Evening star., 1952-11-25
Music
A La Russo
Opera and Ballet
In Grand Concert
At the Pix
BY Harry Macarthur

weapons a new plot for musical
movies is not among them. Or, il
it is, it is still secret after the ar
rival yesterday at the Pix oi
Grand Concert" In fact, the
makers Of the picture (Mosfilm)
seem to have given up entirely or
that score. Director Vera Stroyevs
seems to have made a few fltful
passes at q yarn about a country
girl who came to the Moscow Con-
|servatory and made good, but the
whole idea apparently struck her
as silly and she decided to concen-
trate on the music.
This is not to say there is not
la great deal Of enjoyment here
for music lovers and balletomanes
"A Muscovite version of Carnegie
Hall" with the Bolshoi Theater
as the principal locale), Grand
Concert" is an entertainment
packed melange Of Russian opera
and ballet. In a country that vast
there have to be people with a
talent for something other than
growing "Niet!" in United Ma
tions sessions. A large number
of them are paraded here and
they prove vastly talented.
Grand Concert" is moderately
lavish even by Hollywood stand
ards. In color, 1t is a treat to the
eye as we'll as the ear, though
there are times when it appears
that some one forgot to drop q
ruble in the electric light meter
It is generally handsome color
anyhow - probably that color
photography process the Russians
invented" after finding it in
Germany. It is used with special
effect in some of the ballet Sc
|quences, with pastel tones which
give the impression that some OF
Degas' dancers have come to life
The only complaint about this
particular example of Russian
color film is against a fault every
system apparently has to fight;
red hues dominate now and then
Considering the source, of course
this should come as no surprise.
The only familiar name in the
Grand Concert" cast is that o1
Galina Ulanova, the ballerina who
won critical applause on a briei
trip outside the Iron Curtain
awhile back. The acclaim wa.
justified. Miss Ulanova dances
some excerpts from Prokofiev'.
Romeo and Juliet" excitingly anc
with a precision Of movement
which demonstrates fairly thai
the Russians have not allowed the
ballet art to wither. That schoo
Danilova went to apparently i.
still operating. The other dane.
ing is both folk and classical, thu
latter selections from-what else:
Swan Lake" It is. all stagec
with imagination for the motion.
picture cameras.
There is a great deal of lusty
singing in Grand Concert" too
starting with a condensed version
of Borodin's prince Igor" and in.
Guiding among other things ar
aria from TschaiKoysky's "Euger
Onegin"- and another from Glin.
ka's Ivan Suzanin." It is al
brought off with rousing success
Since there is not much chance
however, that you are familiar
with these people through concert
appearances, there is not much
point in trying to squeeze theil
Russian names through this type.
writer.
/ If you like Russian opera ane
ballet, you'll like Grand Concert.
You needn't worry too much abou
propaganda, either, though this i.
an ever-present ingredient of Rus.
sian movies. Sometimes it is more
subtle than at other times. Thi.
time it is subtle, confined to Great.
ing the impression that the peo.
pie of the collective farms arr
ecstatic, that the musical artist.
are ecStatic and that the Russian.
love every one, but most of all they
love Russia.
The most ironically funny movie
line in months. incidentally crop.
up here in Prince Igor's baritone
lament, what is life without free.
dom?" In a Russian film he say.
that, and it's right there in tn,
English Subtitles.