[ ‘Quixote’ filming
By STEVE GOBLE
Battalion Staff Writer
To bring ballet to those who cannot
travel to a cultural center, it is probably
necessary to film the production.
The costs of maintaining a traveling bal
let troop are tremendous, and smaller
cities and towns simply cannot provide the
large audience and facilities necessary to
attract top-rate ballet.
If the future popularity of ballet de
pends upon film, however, one must hope
that the filming can be improved over that
presented in Nureyev’s “Don Quixote.’
The cinematography is obnoxious —
apparently photographer Geoffrey Un-
sworth didn’t have a shorter lense in the
bag. The edge of the picture is continually
aborting the action and cropping off toes,
arms, feet, etc.
The film was shot in Austria, far from
Don Quixote’s native Spain — and the plot
and action are equally removed from Cer
vantes classic story. If this ballet were not
more than 1(X) years old, one might sus
pect that Marius Petipa threw the knight
errant into the action as a form of name
dropping. The production certainly
doesn’t center about Don Quixote, and
could probably be carried as a more
straightforward story without him and
Sancho Panza.
Ballet is, at its best, a breathtaking
celebration of the power, beauty and agil
ity of the human body. It is an expression
of human transcendence over ape begin
nings.
In Nureyev’s “Don Quixote, however,
the dancing often seems powerful without
control — the dancers run amok, rushing
through their movements with a breath
less haste, unmindful of the possibilities of
controlled speed.
The directing drags in the first part of
the movie but apparently Robert
Helpmann modified his approach after se
eing the first takes. Too bad he didn t re
shoot the whole thing.
On the positive side, Rudolf Nureyev is
beautiful, fantastic, every inch the pre
mier dancer of the world.
Leading lady Lucette Aldous also turns
in a creditable performance, and the rest
of the artists of the Austrian ballet provide
excellent support. Marilyn Rowe is par-
ticularly striking in a cameo role as a street
dancer.
The costumes and sets are rich — unfor
tunately for the color, parts of the film
were apparently processed in a mud pud
dle.
The comic emphasis of this ballet is par
ticularly suited to a filmed treatment,
which can zoom in for close-ups of facial
expression.
Surrealistic sequences during Don
Quixote’s hallucinations and dreams are
well-done, but the Don is not really a part
of the story.
Nureyev cleaned up the 19th-century
choreography and helped direct the film,
but he wasn’t happy with it and is demand
ing more control over future productions.
As a ballet, "Don Quixote” is a curiosity
and, at the low price of admission, worth
seeing merely for the good sequences with
Nureyev.
As a movie, it’s two hours of mild enter
tainment.
The crowd Monday night was sparse —
only about 30 people attended. About 120
saw last Sunday’s showing, but an MSC
Review
Book highlights grass
By DON MIDDLETON
Battalion StafT Writer
THE GRASSES OF TEXAS; by Frank W. Gould with
drawings by Vallo Kupadia and others (Texas A6cM
University Press), $20.00.
Consistent with its goal of publishing
scholarly works relating to fields of study at
Texits A&M Universitv, the A&M Press
has released THE GRASSES OF TEXAS,
by Dr. Frank W. Gould, professor of
Range Science at Texas A&M University.
The book is a massive compilation of
grasses indigenous to Texas, with techni
cal descriptions and drawings.
The descriptions are scientific enough
to make identification accurate, but writ
ten in an understandable manner. Ran
chers and farmers unfamiliar with Latin
terms should find the book readable.
They include information for identifica
tion, period of flowering and the geog
raphical distribution of the particular
species.
An added bonus is the large amount of
line drawings, a feature usually lacking in a
technical work of this type.
The book is not a work the general pub
lic will buy for easy reading. But it will be a
valuable addition to the field of range sci
ence, as a guide for professional botanists
as well as ranchers and farmers, and as
textbook for undergraduate and graduate
courses.
Rolling Stones
THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8. 1975
Disappointing music
Page
terrible )
Directorate spokesman admitted to disap
pointment over the attendance so far.
With a ballet company booked for
November and another booked for March,
perhaps the College Station market for
ballet has been saturated.
The “South-Central Texas Premiere” of
Rudolph Nureyev’s “Don Quixote” con
tinues at the Rudder Theater Wednesday
at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Be prepared to stay awake — the movie
contains no dialog but is carried by a nearly
continuous score composed by Ludwig
Minkus.
By JOHN VANORE
Battalion StafT Writer
In its own right, “Metamorphosis” isn’t
bad.
However, in light of what we know the
Stones to be capable of, it’s really disap
pointing.
Despite some occasional high points,
it’s mostly mediocre. And no group, even
the Rolling Stones, can survive stagnation
or mediocrity.
“Metamorphosis has quite a few stories
behind it.
A while back, the Stones, in an attempt
to fulfill a contract obligation, presented a
package of old, unreleased songs to Abkco,
their former management.
Abkco turned it down in favor of the
tracks on “Metamorphosis,” which were
never intended for public release. Some
were alternate takes of oldies, and others
were unreleased. It is because the Stones
never release stuff like this on their own
that they’re still the greatest band in the
world.
Bill Wyman, the Stones’ bassist, h
suggested that Mick Jagger is the on
Stone on the album. He thought trad
featuring Jagger singing lead were wi
session musicians. Since the tracks a
from 1964-67, memories are fuzzy, esp
cially since there are no written notes. .
Abkco seemingly suspected this, ai
“The Rolling Stones” appears only on tl
jacket spine, as though they were trying j
hide it. They’re probably playing it safij
The album is a curiosity more than an
thing else.
As a true metamorphosis, it fails mise
ably. It doesn’t follow any traceable line |
progression in the Stones’ musical odyj
sey. It has no session information on wl
played what, when.
Andrew Oldham, the Stones’ form
producer, wrote the liner notes— son j
impressive name-dropping and little els'
In addition to individual Stones, Graha
Nash, Jimmy Page, Gene Pitney, and J of
Paul Jones are credited with performanci
on the album.
Side Two gives some cause for op
timism.
A Jagger/Richard composition, “Jivii
Sister Fanny,” gives Side Two a sha
kick. Jagger weaves his words loose
around a driving riff, and Richard’s guitl
licks during the break of the possib
“Beggar’s Banquet” out-take are in fii
form.
“Downtown Suzie ’ is Bill Wyman s so
contribution to the collection. A loo:
blues jam is the groundwork that Jaggi
builds his vocals on. It is doubtless one
the best tracks here.
Mick Jagger s idea of the family is ma<
perfectly clear on “Family,” a bleak c :
also taken from the “Beggar’s Banque'
sessions. It's about a household full
cripples and whores.
The smoothness so obvious on “Out >
Time” is missing on “Memo from Turner
The rough edges here on the guitar ai =
vocals give it an abrasiveness that was lac r
ing on the movie soundtrack version. Tl|
raw bluntness of this take is the prin 1
factor which puts it head and shoulde
above the original. i|
"I Don’t Know Why ” is a Stevie Wondo
tune mistakenly attributed to Jagge
Richard/Taylor. The guitars, definite E
the work of Keith Richard, date the soi'
from the “Let It Bleed” era.
')
Stylistically, “If You Let Me” relate
back to the days of “Between the Buttons'
with its tragi-comic tone. Its lyrics displat,
that distinctive satirical flair.
Scratch, a drama set in the colonial
period of the United States, tells of Dan
iel Webster s infamous bout with the
Devil, or Scratch. In its second week of
production, curtain time is 8 p.m. Wed-
nesdax through Saturday. Tickets are
available in the MSC Box Office or at the
door.
Special lighting and make-up effects
coupled with good acting make this the
Aggie Players’ production to see.
Lost Horizons, the 1935 vintage show,
will curtain at 8 p.m. in the Rudder The
ater Wednesday . The story deals with a
utopian city cradled in the Himalayas
and what happens when outsiders arrive.
favorite topic “Man of the Future (Su
perman?) as the first of a series of
lectures.
He is a member of the NATO task
force working on genetic control and
has received numerous citations for his
teaching. His lecture will be in room
504 of the Tower at 7:30 p.m.
Frank Mankiewicz has authored two
books on the effects of Richard Nixon on
politics. He will speak on liberalism in
politics on Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. in the MSC
Ballroom. Mankiewicz served as McGov
erns national political director in 71.
Genetic comic and lecturer. Dr.
Gerard O Donovan, will speak on his
The Bryan-College Station Chamber
Orchestra will perform Oct. 16 at 1:30
p.m. in the MSC Lounge and 8 p.m.
in the Rudder Forum. The performance
is free.
Conductor is Dr. Charles Johnson from
Sam Houston State University. Featured
soloist is Rennee Hostetler playing the
first movement of Chopin’s piano con
certo in F minor.
Play It Again Sam, another Woody
Allen parody, will be shown at midnight
Friday in the Rudder Theater. Allen
finds himself turning to his idol, Hum
phrey Bogart, to find advice about re
lieving frustrations in handling women.
Sleeper is Woody Allen s glance into
the probable, maybe not possible, future.
Allen enters a hospital for surgery and
finds himself awake 200 years into the
future. The movie will be shown in the
Rudder Theater at 8 and 10 p.m. Thurs
day .
Jules and Jim, a film by Francois
TruHaut, will show at 8 p.m. Monday
in the Rudder Theater. It s the story
of a woman who loves and must have two
fraternal friends. Games of Angels, a film
dealing in imagery that suggests the hor
ror of concentration camps, will also be
shown. Dr. Cleve Want will lead dis
cussion of the films.
ROBERT HALSELL
TRAVEL SERVICE
AIRLINE SCHEDULE INFORMATION
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COLLEGE STATION 846-7877
COME ONE!
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BOOKS! BOOKS!
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NEW SHIPMENT JUST ARRIVED
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present
RUDDER CENTER FORUM
October 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11 8:00 p.m.
Tickets at MSC Box Office
or at the door
Students $1.50, $1.75, $2.00
Others $2.00, $2.25, $2.50
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