GRAMOPHONE NOTES THE fiftieth anniversary of Brahms's death has naturally
brought a considerable number of new recordings o( his works. Clifford Curzon and the National Symphony Orchestra have recorded the first piano concerto (Decca) and the Trio di Trieste the C minor trio op. tot (H.M.V.), while Edwin Fischer plays two favourite intermezzi (op. 117, Nos. 1-2—also H.M.V.). The most striking recording that I have heard for some time is the Griller Quartet's playing of Mozart's K.387 ; for balance and purity of tone, intelligence and warmth of feeling it could hardly be bettered (Decca). Schnabel and Fournier play Beethoven's A major cello sonata a little dis- appointingly, and do not give the impression of a happy combination (H.M.V.). The fourth Brandenburg Concerto is played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Kussevitzky, and the Augusteo Orchestra under de Sabata has produced yet another version of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony (both H.M.V.). There are two new versions of Berlioz's Fantastique—by the Halle Orchestra under Barbirolli (H.M.V.) and by the Concertgebouw under van Beinum (Decca) ; both are good, but I should give slight preference to the Halle. For sheer beauty of tone the Vienna Philharmonic's playing of J. Strauss's Kiinstlerleben valse is supremely good, and as far as valses go it is indeed a case of " Wien, Wien, nu du allein."
For connoisseurs of the piano Dinu Lipatti's playing of Chopin's D. flat major nocturne and Malcuzynski's of the F minor concerto (both Columbia) will provide great pleasure and interesting points of comparison between two excellent Chopin-players. Richard Strauss's early horn concerto, played by Dennis Brain and the Philharmonic Orchestra (Columbia), is an oddity, more remarkable for the soloist's performance than for the quality of the music. The same orchestra plays an oboe concerto by Marcel:), with Leon Goossens as soloist, which has a remarkably beautiful slow movement and contains passages of model oboe-playing.
There are not .many interesting vocal records. Eugenia Zareska sings Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Concertge- bouw Orchestra, and there is a disappointing record of the nursery
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