GRAMOPHONE NOTES
THE majority of recent records are orchestral, and there arc some distinguished recordings among them. The following are issued by H.M.V.:—Sibelius' Seventh Symphony is played by the Halle Orchestra under Barbirolli, who gives the music not only its great tension but also a colour which is lacking in many performances. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra plays Mozart's Jupiter Symphony superbly under Karl Bohm and Brahms' Saint Antony Variations under Furtwangler. (I am not convinced by the last variation.) Pierre Fournier and the Philharmonia Orchestra under Kubelik give a worthy performance of Dvorak's cello concerto, a work whose stature I find increased on each new hearing.
Columbia's orchestral issue is slightly less conventional. The French Broadcasting Orchestra under Paul Klctzki give a dazzlingly beautiful performance of Ravel's second Daphnis and Chloe suite, and the Philharmonia Orchestra maintain their high reputation with one classic and two modern works. The classic is Bach's A minor violin concerto in which the solo part is played with great sensitive- ness and style by Tibor Varga. Constant Lambert conducts his own Rio Grande, with Kyla Greenbaum an excellent pianist and some slightly disappointing solo-singing. Leon Goossens plays his brother Eugene's clever and virtuosic oboe concerto with all the necessary skill and aplomb. Finally Beethoven's First Symphony is played by the New York Philharmonic Society Orchestra under Bruno Walter, an excellent performance except for some uncertainty (or deliberate eccentricity ?) of tempo in the slow movement.
Decca's only large orchestral work is Brahms No. t, magnificently played by the Concertgebouw Orchestra under van Beinum. By far the most interesting and distinguished vocal record is one made by Licia Albanesi, who sings some Massenet (Herodiade) and Boito (Mefistofele) which will be unfamiliar to this generation of opera- goers and, as sung by her at least, worth getting to know (H.M.V.). For Columbia Elizabeth Schwarzkopf sings Mi tradi from Don Govanni with efficiency and agility but missing, to my mind, the bigness and tragedy. For Collectors' Corner Helga Mott has recorded two lesser known Schubert songs, An eine Quelle and Liebe schwdrmt au/ alien Wegen and Schumann's Ihre Stimme. Her voice is light but beautifully true.
The two chamber-music recordings are both good. The Griller Quartet's Beethoven op. 95 (Decca) only suffers from poverty of Violin tone in some places, and Mozart's duo for violin and viola (,Parlophone) is admirably played by Szymon Goldberg and
Frederick Riddle. M. C.
Previous page
