ENDACOTT SOCIETY July-August
2004
Retired Faculty and Staff of the University of Kansas
www.ukans.edu/~emeritus
All
activities meet at the Adams Alumni Center unless otherwise noted.
Afternoon Lecture Series—Rita Haugh (843-7613), Megan Schoeck
Armchair Travel— Stitt Robinson (wsrobin@ku.edu
& 843-1499)
As
has been the custom, Armchair Travel will not meet in June, July or August.
Card & Game Theory— Ruth Ann Culvahouse
(jwcul@ku.edu & 842-0626)
Card &
Game Theory group will meet again in September.
Cinema Studies— Grant Goodman
(plim@ku.edu & 841-1066) and Fred Madaus (fmadaus@ku.edu &
841-4939)
Tuesday, July 20 at 2:00 TBA
Tuesday,
August 17 at 2:00 TBA
The Computer Group will meet again
in September!
Domestic Public Policy Study Group—Jim Drury
(jdrury@ku.edu & 842-3308) and John Poertner (jpoertner@sunflower.com
& 749-2599)
Drama Study Group—Arnold Weiss (ahweiss@ku.edu
& 842-5502)
Drama Study
Group announces its summer season, with meetings to be held on
successive second Fridays, July 9
and August 13, at 1:30 P.M. both days, in the customary venue, the Music
Room of the Adams Alumni Center. The two works to be undertaken (not necessarily
in the order listed) are A. R. Gurney's "Love Letters" (which Society
members will recall having seen done locally by--among others--Shirley Rea and
the late Charley Oldfather) and Oliver Goldsmith's "She Stoops to
Conquer" (to be performed by KU's University Theatre from July 16 through
24). As always, all are welcome at Drama Study Group sessions: previous acting
experience not required. Also as always, further announcements and reminders
will be forthcoming at Ten O'clock Scholars gatherings. Queries regarding Drama
Study Group activities may be addressed to Arnold Weiss.
Evening Lecture Series—Tom Eblen
(teblen@sunflower.com & 865-3634)—Program Chairs: Tom Hedrick
(843-7311) & Tom Eblen (teblen@sunflower.com & 865-3634
Thursday,
August 5—Program TBA; wine & cheese at 5:30; buffet at 6:00; program at 7:00
July
12—The Media and Foreign Policy, with Pat Doemland, Earl and Jane
Gates, in charge
No meeting
in August.
Gardening—Arno Knapper (knapper@ku.edu &
312-9422) and Dick Shiefelbusch (843
5869)
July 7, 14, 21, 28 & August 4,
11, 18, 25—Wednesday mornings at 9:00
Great Books
will not meet in June, July, or August.
Music—Arno Knapper (knapper@ku.edu & 312-9422)
July 7, 14, 21, 28 & August 4,
11, 18, 25—Wednesday mornings—immediately following Ten O’clock Scholars
Opera Study—Jim Seaver (jseaver@ku.edu &
843-4081) and Al Sellen (jnalsellen@aol.com & 841-7432)
Opera
Study in 2004/5 will focus on the later operas of Giacomo Puccini, commencing
on Friday 27 August at 1:30 P.M. with a presentation of his La
Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West). The other operas for the
year's study will be La Rondine (The Swallow), on 15 October at 1:30
P.M.; Il Tritico (The Triptych) on 21 January 2005 at 1:30 P.M.; and Turandot
early in March 2005.
Puccini's La
Fanciulla del West is based on the play by David Belasco--The Girl of
the Golden West. When Puccini first visited the United States, in 1905, he
saw Belasco's play and was fascinated by the beautiful scenic effects,
including the snow storm and the giant sequoia trees and mountains of the
Sierra Nevada for the finale. He was also intrigued by the melodrama of playing
poker for the stakes of a man's life and a maiden's body. So when the
already-world-famous composer returned to Italy, he read up on cowboys,
bandits, and Indians; he also imported records and cylinders of western music
and music of the American Indians. The composer took three years (slowed by a
domestic scandal) to complete the opera, which marked a stylistic departure for
him. The orchestral music is marked by more-modern harmonic combinations and is
heavier than in his early operas; but the beautiful melodies are there as
usual. For this opera Puccini put together a far larger and more diverse
musical canvas than that composed for any of the operas he had previously
written.
The
gala world premiere of La Fanciulla del West took place at the
Metropolitan Opera House in New York on 10 December 1910, starring Enrico
Caruso, Emmy Destinn, and Pasquale Amato. It was a huge success, even though
some tittered as the cowboys in the barroom sang "Eep, eep, orray"
and "Vell's Fargo." Although popular in Europe, the opera languished
in the United States after the premiere. In recent years, however, it has begun
to find favor again in America because of the great beauty of the sets, the
orchestration, and its melodic content.
Our
video of La Fanciulla del West is from a 1983 production at the Royal
Opera House, Covent Garden, in London. Soprano Carol Neblett, who made
something of a specialty of the heroine's role, will sing Minnie, the Girl of
the Golden West. Tenor Placido Domingo is in excellent form in the role of the
bandit Ramerrez (alias Dick Johnson), and baritone Silvano Carroli sings the
part of the sinister sheriff, Jack Rance. The chorus and orchestra of the Royal
Opera House will be conducted by Nello Santi. There are English subtitles, and
the performance will last two hours and twenty minutes. Coffee, tea, and
cookies will be served during the intermission between Acts 1 and 2 of the
opera.
Ten O’clock Scholars AKA Wednesday Coffee/Business Meeting—Margery
Lamb (marjlamb@earthlink.net & 749-4647)
July 7, 14, 21, 28 & August 4,
11, 18, 25—Wednesday mornings at 10:00
FYI:
·
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
Thanks to the generous financial support of the KU Endowment
Association through the Grace Medes Fund, and other support from the KU Alumni
Association, the Oral History Committee is able to continue compiling histories
of retired KU faculty and staff. Because more money was needed to complete this
year’s work, Dale Seuferling, President of the KU Endowment Association made a
one-time contribution available to us. We appreciate his support. Because the
yearly amount from the Grace Medes Fund is limited, the Oral History Committee
encourages you to show support for the Oral History Project by making
contributions to the fund. Checks should be made to KU Endowment Association/Grace
Medes Fund.
·
ENDACOTT SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP LIST
Copies of the Endacott Society membership list may be obtained
from Bryan Greve at the KU Alumni Association. We will no longer include the
lists with newsletters.
·
To subscribe to our listserve, send an email to: listproc@ku.edu
Subscribe emerit-l your-name
Questions? Contact rjsmith@ku.edu
·
Endacott Society Newsletter online? Late breaking Endacott Society
news? Check www.ukans.edu/~emeritus.
Afternoon Lecture—Rita Haugh (843-7613), Megan Schoeck
(mschoeck@sunflower.com
& 841-6008), and Howard O’Connor
(843-1884)—Program Chair: Bill Hambleton
(wwhamble@ku.edu & 843-2508),
Archivist—Jane Sellen (jnalsellen@aol.com & 841-7432)
Armchair Travel—Stitt Robinson (wsrobin@ku.edu & 843-1499)
Benefits Manager—Betty Banks (bbanks@ku.edu & 842-2547)
Bulletin Board &
Scrapbook Chair—Gwen Mitchell (841-2842)
Card & Game Theory—Ruth Ann Culvahouse (jwcul@ku.edu & 842-0626)
Care Respondent—Leonora Barker (842-2898)
Cinema Studies— Grant Goodman (plim@ku.edu & 841-1066) and Fred Madaus (fmadaus@ku.edu & 841-4939)
Computer Study—Oliver Phillips (ophil@ku.edu & 842-1020)
Domestic Public Policy Study—Jim Drury (jdrury@ku.edu & 842-3308) and John Poertner (jpoertner@sunflower.com
& 749-2599)
Drama Study—Arnold Weiss (ahweiss@ku.edu & 842-5502)
Endacott Society Rep-KUAA—Nancy Hambleton (wwhamble@ku.edu & 843-2508)
Evening Lecture Series—Tom Eblen (teblen@sunflower.com & 865-3634)—Program Chairs: Tom Hedrick (843-7311) & Tom Eblen (teblen@sunflower.com &
865-3634
Foreign Policy Study—Margo Gordon (msgordon@ku.edu & 842-1848)
Gardening Seminar—Arno Knapper (knapper@ku.edu & 312-9422) & Dick Shiefelbusch
(843-5869)
Great Books—Mary Boyden (843-8897)
Library—Phyllis and Dick Sapp
(rpsapp@ku.edu & 842-0013)
Lunch Bunch—Barbara McCorkle (bmccork@ku.edu & 838-4193), Dick Moore (rmoore@sunflower.com &
843-3697), and Jo Scannell (843-7736)
Music Appreciation—Arno Knapper (knapper@ku.edu & 312-9422)
Nametags—Carolyn and Fred Madaus
(fmadaus@ku.edu & 841-4939)
New Retirees Reception—Maxine Patterson (843-7905) and Mary Ross
(760-2816)
Newsletter Editor—Edwyna Gilbert (gilbert@ku.edu & 843-8338)
Opera Study—Jim Seaver (jseaver@ku.edu & 843-4081) and Al Sellen (jnalsellen@aol.com & 841-7432)
Oral History Project—Sandra Wiechert (wiechert@ku.edu & 842-5467)
Out of Town Travel—Ev Swartz (evswartz@ku.edu & 841-4065) and Allen Wiechert (wiechert@ku.edu & 842-5467)
Pre-Concert Dinner—Grant Goodman (plim@ku.edu & 841-1066)
Program Committee—Nancy and Bill Hambleton
(wwhamble@ku.edu & 843-2508), Tom
Hedrick (843-7311), Pat Kelly
(842-0523), and Katherine Stannard
(842-3646).
Ten O’clock Scholars (Coffee)—Marjorie Lamb (marjlamb@earthlink.net & 749-4647)