Variety (Sep 1942)

26 CONCERT-OPERA W«<n<id*yt September 16, 1942 Argentine fress^^s^^alanchine — For Statements Allegedly Reflecting Against Native BaUet Performances Buenoa Aires, Sept. 8 Severe dressing-down to ballet director George Balanchine for in- terview declarations made on his return to New York appeared in the press here this week with warning to the Teatro Colon, municipally- owned opera house, to think twice before renewing his contract. Case recalled similar incidents when film director John Reinhardt returned to the U. S., handed out interviews which bounced here and caused strained relations. Reinhardt Inter claimed interview declarations were not his. But pointed out is that papers here base their criticisms on what appears in the Manhattan press and careless interviewing fol- lowing South American trips is likely to undo all the good will which may have been created by vifiting personalitie,<!. Criticism of Balanchine appeared not in pro-totalitarian papers which, because they slap at everything Yank, are discounted by readers, but i,i strongly pro-democratic and pro- U. S. papers and magazines. Pointo Cited Critica, leading pro-democratic adernooner, for example, cited these points: Balanchine, after praising the Colon ballet corps, stated: 'I hope to be able to prepare It to appear 0-1 northern stages within two years.' Aside from pointing out that this constitutes a reflection In that the U. S. ballets are considered good enough for here while the Colon ballet is not considered good enough for the U. S., paper declares the Colon ballet Is not available for revue impresarios and that it is im- possible to conceive that the man- agement of the Colon could have promised its support to such a plan. *S:. we must attribute this announce- ir.ent to an excess of publicity-seek- ing on the part of Balanchine,' Critica added. To another Balanchine statement, *. . . the Argentine ballet is now be- inp born,' question was asked: 'What d'> you mean by Argentine ballet?' Critica, for example, states thai flie Argentine ballet inspired by Argen tine customs and dance rhythms was born many years ago in ballets created. by Argentine musicians, such as 'La Flor del Udupe' by Con- stantino Gaito and 'Panambi' by Gmastera. Picking on another statement of Balanchine that the Argentine ballet Is 'a superior group with great pos cibilities but lacking experience and Eolists who must be imported,' writers point out 'it must be re- membered that the ballet group at tht Colon was organized in 1925 has had 17 years of experience and i'i directors have been the greatest masters of tl.e ballet, among them, Bzlanchine's own teachers—Adolfo Blom, Michel Foklne, Jacovieft, Georges Kyarschst, Boris Romanoff, Serge Lifar and Nijinsk!—and, in recent years, Margarita Wahlmann. Colon repertoire now includes ever 100 works, it was added, and Ihe Colon has had the greatest flg- uies of the ballet on its boards, en-.ong them DiaghilefTs troupe and Pavlowa. Slapping at Balanchine's state- ment that the season just ended (for which he was director), 'was the most brilliant ever seen,' papers de- clared: 'In saying this he indulged in boastful exaggeration hardly luslified even for publicity purposes, flist, because no one here ever said CO and, secondly, because the seas.n thlr year was one of the poorest. H:s statements, besides being self- contradictory, show great ignor- ance.' Critica declares that Balanchine was paid 24,000 pesos (approximately $6,000) to put on two ballets, one of which was not new. Colon manage- ment, it is added, should carefully consider his declarations. Reor- ganization is evidently necessary, it Is stated, 'but regarding vacancies, w: have here an official academy and various private schools of ballet, which have contributed valuable tal- ent, and it is not necessary to bring others in from Mr. Balanchine's own private academy.' 14 Concert Attractions For 2 Denver Series Denver, Sept. 15. The Oberfelder-Slack Concert Series here will present two groups of concerts during the 1942-43 ea- son. The larger of the two, known as the 'Greater Artists Series,' will present eight attractions from Oct. 5 to March 5; $5.60 to $17.36 is to be the scale for the series. Artists to appear include Rise Stevens, Oct. 5; Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Nov. 14; Bruna Cas- tagna, Dec. 1; Yehudi Menuhin, Jan. 4; Josef Hofmann, Jan. 14; Salva- tore Baccaloni, Feb. 19; Richard Crooks, Feb. 26, and Marian Ander- son, March 5. The 'Celebrity Series' by the same managers will have six attractions, from $3.36 to $10.08. These will be Paul Draper and Larry Adler, Oct. 16, Anna Kaskas, Oct. 26; Don Cos- sack Chorus, Jan. 8; Anne Brown, Feb. 13; Carmen Amaya, Feb. 15; and Jan Peerce, March 22. PANIZZA WON'T BATONATMET THIS SEASON Buenos Aires, Sept. IS. Ettore Panizza, leading Italian con- ductor of the Metropolitan Opera Co. for the past seven years, won't re- turn to the U.S. this season but will remain here. It is believed that he will take over the directorship of the Teatro Colon, replacing Florio Ungarte. fiDSLSet for 9 Dates WithMonaS.F.Orchs Ezlo Plnza has been booked lor nine appearances this season with the Montreal and San Francisco Opera companies before returning to the Met in November for his 17th successive season as its leading bass. On his way back from San Fran- cisco Pinza will concertize in key cities, bookings for which are now being set by NCAC. He will also sing Mefistofele in a concert version of Berlioz's 'Damnation of Faust' with the N. Y. Philharmonic under Artur Rodzinski in December. De Basil Ballet Set UntU QcU 1943, On So. American Dates Buenos Aires, Sept. 8. Original Ballet Russe Company, directed by Colonel W. de Basil, has been signed for a concert series at the Colon. Makes the flrst time such a group has been inked by the municipaUy-owned opera house, fol- lowing its appearance in commercial theatres. Ballet Russe company came here several months ago following stop- overs in Brazil and signed to play the Teatro Politeama because of in- ability to arrange Colon dates. Did so well at Politeama, however, that Colon managament decided on new series following trip to Montevideo and to the interior. De Basil company, comprising 68 people, all but 10 of them dancers, left the U. S. in January and does net expect to get back to States till October, 1943, longest stage tour ever attempted by any organization in South America. Unlike many groups which have come here in' the last couple of years. Ballet Russe com- pany has not had a cent or even a letter of Introduction from the Nel- son Rockefeller Office of the Co- ordinator of Inter-American Affairs. Insiiie Concert-Opera Kllaen FarreU, a8-y«Br-old Irish dramatic soprano, is being groomed by Charles L Wagner ai hlB greatest IrUh prospect since John McCormack. Warner fwls that the young soprano will be the flrst great singer of her race to successfuUy cope with 'Isolde,' which concerns an Irish prmcess. The singer will launch her first concert tour of 15 appearances Oct. 28 with the Salt Lake City Orchestra. Wagner is getting $400 an appearance for her. He wIU not allow her to appear in opera until next year, pre- ferring not to rush her. ■ - The Metropolitan is now dickering with a number of important guest conductors and possible regulars to pick up the assignments of Panizza. Among the possible replacements for regular maestro are George Snell, Fausto Cleva, Angelo Cana- rutto, with either Leopold Slokow- ski or Serge Koussevitsky as guests. Carroll Glenn's Dates Carroll Glenn, 22-year-old violin 1st, has been booked tor over 20 orchestral dates for the coming sea- ton, opening Sept. 10 in Toronto. 139 Concerts Schedoled For Philly Orchestra Philadelphia, Sept. 15. The Philadelphia Orchestra, launching its 43rd season, will, in addition to its 74 concerts at the Academy of Music here, play 65 on the road. The orchestra opens Oct. 2 and ends it season April 30. Eu- gene Ormandy returns as conductor. Included in its annual traveling schedule will be concerts in N. Y. it Carnegie Hall (10), in Washington at Constitution Hall (6), at the Lyric theatre, Baltimore (6), and six at Ann Arbor, Mich. 24 CONCERTS IN OCT. AT N.Y. TOWN HALL Cleve. Orch Offers $1,000 For New Symphony Cleveland, Sept. 15. As part of its 2Sth anniversary season the Cleveland Orchestra will offer a $1,000 prize for a new Ameri- can symphonic composition. Manuscript deadline is Jan. 1, 1943, and the orchestra will give the work its world premiere at a pair of con- certs in Severance Hall during the season. Radio and performance rights in the winning work will stay with the Cleveland Orchestra until 1944. Arthur Rodzinksi will head a board of judges to select the winner. Town Hall, N. Y., will present 24 concerts during October as its an- nual concert series swing:: under way. Besides the musical events, lectures and church services will be presented. Artists to be heard In order of their appearances will be (evening unless otherwise stated): Zara Nel sova, cellist, Oct. 4; Elizabeth Hip- pie, pianist, Oct. 5; Ernestine Stein - way, soprano, Oct. 6; Marie Valois, soprano, Oct. 9; Hul)ert Valentine, tenor, Oct. 11; Bernardo Segall, pi- anist, Oct. 12; Nina Quartin, soprano, Oct. 13; Alexander Sved, baritone. Oct. 15; Tapia Caballero, pianist, Oct. 16; James Friskin, pianist, Oct. 17; Emanuel List, bass, Oct. 18. Also, David Sarser, violinist, Oct. 19 (afternoon); Dorothy Baker, so- prano, Oct. 19 (evening); Ernst Wolff, baritone, Oct. 20; Wanda Lan- dowska, harpsichordist, Oct. 21; Miriam Solovieff, violinist, Oct. 23; Rose Goldblatt, pianist, Oct. 24; Maxim Schapiro, pianist, Oct. 25; New Friends of Music with Coolidge Quartet and Hortense Monath, pi- anist, Oct. 25 (afternoon); Ella Davis, soprano, Oct. 25; Roman Totenberg, violinist, Oct. 26; Sari Biro, pianist. Oct. 27; Thomas L. Thomas, baritone, Oct 30. Morini-D'Andria Co. Set for 30 Bookings The 'Travlata' company of Albert Morini and Georgio D'Andria has been booked Sot 31 dates this fall, sUrting Oct. 17 In Bridgeport Com- pany has Annamary Dickey, Mar- garet Daum, Francesco PerulU, Francesco Naya, Jess Walters and Robert Shilton as lU principal sing- ers, with Angelo Canarutto as con- ductor. The tour will close at the Academy of Music, Brooklyn, Dec. 1. Company, which will carry an orchestra of 16 and a chorus of 12, is to tour the eastern seaboard and might play a week In Canada at the end of the U. S. tour If current negotiations jell. Company is being sold for $1,750 a performance. Met Stars Head Newark ^ed Opening Oct 8 Newark, Sept. 15 Newark Civic Grand Opera Assn. will present the flrst of a series of 14 operas, featuring leading Metro- politan Opera stars, at the Mosque theatre Oct 18. 'La Traviata" will be the opener. Also scheduled are 'Carmen,' 'Cav- alleria Rusticana,' 'Pagliacci,' 'Rigo- letto.' 'La Gioconda,' 'II Trovatore,' 'Faust,' 'Barber of Seville,' "La Bo- heme.' 'Tosca,' 'Lucia di Lammer- moor,' 'Manon' and 'Don Pasquale.' Met stars to. appear include Nino Martini, Giovanni Martinelli, Jan Peerce, Jarmila Novolna, Bruna Cas- tagna, Dusolina Giannini, Kurt Baum Nicola Moscona, Stella Roman, Rob. ert Weede, Armand Tokatyan and Jan Kiepura. Also appearing will be Dorothy Kirsten of the Chicago Opera Company and Lorenzo Alvary of the San Francisco Opera. PONSINIAKME' TO OPEN CHI SEASON Robeson Opens Series At Dartmouth Oct. 10 Hanover, N. H., Sept. 15. The Dartmouth College Concert course this^year includes four at- tractions. Paul Robeson will open the course Oct 10, with Albert Spalding coming in Dec. 12 and Astrid Varnay and Lauritz Melchior as a January duet. Course will be concluded with the Boston Symphonietta, Jesus Maria Sanroma as piano soloist Balto to Import Pbyers Baltimore, Sept IS. In announcing that auditions for membership in an 'improved' 90- piece Baltimore Symphony Orches- tra probably would begin this week, Reginald Stewart who is to conduct the new orchestra, has declared that while he' wanted to use ns many Baltimore musicians as possible, it would be necessary to import i number of players. Dates have been tentatively sched- uled for 28 concerts at the Lyric theatre, with the possibility that these will be decreased, or increased, in accordance with the organization's flnal budget, which has as its basis a $50,000 appropriation which Mayor Jackson has agreed to recommend to the City Board of Estimates. Initial concert is slated for Nov. 19 BoUnd Gandry, violinist opens a 17-date tour in Jamestown, N. Y Oct 19. TORZA DEL DESTINO' REVIVAL LIKEY Chicago, Sept. IS. The Chicago Opera Co. will open its 32(i annual season Nov. 7 with 'Lakme,' featuring Lily Pons, Raoul Jobin, Alexander Kipnis and Anna Kaskas. Season will run flve weeks to Dec. 12 under Fortune Gallo, Lat- ter last year reduced the company's usual annual deflcit of $100,000 to less than $20,000. Repertoire will also include 'Aida,' 'Boheme,' 'Carmen,' 'Cavelleria Rus- ticana,' 'Pagliacci,' 'Daughter of the Regiment,' 'Faust' 'Halka,' 'Jewels of the Madonna,' 'Juive,' 'Lohengrin,' 'Lucia Di Lammermoor, 'Manon,' Martha,' 'Mignon,' 'Otello,' 'Rigo- letto,' 'Tannhauser,' 'Tosca,' 'Tra- viata,' and 'Trovatore.' Five operas will be done in English, 'Secrets of Suzanne, "Martha," 'Tales of Hoff- man,' 'Hansel and Gretel" and 'The Barber of Seville.' Admission prices will run from $2 to $5, with an In- complete list of arti.sts engaged, or pencilled in, being Licia Albanese, Josephine Antoine. Rose Bampton, Kurt Baum, Douglas Beattie, Rich- ard Bonelli, Giuseppe Cavadore, Richard Crooks, George Czaplicki, Dusolina Giannini, Coe Glade, Helen Jepson, Raoul Jobin, Anna Kaskas, Jan Kiepura, Alexander Kipnis, Dor- othy Kirsten. Charles Kullman, Vir- gilio Lazzari, Mark Love, Mobley Lushanya, Giovanni Martinelli, Lau- ritz Melchior, James Melton. Grace Moore, Nicola Moscona, Carlo Mo- relli, Nino Martini, Lily Pons, Hilde Reggiani, Stella Roman, Gladys Swarthout, John Charles Thomas, Kerstin Thorborg, Lawrence Tibbelt Vittorio Trevisan, Salvatore Bacca- loni and Elizabeth Wysor. Conductors will be Carlo PeronI, Giuseppe Bamboschek, Dino Bigalll, Jerzy Bojanowski, Paul Breisach, Angelo Canarutto, Leo Kopp and Edwin McArthur. The Metropolitan Opera Co. is planning on a revival of Verdi's Forza Del Deslino' during the com- ing season. The opera has been off the boards since the 1934-35 season. Cast now tentatively set includes Kurt Baum, Czechoslovakian tenor, who sang only in 'Rosenkavalier' last year. The Met is reputedly planning to use Baum in 'Aida,' Tosca' and Tro- vatore' as well. The soprano will probably be Dusolina Giannini, who did not sing at the house at all last year. Gerhard Pechner is also reported as a member of the cast, as is Leonard Warren, with Ettore Panizza handling the conducting. Patrons Will Vote On Artists for LA. Series Los Angeles, Sept IS. L. E. Behymer will present 12 at- tractions on his De Luxe Series this season. His list of artists includes 18 names, but subscribers will vote on the 12 who will appear on the series. The 18 names submitted by Be- hymer include Rise Stevens, the Bal- let Russe de Monte Carlo, Carmen Amaya, Paul Draper and Larry Ad- ler, the Ballet Theatre, Dusolina Giannini, Richard Crooks, the Plat- off Don Cossacks, Marian Anderson, the Jaroff Don Cossacks, the Trapp Family Singers, Vrpnsky and Babin, Serge Rachmaninoff, Robert Casa- desus, Luboshutz and Nemenofl, Igor Gorin, Zino Francescatti and Nelson Eddy. Cleve. Symph Backed By 70G From Localites Cleveland, Sept. 15. Already backed with $70,000 worth of community cooperation, the Cleve- land Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Dr. Artur Rodzinski, has prepared for the October opening of its 2Sth anniversary season with the announcement of a brilliant list of soloists for the approaching sea- son. Included among the guest stars are Tossy Spivakovsky, orchestra's new concertmaster; Raya Garbou- sova; Leonard Rose, cellLst; Alice Challfoux, harpist; Philip Kirchner, oboist; Alexander Brailowsky, Ru- dolf Serkin and Claudio Arrau, pi- anists; Josef Szigeti, Carroll Glenn and Ruth Posselt, violinists. The symph will broadcast an hour program over WGAR and the CBS shortwave network to England, South America and the Paciflc area each Saturday. Union City Opera OcL 8 Union City, N. J., Sept. 19. The Union City Opera Co.., one of two municipally flnanced opera companies in the U. S., will launch its first season under "Thomas Mar- tin, Met conductor, Oct 8. The opera will be 'Traviata.' Set in the cast is Vivian Delia Chiesa, Bruno Landi and Alfredo Chigi, Michael De Pace, N. Y. man- ager and personal representative of many of the Met singers, is casting director.