Variety (December 1954)

52 CONCKRTS-OPERA Wednesday, December 29, 1954 Seek Injunction On Community Name; Fleming s Ft. Wayne Org. Stays Put Although there’s a lull this week* in longhair, the Community Con- certs-International Concert Service hassle keeps simmering. Last week Columbia Artists Mgt., parent of Community, went into N. Y. State Court to ask for an injunction against use of the Community name by International. (Interna-1 tional is headed by Ward French i and Robert Ferguson, who were ousted recently from Community, and who set up their rival org to line up cities for their own organ- ized audience movement). Because French and Ferguson aren’t N. Y. residents, Columbia’s plea for an injunction was moved to N. Y. Federal Court. It’s Colum- bia’s beef that International has been assuring various towns that it (International) can still use the Community label in those towns for its own setup. Tudor to Revive Works For Ballet Theatre Gala Ballet Theatre has signed Antony Tudor, noted choreographer, to re- store his ballets, “Pillar of Fire’’ and “Romeo and Juliet,” for the spring N. Y. season, which will be a gala to celebrate the troupe’s 15th anniversary year. Hugh Laing has also been engaged as guest artist for the Gotham run, to dance in “Pillar” and “Romeo,” and also in “Lilac Garden.” Both Tudor and Laing were with Ballet Theatre originally, when it started. Sam Lurie handled the new contracts for them as their, personal rep. New Orleans Opera Gives Cellini Three-Year Pact New Orleans, Dec. 28. Conductor and artistic director Renato Cellini and stage director Armando Agnini were signed to three-year contracts last week by the New- Orleans Opera Assn. Duo was engaged for the cur- rent opera season last September and they’ve worked together on three productions thus far. Cellini succeeded Walter Herbert, dis- missed last spring. Anderson ‘Ball’ Hottest Ticket Marian Anderson’s first appear- ance at the Met Opera House, set for Jan. 7 in Verdi’s “Masked Ball,” has excited unusual atten- Out of the 900 towns in the , „ _ . .. „ . . S11 Community chain. International H° use * starting April 12. Tudor will claims it has wooed 200 away to j iave a 3'5-week j e ^. ea .r sa pentK its own setup. It’s more reliably *° prep ^ ls revived worlyj. reported, however, that only about 25 towns have moved from Colum- bia to International. Both organi- zations have had field men out, with Columbia’s men about 2* 5 weeks ahead of sked. in order to hold on to their setups. Rumors were flying around N. Y. last weekend that James R. Flem- ing, Fort Wayne publisher pre- viously identified as the principal financial backer of International, and active in its organization, had withdrawn from the setup. This Fleming denied on Monday (27). But he also advised that he isn’t an active member in International, being just a friend and well-wisher of French in his new venture. tion. Famed contralto is the first The N. Y. gala will run for three j Negro singer to be signed by 4he weeks at the Metropolitan Opera Met Stars Set For 2d P.R. Opera Fest Fort Wayne With Columbia Fort Wayne, Dec. 28. In the battle between rival artist booking agencies, the Fort Wayne Community Concert Assn, board voted 25 to 0 last week to remain with Community Concerts Inc. Both that organization and Inter- national Concert Service sought their contract. James R. Fleming, co-publisher of the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, reportedly the principal financial backer of International Concert Service, and a member of the board of the Fort Wayne group, also cast his vote for Community, despite his International tie. “I believe that we should remain with Community Concerts,” said Fleming. “The new organization, International, is concentrating its efforts on the east coast and is not concerned with the midwest at this time. It w r as only natural for the Fort Wayne Community Concert Assn, to remain as it is. Second season of an expected annual grand opera setup for Puer- to Rico has been finalized, with season to run for a week of eight performances in June. Albert Gins, N. Y. attorney, who reps many show biz clients, left last weekend to discuss the festival with execs at the U. of Puerto Rico, which sponsors the presentations. Gins, who originated the idea for last June’s teeoff fest, acts as impre- sario for the event. Affair, involv- ing a $100,000 budget, employs Met Opera stars as leads, and utilizes chorus and orch from N. Y., with local talent assisting. Fest will open June 10 at the University Theatre. Rio Piedras, near San Juan, with “Aida.” with Zinka Milanov, Mario del Monaco, Robert Weede and Nell Rankin in the leads. Other events are'“Faust,” “Traviata,” "Barber of Seville,” “Cavalleria Rusticana” and "Pagli- acci,” “Manon,” “Trovatore” and “Rigoletto.” Leads include, in addi- tion to the previously named, Dorothy Kirsten, Regina Resnick, Kurt Baum, John Brownlee. Eu- gene Conley, Jan Peerce, Dolores Wilson, Brian Sullivan, Cesare Val- letta Jerome Hines and Frank Guarrerra. The Met’s Desire Defrere will stage, v with Anthony Stivanello as- sisting? Nicolas Rescigno and Emer- son Buckey have been set as con- ductors, w r ith others to be pacted. Met, and the Jan. 7 event has be- come the hottest ticket buy in N.Y. There have been steady brokers’ calls since the first an- nouncement in November, even from people with no previous in- terest in opera. Because the Jan. 7 date is a regular subscription rather than an open performance, relatively few single tickets are available, to heighten the ducat scramble. “Ball” is being revived at the Met after six seasons’ absence. This performance will mark Miss Anderson’s opera debut, as well as her stage preem, her work heretofore having been restricted entirely to concerts. She has never acted before. "Masked Ball” will be her only opera this season, and she’ll do it only three times, Jan. 7 and Feb. 26 in N.Y., and Jan. 11 in Philadelphia, her hometowm. Miss Anderson will sing Ulrica. The Met has assembled its strong- est cast for the opera, with Zinka Milanov, Richard Tucker -and Leonard Warren ?s other leads, and Roberta Peters, Nicola Mosco- na and Norman Scott in support. Herbert Graf will stage and Di- mitri Mitroppulos, the N.Y. Phil- harmonic maestro, will be guest conductor. Inside Stuff—Concerts Sonia Arova, French ballerina who joined Ballet Theatre’s roster recently, had to step lightly into her new relationship. It would have taken too long to get her an artist’s visa, so femme took a visitor's visa instead, and w'as rehearsing in N.Y. with the troupe before her artist’s visa came through. Publicity on shipboard had to refer to her by name only, with no reference to the ballet company that was bringing her over. Miss Arova, formerly with the Marquis de Cuevas troupe and Festival Ballet, was a sudden addition to Ballet Theatre, as replacement for Alicia Alonso, still touring South America with her ow r n company. Apparently, Miss Alonso, Ballet Theatre’s biggest name, won’t be back with the troupe until its spring season at the N.Y. Met, at end of its regular touring season. The Metropolitan Opera management takes exception to the way Variety is spending its (the Met’s) money, especially in relation to last week’s (22) story on costs of the new ballet, “Vittorio.” Management estimates the cost (with bills not all in) at around $20,000, with cos- tumes repping about $12,000 of this sum. Production is painted at the Met’s own studios, and no collateral or fringe costs (such as music copying^ extra rehearsals, overhead, etc.) are included as part of the production cost. Met’s figures are based on three items only: designing fees, sets and costumes. Berlin O’Seas Coin OK, Karajan Inking Assure German OrchestrasD.S.Tour Irish Singers in 1st U.S. Tour, 50 Dates at 2G Feis Eireann, or the Irish Fes- tival Singers, are making their first appearance In the U. S. next month, opening with a Carnegie Hall, N. Y., concert Jan. 28, and filling 50 dates as far w'est as Minneapo- lis in a 10-week trek. First Irish vocal group in many years to tour here, it’s being im- ported by concert manager Albert Morini, who is selling it at $2,000 a date. Many are being taken by religious organizations for benefit purposes. Small Terp Cos. Solid in Field Permanency of the status of small groups in the ballet field was evidenced again last week W'hen two new troupes, currently out on their debut tours, were re-signed for next season. One is the Ruth- anna Boris-Frank Hobi Co., re- pacted by Andre Mertens of Co- Patricia Neway. who had the lead I lumbia Artists Mgt. Otheij is the Neway, Ribla Set For New Banfield Opera New Orleans, Dec. 28. El Paso Steamed Up El Paso, Dec. 28. Controversy over the future here of Community Concerts and its new rival. International Concert Service, has reached heated inten- sity in El Paso. Board of directors of the El Paso Community Concert Assn, met last week (21 > to decide their organization’s future. After extended deliberation, those pres- ent, plus five proxy votes, chose to change their name to the Interna- tional Concert Assn. Their vote, in effect, meant wwith- drawal from the longer-established Community Concerts group in order to join International. Inter- national’s chiefs. Ward French and Bob Ferguson, recently left Com- munity Concerts to form their own group. Action of the El Pasoans brought a prompt reply from Community Conceits, printed in the El Paso Times. Among other things the letter stated bluntly: “We don’t plan to lose Community Concerts in El Paso.” The letter referred to an agreement between the local and national orgs giving the latter the power to “reorganize on the resignation of one or all officers.” Such action, Community informed the El Pasoans, “is exactly what we will do.” on Broadway in Gian-Carlo Menot- ti’s opera. “The Consul,” and Ger- trude Ribla, ex-Me't Opera soprano, will have the leads in “Lord Byron’s Love Letters,” short opera w'hich is to be double-billed with Tennessee Wililams’ play, “27 Wagons Full of Cotton,” here next month. Opera, with a Williams libretto, has music by Raffaello de Banfield, who has done some ballet scores. Classical Disk Reviews Philippe Entremont, 20-ycar-old French pianist, arrived in New York from Montreal Sunday (26* to begin a tour of 45 concerts in this country. He’s exchange artist in the program sponsored by the National Music League and the Jeunesses Musicales abroad, now in its fourth season. Kipnis As Boris (Bluebird). Reissue of six scenes from the Moussorgsky opera, with the one- time Met basso Alexander Kipnis revealing his sonorous tone, digni- fied bearing and impressive artistry plus Nicolai Berezowsky leading the RCA Victor symph and chorus in solid support. A welcome re- vival. Menotti: Amelia al Ballo (Angel). Menotti’s short opera buffa holds up very well—tart, spicy, melodi- ous and quick—in this superior La Scala version under Nino San- zogno. Margherita Carosio is a skilled, fetching soprano. Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 (London). The so-called “Wagner” symphony, in D Minor, is massive, sprawling and diffuse, but meaty and interesting. Its Wagnerian effects and motifs, its musical quotes from Wagner, add to the appeal. Vienna Philharmonic under Hans Knappertsbusch gives it a hearty, solid reading. Schumann: Quartet & Quintet, in E Flat (Vox). Two charming works, the gentler mood of the quartet balanced against the vigor of the more romantic quintet. Skilled performances by the Bar- chet Quartet and pianist Walter Bohle. for an attractive coupling. Bloch: Sonata: Handel: Sonata; Schubert: Sonatina (RCA Victor). 1 Jascha Heifetz in some felicitous readings. The Bloch is stern, 1 rugged, mystical music, of high Alexandra Danilova Co., renewed by Sol Hurok. Both troupes, inci- dentally, are under personal man- agement of Alfred Katz, who got up the packages. Small terp teams havo been steadily increasing, in the wake of the growth in ballet’s popularity generally. Interest in such dance groups by the smaller towrns that can’t get the largescale troupes hai been on the upbept. In addi- tion to Boris-Hobi and Danilova, the circuit is now getting Marina Svetlova & Co. (a group of three dancers and a pianist); Inesita Co. (of five); and in a lighter vein, though in the longhair sphere, the groups of Mata & Hari and Iva Kitchell. Also last w r eek, Co- lvric quality too. The Handel is lumbia signed Lola Montes and in classic Italianate style and the her troupe of four dancers and two Schubert is a lovely, tuneful instrumentalists for a tour starting miniature. Choice disk. in January. Walton: Viola Concerto & Hin- The Boris-Hobi troupe, compris demith: Schwanendrcher (Colum- ing three dancers (third being bia). Strong, rhythmic and lyric Stanley Zampakos) and a pianist, Walton and the light, melodic but is inked for a solid 17 weeks this less appealing Hindemith in sturdy season. The Danilova company, performances by William Primrose wit h four dancers and two pianos with the Columbia Chamber Orch —dancers comprising Mme. Dani- The Berlin Philharmonic’s first U.S. tour, set for this winter, which seemed in danger of col- lapse with the death of Wilhelm Furtwangler in November, has now been assured. Herbert von Karajan, head of the Philharmon- ia Orchestra of London and one of Europe’s top maestros, will lead the 106-man orch for all of its 26 dates from the Feb. 27, ’55 opener in Washington to the final April 1 concert in N.Y. And the $50,000- $60,000 transatlantic passage money for the orch which Henry R. Reichhold, Detroit industrialist, had originally promised for the Furtwangler deal, and subsequent- ly withdrew, has now been assured by vote of the Berlin Senate, which will subsidize the fares. Tour consummation, according to the trade, is chiefly due to the tenacity of Andre Mertens, veepee of Columbia Artists Mgt., which is booking the trip. He kept working on the deal after the various sup- ports fell away. Some local man- agers wanted to cancel out, feeling they couldn’t hold the dates open due to the uncertainty of the orch’s coming. But Mertens held them in line. No manager of an important town pulled out, although « couple of small spots did. Three dates are being given in N.Y.’i Carnegie Hall; two-thirds of these are sold out already, and there have been few cancellations. Mer- tens had to line up tho substitute maestro, and work Dr. G. von Westermam, Berlin symph man- ager. into getting the city of Ber- lin to foot 'the overseas passages. Orch is being sold here at $6,000 a date. Karajan had to adjust a full winter’s sked (he’s currently con- ducting at La Scala) to take on the tour stint. After Furtwangler’* death, while Mertens w'as still scurrying around for a sub, Bruno Walter agreed to conduct the first concert in Washington, in tribute to Furtwangler. The'Berlin symph is Walter’s old orch, and the 78- year-old maestro was willing to make a special flight from Cali- fornia to D.C. for the one-shot. under John Pritchard backing him in the latter. Vaughan Williams: Fantasie on Theme by Tallis & Britten: Varia- tions on Theme by Bridge (Angel) The Britten is a charming, lyrical suite with some very expressive writing. The Vaughan Williams, a beautiful fantasia, is by now a mod- ern classic, even though the per- formance here is, though brilliant, somewhat driving. Herbert von Karajan leads the Philharmonia. Haydn: Symphonies No. 100 in G Sc 102 In B Flat (London). Two fine examples of the late work of Haydn. The snappy, rhythmic G Major and the more sonorous, domantic B Flat get breezy read- ings from the London Philhar- monic under Georg Solti. Bartok: For Children & Sonatina (Angel). The children’s suite con tains lovely, melodic pieces of wide variety, with simple but unconven- lova, Roman Jasinsky, Moscelyn Larkin and Michael Maulc—is booked for 16 weeks. Both debut tours hava been highly successful thus far. 50 OPERATIC YEARS AS NEW RCA DELUXE ALBUM RCA Victor is readying a deluxe album for next spring, which may prove one of the highlights of the season. Titled “50 Years of Great Operatic Singing,” album of five disks (10 sides) will comprise selec- tions from great Metropolitan Opera operas and arias of the past five decades, from Marcella Sem- brich to Rise Stevens and from Francesco Tamagno to Jan Peerce. Material was selected by Irving tional harmonies, all very appeal- Ko|°ciin, music editor of the Sat- ing. They’re played here by pianist urda y Review, who has written a Geza Anda with delicacy or force, couple of histories of the Met. and as required, as well as with feeling, who also has written the text for musicianship and skill. Broil. the album. Philharmonia Due in U.S.; Karajan Double-Header Herbert von Karajan, top Euro- pean conductor, will make a unique double-header bow to U. S. audi- ences, guest-conducting with the Berlin Philharmonic here this sea- son, and reappearing again with his own orchestra, the Philhar- monia of London, next season. Lat- ter orch has just been set for iti first U. B. tour, comprising 30 dates over a five-week period in the fall of 1955. Tour will cover a triangle bounded by Chicago, Bos- ton and Atlanta. The Judson, O’Neill & Judd division of Colum- bia Artists Mgt. is handling the tour, hoping to sell the orch at $6,000 a date. The Philharmonia, a new or- chestra, was put together about five years ago mainly for record- ings (under the E.M.I. label). It became quickly established as a major orch, gave concerts in Eng- land and on the Continent, and now is stepping out internationally. The U. S. tour is also likely to hypo sales of the orch’s disks, under the Angel label here. (E.M.I. is be* lieved financing the overseas pass- age money.)