RECORDS SYMPHONIC "POPS" CONCERT Www
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RECORDS ferno! through Sento avvampar melt anima. Il presumably to give the listener a rest, for Although my knowledge of night clubs is Trovatore: Di quella pira. Mr. Templeton's well -known improvisatory limited indeed, I can easily understand the Gino Penno (t); Angelo Mercuriali (t). abilities seem inexhaustible. Clean sound, appeal Amalia Rodrigues would have for "Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (Mi- low price make this a good bet for those their clientele -a warm voice, a personality lano)"; Antonio Narducci, cond. who like smart -cabaret duo -pianism. R. E. that comes through, music that is interesting LONDON LD 9117. to-in. $2.95. and unusual, and just the right face and figure. In this record she offers four Portu- Gino Penno is one of the most successful MOTETS OF THE VENETIAN guese fact and four Spanish flamenco songs. of the younger, or postwar, generation of SCHOOL (16th CENTURY) VOL. II The fados include Coimbra, better known in Italian tenors with big voices. His rise to Choir of the Capella di Treviso, Italy. this country as April in Portugal, a number fame from the opera school at La Scala was Under the Direction of Monsignor Giovanni that seems typical of the genre. (She sings immediate and rapid, and last season he D'Alessi. one of its stanzas in English.) The flamenco was engaged by the Metropolitan and sang songs seemed a bit tame to my ears, but Composers: Asola, Croce, Ingegneri, Nasco, here in such operas as La Forzadel Destino, Il perhaps this may make them more acces- Porta, Ruffo, Vecchi, Willaert. Trovatore, Aida,Pagliacci, and Norma. Before sible to the average American listener. The Vox PL -861o. 12 -in. $5.95. that, Mr. Penno's voice had been heard here recording I thought quite harsh, but flexible Cetra recording of Verdi's in the complete This is a companion -disk to the earlier controls can bring it in line. G. S., Jr. has been made, by interested Ernani. Much volume of 16th Century motets issued by of Mr. Penno's parties, of the great size the same chorus. The works are beautiful SHOWPIECES FOR ORCHESTRA, actually in the opera voice. As it sounded examples of their kind, and repay repeated Vol. I house, it certainly made a gracious plenty hearings. me, at least) less Borodin: Polovuian Dances from "Print. of noise, but it seemed (to Since the choir consists of men's voices for actual decibels than for the Igor." remarkable only, the uppermost line is sung, of course, uncushioned impact it made Enesco: Roumanian Rhapsody No. t in A kind of naked, by tenors. The very strain occasioned by recording technique Major, Op. s t. on the eardrums. The the high tessitura causes their voices to take -to in the London manner) Ippolitoff -Ivanoff: Caucasian Sketches, Op. se used here (close on an unusual quality, the "rightness" of of dimension; no one gives some sense which increases as one listens. Those who Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Alfred likely to think it hearing this disk would be are accustomed to the relatively impersonal Wallenstein, cond. It does, however, give the a small voice. style so often found in the "English" ap- DECCA DL 9727. 12 -in. 44 min. $5.85. livelier, more impression of being somewhat proach to early music, may be surprised by more surrounding resonance foursquare, not vibrant, with the quality of the tenor tone in this record- These overly expressive it had in the Metropolitan. Otherwise, performances, vigorously directed by Wal- than ing. There is a liberal use of the vibrato, is typical straightforward, lenstein, and well played by his men, the singing - which lends a feeling of urgency. As a do in treatment of in steady, not very imaginative result, these are not mere museum re-crea- not, any way, challenge recordings al- itself is reliable, in words. The voice bright, tions, but rather, readings in which the ready to be found the catalog. The Boro- variety. rather lacking in expressive Antonio emotional implications of the text seem to din and Ippolitoff -Ivanoff scores may be is perfectly satisfac- found in superior performances Narducci's conducting be of greatest importance. One is aware of under this sort. secondary ML tory for a do of The an undercurrent of passion throughout the Mitropoulos on Columbia 4815, and the Flavio, Angelo Mercuriali, Enesco is better on Victor LRM 7043 tenor who sings music which is, after all, a product of an by So is the chorus (La - is is extremely good. era which was given to extremes of emotional Stokowski. There bright sound from H., Jr. Scala ?). J. expression. Hence my statement that the Decca, but it calls for some bass boost. "rightness" of the approach becomes in- J. F. I. SYMPHONIC "POPS" CONCERT creasingly apparent as the record progresses. SONGS AND BALLADS The recording is excellent, and complete OF AMERI- Overture to "Martha" (Flotow); Incidental CA'S WARS Music from "Mignon" (Thomas); Storm texts and translations are supplied. D. R. Music from "The Barber of Seville" (Rossini); Felix the Soldier; The Press Gang Sailor; The Ballad of Montcalm and Wolfe; Doodle Dandy; Intermezzo from " Pagliacci' ( Leoncavallo); AMALIA RODRIGUES Overture to "Mede" (Cherubini); Invitation Paul Jones; The British Soldier; Perry's Vic- Sings Fado from Portugal and Flamenco tory; The Battle Cry of Freedom; The Twenty- to the Dance (Weber); Tales from the Vienna from Spain Woods (J. Strauss) Third; Virginia's bloody Soil; The Southern Amalia Rodrigues, accompanied by Jaime Girl's Reply; The Old Unreconstructed; The The Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Ferdi- Santos and Santos Moreira. Bonnie Blue Flag. cond. nand Leitner, ANGEL ANG 64002. 10 -in. $4.95. DECCA DL 8509. 12 -in. 46 min. $4.85. Sung by Frank Warner. ELEKTRA EKL 13. to -in. 31 min. $4.45. A generous serving of seven standard or- chestral compositions in good, straightfor- Most of these old songs, born of the camara- ward performances, and moderately good derie of men who fought in the wars of this sound. But isn't this sort of portmanteau country, have all but been forgotten. A LP outdated, these days? With Extended few linger in the memory of those who Play 45 -rpm records designed to take care heard them from their elders, and some may of similar selections, at a reasonable cost, be found in the song books devoted to this it is unlikely that any listener interested, for medium, but all are quite rare. Anne instance, in the Overture to Medea is likely Warner's informative liner notes as to where, to be willing to spend $4.85 to obtain it, and how this collection was uncovered, and also acquire six selections which may be plus some historical notes on their back- of no interest to him. J. F. I. grounds, and the variants by which some may be known makes fascinating reading. Frank Warner, her husband and a singer ALEC TEMPLETON IMPROVISES with a decided flair for capturing their Alec Templeton, piano. quality, sings them with simplicity, honesty REMINGTON R- 199 -158. 12 -in. 18, 19 min. and without trace of affectation. Whether $2.99. unaccompanied, or with guitar or wooden banjo, the voice is always nicely placed and Alec Templeton forms a two -piano team the style pleasantly informal. Elektra's with himself to produce some amiable en- snund is first rate. J. F. I. tertainment. With considerable wit, he juggles whole tunes or fragments thereof - SPANISH GYPSY-AIRS now you hear them, now you don't - and the bouncing rhythms never flag. Each Amalia Rodriguez: fado andJlarnenco song. Jose Moreno (flamenco singer), Carlos Mon- side is broken up into four movements, tailored for night-clubs - or for export. toya (guitar), and ensemble. 66 HIGH' FIDELITY MAGAZINE www.americanradiohistory.com.