UMS Concert Program, October 17, 1955: Tenth Annual Extra Concert Series -- Edith Moeller

Season: 1955-1956
Concert: First
Complete Series: 3164
Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY
Charles A. Sink, President Thor Johnson, Guest Conductor Lester McCoy, Associate Conductor
First Concert 1955-1956 Complete Series 3164
Tenth Annual
Extra Concert Series
OBERNKIRCHEN CHILDREN'S CHOIR
Edith Moeller, Conductor James Benner, at the Piano
Monday Evening, October 17, 1955, at 8:30 Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
PROGRAM
Amor im Nachen (Cupid A-sailing .... Giovanni Gastoldi
Cupid joins a happy boating party, floating along in little boats, singing and laugh?ing, who invite the young lad to play among them with his bow and arrow.
In stiller Nacht (Silent Night).....Johannes Brahms
"In the stillness of the night a plaintive voice speaks to me through the wind. All nature seems to share my sadness and even the wild beasts seem to mourn with me."
Die Rose stand im Tau (Dewy Rose) . . . Robert Schumann The dewdrops on the rose look like grey pearls, but when the sun shines, they turn into red rubies.
I Left My Darling Lying There......Welsh Folk Song
Landsknechtsstandchen (The Soldier's Serenade) . Orlando di Lasso
Beloved maiden, hear my cheerful song. No bird can sing you a more beautiful one. If I were a hunter, I'd bring you a deer to tame as you did this soldier. Would you tame his wild spirit with your love You can be happy and laugh with him day and night.
The Steinway is the official piano of the University Musical Society. ARS LONGA VITA BREVIS
Ein Hennlein weiss' (A Little White Hen) . . Antonio Scandello A little white hen was busily looking for food with a cockerel, and suddenly began to cackle: Cluck, cluck, cluck! Let us bake a cake and drink cool wine, the hen has laid an egg: cluck, cluck, cluck . . . !
Echo Lied (Echo Song).......Orlando di Lasso
Hello! What a beautiful echo! Let's test it. Let's all sing together. Let's laugh. Now be quiet. It's enough. Let's go. Basta, basta.
Der Wirbelwind (The Whirlwind).....F. W. Moeller
Today a wild whirlwind chased round my house, trying to fill my heart and mind with terror, howling here and howling there with evil intent. But it couldn't howl forever. I took my lute from the wall to sing a little song of happiness. This is the thing to do when whirlwinds threaten you.
Lowenzahn (Dandelion)........Armin Knab
Dandelion, dandelion, light your little lamp, your bright little, white little lamp in the meadow. If I blew out all the little lamps, the meadow would be dark but a thousand sparks would fly away to bloom again in another place. Dandelion, dandelion, next year you'll grow up again !
Der Kiebitz (The Pee-Wee Bird)......Joseph Hass
Jolly the pee-wce bird sings of the beauties of the world, accompanies gay children on their trips to the woods, and at the end of the day, sings them to sleep.
Madchen am Brunnen (The Girl at the Well) . Bulgarian Folk Song
A young Bulgarian maiden fetching water from the village well, happy, and proud of her soft golden locks and her willowy figure, sings gaily about youth and beauty!
INTERMISSION
Musical Fantasy: "The Bremen Town-Musicians" based on the fairy tale by Grimm
Music composed by Friedrich Wilhelm Moeller English translation by Antonia Ridge
A donkey, old and tired, feared his master wanted to be rid of him. He decided to run away and become a town musician. On the road to Bremen he saw an old hound who was no longer useful, whom he invited to join him to beat the kettledrum while he would play the lute.
Later they met an ancient cat with a face like three rainy days, who could no longer catch mice. As an expert in night music, he was invited to join them. The three came upon a cockerel crowing with all his might because the farm housewife had decided to roast him for dinner. This sad story so moved them that they invited him to use his fine voice in their musical company.
On the road to Bremen they followed a light until they came to a house where they saw a band of robbers making merry. They began to perform their music--the donkey brayed, the hound barked, the cat mewed, the cock crowed. The robbers, scared out of their wits, fled into the forest.
The four musicians moved right in, ate to their heart's content, and went to sleep.
The robbers sent a messenger to inspect. The messenger, seeing the house dark, went into the kitchen. There he mistook the fiery eyes of the cat for live coals. The cat flew at him and scratched his face! The hound bit his leg, and the donkey gave him a smart kick. The cock, awakened by all this, cried down from the beam: "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"
The messenger reported to the robbers: "There is a horrible witch sitting in the house, who spat on me and scratched my face with her long claws; and by the door a man with a knife stabbed me in the leg; and in the yard there lies a black monster, who beat me with a wooden club; and above, upon the roof, sits the judge, who called out, 'Bring the rogue here to me!' so I got away as fast as I could."
The four musicians were so happy that they never left the house. Of course, the robbers never returned!
Der Lindenbaum (The Linden Tree) .... Franz Schubert
By the well outside the gate stands a linden tree in whose shadows I dreamed many sweet dreams. As I wander on in the darkness, I hear its branches rustling as if saying: "Come to me, comrade, here you'll find peace." The cold winds blow, I am far from that spot but still I hear the linden tree whispering: "Here you will find peace."
In einem kiihlen Grunde (Down in the Lonely Valley) . German Folk Song
A sad lover laments because his sweetheart has gone away in spite of all her vows to be ever true. His heart is heavy with sorrow, and he would rather die than be lonely.
Unsere kleine Mandoline (Our Little Mandolin) . . F. W. Moeller
Today we're off on a ramble. We're off to enjoy the sunlight in the woods and fields. The cuckoo calls, the finch whistles, the brook leaps, and the blackbird sings, while the song we sing to our little mandolin echoes through the hills and valleys.
MESSIAH--Handel
MESSIAH, Handel's most successful and best-known oratorio was composed in 1741 within twenty-four days. It was first performed at a concert given for charitable purposes at Dublin, Ireland, on April 13, 1742, Handel conducting the performance in person. On the occasion of its first performance in England on March 23, 1749, at the words in the Hallelujah Chorus, "For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth," the audience was so transported that, led by the King, all rose to their feet and remained standing until the chorus ended. This practice has become a tradition.
MESSIAH will be given its annual two performances by the University Musical Society, Saturday, December 3 at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 4 at 2:30 p.m. in Hill Auditorium. Tickets at SO and 7S cents each may be purchased at the Society's offices in Burton Memorial Tower, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
CONCERTS
Boston Symphony Orchestra (Choral Union) . Monday, October 24 Charles Munch, Conductor
Cleveland Orchestra (Choral Union) . . . Sunday, November 6 George Szell, Conductor
Philharmonia Orchestra of London (Extra) Wednesday, November 9 Herbert von Karajan, Conductor
Nathan Milstein, Violinist (Choral Union) . Monday, November 14
Shaw Chorale and Orchestra (Choral Union) Tuesday, November 22 Robert Shaw, Conductor
Boston Pops Tour Orchestra (Extra) . . . Sunday, January 8 Arthur Fiedler, Conductor
Vienna Choir Boys (Choral Union) 2:30 p.m. . Sunday, January 15 Myra Hess, Pianist (Extra) .... Wednesday, February IS
Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Choral Union) Wednesday, February 22 Sir Ernest MacMillan, Conductor
Artur Rubinstein, Pianist (Choral Union) . . Thursday, March 1 Teresa Stich-Randall, Soprano (Extra) . . . Friday, March 9 Virtuosi di Roma (Choral Union) .... Tuesday, March 13 Walter Gieseking, Pianist (Choral Union) . . Monday, March 19 Tickets: $3.50--$3.00--$2.50--$2.00--$1.50
Messiah
First Concert: Saturday, December 3, 8:30 p.m. Repeat Concert: Sunday, December 4, 2:30 p.m.
Ellen Faull, Soprano Howard Jarratt, Tenor
Lillian Chookasian, Contralto Donald Gramm, Bass
University Choral Union and Orchestra
Mary McCall Stubbins, Organist
Lester McCoy, Conductor
Tickets (either performance): 75 cents and 50 cents On sale beginning October 15
Chamber Music Festival
Budapest String Quartet .... February 17, 18, 19, 1956 Assisted by Robert Courte, Viola
Season Tickets: $3.50 and $2.50. On sale beginning October 15.
For tickets or for further information, please address Charles A. Sink, President, University Musical Society, Burton Memorial Tower, Ann Arbor, Michigan.