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__________________ ________ THE 3MICIGAN iiXILY___
Enid Szantho Will Be Contralto'
Soloist For 49th May Festival
attractive Young Violinist
Choral Union To Close Season
Slim, blonde, Enid Szantho, great
European-born contralto, will make
her third successive appearance in
Ann Arbor's annual May Festival.
Always very popular with local
au<ences Miss Szantho will be the
contralto soloist for the Festival. She
will be heard in Honegger's "King
David" under the direction of Thor
Johnson and in Beethoven's Ninth
Symphony under Eugene Ormandy.
A life-long study of music under
wwell-known teachers on the contin-
ent, plus much natural talent have
made Miss Szantho one of the great-
est contraltos of modern time. Born
in Budapest, she studied in the Royal
Academy of M14sic and Dramatic
Arts there. Discovered by Franz
Schalk while attending the Academy.
the great singer began a musical life
Philadelphia
Orchestra Is
ou.
Oustanding
A series of concerts in a Philadel-
phia park was the embryo of the
Philadelphia Orchestra.
Before the turn of the century a
small orchestra conducted by Dr.
Fritz Scheel was heard in the park
by a wealthy woman who engaged
Scheel to lead a full-sized orchestra
for the benefit of the culture-loving
people of the Quaker City.
So much a success was the new
orchestra that it was permanently
endowed. The new Philadelphia Or-
chestra's first concert was played in
1900.
When Scheel died after seven years
of successful concerts, he was re-
placed by another German, Carl Poh-
hig, who left a position as court con-
ductor at Stuttgart.
Stokowski Engaged
Pohlig was succeeded by one of the
most eminent conductors of modern
times, the man who brought the
Philadelphia Orchestra to its peak of
musical eminence, Leopold Stokow-
ski. One of Stokowski's most impres-
sive performances was the American
premiere of Mahler's Eighth Sym-
phony, a work of tremendous pro-
portions. '
After this initial success, the young
conductor and the highly talented.
orchestra walked the road of fame
together. The Philadelphia Orchestra
had won international fame.
Present conductor of the orches-
tra, Eugene Ormandy, has been hail-
ed as a worthy successor to the great
men who have built the famous
orchestra.
Progressive Force
Performing many'" new works of
both American and foreign origin,
the orchestra 'has won a reputation
as a progressive force in the musical
field. Many notable first American
performances have been given.
Among its repertory are not only
the masters but the modern com-
posers. The orchestra can handle not
only the classics but compositions of
all schools and all types.
A worthy orchestra for great men,
it has been conducted by virtually ev-
ery great musician. Its soloists have
been the great virtuosos of the music
scene.
that has taken her to every great
concert hall abroad and in America.
Franz Schalk has said that Miss1
Szantho has "the most beautiful
contralto voice ii the world."
During the season of 1936-36, Miss
Szantho came to America to sing
with the Nev,. York Philharmonic
Symphony Orchestra in Gustav Mah-
ler's Second Symphony and scored
a tremendous success. In 1937 she
was engaged by the Metropolitan
Opera, portraying the part of Kly-
tamnestra in concert performances
of Richard Strauss' "Elektra."
After participating at two succes-
sive May Festivals, Miss Szantho
accepted the invitation of the TUni-
versity to conduct classes in German
Lieder 4md Opera Repertory during
the Summer Session of 1941.
-Unusually successful in interpret-
ing the works of great composers,
Miss Szantho has mastered five lan-
guages and is able to sing all operas
and oratorios in the original lan-
guages. Press comments extoll the
exceptional sensitivity and insight
with which she sings.
The great contralto has sung with
all famous symphony orchestras in
the United States and under such
famous conductors as Arthur Rod-
zinski, John Barbirolli, and Leopold.
Stokowski.
Miss Szantho was highly praised
for the way she portrayed the role
of Delilah at last year's Festival.
A person of simple tastes, the great
singer spends park of each winter in
the mountains keeping her figure,
slim and her voice in good condition.
Making its last official appearance'
of the 1941-42 school year, the Choral
Union of the University of Michigan
will close its 62nd season during the
May Festival,
Organized in 1879 by Calvin C.
Cady, the group at first confined it-
self to appearances in Ann Arbor
churches, but later grew in size and
quality until it began giving its own;
concerts in University Hall.
Later the Choral Union began to
engage out-of-town artists to sing
solo parts in their concerts and to
give guest recitals, and out of this.
policy developed the' May Festival
idea that first took concrete form in
1894 under the direction of leader Al-
bert A. Stanley, who succeeded Cady
in 1888. So successful were the Festi-
vals that the audiences soon outgrew
University Hall's Auditorium, and
only the lack of a larger hall pre-
vented the Choral Union and the
May Festivals from playing to much
larger audiences. The erection of Hill
Auditorium fulfilled the Union's wish
for a hall with a larger seating cap-
acity.
In recent years the Choral Union
has confined its public appearances
to infrequent participation in the.
winter concert series, an annual ren-
dition of Handel's "Messiah" at
Christmas time, and the May Festi-
val.
Indicative of the great progress
made by the Choral Union since the,
days of its founding when it con-
fined itself to singing hymns, is the
program outlined for it at the May
Festival: Beethoven's "Ninth Sym-
phony" and Honegger's "King Da-
vid."
Festival Chorus
Features Voices
Of-Local Youths
The Youth Festival Chorus, which
will appear at the May Festival, is"
the product of long years of develop-
ment under the tutelage of Miss Juva
Higbee and her predecessors.
One of the unique organizations of
its kind in America, the Chorus is
made up of several hundred Ann
Arbor grade-schoolers chosen for
their musical and vocal ability.
Miss Higbee has stated that the
Chorus has been exceptionally for-
tunate this year in being assigned
works that are virtually made to or-
der for the children. In recent years
the Youth Chorus has sung composi-
tions that were too "deep" for the
young singers to grasp, and thus their
work, while mechanically fine, lacked
understanding.
WA
.r
0
Carroll Glenn, sensational youthful violinist, is a newcomer to mu-
sic fame. Miss Glenn first captured public attention in 1939 when she
won both the Naumburg Award and the Town Hall Award. Last year
she won the National Federation of Music Clubs' award of $1,000 and
also the Schubert Memorial Award. Her recent performances with the
Chicago, the Minneapolis and the Philharmonic Symphony orchestras
have brought her the highest praise from music critics and from the
public generally. A native of South Carolina, Miss Glenn possesses un-
usual qualities of charm, poise and personal attractiveness.
VIOLINIST
Attractive Miss Glenn need not have presented
such an exquisite performance of the Tschai-
kowsky violin concerto to have won the fine
applause she received.
-Cleveland, Ohio
A tone of great volume and full of the fire
of youth, a charming stage presence and ad-
mirable poise . . . warmth and vitality not
to be taken for granted in this or any other
generation. -Philadelphia, Pa.
I
,, i t
FRIDAY AFTERNOON
# MAY 8th
I
one
I I
fl/ack IIARRELL
BARITONE
In 1935 Harrell made his first important public
appearance as soloist in a performance of Rim-
sky Korsakoff's "'Snegurotchka." He toured
throughout the eastern states in recital, and in
1937 went to Europe for a much celebrated group
of performances. Upon his return, he joined the
Metropolitan Opera Association, the following
year the Chicago Opera, and since then has add-
ed many laurels to his reputation.
"A baritone of the first order. A magnificent
singer. He held his audience spellbound."
-Quebec Le Soleil
"Virile voice and excellent stage presence."
-N. Y. World Telegram
SIXTH CONCERT,
a . . .
"
His pianistic art has ripened more gloriously with each succeeding year,
and he now stands at the pinnacle of his career as a virtuoso. A Rach-
maninoff recital is a unique experience - a contact with a personal-
ity of gigantic stature as well as with one of the great monarchs of
SATURDAY EVENING
- MAY 9th
i
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O.Or
J0L2
/
THE UNIVERSITY MUSICAL
SCIETY
presents
the forty-ninth annual
May
Festival, tQ be held May 6-9.
For almost fifty years the May Festivals have pre-
sented the outstanding
Music
Personalities,
and this
year have
again
attained
the some high
standards.
*I
"a
ORGANIZATIONS
HELEN TRAUBEL
JUDITH HELLWIG .
MARIAN ANDERSON
Soprano
. . . . .
FELIX KNIGHT
Soprano
0. .0 .0 .0
. . .
BARNETT R. BRICKNER
MACK HARRELL . .
. . . . Tenor
. . . Narrator
.. . Baritone
. . Violoncellist
CHORAL WORKS
. .9 . .Contralto
.0
THE UNIVERSITY CHORAL UNION
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
THE FESTIVAL YOUTH CHORUS
f
ENID SZANTRO
JAN PEERCE
. . .. ..Contralto
EMANUEL FEUERMANN .
CARROLL GLENN .
. . .
. . . . . Tenor
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF
. . 9 -
Violinist
"KING DAVID"-Henegger
"NINTH '$YMPHONY"-Beethoven
"THE WALRUS AND THE
CARPENTER"-Fletcher
* . Pianist
.
It d
PRICES
(tax included)
Season Tickets:
SIX CONCERTS
$8.80 s $7.70
$6.60
May Festival Coupons:
May Festival Tickets Now on Sale
at the Office of University Musical Society,
Burton Memorial Tower.
Individual Concert:
$2.75 $2.20
$1.65 -$1.10
I II
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