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

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As a member of fhe alumni for IO ears, if is a leasure fo ive Y expression fo my alma mafer di musica. lf is frue fhaf a house builf on a roclc foundafion will nof be forn or uproofed by fhe winds of fime. lf is also frue fhaf, alfhough we learn by experience, if is only fhose of us who have been guided in youfh by a sfrong hand who can in furn give of fhemselves fo ofhers in age. Wifhin fhe arf, as in any phase of wisdom, we have many who acclaim a public name. These personalifies we honor and respecf for fhe loyal and unselfish giving of fheir lives fo fhe purpose of arf. We have, also, fhose who never claim fhe public, buf who serve iusf as faifhfully and sincerely in fhe frue arf. I Cne masfer, Roberf Schumann, said, Genius creafes, falenf sfrug- gles. lf seems fhaf fhese fwo elemenfs mighf somehow mingle fogefher. When one creafes, does nof one sfruggle? Likewise, does nof a sfruggle bring forfh a creafion in some form? Why fhen did Schumann puf fhe fwo phrases in fhe same breafh? And if he meanf fhem fo be confrasf- ing, such as fhe fwo main fhemes of our beloved Sonafa form, does nof fhe Sonafa have coherency? Thus, in fhis respecf, if can be said of fhe Philadelphia Conservafory fhaf fhrough ifs doors info fhe profession of music have walked many of bofh genius and falenf. When an organizafion of learning has done fhis, if has accom- plished fhe ulfimafe. Wifh each year of confinued service fo fhe arf of music, we come fo feel fhe securify of knowledge and 'rhe confidence of expression fhaf was insfilled in us as sfudenfs af fhe Philadelphia Conservafory. May I 'ralce fhis chance fo fhanlc fhe Direcfors and Faculfy for fhe frufh of fhe learning fhaf fhey so willingly gave me and fo fhe enfire school for fhe personal warmfh and noble afmosphere fhaf surrounded me as a sfudenf and fhaf has profecfed me as a professional. May l also wish fhe Conservafory endless nuclei for genius and falenf and unending success in fhe developmenf of fhe living arf-music. JANE M. KOLB

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,-g,,fj.Qigl , Xlrril- 1 IQ 1 1 EJ QVQTW' b Fi 2I.if.m.,,f,h.f,iwy A maferialisfic age pays liffle affenfion fo spirifual maffers. How- ever, many people foday, appalled by fhe ferrifying holocausf we have iusf been fhrough, have begun fo ask quesfions a maferialisfic world concepfion cannof answer. Everyone forfunafe enough fo be giffed for music, fo have fhe opporfunify fo live wifhffor music, can help dispel fhe shadow of maferi- alism, can help fo answer fhe quesfions of fhose who seek somefhing maferialism cannof give. l We can do fhis by remembering ever fhe divine origins of music, so fhaf, in feaching, performing, or composing, fhere will be fell' a reverence for fhe arf fhaf has broughf ioy and comforl' fo man fhrough all cenfuries. We musf make sure fhe BEING of MUSIC ITSELF speaks fhrough 'rhe music we make, for fhen if will become impossible 'ro USE music for purposes of self-expression, self-seeking, self-adulafion. Lef us seek consciously fo permeafe music wifh fhe spirif fo save if from becoming a dead and lifeless arf. ln so doing we furfher nof only fhe evolufion of music, buf fhaf of mankind, fo whom all arf was- in fhe beginning -enfrusfed. PAUL NORDOFF Foofnofe: The aufhor is indebfed fo fhe work of Rudolf Sfeiner fhrough which fhe convicfions expressed in 'rhis arficle were inspired.

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The annual series of Faculfy Concerfs in memoriam of M. Sophia Ezerman opened auspiciously af Wifherspoon Hall, February I8, I947. The firsf concerf feafuring a program of Chamber Music presenfed fhe Ravel Sonafa for violin and cello, Boris Koufzen and Elsa Hilger: fhe Hindemifh Sonafa for Piano four hands, Dorofhea and Vincenf Persi- cheffig 'rhe Koufzen Duo Concerfanfe, Boris and Inez Koufzeng fhe Franck Quinfef in F minor, Boris Koufzen, William Bless, Samuel Roens, Elsa Hilger and Allison R. Drake. The second concerf af fhe Efhical Sociefy Audiforium, February 26, consisfed of a piano group of Scarlaffi and Haydn played by Lesley Cafhcarf: fhe Brahms A maior Sonafa performed by William Bless and Evelyn Chrisfmang a Rachmaninoff group by Joseph Arcaro: and fhe Franck Sonafa in A maior by Olefah Diefrich and Anneffa Lockharf. A piano recifal by Claire Schapiro fook place af fhe Efhical Sociefy March 5, and included works of Haydn, Brahms, Chopin, Liszf, Prokofieff, Gershwin, and Liapounov. The fourfh concerf presenfed fhe Philadelphia Conservafory Or- chesfraunder fhe direcfion of Boris Koufzen af Wifherspoon Hall on March IO and consisfed of fhe Vivaldi Concerfo Grosso in D minor, followed by fhe Haydn Concerfo in D maior for which Elsa Hilger was 'l'he cello soloisf. Then fhe Bach concerfo in D minor for piano, Allison R. Drake soloisf, was followed by fhe Mozarf Symphony in G minor, bringing fo a close noi' only an arfisfic achievemenf in sfudenf orchesfral performance buf also a mosf inferesfing and sincerely presenfed series of concerfs heard by large enfhusiasfic audiences serving as a real inspirafion fo all. THE ROVING REPORTER Musical 'rraining is a more pofenf insfrumenf fhan any ofher, be- cause rhyfhm and harmony find fheir way info fhe secref recesses of fhe soul, on which fhey mighfily fasfen, imparfing grace, and making fhe soul graceful of him who is righfly educafed. -PLATO