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

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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.

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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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There have been no profound works of arf leff fo us by iongleurs. If is doubfful if we will gef one from Spike Jones. If is also doubfful if Mr. Jones cares, and fhis adds fo his charm. He is nof af home in fhe rarefied heighfs of arfisfic expression. Buf he has had fhe pleasure of giving a fair percenfage of 'rhe populafion a roaring good fime. Thaf is a considerable accomplishmenf for anyone. EVELYN M. CHRISTMAN Every ofher Monday nighf one sees an inferesfed group gafhering in fhe concerf room af ZI6. Madame Samaroff's Monday evening Musicales are a mosf valuable experience for performer and lisfener as well. Af fhis fime her sfudenfs are offered an informal opporfunify fo play as offen as fhey are prepared. Somefimes one of Madame's Juilliard sfudenfs has done an especially fine piece of work and is invifed fo play in fhe musicale. The more fhese ardenf, ambifious piano sfudenfs of Madame Samaroff have accomplished, fhe happier she seems fo be. Whaf maffer if fhe program is an hour and a half or fwo hours, or a Iiffle plus or MINUS? Thaf newly learned, seldom heard composifion or concerfo, or confemporary work can always find ifs niche in fhe evening's music program. lmporfanf works of Bach, Sonafas and Concerfi of Mozarf and Beefhoven: Haydn: fhe romanfics, including Schumann and Chopin, Mendelssohn and Franck were heard. Some of fhe confemporary works included Hindemifh Sonafa No. I, Prokofieff Sonafa No. 2, 3, and 7, Barber Excursions and Barfok Folk Songs. Concerfi by Prokofieff, Shos- fakovich, Khafchafourian, and Kabelefsky were brillianfly played and excifing fo hear. The ambifious sfudenf who is a performer should also be an infer- esfed lisfener. Much can be gained in hearing fhe varied reperfoire presenfed fhese evenings as well as by frying 'ro evaluafe fhe musical growfh each sfudenf makes as fhe season progresses. Affer each program Madame says in her cheerful, purposeful voice, Now I wanf fo give some crificism. Who is firsf? Come wifh me. In a back room each sfudenf receives fhe precious ideas in fhe form of consfrucfive crificism from fhe Masfer Pedagogue. Her sincerify, acfive inferesf, and real wisdom are of inesfimable value. A spirif of advenfure is felf in fhe expecfafion of hearing fhe seldom heard, a firsf performance, fhe newly prinfed, as well as fhe old fav- orifes. The variefy and wealfh of piano Iiferafure heard, reward and enrich fhe lucky Iisfener. THE ROVING REPORTER