THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1949
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
PAGE NINE
Piano May Be On Way Out, Clifford Curzon Believes
A new instrument may take the place of the piano, believes Clifford Curzon, pianist, who appeared recently on the University Concert course.
"Composers nowadays don't write much for the piano," the 42-year-old English musician said. "I think the supply of good music has been dwindling since the time of the French composer, Ravel. It makes me wonder whether the best piano music hasn't already been written.
"Perhaps the piano is facing the same crisis the harpsichord faced at the end of the 18th century, Mr. Curzon continued." The classical styles of Bach, Mozart, and Haydn were peculiarly suited to the harpsichord. When the romantic composers like Beethoven, Schumann, and Liszt began to write, a new medium, the piano was devised to replace the harpsichord.
"Modern composers have been trying to make the piano a percussion instrument, like the drums. I don't like the idea, because with the piano, you haven't begun to play until you've forgotten that it has iron, strings, and wood. I think a new instrument will be invented to meet the requirements of this new type of music."
Dressed in tweeds and smoking constantly, the affable Mr. Curzon was relaxing in the home of Paul Snyder, associate professor of piano, before leaving to play his next concert in Cincinnati, Wednesday. He and Professor Snyder were private pupils of Arthur Schnabel at the Royal Conservatory in Berlin. They were also pupils of Tobias Matthay in London together.
Another reunion during the pianist's visit was with Raymond Stuhl, assistant professor of cello. The two had played in various chamber music groups during their student days in Berlin.
"I knew Raymond was from Kansas, but I had no idea what had become of him," the personable Englishman recalled. "You can imagine delight when I walked Strong hall and read his name on a poster."
Mr. Curzon is married to Lucille Wallace, a Chicago woman who was also a student of Arthur Schinabel. Mrs. Curzon, a harpsichordist, and her husband occasionally play together publicly in England. Their home is in London.
Elmer Beth To Talk To KC Secretaries
About fifty business secretaries in Kansas City will hear a talk today by Elmer F. Beth, professor in the William Allen White School of Journalism and Public Information. He will discuss "Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising". The meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the Hotel Continental in Kansas City, Mo.
The meeting is the 11th in a series of twelve classes constituting a University extension course entitled Organization and Business Management. Professor Beth is the only University faculty member on the course staff. The other ten are from Kansas City.
Topics studied in the weekly classes have included business organization, economics, business trends, mathematics, accounting banking and investments, insurance, commercial law, and human relations.
Marital Humor Overcomes Judge
Detroit—(U,P)—Circuit Judge Frank Fitzgerald granted Mrs. Margaret Huffman a divorce, but admitted today that he hadn't decided whether she or her husband had a sense of humor.
Mrs. Huffman testified that her husband, Edward, threw eggs at her when she remarked to guests that egg shampoos were good for the hair.
"Another time," she said, "I held an empty bottle over his head and pretended I was going to sprinkle him." Huffman promptly deposited her, fully clothed, into a well-filled bathtub, she said.
"He just didn't have any sense of humor," she complained.
Auto Thief Is Determined
Greenville, S. C.—(U.P.)—Failing to start a car he wanted to steal, Everett Godfrey had a wrecker haul it to a garage for repair, a grand larceny warrant charged.
Student Named To Health Job
Barbara J. Owen, senior medical student at the University School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kan., has been appointed medical student assistant in the Lawrence-Douglas county health department, Dr. James M. Mott, director, has announced.
Miss Owen, a former Lawrence resident, is the third senior medical student to take the orientation training in the local health department.
The plan was designed by Dr. Franklin P. Murphy, dean of the School of Medicine, to give the students an actual knowledge of working conditions before going into their internship, Dr. Mott said. The medical students assist in office work, accompany the nurses to rural schools for immunizations, accompany the sanitarian in his inspections of dairies and other food handling establishments, and attend the various clinics conducted by the health department, Dr. Mott said.
Miss Owen in 1940 received a degree in bacteriology. She spent three years in the navy as a biological research assistant and was commissioned a lieutenant in the W.A.V.E.'s. Part of her navy research was conducted under the Deputy Commissioner for bacteriology at the University, who headed that phase of research at the Frederick, Md., base during the war.
A student under the G.I. bill, she intends to take her year's internship at the New York city infirmary after graduation this June.
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Lawrence Rent Situation Is Improving, Zook Says
J. J. Wilson, former member of the board, said that the K.U. housing office, directed by Mrs. Bert Nash, has the same problem with high listings, especially for units admitting children.
E. R. Zook, manager of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, said that conditions are improving slowly and as more houses and apartments will grow, this will gradually right itself. Thirty homes are now under construction.
"One thing not good in the Chamber of Commerce housing office listings is that several houses and apartments are listed at such high prices that no one will even consider renting them." Mr. Zook said.
The rent situation in Lawrence is improving, but it cannot be considered good. This was the opinion of local rent board members after their meeting recently.
"Families with children are the very people who can't afford to pay such high rents, particularly if they are students," Mr. Wilson said. "Property owners who have places for families with children have listed their apartments and houses that families can't rent them. So they provide housing for families with children, but no one can use it."
John La Monica, village housing director, said that 180 vacant family spaces are available to veterans. This includes 13 two-bedroom units, 32 one-bedroom units, and 135 combination units.
"One bright spot in this high rental picture is that veterans may move to Sunflower if they can't find a place in Lawrence which they can afford." Mr. Wilson added.
Only 26 cards which are supposed to show "unreasonable" increases have been turned in to the rental committee.
James Postma, chairman of the committee, said that, "This small number does not mean that rent increases have been limited to 26, but it does mean that out of several thousand rental units, only a few felt strongly enough that they were being mistreated to make their complaints known."
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