RECORDED MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 21748, 16 June 1934, Page 6

RECORDED MUSIC

[By Erato.] At last one of Bach’s best-knowS compositions, the ‘ Double Concerto in. D Minor,’ has been recorded by two famous violinists, Yehudi Menuhin, the sixteen-year-old prodigy, and- Georges Euesco, the renowned Rumanian composer and virtuoso. Bach did not compose very many works in concerto form for individual instruments. Already in. some of his Brandenburg_ concertos for orchestra he gave'a certain prominence to various instruments, so that the eventual development into a concerto for one or two individual instruments was inevitable. The influence of the composer’s favourite medium of express sion, the organ, is also evident in the Double Concerto, but it is discernible only in passages that were capable of being adapted to the technical possibilities of the instruments.. Perhaps it is just as well that this work had not beerty made available earlier, because steady development in the technique ofy, recording is fully reflected in the re-,' markably beautiful, mellow, quality off the violin tone as well as in the rich-; ness of volume. The * D Minor Concerto ’ consists of three slow movements —vivace, largo, and allegro. The vivace is as vigorously stimulating and bright as anything Bach ever composed.Even in this movement the playing _of Menuhin reveals a distinct style which makes it very easy to distinguish it from that of Enesco. In the wide sweep of its arpeggios the movement is a'very" pleasing one. I The largo undoubtedly is the gem of the concerto, and the soothing melody is interpreted by both artists with great warmth as well as exquisite charm; and both Menuhin and Enesco strongly emphasise the deep sen- • - timent underlying the music. The recording is remarkably fine, realistically reproducing the true violin tone._ Thai last movement is a typical, rollicking Bach allegro, here and there pervaded with a touch of sorrow. The influence of the organ is fairly strongly accentuated in parts. A" full symphony orchestra would be quite unnecessary for the requirements of the score, so the ; label does not mention who are the instrumentalists accompanying the two-great artists. The concerto is conducted by Pierre Monteux, the well-known French conductor, who was formerly associated with the Boston. Symphony, Orchestra. Bach’s ■ work- is recorded in complete • form on two records.

, Recent recordings include a remarkable number of string quartets. ‘ One of the most distinguished of these is, the Cesar Franck ‘ Quartet in D Majorsplayed by the Virtuoso String Quartet. Franck recordings are comparatively rare, which makes the gravely ; noble music of the ‘ D Major Quartet , doubly welcome. Some . fine work; is ■; .done by the virtuoso players, particularly in the larghetto, which breathes the genuine spirit of adoration,■ and again;, in 'tfi© almost _ overwhelmingly poignant • passage which follows the opening allegro molto. The first move- , ment is a, wonderful example of tho composer’s passionate purity of conception, a purity that was always more an affair of the heart than the head, and which never becomes coldly classical.The recording has caught up the atmosphere grown of the music and at the same time thrown into strong relief, the structural distinction of the part writing. . > * * . * ■ ' * Particularly;welcome is the release of;, a complete recording of; Verdi’s great; opera, i Aida,’ with none other than DuSolona Giannini in the title role, the famous Covent Garden tenor, Aureliano Fertile, in the part of Rhodames,. and Irene Minghini-Cattaneo: equally effective -as Amneris. The recording;, has been made -with the co-operation of the chorus and orchestra of La.Scala,where it was produced by Verdi himself : in 1872. The choruses are exceptionally fine .and the . orchestra brilliant.-, Giannini’s singing stamps her as an ar-, tist of the highest rank. Even in such passages as the familiar ‘ Ritoma Vxn--. citor’ and. the succeeding ‘ I Sacro Nomi,’ where the dramatic exigencies of the libretto invite unrestrained emotion, musical expressiveness of each phrase remains unimpaired. The exquisite mezzo-voce of her high notes m£ ‘ 0 Patria Mia ’ has been perfectly caught up. The performance of Fertile is a 1 wonderful example of heroic -singing. His ‘Celeste Aida ’ ■is Hull of- ■ warmth, and his declamation throughout the onera is thrilling in =its in-, tensity. - The passionate tomb'duet with - Giannini at the close of the; opera, mingling with the chant of the priests, is glorious singing.. Minghini-Cattaneo captures the attention from herfirst appearance. Vanity, . .pride, jealousy, and anger are convincingly portrayed in turn. lughilleri, as Atuonasro, the Ethonian king, has been described as “ a second Ruffo.” His dark-hued voice is superb in the fiery passages allocated to him in the Nile scene. Luigi Mon- ‘ frini, as the High Priest, aud Guglielmo Masini, as Pharaoh, are singers . of distinction and add richness to. some , of the ensembles. Altogether the recording has-been most successful, and. illuminating are the annotations and translation which accompany these nine- ‘ teen records. ,