y .. .. ...d ) A - . .R. -4 4 Page Eighteen THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursday, February 7, 1957 Thursday February 7 1957 THE MICHIGAW DAILY ARTURO TOSCAN-INI A comprehensive survey taken by our writer indicates the Conversational Look is used more often by college students tha other leading looks combined. He Corrected the Abuses of Tradition, Carried On a Never-Ending Search for Perfection in All He Did By DAVID KESSEL recent death of Arturo Tos- canini has elicited a comforting amount of comment from the press and magazines (over one page from TIME which is prob- ably more than they'll give Henry Luce). Somewhere in the lengthy tributes to this man, though, his most important contribution to our musical culture has been obscured. When Toscanini came upon the scene, a tradition had developed that artists and conductors should twist the works of composers to more or less suit their own pur- poses. The resulting situation was far from ideal, since conductors inflicted their personal whims up- on unsuspecting audiences; singers inserted spurious notes into oper- atic scores to dazzle listeners; solo- ists elaborated upon their parts until some concertos began to dis- solve under the strain. Toscanini did much to correct these abuses, although there are still a number of obstinate indi- viduals with us who continue to imagine that they can improve on U a I'm rushing right down to the the original Intentions of most composers. A good example is the sixth symphony of Tchaikovsky which has, been rendered some- what more digestable by the efforts of Toscanini, who removea most of the emotional sludge which other conductors have laid on with heavy hands. TOSCANIN'S interpretations of many compositions have not been unequivocally accepted; but the fact remains that it his un- relenting search for perfection; he has left behind a considerable amount of music in the. form of recorded performances, and our store of this material is enriched accordingly. But to those who at- tended his concerts, there are memories of live performances which cannot be effectively repro- duced by an electrical device, how- ever elegant and expensive. Perhaps the most satisfactory association Toscanini made was with late 19th century Italian Opera: Verdi and Puccini. His versions of their operas are un- surpassed; and he has recorded many of these: Boheme, Traviata,4 Otello, Forza del Destino, Falstaff. His authority here is undisputed, and the coaching he gave both singers and orchestras will provide a valuable source of reference for future conductors. Curiously enough, releases of Boheme and Traviata reveal, to the discerning listener, in musical moments of great emotional im- pact, the voice of Toscanini, audi- bly accompanying singers and, orchestra. During some early acoustical re- cording sessions, Toscanini was amazed to find that the sound he imagined to come from an off- pitch cello was actually his voice, singing along with the orchestra. ICE CUBES KEG BEER 114 E. William St." Between Main and Fourth Ave. Phone NO 8-7191 OPEN Daily 10 A.M. to 12 P.M. WE HAVE ICE CUBES Sundays Noon to 7 P.M. * BEER * WINE * SOFT DRINKS THE MAESTRO-Arturo Tos- canini conducting the NBC- symphony orchestra. Toscanini, Tlong the most popular and well known conductor in the West- ern world, died at his New York home January 16, age 89. In re- cent years, Toseanini had de- voted most of his efforts to ra- dio conducting and performing forrecords. And the habit remained with him to the end. Many of Toscanini's purely orchestral recordings available now are masterpieces of interpre- tation. His La Mer is several steps above any competitive version, filled with the excitement lacking in other conductors. Similarly his recording of Shu- bert's 7th 'symphony reaches a peak of intensity which others cannot achieve. Usually not on familiar ground with French im- pressionism, Toscanini has never- theless fashioned Berlioz' Romeo & Juliette into a unmatched per- formance~If his musical sense of humor produced an awkward Pictures at an Exhibition yet his Classical Symphony is full of wit and humor. However it has been the sym- phonies of Brahms and most par- ticularly Beethoven which have been given the most care and at- tention by Toscanini. Although many of his concert performances of these symphonies have been nearly perfect, somehow the re- corded versions of them lack the final touch that only a live per- formance can give. But the high degree of perfection of the record- ing art which permits us to enjoy these recordings is most welcome. AND yet, for all the fine record- ings in existence, the great loss is, of course, that no more will Toscanini conduct his orchestra in his never ending search for per- fection. For he was, first of all, a man in search of artistic perfec- tion, and a man of great inde- pendence. He was no creation of the hi-fi purveyors' organizations devoted to the accumulation and sale of lush sounding recordings of warmed-over music by second rate orchestras doctored up by electronic surgery. His concert programs were not cluttered up with the musical trash which de- lights the wealthy illiterates who support many large orchestras. Nor did he cater to the demands of self-styled prima donnas or egocentric soloists. In the final analysis one re- gards Toscanini most highly for his success in restoring to the art of conducting a certain dignity, which resulted from both his im- mense talent and his rigorous ap- proach. From this he never de- parted. (Continued from Page 5) the true master of the "fishbowl squint" looks over, around, past or even through the person he is talking at. The conversation starts when the crowd shoves him into close proximity, say ten feet. Then after the first momentary contact, the shifting of eyes commences. Thus the first step in learning how to look at friends and notice boost his ego. The second rule: Frown at other people. Another primary subdivision of the Conversational Look is the "crowd scan." Useful at large, theatrical occasions, as when de- scending the stairway at Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, this scan enables one to quickly find AN OLD FRIEND who is standing in line at the check room and might gladly' retrieve two extra coats. Successful utilization of this tech- nique depends on mastering the art of talking at one's companion from the side of your mouth while swiveling your head back and forth. One can best practice at Cinerama presentations. Hence, we deduce the third rule: Talk out of the side of your mouth and keep glancing from the cor- ners of your eyes. THIStechnique is also necessary in a further subdivision of the Conversation Look, popularly call- ed the "bird dog look." One must guard against the common mistake of most initiates to the art of Modern Conversation, that of being obvious. Utilize the tech- nique of "crowd scanning," sim- ultaneously examining the OLD FRIEND'S female companion. First, look at her face. Quickly roll the eyes up to take in the crowd, then return to her face. If you don't find what you're looking for there, let your gaze drop. If you still don't find it, look at his face. Should his eyes appear starry and slightly glazed, forget it. Otherwise, be an old friend and at your next encounter, give him your opinion. But if you find yourself in luck, you may proceed to a more careful scrutiny of the woman. Remem- bering to look from the corners of your eyes, let your gaze drop. slowly and deliberately from her face towards her ankles. If she's the type who blushes, you're wast- ing your time. Remember, the fourth rule for conversing: Look carefully and slowly. USED under different circum- stances is the "you-wouldn't- dare look." While primarily em- ployed by pedestrians during eyebrows just enough to be noticed1 encounters with drivers and bi- cycle riders, it is also useful for girls who think they are -being "bird-dogged." The secret of this look is to keep talking to your companion, glare at your oppon- ent, setting the mouth in deter- mined lines and thrusting the jaw forward. Then think of the most disgusting object in the world and imagine it in front of you. Naturally, the fifth rule of con- versation: Look hateful. Since this by the familiar face but not by anyone else who may be passing. If you happen to stop and talk to this familiar person, remember not to look at his face. Look at his books. If he sat next to you in Freshman English, the inkstains may recall memories. Also, as has been noticed, many people write their names on books. BUT even more vague is another important but refined subdivi- sion of the Conversational Look. Grossly mislabeled by Hollywood as the "come-hitcher look," the real life variation usually merely suggests that one say, "Haven't I seen you before," or some original equivalent. This look however, is mastered only after 1) a great deal of prac- tice, or 2) sheer desperation. The novice must be aware that the look is easily misinterpreted and should be used, or responded to, only when the potential conversa- tionalist looks attractive. Yet, the plunge may be worthwhile. Thus, the final rule for Looking at Fr Be da to get Und tions exist, basic : come and I Peopl mann( 0 . 0o- SCANNING ... quest of quests people: Be genuinely interested in other people; don't look at the per- son you're talking to. This helps enliven the typical stimulating conversations with "Hi's" and "Long time no see's," or even an energetic wave reserved for realyy close friends. This helps boost the ego of your fellow con- ersationalist, since you thus let him know how important he is to' talking with someone so popular. ALSO important is the art of greeting people, Do it with a frown. Thus, it is possible to com- municate how tired one is after working all night on two important papers after attending three essen- tial meetings. By sharing one or two precious moments with your fellow conversationalist, you again GAZING ... dream of dreams look is instinctive no further de- scription is necessary. More academic is the "ego- listener look." Primarily observed in large lecture halls, its use en- ables the student of average seri- ousness to discuss last Saturday night with his neighbor while giv- ing the lecturing professor full visual attention. Another abstract look is the "I - sure-remember-your-face-but- not-your-name-look." The master of this look soon learns to raise his fri., sat., sune. 8:15 no 2-5915 c lifford odet hollyw4 JtkMflaf~ ann arbor's profs masonic temple I W BPI. } 1 S I WELCOME STUDENTS * Desks and Chairs " Flexo Lamps * Desk Lamps * Slide Rules " Typewriters, New & Used * Files, Drawer & Personal " Jiffy Cabinets * Typing Tables * Desk Pads We rent fypewriters of all kindss ALMOST ALL STUDENT NEEDS! Check our prices before you buy. BALL OFFICE SUPPLY 213 E. Washington NO 3-1161 t