SUNDAY, SEPTE.MBEE 27, i9SS
T HE MICHIGAN DAXILY
PAGE ~
urn
VIENNESE ARTIST:
Noted Pianist
Paul Badura-Skoda, Pianist, To Appear Myra Hess
Paul Badura-Skoda. an out-
standing Viennese pianist, has a
hobby very useful to him, piano
tuning.
He learned this skill during the
war years when he lived with his
parents in a country house equip-
ped with a very old piano that
was very hard to keep in tune.
Because the piano tuner could not
come often, Badura-Skoda bor-
rowed a set of tools and set to
rwork.
SINCE HE has mastered the
skill, he likes to take care of his
own piano and will often tune a
string at a concert when neces-
sary.
The 25 year old artist is
scheduled to appear here on
Feb. 17 as part of the Choral
Union Series. Making his debut
tour of the United States and
Canada this year, Badura-Skoda
Arst appeared in this country
with the Cincinnati Symphony.
He took first place in the Bar-
tok competition in Budapest and
at the International music com-
petition in Paris. He has also
demonstrated his interpretive abil-
ity at the Vienna and Salzburg
estivals.
Athough he hs neve ben i
known here.
He has been preceeded in this
country by his works on record-
ings. Many records he has cut are
works of the old masters Mozart
and Schubert but he also records
and plays modern works.
His most recent recordings are
two albums of Mozart whom he
names as his favorite composer.
He plays a portion of one of the
albumn on a piano made by Anton
Walker for Mozart himself in 1'785.
* * *
BADURA-SKODA feels that
the most important part of any
performance is interpretation and
rinds learning the music the hard-
est, He expects, due to different 4n-
Fritz Reiner
Ann Arborites will hear the
third oldest orchestra in the Unit-
ed States when the Chicago Sym-
phony makes its almost annual
appearance here Sunday, Dec. 13.
Founded in 1891, the organiza-
tion Is now under the dynamic
direction of its new permanent
conductor, Fritz Reiner. Reiner
will lead the Chicago group
through its 63rd season.
BFORE joining the Chicago
Symphony, Reiner conducted the
Pittsburgh Symphony, the Metro-
politan Opera and appeared as
guest conductor with various ma-
jor orchestras.
Reiner appeared in Ann Arbor
as a guest conductor iwr 1950. He
pony Orhestra during its an
vinia Festival, in 1947, 48 . and
49 and also appeared with the
group in March, 1950 at Orchestra
Hall, home of the Chicago Sym-
phony.
'The orchestra, well known
throughout the mid-west through
its 'tours and weekly radio con-
certs, conducts a unique training
school for orchestral players, the
Civic Orchestra of Chicago. About
half of the Chicago Symphony
members started with the Civic
Orchestra.
PAUL BADURA-SKODA TO GIVE RECITAL
* * , , , ,*
terpretation, in later years he will
play some works differently than
he does now.
The young pianist says that
he has never suffered from stage
fright but is occasionally a lit-
tle nervous before a concert. He
feels however that a certain ex-
citement is necessary for an in-
-spired performance.
Although Badura-Skoda began
piano lessons at the age of six
he did not decide on music as a
career until he was sixteen. He
then achieved early fame by win-
ning the Australian Music Com-
petition. After this he made his
debut with the Vienna Symphony.
The next year he graduated from
the Conservatory in Vienna. and
made his recital debut.
Badura -Skoda has already
toured extensively in Europe and
Australia. At the end of his cur-
rent North American tour he will
return to Europe for a number
of engagements in Italy and Scan-
dinavia. -
Dame Myra Hess, widely regard-
ed as the greatest living woman
pianist, will present the final con-
cert of the Choral Union Series
on Wednesday, March 17.
Beginning her musical training
at the age of five, Miss Hess com-
menced serious concentration on
piano study when she was thir-
teen at the Royal Academy of Mu -
sic in England.
HER CONCERT debut was
made in Queens Hall, London
when she was seventeen, at which
she performed two concertos with
Sir Thomas Beecham of London
Philharmonic fame conducting
the orchestra. Soon after, she be-
gan touring England with the
London String Quartet, followed
by a concert tour in Holland where
the Dutch public quickly acceptedt
and praised her musical talent.
Miss Hess made her first tour
of America in 1922, and since
that initial, appearance on this
continent has returned for
twenty-two concert tours.
During World War It she can-
celled foreign engagements and or-
ganized the famous noon-time
concerts in the National Gallery,
giving enjoyment and solace to
thousands of civil servants and
war workers, soldiers and air-raid
wardens during their lunch hour
five times a week.
In recognition of this work dur-
ing the War, King George VI dec-
orated her with the Order of the
British Empire. Since that time
she has continued her internation-
al career with uninterrupted suc-
cess, playing in Great Britain, on
the European Continent and in
America.
* *. *
MISS HESS devotes a major
part of her programs to the great
classics, from Bach to Brahms. Her
playing of Schuman's piano con-
certo- has long been a particular
favorite with audiences and con-
ductors.
Her name is identified in the
public's mind with the sonatas
of Scarlatti, and her own ar-
rangements of certain Bach
chorale preludes, notably "Jesu,
oyofMans esiig," has
had an enormous circulation
throughout the world.
Miss Hess' American tour of
1952-53, which included an Ann
Arbor appearance in the May Fes-
tival, was curtailed because of an
operation, from which she has
now recovered. She will return to
America on January 14 following
her European tour.
AcTickets
Extra Concert Series are still
on sale at the office of The Uni-
Iversity Musical Society in Bur-
ton Tower. Single ticket sales
may also be purchased at the
Tickets for teMay fstival
will go on sale Dec. 1, and tick -
ets for the Chamber Music Fes-
tivat will be sold after Oct. I5.
Canada's only iusical knight
will conduct Canada's foremost or-
chestra when the Toronto Sym-
phony appears here Wednesday,
Feb. 10, in the Choral Union Con-
cert Series.
Sir Ernest MacMillan. dean of
Canadian conductors and musi-
cians and permanent conductor of
the Toronto. Symphony, will lead
the distinguished group in its Arn
Arbor appearance.
* *'*
MacMILLAN, world - famous as
a conductor of symphony orches-
ancshas a guest coductorin the
United States, Canada, and Eng-
land.
Dean of the Faculty of Music
In the University of Toronto, he
is recognized as an outstanding
teacher of music.
A gru f moetha 60 "Sir
Ernest MacMlla Fine Arts
Clb" exist in schools throughout
Canada. Under Sir Ernest's spon-
sorship, the clubs have held not
only musical, but art and drama
festivals.
Sir Ernest is also the originator
of the Toronto symphony's zany
"Christmas Box Symphony" per-
formance, a completely undigni-
fied and humorous presentation
which has become a Canadian in-
stitution.
A typical number, "Unravelling
Ravel," began with a typewriter
solo and ended with an entire per-
cussion orchestra.
* * *
SIR ERNEST has also been ac-
tive in the scholarly field of mu-
sic, not only in lecturing and ed-
iting, but also in publishing sev-
eral pedagogical works, numerous
authoritative magazine articles
and many reviews of new music.
Also a composer, Sir Ernest
has been writing since the age of
nine. His choral works are among
his best known compositions.
Although he complains that he
hasn't time enough for compos-
ing, he turned out about a fugue
a day during World War IT.
BOSTON POPS REHEARSE WITH FIEDLER
* * * *
Fiedler To Conduct Boston
PopsSpring Concert Here
Opera Star
To Perform
Operatic star George London,
who admi ttst a frustrated diesia'e to
"runtf to te French Riviera and
I usnday Februar 28, at Hill Au
ditorium as part of the Choral
Union series of concerts.
Tall. over six feet, dark and
handsome. London comes to Ann
Arbor heralded by music critics as
one of the best bass-baritones in
opera today. Among his featured
roles have been Count Almaviva
in The Marriage of Figoro," the
title role in "Boris Godunov," Es-
camillo in "Carmen," and Scarpia
in "Tosca."
In his early youth he attracted
attention in Los Angeles an San
Francisco. Kar'l Boehm, conduc-
tor of the Vienna State Opera en-
gaged him and he immediately be-
came a sensation.
London made his debut at the
Metropolitan Opera House as
Amonasro in "Aida" In November,
1951. the opening night of the sea-
son. Aftr ti eprerM perform-
his ears, he flew to Europe. Trere
he made his first anpearance at
La Scala in Milan as Pizarro in
Beethoven's "Fidelio."
After this performance, London,
still in his twenties, received invi-
tations to sing at seven of Europe's
outstanding music festivals: Bay-
reuth, Salzburg, Glyndebourne,
Munich, Aix -en -Provence and
Holland.
When London returned to
America in the fall of 1952, he ap-
peared as guest artist with the
New York Philharmonic at Carne-
gie Hal for the symphony's open-
ing concert of the season.
After a three month transcon*
tinental concert tour throughout
the United States and Canada
where he was born of American
parents, he returned for his sec-
ond season with the Met.
London, unlike mnany vpera
stars, did not come from a family
with a musical background, al-
though he loved music Listening
to the broadcasts of the Me'tropoli-
tan Opera fired his ambition and
made hum decide to devote his life
to becoxnfng a professional sing-
er.
Before his experience with the
Met, he appeared with the Ameri-
can Music Theater, San Francisco
Opera and Los Angeles and San
Francisco Light Opera Companies.
On the radio and television, too,
London has scored successes. His
recordings have also been popular
with the operatic set,
[Vesia Cocr TPrsn
FourSolistswit Chrs
Maud Nosler, soprano. Carol
Smith, contralto, Walter Fireder-
icks, tenor and Norman Scott,
bass, will appear with the Uni-
versity Choral Union conducted
by Lester McCoy in two "Messiah"
concerts on Dec. 5 and 6.
Miss Nosler has been a featured
soloist in Bach and music festi-
vals at many colleges. An audience
of over 10,000 heard her sing the
soprano role in Handel's '"Mes-
sa" t th Mormon aTabernacle
* * *
ALTHOUGH only in her' early
twenties, Carol Smith has already
proved herself in a wide variety
of professional engagements.
She made her New York de-
but under the sponsorship of
the National Federation of Mu-
sic Clubs in 1951 and has stud-
ied at the Metropolitan Opera
School.
few yars aoworked as a ma
den, N.J., made his operatic debut
in "Pagliacci" in San Francisco in
1947. His performance caused such
a sensation that l'e was awarded
a scholarship for a year's study in
Italy.
Fredericks has had several ex-
tensive recital tours, radio and
television appearances in this
country and in Canada and is a
favorite American tenor in Latin
America.
leading roles with the Metropoli-
tan Opera for the last two seasons.
The young bass-baritone has
ours, includin appearaner a
guest soloist with the New York
Philharmonic Symphony under
Dimitri Mitropoulos and the
NBC Symphony conducted by
Aruro Toscanini.
The University Choral Union
made up of more than 300 voices
will participate in both perform-
ances of the Messiah. Rehearsals
for the Handel oratorio are al-
ready under way.
The Musical Society Orchestra,
made up of students and towns-
ppl will provdethe orchesta
bins will play the organ.
THE "MESSIAH" has had many
performances throughout the civ-
ilized world since Handel first of-
fered it to the public.
So imprse ste ~irst ad
us. Thi tradition remains to the
present day.
Two other musical performances
are given each season by the
choral group. During the May
Festival they appear for two con-
certs with the Philadelphia Sym-
phony Orchestra conducted by
Eugene Ormandy.
Tickets for the two Messiah
concerts go on sale beginning Oct.
15 at the offices of the University
Musical Society in Burton Tower.
In Boston the beginning of the
Boston Pops Orchestra season sig-
nifies the beginning of spring as it
will here in March when the Pops
perform as part of the Extra Con-
cert Series.
In the spring, prior to the Pops'
season, their home, Symphony
Hall in Boston, gets a new coat of
paint inside and small tables sur-
rounded by chairs replace the rows
of seats used in the winter. The
Pops then begin nightly concerts
which last from May to July.
* * *
THE POPS originated as a re-
sult of an experiment in 1885.
This experiment modeled a series
of concerts after the European
Bilse concerts which combined
light classical music with food
and drink.
Since their origin the Boston
Pops have had a number of
conductors. The first of these
was "Ad" Meuendorff and the
most recent is Arthur Fiedler.
Fiedler, who has held the po-
sition since 1930, has had the
longest tenure with the same or-
chestra of any symphony con-
ductor in the country.
The year before Fiedler became
conductor of the Pops, he founded
the free Esplanade Concerts on
the banks of the Charles River.
He has conducted many orches-
tras, holds a chair on the Boston
University faculty, is a member of
the Boston Fire Department and
is Honorary Police Commissioner
of Boston.
For the second year, Fiedler will
bring the Boston Pops to Hill Au-
ditorium to give Ann Arborites a
taste of spring.
* * ,*
FIEDLER, after attending the
Boston Latin School, continued his
education at the Royal Academy
in Berlin. His father and two un-
cles were members of the Boston
Symphony, and when young Fied-
ler returned from the continent he
joined the min the Orchestra's
string section.
The maestro has long been
a sought-after guest conductor
for major symphony orchestras
throughout the country. Among
the many famed orchestras he has
conducted are the San Francisco,
Boston, Toronto, Minneapolis,
NBC, San Antonio and Seattle
symphonies. H-e has, on several
occasions, also conducted the Hol-
lywood Bowl and Chicago's Grant
Park orchestras.
While recording with his or-
chestra for a major record com-
pany, Fiedler's group became the
only orchestra to sell over a mil-
lion copies of a single record,
.1
CHIAMBER
MUSIC
FESTIVAL
Three Concerts in Rackham AuRditorium
* * *
NORMAN SCOTT
has sung
Ii~
"I
SIDNEY GRILLER, First Violin
JACK O'BRIEN, Second Violin
PHILIP BURTON, Viola
COLIN HAMPTON, Violoncello
Appearing: Friday, Fehrairy 19, 8:30
Sunday, February 21, 2:30
REGINALD KEEL PLAYERS .4 ,,,,,
REGINALD KELL, Clarinetist
JOEL ROSEN, Pianist
MELVIN RITTER, Violinist
AURORA NATOLA, Cellist