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

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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

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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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.sjlailfe jonezi, jwenfiefh Cenfury Jongdur Whefher fhey know if or nof, Spike Jones and his band of Cify Slickers are fhe professional descendanfs of fhose wandering minsfrels who fravelled from one markef place fo fhe ofher in fhe days of Richard fhe Lion-hearfed. The beloved vagabonds of fhe fhirfeenfh cenfury and fhe personnel of fhe confemporary Music Depreciafion Revue have more in common fhan one would suspecf. ln 'rhe fime of fhe firsf Crusades, fhe minsfrels and iongleurs were welcomed everywhere, be if village, favern or baron's casfle. They came dressed in fheir fradifional gay, gaudy cosfumes fo sing and iesf, fo iuggle and fumble, fo dance and fell sfories. The arrival of fhese ifin- eranf musicians broughf lively enferfainmenf in a day when enferfain- menf came buf rarely. H' was a freaf fhaf everyone enioyed, serf and noble alike. According fo fradifion, fhe minsfrel had fo be able fo play nine insfrumenfs. He was cerfainly a versafile fellow. His place in sociefy, however, was quesfionable. The irregularify of his life and fhe irrever- ance of some of his songs and sfories were frowned upon by fhe Church. In spife of fhis, he sfill mainfained his popularify wifh fhe people. An idealized picfure of fhe minsfrel has come down fo us in fhe Juggler of Our Lady, one of fhe mosf beaufiful sfories from fhe Middle Ages. Wi+h fhe mofion picfure, fhe radio and fhe fheafre, fhe oppor- 'runifies for enferfainmenf in fhe modern world are beyond fhe wildesf dreams of fhe fhirfeenfh cenfury. This has alfered fhe life of fhe musician- enferfainer fo a considerable degree. lf has given him more compefifion and, on fhe ofher hand, has infroduced him fo a greafer number of people. Today, fhe Cify Slickers obviously do nof fravel from one cify square fo anofher. They board a frain or a plane and fravel from fhe fheafre fo fhe mofion picfure lof and again fo fhe recording sfudio, making a kind of music, going fhrough fheir slapsfick roufine and giving fhe audience a lively fime. Like fhe iongleur of old, however, fhese men can sing and iesf, iuggle and fumble, dance and fell sfories. They are versafile and popular fellows. Their broad humor and 'rheir incomparable musical parodies are very much akin fo fhe crude riddles and parodied songs of fheir medieval predecessors. Richard of England would cer- fainly have found Spike Jones very amusing. H' is inferesfing fo nofe fhaf fhe Cify Slickers uphold fhe fime-honored minsfrel fradifion of wearing mofley cosfumes. Their garmenfs are indescribable, adding fo fhe general sense of hilarify and fesfive confusion. No genfleman of disfincfion would consider such ensembles.