t I MUSIC SUPPLEMENT. Li L1 e Latest Deadline in the State :43 aiI4 MUSIC SUPPLEMENT -t: ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, MARCH 2, 1952 FOUR PAGES .7 Top Talent Featured in 59th May Festival 1894 to 1952- President Welcomes Audiences MAY FESTIVAL IPROGRAM Festival History Reveals Mishaps By CARA CHERNIAK To most students May Festival goes off without mishap each year, but it takes those who have been around the University for a long time to remember the various foibles that have followed its in- ception in 1894. It all began with the very first concert. It was publicized so wide- ly throughout the University and surrounding area that hundreds of people jammed special trains to get here. The only trouble was that most of them had neglected to buy tickets. As a result the people found themselves jamming the cor- ridors and passage ways of University Hall. The concert was good, but the people emerged tired, hungry and anxious to get home. * *. * * BUT THEIR TROUBLES did not end there. As soon as the concert was over, the people flocked back to . the New York Central station, only to find that their trains had been sent to Detroit, and no one had remembered to have them sent back. They did not, in fact, arrive until about 3' a.m. Such was the first May Festival. THERE'S AN OLD TRADITION in Ann- Arbor that it always rains at least once during the May Festival. But seldom is there a snow storm. But this is precisely what happened one afternoon. The day started out beautifully, with the sun shining and the people dressed in their new spring clothes. Few suspected as they entered University Hall that when they came out two hours later they would be faced with about five inches of snow. * * * * PERFORMERS coming to May Festival have had their share of mishaps too. For example there was the time when Ignace Padrewski, the Polish pianist, was scheduled for a concert in the then new Hill Auditorium. Hill was used very little at that time, and the heating equipment wasn't quite up to par. In fact, 'no matter how much the auditorium was heated the stage remained cold. , The weather was about zero degrees, and Padrewski, always' afraid of catching a cold, demanded the heat be turned up in the auditorium. More and more people began to fill the seats, and it became increasingly uncomfortable as the heat went going up and up. But the stake remained very cold. MANY TIMES the audience has been disappointed when a par- tilar performer has failed to appear for a scheduled performance. This happened during the 20's when Amelide Galli-Curci, after mak- ing her operatic debut in Chicago, became the most widely hailed coloratura soprano of the day. Miss Galli-Curci was asked to appear here for May Festival, and tickets for her performance were soon sold out to eager concert-goers, anxious to hear this new sensation. However, only a day before she was scheduled to arrive, Charles Sink, president of the University Musical Society re- ceived a telegram informing him she would be unable to appear. Some fast work had to be done to get a performer as good as Miss Galli-Curci. ' The day was saved, however, by one New York manager who sug- gested Lucy Gates, an American performer who had just arrived from Europe where she was quite a success, but who was virtually unknown 4 in the United States. Miss Gates boarded a train that same day, arriving in Ann Arbor in time to sing the identical program Miss Galli-Curci was to sing, making a hit with the Ann Arbor audience at the same time, both, for her singing, which observers agreed was good, and for her efforts; in coming to the University on such short notice. THURSDAY, MAY 1, 8:30 Eugene Ormandy, Conductor Eleanor Steber, Soprano Short Symphony.................Swanson "Exsultate, jubilate," Motet, K.165 ..Mozart "Le Festin de 1'Araignee," Op. 17 ....Roussel Recitative and aria, "Nun eilt herbei" and "Frohsinn und Laune" from Merry Wives of Windsor ....... .. .Nicolai Marietta's Lied from "Die Tote Stadt"...........................Korngold Csardas from Die Fledermaus ....... Strauss Eleanor Steber Suite No. 2 from the Ballet, Daphnis et Chloe ............. ............... Ravel FRIDAY, MAY 2, 8:30 University Choral Union Thor Johnson, Conductor Patricia Neway, Soprano Anton Dermota, Tenor Philip Duey ,Baritone George London, Bass "Tiw* Damnation of Faust," Dramatic Legend in Four Parts, Op. 24 .......Berlioz Choral Union and Soloists SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2:30 Alexander Hilsberg and Marguerite Hood, Conductors Nathan Milstein, Violinist Festival Youth Chorus Overture to "RussIan and Ludmilla". . Glinka Song Cycle from the Masters.............Arr. Russell Howland Festival Youth Chorus Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major .... Schubert Concerto in A minor ,Op. 53, for , Violin and Orchestra............ Dvorak Nathan Milstein SATURDAY, MAY 3, 8:30g. Eugene Ormandy, Conductor Astrid Varnay, Soprano Set Svanholm, Tenor Overture to The Flying Dutchman ..Wagner Act I, Scene III, from Die Walkure ..Wagner Astrid Varnay and Set Svanholm. Prelude to Tristan and Isolde .......Wagner Night Scene-Act II, Scene III from Tristan and Isolde.............Wagner Miss Varnay and Mr. Svanholm SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2:30 Thor Johnson, Conductor University Choral Union Mack Harrell, Baritone Guiomar Novaes, Pianist Overture to "Coriolanus," Op. 62.. Beethoven "Belshazzar's Feast".............Walton Choral Union and Mack Harrell Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, for Piano and Orchestra.........Beethoven Guiomar Novaes SUNDAY, MAY 4, 8:30 Eugene Ormandy, Conductor Patrice Munsel, Soprano Passacaglia ..........................Haug "Chacun le sait" from La Fille du Regiment..................Donizetti "0 mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicci......"..................Puccini "Mi chiamano Mimi" from La Boheme....... . ..........Puccini Patrice Munsel Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82 .......................... Sibelius Lucy's Arietta from The Telephone.. Menotti Willow Song ..............Coleridge-Taylor Suite from Die Fledermaus........Strauss Patrice Munsel, Soloist Variety Sparks FestivalSchedule Eleven Soloists, Four Conductors, Ensemble Groups To Perform Eleven distinguished soloists, four renowned conductors and three outstanding ensemble groups round out the schedule for the fifty- ninth annual May Festival program which will be presented May 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Hill Auditorium. THE FESTIVAL consists of six concerts-four evening perform- ances and two matinees-for which the Philadelphia Orchestra will provide the instrumental works and background music. Three of the featured singers have never before been heard In Ann Arbor. The other vocal soloists have appeared here before but their performances at the Festival will mark the first in several years for most. Patricia Neway, soprano who re4'U cently sang the leading role Menotti's "The Consul," George London, who made his debut withtFouraFamed the Metropolitan this season, and tenor Anton Dermota, who will ar- rive from Europe shortly before his AnUArorUpp Ann Arbor appearance will all be featured here for the first time. *11 fA1nn Pn * CHARLES A. SINK * * * X Charles A. Sink, director of the University Musical Society, sends his annual message for the coming May Festival season. "The' Board of Directors of the University Musical Society again announces a series of'six concerts in the fifty-ninth annual May Festival. . "Opera stars, oratorio singers and instrumental soloists will co- operate with the Philadelphia Or- chestra, the University Choral Un- ion and the Festival Youth Chorus to provide programs of variety and brilliance. "The Festival comes in May as a climax to the Society's annual concert-giving activities. The sev- eral programs should be considered in relationship to those which have been given through the year. This complete repertoire will reveal a wide range of works by many com- posers, covering nearly all schools, forms and periods. "It is hoped that those attend- ing the concerts will enjoy the pro- grams, and that in these days of stress and strain, all who come within the sphere of the Festival influence will be stimulated to a greater patience and courage in facing the complex and vexing problems with which the world is confronted.1 "The Board of Directors appre- ciates the continued cooperative' support of students, faculty and1 others who by their long presence1 make possible the Festival pro- grams. "Ars Longa Vita Brevis." 'MET' SOUBRETTE: Final Concert to Feature Munsel Young coloratura'. Patrice Mun- sel, ranked as one of the top' Metropolitan Opera stars, will be heard .as guest artist in the final concert of May Festival. The program for her concert is the same one she was scheduled to sing last year, when a throat in- fection prevented her from per- forming, and brought Eileen Far- rell to the stage in her place. r . " MISS MUNSEL'S operatic ca- reer was begun in a unique way- by starting whistling lessons at the age of five. Her chief childhood in- terests were whistling and tom- boy athletics, including football, baseball, and riding a bike with no hands. However, Miss Munsel began to really turn her interest towards a musical career when, after having iven a whistling concert and thoroughly enjoy- ing the audience response, she decided that the stage was the life for her. Soon afterwards her whistling * * * OPERA, CONCERT, TV: i Eleanor' Steber's Career Impressive As a child, Eleanor Steber claimed that some day she would be an opera singer, and she meant it. Presenting the opening May Festival concert at 8:30 p.m. May 1, the soprano has behind her an etxended career in opera, concert, radio and television. * s BORN IN Wheeling, W. Va., Miss Steber received her, early musical training from her mother, also a soprano. Her formal train- ing was received at the New Eng- land Conservatory in Boston, where she worked her way through school. After her first thrilling ex- perience with opera in "Andrea Chenier" se obtained a position with the Metropolitan in "Die Meistersinger"--as a $1 super, being permitted to carry a wreath on stage. The night of the performance she found that another student had stolen her job. Miss Steber made her debut as Senta in Wagner's "Flying Dutch- man," an English performance~ with the Federal Music Project. She had just finished her first round of road concerts when she won the Metropolitan Opera Au- ditions of the Air. in April 1940. fad at : t n -- i 9t In spite of her fame in the fields of opera, radio and tele- vision, Miss Steber considers herself primarily a concert sing- er. Since her first tour in 1940 she has made annual trips throughout the United States and has extended some of the tours into Canada as well. With an impressive list of ap- pearances as soloist with import- ant American orchestras, Miss Steber is justly proud of her col- lections of batons which conduc- tors have presented to her after important "first" performances. Her collection now totals 13 and brings memories of such appear- ances as one for the Red Cross Fund during the war and her de- but at the Metropolitan. Season Tickets Now on Sale Single tickets for the May Festi- val concerts will go on sale March 10 at Burton Memorial Tower, ac- cording to Charles A. Sink, presi- dent of the Musical Society. Orders for season tickets have been accepted since December, but a good selection is still available in the $8.00 and $9.00 range, while a limited number remain in the $10 section. Individual concert tickets will be sold for $1.50, $2.00 and $2.50. PATRICE MUNSEL teacher began to realize her un- usual voice talents and persuaded her to take voice lessons. * * * WHEN PATRICE was fifteen her parents began to feel that her voice merited full time training, so she and her mother went to New York to start extensive train- ing under William Herman. After this preparation, she entered the Met Auditions of the Air and a few months later made her debut at the Met in the role of Philine in "Mignon.'. In the summer of 1949 Miss Munsel sang in Victor Herbert's "Naughty Marietta," where she got her first taste of comedy. "The first time you step out on the stage and get a big yak," she said, "you're lost for the rest of your life." From then on she began to take frivolous, soubrette opera parts. Critics began to realize her co- quette-like talents in her portrayal of Zerlina, the country maid, in "Don Giovanni," and her later fame as Adele in "Die Fleder- maus" established her as the Met's leading soubrette. Miss Munsel achieved an excit- ing effect in her performance of "Die Fledermaus" at the Met when she held a high "A" while climb- ing a flight of stairs with a basket on her head, ending dramatically, at the top.- She has selected several "Die Fledermaus" arias for her Univer- sity concert, giving local audiences a chance to see her in this role. Presently she is engaged in a concert tour including 40 concerts, and further plans include adding new roles to her Metropolitan re- pertoire this year: Mimi and Musetta in "La Boheme." Festival Books Will Be Sold Official Program Books of May Festival, a booklet which includes programs, history and comments on the music being performed, will be on sale in the lobbies before all Festival concerts. Now being prepared by Profes- sor Glenn A. McGouch of the music literature department in the School of Music, this booklet has come to be a traditional thing at the Festival. It explains in understandable terms to both the educated and uneducated music lover the inner meanings. and intricacies of the music being heard. These books are recognized as being good music history and appreciation source material and are now sent to lib- raries all over the country for pub- lic use. THE SLATE of outstandinig mu- sicians for .the 1952 Festival also boasts seven Metropolitan Opera 'stars and one from the New York City Opera. Four conductors will share the podium during the four day fes- tival. Eugene Ormandy will con- duct at three performances and Thor Johnson, conductor of the Cincinnati Orchestra, for two. Alexander Hilsberg, associate conductor of the Philadelphia, and Marguerite Hood will divide conducting honors for the Sat- urday afternoon presentation. First program of the series will highlight soprano Eleanor Steber under the baton of Eugene Or- mandy. For her concert she will sing Mozart's "Exsultate, jubilate," a selection from "Merry Wives of Windsor" by Nicolai, "Marietta's Lied from 'Die Tote Stadt" by Korngold and "Csardas from Strauss's 'Die Fledermaus." a * * "THE DAMNATION of Faust" by Berlioz will be presented in the second concert of the series. Pa- tricia Neway, Anton Dermota and George London will take the stage with University professor, Philip Duey for the selection, accompan- ied by the University Choral Union conducted by Thor Jhonson. For the Saturday afternoon concert the spotlight will' be shared by violinist Nathan Mil- stein and the Festival Youth Chorus directed by Marguerite Hood. Alexander Hilsberg will conduct the balance of the pro- gram.f The traditional all-Wagner pro- gram wil be featured in the Sat- urday evening concert, with Eu- gene Ormandy again taking over the podium. Soloists will be so- prano Astrid Varnay and tenor Set Svanholm. The fifth .concert which will be heard at 2:30 p.m. Sunday will pre- sent Mack Harrell, baritone, Guio- mar Novaes, pianist, and the Chor- al Union with Thor Johnson con- ducting. Included on the program will be "Overture to 'Coriolanus'," by Beethoven; Walton's "Belshaz- zar's Feast;" and Beethoven's "Concerto No. 4 for Piano and Or- chestra." In the final concert at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, soprano Patrice Munsel will be starred under the baton of Ormandy. Her program will in- clude, Haug's "Passacaglia;" Si- belius' "Symphony No. 5;" Arias from Donizetti's "Daughter of the Regiment;". Puccini's " Gianni Schicci" and "La Boheme;" and Menotti's "The Telephone." The progrma will close with a Suite from Strauss' "Die Fledermaus." EUGENE ORMANDY * * s sity Musical Society and Mar- guerite Hood, director of the Youth Chorus will share conduct- ing duties at the six Festival con. certs. I a ORMANDY, who began his ca- reer as a violinist in his native Hungary, has been conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1936. His rise to head of one of the most famous orchestras in the world was close to phenomenal. After five years in Minneapolis,. he accepted a position as co- conductor of the Philadelphia Or- chestra with Leopold Stokowski, and succeeded that eminent musi- cian as musical director of the orchestra in 1941. S* * s Alexander Hilsberg has been with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as concertmaster and later as as- sociate conductor, since 1931. The Russian-born violinist established his reputation as a virtuoso through tours across Europe and Asia, appearing in Russia, Si- beria, China, and Japan. Almost as soon as he arrived- in this country' he was offered a position with the Philadelphia his way up to, the first chair of the violin section. He was named associate conductor at the close of the 1950-51 season. The appearances of Thor John- son, conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Univer- sity Musical Society, have become olmne a +at- iin -nr --Ain 1..n . Traditional Stars To Share Duties The -four conductors who will lead the' Philadelphia Orchestra in this year's May Festival have established themselves as peren- nial favorites with Hill Auditor- ium audiences. Eugene Ormandy, music director of the orchestra, Alexander Hils- berg, associate conductor, Thor Johnson, conductor of the Univer- S- * * * . l 1.~~ * .v .. ELEANOR STEBER HAILED BY MANY AS 'WORLD'S GREATEST': Philadelphia Orchestra To Perform at All Six Concerts r. The Philadelphia Orchestra, which will provide the orchestral element for all six Festival con- certs, marks its seventeenth con- secutive year at Ann Arbor's an- tra has steadily climbed until it now stands, in the opinion of many critics, at the very top of the mu- sical world. Stokowski, who has long been and stis .on +f th , .+st enn await further developments. * * * HOWEVER, it wasn't long be- fore Ormany was demonstrating to the people of Philadelphia-and +th ra,+t o flip rrnm... n. n audience through its large reper- tory of phonograph records. * * * THE TOTAL for the past 10 years exceeds 24,000,000 recordings fn. ta.n Ma m. ..nr-. m nan ~. margin it was the first major symphony to be televised in the United States. In the winter of 1929 Stokowski, always ready for unique innova- tin y .. UI T. n - n frf- A T-,., Several young artists who are now widely known made their concert debuts at these young people's concerts. Among them are William Kapell, Fiances