbirolli had a bright idea. He decided that if "Tita" played the cello he would just thave to sit down and so the youth became a cellist. His progress at this instjument was rapid and after a year he ob- tained a scholarship at Trinity Col- lege, London. At the age of 11 he made his first appearance at the pueenr's Hall and, although he was hailed as a great success, he was ob- sessed with the idea of becoming a conductor. The war came when he was 14 and before it was over Barbirolli ex- changed his 'cello for a gun. After the Armistice he went back to music Marian Anderson Gains Recognition As World's GreatestLiving Contralto Artists Let Their Hair Down From the Negro quarter of Phila- delphia to recognition as the great- est living contralto-that is the his- tory of Marian Anderson to whom Arturo Toscanini once cabled "A voice like yours is heard only once in a hundred years." Born in Philadelphia Miss Ander- son's first public appearance was in a duet' in the Union Baptist Church. When she finished high school, after having sung in her church choir all during her school years, the people of her church donated nickels and dimes into 'a fund for her future. She was given a scholarship by Mrs. Mary Saunders Patterson and a year later earned two years of study with Agnes Reifsneider by giving a solo concert under the auspices of the Philadelphia Choral Society. Again through the use of funds raised by well-wishers she was able to study with'Giuseppe Boghetti who groomed her for her prize-winning appearance at Lewisohn Stadium with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra which led to an engage- ment by the Philadelphia Orchestra. For a year after that she sang little in public and studied with Frank La Forge, but in the next four years and his success increased by leaps and bounds. By 1927 he was already conducting in the series of London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philhar- monic Society Concerts, taking his place alongside such great masters as Weingartner, Beecham and Casals. Tn the same year he conducted at the International Opera Season at Co- vent Garden and later became the permanent conductor of the Scottish Orchestra and the Leeds Symphony. Barbirohi's Debut Barbirolli's debut with the Phil- har'monic-Symphony was made in New York on Nov. 5, 1936 and the dynamic young conductor became an immediate success. His audiences grew with every concert and the af- fection and admiration extended to him by his men became more and more apparent as time went on. An interesting tale is told of the time when, after a presentation of "Don Quixote" by Strauss and the conductor's last bow, a large number of his musicians took him into their collective arms and embraced him in grateful thanks for the performance in which they had participated. The conductor rose to the occasion by kissing them in turn, his heart warmed by the enthusiasm of his men. "No," he commented later, "it couldn't have happened in Glasgow." Chorus' Favorite Song f 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. The "Volga Boat Song" is to a Don Cossack concert what "Ave Maria" is to a Marian Anderson recital, since audiences never fail to request it she sang at Carnegie Hall and won a Julius Rosenwald scholarship, besides fulfilling several engagements in Europe. Not until 1933 did critics begin to appreciate her glorious voice, when she began a, three-months circuit of the continent which extended to I: MARIAN ANDERSON two years, culminated in an appear- ance at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. It was on this occasion that Toscan- ini sent her the message of congrat- ulation, only the first of a num- ber of tributes from outstanding musical experts who have agreed that Miss Anderson is the greatest living singer, whose vocal range is unbe- lievable until heard. Because of a shipboard accident she was forced to give her first Town Hall concert in New York (1935) with her foot in a cast. As a result of public demand she appeared in a concert at Carnegie Hall. Since then she has sung in concerts in Europe, the Soviet Union, Africa, and South America, where the SRO sign was hung out on every occasion. In 1938 Miss Anderson toured the United States in the most intensive course of recitals in concert history for any singer, including seventy appear- ances. Howard University made her a Doctor of Music by awarding her an- honorary degree and she also re- ceived the Grand Prix du Chant for When his collar wilts while he is playing a Beethoven Concerto. Ru-: dolf Serkin, pianist, often recalls the most comfortable concert he ever gave--dressed in shorts. One day ,an open air performance of Shakespeare was being given near the mountain settlement where Ser- kin lived as a boy and in return for a good meal, Serkin was asked to play between acts. Barefoot and wear- ing shorts, the boy played to an en- raptured audience. Since that time Serkin has been wishing for the day when it might be considered proper for musicians to dress more informally, but has little hope that it will ever come to pass. "Baptism in vaseline" is how Ru- dolf Serkin, pianist, describes his first public appearance at the age of 12. His mother thought ie would be a more appealing figure on the stage if he were dressed in a Fauntleroy costume, with his hair arranged in curls. With the aid of much liquid vaseline. the local hairdresser man- aged to achieve the desired affect. The boy went into the only tan- trum of his career when he viewed the curls.. He ran to a water faucet and before he could be stopped every vestiage of curl had disappeared. His debut was a musical success sans curls, but with hair still greasy from much vaseline. * ** * Auditoriums are too large for pure singing, in the opinion of Marian Anderson, contralto. "But." she added, "there's the other side of the situation. You do like to sing to as many people as wish to hear you, and I don't think that kind of pleasure is ignoble." II _ e _. : i the best recorded tinent. voice on the Con- Last seasoneMiss Anderson toured more than seventy cities to give nine- J ty-two concerts between November and June. In June she sailed for her first visit to Honolulu after which she returned to the United States to make two more appearances. Eagerly awaited in her program here will be a group of Negro spirit- uals which she promised to sing in her next concert in Ann Arbor. She was unable to fulfill requests for them when she sang at Hill Audi- torium in the 1938 May Festival be- cause the program was all Brahms, but assured the audience that she would include them on her next ap- pearance. SCHEDULE of PRICES SEASON TICKETS The prices of season tickets are $12.00, $10.00, $8.00, and $6.00. Each seasorn ticket contains a coupon good for $3.00 in exchange for a season May Festival ticket. Three center sections, both on the main floor and in the first balcony, $12.00 each. (These $12.00 tickets are designated "Patrons' Tickets." and entitle the holder to the same location for the next May Festival when exchanged in accordance with a May Festival schedule to be announced.) Two side sections both on the main floor and in the first balcony, $10.00 each. First sixteen rows in the second balcony, $8.00. SINGLE CONCERTS The prices of individual concert tickets are: Main floor, $2.50; first balcony, $2.00; and second balcony, first sixteen rows, $1.50. If the seats in any division become exhausted remaining orders will be filled from succeeding divisions, and a corresponding adjust- ment in finances will be made. Beginning Monday, October 7, all unsold tickets, both season and individual, will be offered for sale "over-the-counter" at the offices of 'The University Musical Society, Burton Memorial Tower. No responsibility will be assumed for errors made in connection with orders written illegibly or inaccurately, or in connection with telephone conversations, or for tickets lost, stolen, burned, or other- wise destroyed. ORDER LANK CHARLES A. SINK, President Ann Arbor, Michigan. Enclosed find remittance of $.... .............. in payment for............ Choral Union tickets as follows; SEASON TICKETS- INDIVIDUAL 10 CONCERTS CONCERTS III Ri-chard Boneli One of the outstanding baritones of this era, and well loved by Ann Arbor audiences, will return in a solo appearance. 'Tuesday, flee. 3 at 8:30 I Richard Bonelli ..Tickets: $2.50$2 . . . . tickets at $12 each $... Marian Anderson . . . . . .tickets at $10 each $... . Rudolf Serkin .... .... tickets at $8 each $.... Don Cossack Chorus .taNew York Philharm . .. . tickets at $6 each $.. . Orchestra. Total.........$........ Richard Bonelli PreBoston Symphony Please Write Name Plainly Orchestra.........; Name ............ . .........Vladimir Horowitz . . Minneapolis Sympho Stret ...............Orchestra...... Cityr..h...... ... ..B apest String Qu State ...................... Georges Enesco ... ..-.... -........- -.-...... DU -$1.50 at $... at $.... at $.... onic at $... at $... at $.... at $.... ny artet at $.... at $.... ..u- A Piano CIIORAL UNION CONCERT SERIES HILL AUJDITORIUMI! Concert Superb F 1 'Ir ......... .s VLADIMIR HOR0WITZ tan tJ Ann Arbor will have its first glance in many years at Vladimir Horowitz, January 15. The son-in-law of Toscanini, famed in his own right as one of the leading interpreters of Brahms, he is making his first tour in this country after five years of visiting European capitals. h: ~+::~:<*:2.:} 3 RUDOLPH S ERKIN This brilliant Czechoslovak pianist who has extended his popularity to every part of the country will be with us again this fall. THURSDAY,'NOVEMBER 7 III I II IAI IIIIIIIIII! GEORGES ENESCO Welcome is the return of Georges Enesco, Rumanian violinist, conductor, and com- poser. .II TUESDAY,MARC -I4 I '1 -11 I i '