Record Reviews

by JOHN M. CONLY

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major (Aloeo Galliera eondueting Philharmonia Orchestra; Columbia “Entré”: 12" LP). Anyone might be forgiven for thinking that this was the vintage Toscanini New York Philharmonic-Symphony performance brought technically up to date. People who have the HMV SchnabelGalliera “Emperor" concerto know this man can conduct Beethoven. And the disc costs but $3.08!

Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D (Arturo Toscanini conducting NBC Symphony; RCA Victor: 12" LP). Listened to two rooms away, this is lyrical perfection. At close range, Brahms’s orchestral techniques are overexposed, endangering the musical effect. Apart from this, it is a masterpiece of musical insight and a very good recording.

Bruch: Violin Concerto in G Minor;Kol Nidrei (Michele Auclair, violin; Wilhelm Loibnor conducting Austrian Symphony; Remington: 12" LP). The orchestra is a little messy, but Miss Auclair, unlike certain higher-priced fiddlers, abandons herself to the music, corny or not. And the tone is sumptuous. A real bargain.

Dehussy: Piano Music (George Copeland, piano; M-G-M : 12” LP). Selections include well-known preludes, plus the rondo from the Children’s Ballet, Hommaye à Rameau, and, oddly, Satie’sGymnapedie No. 3, which Debussy later orchestrated. Until Gieseking makes a Debussy set like Columbia’s Casndesus-Ravel series, this will have to do. The recording is adequate, and Copeland is, of course, a Debussy-trained Debussy expert.

Delius:North Country Sketches; Eventyr (Sir Thomas Beecham conducting Royal Philharmonic; Columbia: 12" LP). Perhaps twice a century, if that often, a conductor understands a composer so nearly perfectly. Every phrase speaks, caresses, describes. You will share Delius’s upland ramblings; view after pastoral view. The recording is appropriately excellent.

Grieg: Symphonic Dances; “Norwegian Dances (Erik Tuxen conducting Danish National Orchestra; Mercury: 12" LP). The Norwegian Dances are played and recorded at least as well as in the fine Vanguard version, and the Symphonic Dances, new to LP, are even better. For Grieg-lovors, this is it!

MacDowell: Piano Concerto No. 2. with Hanson: Symphony No. 2, “Romantic” (Jesus Maria Sanromá, piano; Howard Hanson conducting East man-Rochester Symphony; Columbia: 12" LP). There is something in common between the 1885 concerto and the 1930 symphony, a rather endearing transatlantic escapism, a sane, secure lyricism. The engineering is first-rate.

Mahler: Symphony No. 7 in li Minor (Hermann Schcrchen conducting Vienna Stale Opera Orchestra; Westminster: two 12" LPs). Dealing with Mahler, Dr. Schcrchen is more analytical than sympathetic, but he exploits the orchestral sonorities of the score with high dramatic effect, amply abetted by Westminster’s engineers.

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3, “Scotch” (Georg Solti conducting London Symphony; London: 12" LP). Solti plays this as if it were Beethoven, beautifully limning structure, at the expense of melody — which is hard on Mendelssohn. And the reproduction is superb—which is hard on the London Symphony. Net criticism: the whole thing is almost too well done. Extremely interesting, though, and bears relistening well.

Modern American Music Scries, Issues 1-6 (Prominent chamber players, including Juilliard and New Music Quartets; Alexander Schneider, violin; Ralph Kirkpatrick, harpsichord: Leonid Hambro, piano; David Oppenheim, clarinet; Columbia: six separate 12" LPs). Columbia, as a cultural duty, has undertaken to produce a minimum of six LPs a year of modern American music, giving a committee of composers free rein in select ing compositions. The first six discs offer chamber works of Virgil Thomson, Aaron Copland, Ellis Kohs, Charles Ives, Lou Harrison, William Schuman, Douglas Moore, Wallingford Riegger, Ingolf Dahl, Walter Piston, and John Cage. A solid beginner’s choice is the combination of Copland’s Sextet and Kohs’s Chamber Concerto. More piquant is the fuseinulmg Virgil Thomson-Gertrude Stein Capital, Capitals, backed with two quiet,clever Suites by Lou Harrison. Most exotic is John Cage’s weird Quartet.

Muzio Song Recital (Claudia Muzio, soprano; orchestras conducted by Cav. Lorenzo Molajoli and Licinia Refice; Columbia: 12” LP). This is the fifth collection of Muzio reprints on LP, and the most exquisite. She recorded these songs of Pergolesi, Donaudy, Refice, Reger, Debussy, Crist, and Delibes the year before she died (a terrible thing to happen to the world!). Words fail to describe the beauty here. Listen to Reger’s Cradle Sony, side 2.

Piano Music for Children (Menahem Pressler, piano; M-G-M: 12“ LP). These engaging pieces actually were written for children to play, by Rloch, Milhaud, Prokofiev, Shostakovitch, and Robert Starer. Pressler, no child, plays with jollity. Splendid piano sound.

Respighi:The Itirds;Ancient Airs and Dances for the Lute (Franz Litsehauer conducting Vienna State Opera Orchestra; Vanguard: 12” LP). Mr. Respighi’s feathered friends never had it so good. This is a hi-fi marvel and a musical delight; it leaves a lovely taste.

Rimsky-Korsakov : Le Coq d’ OrSuite: Capriccio Kspagnol (Ernest Ansermet conducting Orchestre de la Suisse Romantic; London: 12” LP). The bearded Swiss gets more fun out of Rimsky’s endless orchestral ingenuity than anyone except, perhaps, his listeners, and London always gives him its most luscious sound. What more can one ask?

Schubert: Trio No. 1 in B Flat Major (Jean Fournier, violin; Antonio Janigro, cello; Paul BaduraSkoda, piano; Westminster: 12” LP). Almost as good as their ecstatic rendering of the No. 2, made last year. Beautiful tone, too.

Strauss, Richard: Don Quixote (fritz Reiner conducting Pittsburgh Symphony, with Piatigorsky, cello; Bakaleinikoff, viola; Golumbia “Kntré : 12“ LP), This has been a $.5.4,5 disc, now it’s a $3.08 one. Sounds as good as ever, and even Strauss himself plays Don Q. no better.

Austrian Marches (Julius Herrimann conducting Deutschmeister Kapelle band; Westminster: 10" LP). The marches, by J. Strauss, Ziehrer, and others, are musically negligible, but the fidelity is something wondrous to hear, especially the tuba.