Symposium Lecturer Speaks on Consonance
Page 7
Nicolas Slonimsky, guest lecturer for the third annual Symposium of Contemporary American Music, delighted an audience of students and faculty yesterday afternoon in Murphy Hall as he spoke on "The Emancipation of Consonance."
The subject, he explained, is unusual "because consonance isn't emancipated as much as its opposite, dissonance."
ASSURING HIS listeners that the large paper posters across the stage of Swarthout Recital Hall where he was speaking were "to sufficiently impress them," he proceeded to expound with witty observations and numerous examples on music, its rhythm and sounds.
Generally speaking, consonance is a word used for chords which are pleasing to the ear, and dissonance are what laymen term harsh, wierd, or "off chords."
Mr. Slonimsky, who is a recognized authority in all forms of music and music composition, played an excerpt, "Old Faithful," from his "Yellowstone Park Suite" to demonstrate irregular intervals which can be used effectively without introducing a single dissonance.
"GERSHWIN WAS" quite a pioneer in rhythm, he said. "Like him, I like symmetrical music, providing the units are not always the same."
He introduced his "grandmother chord," which consists of 12 notes at 11 intervals, then explained that "a Swedish composer whom I won't name helped himself to 'gradma' and made a space opera out of it."
"Once I had to conduct one march with two bands playing at different tempos," he said. Then abruptly he raised his arms and showed the ammused audience how one conducts two-eight time with one hand and ten-eight time with the other.
"THE CRITICS called it angelical." he explained.
After a witty explanation that he had already "sunplied the answers to all potential questions from the audience, he took a few moments to play his "de-rangement of Happy Birthday on a 12 tone system in which the notes are not repeated."
The symposium will close this evening. Ronald Barnes, KU carilonneur, will present a program of works for carillon at 7 p.m. in Swarthout Recital Hall. A program of orchestral works will be presented at 8 p.m. Following the orchestra program there will be a reception in the music lounge, Murphy Hall.
Publisher Named To Pulitzer Board
NEW YORK — (UPI) — Ralph McGill, publisher of the Atlanta Constitution, and Sevellon Brown III, editor of the Providence Journal and Bulletin have been elected members of the advisory board on the Pulitzer Prizes.
Grayson Kirk, President of Columbia University, also announced yesterday that Norman Chandler, President of the Los Angeles Times-Mirror Co., was reelected to a second term on the advisory board.
Scrap of paper blown about the street, you would like to be cherished, I swear.
you would like to be cherished,
I suppose,
I suppose,
like a bank-note.
—Charles Reznikoff
Wednesday. May 3, 1961 University Daily Kansan
Weiss Will Speak On Spanish Poetry
Arnold Weiss, assistant professor of Romance languages, will talk on Spanish poetry at the Poetry hour, 4 p.m. tomorrow in the Music and Browsing Room of the Kansas Union.
Test Today For Wage Bill
WASHINGTON — (UPI) — Administration backers today prepared for the crucial test of a compromise version of President Kennedy's $1.25-an-hour wage plan.
The bill was to come up for a vote in both the House and the Senate today, with the Senate voting first. Passage was expected without difficulty there.
However, Congressional leaders were counting on concessions in the bill itself, plus Kennedy's plan—announced yesterday—to help the textile industry, to lure Southern Democrats away from Republicans opposing the bill.
The battle centers around the issue of extending wage-hour coverage for the first time to 3.6 million workers. The Senate version would have extended it to 41 million. However, the House bill would have lifted the minimum wage to only $1.15 an hour, and covered far less new workers.
In other developments Secretary of State Dean Rusk was called to Congress for the second time in three days to report on the tense world situation. Rusk, who appeared before a Senate subcommittee Monday, was scheduled to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations committee today for a general report behind closed doors.
THE FABULOUS FOUR FRESHMEN Coming May 12
SUA SPONSORED
SPRING CONCERT
Don't Miss Them
AT HOCH AUDITORIUM
FRIDAY, MAY 12-8 P.M.
TICKETS: $1.50 EACH - ALL SEATS RESERVED
Tickets Will Be on Sale May 8 - May 12 in the Information Booth on Jayhawk Boulevard
Goldberg Moves in on Airlines Strike
WASHINGTON — (UPI) — Secretary of Labor Arthur J. Goldberg moved into the two-day-old National Airlines strike by calling union and management officials to a conference in his office at 1 p.m. today.
About 4,000 employees have been idled by the strike.
The union is seeking a wage increase ranging from 17 to 23 cents an hour over a two year period and other changes in its contract with National.
It is only one step from toleration to forgiveness. —Walter Hinges Page
OLD GRADS NEVER DIE
In just a matter of weeks many of you will be graduating $\rightarrow$ especially seniors.
It is my pleasant task today to assure you that graduation need not mean losing touch with classmates; all you have to do is join the Alumni Association and every year you will receive a bright, newy, chatty bulletin, chock full of information about all your old buddies.
You are of course eager to go out in the great world where opportunities are limitless and deans nonexistent. At the same time your hearts are heavy at the thought of losing touch with so many classmates you have come to know and love.
Oh, what a red-letter day it is at my house, the day the Alumni Bulletin arrives! I cancel all my engagements, take the phone off the hook, dismiss my chiropractor, put the coelot outside, and settle down for an evening of pure pleasure with the Bulletin and (need I add?) a good supply of Marlboro Cigarettes.
Whenever I am having fun, a Marlboro makes the fun even more fun. That filter, that flavor, that pack or box never fails to heighten my pleasure whether I am watching the television or playing buck euchre or knitting an afghan or reading Mad or enjoying any other fun-filled pursuit you might name—except, of course, spearfishing. But then, how much spearfishing does one do in Clovis, New Mexico, where I live?
But I digress. Let us return to my Alumni Bulletin and let me quote for you the interesting tidings about all my old friends and classmates:
Well, fellow alums, it certainly has been a wing-dinger of a year for all us old grads! Remember Mildred Cheddar and Harry Camembert, those crazy kids who always held hands in Econ II? Well, they're married now and living in Clovis, New Mexico, where Harry rents spearfishing equipment and Mildred has just given birth to a lovely 28-pound daughter, her second in four months. Nice going, Mildred and Harry!
Remember Jethro Brie, the man we voted most likely to succeed? Well, old Jethro is still gathering laurels! Last week he was voted "Motorman of the Year" by his fellow workers in the Duluth streetear system. "I owe it all to my brakeman," said Jethro in a characteristically modest acceptance speech. Same old Jethro!
Probably the most glamorous time of all us alums was had by Francis Macomber last year. He went on a big game hunting safari all the way to Africa! We received many interesting post cards from Francis until he was, alas, accidently shot and killed by his wife and white hunter. Tough luck, Francis!
Wilma "Deadeys" Macomber, widow of the late beloved Francis Macomber, was married yesterday to Fred "Sureshot"? Quimby, white hunter, in a simple double-ring ceremony in Nairobi. Good luck, Wilma and Fred!
Well, alums, that just about wraps it up for this year. Keep 'em flying! © 1961 Max Rüman
Old grads, new grads, undergrads, all agree: The best new nonfilter cigarette-in many a long year is the king-size Philip Morris Commander. Welcome aboard!