Record Reviews

by JOHN M. CONLY

Bartók: Songs, Op. 16; Hungarian Folk Songs (Magda Laszlo, soprano; Franz Holetschek, piano; Westminster WL, 5283; 12" LP with IIungarian-English text). Blue, blue, blue was the color of the great man’s mood when he wrote the Opus 16 songs in his thirties, but there is fascination in the distaste of a genius for his civilization. The folk songs are earthier, though still sad. Miss Laszlo’s feeling for both is deep, and the recording very fine and faithful.

Hartók: Miraculous Mandarin Suite, with Kodaly: “Peacock” Variations (Antal Dorati conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Mercury MG 50038: 12" LP). When Peter Hartok produced the Afandarin suite (Hartok Records) a couple of years ago, it seemed about as hi as fi could be, but Mercury’s new version of the weird, horrendous score outsounds it. The sonorous, tuneful, folk-rooted Kodaly piece on the overside is a worth-while bonus.

Beethoven : Egmont Music — complete (Magda Laszlo, soprano; Fred Liewehr, reader; Hermann Seherchen conducting Vienna State Opera Orchestra; Westminster WL 5281: 12" LP with English-German text). The tale of the fearless and freedom-loving Dutch idealist Egmont, sentenced to death by the tyrannous Duke of Alba, was a natural for the talents of Goethe and Beethoven, and what they made out of it is as hair-raising today as it was in 1810 (Beethoven enjoyed the assignment so much he refused pay for it). Egmont’s death-cell call to revolt is nobly lofted by Mr. Liewehr over Beethoven’s inspired drumrolls; Miss Laszlo puts real martial yearning into Die Trommel Gerühret, one of the most exciting songs ever written, and Seherchen conducts the whole thing with obvious conviction. The sound has magnificent bite and blare.

Beethoven: Sonatas in E, Op. 109, and A Flat, Op. 110 (Myra Hess, piano, HMV LHMV 1068: 12" LP). I am tempted to advance these as the best representations of these sonatas on LP. There is a Schnabel reprint of Op. 109, and feeble recordings of Kempff playing both, but Dame Myra’s 1953 sound is new and rich. And, though she may habitually over-rest rain Beethoven’s dynamics, it. doesn’t matter here, and her fluid subtly does.

Brahms: Trio in E Flat for Piano, Violin and Horn, with Schumann: Piano Quartet in E flat Major (Mieczyslaw Horszowski, piano; Alexander Schneider, violin; Mason Jones, horn; Milton Kalims, viola; Frank Miller, cello; Columbia ML 4892; 12" LP). Chamber music, written for living rooms, is particularly amenable to today’s high-fidelity techniques, and obviously someone at Columbia is aware of it, witness a whole series of beautifully produced recordings in this genre. Here is the latest. Rarely could these two ingratiating masterpieces be heard so well in Jive performance; to have them at will is a real privilege.

Chopin: Concerto No, 1 in E Minor, Op. II (Friedrich Gulda, piano; Sir Adrian Boult conducting London Philharmonic Orchestra; London LL 1001: 12" LP). Perfectly beautiful sound in a strong, unaffected performance that seems to me to convey the musical idea-content admirably. Recommended without reservation to general music-lovers. Chopin specialists had best listen to other versions as well.

Debussy: Jeux — Poème Dansé: Six Antique Epigraphs, arranged by Ansermet (Ernest Ansermet conducting Orchestra de la Suisse Romande; London LL 992: 12" LP). Debussy’s dreamy dissertation on lawn tennis and languorous youthful passion is terribly fragile in spots, and Ansermet’s vigor stretches it, but the recorded orchestral tone is almost magical. The conductor’s Epigraph arrangements on the disk’s reverse face are no letdown; they sound like genuine Debussy.

Haydn: Trios for Piano, Violin and Cello Nos. 4, 17, 27, and 29 (Paul Badura-Skoda, piano; Jean Fournier, violin; Antonio Janigro, cello; Westminster WL 5293: 12" LP). There is a war between performers and listeners. The former abjure Haydn piano trios because they are “unbalanced” — nothing but piano sonatas with violin and cello ornamentation. Listeners, given opportunity, fall in love with them because they are among the gayest, sanest, most irresistibly captivating pieces of music ever written. Here, in admirable performance and recorded sound, is the rare opportunity to succumb. Try as a sample the first movement of No. 4, with its pizzicato beginning.

Mozart: Trios in B Flat, K.254, and G, k.564 (Paul Badura-Skoda, piano; Jean Fournier, violin; Antonio Janigro, cello; Westminster WL 5284: 12" LP). The numeration is misleading, since the later trio was written apparently as an easy exercise, and is amusingly simple, while the earlier one is a serious effort. Mozart kept his piano-trio material lighter than did Haydn or Beethoven, but engaging all the same. Both playing and recording here are beyond cavil.

Old French Airs (Gérard Souzay, baritone; Jacqueline Bonneau, piano; London LD 9109: 10" LP). The songs, mostly from the seventeenth century, are extraordinarily varied and charming (two are also found in the Canteloube “Songs ot the Auvergne”). How historically authentic Souzay’s beautiful delivery of them is, I don’t know—and don’t especially care. It makes lovely listening.

Saint-Saëns:Carnival of the Animals, with Iberl: Divertissement (Felix Slat kin conducting Concert Arts Orchestra, with Victor Aller and Harry Sukman, pianos; Capitol P 8270: 12" LP). Saint-Saens’ orchestral-zoo whimsy offers a wonderful opportunity to modern record makers, and Capitol here has made the most of it. The listening is so good that it becomes effortless. Furthermore, Slatkin and his West Coast musicians show a real flair for both the Carnival and the slam-bang Ibert. A delightful record.

Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, with Stravinsky: Concerto in D for String Orchestra and Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and Suite for Strings, arranged by Bachrich (Willis Page conducting New Orchestra Society of Boston, with Phyllis Curtin, soprano in the Villa-Lobos; Cook/Sounds of Our Times 1962: 12" LP). As is standard with Emory Cook’s records, the sound is almost shockingly realistic. More surprising: this strikes me as containing the most generally satisfactory Brandenburg No. 3 on microgroove, and performances of the Villa-Lobos and Stravinsky which stand up very well musically against competitive versions conducted by the composers themselves. It also offers as part of the “Suite a lively transcription of the famous Praeludium from the E Major Partita for violin alone. Like all Cook recordings, this is also available in binaural form.

Vivaldi: Violin Concertos in G Minor and A Minor; Concerto Grosso in D Minor, Op. 3, No. II; Flute Concerto, Op. 10, No. 3, “Bullfinch” (Jan Tomasow, violin, and Chamber Players of the N iennn State Opera; Vanguard-Bach Guild BG 538: 12" LP). Unpretentiously assembled as a “bouquet of Vivaldi, this turns out to be a spirited and intimate recording very worth having. Only five men play in each of the “concertos,” but they sound fine. Excellent close-up sound.