Too Much of a Good Thing

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 812, 18 February 1955, Page 16

Too Much of a Good Thing

LBBB BELLO A Monthly Review by

OWEN

JENSEN

HAT do you do when you sit down for an hour or two with your gramophone? Do you select your evening’s listening with epicurean fastidiousness; or do you peck at this or that, taking for the most part just what comes to hand? Well, don’t tell me, for it’s every man to his taste and mood, I suppose. And, after all, these days the matter is mostly solved by the LP which, running the best part of an hour, anyway, leaves you with no further trouble than picking out something to tail off your symphony, concerto or string quartetunless, of course, you've settled in for a real session of listening. But what do you do if your LP is a string of symphonic poerns by Camille Saint-Saens? Played by L’Orchestra des Concerts Colonne conducted by Louis Fourestier (Columbia 33CX 1158), any one of them comes off excellently. After listening to the whole bunch, however, I couldn't really say I was partiting for mote. Saint-Saens in h6moeopathic doses can be quite eénlivetiirig; but La Jeunesse d’Hercule, Danse Macabre, Phaeton and Le Rouét d’Omphale, even as richly played as they are on this disc, may be too much of a good thing. Of course, you may say, turn it off, turn it off when you've had enough. But that’s half the enjoyment of ati LP, to be able to put it on atid sit back and become ati audience until the énd of the side. Unfortunately, neither the composers of yesterday nor our contemportaries have ever given a thought to. measuring out their symphonies, concertos or quartets by the LP length and to tuck them in on medium plays ot 45s is only part of the answer. What to add as a fill‘up, a matter that was not unknown in the days of the 78s, is afi 6éven more tricky problem today. One solution is-to offer the listetier double of what he likes. How happily this comes off depends on how mich you like what you like in the first place. As with four Saint-Saens symphonic poems I’m affraid I fitd two Mozart Flute Concertos askitig too much of my enthusiasm. On the sécond side interest begins to waver. I miist admit, howevet, to béing somewhat allergic to the fllite as a Solo instrument. Mozart may have been sympathetic to this reaction, too, for he wrote to his father about these works: "I could to be sure scribble off things the whole day long, but a composition of this kind goes out into the wotld and natutally I do not want to have catise to be ashamed of my

|}name oft the title | page. Moreover, you | know that I become quite powerless whenever I am obliged to write for an instrument which I catinot bear." Flute players and their adheérfetits, however, will no doubt be grateftil for this music, and grateful to Have it played so beautifully. Mozart: Two Flute Con-certos-No. 1 in G Major (K.313) and No. 2 in D Major (K.314), played by Camilla Wanauser

(flute), and the Pro Musica Chatnber Orchestra of Vienna conductéd by Hans Swarowsky (Vox PL 8130). Prokofieff’s Liéuteriant Kiji Suite; backed by his Scythian Suite, seems to me to come off better, not because one is more favourably disposed to Prokofieff’s adventures, but because the two compositions are so. different in character. The Scythian Suite, tnusic for ballet written when Prokofieff was twenty-three, owes something to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, but brilliant and attractive as it is, it lacks the impressive stature of Stravinsky's music. The better-known Kiji film music is one of Prokofieff's later works, fore original and more mattire music, atid comparatively edsy on the ears. Both suites are played by the Vienna Sythphony Orchestra, who give a dynamic performance under the directioti of Herman Scherchen (Nixa WLP 5091). The Schubert Symphony No. 4 ite C Minor ("Tragic"), coupled with the same composet’s Sytnphotiy No. 5 in B Fiat, certainly makes a disc worth the money; but then few but could not be favourably disposed to this gracious music. The word "gracious" is used advisedly, for not otily does it describe the No. 5 in B Fiat, but the "Tragic." although more s@rioug in character, is by no meats the sombre work that Schubert’s owt stib-title would suggest. The two works are played by the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of London, conducted by Dean Dixon, who give us strong and vigorous playing, if a little brash at times (Nixa NLP 913). This version of the "Tragic" is prefetable, I think, to Klemperer’s with the Lamoureaux Orchestra (Vox PL 7860), although the Vox disc has the advantage, if your taste riins that way, of the Mendelssohn "Italian" Symphony on the reverse side. The Nixa is excellently recorded. The LP comes into its owt when it presents opera, for here you can have the complete work in comfort, everything but what the eye might have seen. Supplying this is a pleasant exercise for the imagirtiation. : This rmonth’s opera is Gluck’s Orfeo Ed Euridice (Nixa ULP 9223/1-3). Gluck’s riusic is aS beautiful as ever and, despite that the elements of his style have long ago passed into the common stock of operatic writing and out again, the drama still comes across. Erna Berger is Euridice, Margarete Klose sings as Orfeo, perhaps a little thickly

contralto In lower register, and Rita Streich is Amor, not quite so satisfyingly as her two associates. The Chorus and Orchestra of the Berlin Civic Opera date finé, as indeed is the whole récording. Handel’s — operas hold thé interest thése days by the ‘music aloné. But what music, music whose ingratiating quality is rarély missing. So many of Handel’s opératic airs have passed

almost anonymously into concert programmes that his opera Rodelinda, like Hamlet, seems at times to be made up of quotations of itself. That means, if you like Handel, you'll enjoy this, It is presented by the Chorus and Orchestra of Suddeutscher Rundfunk conducted by Hans Muller-Kray, with a list of soloists to give a performance that makes the most of the music (Nixa PLP 589). While we are in the vocal department, a move from the stage to the concert. platform for a recital of lieder by Hugo. Wolf which includes, among others, the three Michelangelo songs, Prometheus and Grenxen der Menscheit, They are sung superbly by Hans Hotter with Gerald Moore as accompanist (Columbia 33CX 1162), Elgar’s Sea Pictures, Op. 37, seem to me more a contralto’s collector's piece than a listener’s delight; but that is probably just my taste or lack of it, and certainly has nothing to do with Gladys Ripley’s singing. I cannot believe, however, that Elgar’s Overture: In the South, Op. 50, which takes up the rest of the disc, can be really exciting except to the complete Elgar fan. The overture is played by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by George Weldon, which provides the accompaniment also to the Sea Pictures (Columbia 33SX 1028). Chamber Music Cesar Franck’s music was modern in its time, and although he was never particularly lavish of meaningful themes his. special ‘brand of romanticism can still move the heart even if it doesn’t reach much higher. The Pascal String Quartet’s playing of Franck’s Quartet in D is a sensitive performance of music that has no difficulty in holding its place in the chamber music repertoire (Nixa CLP 1182). In his String Quintet No. 1 in F Major, Op, 88, Brahms lets himself go mere than is his custom. This is bright spring music-almost, for Brahms, wildly joyous. It is played the way the composer, I am sure, would like it, by the Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet, with Ferdinand Stangler as second viola (Westminster WL 5027), But my pick among the chamber music that has come our way this month is the Quartetto Italiano’s playing of Quartet in G Minor by Debussy, and Milhaud’s Quartet No. 12 (Columbia 33CX 1155). This Milhaud quartet was "dedicated to the memory of Gabriel Faure on the oceasion of the centenary of his birth" (1945). It is appropriately lyrical and much easier on the ears than much of Milhaud’s music, For chamber music of a more intimate character you might look into Gustav Zepoll’s Guitar Concert (Nixa SLPY 142). Zepoll’s recital ranges from Mexican and Spanish folk songs to Bach and 16th Century lute music.