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September 30, 1951 - Image 9

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Michigan Daily, 1951-09-30

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SU MUSIC
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SUPPLEMENT

FOUR PAGES ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1951

FOUR PAGES

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Choral

Union

Series

Will

Open

Thursday

Extra Series
ToOpen With
Met Soprano
Swarthout Slated
To Appear Oct. 9
Gladys Swarthout, famed Met-
ropolitan singing star, will open
the Extra Concert Series here in
Hill Auditorium, October 9.
The mezzo-soprano, who is a
reigning favorite in opera, con-
cert and radio, will begin the pro-
gram with "V'adoro pupille" from
"Guilio Cesare" and "Un cenno
leggiadretto" from "Serse" by
Handel.
The first group will continue
with "Del mio core" from "Orfeo"
and "Mermaid's Song" by Haydn.
Spanish numbers will feature
in Miss Swarthoutes second group
of songs. They will include "El
Mjo Discreto" and "El mrar de
la Maja" by Granados; "Bolero,"
"Modinha" by Villa-Lobos and "El
Vito" by Obradors.
Miss Swarthout will conclude
the program with a group of
American songs written especially
for her. Three numbers composed
by Celius Dougherty will include
"The Serenader," "The Bird and
the Beast" and "The K'e" Other
songs in this group will be John
Jacob Nile's "I never had but
one Love" and "A Love Song" by
Clara Edwards.
A world celebrity almost over-
night, Miss Swarthout began her
musical career in Kansas City
when as a 13 year 'old she talked
her way into taking over the solo-
ist's position in her church. Urged
by friends to audition in Chicago
several years later, she got a job
q. with the Chicago Opera Company.
During the summer before her
debut she learned 23 operatic roles,
and proved so valuable that she
sang in half of the company's
performances.
A Metropolitan contract follow-
ed and Miss Swarthout portrayed
the old mother in "La Gioconda"
as dier first role.
Today's foremost American
interpreter of "Carmen," Miss
Swarthout inherited the part from
Mary Garden. She appeared with
her shawls and castenets last Jan-
uary in the first production of
opera ever staged exclusively for
television.
All Miss Swarthout's training
has been in the United States,
Europe knowing her best by her
movies and recordings. Not only
a singer but an author as well,
she has written "Come Soon To-
morrow," a book which is partly.
autobiographical but which deals
mainly with the famous people
she has met.
Her many radio, movie and op-
era performances, however, have
not dimmed her enthusiasm for
her first love - concert singing.
Out on the concert stage," she
says, "you know you are on your
own, and that every tone will be
heard just as you sing it. That
makes it all the more exhilarating
to win the approval of the lis-
t teners."
Miss Swarthout, annually voted
one of America's 10 best-dressed
women and one of the 15 best-
dressed in the world, has one su-
perstition about her clothes. She
has worn the same dress for her
first appearance in every town in
which she has sung for the past
10 years.
May Festival

A1 rtists 'Told
One of the University Musical
Society's biggest attractions of the
school year - May Festival - will
once again offer a concentrated
program of famous artists this
season.
This is the fifty-ninth season
> that May Festival has been a part
of the campus tradition. The
Festival will take place May 1, 2,
3, and 4; with four evening pro-
grams and two matinees planned.
Included this year will be the
Philadelphia Orchestra under the
dir'ection of Eugene Ormandy and
Alexander Hilsberg; the Univer-
sity Choral Union under Thor;

Spanish Soprano Makes
Ann Arbor Debut Oct. 4

<~,3,

The internationally famous
Spanish soprano, Victoria de los'
Angeles, will open the Choral
Union's 1951-52 season when she
appears in recital Oct. 4 in Hill
Auditorium.-
According to many critics the
brightest star in the vocal hori-
zon, Miss de los Angeles will in-
terpret songs by Handel, Ravel,
Gounod, Schumann, Scarlatti,
Monteverdi, de Falla and Turina.
This will mark the Metropolitan
Opera star's first appearance in

CHARLES A. SINK
* * *

SinK Issues
Y erlyNote
Greetings2
The University Musical Society
welcomes to its seventy-third An-
nual Concert Series new and for-
mer students of the University,
faculty and officers, as well as the
general public.
Twenty-six major concerts will
be given, scheduled in several
groups or series. Orchestras,.
choruses, ensemble groups and so-
loists, both vocal and instrumental,
are included.
The Board of Directors have en-
deavored to present a reasonable
number of perennial favorites; and
also to include for first appear-
ances numerous distinguished art-
ists and groups whose successes
have been outstanding in the mu-
sic capitals of the world, and whose
performance records have been
substantially established.
* . *
IN THE CHORAL Union Series
ten concerts are announced; and
in the Extra Series, five numbers
of equal artistic worth are sche-
duled. Handel's "Messiah" will be
given two performances in De-
cember. In February the Budapest
String Quartet will give three con-
certs in the Chamber Music Festi-
val.
The May Festival will consist
of six concerts, at all of which
the Philadelphia Orchestra will
be heard. The Choral Union will
contribute to two of the pro-
grams, and the Festival Youth
Chorus will be heard at one of
the concerts. Distinguished solo-
ists will participate in all six pro-
grams.
The Board of Directors of the
Musical Society desires to express
appreciation to students of this
and former generations, the con-
cert-goers in general, for their con-
tinued appreciation and support of
the offerings which have been
made. The Board has full confi-
dence that the concerts this year
will measure up to, or even surpass,
those of days gone by; and con-
tinually bears in mind the spirit
of the legend early adopted by the
sponsors of 'the Society, "Ars
Longa Vita Brevis."
Charles A. Sink, President

Ann Arbor as part of her first
U. S. concert tour.
4 Y 4
MISS DE LOS Angeles arrived
in this country in September aft-
er completing a crowded schedule
in Europe which included con-
certs at London's Royal Opera
and at the festivals of Holland,
Edinburgh and Lyons. During
the spring of this year, she ap-
peared in "Faust," "Madame But-
terfly" and "La Boheme" at the
Metropolitan Opera, while also
giving an unprecedented three
concerts at Carnegie Hall.
Ever since her debut in 1945
in Barcelona and her victory in
the International Singing Con-
test in 1947, Miss de los Ange-
les' rise to the heights of the
operatic world has been mete-
oric. Critics have heaped prais-
es upon her, calling her voice
'sensational', and 'marvelous'.
Since her birth in 1924 in Bar-
celona Miss de los Angeles has
grown up in a cultural atmos-
phere. Living at the University
of Barcelona with her father who
worked there, she used to play
a guitar outside classroom win-
dows, to the distraction of the
University professors.
F * u
DESPITE THEIR annoyance,
however, they recognized her tal-
ent and decided to send her to a
conservatory to stud y voice.
There, she completed a six year
course in three years and, after
graduation, studied by herself un-
til her debut at the age of twenty.
After several concert and op-
eratic appearances, Miss de los
Angeles entered the Interna-
tional Singing Contest in Gene-
va. She placed first in compe-
tition and from that point on
her success was assured. En-
gagements all over Europe fol-
lowed rapidly, and in Nov., 1950,
she made her Carnegie Hall de-
but.
The success of her first recital
resulted in another within ten
days. After winning new laurels,
Miss de los Angeles returned to
Europe to fulfill engagements in
Covent Garden, London, La Scala,
Milan and the Paris Opera. The
following March, she returned to
the U. S. for her first Metropoli-
tan Opera engagement in lead-
ing soprano roles. The public
showed their high opinion of her
by demanding another Carnegie;
Hall engagement-her third in
six months.
As is the fate of most concert
artists, Miss de los Angeles has
very little time for herself. Her
ambition is to rest for two months
in theumountains of Spain with
her husband, a former niversity
of Barcelona law student. But
with a crowded concert schedule
and ever growing popularity, she
may not see her personal wish
fulfilled for a long time.
Concert Ducats
Still Available
Remaining season tickets for
this year's concert series are be-
ing sold primarily for single con-
certs now, according to Charles A.
Sink, president of the University
Musical Society.
However, there may be a few
remaining season tickets which
are not broken up into the single
tickets available for those who
come early enough to procure
them, he said.
Sink urged students to buy all
tickets as soon as possible for the;
concerts they want.
Better seats are attainable for
the early purchaser, he said.
All concert tickets are being sold
at the University Musical Society
in Burton Tower.

Ann Arbor audiences will have
a chance to hear music by one of
America's oldest and most famous
orchestras when the Boston Sym-
phony, under the direction of
Charles Munch, appears in two
concerts, Oct. 21 and 22, at Hill
Auditorium.
The Sunday evening concert will
feature Weber's Overture to "Der
Freischutz," Honegger's "Sympho-
ny No. 5" and Tschaikovsky's
"Symphony No. 6,'Pathetique'."
Monday concert goers will hear
a program of Rameau's "Suite
Georg e Szell
Concert Here
Now in its thirty-fourth season,
the sixth under the baton of
George Szell, the Cleveland Or-
chestra will make its annual Hill
Auditorium appearance Nov. 4,
as part of the Choral Union Con-
cert Series.
With his appointment as con-
ductor and music director in 1946,
Szell established a policy of de-
velopment and expansion for
the famous Cleveland institution
founded in 1918.
* - -
AS PART of its long established
program of service to its commun-
ity and the music world, the or-
chestra provides a unique series
of educational concerts for chil-
dren, conducted by Rudolph Rong-
wall, associate conductor of the
orchestra.
Ringwall also conducts the
series of 22 Sunday afternoon
"Twilight" concerts and the
summer "Pop" concerts.
In 1941, a series of international
broadcasts was begun. The orches-
tra gave an hour long program
each week, and it was broadcast
over more than 200 stations in the
U.S., and Canada. Short-wave
transmitters beamed to Central
and South America, Europe, Af-
rica, the Pacific and Mexican Net-
works.
* * *
ONE OF THE busiest musical
organizations in the country, the.
orchestra presents as many as 150
concerts during its 30 week season
-an average of five concerts a
week, in addition to rehearsals and
recording sessions.
The orchestra is one of the few
symphony orchestras to own the!
hall in which it plays. Built ex-
pressly for the use of the orches-j
tra, Severence Hall was the gift
of philanthropist John Long Sev-
erance, a $3,000,000 building with
exceptional acoustics.

from Dardanus," Strauss's "Tod
und Verklarung," and Schumann's
"Symphony No. 4, in D Minor,"
concluding with Ravel's "Rapso-
die Espagnole."
THE SON OF A music professor
at the Strasbourg Conservatory in
Germany, Munch soon abandoned
his aspirations to be a locomotive
engineer, and went to Paris to
study violin under Lucien Capet,
founder of the Capet Quartet. In
1914, however, while spending his
vacation'in Strasbourg he was con-
scripted into the German army.
Four years later, after being gas-
sed before Peronne and wounded
at Verdun, he was demobilized.
Munch explains why he did
not conduct his first concert un-
til 1932 when he was 41 years
old very simply. "It was so much
easier for me to make a living
as a violinist, I just could not
afford to direct an orchestra
earlier."
After the success of his first
concert, conducting offers poured
in from other Paris orchestras.
At this time Munch was pursued

by an early French version of
"bobby-soxers" called "Les Mun-
chettes," who jammed the front
rows to admire "Le Beau Char-
les."
* *
MUNCH'S popularity in France
grew to such a degree that when
in 1949 a French magazine con-
ducted a poll asking, "What man
would you like to have dinner with
tonight if you could make your
choice?" Munch ran second to
Winston Churchill, .just ahead of
the current cinema idol Jean Ma-
rais and far ahead of such notables
as President Auriol, Gary Cooper
and Joseph Stalin.
Munch, known as "Charry"
to his friends, visited the United
States for the first time in the
1946-47 season, to be guest con-
ductor in Boston, New York, Los
Angeles, and Chicago. In 1948 he
conducted the French National
(radio) Orchestra on its Ameri-
can tour,
When time allows, Munch still
conducts in France, Italy, Bel-
gium or Holland, where long-
standing associations still beckon.

MUNCH CONDUCTS-The Boston Symphony Orchestra is shown here during one of its recent
Ann Arbor appearances. Conducted by Charles 1'Iunch, the orchestra will appear here this year in
two concerts at Hill Auditorium. The first, Oct. 21 will be in the Choral Union Series, and the
second will be the following day for the extra Concert Series.
Charles Munch Will Conduct Boston
Sym phony In Two October Concerts,
. . . .. . _ , .

LIFE DOWN UNDER:
Eerie Subterranean Maze
Constitutes Hill's Other Half

Noted Musicians
To Appear Here
Choral Union Series To Open Oct. 4;
Extra Concert Series Begins Oct. 9
A program rich in variety and ,quality will be brought to Ann
Arbor this season when the University Musical Society in its seventy-
third season brings a total of twenty-six professional performances
to Hill and Rackham Auditoriums.
Ten of these performances will be provided by the annual Choral
Union Series, which will inaugurate its seventy-third season when
Victoria de los Angeles, Spanish-born soprano appears here Oct. 4.
s " * *
SECOND IN THE SERIES will be Josef Szigeti, internationally
celebrated concert violinist. Szigeti, who has not been heard in Ann
Arbor for eight years, will appear here Oct. 15.
A now familiar figure since his first recital here three years
ago, Charles Munch will come with the Boston Symphony Orches-
tra Oct. 21 for the Choral Union Series. First appearing in Ann
Arbor with the French Nation- -

By GAYLE GREENE
Even the performer gazing out
at the rapidly filling hall in ner-
vous anticipation is unaware of
the "double life" of Hill Auditori-
um.
And to the audience leaning back
in the luxury of blue upholstered
theatre style seats, the huge hall
may remind them only of the
famous stars who have appeared
there, or perhaps bring visions of
those to come.
YET THERE IS another chapter
to the story, down below the hard-
wood floor of the stage that will
be again this year the scene of the
Choral Union Series, the Extra
Concert Series, the Messiah Con-
certs and the May Festival.
Apart from the glamour of the
main hall stretches subterranean
passages, huge wind fans and
weird chambers that echo with
organ strains.
In a large basement room
through whose ceiling clean air is
sucked into the hall above, a maze
hase been constructed for the study
of human learning.
IN PAST semesters tests utiliz-
ing this maze have been conducted
with volunteer subjects and the
only light in the passage comes

from the bulb in a kind of miner's
cap which the subject wears.
The eerie patterns made by
this light, combined with the
mixed strains of organ and string
music emanating from the audi-
torium above lend a unique qual-
ity to the 38 year old auditorium.
Damp brick walls stretch be-
neath the pavement outside Hill
to the Natural Science Building as
well as Rackham Hall. Through
these passages on steel braces,
water pipes and wires wind from
one building to another tying the
campus together in an under-
ground chinese puzzle.
* * *
THE DINGINESS and stark
brick walls of these passages are
in decided contrast to the luxury
and recently refurnished splendor
of Hill Auditorium itself.
A $209,000 remodeling job
provided a thorough redecorat-
ing for the entire auditorium
two years ago.
Built by funds bequested to the
University by the late Arthur Hill
-an alumnus and former Regent,
designed with special quarters to
house the Frieze Memorial organ,
Hill Auditorium, the dingy and the
luxurious, stands ready to main-
tain a firm hold on its position as
one of the country's finest halls.

at Orchestra, Munch has since
appeared four times with the
Boston group.
Following the Boston Orchestra
will be the Cleveland. Orchestra,
scheduled for Nov. 4. Under George
Szell, conductor for the past five
years, the orchestra now stands
as one of America's finest,
RECOGNIZED AS one of the
world's great pianists, Alexander
Brailowsky will appear here Nov.
16i. Since his American debut in
1924 he has toured continuously
in this country and abroad.
Following Brailowsky will be
Salvatore Baccaloni, acclaimed
the greatest basso buffo of the
century. The distinguished Ital-
ian will be heard here Nov. 29.
The first concert after the holi-;
day season will be the Cincinnati
Symphony Orchestra, conducted by
Thor Johnson. Acclaimed as out-
standing in the history of orches-
tras, their appearance is scheduled
for Jan. 14.
VISITING THE United States
for the first time and appearing
in Ann Arbor Feb. 20 is the Sing-,
ing Boys of Norway, a group of
60 male singers. Recognized as the
best that Norway produces, they
have an extensive repertoire rang-
ing from Bach to Negro Spirituals
sung in many languages.
The now famous Shaw Chor-
ale, led by Robert Shaw, will ap-
pear in Ann Arbor March 18.
The Chorale, formed in,1941, is
made up of professional singers
chosen for the blending of voices,
musicianship, and a feeling for
choral ensemble.
Last in the Choral Union Series
will be the violin-piano combina-
tion of Rudolph Serkin, pianist,
and Adolf Busch, violinist. The
two will close the series with a
sonata recital March 31.
* * *
THE EXTRA Concert Series will'
be opened this year by Gladys
Swarthout, mezzo-soprano, Oct. 9.
Miss Swarthout, one of America's
leading concert, radio and opera
stars has previously appeared here
both in recital and at May Festi-
vals.
As the second in the Extra
Series Charles Munch will con-
duct the Boston Symphony Or-
chestra Oct. 22. This concert
will be in addition to his ap-
pearance in the Choral Union
Series.
Formed during the war as a GI
singing group, the dePaur Infan-
try Chorus has since become one
of the most important profession-
al choruses of the time. Led by
Leonard de Paur, the group will ap-
pear here Nov. 20.
* * *
COMBINING music and "asides"
appropriate to the occasion, Oscar
Levant, long recognized as the
chief exponent of Gershwin's mu-
sic will appear here Jan. 18.
The Extra Concert Series will
be brought to a close March 9
when the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra, under their new per-
manent conductor, Rafael Kube-
lik, appears here for the second
time.
"Now a tradition at the Univer-
sity, the "Messiah" concerts will
once again be heard here with four
leading soloists performing. The
concerts, to be heard Dec. 8 and
Dec. 9 will feature Nancy Carr,

SerieS Ends
With Chicago
Virtually unknown in this coun-
try until a year ago when engaged
as director and conductor of the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ra-
fael Kubelik will return to Hill
Auditorium March 9 to bring the
Extra Concert Series to a close.
Kubelik, fifth man to hold the
conductorial position of the famed
symphony group has maintained
the high ranking position which
the orchestra reached under the
late Frederick Stock, conductor
from 1905 to 1942.
APPOINTED conductor of the
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in
1936 after graduation from the
Prague Conservatory,Kubelik tour-
ed Europe and America with his
father, Jan Kubelik, .world-re-
knowned violinist. In 1939 he
took on the additional duty of
director and conductor of the Na-
tional Theatre Opera in Brno.
After the war Kubelik became
a familiar figure on the podium
as guest conductor in London,
Moscow, Brussels, Rome and
Stockholm, but it was with the
Concert Orchestra in Amster-
dam that he was re-engaged to
direct all of its concerts in the
second half of the 1949-5 sea-
son.
Kubelik's works as a composer
include the full-length opera,
"Veronika"; two one-act operas.
based on Anderson's fairy tales;
a violin concerto, three string
quartets, a cantata, a piano con-
certo and a symphony for orches-
tra, chorus and baritone.
Assisting Kubelik is George
Schick, successful here and abroad
as a symphonic and operatic con-
ductor and an outstanding pianist.
In addition to his conductorial
duties, Schick performs with the
orchestra on the piano.
Ravinia Festival, noted music.
center on Chicago's North Shore
is the scene of the Symphony's
summer activity, while the regu-
lar season is spent in its own home
-Orchestra Hall.
The orchestra, which has be-
come known to the entire mid-
west through its tours and regular
Wednesday evening radio pro-
grams, is unique in this country
for its training school-the Civic
Orchestra of Chicago.
Year Planned
For Orchestra
Under the direction of Wayne
Dunlap, the University Symphony
Orchestra has scheduled a full
calender of performances this year.
First on the agenda will be an
orchestral program Oct. 17 fea-
turing a performance of original
compositions written by members
of the University student body.
The Fall Orchestra Concert Nov.

LAST YEA R'S SOLOISTS RE T URN:
Campus music enthusiasts will the oldest and largest peiman
again have an opportunity this choral groups in America. It sta
year to enjoy the finest in group ed in 187E9 as an organization

Sung Twice by Choral Union

ent
art-
of

gram called "The Enchanted "Spring Symphony" in which she
Hour." A frequent soloist at choral sang the contralto solo.
concerts in the midwest, she has_

prominance in the operatic and
concert fields. A blacksmith as a
youth, Natzka received a scholar-

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