RECENT RECORDS
VOCAL. The quality of the singing in the Anthology of English Church Music (Col.) is very uneven. King's College Choir always come off well ; but there are passages in Wesley's Ascribe unto the Lord which do no credit to anyone (including the composer). The Good Friday music from Parsifal could hardly find better exponents than Ludwig Weber and the Vienna Philharmonic ; and Elisabeth tichwarzkopf sings Signore, ascolta from Turandot. Act 1, with great grace and accomplishment. For H.M.V. Victoria de los Angeles has recorded two tonadillas which show her to be still immeasurably at her best in Spanish music. For Decca Rafael Arie has made a very fine recording of Ella gianunal tte anui from Don Carlos ; and Renata Tebaldi sings the Jewel Song from Faust with a rather hard brilliance which disqualifies her for the Ballade on the other side.
CHAMBER Music. The best of the recordings by the London Baroque Ensemble (Parlophone) is Haydn's St. Antony Diverti- mento, a delightful piece very well played and recorded. The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra score another bull's-eye with their recording of the third Brandenburg Concerto (Decca), and Lipatti's playing of two Bach transcriptions (Col.) are, like everything that
he recorded, models of piano-playing and interpretation. M. C.
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