SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1951 °THE IIZICH[IG.AI 1 I).AILY PAGE TRR - THE MICHIGAN DAILY PAGE THREE FAMILY AFFAIR: r Busch, Serkin Duet To Close Choral Union Concert Series1 * * * * * * A father and son-in-law sonata recital duet will bring the Choral Union Concert Series to an elo- quent close March 31 at Hill Au- ditorium. Adolph Busch, violinist and com- poser, and Rudolph Serkin, pian- ist, will combine their well-known talents in a concert which prom- ' ises to be one of the highlights in this year's series. The father-son duet will mark their first appearance together in Ann Arbor. Although Serkin has appeared here several times in piano recitals, Busch will be play- ing for the first time at the Uni- versity. S* * INTRODUCED to the United States in 1931 by Arturo Toscanini, Busch has since won acclaim in ti this country from coast to coast. He has since been praised as "Mr. Toscanini's twin in musical men- tality." In 1936 Serkin also was intro- duced to the American public by Toscanini. As a result of a chance meeting in 1920 these two artists were permanently linked together. At this time the 17 year old Serkin t met Busch's three year old daugh- ter. This was the beginning of an affection and admiration which :was to culminate in marriage fif- teen years later. * * * AT THE OUTBREAK of World War II both Busch and Serkin moved permanently to America. Ex-GI Group To Present Hill Concert The dePaur Infantry Chorus, which will be here November 20 at Hill Auditorium in the Extra Concert Series, began during the last war with a few GI's under Captain Leonard de Paur singing in. close harmony while on the march, in the barracks, or even in the mess hall. At this time it was only an after hours activity, but soon it be- came a full time job for these tal- ented men. ADOLF BUSCH Busch lives in New York, surround- ed by a great library of treasured music manuscripts. Serkin, known to his many friends as "Rudi," re- sides in a country home in Guil- ford, Vermont. Both artists are very particu- lar about their instruments. Busch owns one of the finest violins made by Stradivarius, known as "Ex-Wiener." Unlike most pianists, Serkin,. is not content to take his instru- ment as he finds it. He chooses three Steinway pianos before every tour and has them sent to strate. gic points, so that they can be forwarded to each concert loca- tion. RUDOLF SERKIN In this way Serkin can sit down before the keyboard and meet a tried and true friend. * * , ONE OF Burch's more phenom- enal feats is his success as a com- poser. He has more than 55 opuses to his credit now. Gifted with an unusual musical ear, Busch can write a six-voiced fugue in his head, and then put it down on paper as fast as his pencil will move. Both Busch and Serkin started their musical careers at an early age. Busch was a child prodigy who at three years old had per- fect pitch, and at seven, had played the Beriot Concerto in public. Norwegian Choir To Give First U.S. Concert Tour MUSIC 'ASIDES': Levant Adapts Concerts To Suit Audience Mood WHEN THE regiment was sent to the Pacific the chorus went with it and on arrival in Hawaii the singers gave a performance for the Pacific High Command. The concert was a success and won the attention of Captain Maurice Evans, noted Shakespearean actor. Evans persuaded the High Command that the chorus would be a big contribution to the mor- ale of the armed forces, and consequently it was made an in- dependent unit under Captain de Paur. For three years this group gave more than 2000 con- certs for the American armed forces visiting every theatre of the war. After the war the men decided to remain together as a single unit and have since given success- ' ful concerts all over the country, with 175 scheduled for this year. Part of the repertoire to be heard' here is made up of music of the many lands the ex-soldiers visited.; Ann Arbor concert goers will have their first opportunity this year to hear the Singing Boys of Norway when the 62 voice choir appears as part of the Choral 'Baccaloni, Met Basso, To Sing Here Nov. 29 The "greatest comic of the cen- tury," Salvatore Baccaloni, world renowned basso buffo of the Met- ropolitan Opera Company, will appear here at the Nov. 29 concert of the Choral Union Series in Hill Auditorium. "Undeniably the greatest basso of his time," Baccaloni has the phenomenal range of two and a half octaves and commands a re- pertoire in five languages. Born in Rome in 1900, Bacca- loni began his musical training when six years old as a boy so- prano. Before being engaged by the Metropolitan, Baccaloni ap- peared in England, on the Con- tinent, and in North and South America. He is best known for his por- trayal of the lovesick, foolish old bachelor "Don Pasquale," the crot-l chety Bartolo of "The Barber of Seville," the farcical Leporello in3 "Don Giovanni," the quack doctor Dulcamara in "The Elixir of Love,"1 and Varlaam in "Boris Godunoff."] Union Concert Series, February 20 in Hill Auditorium. Coming to the United States for the first time as part of their 25th anniversary celebration as an or- ganization, the group will visit 60 American cities during their ten week stay here. The male Norwegian group is made up of 46 first and second so- pranos and altos, and 16 first and second tenors and basses. The music of the Singing Boys of Norway is unique. Many of their songs are arranged in eight- part harmony ranging in scale from deep bass to the high colora- tura of the boy sopranos. An un- usual feature of their performance is that the soprano soloists are accompanied by a harp. The most colorful portion of the program is a group of Norwegian folk songs for which they don their native costumes. Soprano star of the choir is the extraordinary 13 year old boy, Pelle, who can sing eight tones above high C and is regarded as having one of the most phenome- nal coloratura voices now in ex- istence. Wherever the Choir has gone, he has created a sensation with his singing of the cadenza of Mozart's "Cradle Song" with harp accompaniment. Their repertory includes over 100 works, ranging from Bach and Palestrina, through the romantic composers to Grieg, contemporary Norwegians, an English group, as well as Negro spirituals, Neopoli- tan Songs, and even music from Broadway Musicals.1 SNotsince the time of Vladimir de Pachman have many artists taken such liberties with the formalities of the concert hall as has Oscar Levant. Levant insists that when he ap- pears here on January 18 in an * * , One thing is certain; Gedsh- win will be played, for Levant was one of the composer's closest friends and has become one of his principal protagonists. It is this role of Gershwin ex- ponent and pianist raconteur that Levant will assume in his annual "vacation" from Hollywood ---his first since his most recent screen appearance in "An American in Paris." * * * THE VERSATILE Levant is a. man of many careers. His activi- ties have established him in the public mind as a musician, wit, movie actor, radio performer, author and composer of both seri- ous and popular music. According to Levant it is his role as concert pianist that he finds most enjoyable. He adds that while the cameras of Holly- wood terrify him and the micro- phone has never ceased to be an additional source of fright-be- fore an audience he is completely at ease. He has appeared as guest soloist with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the NBC Symphony and the orchestras of San Francisco, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Washing- ton and Rochester. Levant as a composer has tried his hand at forms of music rang- ing from popular songs--such as "Lady Play Your Mandolin" which won his first public recognition -to the more classical "Overture 1912" and "Dirge" which were in- troduced by the Boston Symphony. OSCAR LEVANT * * * Extra Concert Series Concert, not even he himself knows what he is going to play. He lists his numbers to suit the mood of the audience and himself-with "asides" appro- priate to the moment. * * * THE MUSIC may be anything from Bach to Shostakovich, or from Gershwin back to Beethoven. Levant never releases his "piano music with comments" program beforehand. beforehand. A_ :f 3 r '. ti 1 r 1- 1 . t r; r Y ' . u ,J - I 1 E LTr A .T ~ -y I trodced y te BotonSympony r u -. -_ Five Concerts GLADYS SWARTHOUT, Mezzo-soprano . BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Tuesday, October 9 . . . . . . Charles Munch, Conductor Monday, October 22 9' . . . . . R . . . . .0 dePAUR'S INFANTRY CHORUS . . OSCAR LEVANT, Pianist . . . CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Rafael Kubelik, Conductor . . . . Tuesday, November 20 . . . . Friday, January 18 f . . . . . . .9 . .. .Sunday, March 9 RAFAEL KUBELIK TICKETS - Both Season and Single NOW ON SALE Make a Tremendous Saving By Purchasing Season Tickets CHARLES MUNCH E. SEASON TICKETS SINGLE TICKETS Block A-$8.40 Three Centra 1 Sections r Main Floor and First Balcony Block B-$7.20 Two Side Sections Main Floor and First Balcony and first 8 rows of Top Balcony Block c-$6.00 Top Balcony, rear 13 rows ALL CONCERTS BEGIN at 8:30 P.M. $3.00-Main Floor $2.40-Entire First Balcony First 8 rows of Top Balcony $1.80-Top Balcony, rear 13 rows * + * +* + + * * * * * * * * ____________________________________________________________________________________________ .*................ .::;.:::::::.::::;::::: M. ~ I ~ * ..c.,:..:.:.:.:.:.:.:. ; a