(RECORDING COMPANIES : A, Argo; B, Bruns- wick; C, Capitol;
Col, Columbia; D, Decca; DT, Ducretet-Thomson; F, Felsted: H, HMV; LI, London International; M, N.onarch; S, Supraphon; T, Tclefunkcn.)
National Music-1
but with too little sense of their national character, by the Italian Quartet on Co1.33CX1155; and the Saxophone Rhapsody, with lbert's Concertino, on C.CCL7524. Milhaud and Honegger appear, with Pastorale d'ete and Le Batt' sur le Toit, plus Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin, on C.CTL7055, but the best Milhaud record is the superb La Creation du Monde with some of the Saudades do Brazil and the wind quintet La Chemin& du Roi Rene on F.L89002. The quintet is duplicated on OL.DL53002, coupled with the same composer's Suite d'apres Cor- retie for wind trio, but makes a less engaging prograinme of wind music than Poulenc's witty Sextet (with piano), and Hindemith's still wittier Quintet, on C.CTL7066. Of the oldest modern generation there is. Faurd. A selection of his piano music, backed by pieces by Ravel, is stylishly played by. Jean-Michel Damase on LI.TW91035; on D.LXT2897 Irma Kolassi sings his La Chan- son d'Eve, with Milhaud again on the other side (this time representing his other nationality with the lovely Poames juifs, sung with beauti- ful simplicity and purity, matching their folk- song-like character); and finally there is
Faure's Requiem, duplicated on C.CTL7050 and Co1.33CX1145, very evenly matched, the Capitol perhaps slightly superior, but by so little that the very superior sleeve-note on the other almost outweighs it.
Although Faur6's might be challenged by Berlioz's as the French requiem, Verdi's has no rival as the Italian, and the new perform- ance of this under Sabata on Co1.33CX1195/6, with the La Scala company and a strong team of soloists, is fiercely and magnificently Italianate, to appeal to Puritans without offence to puritans. For an English requiem there is Britten's early Sinfonia da Requiem, a neglected masterpiece very welcome on D.LXT2981, directed by the composer, with the slighter and still less familiar Diversions for piano (left hand) and orchestra, from the same period, finely played by Katchen on the other side. Britten fares handsomely altogether, with the Interludes and Passacaglia from Grimes and the Young Person's Guide, superbly played by the Concertgebouw and van Beinum on D.LXT2886; and four of the song-cycles : the Serenade and Les Illumina- tions on D.LX72941, beautifully sung by Pears (who also sings some of the folksong
settings, with Britten, on D.LW5122); and Michelangelo and Donne Sonnets, sung by Alexander Young on A.RG25, where un- fortunately neither Gordon Watson's accom- paniment ,nor the recording is wholly satisfactory. Finally, there are his Frank Bridge Variations, virtuosically done by the Philharmonia and Karajan on Co1.33CX1159, with Vaughan Williams's Tallis Fantasia on the other side. The V.W. is discovered as a dis- play piece by Stokowski, too, whose perform- ance, paired with Schonberg's Verklarte Nacht, rings truer (H.ALPI205). Of other English composers, Walton is well, if not sufficiently, served by a perfect performance of Façade (complete), with Sitwell and Pears, on D.LXT2977, the two orchestral suites from it, on D.LW5107, and the overtures Orb and Sceptre and Portsmouth Point exuberantly conducted by himself on Col.SELI506. Rubbra and Berkeley both appear as pianists on D.LXT2978, partnering Frederick Grinke in their own violin works—a worth-while issue. On A.RG26 Alexander Young sings twelve songs by Warlock, coupled with The Curlew, all of which now seem rather dated and
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