UMS Concert Program, January 30: Sixty-fifth Annual Choral Union Concert Series -- Marjorie Lawrence

Season: 1943-1944
Concert: Eighth
Complete Series: 2880
Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY
CHARLES A. SINK, PRESIDENT THOR JOHNSON, CONDUCTOR
HARDIN VAN DEURSEN, ACTING CONDUCTOR
Eighth Concert 1943-1944 Complete Series 2880
Sixty-Fifth Annual
Choral Union Concert Series
MARJORIE LAWRENCE, Soprano
GORDON MANLEY at the Piano
Sunday Afternoon, January 30, at 3:00 Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
PROGRAM
Recitative and Aria of Nitocris, from "Belshazzar" . . . Handel
Rhapsodie, Op. 79, No. 2.........Brahms
Gavotte in F-sharp minor....... . Prokofieff
Gordon Manley
Der Erlkonig
Der Lindenbaum V .........Schubert
Ungeduld j
INTERMISSION
Malurous Qu'o uno Fenno........Canteloube
La Flute enchantee...........Ravel
El Vito............Joaquin Nin
This Day is Mine.........Harriet Ware
Two Preludes..........Shostakovich
Etude in D-sharp minor.........Scriabin
Mr. Manley
Briinhilde's Final Scene from "Gotterdammerung" . . . Wagner
Note: Marjorie Lawrence has been beard in the Choral Union and May Festival Series on one previous occasion as follows: May 14, 1938.
The Steinway piano, furnished through the courtesy oj Grinnell Brothers, is the official concert instrument of the University Musical Society
In service.
ARS LONGA VITA BREVIS
PROGRAM NOTES Recitative and Aria of Nitocris, from "Belshazzar" . . . Handel
Vain, fluctuating state of human empire! First, small and weak, it scarcely rears its head, scarce stretching out its helpless infant arms, implores protection of its neighbor states, who nurse it to their hurt.
Anon, it strives for pow'r and wealth, and spurns at opposition. Arrived to full maturity, it grasps at all within its reach, o'erleaps all bounds, robs, ravages, and wastes the frighted world. At length, grown old and swell'd to bulk enormous, the monster in its proper bowels feeds pride, luxury, corruption, perfidy, contention, fell diseases of a state, that prey upon her vitals.
Of her weakness some other rising pow'r advantage takes (unequal match!) plies with repeated strokes her infirm aged trunk: she nods--she totters--she falls! alas! never to rise again.
The victor states, upon her ruins rais'd, runs the same shadowy round of fancied greatness, meets the same certain end.
Thou, God most high, and Thou alone, unchanged forever dost remain; through boundless space, extends Thy throne, through all eternity Thy reign.
As nothing in Thy sight the reptile man appears, howe'er imagined great; who can impair Thy might in heav'n or earth, who dares dispute Thy pow'r Thy will is fate.
Der Erlkonig............Schubert
A father rides in the night with his sick child. The child sees a vision, the Erl King, and is afraid. He becomes delirious and tells his father the Erl King has touched and harmed him. The father shudders and rides furiously, just reaching the courtyard as the child lies dead in his arms.
Der Lindenbaum...........Schubert
By the well before the doorway, There stood a linden tree, How oft beneath its shadow, Sweet dreams have come to me: Upon its bark when musing Fond words of love I made, And joy alike and sorrow Still drew me to its shade.
Today I now must wander And thru the deepest night, I passed it in the darkness I screened it from my sight. The branches rustled gently
As if they spoke to me-"Come here, beloved companion, Here peace shall smile on thee."
The cruel winds were blowing So coldly in my face. My hat was borne behind me, I sped with quickened pace.
Now many leagues I'm far
From the dear old linden tree,
I ever hear it murmur-"Peace--that wouldst find with me."
Ungeduld............Schubert
I'd carve it on the bark of every tree,
On every stone it should engraven be: i
I fain would sow it in each garden green,
In early cress it should be quickly seen,
On every page should be inscribed forever,
"Thine is my heart, and shall be thine forever."
I'd train a young and tender starling dear, , And he should speak those words in tones so clear, As if my lips had said that tender word, Whose echo in my ardent heart is heard, And he should sing it at thy window ever, "Thine is my heart, and shall be thine forever."
Malurous Qu'o uno Fenno........Canteloube
Unhappy he who has a wife, Unhappy he who has not. Who hasn't one, wants one; Who has one, wants none. Tra-de-ra, la-de-ri, de-re-ro! La-de-ra, la-de-ri, de-ra!
Happy the wife who has the right man, But happier yet she who has none. Tra-de-ra, la-de-ri, de-re-ro, La-de-ra, Ia-de-ri, de-ra!
La Flute enchantee...........Ravel
Cool the shade and deep my master's sleep,
Wearing his soft silken conical cap,
His long yellow nose in his snow-white beard.
But I who patiently vigil keep,
I can hear far away,
Sweet music of a flute which creates in turn
The yearning to laugh and to weep,
A tune now of languoring charm, now quite gay,
Which my own beloved doth play,
And when I draw near to the casement high
Then each note, as 'twould seem, doth hither fly
From the flute to touch my face
In mysterious sweet embrace.
El VitO............JOAQUIN NlN
A bright Spanish song quite impossible to translate: "I love to dance El Vito. I am very poor and cannot afford a great deal, so I must be content with the maid--don't tease me or I will blush . . . ."
Brunhilde's Final Scene from "Gotterdammerung" . . . Wagner
Siegfried has penetrated the flames, awakened Briinhilde, and wed her with the ring taken from the Rhinemaidens. Leaving her he goes down into the world and marries Gutrune, and then brings Briinhilde to become the wife of Gunther. On a hunting expedition Siegfried is killed by Hagen, son of the dwarf Alberich. When the curtain goes up on the last scene, the body of Siegfried is brought into the castle. Briinhilde now comes forward, she reveals to Gutrune that she was Siegfried's wife first, then standing looking at Siegfried's body she commands the vassals:
Mighty logs I bid you now pile on high by the river shore!
Bright and fierce kindle a fire; let the noblest hero's corpse in its flames be consumed.
His steed bring to me here, that with me his lord he may follow: for my body burneth with holiest longing my hero's honour to share.
(The funeral pyre is built and again Briinhilde looks at Siegfried): Like rays of sunshine streameth his light, the purest was he who hath betrayed! In wedlock traitor, true in friendship, from his heart's own true love only beloved one, barred by his sword.
Truer than his were oaths never spoken; faithful as he, none ever held promise
purer than his, love ne'er was plighted; Yet oaths hath he scorned, bonds hath he broken, the faithfullest love, none so
hath he betrayed!
Know ye why that was O ye, of vows the heavenly guardians! Turn now your eyes on my grievous distress; behold your eternal disgrace! To my plaint give ear thou mighty God! Through his most valiant deed by thee so dearly desired, didst thou condemn
him to endure the doom that on thee had fallen, he truest of all, must
betray me, that wise a woman might grow!
(taking a fire brand from one of the vassals, Briinhilde bids the ravens fly to Loge, God of Fire, and bid him kindle Valhalla. Then she flings the brand on the logs, which break into the bright flame. Mounting Grane, she rides into the burning funeral pyre).
Fifty-first Annual
MAY FESTIVAL
Six Concerts--May 4, 5, 6, 7, 1944 Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
BIDU SAYAO Soprano
ROSE BAMPTON, Soprano
THELMA VON EISENHAUER, Soprano KERSTIN THORBORG, Contralto CHARLES KULLMAN, Tenor
LANSING HATFIELD, Baritone SALVATORE BACCALONI, Bass
NATHAN MILSTEIN, Violinist
GREGOR PIATIGORSKY, Violoncellist PIERRE LUBOSHUTZ, Pianist GENIA NEMENOFF, Pianist
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
EUGENE ORMANDY, Conductor SAUL CASTON, Associate Conductor
THE CHORAL UNION
HARDIN VAN DEURSEN, Conductor
FESTIVAL YOUTH CHORUS MARGUERITE HOOD, Conductor
Tickets (10 tax included): $8.8O-$7.7O-$6.6O, may be ordered by mail or in person at the offices of the University Musical Society, Charles A. Sink, President, Burton Memorial Tower.
Note.--Prices subject to any additional tax effective before purchase of tickets.