GRAMOPHONE NOTES
AMONG the January and February new recordings the most important in scope is Arnold Bax's Third Symphony in twelve parts played by the Halle Orchestra conducted by John Barbirolli (H.M.V. C7593-98). It is a large scale work which does full justice to the composer's gifts. The same cannot quite be said of Prokofieff's Loves of the Three Oranges (H.M.V. D.B.6151) played by the N.B.C. Orchestra conducted by Stokowski, for Prokofieff in this suite is considerably a lesser composer than the Prokofieff of the superb Violin Concerto and many other works. Grieg, on the other hand, is almost at his best in his Lyric Suite (Col. DXx142-3) played by the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron. There are also new recordings of two popular overtures : Der Freischatz (H.M.V. C3375) played by the Boston Promenade Orchestra under Arthur Fiedler and Rimsky-Korsakov's Ivan the Terrible (Col. DX' Igo) played by the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Constant Lambert. Great musician as Liszt was, his taste was nevertheless far from faultless, and his pianoforte arrangements of Bach's organ Preludes and Fugues are more likely to impress than to satisfy. There is little, if anything, lacking in Solomon's performance of the Prelude and Fugue in A minor (H.M.V. C3376), and there is some excuse for pianoforte versions on the gramophone as the organ is perhaps the instrument least of all suited to recording. More welcome should be a recording of Handel's Concerto Grosso in G minor, with Leon Goossens (oboe) and the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron (Col. DK1144).
Mr. Robert Wilson sings very agreeably the Eriskay Love Lilt from Songs of the Hebrides, and Uist Tramping Song from Songs of the Isles (H.M.V. IDto68) and I recommend this recording to my readers. Grieg's I Love Thee and Dvorak's Songs My Mother Taught Me, sung by David Lloyd (Col. DB2131) do not show either composer at his best, but the duet Oh, Love Me a Little, from Act I of Madame Butterfly, sung by Joan Hammond and Webster Booth with Dr. Sargent and the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is pure Puccini (H.M.V. C3378) although it is not one of my favourite Puccini items for the reason that here the emotional- dramatic rather than the musical side of the composer is dominant.
W. J. T.
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