Reviews
by alan zingaie
(the third in a series of reviews
of records in the NCSA library)
HAYDEN: Three Piano
Sonatas. No. 33 in C minor. No.
50 in D major, No. 62 in E flat
major. Alexis Weissenberg,
pianist. RCA LSC-3111.
Represented on this disc are
three of the more popular of
Haydn’s sixty-odd piano
sonatas. The earliest of the three
sonatas (No. 33 in C minor) dates
from 1771 and according to the
eminent Hayden scholar, H.C.
Robbins Landon this was a time
when Haydn’s music was un
dergoing a sweeping emotional
change.
From this point on, Haydn
composed with much greater
emotional scope and
imagination, as evidenced by the
remaining sonatas on this disc,
composed much later. Also, these
sonatas are the first obviously
written for the “pianoforte”, as
opposed to the harpsicord and
clavichord, because of the sudden
alternating dynamic marks f and
p, typical of piano rather than
harpsichord music.
With this in mind, Weissenberg
appropriately takes an expanded
approach to these sonatas. Un
fortunately, he goes too far. It
seems that in an honest effort to
give new life to old music,
Weissenberg succeeds only in
disappointing the listener beyond
all expectation. The playing here
is sa^y out of character, with
excessive pedaling, extreme
dynamics, and wavering tempi,
the most noticeable faults.
These aspects are, of course,
the side-effects of a general
mistake: that of inflicting^ a
rough, virtuoso interpretation
upon music of smaller dimen
sions. It simply doesn’t work. The
light, whimsical nature of the
faster movements rarely comes
across. Instead, Weissenberg
seizes the opportunity to display
his finger technique and takes
these movements as rapidly and
as loudly as possible. Con
sequently, what results is very
percussive, notewise, and im
precise music, not to mention the
possible moods and dramatic
contrasts that are dispensed
with.
In the slower movements,
Weissenberg again refuses to
explore the emotional depths
inherent in the music. These
movements tend toward the
mechanical and insensitive. The
sound is often heavy and im
posing, sometimes reeking with
romantic mannerisms.
RCA’s sound is fairly good. The
recording itself is balanced well,
but the overall sound suffers
from a slightly noisy pressing.
by cortlandt jones
The Loves of Isadora, a British
film of 1969, is going to be shown
at Wake Forest University on
February 5 and 6 in Tribble Hall,
with an admission fee of 50 cents.
The film is a biographical
examination of Isadora Duncan,
whose iconoclastic style was a
landmark in the art of dance.
Isadora, portrayed by Vanessa
Redgrave, is traced throughout
her rising career, sucessive
lovers untU her death.
Miss Redgrave gives an ex
ceptional performance as
Isadora Duncan, the high
priestess of modem dance. She is
bedazzling, passionate, grandly
romantic, and thoroughly
believable Miss Redgrave is not
particularly impressive as a
dancer, and her body ( a lot of
which is exposed in the movie) is
not as ripe as I would imagine
Isadora Duncan’s to have been.
But the actress projects such
purity and beauty that the other
deficiencies do not matter. Her
nomination for an academy
award was 100 percent
justifiable.
Supporting Cast
“The supportive personalities
are all written so shallowly that
the performers cope as they
can,” says Charles Champlin of
the Los Angeles Times. “James
Fox is energetic as the
revolutionary stage designer,
Gordon Craig. Jason Robards
can give no dimension to the
American millionaire, Paris
Singer. John Fraser inherits
some bright lines as Miss Dun
can’s amanuensis, and Cynthia
Harris is sympathetic as her
long-suffering secretary.”
One bad problem with the film
is its continuity. The editing of
the original 177 minutes to the
[x-esent 131 minutes is very
choppy and sloppy. Vincent
Canby of the New York Times,
said that if you haven’t read
either the autobiography (My
Life) or some other biography,
following the movie coherently
becomes impossible. I did not
read either biography and find
that statement untrue.
Overlooking the supporting
roles and the editing, I found the
film does have its moments,
which Miss Redgrave
illuminatingly enhances. As
Vincent Canby says, “It catches
the essence of an extraordinary
personality, a Hellenic nymph
^splaced in time and tran
sformed into a swinging free-
thinking Carry Nation.”
the conCLUsion
by A. Marsh
by mary beth
whales and nightingales
In the autobiographical
sketches of Judy Collins’,
Songbook, many popular
musicians are mentioned, but
conspicuous in her absence is
Joan Baez. It seems remarkable,
therefore, that Judy chooses to
open her newest album. Whales
and Nighingales, with “A Song
For David”, one of Miss Baez’
most beautiful and personal
works. After two years without a
recording of new material, Judy
has produced what is probably
her greatest achievement and it
is interesting that she now finds
herself capable of absorbing and
possibly transcending Miss Baez.
On the cover she looks tired and
strained, but inside her voice has
regained the fresh vdbrance of In
My Life and The Fifth Album,
tempered by the gentle
Romsinticism of Wildflowers, but
unmarred by that album’s
pseudo-Pre-Raphaelitism.
Technically she is marvelous;
her voice reacts to the emotional
demands of her music accurately
and concisely, and her pitch
control is much improved. The
two selections from Jacques Brel
is Alive and Well and Living in
Paris, are weak ( and her L«nya-
esque “mine own heart” in
“Marieke” is certainly a
dreadful mistake), but could
even the formidable Elly Stone,
with whom the Brel songs invite
unfortunate comparisons, sing
“Oh, Had IA Golden Thread” as
beautifully? Collins has often
attempted inappropriate songs,
“Pirate Jenny” being the glaring
example, but in the right
material she is incomparable, as
she is in the greater portion of
this album.
As one has come to expect,
there is great variety, but there
are also many changes. Gone are
the steel guitars of the Stephen
Stills period (gone, too, is Stills).
No more of the chimes and
carillons of Wildflowers; instead
she has returned to the creative
simplicity of In My Life, one of
the greatest of all “folk” albums.
There is no overproduced Joni
Mitehell: evidently the birdies
and the bunnies have paled. More
I peered about, looking for the
fugitive nuns when a police of
ficer stepped out ahead of me.
“Looking for someone?” he
shouted.
“Yes!” I replied. “Two sisters
who upset my auntie and perhaps
led to the murder of an innocent
man on my staircase.”
The policeman grinned.
“We’ve got them right here!”,
he said. Suddenly voices were
heard and a large group of
policemen, detectives, convent
officials (including Mother
Superior) burst into the corridor.
Reporters, armed with cameras,
snapped photographs of my
quarry, the two nuns. They were
now handcuffed to one another
and cursing (violently ) at
everyone about them.
I rubbed my chin in puz
zlement.
“What is going on here?” I
flskcd
“It’s the Killer Nuns of Ex
celsior County,” someone told me
as the crowd surged about me.
“What do you toow about all
this?” said a severe detective,
armed with pad and pen. I
demurely introduced myself and
explain^ the mysterious events
surrounding the strangled body,
my aunt’s condition , and the
sist6rs.
“Weil,” said the hardboiled
sleuth, “you’re certainly lucky to
get out (rf this affair alive. Those
nuns have been known to bump
off stronger men than a drama
critic for a great metropolitan
newspaper.”
I later returned to the mansion.
My aunt was bursting with the
news (obtained via radio) about
the recently captured mur
deresses.
“And I thought they only came
over for tea,” said Auntie
Climaxe. “Fortunately, you
intervened before they had
purloined my antique sheet
music collection.”
“So THAT’S what they were
demanding when I came up to
your bedroom,” I said, coming
into new awareness.
“Precisely,” said auntie,
buttering her Melba toast slices.
“The man on the staircase was a
detective who had tracked them
here. The dental floss was stolen
from my medicine cabinet.”
“That’s dreadful,” I ex
claimed. “I don’t think I could
ever use dental floss again.”
Two days later, exhausted
from the thrilling adventures of a
few days before, I returned to the
Big City in my fig-colored
automobile. Everyone was busy
with talk of the villainous nuns
and considered me boorish when
I expressed my disdain in the
subject.
Auntie Climaxe wrote
regularly; she soon decided to
turn the mansion into a nursing
home for old women (with her as
the active manager). I, myself,
continued viewing horrible plays
and writing about them. The nuns
were eventually evicted and
hermetically sealed behind
prison walls.
And thus the whirlygig of time
brings in his revenges.
The End
Ta Daaaa!
Concerts
After the Redbone Cactus
(UGH!) Lee Michaels (never got
to see him) mortification here a
few weeks back, we’re a bit
hesitant to see any more rock
concerts for awhile. But there ^
some things of interest coming
up. So... Mountain (Leslie West,
Felix Pappalardi, ete.) & Steve
Miller are scheduled for
Greenville (ECU) on Fri., Feb.
12. On Sat., Feb. 6, at 8:00 P.M.,
Appalachian State is presenting
the Small Faces, featuring
vocalist extraordinaire Rod
Stewart. Also on the same bill are
Savoy Brown, a better-than-
average British blues band, and
The Grease Band, Joe Cocker’s
former group. The Faces are a
good rock bank, while Stewart is
simply amazing, a great song
stylist. And he’s a madman on
stage, rivaled only by (perhaps)
one Michael Phillip Jagger. In
March, the talented, but loved or
loathed songstress Laura Nyro
will appear at Duke. With her will
be (a.) McKendrie Spring; (b.)
John Phillips, late of the Mainas
& Papas and a fine singer him
self; or,(c.) Jackson Browne, a
young writer singer from
California. If Browne is there,
don’t miss him. He played second
to Nyro at the Fillmore East in
Dec. and reportedly won N.Y.
away from &e local and ever-
popular Laura.
Penland
A portion of the Art Depart
ment went to Penland craft
school in the mountains last
weekend where students of the
two schools exchanged ideas,
partied and taught one another.
Resident craftsmen of Penland
gave demonstrations on the
techniques of glass blowing,
pottery throwing, weaving and
ceramic sculpture. It is hoped
that further study at the school
and perhaps an exchange of
students can be arranged.
For the price of $20 students
had the cheerful company of the
Costelloes, the Wilsons (ceramic
and weaving teachers) and
Cranford Johnston.
Penland, which is situated on a
mountain top between two ponds,
surrounded by horse-filled
meadows, and housed in log
cabins, tarns, and other rustic
buildings, contains many
resident artists who also take and
teach courses. People come to the
school from all over the world to
learn native crafts and skills.
Tales from . . .
Childrens’ Tour
‘Tales from the Toybox’, an
hour and ten minute program for
children, will tour the mountains
of North CaroUna February 1-12.
The N.C.S.A. company will
perform two shows daily under
the direction of Bill Dreyer.
Members of the tour group in
clude actors from Levels 4,5, and
6; Mike Williams, Sam Bar
celona, John Coggeshall. Duke
Emsberger, Katoy Masterson,
Marilyn McIntyre, Richard
Maxwell, Susan Thompson, also
Robert Fleteher as production
manager and Giles Ringlie as
“techie”. Paul Dale designed the
lights, and Alan Toy is assistant
director.
Variety of Fables
The sketches which include
adaptations from Aesop and
Thiu'ber introduce characters of
great variety-anything from a
crabby old toymaker to a prissy,
old^naid skunk. Props include a
Chinese gong, a dismembered
elei*ant-^ a source of real
collusion to six blind wise men)
and a comical rock.
The production is not all fun
and games however. The
“Caveman Scene” is particularly
heavy, although there are no
intelligible spoken lines. It
portrays man’s discovery of
weapons and killing. Another
relevant scene covers ecology
with an expanded version of
“Tiptoe through the Tulips” in
which two tiptoers run through,
stomp, pick and destroy the tulips
before they realize their
carelessness. But, all’s well that
ends well as the tiptoers reseed
with nastursiums and tiptoe
through the “nasties.”
Luv
Continued From Page 1
Broadway and toured with the
national company both as
production stage manager and as
understudy for Milt Manville.
Mr. Hotton played Harry Berlin
to Mickey Rooney’s Milt Man
ville. Mr. Hooton played Harry
Berlin on the bus and truck tour
and also toured in the same part
with Betsy Palmer on the
strawhat circuit.
The play will be staged as a
workshop production witti sets
designed by Ken Heist, using
stock scenery. Richard Kaplan is
the production stage manager.
surprisingly, there is no Leonard
Cohen: mystic psychedelia has
passed, too. Instead, there is
Dylan and Seeger; “Simple
Gifts” and “Amazing Grace”.
You aren’t the only one who’s
started baking your own bread.
The nightingales are Judy’s
own compositions, the whales are
on “Farewell to Tarwathie,”
crying gently for one of the most
incredible songs I’ve ever heard.
It’s the lonely, frightening side of
Collins and she is at her greatest
there - look at her eyes and you
know why.
A friend of mine is convinced
that each Judy CoUins’ album is a
gift for a specific person. If that is
true, Stacy Reach has just been
given one of the rarest gifts I
know.
II
II
To whom it may concern or interest:-
WTOB
Presents
THE FLAMING EMBER
Sunday, Feb. 7. 1971
Winston-Salem Convention Center
3:00
Advance Tickets $2.50 Avail, at: Both ReznickS Locations,
& Juniors Recordshop.
Admission
$3.00 at the door Records: “MIND, BODY & SOUL”,
“WESTBOUND NUMBER 9” and “I’M NOT MY
BROTHERS KEEPER” A Kaleidoscope Productions
Presentation.