OPERA AT HOME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 34, Issue 870, 6 April 1956, Page 11

OPERA AT HOME

PERA is theatre, which means that it should be seen as well as heard. With a composer like Verdi, who put the music before the drama and never failed to throw in a good measure

of ingratiating tunes, opera on disc has its special enjoyments. Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera introduces the composer on the threshold of his period of finest writing. "From beginning to end," writes his latest biographer, Carlo Gatti, "there is a swiftness, a sweep of musical discourse, more varied than in any of Verdi’s preceding operas. . . It is a work of broad melodic ‘breath’: every word sings: every phrase is part of the melodic line

that runs unbroken from beginning to end," This is the flavour Toscanini gives to A Masked Ball, with the NBC Symphony Orchestra and the Robert Shaw Chorale, and a cast which includes Jan Peerce, Robert Merrill, Herva Nelli and Claramae Turner (H.M.V. ALP 1252-4), If the singing lacks the tang that an all-Italian cast would give it, there is in compensation Toscanini’s integrity of approach, This in itself is more than worth the money, For real red-blooded opera, however, that comes. off well on the record, there is Borodin’s Prince Igor, Although Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazounov had to finish off poor over-worked Borodin’s masterpiece for him, the composer’s elemental strength comes through in music which is unique even in the literature of Russian opera. Soloists, chorus and orchestra of the U.S.S.R. State Bolshoi Theatre Academy give an exciting per-

formance which has the aura of authenticity about it (Monarch 326-329). Mozart and After This month’s Mozart brings to notice two symphonies and two. piano concertos. Otto Klemperer and the Philharmonia Orchestra play Symphony No, 29 in A Major, K.201, and Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K.551 ("Jupiter") (Columbia 33CX 1257), Mozart almost at the first summit of his symphonic career, and at the ultimate peak, If Klemperer’s Mozart is solid rather than sparkling, it nevertheless gives distinction to these two symphonies. Detail,

particularly in the "Jupiter," does not always come out with the clarity one would expect, but this is, all the same, a most acceptable disc. Walter Gieseking plays two Mozart piano con-certos--in D Minor, K.466, and C Major, K.503-with tthe Phil--harmonia Orchestra conducted by Hans Rosbaud (Columbia 33CX 1235). This {ts certainly scintillating playing, and singing where required, too. K.503 is especially delightful.

New releases introduce the Russian violinist, David Oistrakh in sonatas with pianist Lev Oberin-Sonata No. 5 in F Minor by Bach, and Schubert’s Sonata in A Major, Op. 172. (Monarch MWL 311), This would be a bit of very attractive playing were it not that the piano in both sonatas, especially the Bach, is over resonant, or, to put it bluntly, too loud. The recording, in fact, hardly matches the performance. Joseph Fuchs (violin), Artur Balsam (piano), however, make a fine team in two sonatas by Beethoven-No. 3 in E Flat, Op. 12, No. 3 and No. 6 in A, Op, 30, No. 1 (Festival CFR 12-539). This is reasonable enough recording and very beautiful playing. For something a little off the beaten track and glowing with ensemble colour, there’s a recital of vocal music by Ravel sung by Suzanne Danco (soprano) with L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande conducted by Ernest Ansermet-Schehera-

zade, Trois Poemes de Stéphane Mallarmé and Deux Mélodies Hébraiques (Decca LXT 5031), This is some of Ravel’s most ravishing impressionism, and Suzanne Danco at her best which, as you may know, is very good indeed. The playing of Stanislav Rikhter (piano) with the Moscow State Youth Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kyril Kondrashin is fine (Monarch MWL 321), There is no indication as to how youthful the Youth Orchestra is, but there’s no doubt about the assurance of its playing. One could wish, however, that Stanislav Rikhter had been allowed to demonstrate his undoubted talents in a concerto more exciting than Glazounov’s No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 92.

On the reverse side the All-Union Radio Symphony Orchestra play two concert waltzes by Glazounov. Jazz Round Up From a bunch of blithesome discs under the Clef label, all of which the jazz connoisseur will probably run his ear over, the following rate special mention: Count Basie and his Orchestra (Clef MGC 120)-not too much subtlety but a swinging rhythm in the Basie style; Illinois Jacquet Collates No, 2 (Clef MGC-129)-noisy and: brash; and various Jazz at the Philharmonic, of which MG Vol. 14-I Got Rhythm, and MG Vol. 10, Endido, seem to have more of what it takes,