known French masters of polyphonic music style is elevated and tasteful, if not very Chamber Orchestra, Lamberto Gardellt, together on one well -recorded disc. N.B. varied from one composer to another; the tond. tone is warm but not saccharine; the tech- WESTMINSTER XWN 18262. I2 -in. $4.98. MACKERRAS: nique is impeccable. Such are the qualities of the present performances. The Festival Composer and title have been so long Philharmonia Orchestra, Charles Mackerras, Orchestra (a nom de disque of an English placed together that by now any other link- cond. ensemble) seems quite competent. In the ing would have an odd look, but there still RCA VICTOR LM 2039. r2 -in. $3.98. Mozart the oboes are too far back, and in should be a question mark between "Per - golesi" and "Il Maestro di Musica." The When Sadler's Wells last was here, the the Bach there is no continuo. The sound truth is that no one can say for sure just company presented the American première of the solo fiddle is good; that of the who (singular or plural) really did write of John Crankti s ballet The Lady and the (orchestra a little dry. My own preference it. Without going into details, what the Fool. The production was greeted with I/ is for Heifetz in both works, but anyone putative Pergolesi score would seem to be something less than enthusiasm by the who wants them together on one disc need is a pastiche of several intermezzi, all of critics, but some music lovers not hesitate to get the present one. N.B. in the one family but bearing no marks to show audience perked up their ears at some for certain the exact components. Whether vaguely familiar sounds from the pit. MOZART: Sonatas for Violin and Pi- one chooses to label it as "by" Pergolesi, Charles Mackerras had arranged a score ano: in G, K. soi; in E minor, K. or "by" Auletta, or "by" whomever, its from Verdi very seldom heard: 304; in E flat, K. 38o main extrinsic interest comes from the fact Akira, (the French version of Wolfgang Schneiderhan, violin; Carl See - that it is all but impossible to tell who I Lombardi) , Il Finto Stanislao, Aroldo, composed which music to which words; its Giovanna d'Arco, , I mann, piano. Due Fos- main intrinsic interest from the corollary cari, Atilla, , and several others. DECCA DL 9886. 12 -in. $3.98. circumstance that it is a pleasant- enough Well, is here the compilation, complete, Mr. Schneiderhan has not hitherto been little generalized eighteenth- century inter- conducted by the arranger. It's very a large one of this reviewer's favorite violinists, mezzo, no better or worse than others of helping of heavily arranged Verdi, and it but the slow vibrato that was noticed in the kind. may prove, for some listeners, rather too other recordings is not in evidence here. The plot is of no more consequence than much of a good thing. To me it began These are in fact as satisfactory perform- that of, say, Mozart's The Impresario, with to be irksome about halfway through. The ances of Mozart violin sonatas as I have which it has in common some generalized liner notes, by Mackerras himself, give heard on records. The two artists have ap- elements of type characters and situations. pertinent information about the musical parently played together a good deal. Their There is a music master (i.e., teacher of sources, and the recorded sound on the disc ensemble is impeccable. These works con- singing) à la Don Basilio, only in this is excellent. Presumably, with the arranger tain many passages in which the violin case not so scroungy. He has a prize pupil in charge of the orchestra, the performance merely accompanies, and not every star soprano for whom he feels more than, is definitive. H.C.S. - - fiddler is willing to efface himself that etc. Enter an impresario - . He, too, much at such times. But here we have a admires the young soprano. Result: Con- MOZART: Concerto for Clarinet and fine team of chamber -music players who flict of interests all round; but after the Orchestra, in A, K. 622; Quintet for know what is needed and pass the thematic kinds of solos and ensembles to be ex- Clarinet and Strings, in A, K. 58r ball smoothly and gracefully from one to pected from the situation, a moral -seeming the other. They convey Benny Goodman, clarinet; Boston Sym- equally successfully tripartite understanding is reached. the charm of the phony ; Boston Symphony delightful rondo of K. The Westminster recording, in addition 38o and the drama of K. 304 Orchestra, Charles Munch, pond. - surely, to being the first of the work, is the first with its passionate Allegro and heavenly RCA VICTOR LM 2073. 12 -in. $3.98. made by the company in co- operation with Minuet, Mozart's most affecting violin the forces of the famous Swedish royal From the technical standpoint Goodman's sonata. N.B. theater at Drottningholm. The singers ob- playing here is impeccable. In the con- viously have been coached in the language, certo his phrasing is musicianly, the line but they do not achieve great distinction is flexible, the dynamics are graded. If with it, particularly in the recitatives, which this is not the most eloquent perform- the conductor, Lamberto Gardelli, takes ance imaginable, it probably is as good as lethargically at best. Arne Ohlson, in the any other on LP. (The choice may lie title role, has a voice that is pleasantly between this one and that by Walton and lyric in the easier stretches but goes bleary Von Karajan, reviewed in March.) In when the pressure is on. The soprano, the marvelous Quintet Goodman's playing Elisabeth Söderstrom, is accurate and ade- is less nuanced. The balance here is fine quately facile, but just as edgy and shrill on the whole, but the first violinist - the as any second -rank Latin soubrette. The excellent Richard Burgin - sounds a bit best voice is that of Carl -Axel Hallgren timid in one or two spots, and in general -a good, firm bass-- and he an air of carefulness obtrudes. All things does, all- round, the best singing. The or- considered, this is superior to the only chestral playing is quite neat and unified, other single disc that contains both works the recorded sound good. Notes inadequate; (in which F. Etienne is the clarinetist) . no libretto. J.H.JR. None of the available recordings of the Quintet is completely satisfactory, but until PEROTINUS: Alleluya, nativitas; Seder - a performance comes along that does justice Mozarteans Goodman and Munch. unt principes - See Leoninus: Vider - to this masterwork, I should choose the unt omnes. one by De Bavier on London as coming a little closer to it than do any of the MOZART: Symphony No. 41. in C, K. RACHMANINOFF: Concerto for Piano others. N.B. 55r ( "Jupiter") - See Beethoven: and Orchestra, No. r, in F sharp Symphony No. 5, in C minor, Op. 67. minor, Op. r MOZART: Concerto for Violin and Or- tSaint -Saëns: Concerto for Piano and chestra, No. 5, in A, K. 219 PARTOS: Yiskor - See Hovhaness: Orchestra, No. 5, in F, Op. 103 1 Bach: Concerto for Violin and Orches- Talin. tra, in A minor, S. 1041 Sviatoslav Richter, piano; State Radio Or- chestra of the U.S.S.R., Kurt Sanderling, Festival Nathan Milstein, violin; Orchestra, PERGOLESI: Il Maestro di Musica tond. (in the Rachmaninoff) ; Moscow Harry Blech, cond. Youth Orchestra, Kiril Kondrashin, tond. Elisabeth , CAPITOL P 8362. 12 -in. $3.98. Söderstrom (s) Lauretta; Karin (in the Saint -Saëns). Sellergren (s) , Dorina; Arne Ohlson (t) , MONITOR MC 2004. I 2-in. $4.98. Milstein can always be depended on for a Lamberto; Carl -Axel Hallgren ( b) , Colagi- completely acceptable performance. The anni. Drottningholm (Sweden) Theater. Sviatoslav Richter is as successful with

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