cerned -is gorgeous in timbre and freely Philharmonic is one among many illus- played these works with sensitivity, vi- projected. The thought occurs that, were trious groups outclassed in sheer virtu- tality, and precision. N.B. it not for this emphasis on artificially osity by the Vanguard performance. colored bottom tones, Miss Verrett might I have three tiny reservations regard- develop not only as one of our finest ing this fine disc: one is that the "Scene SCHUBERT: Music for Piano, Four mezzos but perhaps in time as a dra- aux champs" is divided between sides Hands matic soprano of the Crespin complexion. -a fault it shares with most other Fan - On the current recording she sings a tastiques, Monteux's included; secondly, Military Marches, Op. 51: No. 1, in D; wonderfully touching group of spirituals the "Marche au supplice" (after a sen- No. 2, in G; No. 3, in E flat; Andantino and offers, by way of conclusion, a per- sationally clear exposition of the opening varié in B minor, Op. 84, No. 1; Rondo formance of the Mozart Alleluia with percussion scoring) is rather jaunty for in A, Op. 107; Divertissement d la hon- sensationally good fioritura and great, suggesting the gait of a deranged lover groise, in G minor, Op. 54. sweeping style up to the final measures, about to be executed for murder; finally, where she spoils much of the preceding after making an altogether splendid start Artur Schnabel and Karl Ulrich Schna- effect by an Italian opera flourish on in the demonic finale, Golschmann bel, piano [from various HMV 78 -rpm the climactic note. Charles Wadsworth's doesn't quite get across the last ounce of releases, 1937]. accompaniments are comme cornme venom in the frenetic final pages. (Mo.i- ODEON E 80872. LP. $5.98. fa. R.L. teux, curiously, throws his classicism to the winds here and even permits himself Before the Second World War, Artur a generous accelerando, which Golch- Schnabel and his son Karl Ulrich re- mann, surprisingly, eschews.) corded a large quantity of Schubert four - If possible, get the stereo edition of hand music together -regrettably neg- this disc; but in whatever format, this is lecting the Grand Duo and possibly the a formidable reissue indeed! H.G. greatest work in the series, the F minor Fantasy. The present disc presents most `Reissues of those performances. In the popular DVORAK: Trio for Piano and D major Marche militaire and its two Strings, in F minor, Op. 65 less well -known siblings, the angular, tHaydn: Trio for Piano and Strings, slightly brusque, yet always twinkling No. 3, in C style of the Schnabels immediately im- parts a strong profile to their renditions. David Oistrakh, violin; Sviatoslav Knu- But it is in the charming Rondo, the Symphonie fantastique, shevitzky, cello; Lev Oborin, piano lyrical Theme and Variations, and - BERLIOZ: [from Westminster XWN 18176, 1956]. most of all the extended Divertisse- op. 14 -in MONITOR MC 2071. LP. $1.98. ment à la hongroise that the true signifi- MONITOR MCS 2071. SD. $1.98. musicians' artistry makes it- Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera, cance of these self felt. Vladimir Golschmann, cond. [from A further reissue in a series of chamber The transfers are beautifully managed. Vanguard SRV 120 /SRV 120 SD, 1961]. music performances by celebrated Soviet Bass tones are round and sonorous, while, VANGUARD EVERYMAN SRV 170. LP. artists (three such discs were reviewed even by today's standards, the treble $ I.98. in these pages in September), the present comes through with unexpected clarity VANGUARD EVERYMAN SRV 170SD. installment brings with it the sad an- a goodly amount of coloration. $1.98. and SD. nouncement on its cover that this fine Quiet surfaces, too. H.G. ensemble exists no more: Sviatoslav With so remarkable a performance as Knushevitzky, the cellist, died last year. Monteux's Vienna Philharmonic Pierre The present album is especially worth KARL ERB: Recital recording already available in the econ- attention, since both compositions are any new contender omy department, strong examples of their creators' finest Schubert: Liebesbotschaft; Ihr Grab. be worthy indeed. For- would have to work. The C major Trio, though num- Brahms: O kiihler Wald; Lerchengesang. is. Whereas Mon - tunately, Golschmann's bered as above in most standard Wolf: Lebe wohl; Der Scholar; Der ver- teux's is a celebrated classical conception catalogues, is actually the twenty -seventh zweifelte Liebhaber; Unfall; Jägerlied; of the work, Golschmann leads the Fan - in order of composition. By that time Der Gärtner; Auftrag; Frohe Botschaft; tastique as a perfervid, yet always (c. 1792). Haydn knew well what he Herz, versage nicht geschwind. Wagner: stringently controlled, outpouring of ro- was about! Similarly, the Dvofák -a Die Meistersinger: Preislied. Goldmark: mantic surrealism. While Monteux, for strong, brooding masterpiece, much more Die Königin von Saba: Romanze. Puc- example, keeps the opening of the first dramatic in tone than the far more cini: La Bohème: Che gelida manina. movement moving at a poised Andante popular Damky. Performances are full Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffniann: Al- sostenuto (suggesting the introduction of of passionate sweep, and beautifully co- Ions! Courage et confiance. Flotow: a classical symphony), Golschmann per- ordinated. Unobtrusively reprocessed for Alessandro Stradella: Jungfrau Maria. mits the tempo to accelerate as the highly stereophony, the recorded sound is com- Donizetti: Don Pasquale: Tornami a dir. combustible "passions" overcome the pletely adequate. H.G. delirious "reveries." Throughout the en- Maria Ivogün, soprano (in the Doni- tire performance, Golschmann tends to zetti); Karl Erb, tenor; Gerald Moore, be more subjective and much more ex- MOZART: Quartets for Strings: No. piano (in the Songs); Bruno Seidler - trovert in his re- creation of Berlioi s 20, in D, K. 499; No. 21, in D, K. Winkler, piano (in the Songs); various notes, though he always has the sensi- 575 orchestras (in the Arias) [from various tivity and the sheer technique to keep acoustical and electrical recordings]. things in perfect order. I admire the Stuyvesant String Quartet [from Phil - ODEON 83392. LP. $5.98. masculine "burr" on the low brass in the harmonia PH 105, 1952]. "Songe d'une Nuit de Sabbat," the crys- NONESUCH H 1035. LP. $2.50. Karl Erb, at least as represented on talline purity of the strings throughout, NONESUCH H 71035. SD. $2.50. this record, is two kinds of tenor. One the solidity of the huge bronze bells in is the dignified, intensely poetic musi- the finale, and the superb detail heard While the "stereo" of this recording cian whose Lieder recordings were justly at all times in the exceptionally realistic made a dozen years ago is cleverly simu- prized for decades and who could wring recording. Golschmann's ensemble may lated -there seems to be distinct separa- the heart with Bach and Mozart when not convey the lushness (and fascinating tion between high and low strings -the he was well into his seventies. The other Kafka -esque quality) heard in the newer sound in general is cavernous, over- was a romantic operatic tenor of no Munch /Boston Symphony recording reverberant, and distorted. This is a pity, particular insight at all, who managed (RCA Victor LM /LSC 2608), but on because the ensemble was strong in every to sing Walther's Preislied and Rodolfo's the other hand the celebrated New York member, blended well together, and Racconto like so many notes.

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