RECENT RECORDS
CHAMBER music, which has been neglected by the gramophone companies lately, comes into its own in this selection. Haydn's seven slow movements for string quartet, based on the seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross, are wonderful examples of the eighteenth century's music of the affections, and are beautifully played by the Griller Quartet (Decca). Beethoven's C minor violin sonata, played by Schneiderhahn and Friedrich Wiihrer (Col.), preserves what is to me a perfect balance between coldness and that facile tempestuous- ness which mars so many performances of Beethoven's earlier music. Of less interest but worthy of mention are an A minor sonata by Handel, played with unfailing aplomb by Carl Dolmetsch on the recorder, and Beethoven's A major violin sonata played by Franz Osborn and Max Rostal. Both these and a pleasant recording of Schumann's Waldscenen by Clara Haskil are issued by Decca.
Of two versions of Sibelius's Second Symphony (oh for some sensible collaboration between the gramophone companies !) that by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy (Col.) is incom- parably superior in quality and variety of orchestral tone, but the L.P.O. under Basil Cameron (Decca) often scores on points of interpretation. The same American orchestra's Rosenkavalier Suite and Fledermaus overture (Col.) are more Philadelphian than Viennese, and their waltz-playing is positively soporific ; but again the tone and precision are often electrifying. Dvorak's Fourth Symphony played by the Philharmonia Orchestra under Rafael Kubelik (H.M.V.) is obviously the authentic and traditional Czech interpreta- tion, but to our ears it may well sound an unusually violent and brassy version of what seems to us a predominantly lyrical work. Gioconda de Vito combines warmth with fine line-drawing in l3ach's E major violin concerto with the London Chamber Orchestra (H.M.V.), and the French Broadcasting Orchestra under Paul Kletzki miss very few of the orchestral felicities in Ravers scoring of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (Col.). Lili Kraus with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Siisskind plays Mozart's IC271 piano concerto admirably (Parlophone), but unfortunately the surface is very poor throughout. Some excerpts from Prokofiev's Cinderella music played by the Covent Garden Orchestra under Warwick Braithwaite (Col.) make a much more favourable impression than I personally received at two performances of the ballet. Very little singing. Jenny Tourel has almost all the virtues except spontaneous, natural gaiety, and Offenbadfs music is therefore least suited to her of any. Even so her Ah I quel diner ! is very enjoyable (Col.). Alexander Kipnis's recordings from Boris Godunov (H.M.V.) outdo Chaliapin in dramatic intensity and demonic vigour. They have genuine musical quality, but the effect, at least outside the
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