THE MICHIGAN DAILY SUNDAY, OCTOBER
Rodzinski Tells
Concert Goers
How To Listen
Cleveland Conductor Says
Too Many Individuals
Bashful About Music
By ARTUR RODZINSKI
I like music. Naturally.
I am fond of Wagner. His powers
were stupendous; his music bold,
original, beautiful.
I am deeply interested in the works
of contemporary Americans-I like
the music of Carpenter, of Samuel
Barber, of Edward Burlingame Hill,
of Arthur Shepherd.
And I am just as fond of the im-
pressionism and sensuousness of De-
bussy; the irony of Ravel; the roman-
ticism of Schumann and Mendels-
sohn; the mysticism of Cesar Franck
and the orderliness of his great dis-
ciple, d'Indy; the torrid flash of Al-
beniz; the so-called barbarism of
Rimsky-Korsakoff, Prokofieff, and
Stravinsky; the bite of Irish wit in
Stanford; the somberness of Grieg;
the profound reverence for their
native lands which shines forth in
the music of Dvorak and Sibelius.
Hearing Music First Time
I might go on naming dozens of
others, for I findnsomething to my
liking even in the hysterics of Scria-
bin. The first time I heard Stravin-
sky's "Sacre du Printemps" I was
shocked; now I like it very much.
One should never condemn any mu-
sic at first hearing. Perhaps the sec-
ond time you will like it, the third
time you will love it.
I like all good music. The year it
was written and the number of times
it has been played mean absolutely
nothing. There are no vintage years
in music, and contrary to popular
belief, it does not improve with age.
Music that is written by an inspired
composer may gain with the years
because the taste of the musical
public has been educated to appre-
ciate it, but it was good when it was
written. The date on music means
nothing.
I am not alarmed that there is
yet no traditional music in this coun-
try of ours, for we are still the melt-
ing pot of music and we have a mul-
titude of musical traditions from all
the older nations which sometimes
Campus Conductor
Prof. Thor Johnson will begin his
fourth season as conductor of the
University Musical Society and the
Choral Union.
conflict and confuse, but which in-
evitably enrich us.
I Problem of Moment,
The problem of the moment is to
make the great mass of people in
America conscious of the progress
which is being made in music. No
motorist is- satisfied with the same
automobile year after year; no one
reads Shakespeare every night or'
even once a week. There is no rea-
son for sticking to the classics simply
because they are "safe" and everyone
will recognize their names.
There is growing in America a def-
inite feeling that music is not a lux-
ury and is not for the limited few.
The extraordinary hold that music
has in Cleveland is basically due to
the great number of people here who
are active in 4he affairs of the Or-
chestra, the Institute, the opera and
the choral clubs. No one who loves
music car} fail to be thrilled.
There is no need for music to be
"high-brow" but there is still less
reason for it to be "low-brow." Let
us forget the financial satisfaction of
successful seasons and inquire if the
music we have heard has diverted and
entertained us and if it has lifted us
a little and left us happier.
Bashful About Music
Just as I hold no special brief for
4he moderns, when I play the classics
it is not because everyone will rec-
ognize them. Too many people are
bashful about music. they them-
selves make it hard to understand
music, instead of relaxing, listening
and letting the music do the work.
Mitropoulos
Wins Approval
In United States
Made His American Debut
With Boston Orchestra
And Created Sensation
When Dimitri Mitropoulos, con-
ductor of the Minneapolis Symphony
Orchestra, made his American debut
with the Boston Symphony Orches-
tra in 1936, he didn't realize the
significance lof the event.
He knew, of course that the Bos-
ton orchestra was one of the really
great musical organizations of the
country, but he didn't know that the
critical acclaim with which he was
to be recived would determine the
future course of his career.
The reviewers pulled their best
adjectives from their vocabularies
following his first concert. There
were comparisons with some of the
gigantic conductors in the American
musical scene. The excitement, in
fact, was such that Mitropoulos was
asked to return the next season, a
thing almost -unheard of among Bos-
ton concert goers.
On his second appearance, he was
hailed even more enthusiastically
than the year Jefore. Critics gave
forth their fullest encomiums and
declared Mitropoulos forthwith a fac-
tor to contend with should he care
to transfer his musical endeavors to
this country.
It was during this second season
that the Mineapolis orchestra, due
to the decision of Rugene OrMandy
to take the job as conductor of the
Philadelphia Orchestra was enjoying
a season of guest conductors. Mitro-
poulos was induced to become one
of the guests. The impression he
created made him a unaminous choice
to lead the orchestra the following
season.
Wins Critical .Acclaim
Mr. Mitropoulos, since his debut in
America, has won critical approval
in all parts of the country in which
he has appeared. Speaking of one of
his appearances with the Boston or-
chestra, Olin Downes, noted critic
of the New York Times said:
"Mr. Mitropoulos secured a mag-
nificent response from the Boston
Symphony Orchestra and won a
great and legitimate success. On the
grounds of virtuoso conducting alone,
he is an exceptionally gifted leader.
four outstanding orchestras
a _ Y
CLEVELAND SYMPHONY
THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA, now in its twenty-third sea-
son, is an excellent example of American cultural develop-
ment. Under the leadership of ARTUR RODZINSKI, who
is a leader in the musical world, the Cleveland Orchestra has
toured the United States for many years winning the praise
of critics everywhere.
Sunday Afternoon, November9
Ii
Artur Rodzinski
C H 1C AGOSYMPH1ONY
THIS ORGANIZATION IS no stranger to Ann Arbor audiences.
It has participated in the May Festival for thirty-one con-
secutive years. The Chicago Symphony Orches'hra is the
third oldest in the nation. It has been under the leadership
of the distinguished conductor, Frederick Stock, since 1905.
Sunday Afternoon, November 30
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troucio t mGacer.Telvy
MOORE
r No American audience needs an in-
troduction to Grace Moore. The lovely
Grace Moore concert and operatic star will be heard
for the first time in Ann Arbor at Hill
Auditorium,\ Wednesday, October 22. Long known to music lovers
everywhere as an outstanding example of American artistry, Grace'
Moore is now said to be better than ever before.
WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 22
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MIRTINELLI
The University Musical Society proud-
ly presents two of the finest male
Giovanni Martinelli
voices in the country, Giovanni Mar-
tinelli, tenor, and Ezio Pinza, bass, in
joint recital. Seldom is such a billing offered outside of New York.
BOSTON
SYMPHONY
I
Frederick Stock
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FOR TWELVE CONSECUTIVE SEASONS the Boston Symphony
Orchestra has been playing to and pleasing Ann Arbor aud-
iences. Again this year the University Musical Society takes
great pleasure in presenting this fine organization under the
direction of one of Music's great personalities, Dr. Serge
Koussevitzky.
Wednesday Evening, December 10
I
Serge Koussevitzky
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MINNEAPOLIS SYMPHONY
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP of Dimitri Mitropoulos the Min-
neapolis Symphony has come to be one of the most important
ensemble b'odies in America. It has done much to enhance
the prestige of the Middle West as a cultural center. The
pronounced success of the orchestra's Ann Arbor debut con-
cert last season was such as to not only warrant but to de-
mand a'return engagement this season.
Tuesday, February 3
Dimitri Mitropoulos
SE
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