Sunday, October 20, 1957 THE MICHIGAN DAILY MAGAZINE PageThvn The Universities Have Played a Rig Part In Its Growing Acceptance Among Americans By HARRY DU.SCOMBE The responsibility for cultural life 47PERA WAS, in the first place, did not become an integral part an accident. Like so many in- of our government as it did in ventions that turn out to be some- Europe; therefore we cannot count thing entirely different from what on state support for opera, theater, f the inventor intended, it began as and ballet. Consequently, for years an attempt to revive ancient Greek we had only one professional opera company in all the United States drama. Instead, the small group of -h erpltnOeaAsca Florentine artists and philosophers -the Metropolitan Opera Associa- tion of New York, and even this created a new form. Where they , 1'' set out to produce drama they pro- group has not been without its duced a hybrid art which came to difficulties. But in the last few be dominated by music rather years the situation has b e e n than drama or the dance. changing rapidly. A snowballing movement has already brought As one might expect, an art of opera to millions and revived in- such manifold complexities pre- terest in the form-an interest sents many problems to those who closely connected with the aca- practice it and those who enjoy it. demic community. In an age which tends toward cal- 1 lousness and disbelief, an age IN EUROPE the which which is sometimes cynical. E great universities and unfeeling, opera tends to be were never called upon to con- ridiculed, for it is by definition, cern themselves with anything like even the most representative outside of their particularly schol- of the arts, unrealistic. For some, arly pursuits, for the life of the the fact that we don't go around student was easily r o u n d e d singing arias to each other in our through the multiplicity of cul- daily lives is a serious deterrent tural activities he found round to the appreciation of opera. about him every day. As a result, Also, opera, like symphony or- European universities still treat chestras, ballet and drama, is ex- the arts only in a scholarly fash- pensive, though the problem is ion; artistic skills are taught in perhaps a bit more acute, since conservatories or schools. opera requires the services of so On the other hand, because of many groups at once. This factor the dearth of artistic endeavor is especially discouraging to the around them, American schools American business genius who may were compelled from the beginning conclude that if it can't make to provide as best they could for '" money, then it isn't any good. the cultural development of their students. Consequently, schools of F OR CENTURIES the secular fine arts were directly incorporated aarts were pastimes for the pow- into universities, which now confer erful and wealthy, especially the even the highest degrees in the KINESCOPING a scene from Aet IV of "Aida" at the University Television Offie. Featured are Maw more complex and therefore more applied arts Mattfield as Amneris and the chorus. expensive arts. When opera was In the past few years, however, born, about the year 1600 in Italy, opera has shown a far more than their places in professional opera it quit naturally was a thing s normal activity in the academic somewhere in the world. licited and paid for by the nobil- community. Opera workshops have ity. Indeed, for years an opera was sprung up everywhere, producing SUCH HAS BEEN the case in WISPWEIGHT NO-IRON a thing to be produced on some everything from isolated scenes on Ann Arbor. In the Temporary g i SPWE I GHTaNOIRON great ccasion and then to be put a bare atage with a piano for Classroom Building one can see Dream pretties in luxurious Petao ire away and forgottn. It was under accompaniment to the most ela- posters advertising operatic pro- this sort of patronage that oper borate productions of complete ductions which date far back into Schrank's exclusive No-Iron blend of grew fro it gngs th operas. In many scnools opera de- the history of the University and Orlon Cotton- Dacron and Nylon. grew from its beginnings to the partments which began as cul- the School of Music. In 1952, Prof. art we now know. tural adjuncts to a university have See OPERA, Page 15 Thus all over Europe, opera, now b e e o m e operatic training - -- - through a long, patient process, hools of professional caliber, came rather deeply rooted in and are beginning to turn out the life of the people, even though artis who will doubtless find it was made possible by the riches ai w w MILKMAID of the high-born. The gradual de- velopment of democratic thought LI PST I C KS and the final overthrow of autoc- racy did not destroy it. Where the - Snew democratic governments as- " sumed an obligation to the cultur- . an 6xCzting al life, of their various peoples, NEW COLOR ' opera was included. And so opera became a natural part of the European democratic tradition. HOWEVER, things took place somewhat differently in the 3 r f New World. The exploration and settlement of North America took - place during the growth of demo- cratic ideas in Europe so that when ; a government was formed there, it partook immsediately of a demo- cratic tradition fostered in a place where the struggle for survival had tended to displace all activities of ~ leisure and to level off social stra- ta, depriving the arts of their noble 51 patronage. Thus America was endowed with all the equipment necessary to ph+ 1x become a great nation in many 300 PROJECTOR ways, but was spared centuries of milkmaid Lipsticks are 15% Pure struggle toward democracy which Quick push-pull of the slide- sweet, REAL Cream, giving might have permitted the devel- lever shows, changes and a dewy-fresh, naturally moist opment of a native artistic tradi- stores slides automatically. alluring silky finish to thipi tion. We have rather assimilated Aluminum slide magazines preventing drying or cracking, R> the already existing European tra- with individual frames pro- keeping them youthful and luscio .. dition and begun only now to test slides from dirt, dust, Sixteen lovely colors stay true elaborate on it fter our own finger-prints or damage. in any light . . newest is fashion, But Insofar as artistic Single magazine holds 36 "Redberrie," vibrant, light bright Smart sleepcat with - development has come about here, slides. d, p ih pig fahios floral appliqued yoke it has benefitted the many rath- Re $62.50 cing ts evry clin, Smoll, medium, Jorge er than the few. g, $10.95. a This was not true with opera, Purchase Price $49.95 Pink and Sue. however, at least until the present. Slide Magazines i Recipient of a Fulbright for Argus Projectors Award in 1952-53 for study at Reg. 2.25 Three Deliveries Daily the Royal Conservatory in Brus- Purchase Price $1.79 LIBERTY at FIFTH sets, klarty Danscombe is now working toward the degree of Open 8 AM. ts 9 P.M. Daily Doctor of Musical Arts at the P A' A SUNDAY HOURS: . V A N . I J EN shop U5irrrsity H P.M. to 7:30 P.M. NO 2-2914 8 Nickels Arcade Opera Chores.