BACK OF BEYOND

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 818, 1 April 1955, Unnumbered Page

BACK OF BEYOND

BY

OWEN

JENSEN

HESE days you need no Wellsian "Time Machine" to travel back into the far countries of our musical past. The longplaying record brings the music back alive, much of it music which for long has been no more than names in the books of history. With a little imagination you can come to terms with almost any century, and like it. In fact, these days, some of the music comes out more beautifully in performance than the composer himself may have heard it. That’s how it is with the Deutscher Archives, released in England and made available heré by the Helidor Record Company. In some fifty LPs the Deitscher Archives plan to make a comprehensive coverage of music from the 8th to the 18th Centuries. The production is divided into what the sponsors call Twelve Research Periods. The first twelve discs-one from each period -have come to hand. All of them in every way bear the mark of distinction. First of all, and most important, it is obvious that much effort has been made to .achieve a high degree of authenticity. Some considerable research has been undertaken to discover reliable editions of the music. Wherever possible original editions have been used. The music is played on instruments faithful to those probably used in first or early performances, and the performers on these discs are all fine. That you may be in no doubt as to the reliability of the materials used, each disc-in fact, each .composition recorded on each disc-is provided with an index card listing details of the recording. Starting with the composer’s name, his dates and the title of the cornposition, the card gives sub-titles of each separate movement or part of the work, the duration of each movement and total duration, the edition used, the performers, details of the instruments used, the period of the music, the technical supervisors, the town and building in which the recording was made, and even the dates on which the recording was done. The final touch is the record cover, which is handsome and durable. An innovation is the provision of a plastic envelope sewn into the cover, giving protection to the disc. Two criticisms may be made of the series. Having been so zealous in notating details of the recording, the edi-

ee | tors might reasonably have gone the whole way and added some notes about the music. True, the brochure which publicises the series has a brief account of the style of each Research Period, but something more than this will be required by all but the most experienced listeners. The enthusiastic will look up what they want for themselves, but many, less enthusiastic, perhaps, may not have the references to hand nor the time tg fossick them out. Some notes on the music, then, would have been a great help. The other point is a small one, but not unimportant. It is merely that the producers of the records have been a little parsimonious in the matter of tracking separate works or parts of them. There are times, surely, when you want to hear your favourite excerpt or, in a group of pieces, a particular one without having to plough through the whole sice, which is the only other convenient way of selection on an LP. But this objection applies to only one or two of the discs. The Beginning In the beginning was Plainsong, music whose origin goes back to pre-Christian times. During the papacy of Gregory in the late sixth Century, the foundations were laid which were to make plainsong some of the noblest music of the Christian faith. This is not the time to discuss the essence of the enjoyment of Gregorian chants, if enjoyment is the word to use of the approach to such dispassionate music, but those who have listened will have discovered something of its secrets. The first research period of the Archive series is deyoted to plainsong and the first disc issued is the singing of the office of The Vespers of Christmas Eve (Archive AP 13005). Decca have also put out a series of plainsong records. These are sung by the monks of Solesmes; who have undertaken not- ~ ‘able modern research into plainsong. This Archive disc is sung by the Choir of the Monks of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Martin, Beuron, using a version edited by the Solesmes. monks. I wouldn’t like to decide between them. They are both beautifully sung. The second research period moves on to the Middle Ages and brings us the (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) well-spring of secular music, the troubadours, trouveres and minnesingers. You will enjoy Adam de la Halle’s tunes from the play of Robin and Marion, surely the original musical comedy, first performed about 1283, and his 13. Rondeaux. The 17 Anonymous Dances of the 13th Century which go along with them are, a real joy (Archive APM. 14018).There is a special interest in hearing these primal designs of music which hag become paft of our familiar listening. The third research period introduces the beginning of the madrigal, and five magnificent sacred songs by the great Netherlands composer Guillaume Dufay (died 1474), sung by Jeanne Deroubaix, Franz Mertens and Louis Devos, with instrumental accompaniment of the period (APM 14019). The Elizabethans are reptesented by ten songs of Thomas Campion (AP 13006)-tracks here #would have been most useful for two ten-inch sides of Mr. Campion may be a bit too much at one ; sitting. From Monteverdi w have Arianna’s Lament, often sung in‘a truncated version by sopranos, but here given complete and most beautifully by Elisabeth Hongen (APM 14020) with a glorious oratorio by Carissimi, Jepthe, on the reverse side. On the Threshold The introduction to what might be called our modern times and-the end of the beginning is in. the Musicalische Exequien of Heinrich Schutz (APM 14023). The books will tell you ‘that Schutz (1585-1672) is one of the greatest geniuses in musical history. After hearing the disc you should have no

doubt on the matter, particularly as the music is so superbly sung. Purcell marks the 4th Research Period with Fifteen Fantasies for Viola da Gamba (APM 14027). Alessandro Scarlatti is remembered with a cantata, with the original version of Corelli's "La Follia" sonata on the reverse side (APM 14024), arid a charming "Lesson" for viola d’amore by Attilio Ariosti. Johann Sebastian Bach has a period all to himself. In this first series he ‘is represented by two solo cantatas sung by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (APM 14004). If one feels a little disappointed | in these, it is only because we have. come to expect sa much of | Dieskau. The gayest of the music is a performance of Handel’s Water Music complete, which means 45 minutes of it and not a dull moment. It is brilliantly | played by 55 members of the ac pers Philharmonic conducted hy Fritz Leh-| mann (APM. 14006). Then there is a_ Trio, and a Quartet for three wind instruments, by Georg Telemann (AP 13020). The first series of these Archive recordings ends with Mbozart’s Pianoforte Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K.414 (AP 13021). This is not one of Mozart’s most exciting piano concertos and the performance is not made more so by being given on a Mozart ‘fortepiano, about which even the soloist, Heinz Scholtz, sounded as if he may have had doubts now and ‘again. But as the Archives have set out to be authentic, one could hardly have it otherwise. The Camerata Academica of the Salzburger Mozarteum conducted by Bernhard Paumgartner are fine in this accompaniment, Altogether, without any qualificdtions whatsoever, this Archive series is one of the most significant contributions to the long-playing repertoire.