TH E MICHIGAN D AILY
SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 1944
I .
Romantic Tenor
Kullman Began
Career as Medic
To Sing in Fourth Festival Concert
icut Yankee'
Music Despite
Objections
Charles Kullman, who has been
called "America's greatest romantic
tenor," is a Connecticut Yankee,
born in 1903 at New Haven, where
he graduated from Yale in 1924 with
a B.S. degree.
Originally Kullman had planned
a medical career, however when his
experience as soloist with the Yale
Glee Club was brought to the atten-
tion of various musical experts, Kull-
man was persuaded to abandon sur-
gery for singing, despite parental
objections.
Awai ded Fellawship
After winning a scholarship at the
Juilliard School in New York where
he studied for three years, he was
awarded a fellowship to the Ameri-
can Conservatory in Fontainebleau,
France.
Returning to the United Mates,
he accepted a position on the music
faculty of Smith College, later re-
signing to join the American Opera
company which presented music-3
drama in English.
In February, 1931, Kullman made
his European operatic debut in "But-
terfly" at the Opera house in Berlin..
His performance was lauded so much
that the opera was given 25 times
during the .season.
At Salzburg Festival
In the spring of 1934 Kullman ap-
peared in Covent Garden, the first
of a series of annual visits to London.
There Edward Johnson, general
manager of the Metropolitan, first
heard him sing.
The Salzburg Festival, central
Europe's crowning glory until the
Nazi invasion, first invited Kullman
to sing in Weber's "Oberon" under;
Bruno Walter in the summer of 1934.
Recognizing his talent, Arturo Tos-.
canini engaged Kullman to sing in
Verdi's "Requiem" at memorial serv-;
ices in Vienna for slain Austrian
Chancellor Dollfuss in November,
1834.
Becamie Rad.Iio Star
At last Kullman returned hoine to
appear in the title role of "Faust,"
on Dec.-20, 1935, at the Metropolitan
Gpera House. The cheers and ex-
citement of the New York audience
were affirmed in the critics' reviews
next day. Within the next few weeks
"Carmen," "La Boheme," "Rigoletto"
and "Traviata" followed, assuring
the artist a permanent and brilliant
career at the Metropolitan. .
During that first season home,
Cullman also established himself in
other musical fields, as recital artist
on the Ford and General Motors
Hours, as soloist with orchestra, as
a radio star.
At the Metropolitan Kullman is
starring for the ninth season and at
the San Francisco Opera last autumn
he was acclaimed for the sixth year.
During the past two summers the
tenor toured South America for the
first time, appearing in Buenos Aires
and Rio de Janeiro. He has crossed
the continent 14 times in contert
tours.
BIDU SAYAO
World Famous
Duo-Pianists
Will Plav
Luboshutz, Nemenoff
Aim at Perfection'
The appearance in Ann Arbor of
Pierre Luboshutz and Genia Neme-
noff, famous duo-pianists, will be
one of the highlights of their return
from a trans-continental spring tour
from Cleveland to San Francisco.
The tour included appearances in
San Francisco, Los Angeles, where
they appeared as soloists with the
Janssen Orchestra and on the Behy-
mer concert series, and stops through-
out the middle west.
Appeared with Concert Orchestra
While on their fall tour in Novem-
ber, Mr. and Mrs. Luboshutz appeared
with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Under the baton of Eugene Ormandy
they played Mozart and McDonald
concertos and introduced a new con-
certo by Bohuslav Martinu.
Martinu had dedicated his con-
certo to the renown pianists after
hearing them perform under Serge
Koussevitsky in 1942. He was so in-
spired by the performance that he
spent a good part of the next season
writing the concerto.
Individual Careers Before Marriage
Both of the Luboshutzes were fam-
ous solo pianists prior to their mar-
riage. Pierre Luboshutz is Russian
born and appeared in recitals and
with orchestras throughout Europe.
Genia Nemenoff, Parisian born of
Russian parents, had an enviable ca-
reer as a solo artist.
On the question of duo-piano play-
ing, Luboshutz says, "the secret of
good duo-piano playing is that it
must sound like the performance
of a single artist.
"It's no easy task combining per-
fect technical unity with complete
artistic freedom. But that is neces-
sary if duo-piano playing is to Dave
soul," he says.
Fifty Engagements a Season
Mr. and Mrs. Luboshutz average 50
engagements a season. Since they
have concertized as a team, they
have made over 400 appearances in
nearly 25a cities throughout Europe
and America.
"We never 'play down' to an audi-
ence," Miss Nemenoff says. "The
small towns demand the best we have
to offer."
Both pianists enjoy playing before
audiences in small towns which make
them work for applause. They be-
lieve that it indicates a healthy in-
terest in music.
Besides being excellent piano per-
formers they have added much to
pressent-day two-piano literature by
innumerable special arrangements
created by Mr. Luboshutz.
History...
(Continued from Page 1)
Violinist To Pkay in Fifth Concert
NATHAN MILSTEIN
Mine. Thorborg
To Appear as
Feature Soloist
Versatile Singer Is a
Metropolitan Favorite
Of Worldwide Renown
Appearing for the second time as
a featured May Festival soloist, Ken-
stin Thorborg is one of the outstand-
ing contraltos of American opera
today.
A favorite with concert audiences
ever since her Metropolitan Qpera
debut in 1936, Mime. Thorborg has
a range that enables her to sing both
mezzo-soprano and contralto equally
well. Since the retirement of Kerstin
Flagstad, Norwegian contralto, she
is the only first rank singer who has
the range necessary to portray the
heroines in the German operas.
has Dramatic Ability
Critics have attributed her success
not only to her voice but to her
dramatic talents as well, her portray-
als being a far cry from those of the
"vocal ability is the only requisite for
an opera star" school of thought.
During one week she often plays the
part of two or three different charac-
ters.
Born in Hedemora, Dalecarlia,
Sweden, where her father owned and
edited the local newspaper, she skied,
skated, swam and rode horseback
with her two brothers, preparing her-
self for the strenuous life of a singer.
Debut in1Stockholm
Her career, began when she was
one of three schoolgirls selected from
1,200 applicants for admission to -the
opera school of the Stockholm Royal
Opera.
Sheomade her debut at the Stock-
holm Royal Opera in "Aida," follow-
ing which she won great distinction
in the opera houses of Europe and
South America.
Appeared with Toscanini
In 1936 she created a sensation at
Covent Garden. which ultimately
brought her to. the 4etropolitan
Opera, where she is ecognized as one
of its most valuable members, ap-
pearing in a wide range -of major
roles.
In the concert field she has also
built up a great following, singing in
cities all over the United .States.
g o
'SINGING AMBASSADOR':
Bidu Sayao, South American
Soprano, To Appear at Festival
INTERPRETS VIOLIN:
All-Brahms Pro gram Will
Be Given by Nathan Milstein
Bidu Sayao, the sensational so-
prano, is the only South American
woman on the roster of the Metro-
politan Operation Association, and
one 'of the most effective agents of
Pan-American good will.!
One of her informal titles is "Bra-
zil's Singing Ambassador," which
President Vargas conferred upon her.
As an individual she has all the spar-
kle and charm traditionally associ-I
ated with Brazilian women but be-
cause she has made a successful ca-
reer she is much closer to the North
American women.'
Born in Rio de Janeiro
She was born into one of the old-
est families in Rio de Janeiro where
it has always ben considered bad
form for a society woman to have
anything to do with a career. Only
when her music teacher convinced
her family that he voice was worth
cultivating was she able to continue
her studies.
After making her debut in Rio,
Miss Sayao had many triumphs in
Brahms' Concerto
To Be Performed
One. of the feature attractions of
this year's May Festival will be the
performance of Johannes Brahms'
Double Concerto for violin, cello and'
orchestra with Nathan Milstein and
Gregor Piatigorski as soloists.
Messrs. Milstein and Piatigorski,
who will appear on May 7, have
already achieved wide acclaim
throughout the nation for their per-
formance of this famous concerto.
I the great music capitals of Europe-
Rome, Milan, Turin, Lisbon, Buchar-
est and Paris. However, it was not
until 1936 that her voice was heard
in America.
Met Toscanini
She arrived in New York on a
pleasure trip and by chance met
Arturo Toscanini at a party. The
conductor introduced himself and
thanked Miss Sayao for the pleasure
he had had at her performance at
La Scala several years before.
"Have you ever memorized De-
bussy's 'Blessed Damozel'?" Tosca-
nini asked. The answer was no. "Then
go home and study it," he replied.
We are rehearsing it with the New
York Philharmonic next week and I
want you for that part."
With N.Y. Philharmonic
Her appearance stirred the critibs
to high praise and led to a contract
with the "Met" where she has starred
ever since. Her roles have been the
lyric and coloratura parts in opera.
She has sung the title role of Manon,
Mimi in "Boheme," Rosina in "The
Barber of Seville," Violetta in "Trav-
iata," as well as many others.
Typically Latin in looks, Miss
Sayao is slim petite, chicly dressed
and charming in manner. In addi-
tion to her native Portugese and
Spanish, she speaks Italian and
French fluently and her "American"
is progresing rapidly.
Jewels are one of her passions be-
cause so many precious stones-em-
eralds, sapphires, amethyst, and dia-
monds- are found in Brazil. She is
the possessor of one of the fabulous
emerald necklaces in the world. It
is valued at $80,000. Her wrist watch
is one of the smallest ever made, less
than one quarter of an inch in diam-
eter. Earrings, brooches, rings and
bracelets make up the rest of her
rare collection.
The glamor and fame that she
has obtained is still not enough as
she still insists that a successful ca-
reer does not bring a woman ulti-
mate happiness. "If a woman works
all her life for a career she will die
lonely and disappointed. I myself
hope to finish my career in five years
and then live some," she says.
Nathan Milstein, one of the na-
tion's top musical attractions, willF
be among the guests of the Univer -
sity Musical Society to play during
May Festival.
He is scheduled to apear with
Piatigorsky and Eugene, Ormandy;
during the Sunday afternoon con-
cert of the Festival.
To Play All Brahms
He will play an all-Brahms pro-
gram including the Academy Festival
Overture, the Violin Concerto in A
Minor, and Symphony No. 4.
Milstein made his debut in the
United States in 1929 when he played
with the Philadelphia Orchestra un-
der the direction of Leopold Stokow-
ski after which he was hailed with
enthusiasm by critics both as a tech-
nician and interpreter of the violin.
On Concert Tours
In 1930 he appeared as soloist with
the New York Philharmonic Sym-
I phony under John Barbirolli, and
since then he has been heard
throughout this country and Canada
on concert tours which has included
over 100 performances with 20 or-
chestras including the Chicago, Bos-
ton, Cleveland, Cincinatti and Min-
neapolis Symphonies to mention but
a few. He has also made frequent
radio broadcasts and recorded many
favorite phonograph discs.
Russian born, Milstein first studied
the violin in his native city of Odessa,
''"because my mother made me,'' he
says, and later he worked with Leo-
pold Auen in Leningrad. There is
nothing of the 'child prodigy' about
his career, although he made his
first public performance when he
was ten.
Recital with Horowitz
Milstein embarked upon his first
concert tour at the age of nineteen-
it was a joint recital with his friend,
Vladimir Horowitz, who has since
become one of the leading pianists
of the day.
In 1925, following the revolution,
Milstein left Russia for Paris. Dur-
ing the following years he gained a
world-wide reputation as a violinist,
while he toured the continent, Egypt,
South America and Mexico. He
reached the United States in Octo-
ber, 1929, where his home has been
ever since.
An Amateur Painter a
When not on tour, recording for
Columbia or broadcasting, he divides
his time on his Vermont farm be-
tween practicing on his invaluable
Stradivarius 'Dancla,' and indulging
in his hobby of painting. As an ama-
teur painter Milstein has shown some
of his work in the first annual exhi-
bition of "Art by Musicians" with
See MILSTEIN Page 3
, . ,. .., .
r them
-ay Festival
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1 festivals. For 31 years afterwards
the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
participated annually. For the past
six years, the Philadelphia Sym-
phony Orchestra has performed at
all festival concerts.
Choral Union Grew
During the years that the May
Festival has been presented in Ann
Arbor, all the oratorios and operas
adaptable to concert performance as'
well as many - smaller works have
been performed.
The University Choral Union, or-
ganized in 1879, and which at first
consisted of about three dozen sing-
ers, soon grew into an organization
of 350 voices. It is one of the largest
and oldest permanent choral groups
in existence.
In many cases students -who have
paixicipated in the Choral Union
have later carried on in their own
fields of endeavor
SU NDAY,
Thelma Vn Eisenhauer
mammmm
MAY 7
at 8:30
Soprano of
the Chicago
MAY FESTIVAL
Opera Company
John Brownlee
MAY 4, 5,
6
and 7
I
Ba ri tone
M etr opoIitac n
Oper
'
I 'I
~"
:Har in Van Deursen
Conductor
SATURK DAY,
LUBOSHUTI
a 4'
NEMENOFF
RECITALS
FOR TWO PIANOS
MAY 6t
2:30
« ^ 4
Harl McDonald
will conduct his
Concerto for Two Pianos
and Orchestra
PI ATI GQ RSK Y
SMarguerite Hood
wil leadI
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