Philadelphia Conservatory of Music - Variations Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

Page 32 text:

arzlzfhizn SusTained CJ-2:10, e 3 0 A r I-P+ ,gl A-L Vafr.fJ.r.ssE'nss sf ssein unior Wofent . The place - room eleven. The fime - fwelve noon on Safurday. Nine people of various ages are seafed before a desk and behind fhis desk sfands a pleasanf young feacher. ln case you haven'f already guessed, fhis is fhe seffing for fhe weekly fheory class conducfed by Miss Chrisfman. As a forerunner of fhe more advanced fheory classes, if includes fhe defining of fhe basic fundamenfals of music. The con- sfrucfion of fhe differenf 'rypes of scales and infervals and fhe recog- nifion of song pafferns are also parf of fhe required curriculum. For fhe mosf parf, fhe afmosphere fhai' prevades is lighf, for all of fhe sfudenfs feel free af any fime fo quesfion and discuss anyfhing which fhey do noi' undersfand. They know fhaf Miss Chrisfman is only foo glad fo answer fheir inquiries and welcomes fheir quesfions. Some of fhe sfudenfs wish fo become concerf pianisfs, ofhers 'reach- ers, buf no maffer whaf field of music fhey underfake, fhey find fhe fheory class invaluable. In all, fhis class provides one of fhe mosf infer- esfing and enioyable hours of fhe week. ANNE MARIE KEARNEY war Wo more The Unifed Nafions has cerfainly done much fo promofe fhe cause of world peace. If alone, however, cannof hope fo abolish war. The peoples and nafions of fhe world musf obfain a common undersfanding of each ofher before a lasfing peace can be realized. One of fhe fore- mosf ways of creafing fhis undersfanding is fhrough music. Haydn once said, as he was deparfing on a visif fo England, fhaf alfhough he could nof speak English, fhe people would undersfand him because his lan- guage was fhe language of music. Today, alfhough we may nof be able fo speak, lef us say, Russian, we CAN enjoy and comprehend fhe music of fhaf counfry. For if is fhe music fhaf serves as an infernafional

Page 31 text:

bilify of an unforfunafe marriage and a large family, she managed fo supporf her children by her work af fhe opera in Hamburg, fhe salary being l50 pounds a year. She also accepfed all fhe concerf engage- menfs she could manage, besides affending fo fhe dufies of a mofher and housewife, cooking fhe meals and washing and mending as well. The very nighf her eighfh child was born she sang fhe role of one of fhe Rhine Maidens, and fwo weeks lafer was back again in fhe same role. Even af fhe Mefropolifan her early days were full of monefary worries, and her sad privafe life musf have been a greaf frial. Some people nafurally have an advanfage in healfhy consfifufions and disposifions, buf singers do nof realize enough how imporfanf a parf characfer can play in making a successful career. Noi' only fhrough sheer deferminafion, buf also from fhoughfful, defached considerafion of fheir problems, and by infelligenf and courageous affempfs fo solve fhem, many arfisfs have reached success and safisfacfion in fheir work and a richer personal developmenf fhan would have been ofherwise possible. MARION BRADLEY The Conserva'rory's would-be vocal aspiranfs are warned fo confine fheir pracficing fo fhe privacy of fheir own domiciles. One of fhese aspiranfs, however, dares from fime fo fime fo pracfice lmezzo-voce, of coursel cerfain vocalises or af leasf a do-mi-sol progression on fhe sfreef or in 'the crowded, noisy subways and sfreef cars. On one oc- casion fhis affempf fo make fhe mosf of fime caused him considerable embarrassmenf. Humming a minor scale and a phrase or fwo from an old Halian aria on a sfreef car one day, he was very much surprised when an elderly woman in fronf of him furned around and in a voice lNOT mezzo- vocei said, Shuf up. Having regained his decorum, our young singer confinued his vocalizing-a liffle more forfissimo, iusi' fo annoy fhis characfer who seemed nof fo have fhe fainfesf musical sfrain in her calloused soul. Nof confenf wifh one bifing exposfulafion, fhis non-musical crank furned fo fhe conducfor as she alighfed from fhe car and said lnof pianissimol, l don'f know why we have fo be bofhered wifh drunken singers on fhese sfreef cars! Our would-be aspiranf, cold, sober, and alighfing af fhe same sfop, reforfed wifh a ferse rebuke and sfomped off down fhe sfreef. He sfill fakes a chance and is now pracficing Brahms Lieder on fhe subway. BOB HEARN

Page 33 text:

'ci ii 4 imliii .,-S ,. ,- y- ,Ci ,, f'- gif ...l - . an-n.e,ra1. -.,.1-- -i ,,,-f language among peoples from many lands and as a cornersfone fowards 'GSf'n9 Peace- ROBERT Keeel-lroN The dicfionary defines music as a succession of fones so modulafed as fo please fhe ear. To me, music and beaufy are synonymous. All beaufy confains music, and all music confains beaufy. Noi' all of us like fhe same fype of music. Our fasfes vary iusf as our personalifies do. While some of us look fo music for sfimulafion, ofhers find in if comforf and consolafion. In music 'we see our fondesf hopes and ambifions being fulfilled. Music weaves a silken nel' and imprisons us in fhe fascinafing land of our imaginafion. We find ourselves carried away on fhe magic carpef of sound fo differenf lands and surroundings. We see fhe Far-Easf wifh ifs graceful whife buildings, feeming markef places, and slowly moving camels. We see Cid lfaly as if sfands on fhe shores of fhe fwinkling Mediferranean. We can picfure fhe peasanfs in fheir colorful cosfumes, dancing, singing, and laughing. Wifh music, no disfance is foo greaf and no fime foo shorf. There is no person who can say honesfly fhaf he has never heard music. H' is all around us. We hear if in fhe voices of children af play. We hear if in fhe sfeady drip of fhe falling raindrop. We hear if in fhe surging ocean waves and in fhe sharp melancholy cry of sea gulls overhead. Who has nof heard fhe sound of fhe wind sighing fhrough fhe pine frees wifhouf realizing fhaf if is a deep and peaceful music? The bubbling of a brook, fhe rusfle of a leaf, fhe chirp of a bird-all fhese are music. So none of us could honesfly say fhaf he dislikes music. For fo dislike music would mean fo dislike all fhe sounds of nafure and fhe earfh. Music was senf by God as an example of His greaf work. Lef us freaf if wifh fhe love, reverence, and respecf fhaf if deserves. LYDIA FRUCHTMAN