I 2445 Pickwick Rd. Dickeyville, Md. 21207 Dec. 27, 1976 Dear Artur Rubinstein, Happy, happy birthday ! I have always been gratly inspired by your public concerts and recordings as well as by your book My Younger Years, and the excce and inspiring book by Aylesa Porsee about you. I have a particularly warm feeling since my mother came from the same city as your birth ( my father, unbelievably, came from the same city as Horowitz-which I suppose pre-ordained me to become a pianist... I was also, very moved by the wonderful film you made -which I was fortunate to see during a visit to Sydney. How I wish it would be distributed here. Am enclosing my own small contribution to your 90th birthday gifts. With many thanks for the inspiration over so many yeai$ :^3SS PEVHfiH , ( Piano Performance- Value to Experience by E. Clyde Whitlock * ( A piano recital probably without-parallel in the musical annals of the city was played Wednesday afternoon as a .cultural and educational project tendered to the: city by the department of. music of Texas Christian “university^ --y........' ... - ' • The entire program, consisted of contemporary music for piano. As such?yy it was a valuable experience, since this music usually is offered piece.—- - meal along with more conventional material. The hearer is . challenged ina field .in which he probably is-, not literate He music admit-his limitations, and. concede that his frustattohs-^^though"" . normal and "“justifiable' according-, to "his upbringing, must be -met'byyan^y . attitude of-honest and most concentrated listening. If he can -makeyli||tl.a of this music it' does not follow that the music is without significant^.-' content. • vf -- .? f ....... Ths first error- of approach is to-assume that it’s being contemporary^^ indicated that the output has no - contact .with the past. Much nf .it • ■lsy|y not revolutionary but a product■of evolutionary growth f rom< es’tablishedy’._. tenets.. Most of the literature seems to be an expression of defiancy^’ and rebellion, repudiating "expression” and emotion.- Whether it-is ra<yy; - ' healthy attitude probably cannot'be- determined within our generationyy^^ A preconception of avante- garde music>seems to be that it must be volcanic, noisy and turbid. That this-proves not to be the case was fyy due on this occasion to the fine pianism of Miss Epstein. The clarity y~ of her technique, the almost uncanny rightness of her timing,- and the. extreme care which she devoted to every tone achieved a■remarkable performance pianistically.. We had not heard formerly as authoritative, and devoted a performance of this music. A considerable modificationyof normal technique was required. - ". •'r-tn.. The program sampled in the main well known-composers-whom we are con-.-j - y-’ vinced we here heard. exemplified in their-true value-- David Burge’s f- ’’Variations on ’la Pausata’ by Ventadorn of the twelfth century did not-.- -/ aba rd on tonality, but developed interestingly a short theme in B minóri. , Eight miniatures by Krenek, accepted apostle of modernism were in twelve’ y.. ione technique. Several of the short pieces.were quietly meditative. The *Variation form was again involked according to Webern. We found this7- perhaps the most absoirbing part of the program. Miss Epstein then '-foriught to the stage a folder measuring about two by three feet, which conatined numerousf ragments in notation called Piano Piece XI by Karl- ■ Heinz Stockhausen. She explained the method of combining these fragments _-in sequence. As Stockhausen is regarded as the veritable apostle of emancip fation from theV t. trammels of the past it was well to hear him expounded• ’ ' ' by one who intimately knows the creed. It was a hard sum for the hearers although they recognized the remarkable pianism exhibited. This was a valuable educational experience compounded by the skill and devotion of the performed.' \ . Port Worth Star Telegram Thursday morning, November 12, 1964 PRESS RELEASE December 1965 From Sydney Australia to Madison Wisconsin, from Kiel Germany to Manila, in almost every eorner of the globe, the provocatively brilliant American pianist Selma Epstein has had a unique and unprecedented success presenting piano program«* of twentieth century mu3ie> Her recently completed tour of Australia, New Zealand, The Phillip lues, Hoag Kong, Okinawa and Japan is a striking illustration of this success» During a seven week period she presented a total of forty seven programs including public recitals, lectures, children*^ music appreciation concerts, workshops »rd radio and television broadcasts** Critical aeelaim of this staggering feat emphasized the reaction of both lay audiences and muiioians to this pioneering effort in calling it a. remarkable achievement and historic milesbeae in the ®a.use of aa»temporary music* Recent Headlines Sydney Morning Herald, October 12, 1965 Contemporary music Expert Performs Wellington Evening Post,October 16, 1965 A Stimulating U.S«, Pianist Auckland Times, October 17, 1965 Expert Shows How to Play Inside of Plan® The Oregonian, November 15, 1965 Selma Epstein Assumes Role As Champion Of Current Music «by Hilmar Grondahl Wisconsin State Journal, November 24-, 1965 Mrs* Epstein Shows Command of Music Press Reviews: Notas Musicales Selma Epstein, pianista da primera linea (Nvbre. de 1967 ) Con el auspicio de la Casa de la Cultura y del Servicio de Cultura e Información de los Estados Unidos, se presenté, en el Sallón de la CCE, la pianista Selma Epstein, el pasado viernes. Graduada en la Juilliard school ha levantado su propio prestigio con^ numerosos conciertos a travos de varios continentes. Encellante interprete de la música, tradicional, ha quirida damos, en su primer,recital de su gir a por SudamErica,demostrativo de la evolución musical de los Estados Unidos. Desde Mac Dowell hasta los compositores de vanguardia, el programa se convertió* en una clase de técnicas nuevas y de estilos pianísticos ex per- imentilistas. Mac Dowell, colocada entre los primeros innovadores, fue precisemente lo contraireo. Después de doce anos de residir en Europa, especialment en Alemania, fue uno de los compositores más viriles y’técnic os de su generación; de noble inspiración, mantuvo una línea consevradora, juntemente con John Knowles Paine (1839 - 1906), del Groupo de Boston, en contra del bohemio Dvorak que patrocinó la formavion de le escuela nacional norteamericana. Mac Dowell era musicalemente germannofilo, y Prácticamente romántico, de línea totalemente europea. El verdadero, innovador fue Arthur Farwel (1872-1951), portaestandarte de la neuva gener­ ación. la hegamonía alemana tuvo que terminar hacia 1920, y los composites norte­ americanos se inclinaron hacia París, bajo la influencia de Strawinsky y de Prokofiev, sin perderse la influencia de los impresionistas franceses. La Sonata de Charles Ives (1874—1954-), interpretada por Selma Epstein, es una demostradción de la nueva linea. Selma Epstein, indubitment, demostró su categoría túcnoica e interpretiva. Artista completa, enorgullece a su país y a los auspiciadores del recital. Por ello recibió el aplauso de los nomueroses asistentes. Música Lo más importante de nuestra semana musical fue la presentación de la virtuosa norteamericana SELMA EPSTEIN en la Casa de la Cultura.En la Salón de Sesiones llenó hasta reventars -urge en Quito una sala de conciertos con capacidad adecuada- , donde se habían congregado casi todas les person­ alidades de nuestra mundo musical, Selma Epstein ofreció un orograma de enorme atractivo que constituye un pequeño panorama de la música contemp­ oránea y que estuvo ^dividido en ’’primeros innovadores" -Mac Dowell, Ives- --, conservadores mas antiguos" -Dello Joio-, "jovenes conservadores" lled rorem,Benjamín Lees-, "la vanguardia" -Henry cowell,Gearge Grumb ,Dav^d Ahlstrom- y cosas de Peter Sacco. Buena Acogida Tuvo Selma Epstemn en Recital de Piano Excelente acogada tuvo oelma Epstein, en el recital de piano ofrecido en la Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, Confirmando su prestigo alcanzado la artista norteamericana ofreció un programa de música selecta de autores norteamericanas del Siglo XX. vonsidereda como la pionera de música contemporánea la señorita Epstein es actualmente una denlas pocaszconcertistas cañacaes de interpretar músicas clasica de varias épocas y géneros a la vez; en su actuación en esta cuidad que conoso.con les auspicios de la Casa de la Cultura e Information de los Estados Unidos, la concertista demonstró un amplio conomiento de su arte en un dominio de la técnica, en la qur usa varios recursos para obtenir los mejores efectos en las obras. The Townsville Music Association presents 2 recitals by . Selma Epstein, American pianist Sunday, April 27, 1975 Program 1 at 8:00 American.- Australian piano music Mse Epstein will lecture and perform the following works: MacDowell - To a <Vild Rose, Praeludium ■ Charles .Ives - Concord Sonata Grainger - Country Gardens Henry Cowell - Aeolian Harp George Crumb - piano Piece no« i Ross Lee Finney - Piano Games •? Wallingford xliegger - Nev; and Old Leslie Epstein - Hommage A Mozart (dedicated to Selma Epstein) Ned Rorem - Barcarolle Barney Childs - Piano Music (dedicated to Selma Epstein) Eaddy Bach = Raymond Hanson Ends - Barry Conyngham Snowflake - Barry Conyngham Bagatelles fpr Petra - Larry Sitsky Snow, Moon and Flowers - Peter Sculthorpe Piano Games - Nigel. Butterly • • Program II . at 9:30 Bach - Arioso /- ■ Paradies - Toccata Adagio in B Minor - Mozart - Sonata op« 31 no, 2 in D Minor - Beethoven Scenes of