SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1949
TIlE MICHIGAN DAILY
MAE F 'V
i
r
Read ... Use Daily Classifid Ads
I ________________ I-
Piano Recital
To Be Given
r
QfE ColoQ0lk D
I
II
I
61
f i
Si
ni
__
GREAT NAMES
IN MUSIC
Claude-Achille Debussy was
born in 1.862 at Saint-Ger-
main-en-Laye, France, into
an era of impressionism,
and forthwith began writing
music that broke all rules,
yet incorporated, from time
to time, the classic forms.
His contemporaries in art
and poetry were Renoir and
Verlaine and they influenced
to some extent the develop-
ment of his music. Chief
works: Pelleas, Afternoon,
of a Fawn, Nuages, Le Jet
d'Ean, La Mer, Children's
Corner.
0042-
Barbara Holmquist, concert
pianist from Brooklyn and in-I
structor at the University Music
school, will present a series of
piano recitals over the University
fM station WUOM at 7 p.m. Tues-
day evenings during the month of
November.
The program will be devoted to
major works of' piano literature.
Next Tuesday Miss Holmquist will
present an all -Bach concert wich
will include such compositions as
the Fantasy and Fugue in G
Minor, the Prelude and Fugue in E
flat Minor, and the Chromatic
Fantasy and Fugue.
Campus
Calendar
EVENTS TODAY
Michigan Christian Fellowship
-Homecoming party, 8 p.m., Lane
Hall basement.
Newman Club--Annual Home-
coming supper, 5:30 p.m., followed
by open house and dancing, Club-
room, corner of Thompson and
Williams.f
EVENTS TOMORROW
Michigan Christian Fellowship
-Talk by Gunner Hoglund, direc-
to of~ the H.Cruader Clubs i
Chicago, 4:30 p.m., Lane Hall
basement.
Wesley Foundation Guild - M.
0. Williams, Jr., secretary of the
Methodist Missionary Personnel,
will speak at 5:30 p.m., Guild
House.
Polonia Club - Members and
guests will meet at 2 p.m. at side
entrance of Union for a hike.
It's coming-the Ensian Contest
i
'enry V"Rturns
"Henry V," the famous English
im starring Lawren e Olivier, will
e brought to the campus again
,his year on Nov. 22 and 23, the
Speech Department has an-
ounced.
The technicolor film which was
hown twice last year will be
resented at actual cost for stu-
ents and faculty only.
SUCK DAWSON
Paramount Pictures
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
A Great Name in Music
Read... Use Daily Classified Ads
~( * * ~* ~ ~ *
11
9 WHAT, NO TICKET!! Then see the
game via Television at the MUSIC
CENTER.
o AT THE SAME TIME see one of the
finest collections of Classical
and
Popular Records in the U.S.A.
* SEE the latest in Television Radios
and Radio-Phono Combinations.
0 SEE our complete, modern SERVICE
by Hank Karner
'~ ASSOCIATED
"I don't think you'll find that necessary
every time you turn, Miss Brumly!"
FLYIN01G IS EASY ..
Just $6 gets you in the
air for your first lesson.
Classica ...p
d
By RALPH MATLAW
Hector Berlioz scored his larger works for gigantic groups of per-
formers, and by recruiting these forces to achieve unusual effects de-
feated his own purpose, Unless a musical composition is performed it
is worthless. If a composer writes so that his music is inconvenient
to perform, he risks having it forgotten. The directors of orchestras
cite the financial inadvisability of performing such works, though
this argument is false: large, but more popular works (the Choral
Symphony or Mahler's Second) are played not infrequently. The
true reason for lack of performances of Berlioz is that too much effortk
is necessary in view of the apathetic response of listeners. Six years
ago Toscanini played Berlioz' Romeo and Juliet, and then Rodzinski4
conducted the Damnation of Faust. They illustrated that there is
much more in these works than the Queen Mab Scherzo and the Ra-
koczki March, that Berlioz at his best wrote music of tremendous
power and beauty that unfortunately will remain unfamiliar.
Of all his works, Berlioz liked the Requiem best. This is also the
work that is least performed. Until recently, rather than being able
to hear the music, we had the interesting information that it was
scored for augmented orchestra, chorus, tenor soloist, four brass bands
and organ, which sneeringly implies that the mass was not performed
because of this musical melange. Therefore Columbia is performing
a distinct service in making the Requiem available in a performance
of the Emile Pasani Choir and Orchestra conducted by Jean Fournet,
with Georges Jouattes tenor soloist (MM-769).
THE BERLIOZ REQUIEM is not a religious work in the liturgical
sense, but rather a brilliant and intense dramatization of the beauties
of Christianity in tone and color contrasts. It does not seem to af-
firm faith in God nearly so much as to affirm Berlioz' faith in his
creative power. Some of its effects are overpowering, but more re-a
warding than these is the depth of feeling found in the music of thisc
great romantic, in which Berlioz combines his brilliance as an orches- n
trator with a tightness of construction that is rarely found in his
work. In the Requiem he uses many tricks that are also found in
Romeo and Juliet. Brusque stops of musical pharses, unawaited re-
turns of a dominating thought, the search for strange sonorities are
found in both. There are also the prolonged silences which add great
eloquence and intensity to the drama, such as the division of the words
"Dies illa" into four parts to end the Lacrymosa.
Berlioz is unequal and sensational, but has many great moments,
and these often occur so unexpectedly that they become doubly ef-
fective. The Kyrie Eleison, beginning with all the voices and finally
dwindling to a muttered chanting prayer on one note in the bass, con-
trasts with the pleading legato "Christe Eleison" to form one of these
surprises. The combination of flutes and trombones, and the subse-
quent excursion of the trombones into the lowest possible register in
the Hostias, are other striking effects, though they are scarcely calcu-
lated to please the ear.
The deeply religious, model Dies Irae leads to the Tuba Mirum.
In this section the four brass bands are utilized in a powerful call to
the dead, and the strong contrasts are so highly effective that they
discount the theatrical aspect of the part Berlioz thought contained a
"grandeur (that) was terrible." Tremendous volumes of sound re-
solve into the sotto-voce "judicanti responsura" to create highly mov-
ing music. The Quid sum miser is a short expression of humility and
awe, full of feeling and emotion. The Rex tremendae contrasts the
voluminous sound of the Tuba Minim with a plaintive, perdando "salva
me." The most easily assimilated section is the Lacrymosa. It has an
operatic quality in its melodic line and in the alternation of voices
against the sharp, repeated violin chords. The tenor solo in the Sanc-
tus is beautifully sung by Jouattes, who brings to the music an appro-
priate amount of feeling. This Sanctus is unusual in that it gives an
effective picture of celestial rapture rather than the usual majestic
effect. After the fugal Hosanna, the Requiem concludes with the
Agnus Dei and the repeated, gradually fading amens.
Berlioz' Requiem is a brilliant drama inspired by liturgy, brought to
lyric and dramatic effusion, arrested by antique psalmsodjs, and then
shaken by the profound anguish that Berlioz communicates so pas-
sionately. This musical cataclysm must be listened to often and care-
fully. Successive hearings show more and more the wealth of mate-
rial and grandise expression that form the basis of this masterpiece.
THE RECORDING was made in the Church of Saint Eustache in
Paris. Despite the echo'that can be heard at the end of most records,
there is amazing balance between the huge orchestra and the choir.
The performance fortunately does not overemphasize the theatrical
aspects of the score so that the Requiem can finally be heard with
2njoyment and appreciation.
Jazz .0.0
By MALCOLM RAPHAEL
About ninety-five per cent of the so-called "popular" field cannot'
be properly labeled jazz. A line can be drawn, although somewhat ar-
bitrarily, between real jazz and just plain "popular" music. The two
shade into each other at various points, but I think that it is safe to
say that most "hill-billy" music, "race" music, "Hawaiian" music,
dance music of the Freddy Martin-Art Mooney-Guy Lombardo-
Tommy Dorsey-variety, folk-music, etc., falls into the "popular" cate-
gory.
These various forms are called "popular" because they make no
claims of profundity, require no active intellectual participation and
concentration on the part of the listener. They are listened to pri-
marily as adjuncts or complements to other forms of activity such as
dancing, drinking, love-making, and housework.
RARELY IS "POPULAR" music listened to for its own sake-
contemplatively. For this reason it must never place any demands on
the listener. It must never disturb or excite, but must always serve
as a pleasant background noise at cocktail parties or hamburger
stands.
Although exceptions have been noted in the case of Frank Sin-
atra and others of his ilk, it is probably safe to say that such unusual
reactions are probably results of extra-musical associations. I find it
hard to believe that the inherent timbre of Sinatra's voice could so dis-
turb "the adolescent juices."
POPULAR MUSIC, particularly "hill-billy" music, out-sells by a
tremendous margin all other forms of music in this country. This fact,
however, follows logically from the observation that Americans, as a
general rule, avoid any forms of recreation and entertainment that
require active and organized thought. Americans are "doers," not
contemplators. They are not a nation of chess players, opera-goers,
ballet-lovers. When appreciation of an art form requires more than
naivete, when some knowledge of or skill in the medium is essential to
real enjoyment, the American then turns to some form that requires
only the passive employment of the eyes, ears, and viscera.
Some will argue that folk-music does not fall into this category.
I will admit it has some interest for the musicologist. But, strictly
speaking, American folk-music is pretty much the same stuff as
"hmlV-d1ml" musi. Teft-wingers and esoterics have tried to make it
1* * * ** k *-A-*
-.
1949 'ENSI AN
"I hear the '49 Ensian sales are
already exceeding the '48 record-
breaking 6000 copies--save one for
mie."
Michiganensian-year after year-
First Choice of Michigan students.
TIME
WORRY
GAS
Why worry about when you're going to find
time to do your banking? Take advantage of
our facilities and do your banking by mail.
Come in and consult us about any of your
banking problems.
ANN ARBOR DANK
Subscribe Now!
I
to the NEW Gargoyle
101 S. MAIN
Do Your
BANKING
By Mail
330 S. STATE
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
i
DEPT.
You are always welcome at
I
the friendly MUSIC CENTER.
7t e I1 1icCente,'J
300 SOUTH THAYER - PHONE 2-2500
(Just Across from Hill Auditorium)
11
h
MENOMMOMMIMONRI
In Ann Arbor --
508 East William
CAMPUS MUSIC CENTER"
A
A new Table Set and a
Phono-Radio by
TEmerson
NINE OUT OF TEN
COME BACK AGAIN
to
"DINE
with thew~ys
On the. Village Square
in Dexter
FINE
HOME-COOKED
DINNEIRS
AT PRICES THAT
V OU ARE HAPPY
TO PAY
Open Daily 'til 7:30
Closed Sunday
RECOMMENDED
BY DUNCAN HINES
R. STRAUSS-Elektra (Final Scene) ........DM 1247
Sir Thomas Beecham, Royal Philharmonic and Soloists
BEETHOVEN: Quartet No. 16 in F, Op. 135 .... DM 1253
Paganini Quartet
BEETHOVEN: Sonata in D, Op. 12, No. 1
Sonata in A, Op. 12, No. 2 .................DM 1254
Jascha Heifetz, violinist
RACHMANINOFF: Four Songs ............... DM 1251
James Melton, tenor
FOUR OPERATIC ARIAS .................... MO 1250
Jan Peerce
VERDI: Dramatic Scenes .................... MO 1245
Leonard Warren, baritone
MUSIC FOR TWO PIANOS ...................DM 1246
Jose and Amparo Iturbi
ZIMBALIST: Sarasateana ................... DM 1242
William Primrose, violist
OPERATIC SINGLES
WAGNER: Tannhauser, Act III, "Rome Narrative"
12-a5,28
Set Svanholm, tenor
THOMAS: Mignon, "Ah! Non Credevi Tui"
"Addio, Mignoni! Fa Core!" ............... 12-0529
Giuseppe di Stefano, tenor
GOUNOD: Ah! Fuyes, Douce Image
Ah! Leve-toi, Soleil ......................12-0527
Jussi Bjoerling, tenor
MASSENET: Il est douz, il est bon
Adieu, notre petite table.................. 12-0525
Licia Albanese, soprano
GOUNOD: Je veux vivre dans ce reve
MOZART: Voi che sapete ..................... 12-0526
Eleanor Steber, soprano
OLD FAVORITES
BLOCH: Concerto Grosso for Piano and Orch... DM 563
Curtis Chamber Music Ensemble
BLOCH: Schelomo (Hebrew Rhapsody for Cello
and Orchestra).........................DM 898
F rmann wit ThLonnold Stokowski and the
#u
TABLE YFIVIVV-K#%Wlw r
I
I
i
.