10 Lab Test Assette Deck Reports

MARCH 1974 $1.25 08398 cy,

dmusical america ST. LOUISCOUNTYLIDRAiwneRecordings Of Maria Callas

HitEchi Model TRQ-2040D 10 Lab Test assette deck Reports

Radforc SPA -60 Mk. II

rower amplifier Ace Audio Zero -Distortion preamp

I I AA.

Superex PEP -79 electrostatic headphones

Concord CR-250 receiver

)

I) 11 11.1 110 /111// 1 1 1 A

Kenwood KR -9340 quadriphonic receiver Rectilinear Xla speaker system Shure SFG-2 trEcking-force gauge If size doesn't impressyou,perhaps the numbers will. SPECIFICATIONS OF FISHER CUSTOM -COMPONENT SPEAKERS :1

XP -7-S XP -65-S XP -56-S XP -55-S XP -44S PL -6 Sound Panel Price: $169.95 S109.95 $89.95 $59.95 $49.95 $138.00 Frequency response: 33-20.0(X) Hz 33-20,(XX) 112 35-20,(X1) Hz 37-20,000 Hz 39-19,(XX) liz 40-18,000 Hz Maximum music power: 45 Watts 30 Watts 30 Watts 3() Watts 20 Watts 50 Watts Bass speaker diameter: 12 inches 10 inches 8 inches 8 inches 6 inches Voice coil diameter: 112 inches 1 inch 1 inch 1 inch 1 inch 1 inch Free air resonance: 2()117 25 Hz 38 Hz 38 Hz 38 Hz Magnet structure: 3 p(nids 2 pounds 2 pounds 2 pounds 2 pounds 2.64 pounds Mid -range: 5 inches 5 inches Mice coil diameter: 34 inch inch Magnet structure: p(mnd pound Treble speaker diameter: 3 inches 3 inches 3 inches 3 inches 3 inches Voice coil diameter: 9i6 inch 9/16 inch ?is inch 9s inch 9/16 inch 1 inch Sound dispersion: 91) degrees 90 degrees 90 degrees 90 degrees 00 degrees 360 degrees Crossover frequencies: 8(X). 4010 liz 6(X). 3,01X) liz 1,500 Hz 1.50011z 1,500 Hz Impedance: 8 ohms 8 ohms 8 oh s 8 ohms 8 ohms 8 ohms Dimensions: 2436" x 13946" 23" x 13" 21" x'11'," 90" x10" 15%" x812 " 233,rx 29.34" x 12" deep x 10" deep x 9" deep x7'2" deep x 6Y.4" deep x 274"deep Weight: 32 pounds 27 pounds 20 pounds 18 ixmnds 16 pounds 21 pounds Cabinet: Walnut Vinyl Walnut Vinyl Walnut Vinyl Walnut Vinyl Walnut Vinyl \Valnut or White

Available at all Fisher dealers.

ST- 127)

ST -465

ST -4 -ti ik louder than words. ortant specifications of I' -7-S peaker that suits your budget, ieaker in its category. made us the world's S. NumbersThe speak Fisher louder than words. SPECIFICATIONS OF FISHER STUDIO STANDARD SPEAKERS:"

ST -550 ST -530 ST -500 ST -465 ST -445 ST -425

Price: S349.95 $249.95 $199.95 $169.95 $99.95 $79.95 Effective frequency response. on axis. (Pink -noise source, l3 octave bands.): 35-20.()(X)112 38-20,000 Hz 40-20,000 liz 40-20,000 Hz 50-20,000 Hz 55-20,10) Hz Impedance, nominal: 8 ohms 8 ohms 8 ohms 6-8 ohms 6-8 ohms 6-8 ohms Continuous power -handling capacity. 2 -second duration: 300 Watts 21X)Watts 100 Watts 100 Watts 90 Watts 80 Watts 60 -second duration: 1(X) Watts 100 \\'atts 54) Watts 50 Watts 45 Watts 40 Watts Long-term duration: 50 Watts 50 Watts 25 Watts 25 Watts 22 Watts 20 Watts Minimum continuous power requirement: 25 Watts 25 Watts 25 Watts 25 Watts 15-20 Watts 15-20 Watts at 8 ohms at 8 ohms at 8 ohms at 8 ohms at 8 ohms at 8 ohms Total number of drivers: 7 6 4 3 3 2 12" I," 10" 10" Woofer cone diameter: 15" 15" ,,, 1 y Voice -coil diameter: 2" 2" 2" 1%" Magnet stnicture: 13 lbs. 13 lbs. 6 lbs. 5 lbs. 4 lbs. 2% lbs. Midrange speaker type: soft dome soft dome soft dome flare dome cone I y I 1%" Diameter: 11'2 3%" 4%" 1p%, 1%, Voice -coil diameter: 1 %" PA" kt" Magnet structure: 6 lbs. 6 lbs. Ells. 2% lbs. 11,E lbs. Tweeter type: 2 cones 4 cones 2 cones dome dome dom-e Dome or cone diameter: 2" 2" 2" 1" 1" 1" 9, Voice -coif diameter: Y16" 9/16" 116I 1" 1" 1" Side dispersion speakers: 2 soft domes - - - - Voice -coil diameter: 1A" - - - - Crossover frequencies: 600, 6,(XX). 6(X), 6,00() Hz 600, 6,000 Hz 450, 5,000 Hz 650, 5,5(X) Hz 2,5(X) liz 1 ,(XX) Liz Controls: 3 2 2 2 1 Midrange: 3 pos. 3 pos. 3 pos. 3 pos. - Treble: 3 pos. 3 pos. 3 pos. 3 pos. 3 pos. 3 po- s. Side -dispersion: 3 pos. - - - - Weight: 75 lbs. 56 lbs. 45 lbs. 39 lbs. 30 lbs. 25 lbs. Dimensions: 30" x 17" 27" x 16V 26" x 15" 24%" x 141/4" 23'2" x 13" 22%" x 12%" x 12%" deep x 13" deep x 12" deep x 111716" deep x II " deep x 10" deep Cabinet finish: Walnut Walnut Walnut Walnut Walnut Vinyl Walnut Vinyl

Studio -Standard speakers are available only at Fisher Studio -Standard dealers. Fair trade prices where applicable. Prices slightly higher in the Far West and Southwest.

S I -WO

At Fisher, we believe that numbers spe; book $2 value! Mail this coupon for your free copy of So for your convenience, we list here the imp The Fisher Handbook. This entirely new, revised edition the Fisher loudspeakers. Pick out the Fisher of the famous Fisher reference guide to high fidelity, stereo and 4 -channel is a magnificent 68 -page book. and compare its numbers with those of any sr Fisher Radio, Box 1001, Long Lsland City, N.Y. 11101. It's just this sort of comparison that has I largest manufacturer of high-fidelity speaker Name

Address

City State Zip (For same -day reply. enclose Si.) Fisher is probably the world's largest manufacturer of high-fidelity speakers.

ST -425

ST- 16

ST -445

XP -7-S HIGH FIDEL111111r March 1974 VOL. 24 NO. 3 and musical america

music and musicians Edward Greenfield MOZART VS. THE GREMLINS 20 Behind the scenes in London Gene Lees DICK HAYMES COMES HOME 26 A top singer of the '40s rebuilds his career David Hamilton THE RECORDINGS OF MARIA CALLAS 40 John McDonough GENE KRUPA: THE BEAT GOES ON 50 audio and video TOO HOT TO HANDLE 28 NEWS AND VIEWS 36 Another stab at stereo AM ... The tube lives! Upbeat on drumming. See page 50 EQUIPMENT IN THE NEWS 36 1 EQUIPMENT REPORTS 57 Microtower MT -2 speaker system ... Radford SPA -60 Mk. II power amplifier ... Kenwood KR -8340 quadriphonic receiver ... Superex PEP -79 headset... Hitachi Model TRQ-2040D cassette deck ... Dual 701 turntable ... Rectilinear Xla speaker system... Lab Test Concord R-250 receiver ... Shure SFG-2 tracking -force gauge ... Ace Audio Zero -Distortion preamp record reviews John Rockwell, Abram Chipman eports THE SYMPHONIES OF SCHUBERT AND SIBELIUS 75 Balm and Karajan's complete sets are more DG birthday presents Royal S. Brown LILY: CHALLENGING MUSICAL THEATER 79 The first part of Kirchner's opera -in -progress reaches disc CLASSICAL 80

Rachmaninoff's Vespers . . . Mercury makes a comeback IN BRIEF 104 Robert Long FOUR -CHANNEL DISCS AND TAPES 106

Four-sided Night Music . . . ForeverSousa LIGHTER SIDE 108

Loudon Wainwright Ill . Joni Mitchell ... Charlie Pride

JAZZ 114 Lily blooms. See page 79. Ben Webster ... Marian McPartland ... Duke Ellington High Fidelity and Musical America are published monthly by Billboard Publications. R. D. Darrell THE TAPE DECK 124 Inc at I Astor Plaza. New York. New York 10036 Copyright c 1971 by Bollboard Publications. Inc The design and concerts of Nigh Fidelity and Musical America ate Ambience vs. surround sound ... A better Boherne fully protected by copyright and must not be reproduced in any manner Application to mail at second class postage paid at New York. New York and al additional mailing ewes Yearly saurus bon so the USA and Possessions $11 elsewhere Sit Subscription including Concert Artists IN rectory 620 on USA elsewhere $21Single copy $125 Indeed in Reader's Guide to Periodical etc. Literature Change of address notoces and undel.nred wpm Non 35711 shenld Be sant in INp Fidelity and &nal Amen.. Sabundbon Department. P.O. Mt 14156, Cinanaah, Oho 45214. LETTERS 6 Plea* state WO old and new whims when manta.' chap

Sousa corrections .. . Finding four -channel discs Current and back copies of High Fidelity and High Fidelity and Mu- PRODUCT INFORMATION 10 sical America are available on microfilm from University Micro- An "at-home" shopping service 117 films, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106. Microfiche copies of these magazines (1913 forward) are available through Bell & Howell Mi- ADVERTISING INDEX 116 cro Photo Division, Old Mansfield Road, Wooster, Ohio 44691. LEONARD MARCUS Editor

NORMAN EISENBERG From here Executive Editor WAYNE ARMENTROUT Managing Editor

KENNETH FURIE Music Editor

ROBERT LONG Audio -Video Editor

SHIRLEY FLEMING Editor, Musical America Section

EDITH CARTER Associate Editor VIOLA MATSON Assistant Editor WILLIAM TYNAN Special Projects Editor

ROY LINDSTROM Art Director

ROBERT MADDOCKS Associate Art Director

MORGAN AMES ROYAL S. BROWN to hear R. D. DARRELL PETER G. DAVIS With Superex Stereophones, you've got the best seat in HENRY EDWARDS Philharmonic Hall. You're in the control room at every record- ALFRED FRANKENSTEIN HARRIS GOLDSMITH ing session. And you can change seats simply by changing DAVID HAMILTON the volume. DALE HARRIS MIKE JAHN Transport yourself to the center of the brass section, or MILES KREUGER see what it feels like to sit under the cymbals. PAUL HENRY LANG GENE LEES The Superex PEP 79 will carry you there. According to ROBERT C. MARSH Stereo Review, "... though one of the lowest -price electro- H. C. ROBBINS LANDON static headsets we know of, sounds about as good as the best Contributing Editors and most expensive ones we've tested STANLEY BINDER thus far - and that is no small Circulation Manager achievement." Write for com- CLAIRE N. EDDINGS plete report. Associate Publisher and You'll have a pair of Director of Advertising Sales Superex Stereophones with a WARREN B. SYER 10-22,000 Hz. frequency re- Publisher sponse, a handsome console Cover photo: Roy Lindstrom that works off any amplifier, Callas photo: Christian SteineriAngel Records and a one year guarantee. ADVERTISING Main Office: Claire N Eddings. The Publishing House. Great Barrington. Mass 01230. Telephone 413-528-1300 New York: 1515 Broadway (1 Astor Plaza). New York. N Y 10036 Telephone 212-764-7385 Seymour Resnick, Eastern Adv Mgr New England: The Publishing House, Great Barrington, Mass 01230 Telephone 413-528-1300 Russell Gilchrist. Chicago: Billboard Publications. Inc.. 150 North Wacker PEP -79 Dr ,Chicago.III. 60606Telephone.312-236-9818 LeonardLevine. Sugg. Retail Price $85.00 Los Angeles: Billboard Publications. Inc9000 Sunset Blvd .Los Angeles. Calif 90069 Telephone 213-273- 7040 AndrewSpanberger. Nashville: Billboard Publications, Inc.. 1719 West End Superex Stereophones. Ave. Nashville. Tenn 37203 Telephone 615-329-3925 Robert Kendall. London: 7 Carnaby St.. London W.1. England Telephone Feel what you hear. (01) 437-8090 Andre de Vekey. Milan: Piazzale Loreto 9. Milan 20131. Italy Telephone For Free Literature Write: 28 29 158 Germano Ruscitto Tokyo: Japan Advertising Communications. IncNew Superex Electronics Corp., Dept. FT, 151 Ludlow St., Yonkers, N.Y. 10705. Ginza Bldg .7-3-13 Ginza. Chuo-ku. Tokyo 104. Japan In Canada, Superior Electronics Inc. Telephone.. -(03)571-8748 Shigeru Kobayashi president kl, CIRCLE 48 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

4 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE sit live oris it Memorex? If anybody knows what Ella Fitzgerald sounds like, it's her old fr;end Count Basie. So we set up a test First, we put Ella in a soundproof booth and recorded her singing on Memorex with MRX2 Oxide. Then we Memorex sings. invited the Count into the studio He listened, but didn't look, as we alternated between Ella singing live and Ella recorded on Memorex with MRX2 Oxide. After switching back and forth a number of times, we asked the Count which was Ella live and which was Ella on Memorex. His answer: "You gotta be kidding, I can't tell." Now it just stands to reason that if an expert like Count Basie can't tell the difference between "live" and Memorex, you probably can't either. But, why not buy a Memorex MRX2 Oxide Cassette and listen for yourself?

MEMOREXRecording ape

CIRCLE 31 ON READER-SERV CE CARD MARCH 1974 The first NEW amplifier designletters since Sousa There are many glaring errors in George Ma- rek's "John Philip Sousa" [November 1973]. I thank Mr. Marek for plugging the first of my recent books, John Philip Sousa: A Descriptive Catalog of His Works (University of Illinois Press). I wish, however, he had had knowledge of the second: John Philip Sousa: American Phenomenon, a biography (Appleton Century Crofts). Both were published last summer: had they been available at the time of writing. a considerable amount of misinformation the ORIGINAL would not have been evident in Mr. Marek's otherwise fine article. Now to the more significant errors, in the Super Amp order of their appearance: The Sousa name was never "So," with "USA" appended later. It has been Sousa for You remember the first super pow- centuries. er amplifier - the Crown DC300. Well, most Sousa's father was very much in favor of his of its competitors are still using those six becoming a musician, contrary to what the ar- Sousa-what a life. year old circuit designs pioneered by Crown. ticle says. The story that Sousa threatened to Most every amp but Crown's new DC300A - join a circus so that he could become a musi- a totally redesigned amplifier inside and cian has no foundation. And he had been Washington, D.C., high school. The Washing- out. Frankly, the DC300A is not created for studying privately many years before the cir- the hi fi mass market, but for demanding ton Post (1889) and Semper Fidelis (1888) were cus incident. obviously not "products of the spirited '90s." commercial and professional applications. Another story without basis of fact is that a However, we know there are discerning I could not believe my eyes when I read that girl friend jilted him because she wanted noth- after the '90s Sousa "lost touch." An army of audiophiles, perhaps like yourself, who can ing to do with an "oompah" musician. It was appreciate the difference. bandmasters will point out that many of his her stepfather who put on the brakes. And at later marches are miniature masterpieces. The new DC300A has double the num- the time of that incident, Sousa did not form ber of output transistors, effectively twice Sousa "could not understand the new fox- the muscle of the old DC300 for driving a little band of his own and go on tour. Instead, trot"? I'd say he made very effective use of it in multi -speaker systems. Each channel has he toured with two orchestras as violinist/con- several of his humoresques and fantasies. eight 150 -watt devices for 1200 watts of ductor, in the employ of others. He was not on tour when he died (at sev- transister dissipation per channel. Ad- He did play under Offenbach at the Centen- enty-seven. not seventy-eight)in Reading, vanced electronic output protection per- nial Exposition in 1876. But this was again in Pennsylvania. He was there as a guest conduc- mits the DC300A to drive the toughest an orchestra, not a park band. tor. the Sousa Band having been dismissed for speaker loads at higher outputs before go- He was twenty-five at the time of his mar- the season several months before. ing into protection, and even then there are riage, not twenty-two. Legislation was never enacted making The no annoying flyback pulse noises or DC He led the Marine Band for the greater part Stars and Stripes Forever our national march. fuses to blow. of twelve years, not ten. And he never toured HR 10369, referred to in the article, was but The new DC300A has unprecedented Europe with them. the first of ten unsuccessful bills introduced in signal purity. IM and harmonic distortion He was not dubbed "March King" while on Congress over the years. ratings are .05%, although typically below tour in Europe. This occurred some ten years During my years of research it seemed that I .025%. Hum and noise rating is 110dB be- earlier. low 150 watts, while typically -122dB. The was forever writing letters to editors pointing David Blakely was not "a rich man with a out inaccuracies in articles about our "March difference in increased listening comfort hobby-that of being an impresario." The pro- is impressive. King." Now that the fruit of my research is in motion of musical organizations was his liveli- print, it is my earnest hope that future writers Although totally new, the DC300A has hood in his later years. Before Sousa, he had inherited some important traits from its will find that they have some reliable building managed Theodore Thomas' orchestra, Pat- blocks. predecessor: rick S. Gilmore's band, and the American tour Paul E. Bierley PRICE-still under $700 of Eduard Strauss. Columbus, Ohio WARRANTY - three years on allparts, Sousa "reinforced" his band with a large labor and round-trip shipping POWER RATING - 150 w/ch continuous at chorus? News to me. Only on rare occasions, and in no case was a chorus part of the touring R. D. Darrell's "Sousa on Disc and Tape" 8 ohms; power at clip -point typically 190 [November 1973] understandably emphasizes w/ch at 8 ohms, 340 w/ch at 4 ohms, 500 band. In my opinion-and in the opinion of most Sousa or half -Sousa albums currently avail- w/ch at 2.5 ohms, or plug in two parts for able in the U.S. The effect-though surely not 600 watts continuous mono power at 8 ohms. critics-Sousa's autobiography was not "a poor patchwork." I've studied it in great detail the intention-is to exclude a wealth of Sousa There are many new super -power am- in miscellaneous and foreign albums. In addi- plifiers. But when you buy a Crown DC300A, for several years and can find no reason for calling it "a not altogether truthful book." tion to the sixty-five works listed, twelve more you're buying more than just an amp. You're are available here and there: Beau Ideal, Belle buying the Crown company -a professional There are a few minor inaccuracies here and there, but on the whole I find it to be remark- of Chicago, Daughters of Texas, From Maine audio equipment manufacturer with a 26 - to Oregon. Imperial Edward, Minnesota, New year reputation for solid quality and lasting ably correct. York Hippodrome. On Parade. Power and He was not one of the founders of ASCAP; value. There are thousands of Crown amps Glory, University of Illinois. University of Ne- in the fieldstill working to their original rather he was a charter member. braska, and Yorktown Centennial. specifications, and still outperforming most I've made a pretty thorough study of Belle of Chicago. Daughters of Texas, and new amps. Visit your Crown dealer to hear Sousa's march titles and must say that most of the difference. For detailed product data, New York Hippodrome. for instance, are in- the marches were not composed "to order or cluded in a British album. "The Royal Ma- write Crown International, Box 1000, Elk- for specific occasions." He seldom accepted a hart, Indiana, 46514. rines Play Sousa" (Columbia Studio -2 235). commission to compose. with what I consider the best recordings to The High School Cadets was not composed date of Hail to the Spirit of Liberty. Kansas for the Philadelphia school system, but for the cpcrown marching cadet corps of the one and only Continued on page 14 CIRCLE 8 ON READER -SERVICE CARD HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Columbia announces the brand new Quacraohonic Music Service 233452 E. POWER BIGG and invites plays SCOTT JOPLIN you to take aft "QUAD $400 any records or cartridges if you Join now and agree to buy as few as 4 selections (at regular Service prices) during the coming year 236448

TCHAIKOVSKY Andy ENOCH LIGHT Lynn Anderson's BARBRA KRIS PAUL SIMON ' L The light Brigade 1812 OVERTURE KRISTCFFERSON 0 - Greatest STREISAND THERE GOES Williams THE BIG BMW HITS EUGENE ORMANOY MOOCH SIMON PhIladelphia Orchestra Hits LIVE Conce JESUS WAS HOIST ALONE AGAIN DI THE THIRTIES MORMON at The forum Li CAPRICORN THE PLANETS (NATURALLY) k TABERNACLE lose Garden She rus The First Tame Ever In The Mood You're Sweet A Rock BERNSTEIN IL CHOIR Nese bumps Neve York (I Saw Your face) One °Voce 101111, FN. IN en OaddAhart Help Ate Itodachroine Phonannonry Song Sung Blue M.,11. WIMP/ M. 9 MOSS Where You teal ti WSW el Cal ot risers I t_r j EISTEEMEI TOIRSCIO Al f4":". 222646 234757 * 201129 224758 223420 225318 230912 218107

ENGELBERT SIMON & ' nal A OUAORAPHOMC RAY CONNIFF HUMPERDINCK GARFUNKEL MOAN CONCERT HARMONY ININTElt HIND OF Bridge Over GROUP Kostelanetz , Touch Me Troubled ,11.7 In The HEARTS THEY ONLY Orchestra Morning Miter COME OUT 1 Only Peter Nero, piano PlaS AT NIGHT , 41 Delta Your El Condor Paso It f 0141p$Ody in 8,100 Dawn BabtO. BM Danube 'ra Low 9 Hoer 1. 9 mon 1/31141 DI=DI 233346 * 186809 196246 181909 224485 226274 * 236455 234955 PG * * THE LOGGINS ',octet iocir ono< * * BLOOD, SWEAT Tchaikovsky: AL GREEN Music ProductIons. Inc *MORMON * Donna MOODY And MESSINA presents TAREMNICLECISOIR CALL ME Fargo & TEARS 7 BLUES &oast 2142 Your Mara SWITCHED ON BACH Don D. nce MIS a MUM GREATEST HITS SEVENTH eefavee *SOJOURN &&" sew 19 Here I Ain MY SECOND Spinning Wheel PO 410W rewrite BRIMS ALBUM You've Made Me BERNSTEIN (Orme and raS C01.10111.4 13 Lire SeranSie NEW YORK Take Mel StraSIOMIC IMMO Superman So Very Happy PHILHARMOHIG st-n El:S=1:1 234336 228759 * 214650 225862 * 194506 224295 230870 * 171504 *Available on cartridges only An important new service from the world's rColumbia Quadraphonic Music Service largest manufacturer of quad recordings Tarre Haute, Indiana 47808 I am enclosing check or money order for 51.00 as Now there's a great way to get the quadra- ordings as soon as they're released. We'll payment 'or the three quad recordings indicated be- phonic records and cartridges you want' even select an outstanding new release as Icw. Please accept my membership application under It's the brand-new Columbia Quadraphonic "The Selection of the Month --but -here is the terms outlined in this advertisement. I agree to Music Service-and it brings you the same no obligation to accept it...order only the buy four >elections (at regular Service prices) in the coming year . . and may cancel membership at any savings and convenience that made the recordings you want when you want them! time after so doing. Send my three selections In this Columbia Record 8 Tape Club the worlds A special response card will be enclosed type of recording (check one): largest for regular stereo' with each Review...you may use it to order E Chad Cartridges E Quad Records 241 Look over the selections on this page. or reject any selections offered simply by (J7 -V) (,9-T) They give you an idea of the kinds of great mailing it by the date specified And if you entertainment you can choose from as a want only The Selection of the Month, you Send me these 3 Quad member...classical, popular,rock, coun- need do nothirg -it will be shipped to you recordings for $1.00 try...the best-sellers from Columbia and automatically. What's more, you'll have at many other leading recording companies. least ten full days in which to make your Think ofit' No more searching through decision-if you don't, just return The record stores for quad recordings...no Selection of the Month at our expense and more limiting your selections to whatever you will receive full credit for it. MY MAIN MUSICAL INTEREST IS (check one): they happen to stock.no more buying an You may can:el your membership at any (But I am always free to choose from either category) album in stereo and then discovering it was time after you've purchased four selections 11 CONTEMPORARY 7 CLASSICAL 1 also available in quad' And, as a new mem- -or continue under our special bonds plan, ber, you get to pick any three albums on which offers ycu at least 33% savincs on all ID Mr. - Mrs. this page-all three for just $1.00. future purchases. So it's all here ..the con- "" Miss Your only membership obligation is to buy venience. the savings, the selections you Wier.. Print) First Name Initial Last Nam just tour more quad albums (at the regular want.. and right from Columbia, the largest Service prices of $6 98 for records; $7.98 manufacturer of quadraphonic recordings for cartridges, plus processing and postage) in the world' Choose your three albums now Aedress in the coming year... quad recordings you'll and mail the application with $1.0C today' want to buy anyway if you could find them' NOTE: SO quad records may be played on But you won't have any trouble finding your present stereo phonograph with null fidel- C ty them-because you'll receive our music ity and complete stereo effect However, quad bulletin, Quad Review, regularly every four cartridges can se played on a quad cartridge weeks (13 a year). And from time to time, system only. star. Zip we may send some special issues of the Do You Have A Telephone? (Check one) E YES NO Review-offering extra -special savings' Columbia APO, FPO addressees: write for special offer HOUSE) This colorful and informative brochure nWe nave rt.-14130e N DT E :allapplications are subjectto review and Columbia will tell you about the great new quad rec- Wiese reserves the righttorejest any application. 8Q Is a trademark of Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. P83/874

MARCH 1974 7 Thereare somethings you'll appreciate aboutaDual rightaway. Others will takeyears.

You can appreciate some things about a Dual specification. Only by maintaining this kind of tolerance turntable right in your dealer's showroom: its clean can tonearm calibrations for stylus pressure and functional appearance, the precision of its tonearm anti -skating be set with perfect accuracy. adjustments and its smooth, quiet operation. Other Dual features are built with similar The exceptional engineering and manufacturing precision. The rotor of every Dual motor is dynamically care that go into every Dual turntable may take years balanced in all planes of motion. Additionally, each to appreciate. Only then will you actually experience, motor pulley and drive wheel is individually examined play after play, Dual's precision and reliability. And with special instruments to assure perfect concentricity. how year after year, Dual protects your precious The Dual guarantee. records; probably your biggest investment in musical Despite all this precision and refinement, Dual enjoyment. turntables are ruggedly built, and need not be babied. It takes more than features. Which accounts for Dual's unparalleled record of If you know someone who has owned a Dual for reliability, an achievement no other manufacturer can several years, you've probably heard all this from him. copy. Your Dual includes a full year parts and labor But you may also wish to know what makes a Dual guarantee; up to four times the guarantee that other so different from other automatic turntables which automatic turntables offer. seem to offer many of the same features. For example, If you'd like to read what several independent such Dual innovations as: gimbal tonearm suspensions, testing laboratories have said about Dual turntables, separate anti -skating scales for conical and we'll be pleased to send you reprints of their impartial elliptical styli, and rotating single play spindles. reports. To appreciate Dual performance first hand, we It's one thing to copy a Dual feature; it's quite suggest you visit your franchised United Audio dealer. another thing to match the precision with which But your full appreciation of Dual precision won't Duals are built. really begin until a Dual is in your system and you The gimbal, for example. hear the difference it will make on your own records. Play after play. Year after year. A case in point is the tonearm suspension. Duol 1216, $154.95 Dual was the first manufacturer of automatics to offer a true twin -ring gimbal suspension. 518'4 95 More importantly, every Dual gimbal is hand assembled and individually tested with precision instruments especially developed by Dual. The vertical bearing friction of this gimbal is specified at 0.007 gram, and quality control procedures assure that every unit will meet this

Dual Duol 1214, $119.95

United Audio Products, Inc., 120 So. Columbus Ave., Mt. Vernon, N.Y. 10553 Dual 1229, 51'

CIRCLE 17 ON READER.SERVICE CARD MARCH 1974 Summer music: and festivals & study Sutherland musical america sings -Hoffmann" THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC JUNE 24 to ROBERT FREEMAN DANIEL J. PATRYLAK AUGUST 2, 1974 Director Director 01 the ',winner session

INSTITUTES & WORKSHOPS

ARRANGING AND IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP CURRENT COMPOSITIONAL PRACTICES AND NOTATION June 24 to August 2 June 24 to July 12 Bill Dobbins, Ray Ricker Joseph Schwantner

ARRANGERS' LABORATORY -INSTITUTE ELECTRONIC MUSIC FOR TEACHERS July 8 to July 26 June 24 to July 12 Ray Wright, Manny Albans Wayne Barlow

INSTITUTE ON ADVANCED PLACEMENT IN MUSIC WOODWIND DOUBLERS INSTITUTE June 24 to July 12 July 8 to July 19 Robert Gauldin, Betty Jacobson, Ray Ricker, coordinator Paul Lehman

BASIC RECORDING TECHNIQUES INSTITUTE ON MUSIC IN OPEN EDUCATION June 24 to July 26 June 24 to July 5 Ros Ritchie, coordinator Jo Ann Baird, Sally Alonsour

ADVANCED RECORDING TECHNIQUES PIANO TEACHERS WORKSHOP July 22 to August 2 July 22 to July 26 Ros Ritchie, coordinator Harold Weiss, coordinator

For information regarding institutes, workshops, and regular degree course offerings, write to: MR. EDWARD H. EASLEY, Director of Admissions EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC 26 Gibbs Street, Rochester, New York 14604

MA -2 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america HIGH FIDELITY

LeonardMarcus Editorial Director Shirley FlemingEditor Susan A. ElliottEditorial Associate Claire N. EddingsAssoc. Pub.. Dir., Adv. Sales Stanley BinderCirculation Dir. Warren B. SyerPublisher

MA -4 Artist Life MONDAY 4 WNET Opera Theater presents the world premiere of Doyle J. Soria Hans Werner Henze's Rachel, La Cubana, a vaudeville with music. Peter Herman Adler directs. MA -6 Debuts & Reappearances

TUESDAY 5 Thomas Pasatieri's The Seagull is given its premiere by MA -8 Here & There the Houston Grand Opera, which commissioned the work. Evelyn Lear and Frederica von Stade are among MA -10 James Levine the principals. Robert C. Marsh

WEDNESDAY 6 The Opera Orchestra of New York, Eve Queler MA -12 The Dance Jacqueline Maskey directing, performs Donizetti's Parisina d'Este for the first time in New York. Montserrat Caballe stars.

MA -14 What's New? John Rockwell 6 Paganini's "Sonata per la grand viola" is played for the first time anywhere by Ernst Wallfisch and the MA -16 The Metropolitan Opera Baltimore Symphony, Sergiu Comissiona conducting.

MA -24 Summer Festivals, part 1 WEDNESDAY 27 Luigi Dallapiccola's Commiato receives its world premiere, performed by New York's Musica Aeterna;

MA -27 The Taos School of Music soprano Susan Belling is soloist, Frederick Waldman Forrestt Miller conducts.

MA -30 Book reviews SUNDAY 31 Violinist Jaime Laredo and pianist Richard Goode play Patrick J. Smith, ed. the first performance of a violin sonata by Karel Husa, at a Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society concert.

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Published at Great Barrington, Mass. 01230 by Billboard Publications, Inc. Copyright c 1973. Musical America edition published monthly. Subscription in USA and Possessions.$14: elsewhere, $15. Subscription including Concert Artists Directory, $20 in USA and Possessions; elsewhere. $21. Puccini and Torre del Lago raise money for his Aldeburgh Festi- val. Five hundred sets of a special 'l'o Tone delLago, Puccini is more Royal Crown Derby service-twelve than a genius who chose to live there. china plates and two bowls decorated He was a man whom everybody with scenes and quotations from Brit- artist knew; Spadaccini's own grandfather ten operas-will be ready October was a friend of Puccini. Everybody in 1976, but orders can be placed now the town has family stories and with festival headquarters at Suffolk, memories and mementos of the com- England. The costis 350 pounds life poser. He went hunting with the (about $875 as we write this). How- townspeople. He drank and played ever, good bone china lasts. Unlike DORLE J. SORIA cards with them and dreamed up goose liver and truffles, which each elaborate practical jokes. cost here in New York (as we write The Puccini Center has many pro- this) about $75 a pound. THREE ITALIAN gentlemen ar- jects it promotes in addition to the an- The perils of pasta rived in New York last winter: nual Puccini season and its perma- Adone Spadaccini, president nent theater.Itpresents a yearly We think gourmet Rossini would of the Centro per la Diffusione della Puccini Prize, it collects and dissemi- not have approved the food-the ling- Cultura Musicale Giacomo Puccini, nates material about the composer, uine (a sort of narrow flattened spa- of Viareggio-Torre del Lago; Feder- and itis hoping to acquire, repair, ghetti)-served to Mustafa, the love- igo Gimignani, Mayor of Viareggio; and restore the Puccini house which, lorn Bey of Algiers (basso Fernando Enzo Ducci, director of the Viareggio through neglect, lack of money, and Corena) in the last act of L'Italiana in Opera. They brought with them a humidity, is gradually falling apart. A lgeri at the Metropolitan. This is the small bronze statue of Puccini which We were given a booklet published hilarious scene where the Bey is ini- they presented to the Metropolitan by the Center. It is dedicated with tiated into the order of the Pappa- Opera, that "bellissimo teatro" where these words: "Noi onoriamo in Giacomo tacci-the mock rules of which are to Puccini's "American" opera, The Girl Puccini colui,che alla domanda che eat and be silent-thus allowing the of the Golden West, had its premiere. l'universo pone ad ogni mortale, rispose con Italian girl whom he had captured The statue is a replica of the lifesize la payola amore." This means that "in and with whom he is captivated to es- one which stands in the Piazza Puc- Giacomo Puccini we honor that per- cape with her enslaved lover. Corena, cini of Tone del Lago, against the son who, to the question the universe from plumed and jeweled turban to background of reedy Lake Massa- puts to every mortal, answers with the upturned golden slippers, was quite a ciuccoli where the composer used to word love." Puccini once described sight as he dutifully attacked his hunt water fowl. himself as a hunter of wild birds, op- heaping plate of pasta and tried The visit was also timed to call at- era libretti, and attractive women. obediently to ignore the goings-on tention to the fact that 1974 marks Adone Spadaccini said: "Puccini did around him. We met him later, after the fiftieth anniversary of the death not write about wars and battles. He the first performance, at a reception of Puccini. The Puccini Center hopes did not write a Battaglia di Legnano. He at the Metropolitan Opera Club, to have ready for this summer a per- wrote about one thing-love." now in a comfortable red sports shirt. manent open-air theater of some five The fiftieth anniversary of Puc- We asked him if the pasta had been thousand seats, to replace the sea- cini's death, the exact date, is Novem- good. The basso buffo shook his in- sonal structures which have served in ber 29. Was the Metropolitan doing dex finger. "It was hot. But was full of the past. The first outdoor Puccini something about it? We said we had garlic. Must come from Naples." opera performance was organized on not heard of any special plans. But, Wasn't the cheese good? Parmesan the lake shore back in 1930 by Puc- we explained, the Metropolitan cele- was very expensive these days! "That cini's friend Giovacchino Forzano, brates Puccini every year. It is a long was no parmigiano," snorted Corena. the librettist of Gianni Schicchi and love affair. "Very cheap cheese. No taste. Must Suor Angelica, the producer who staged come from New Jersey." Then he the Turandot premiere. This was the Buy Britten started to question us. Did we think beginning of a tradition of Puccini they had graters at that time? Was it "stagioni" which kept the music of the One famous composer at least had right to eat the linguine with a fork? master alive in the small town where a famous dish named after him- "In such countries they ate with their he had a home for three decades, un- Tournedos Rossini, which is a small fingers-even the sultan. Should I eat til three years before he died-his round of filet mignon sitting on a the linguine like a cous-cous? It will be house is now both museum and tomb. piece of fried bread, covered by goose dcile." He sounded concerned. Af- Last summer the operas presented liver previously marinated in Ma- ter twenty years at the Metropolitan were Manon Lescaut with Virginia deira and topped by truffle slices! Fernando Corena still broods over Zeani in the title role and Bohime with Now a great composer of our day has the smallest detail of every part he Adriana Maliponte as Mimi. For the actual dishes created in his honor. sings. You have to be molto serio about summer 1974 a larger repertoire is This distinction has come to Benja- your art to be buffo about it. planned and it is hoped the new the- min Britten, to mark his sixtieth We have mentioned President ater will be finished to receive the ex- birthday, which was nationally cele- Nixon's fondness for Home on the pected influx of tourists and musi- brated on St. Cecilia's Day through- Range. Later we heard of another cians. out Britain. The dishes will be sold to Continued on page MA32

MA -4 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america Jacques Leiser presents Serdi pianist

Bartok Memorial Concert Carnegie Ha 11970 "..a major musical event of the season.. The standing cheering audience brought Gyorg) Sandor back to the stage time after time. The perfomances (the three concertos) had been vital and engrossing from start to finish. Mr. Sandor played with splendid understand* and authority." -T-IE NEN, YORK TIMES

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March 1974 MA -5 debuts &reappearances

CHICAGO LOS ANGELES rothy Chandler Pavilion on Novem- ber 28. No less a personage than Beverly Chicago Sym., Wilkomirska (Gielen) Music Center Opera: "I Puritani" Sills negotiated the coloratura intri- cacies of Elvira, with Enrico di Giu- A German-born conductor and a Pol- Los Angeles, long lacking a major seppe tackling the treacherous tenor - ish violinist sold the audience at the resident opera company-still lack- ism of Lord Arturo Talbot. Baritone Chicago Symphony concert of De- ing such a company-now boasts the Richard Fredericks contributed cember 6 a very pleasant bill of materiel of a major opera produc- energy and vitality to the role of Sir goods. By the end of the lengthy pro- tion. Ironic? Consider further that Riccardo Forth, and bass Robert gram, maestro Michael Gielen (in his L.A.'s Music Center Opera Associ- Hale made bluff good sense of Sir debut with the orchestra) and soloist ation chose Bellini's musically Giorgio Walton. Wanda Wilkomirska had everybody charming but inevitably physically Devised and directed by Tito believing that Szymanowski's Second drab I Puritani for its first production Capobianco, this was a Puritani struck Violin Concerto, Penderecki's Cap- vehicle (financed by grants from the with dramatic activity of a geomet- riccio for violin, and Scriabin's Third Adolph's Foundation and the Na- rically formal design. Partner to this Symphony were worthy works in- tional Opera Institute). Done in con- formalism and ultimately accessory deed. junction with and utilizing the con- to its rather static results were Carl They accomplished this elevating siderable human resources of the Toms's sets. Among their massive feat with flair and smart programing. New York City Opera, MCOA's Gielen established his authority at "Puritani" was unveiled in the Do- Continued on page MA -19 the evening's start with a stylishly bold reading of Haydn's Symphony No. 95. Miss Wilkomirska then proved herself a virtuosa of the old school via the corelessly eccentric Szymanowski Concerto for 1933. The violin playing was tremendously exciting, thoroughly deserving of the cheering ovation. The soloist danced back for a bow, threw kisses to the orchestra, and delighted her audience to the point that even the most conservative witness had no choice but to adore her next solo offering. Pen- derecki's gimmicky Capriccio of 1967, in its first performance at these concerts, claimed both color and whimsy. Miss Wilkomirska, the work's dedicatee, played with heart and hellish conviction while Gielen and the orchestra made the modish effects seem almost substantial. More slushy overkill closed the program. But the conductor fortunately realized that Scriabin's talk of ecstasy refers to a frame of mind, not actual performance practice, and endowed The Divine Poem of 1904 with clarity and well -tempered drama. Compositional solipsism is a bore, but it was easy to eke pleasure from the luxuriously beautiful sound of the Chicago Symphony. KAREN MONSON Beverly Sills as Elvira in Los Angeles' Puritani

MA -6 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america Announcing the seventh IMIT/AVAM/1 11111Prie11111Temple University Waal/MINMusic Festival & Institute momDavid Stone, Artistic Director in Ambler, Pa. Et F June -August 1974 FESTIVALconcerts featuring a series of internationally known guest conductors, performing artists, and in residence, the PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, William Steinberg, Music Director INSTITUTE offering a six -week professional music curriculum of private lessons, small and large ensemble study, master classes; student performances at the Festival; two fully staged operas; a NATIONAL COMPETITION for piano and orchestral instruments*: joint workshops in music and movement improvisation** *Prize in each category: full -tuition Institute scholarship, solo Festival appearance with Pittsburgh Chamber Orchestra, $500. Competition held in collaboration with Concert Artists Guild and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Auditions in May. 'Two parallel ensembles open to perforning musicians and people with training in movement will work 3oth separately and collaboratively. The workshops will explore the interrelation of music and dance and their common roots in physical impulse through improvisational exercises and semi -improvisational performance pieces.

ARTIST FACULTY includes: WORKSHOPS IN IMPROVISATION CONDUCTING Paul Epstein **William Smith PIANO Hell nut Fricke-Gottschild Maryai Filar BRASS Alexander Fiorillo STRINGS tCharles Hois, trumpet Leon Fleisher Star ley Bednar, violin **Paul Krzywicki, tuba Eugene List Anthony Bianco, bass 'David Mairs, french horn Adele Marcus Curtis String Quartet 'Byron McCulloh, trombone Carroll Glenn, violin *Herbert Pierson, french horn VOICE Michael Grebanier, cello *Seymour Rosenfeld, trumpet Rose Bampton =Jerry Horner, viola tCarl Wilhelm, trombone Florence Berggren Helen Kwalwasser, violin Philip Cho Jaime Laredo, violin PERCUSSION Todd Duncan David Madison, violin Alan Abel Margaret Harshaw Sarruel Mayes, cello Michael Bookspan Hans Heinz Leonard Mogill, viola HARP VOCAL COACHING Roger Scott, bass 'Marilyn Costello Thomas Grubb Fritz Siegal, violin Margarita Csonka Montanaro Viola Peters WOODWINDS CHAMBER MUSIC Harriet Wingreen Ferdinand DelNegro, bassoon Curtis String Quartet OPERA Thomas Fay, oboe Louis Opalesxy Fiora Contino 'Anthony Gigliotti, clarinet Lambert Orkis Bonnie Keller =Bernard Goldberg, flute Alexander Schneider (guest) Mark Lewis t Arthur Kubey, bassoon Lawrence Wagner Christofer Macatsoris Murray Panitz, flute and faculty members from Louis Paul, clarinet all departments First Chair, Philadelphia Orchestra *Louis Rosenblatt, oboe CONTEMPORARY PLAYERS *Present or former member, John Shamlian, bassoon AND SINGERS Philadelphia Orchestra COMPOSITION George Rochberg First Chair. Pittsburgh Symphony Clifford Taylor Clifford Taylor 'Member, Pittsburgh Symphony

AUDITIONS will be held in the following cities (minimum age, 16): Write the Institute Director BOSTON, February 28 PHILADELPHIA, February 19 & 26 for an appointment. Those not CHICAGO, February 21 PITTSBURGH, February 23 living near these audition sites, CLEVELAND, February 22 WASHINGTON, D.C., March 2 please write for information NEW YORK, March 1 (Opera auditions held in January) about sending tapes and letters of recommendation. FOR INFORMATION, write or Harvey Wedeen, Director David Kanter, Director Temple University Music Institute Temple University Music Festival Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 Phone: 215-787-8374 Phone: 215-787-8318 March 1974 \ 1\ Artists Inc. The program is nue,Fort Collins, Colorado designed to further the career 80521. ... Applications for development of young Ameri- the Minna Kaufmann Ruud can conductors and increase Fund DistinguishedPer- community awareness of the former Awards auditions may country's symphony orches- be obtained from the Minna tra. ... Adrian Sunshine has Kaufmann Ruud Fund, c/o here & there been appointed principal Chatham College, Pittsburgh, guest conductor of the Cluj Pennsylvania 15232. Dead- Philharmonic Orchestrain line for application is March Romania. He isthefirst 1; auditions will be held in The Vancouver Symphony the arts and humanities. It is American conductor to hold New York City on April 23-25.

will become the first Cana- predicted that within five to an eastern European post. . .. Amateur musicians are dian orchestra to visit the seven years endowment from . . . Christopher Keene suc- invited to apply to the Greater People's Republic of China private patrons will amount ceeds Harvey Lichtenstein as Spokane Music and Allied Arts next September, giving five to several hundred million general director of the Festi- Festival. Deadline for applica- concerts in Peking and one dollars. val of Two Worlds in Spoleto. tion is March 1. Entry forms other city... . The Phoenix may be obtained from Mrs. Symphony Association has Because of chronic financial William Schuman has become HaroldE.Laing, W. 1916 announced a new business problems the Metropolitan thefifthcomposer tobe Courtland, Spokane, Wash-

sponsorship plan in which a Opera has been forced to can- elected to the American Acad- ington 99205... . Pianists

local firm contributes $3,000 cel its 1975 June Festival, re- emy of Arts and Letters. .. . between the ages of sev- toward the cost of a pair of duce its 1974-75 season by Milwaukee Symphony Music enteen and thirty-one are eli- concerts. In return, the spon- one week, and cut annual em- Director Kenneth Schermer - gible to enter the firstna- sor receives a special four - ployment contracts from a horn has been appointed to tional competition of the page insert in the program full year to between forty and the Planning Section of the Southwest Pianists Founda- book (plus reprintsifre- forty-four weeks. In addition, Music Advisory Panel of the tion. Write to the Southwest quested) and a number of its administrative staff has National Endowment for the Pianists Foundation Competi- tickets for his own use. Three been cut by twenty per cent. Arts.... Rosalyn Tureck has tion, 6841 East 4th Street, businesses have taken up the . . . The 1974 season of the been appointed to a visiting Tucson,Arizona 85710. option so far... . Dr.Izler San Francisco Opera will fellowship at Oxford Univer- Deadline is April 1. Solomon willterminate his present four new produc- sity;her term commences position of music director and tions: Manon Lescaut, with next month.... Former Met- Pianists and instrumentalists conductor of the Indiana Leontyne Price singing the ropolitan Opera General Man- between the ages of sev- State Symphony at the end of title role for the first time; ager Rudolf Bing has been enteen and twenty-eight may the 1974-75 season. . . . Don Giovanni; Tristan and appointed director of college - make application to the an- A previously unknownre- Isolde with Birgit Nilsson and community cultural affairs at nual Civic Orchestra audi- quiem by Charles Gounod has Jess Thomas; and Esclar- Brooklyn College. tions for soloists. Deadline is been discovered in Vienna's monde with Joan Sutherland February 25. Write to Civic Or- Karlskirche. The Commission singing the title role for the Awards chestra of Chicago, 220 for Music of the Academy of first time. South Michigan Avenue, Chi-

Science will issue the score, The Juilliard String Quartet cago,Illinois 60604. . . . which Gounod dedicated to Eve Queler, music director of received the University of Chi- March 15 is the deadline for the patron of the church choir the Opera Orchestra of New cago's Rosenberger Medal at application to the Pittsburgh

in 1842. . . . Mannes College York, made her Royal Festival the school's Convocation cer- Flute Club's fourth Composi- of Music has received from an Hall debut last February con- emonies last December.... tion Contest. Write to the anonymous donor a library of ducting the New Philhar- Professor Emeritus in compo- Pittsburgh Flute Club Con- taped broadcast perform- monia Orchestra. Later in the sition at the University of Cin- test, William Crister, Chair- ances by Arturo Toscanini month she made her first ap- cinnati Felix Labunski has re- man, 443 Royce Avenue, and the N.B.C. Symphony pearance at the Philadelphia ceived from the National Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania made between 1946 and Academy of Music conduct- Endowment for the Arts a 15216. ... The Prince Pierre 1954.Therearefifty-four ing Berlioz's La Damnation de Composer -FellowshipGrant of Monaco Musical Composi-

tapes in all.. .. Jaime Laredo Faust. . . . The Fine Arts Quar- for 1973-74.. .. A $500 first tion Prize will be awarded this will be the first to fill the Man- tet made its twelfth European prize has been awarded to the year for chamber music. hattan School of Music's spe- tour lastfall,presenting a PacificNorthWestMusic Write to The General Secre- cial Mischa Elman Chair for complete Bart& cycle and Camp in Washington by the tary of the Foundation Prince violin studies, beginning next works by Wuorinen, Babbitt, National Federation of Music Pierre of Monaco, Palais Prin- September. The Chairis Husa, and Ben Johnston. Clubs/ASCAP program hon- cier,Monaco. Deadlineis made possible through a oring summer festivalsfor April 1. grant from theviolinist's Appointments performance and promotion widow.... The Presser Foun- of American music. Obituaries dation of Bryn Mawr, Pa. has Leon Thompson, conductor awarded a grant of $5,000 to and director of the New York Competitions Composer Nevett Bartow, Temple University's College Philharmonic's education di- chairman of the Blair Acad- of Music for the estab- vision, has been appointed High school junior and senior emy Music Department, died lishment of an instrumental music directorofOpera/ instrumentalists are eligible November 21 of leukemia. He

music learning center. SouthinJackson,Missis- to enter the nineteenth an- was thirty-nine. . . . Former sippi.... Associate Conduc- nual Young Artists Competi- opera singer and G. Schirmer W. McNeil Lowry, vice presi- tor of the Milwaukee Sym- tion of the Fort Collins Sym- director Ann Swinburne Mun- dent of the Ford Foundation's phony John Covelli has been phony Society. Deadline for roe died on November 17.

division of arts and hu- named Exxon -Affiliate Artist application is March 2. Write She was eighty-seven. . . . manities, will leave his post in Conductor as part of a grant Mrs. Stuart Young, Chair- Mezzo soprano Jennie Tourel June to head the firstna- program initiated by the Ex- man, Young Artists Competi- died on November 24 of lung tional private foundation for xon Corporation and Affiliate tion, 601 Monte Vista Ave- cancer. She was sixty-three.

MA -8 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america THE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC For over thirty years our distinguished faculty has developed excellent professional performers with the result that there is a former New School of Music student in almost every major symphony orchestra in the United States. The faculty includes the members of the Curtis String Quar- tet and members of The Philadelphia Orchestra.

BACHELOR OF MUSIC DEGREE PROGRAM

Comprehensive courses in all theoretical subjects. Intensive training in orchestral playing and repertoire under the direction of William Smith, Assistant Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Applications now being accepted from students of all orchestral instruments and piano. Cata- logue on request.

For irformation call or write: THE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC, Southeast Corner 21st & Spruce Streets, Philadelphia Pa. 19103, (215) 732.3966

March 1974 MA -9 AFTER TWENTY YEARS as a professional listener, one Every distinguished musician is a unique combination experience stands out in my memory as the su- of ideas, insights, passions, and skills, but of all the young preme ego trip. The date was August 1967, and the conductors associated with Szell during his American place was Severance Hall in Cleveland. George Szell had years, Levine is the one whose career most nearly parallels flown back to prepare the Cleveland Orchestra for its third that of his mentor. Both served a memorable apprentice- (and as things turned out), final European tour under his ship with a master, Szell in Berlin with Richard Strauss, direction, a festival circuit with stops at Salzburg, Edin- Levine in Cleveland with Szell. Both turned to conduct- burgh, and Lucerne. Severance was getting new seats ing after initial successes as a pianist, although Levine, for downstairs that summer, and the rehearsals fell right in the present anyway, is continuing his public role as a pi- the middle of the job, so the main floor was temporarily anist more than Szell permitted himself to do. Both com- bare. But Szell wanted a select group of ears in the house pressed into a short time the long period of apprenticeship to deal with questions of balance, and three majestic chairs and obscurity that is the common lot of young conduc- were brought from the green room. Surrounded by this tors, and secured important posts while quite young. Szell vast open space, an audience of three heard Szell and the at twenty-seven was first conductor of the Berlin State Clevelanders play the European tour for them alone. The Opera. Levine at thirty is principal conductor of the Met- three listeners were Louis Lane, James Levine, and myself. ropolitan Opera of New York. Both men were deeply in- After each concert we would compare notes, and it was fluenced by Toscanini, not merely in the manner of his at this time that my friendship and respect for Levine be- performances, but by his dictum that the musician exists gan. His career has come a long way in the seven years to serve music, not the other way around. since then, but the speed with which it has progressed, and Although in ideas and attitude Levine is in many ways the solid achievements on which it is founded, make clear typical of his generation, in other respects he reflects an that James Levine is no whiz -kid but an independent older and much more conservative approach. He could, if young man with the force of artistry and intellect from he liked, be jetting around the world with three never -fail which great things come. programs, doing guest engagements from Tokyo to Tam -

MA -10 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america musician of the month

JAMES LEVINE

pico. Instead he stays at home and concentrates on his For his two years at the head of the May Festival in his principal jobs. He reports, "I'm eager to conduct the Ber- home town, Cincinnati. he has a different approach, lin Philharmonic, but I've had to decline three invitations stressing choral music that local audiences are unlikelyto because I was busy at the Met. Next time I'll simply have encounter in the seasons of the other local music produc- to do some rearranging so I can go." ing organizations, the Cincinnati Symphony and the Ideally Levine would like a schedule that permits him Summer Opera. "Another of the festival's primary goals," to center his activities in three or four places, each of he says, "must be to continue to perpetuate the choral tra- which is well suited to a particular type of musical reper- dition with new works." This requirement will be met in tory. At the Metropolitan he gets ample exposure to opera the 1974 opening concert with Donald Erb's New England's during the course of forty performances a year. He opened Prospect. Elsewhere on the schedule is Berlioz's Damnation of the current Met season with Il Trovatore, led the new pro- Faust and a concert performance of Lohengrin, Wagner duction of /vespri siciliani at the close of January, and will being somewhat outside the scope of the Summer Opera. open the 1974 season with that score. Also in the current The fourth element in the present scheme isguest con- Met schedule for him are Don Giovanni, Salome, and Otello, ducting, and he prefers to concentrateon a few places while his Covent Garden debut will be in June with Der which he feels provide unusual opportunities to do things Rosenkavalier. he finds interesting. He'll be in London this spring fora On the 1974-75 list for the Met, in addition to i'espri, Mahler Second with the LSO. Next year will find hima are Falstaff, the first uncut Met production since heaven guest in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and knows when of La forza del destino, and Wozzeck. (again) London. "I could do quite a bit more," he notes, Szell gave up conducting opera in the final decades of "but it would mean working ten to fifteen percentmore his life because he found it impossible to realize these than I feel is right, giving up the chance to studyscores, scores as fully and successfully as he could instrumental play the piano, relax and think a few thoughts ofmy own. music. Levine plainly feels that opera is too important to It's not worth it." pass by, even if it isn't perfect. And he is in there pitching As Levine sees it, there is a fundamental division be- to make it as fine as he can. tween his public life and his private life and each should At the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, be kept in its proper place. "The public is present when I where he will be spending his second year as summermu- am working as a musician. It is part of the role of the musi- sic director of the Chicago Symphony, Levine alternates cian in our society that his is a public activity, and the between conducting symphonic concerts and appearances public has every right to know about things whichenter at the piano (often appearing in both roles in the same into the musical performance they hear. But the members evening). Also on the Ravinia calendar are four evenings of the audience can come to a concert without sacrificing of Schubert Lieder in which Levine will be joined by Paul any of their privacy, the performers should have the same Sperry. For Ravinia Levine has developed a festival phi- right to privacy on their part. It is not that I haveany- losophy which stresses unity and diversity: unity in thing to conceal. Is is simply that when a musician be- themes (three composers are emphasized each year); di- comes a personality, a celebrity, someone with an image versity in the range of music presented. In his firstsum- to maintain, it takes something from his music. mer, Ravinia underwent a miraculous transformation "One of the gratifying things about Szellwas that he from summer music stereotypes to the kind of place where made his public role a direct reflection of his musicalac- anything from opera to art song might be encountered in tivities, so when we think of him we think first of hismu- performances planned and realized with tender loving sic, and its stature was his stature. That is theway I want care. the public to think of me." ROBERT C. MARSH

March 1974 MA -11 the dance JACQUELINE MASKEY

AFTER THE DREARY spectacle presented last month by the National Ballet of Washing- ton, D.C., it was with considerable re- luctance that I plodded out to the Brooklyn Academy of Music to view the Pennsylvania Ballet (November 15-18), yet another of those companies whose publicity releases inevitably characterize them as "critically acclaimed as one of America's major ballet companies...." (According to publicists every group is "major"; how refreshing if one release to cross this desk heralded its client simply as "minor but worth a visit.") Surprise! If the Pennsylvania Bal- Pennsylvania Ballet's Quartet-a neatly designed set of ambiguous relationships let is not yet a major company it has taken a giant step during the past year and a half toward becoming one. After the group's first program I ingly sit twice, In Retrospect had run actually experienced a feeling of fully two-thirds of its course before I pleasurable anticipation toward the was assailed by such a churlish reflec- second. tion. Its basic idea is a workable one: a man (Lawrence Rhodes) in matur- Pennsylvania premieres ity reviewing his emotional past, searching for the explanation of his Not that the New York premieres incapacity to commit himself fully by the company's associate artistic di- and finally to anyone. Each signifi- rectors-Benjamin Harkarvy's Quar- cant episode in his past is represented tet, set to Toru Takemitsu's Dorian by a pair of dancers-Constance Ross Horizon, and Robert Rodham's In Ret- and Barry Leon, Alba Calzada and rospect to Benjamin Britten's Variations Ramon Rivera, Barbara Sandonato on a Theme of Frank Bridge-were over- and Dane La Fontsee-and the eter- whelmingly impressive. Harkarvy's nally mysterious and ungraspable fe- was decent enough, a neatly designed male by Michelle Lucci with David pas de quatre of ambiguous relation- Kloss. Rodham does not do badly by ships in the modern dance style of his romancers-they are given smooth Glen Tetley, and danced with admi- and energetic variations on stylistic rable finish and control by Enid Brit- themes made familiar in the works of ten, Dane La Fontsee, Gretchen War- Antony Tudor and John Butler-but ren, and Janek Schergen. As for he gets tripped up by his symbolism. Rodham's work, I must admit that The Eternal Feminine in order to em- even though I once proclaimed that phasize her enigmatic quality dis- there was no ballet of that gentle- guises her features with a veil. There Ailey's John Parks man's through which I would will- is, unfortunately, a lot of business in -

MA -12 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america volving that veil which, as it goes on, poser Carl Orff as a theater piece for dancer, and the beautiful de Laval - seems less a veil than a hot potato. chorus, orchestra, and three soloists lade a sumptuous being who moved How to get rid of the damn thing? (in this case Jeanne Faulkner, Walter in her own dream of feminine radi- Thus the ballet in its last third turns Turnbull and Arthur C. Thompson), ance. An unlikely quartet perhaps, from sincere and sober to silly. is much like the original production but each vivid in his own particular No silliness about Mr. Rhodes, of 1959. However, its leading roles are way and-three of the four, anyway- however. What a dancer this man is! danced with somewhat less impact. If accomplished technicians. Ailey's He has a quality not often seen in bal- memory serves, the original quartet quartet consists of Judith Jamison, let dancers, that of pushing oneself to of soloists consisted of Glen Tetley, Sara Yarborough, John Parks, and and even beyond one's physical limit. Veronika Mlakar, Scott Douglas, Michiko Oka. What is immediately Rhodes's every performance is illumi- and Carmen de Lavallade. Mlakar apparent is the technical limitations nated by his daring and his courage. and Douglas were both strong, classi- of the men and, in a less apparent Looking past Rhodes, the Pennsyl- cally trained dancers (leading danc- way, the miscasting of the women. vanians as a company are dancing ers with American Ballet Theatre, in Yarborough, Ailey's own "divine cleanly, confidently, and at a more fact), Tetley a brilliant modern Continued on page MA -29 forceful performing level than I remember from their previous visits. It

seems undeniable that the influence of Harkarvy is a salutory one. No Chautauqua master choreographer he, yet his ballets-pleasant and uncomplicated ones such as Madrigalesco (Vivaldi) sumntee and Recital for Cello and Eight Dancers (J.S. Bach)-make good display School pieces for the group. Sensibly, the company also retains the more chal- 1974 CENTENNIAL lenging ballets like Balanchine's Four SEASON Temperaments, Raymonda Variations, and Scotch Symphony. Certain advances by JULY 1-AUG. 23 the Pennsylvania Ballet are worthy of CHAUTAUQUA NEW YORK congratulation: the stronger lineup of principal dancers and soloists, the upward surge in quality of the male (nitOicYlrt*Dtill" dancing, the excellence of the orches- iltunitnitiesSpeci41 Irttetemtiiie4tre tra under the direction of Maurice Chat.tauqua offers a variety of courses for aage levels. Distinguished artist- Kaplow. What the company needs facu ty. $35,000 in who arships. 700 acre shoreline colony with resiceit sym- pt.ony orchestra, opera c)mpany, play house, art gallery, nightly amph theater now is what it has always needed, an programs by great entertainers. America's orizinal and most complete summer A-1 choreographer of the resident va- sciool and festival. riety. And it might also look to its SF ECIAL WORKSHOPS corps de ballet; one flop in Scotch Sym- JAZZ - George Shearing, Aug. 12-16 phony is understandable, two unwar- CHCRAL - Paul Christiansen, Aug. 18-23; Ela me Brown, July 15-21 ELECTRONIC MUSIC - Stephen Blair, July 8-12 ranted, three unforgivable. ORGAN - Frederick Swar n, Aug. 21,22,23 DPC-10N FOR SINGERS - James Benner, July 1 -Aug. 16 OPERA - Clifford Harvuot, July 1 -Aug. 16 Ailey's "Carmina Burana" CHAMBER MUSIC - Clara Siegel (All instruments including piano), July 1-Aug.16 CLASSICAL INDIAN MUSIC - Kumud Ranier Banerjee, July 1 -Aug. 16 Alvin Ailey's City Center Dance GUITAR - Bunyan Webb, July 6-13 Theater played a three-week season THEATRE SCHOOL OF CLEVELAND PLAY -10USE (November 27 -December 16) at the (high school and college ace), July 1 -Aug. 9 NEXUS PERCUSSION, July 29 -Aug. 2 WRITING BASKET WEAVING New York City Center, presenting KOCALY, July 29 -Aug. 9TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS FUND RAISING during the engagement new produc- MUSIC SCHOOL FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA Nathan Gottschalk, conductor tions of John Butler's Carmina Burana YOLTH PREPARATORY ORCHESTRA - RussellL. Johnson, conductor STUDIO BAND - Norbert J. Buskey, director ARTS AND CRAFTS CENTER and Jose Limon's Missa Brevis. SL NY (FREDONIA) CREDIT COURSES AND WORKSHOPS While new perhaps as a company DANCE DEPARTMENT - Statia Sublere vehicle, the Carmina Burana is fairly fa- Instruction in all instruments and voice 3y master teachers. miliar stuff to New York audiences. It was a popular part at one time of the For 108 page cataloc. write: New York City Opera's repertoire, DEPT. 503, BOY 28 for which company it was created in CHAUTAUQUA 1959. The Pennsylvania Ballet also INSTITUTION. CHAUTAUQUA, produced the work in 1966, the first NEW YORK American ballet company to do so. 14722 As staged by the Ailey company, this celebration of earthly love and secular pleasures, devised by its corn -

March 1974 MA -13 what's new? JOHN ROCKWELL National Chinese Opera-some political and aesthetic problems

THE WEST COAST continues to be the principal conduit through which Oriental culture influences new American art. But fortunately the visiting Asian troupes of dancers and singers come to the East Coast, too, and their presence provides continually fresh inspiration for those composers, choreographers, theater people, and artists who respond to them in various ways. This past fall New York was honored -and that really is the proper word- by touring performers from China, Japan, and India. And just to prove that it isn't only young Western artists who are reaching back to the East, there were two experimental Japa- nese troupes that tried to blend both old and new.

National Chinese Opera

The Chinese contribution, enjoy- able as it was, turned out to be the least impressive of the three traditional offerings, and there were both political and aesthetic reasons for Kathakali dancers-terror and a union of opposites that. This National Chinese Opera

MA -14 HIGH FIDELITY / musicalamerica Theater Company, which played at Shingon Buddhists marked kinship with Indian chanting the City Center in late November, and even with the Eastern Orthodox may well be the leading present-day The Japanese and Indian perform- and Gregorian styles. But this was a practitioner of the two -thousand- ances were also excerpted from longer spectacle that transcended pure year -old Peking opera style. But that totalities, but neither could be ac- sound from the very first, a piece of is only because the Red Chinese have cused of pandering to Western tastes. musical theater that betrayed its links radically disrupted that style in their The Shingon Buddhist monks ap- to communal religious mysteries in a recent efforts to make Chinese opera peared for three poorly attended per- way that Greek and Western theater more responsive totheirpolitical formances in mid -October at the itself once did. The entire forty-five needs. The troupe that visited New Brooklyn Academy of Music (the au- minutes amounted to a dazzling York comes from Taiwan, and al- dience seemed to consist mostly of overload of time -tested coups de theatre, though it had its charms, it lacked the avant-gardists). Buddhist chanting from the setting itself to the entrance virtuosic brilliance of individual art- survives all over the Eastern world of the monks to the ministrations of istry and ensemble that characterized (although once again the Commu- the presiding Dai Shojo (archbishop) the Peking style in its great days-or nists have suppressed it in China and to the grand climax, in which the so say those who have seen both. Chi- Tibet), and the ceremonies can liter- chanting broke into an angry gabble nese opera is a fast-moving, colorful ally go on for days. The Brooklyn as complex as anything in contempo- affair, full of acrobatics and lavish program began with a solo narrative rary choral literature, with the monks costumes; only the clattering, whin- chant on an epic secular theme-a unfurling their accordian-like prayer ing music seems alien to a Western form that was the direct ancestor of books in sharp flourishes. sensibility. But one shouldn't over- the Japanese Noh and Bunraku the- stress the lightness of this form: The ater. Chanted by an ancient blind Kerala Kalamandalam tour programs chopped up the ex- musician who is reportedly one of the tended operas into what amounted to last surviving masters of the style, this If the Shingon monks recalled a string of pops highlights. It was all episode from a "war tale" made a Greek tragedy implicitly, the Kath- rather like trying to judge the West- pronouncedly hieratic effect. The ac- akali dance dramas of the Kerala ern musical tradition on the basis of tual chanting ceremony was more Kalamandalam Company at Car- an Arthur Fiedler program. Hazard- striking still. From a musical point of negie Hall around Thanksgiving re - ous at best. view, the monks' work revealed a Continued on page MA -26

Carol Rosenberger Scarlatti Sonatas.. Vol. 1 Carol Rosenberger Chopin Preludes. Op. 28 Malcolm Hamittcr Schubert. Sonata. Op. 12 Harpsich 3rd Impromptus. Op 90

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March 1974 MA -15 respectfully) did he give the music the THE tension it requires if it is not to seem a lot of rum -turn -turn -turn. Though the singers get all the attention and METROPOLITAN OPERA the credit, the fact is that all these bel canto operas are conductor's operas: the singing can be effective only in a L'Italiana in Algeri lated by hers. Young Christine frame. They could not flourish under Weidinger, an audition winner, was leaders like Molinari-Pradelli in the When Rossini wrote L'Ilaliana in pert but a little wiry as Elvira. Theo- Bing days, and they cannot survive Algeri he was four years younger than dor Uppman might make a good an Otvos now. the Mozart who wrote ldomeneo, and buffo baritone-he has long been a Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's boxy set was two years younger than the Pergolesi charming Papageno-but he was of- charming in its arabesques, and it of La Serva Padrona, whose prodigious- fered neither a musical nor a dra- was a joy to have a Met production ness has long been celebrated by mu- matic conception by the bosses of this done by someone with a truly sophis- sic historians. No other opera that enterprise, and had to make up en- ticated sense of color. His mise-en- still holds the boards was written by tirely too much of his performance by scene was faintly unprofessional, anyone so young, and the experience himself. however, and lacking a consistent of Rossini's youthful high spirits is Fernando Corena was a worse conception for any of the characters. among the most delightful entertain- problem. That he cannot in the The twenty -man chorus was handled ments an opera house canoffer. present state of his voice sing every- very well, though, from the charming There are, inevitably, excesses and thing Rossini wrote for Mustafa is ob- eunuch -masks to the sewing motif stylistic confusions, especially during vious but not really very important. that stressed their role in the harem. Rossini's touching attempt in the Giuseppe Taddei, who was the Mus- Something special should be said too first -act finale to blend Mozart into tafa in Chicago, was in no better vo- for the new chorus -master, David Sti- his own genius-the Cosi-like trio for cal condition than Corena, but scored vender: though he couldn't get every- two sopranos and tenor before the a triumph. Mustafa can be faked vo- body on stage for every scene (I'm first ensemble of confusion, the very cally, with little lost-provided the sure nobody was counting but me), chromaticFigaro-likesectionthat conductor permits. In this perform- he did get the most crisp attacks and leads to the second ensemble of confu- ance, Corena was required to attempt consistently sonorous execution I sion; which is pure Rossini, tonic/ vocal feats he simply could not man- have ever heard from a chorus at the dominant, four-square, and very age, and the strain of trying damaged Met. MARTIN MAYER funny. It is hard to believe that in the his usually impeccable timing. declining years of the twentieth cen- The villain of the piece, in short, Les Contes d'Hoffmann tury a presentation of this bright was conductor Gabor Otvos, who was bundle of semi-precious stones could flaccid throughout, not helpful either The second performance of the be a source of controversy on the mu- to the orchestra (which contributed Met's new production of Tales of Hoff- sical scene, but so itis: New York's an atrocious false entry in the over- mann (on December 3) was the occa- critics have been quarreling about ture at the performance I attended) sion for as glorious a piece of sus- the new Met production. Wagner or to the singers. Only when he was tained evening -long vocalism as I must be spinning like a top. following Miss Home (which he did have heard in the new house: Placido One aspect of the performance is Domingo's Hoffmann. He did not right in everybody's judgment: Mari- even attempt to sing in a French style lyn Horne's Isabella. I saw this crea- (given Offenbach's execrable prosody tion in Chicago two seasons back, it may not be possible to sing correct and its glories remain in the ear. She French in Hoffmann, anyway); but his is perfect for the role and the role is work in the Italian style was beyond perfect for her, commanding her praise, and the sounds he made will splendid talents as a comedienne, her remain with this auditor for a long always incrediblevocalflexibility time. He was also dramatically a (she makes vocal runs crescendo or di- plausibleHoffmann;andifhe minuendo as though she were playing slouched a little, well, one could re- a piano)-and especially her uniquely member that his was, after all, a vital sense of rhythm. Every time she hard -luck story par excellence. came on stage, the music came to life. It was a pleasure, too, to encounter Save for Shirley Love, who han- in the flesh the Richard Bonynge edi- dled a comprimario role just per- tion of the score, which he recorded a fectly, the rest of the cast was clearly year ago. He has stripped away the not on this level. Luigi Alva is an at- recitative, in itself an excellent idea tractive artist, but the top of the voice (though the French dialogue that re- is now white and worrisome; his best sulted was spoken in a variety of ac- moments came in the duet with Miss cents, any one of which would have Horne in the first act, when his own Continued afterHIGH FIDELITY excellent rhythmic sense was stimu- Sutherland as Olympia page 116

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John Philip Sousa was, of course, right about the gramophone ("Sousa Blasts the Phono- graph: The Menace of Mechanical Music," November 1973]. For no other instrument has so stifled music, or musical imagination. Just look at the dozens of recordings. for example. of Boheme or Traviata or some other warhorse, and ask why they were made. The answer seems pretty obvious: because gramophone listeners like artistic gymnastics. and they expect each new diva to jump through the aural hoop. Better to stop the industry for a while and spend money on production of, say, operas that deserve presentation.Isittoo much to ask that instead of the nth version of Tosco we can get a Mathis der Maier? As the gramophone has stifled musical interest, it has also stifled talent: not that we need thousands of persons who can play the introducing the piano badly; we do need, though. if our culture is to survive, persons with understanding 1:=1cokcor-cilr- of the inner workings. Kenneth Portnoy Palatine. Ill. Missing Measures Another of the "Discs That Should Never Have Been Released" [October 1973] is RCA Victrola VICS I656(e), the currently available with DOLBY -B Toscanini/N BC Symphony recording of Beethoven's Fourth Symphony. On this disc. bars 283 to 311 of the first movement are miss- the stereo cassette deck ing. In a letter to me last August. John Pfeiffer, with a new sense of direction RCA's executive producer for Red Seal Artists and Repertoire, acknowledged the error: DOKORDER moves in new directions "The measures were most certainly missing. with this outstanding state-of-the- and upon investigation,I can only surmise that the master was damaged at some point art cassette deck. A Tape and edited back together without musical su- Scan Indicator shows pervision. In any event, I have gone back to the direction the the original source and corrected the master tape is moving tape so t1,-.1 the missing measures are rein- and, in con- stated. A new master has been sent to the plant junction with and will be used for immediate production." the 3 -digit It is incredible for me to contemplate the sheer numbers of musically sophisticated lis- tape counter teners (not to mention musicians and conduc- and Cue and tors) who have simply not realized that some- Review thing was wrong with this disc. Switches, Gerald S. Feintuch makes it excep- Assistant Conductor tionally easy to locate Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra desired selections instantly. Fort Wayne. Ind. The super -hard Molybdenum (MBD) Finding Four -Channel Records PLAY/RECORD head delivers outstanding fidelity and increased frequency response (30-18k Hz). John Rockwell's "The Strange Case of the And the Dolby -B noise reduction system achieves exceptional Four -Channel Disc" [November 1973] shed signal-to-noise characteristics (better than 60 dB). It's the some light onto the difficulty of obtaining quadriphonic records. However Ifind mis- finest cassette deck you could choose for reel-to-reel quality leading Mr. Rockwell's apparently random and professional performance. Suggested retail price $249.00. choice of classical composers and pop artists I can For complete information, visit your nearest Dokorder Dealer, or write not represented on four -channel discs. just as easily put together lists of composers 1=35 ioko,,,,Lor 1.4.: 11264 Playa Court, Culver City, Calif. 90230 and performers who are. Continued on page 18 CIRCLE 11 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

14 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Now BIC VENTURIT"puts to rest someof the fables, fairytales, folklore, hearsay and humbug about speakers.

Fable Extended bass with low distortion angle dispersion in one plane. requires a big cabinet. Since speakers can be positioned Some conventional designs are rela- horizontally or vertically, you tively efficient, but are large. Others are can miss those frequencies so small, capable of good bass response, but necessary for musical accuracy. extremely inefficient. The principle of Metallic coloration is eliminated the BIC VENTURI systems (pat. pend.) in the BICONEX horn by making transforms air motion velocity within it of a special inert substance. the enclosure to realize The combination of conical and amplified magnitudes / exponential horn flares with a of bass energy at the l( square diffraction mouth results BIC VENTURI coupled in measurably wider dispersion, equally duct as much as 140 in all planes. times that normally derived from a woofer Hearsay A systelp for every (Fig. A). And the filtering action achievesA speaker can't achieve high efficiency phenomenally pure signal (Scope photos with high power handling in a small requirement B & C). Result: pure extended bass from cabinet.. FORMULA 2. The most sensitive, a small enclosure. It can't, if its design is governed by such highest power handling speaker system limiting factors as a soft -suspension, of its size (193/4x12x111/2):' Heavy duty 8" limited cone excursion capability, trap- woofer, BICONEX mid range, super ped air masses, etc. Freed from these tweeter. Use with amplifiers rated from limitations by the unique venturi action, 15 watts to as much as 75 watts RMS B -shows output.of I), driver u at a freq. of 22 Hz. Sound pressure reading, 90 dB. Note poor waveform. BIC VENTURI speakers use rugged driversper channel. Response: 30 Hz to 23,000 C-Output of venture coupled duct, (under the same conditions as Fig B.) Sound pressure reading111.5 dB,(140 times more capable of great excursion and equipped Hz. Dispersion: 120°x120°. $98 each output than Fig. B.) Note sinusoidal (nondistorted) appearance. with voice coil assemblies that handle FORMULA 4. Extends pure bass to high power without "bottoming"or danger25 Hz. Has 10" woofer, BICONEX mid- Fairytale of destruction. The combination of in- range, super tweeter. Even greater effi- It's okay for midrange speakers to cross creased efficiency and high power handl- ciency and will handle amplifiers rated over to a tweeter at any frequency. ing expands the useful dynamic range up -to 100 watts. Dispersion: 120°x120°. Midrange speakers cover from about of your music system. Loud musical pas- Size:25x x B!' $136 each. 800 Hz to 6000 Hz. However, the BICONEX'" horn sages are reproduced faithfully, without FORMULA 6. Reaches very limits of ear is most sensitive to midrange strain; quieter moments, effortlessly. bass and treble perception (20 to frequencies. Distortion created 23,000 Hz). Six elements: 12" woofer in this range from crossover complemented by 5" cone for upper network action reduces articu- Humbug bass/lower midrange; pair of BICONEX lation and musical definition. You can't retain balanced tonal response horns and pair of super tweeter BIC VENTURI BICONEX horn (pat.pend.)at all listening levels. angularly positioned to increase high was designed to match the high efficiency We hear far less of the bass and treble frequency dispersion (160°x160°). of the bass section and operates smoothly ranges at moderate to low listening levels Size: 261/4 x153/4 x 14Y4:' $239 each. all the way up to 15,000 Hz, without than at very loud levels. Amplifier "loud- Sturdily constructed enclosures. interruption. A newly designed super ness" or "contour" switches are fixed rate Removable grilles in choice of 6 colors. tweeter extends response to 23,000 Hz, devices which in practice are defeated by Optional bases for floor standing place- preserving the original sonic balance and the differences in speaker efficiency. The ment. Write for brochure HF-3. musical timbre of the instruments solution: Dynamic Tonal Compensa- Audition today's most advanced originating in the lower frequencies. tion7 This circuit (patents pending) speakers at your BIC VENTURI dealer. adjusts speaker response as its sound Folklore pressure output changes with amplifier BRITISH INDUSTRIES Co., Inc. Westbury, New York 11590. Wide dispersion only in one plane is volume control settings. You hear A division of Avnet, Inc., sufficient. aurally "flat" musical reproduction at 1 Canada: C.W. Pointon, Ont. Conventional horns suffer from musi- background, average, or ear -shattering cal coloration and are limited to wide- discoteque levels-automatically. BIC VENTURI CIRCLE 5 ON READER -SERVICE CARD MARCH 1974 15 IT'SAS FARAS YouCAN GO

IF YOU'RE UP WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE HIGH-FIDELITY INDUSTRY

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55 AMES COURT. PLAINVIEW. N Y 11803 USA ALS ILABLE IN CANA Continued from page 14 May I further reassure your numerous readers that they need not play "Quadopoly" in all record outlets. Lafayette Radio's eighty-five retailoutlets handleallthefour -channel records available: our store here in Min- neapolis currently has in stock over 160 titles. The most respected separated neatly into SQ. Quadradisc. and compatibly encodedsections.displayed name in electronics prominently in our sound studio and backed introduces state-of- up by expert and knowledgeable sales people. The future of audio rests. I believe. in four - the-art loudspeakers. channel sound. and the disc situation is not quite so bleak as Mr. Rockwell projects. Kenneth M. Rhodes MARK XDynamic Transducer Three way Speaker System. Lafayette Radio utilizing four drivers (1-12". 1-5". 2-2"), with low and mid frequency control. Oiled walnut Edina. Minn.

MARK XI Dynamic Transducer Three-way Speaker System, Lafayette is indeed a welcome exception to the utilizing seven drivers (1-12", 2-5", 4-2"). with low. chaotic picture depicted in "Quadopoly.- But mid and high frequency control. Oiled walnut that only emphasi:es Mr. Rockwen point: For MARK XII Solid State Electrostatic Transducer, three a full selection of available four -channel discs, panel array of electrostatic elements, 1-12" low twit have to go to an audio dealer.' As for the frequency driver, 1-5" driver, for lower mid frequencies. available repertory. the lists of missing compos- electronic protection circuit, with low, mid and high frequency control. Oiled walnut ers and performers were designed to suggest the glaring gaps inthe quadriphonic-disc cata- MARK XIV Solid State logue: filler channel remains a dubious alterna- Electrostatic Transducer, six panel MARK X array of electrostatic elements. tive to two -channel stereo with such a lopsided 1-12" low frequency driver, repertory. 2-5" mid -frequency drivers, with Scientific Audio Electronics, Inc. Acoustics Division low, mid and high frequency control. e had no problem finding all the four -chan- Oiled walnut or rosewood. P.O. Box 60271, Terminal Annex, Dept. HF-31 Los Angeles, Califcrnia 90060 nel discs I want. In fact, they find me. Since Please send comprehensive data the Ormandy recording of the Shostakovich on SAE state-of-the-art loudspeaker.. 61amewitt Fifteenth Symphony (RCA) is available only Name _ _ as a compatible Quadradisc. I actually have /4? Address one more than I wanted-which was none. 6wweii;iii7/? City_ State Zip If the present exponential trend in the number of channels (I. 2. 4...) continues. we will presumably wind up with a separate channel CIRCLE 40 ON READER -SERVICE CARD for each instrument in the orchestra-so that we can have a 128 -channel recording of the Mahler Resurrection Symphony. Slylittle They put a rotary engine ina car. devils, those amplifier and speaker manufacturers. We put acam shaft in a turntable. H. Jack Adams Westboro, Mass.

-Jaw" High Fidelity, March 1974. Vol. 24, No. 3. Published monthly by BillboardPublications.IncChairman R H STEGENIAN. President. W D LITTLEFORD. Vice PresidentsMAYNARD REuTER. Sales. JOEL NOVAK. Circulation,JULES PEREL. American ArtistGroup. HAL B COOK, Business Publications: WARREN B SYER Consumer Publications, DAviD LuRRERT, Controller For the samereason. Treasurer LARRY GATTO. Secretary JOHN Ross. Presi- dent. Whitney Design Group CHARLES WHITNEY Pres,- dent. International Operations MORT NAsAT1R Pres., dent, Music Lebo (joint venture) BEN OKANO Publica- The reason? To make it quieter, smoother, more reliable. lions New York: American Artist The Architectural Forum. Gift 6 Tableware Reporter. Industrial Design The basic record changer mechanism-like the automobile's Interiors. Merchandising Week. Modern Photography piston engine-has been a fairly reliable device that has served Photo Weekly. VidNews. Watson -Gupta/ Publications with some success for many years. But the very action of Whitney Library of Design. Great Barrington. Ma High Fidelity, Musical America. Stereo. Musical Amer- the engine-or the changer-produces constant ica Directory of the Performing Arts. Buyer's Guide vibration and strong, sudden movements to the World of Tape. High Fidelity's Test Reports: Los that can ultimately wear it out. Angeles Billboard. Chicago Vend. Nashville Amuse- ment Business. London. Music Week. Record Mirror. Easy Listening. World Radio -TV Handbook. How to Now we have alternatives. For Listen to the World. Tokyo Music Labo cars, the Wankel rotary engine. And for record players, the se- High FideiltyilAusical America.Editionpublished quential cam shaft drive mech- monthly Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. anism used in BSR's finest Editorial correspondence should be addressed to The automatic turntables. Editor. High Fidelity, Great Barrington. Mass 01230 Editorial contributions will be welcomed Payment for Its even rotating motion programs the articles accepted will be arranged prior to publication Unsolicited manuscripts should be accompanied by complex automatic functions of the BSR 710 return postage. and 810 smoothly and without noisy and poten- tially harmful quick starts and stops, without slam- Subscriptions should be addressed to High Fidelity. 2160 Patterson St.. Cincinnati, Ohio 45214 Subscrip- ming metal against metal. And because the cam gears are tion rates High Fidelity Musical America In the U S A. mounted on a carefully machined central shaft, they are all and its Possessions, 1 year St 4. elsewhere. 1 year $15. but impossible to put out of alignment by rough handling National and other editions published monthly In the or constant use. U S.A and its Possessions, 1 year Si 95 Subscription BSR rates forallother countries available on request. The result: consistent care -free performance, and good Change of attires, notices and undelivered copies music. With the BSR 710/X and 810/X Transcription Series (Form 3579) should be addressed to High Fidelity. Sub- BSR (USA) CD.. iption Fulfillment Dept , P 0 Box 14156, Cincinnati. Total Turntables. firAuyii 1. KYW YORK 10913 ', 45214.

CIRCLE 6 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

It) 41 ON READER -SERVICE CARD The Best Buy' Line

S -705C The winner in our evaluation.' Music World (36 watts IHF, 1C + 10 RMS [8 Ohms (a1 KHz], 3.5 pv FM Sensitivity IIHFI 40 dB selectivity)

57100A "Best Buy," a leading consume- testing magazine. (22 +22 watts RMS [8 Ohns (di1 KHz', 1 9 /iv Sensitivity l IHFL 50 dB selectivity)

S7200 "Best Buy," a leading consumer testing magazine (40 +40 watts RMS 18 Ohms (a1 KHz], 1.8 pv FM Sensitivity IIHFI, 60 dB selectivity)

S7900A (AM/FM) & S8903A (FM on1;), Best Buy," a leadirg consumer testing publication. (60 + 6C RMSI8 0-tmsl 20 - 20.000 Hz, 1.7 pv sensitiv ty IIHFI, 65 dB selectivity)

There are certain rewards for another independent publication And, this year, as never producing the best receivers in ra-es our S-7050 as the best of before, the, word is getting arouid. this business. the low-priced receivers, to us Sherwood Electronic Laboratories One of them is critical it's like getting an Oscar. 4300 N. California acclaim. But nothing is more exciting Chicago, Illinois 60618 And we admit, that when 3 than being discovered by leading consumers' testing thousands of new consumers magazine picks three of our wI'o choose Sherwood ove- tie Sherwood receivers as "Best Buys" and giants of the industry. The word s getting aroLnd. GREAT NEW CLASSICAL behind the RELEASES FROM Belles THE GREAT CLASSICAL LABEL Mozart Weathersan Energy Crisis, the Middle East War, and

Bach: Works Arranged for Harp. Other Minor Irritations Zabaleta 2530 333 Bartok: Hungarian Folk Songs. Hamari 2530 405 Leporello. Luigi Alva as Ottavio, with Beethoven: Appasslonata Sonata. LONDON the English Chamber Orchestra). disas- Gilels2530 406 ter struck at the first session. Soyer ac- Beethoven: Kreutzer Sonata. quired a throat infection, which so far Menuhin, Kempff2530 135 In EMI's Studio No. I inSt. John's from clearing up prevented him from Beethoven: Spring Sonata. Menuhin, Wood. Peter Serkin was recording a Mo- doing any useful recording work at all. Kempff2530 205 zart piano concerto with the English Producer Suvi Raj Grubb had the unen- Beethoven: Symphonies 8 & 9. Biihm Chamber Orchestra under Alexander 2707 073 viable task of devising a new recording Schneider. Upstairs in the playback Beethoven: Overtures. Karajan schedule without the Don ("Talk about 2530 414 room. Andre Previn was listening to a Hamlet without the prince," he says), playback of one of his latest records-as Debussy/Ravel: Music for 2 Pianos/ and the restis being slotted in from 4 Hands. A & A Kontarsky 2707 072 pianist. with Sir Adrian Boult conduct- recordings being made with the same Dvorak: New World Symphony. ing the London Symphony. in another performers in London. Kubelik2530 415 Mozart piano concerto. Then suddenly Dvorak: Piano Trio Op. 65. Yuval disaster struck: The electric power gave Stern and Zukerman in a Pinch. Yet an- Trio2530 371 up the ghost. An RCA representatie ar- other Mozart project was nearly' sabo- Haydn: Flute Quartets. Vienna Phil. riving to inspect the Serkin session was taged by the Middle East war. When Chamber Ens. 2530 360 nonplused to see candles everywhere. Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman ar- Haydn: Sinfonia Concertante/Sym- Was this EMI's idea of an electronic age? rived back posthaste from Israel to give phony 90. Bohm 2530 398 Had the energy crisis come so soon? their scheduled concert of two Pleyel sin- Mahler: Symphony 5/Berg: Three The explanation was much simpler. fonie concertante and the Mozart Con- Pieces. Karajan2707 074 An Irish workman excavating a hole in certone for Two Violins. K. 190. they Mendelssohn: Symphonies 4 & 5. the road outside (the very place where Karajan2530 416 found themselves with too little time to the Beatles were photographed for their Mozart: Clarinet & Bassoon Con- rehearse. Priorities had demanded their certos. Prinz, Zeman 2530 411 album "Abbey Road") had jabbed his staving in Israel much longer than they Mozart: Plano Concertos 3, 4 & 5. spade rather too enthusiastically. The had planned. Anda 2530 330 cable supplying the whole of the studio So it was that at the Festival Hall they Mozart: Lieder. Mathis2530 319 was damaged. and candles were the or- substituted the great Mozart Sinfonia Mozart: Serenades 11 & 12. Vienna der of the day for Mozart until the engi- Concertante for Violin and Viola. K. 364 Phil. Wind Ens. 2530 369 neers had mended it. (to no one's serious disappointment). but Mozart: Sonatas for 2 Pianos/4 Happily the mishap caused only tem- that did nothing to help get the recording Hands. Eschenbach, Frantz porary disturbance. Serkin and his col- sessions completed-sessions covering 2530 285 leagues completed all five of the Mozart both the Pleyel works (newly discovered Schoenberg: Quartet No. 1. La Salle concertos scheduled-the five works of by oboist James Brown) and the Mozart Quartet2530 329 mounting inspiration from the K. 450s- Concertone (with Barenboim conduct- Schubert: Lieder. Fischer-Dieskau while Previn's canceled playback at least 2530 347 ing the ECO). not to mention a series of allowed him a little more rest before his duos by Leclair and Spohr, as well as Schubert: Lieder. Ludwig 2530 404 concert at the Festival Hall in the eve- Mozart. Somehow the indefatigable pair Schubert: Piano Sonata D. 959. Eschenbach2530 372 ning: much needed, as he has been did get by with the minimum of strain showing a few signs of overstrain lately. (the duos were also given live at the Fes- Schubert: Vocal Quartets.2530 409 The finished record. coupling K. 491 and tival Schumann: Waldszenen/Humoreske. Hall). and Zukerman repeatedly Kempff 2530 410 K. 453. has already been rushed out as demonstrated what a superb virtuoso he Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra. one of EMI's seventy -fifth -birthday of- is on the viola as well as the violin. Karajan2530 402 ferings. Tchaikovsky: Symphony 3. Atzmon Barenboim into the Breach. It was typi- 2530 401 Don Giovanni Delayed. Mozart projects cal of Barenboim that one morning. Weber: Der Freischutz. C. Kleiber have been coming thick and fast, and when Stern and Zukerman felt they sim- 2709 406 others too have suffered from unex- ply had to cancel their recording session Petrarch Sonnets (Various Com- pected mishaps. In the summer. when af- in favor of practicing. without a tremor posers) Fischer-Dieskau 2530 332 ter his Edinburgh Festival performances he took the orchestra through Elgar's Deutsche Grammophon Records. of Don Giovanni Daniel Barenboim at- Serenade for Strings, recording it com- MusiCassettes and 8 -Track Cartridges are distributed in the USA by tempted to record the opera for EMI plete. Polydor Incorporated; with the same cast (Roger Soyer as the I went to the session that same after- In Canada by Polydor Records Ltd Don. Helen Donath as Anna. Heather noon when, with all three reunited, they Harper as Elvira. Geraint Evans as recorded the Mozart Concertone in CIRCLE 35 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 20 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE How much wouldyou expectto pay fora turntable with these features?

El $160? El $180? El 5220? If you know something about turn- the arm anywhere you want. tables, you know that, as a general rule, the 4. Adjustable anti -skating device. more features you get. the more money This adjusts the anti -skate for any stylus you pay. pressure, to prevent distortion and With that in mind, add up the features uneven wear. of the ELAC/Miracord 625 automatic turn- 5. Dynamically balanced tone arm for table shown here, and see if you can guess precise tracking. the price. 6. Heavy, pressure -formed turntable 1. Exclusive ELAC/Miracord Push - platter for smooth steady motion. Button Controls. Less than an ounce of 7. Balanced four -pole asynchronous pressure activates any of the 4 buttons. motor for unerring speed. One is a stop/reject button, the other 3 are 8. The most important, most exclusive start buttons programmed to play 10" feature of the Miracord 625 is one that you and 12" records. can't see It's a reputation for quality crafts- The push-button system eliminates manship and attention to detail that has shaking caused by conventional lever -type made the ELAC name famous. controls that cause the tone arm to skitter How much does that kind of quality across the record and damage it. cost? Much less than you'd expect. The 2.Two Magic Wand Spindles. One holds Miracord 625, with features :hat you'll find up to 10 records for really long playing. The in much more expensive models, sells other is for playing a single record, or for for less than $150. Isn't it about time continuous repeat playing of a single side. you got more than your money's 3. Precise cueing device. This lets you worth? interrupt a record, then gently drop the ELAC Products, Benjamin Electronic arm again into the same groove. Sound Company, Farmingdale, Or, in its raised position, you can locate HAINew York 11735. You can't rush craftsmanship.

CIRCLE 13 ON READER-SERVJCE CARD

!OAR( u 1974 21 A New Speaker from Advent.

The new Advent/2 speaker system is meant to be the most satisfying low-cost loudspeaker available. It has wider range, higher efficiency, and greaterpower - handling ability than other systems in its price class, and its overall sound quality is extremely close to that of the best speakers atany price. If you would like absolutely convincing sound for the lowest possible cost, it is the speaker to buy.

Inside And Outside. ment in what's inside and outside. We believe The performance of the Advent/2 is the result your first hearing will tell you why we have that of a breakthrough - not in design principles, confidence. but in the quality of internal components built into a low-cost loudspeaker. Not only does it What It Has to Offer. have more expensive drivers than other low- There are some good low-priced speakers on the cost systems, but drivers of a cost usually market, but the Advent/2 is intended to supply associated with speakers of twice the price. meaningfully better performance. Its low -frequency speaker, for instance, has a The specific difference is its combination of magnetic system as massive as that of the orig- bass, efficiency, and power -handling. Some low- inal Advent Loudspeaker. And while one of its cost speakers simply don't produce enough bass two high -frequency speakers would have been to avoid a somewhat lightweight sound quality. enough for the usual low-cost loudspeaker, it Some of these - and others with slightly better uses a pair to achieve power -handling equal to bass - require more power than low-cost ampli- that of much more expensive systems. fiers and receivers can provide to play demand- Because our aim has been a low-cost system ing music at satisfyingly loud levels. Others just that will be unusually satisfying in all respects, won't produce enough acoustic power under we have also invested time and money to any conditions to fill a big room, or a smaller develop a new speaker enclosure with more to room full of people, with low -distortion sound. offer than the usual low-cost combination of We feel that a speaker meant to be lived with pressed wood and simulated woodgrain. happily for year after year, without continual The handsome, warm -white molded cabinet urges for something a little or a lot better, must of the Advent/2 wasn't designed simply to look handle enough power to satisfy all likely listen- different or provide something new to advertise, ing requirements - including turning up the but to help achieve the highest possible per- volume for a party or for some high -intensity formance -per- dollar in a loudspeaker. It is a listening with or without company. If it is to combination of high -impact thermoplastic for be a true low-cost speaker, it must also be effi- its outer shell and high -density polyurethane cient enough for satisfying use with low-cost, foam for its inner core. Lighter in weight than an equivalent wood cabinet, it is easier to mount low -power amplifiers and receivers. And it must on a shelf. Its acoustically transparent (and produce enough really low bass to give a solid non -resonant) metal grille provides excellent foundation for all kinds of music, with no sense protection for the drivers. And both the shape of missing weight. and finish of the molded cabinet have helped We believe that the Advent/2 is demonstrably produce one of the very few loudspeakers at better than other low-cost systems in any of any price with something to offer the eyes as these respects. We are sure it is the only fully well as the ears, a really graceful and distinc- satisfying combination of all three. tive appearance that looks very much at home The new Advent/ 2 costs $58.? If you would in a home. like more information, please send in the cou- Our ability to produce a speaker as good as pon. We will include a list of Advent dealers the Advent/2 for so low a price is based on con- who will be happy to give it the full demonstra- fidence that we can sell a large number of tion, including comparison with more expensive speakers to offset the unusually high invest- speakers, that it deserves. Thank you.

tSlightly higher in some parts of the country.

22 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Our Other Speaker(s). We decided to call our new loudspeaker the Advent/2, rather than the Advent/3, because we consider the other two speakers we make to be different versions of the same loudspeaker. We called our first two loudspeakers the Advent Loudspeaker and the Smaller Advent Loudspeaker. They were and are intended for flat-out comparison with the most expensive speakers available. Their overall sound, including frequency response to the lowest bass fundamentals present on recordings, is essentially identical. But the Smaller Advent, in return for its smaller size and lower cost, won't play quite as loud as the original Advent. If you are interested in an absolute maximum of useful performance in a speaker, or will take that maximum minus a few I= III MI OM decibels of acoustic output for a consider- IAdvent Corporation, able saving in money and space, these two I195 Albany St., Cambridge, Mass. 02139 versions of the same speaker are worth Gentlemen: going out of your way to hear. A few min- IPlease send informationon the new Advent/2. utes listening will begin to indicate why I I'd also like to know moreabout your other they have become best-sellers with rela- speaker(s). tively little advertising and a deliberately I Name limited number of dealers. The original I Advent costs $105-$125 (depending on IAddress finish and the part of the country you buy City it in), the Smaller $70-$75. ImmmmoommismiwimimmmmmIState Zip

The Advent/2

Advent Corporation, 195 Albany Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139.

MARCH 1974 23 CBS's own studio in central London. It is while has been reveling in the quad- Estes-which could hardly be more ap- used mainly for pop recording, but with riphonic possibilities of King's College. propriate for this exotic opera set in expanding and contracting walls-not to Cambridge. David Willcocks directed Florida (!).Sir Charles Groves con- mention adjustable acoustic clouds of the choir that he has long trained (but ducted the London Symphony, and the hardwood up toward a surprisingly high will soon give up when he becomes prin- complete work should fit neatly onto ceiling-it was not difficult for producer cipal of the Royal College of Music) in a four very well -filled LP sides. Paul Myers to ensure a good over-all program of Gabrieli anthems. The EMI sound. Just to make sure that the quad- producer, Christopher Bishop. found Independent Mahler.One major project riphonic version would be mixable in the obvious problems when it came to by a comparatively small company has right proportions, the two soloists were recording in four channels in so rever- been the second recording of a Mahler protected by transparent screens. But berant an acoustic, but the results have symphony by Independent World Re- with every facility built in, this compara- exceeded even his most sanguine expec- leases. a firm set up by Isabella Wallich tively new studio is a favorite with every- tations-a thrilling, atmospheric sound. with some adventurous ideas on market- one-to the irritation of Columbia's clas- Bishop has also been responsible for ing. Isabella Wallich has been closely sical department, which is often the Delius Trust's latest recording. the connected with the record industry from thwarted from using it by prior pop opera Koanga. One interesting feature of her earliest childhood. As niece of the bookings. the casting is that the three principal pioneering Fred Gaisberg (in charge of roles are taken by black singers-Claudia EMI recording from the turn of the cen- EMI: Gabrieli and Delius.EMI mean- Lindsay, Eugene Holmes, and Simon tury). she herself heard many of EMI's classic recordings of the Thirties being made-as for example Casals' Dvofik cello concerto made in Prague with Szell and the Czech Philharmonic. The products of her earlier company, Lyrita, are now marketed here by Decca, and she has ventured into the ambitious world of Mahler recording with Wyn Morris, a dedicated and expressive Mah- lerian, conducting an orchestra specially gathered together. You would think that London had more than enough professional orchestras already. but the Symphonica of London finds a chink not covered before: Its personnel make their regular livings playing for television jingles and the like, generally regarded as the most lucrative field for a classical musician in London. The list of string players-not to mention those in other sections-isextraordinarilyim- pressive, and when I heard the first take of the Symphonica's recording of the Mahler Fifth Symphony at the EMI studio,it was immediately obvious how much more than a pickup group this is. The orchestra's quality had already been amply demonstrated by Independ- ent World Releases'firstproduct. a richly committed account of Mahler's Eighth Symphony [justissuedinthe U.S. by RCA. which is interested in the Just for the record, Fifth]. and here-with Isabella Wallich herself producing (shopping basket nes- there'san easier way. tled against her feet)-the aim was to There's a much easier way to clean, and record counters everywhere. achieve comparable qualities. One ad- revitalize and restore the brilliant Elpa Marketing Industries, Inc., vantage of using such players is that they sound of your records. And lots more New Hyde Park, New York 11040 / enjoy their return to classical work more effective, too. It's the Watts Record Scottsdale, Arizona 85253. than regular orchestral players who keep to the symphonic repertory year in year Care Kit. Here's out. everything you need to remove deep "Professional Alan Civil, taking a break from his down dust, dirt and methods for work as co -principal horn of the BBC static charge from record care Symphony. was in his element. After one and use" playback of the third movement. Morris record grooves. suggested in the confidential surround- Only $22.50 ings of the control room that Civil might Watts Record make the most flamboyant sound he Care Kits & equip- could. Civil nodded, but put in the reser- ment are available vation "as long as it doesn't sound at hi-fi dealers coarse." Morris laughed. and insisted Record Care Kit that Civil's horn tone could never be AVAILABLE IN CANADATHROUGH SMYTHSOUNDEQU:PMENTLTD. that. EDN ARDGRI I NI-ILI D 24 By Jupiter! the soundcomes at you from all directions. Empire's unique Jupiter is awesome - it can deliver an Empire's new Jupiter 6500 Speaker cylinder produces the kind of sound impressive performance without list price $149.95. 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CIRCLE NO. 98 ON READER SERVICE CARD the refugee show business people imag- Cola, it became possible to understand the lees side ined. since Haymes had been partly more than he perhaps intended to have raised in Paris and educated in Switzer- understood. His mother was-and is-a land and speaks French almost as well as strongly individualistic woman who had he does English. In England he married sung light opera among other things. Dick Haymes Wendy Patricia Smith of Windsor; that "She's a true Auntie Mame." Haymes was 11 years ago. And he quit drinking. said with a chuckle. "Fortunately," he says, "I never had She taught Haymes the elements of Comes Home much tolerance for alcohol. I could get singing and taught him correctly. which falling -down drunk on four drinks. I was in part explains his fine strong voice pro- THE HOUSE is literally on a mountaintop. rather fortunate in that, unlike friends I duction. At one point she ran a success- Its glass -walled living room commands have who can put away a couple of bot- ful couture salon in Paris, which is how an awesome precipitous view down the tles a day. Thus when I stopped, I hadn't Haymes came to speak French so well. rugged slopes of the Santa Monica done that much physical damage to my- But he was bounced from one private Mountains to Malibu and the Pacific self." school to another with his brother, Bob, Ocean, burning silver -white in the slop- When Haymes made his successful now a composer. Although Haymes ing and metallic afternoon sunlight. comeback a year and a half ago at Holly- never said as much-there is no trace of The man sits at ease in a deep leather wood's Cocoanut Grove, before a "star- self-pity in his attitude-one gained an armchair, occasionally puffing on a pipe studded," as they us..d to say, audience, impression of two little boys clinging to- he has forgotten to light, and talks with it was his first appearance in Hollywood gether for warmth as they grew up in a surprising unselfconsciousness about his in fifteen years, and it ended a ten-year world that was quite comfortable, and unhappy past and his contented present. absence from the U.S. (You can't call it very lonely. No doubt these were among He wears khaki shorts and sandals and a his native country: he was born in the things he had to think through in his gold cross that hangs from his neck on a Buenos Aires of Irish and Scottish par- long sojourn in Europe. fine chain-nothing else. His hair is now ents and raised in boarding schools all Then came the Cocoanut Grove open- as silver as the sea out there and it has re- over the world, including Loyola College ing. Was he frightened to face Holly- ceded a little, but the face itself has in Montreal.) Why did he go away? Why wood again? "No, not really." he said. changed remarkably little. Two deep did he stay so long? (Later, one of his friends said. "Don't let character linesinthe cheeks paren- "I got to the point where I'd loused up him kid you-he was scared stiff.") What thesize the sensitive mouth, but any my life so much thatI thought it was he presented to the public was not a rem- moviegoer of the 1940s and '50s would time to leave town. I would not advise nant of his former self but another man. recognize him instantly. This is Dick people to go away to some distant place The performance can be heard on a Day- Haymes, one of the great singers of the to find their heads. But it happened to break album (DR 2016) called, forth- post big -band period who threw a career work for me. I figured I'd worn out my rightly enough. "Dick Haymes Comes away and is now rebuilding it. welcome in the business. And I went Home." One hears a genuinely different singer. The old sensitivity and warmth Harry James and Tommy Dorsey bands. "It must have been the right move, be- with ballads is there, but the voice is Indeed, he followed Frank Sinatra into cause I did, after some more blunders. In harder now, it has more edge, and he the singer's chair in both bands, and 1965. with no problem whatsoever- swings more. then, in the mid- 1940s into solo singer which is a blessing in itself-I stopped "Whatever has happened in my life. status and movie stardom. His rich bari- drinking." (Behind Haymes, as he either good or bad," he continued, "I tone voice became as well known as Si- talked, there was a well -stocked bar. findmyself directlyresponsiblefor. natra's and his boyish face familiar to Neither he nor Wendy uses it; it's for vis- What's past is past; it's a different era. millions through such films as Sure Fair. iting friends.) "I came to a crossroads And very possibly I am a different man. One Touch of Venus. and Do You Love that gave me a choice of either winding There is such a thing as rebirth. Me. Then followed several stormy-and up on skid row or functioning with the "Strangely enough, after I stopped all well-publicized-marriages, one of them gifts with which I've been endowed. of this self-destruction, and self-indul- to Rita Hayworth; a period of drinking; Thank God-and Iuse the name ad- gence as well, I reverted for a while to the and then obscurity. For the past ten years visedly -1 made the right choice." real young man I used to be. All of a sud- he has been living in Europe-not quite Haymes's careful invocation of God's den, all of the things I've loved to do all name is a clue to his character. He is an my life, skin-diving, sailing, skiing, ten- extremely thoughtful man who does nis, writing, singing, performing. com- yoga exercises regularly; there is a strong municating with people. all came back to mystical streak in him. It might be said me in such a crystal clear concept that I that he is deeply, though not convention- really wondered what the hell I'd been ally.religious. The Jesuit training at trying to prove. In my case-and every- Loyola seems to have had a lasting in- one has to find his own thing-it seemed fluence: he has a love of perfection. to a form of inferiority complex.) But something has changed in him. Continuing the conversation: "You The passion for stardom. which amounts see, I love my audience. They are a re- to an intense neurosis in many perform- flection of me and I am they. There's a ers. isn't there. He simply likes to sing communal meditation, if you wish to call and act. and he's been getting back into it that. People will sometimes ask me af- the latter with cameo appearances in TV ter a performance. 'How can you move films. He feels that the key to it is "dedi- me so much?' The truthful answer is that cation with detachment" and he has I am you. come to abhor involvement with one's "I firmly believe there is a spark of own ego. On the living room wall burned beauty in everyone, and I try to tap it,I into a sheet of wood is the inscription: try to find it." "Keep it simple." It would seem that he has at very min- As Haymes chatted, sipping Coca- imum found it in himself. GENE LEES

HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Every audiophile knows ?R is annous anced, accurate and firely di spe-sed fpr its su Derb speaker systerrs. EEC1 has respo-se over a Ifrequencies. ha:ural tecome the standard of the irdust-y in its reproduction of music witnout exasx-xa- class. AR speaker enginears h rve de- ton - artificiality cf sound. Separate s gned a -ange of speaker systems priced contro s on the bac< perrr it indepencant Es IOW as $69 and as high as 1;600. Regard - adjustment of the level of Ile m d -range of tie investment you p an, ea:h AR End high 'requercies speaker system will provide -he v.:latest Ycu'll find it difficu t, if not imccss 313, accuracy in sound reproducton. tp find any speaker tD equal its per'crm- The 4.R-2ax is a good example. This ance anywhere near its $149 price. For 2-way speaker system offer:, a well bat- nore det3iled intormaion please: write.

A TELEDYNE COMPANY

ACOUSTIC RESEARCH, 10 AMERICAN DRIVE. NORWOOD, MASS 02062

CIRC_E 1 ON REACER EERVICE CARD

MARCH 1974 27 see no reason for either preferring or re- jecting a speaker system just because its grille has the foam look. Listen first.

too hot My present stereo system consists of a Kenwood KR -5150 receiver, a Pioneer PL - to handle 25A turntable, a Teac 4010S tape deck, Sonics AS -447 speakers, and a Sansui SS - 20 headset. I hope you'll agree that this is an outstanding stereo system as is. But

with quadriphonics here to stay-as I believe it is-exactly what (brand name and model number) would I need for conversion? Or if you thinkI should sell what I have and buy a new quadriphonic system, what would you recommend? I want only One part of the Pioneer ad in your Septem- while others must look for outside capital the best.-John Hord, Taylorville, III. ber issue says, "When switching from because they alreadyareinfinancial We can't undertake research projects on four -channel to two -channel reproduction, trouble. A company thatisoperating behalf of individual readers: nor would we power is substantially increased with the soundly when it is purchased usually will be have the temerity to make all the necessary new and advanced Power Boosting circuit. allowed to continue on its demonstrably assumptions in picking specific units from . . . [This switching] can be instantly successful course; one that already is in among the many possibilities that would- achieved without the usual reconnecting trouble is asking for changes. But except in our opinion if not in the reader's-yield of speaker wires." Does this imply that in for Allied Radio, all the companies you approximately comparable end systems. the usual receiver it is necessary to dis- cited, even those that we know to have had We would suggest, however, that since connect and then reconnect speaker problems of one sort or another, appear to quadriphonic equipment is changing rap- wires?Thatwould behopeless.- have continued with many of the same ex- idly (what with new ICs reducing the prices W. R. Auger, Claremont, Calif. ecutives, objectives, and standards after of available circuitry and new circuits im- If we understand this feature it is a type of the purchase. A change in drivers (often proving on the performance of old ones), internal "strapping" intended to pair the representing an improvement, by the way) and since you obviously are happy with four amplifier sections so that two are driv- or a switch from veneer to vinyl certainly is your stereo system, you should think in ing each channel in the stereo mode. not unique with these companies. Allied terms of conversion for the present. Per- Therefore while the term "Power Boost- Radio is something of a special case be- haps a decoder back -amp unit plus two ing" may be an exclusive with Pioneer, the cause shortly after Tandy Corp. (which also more speakers would be a good starting properties of the design do not appear to owns Radio Shack and planned to inte- point, with a CD -4 demodulator as the next be. Some early quadriphonic receivers did grate the two) bought it the government de- step and quadriphonic tape deck as the come with instructions for the reconnec- cided that the purchase had been illegal third. That will give you a breathing space tion of speaker leads to achieve similar under the terms of existing antitrust laws. of some years to become still more familiar ends: presumably this is what Pioneer's with quadriphonics copywriter was thinking of. Of course many since while Tandy looked unsuccessfully mind what is "best" in terms of your needs. quadriphonic receivers have no provi- for a purchaser. (At this writing it appears sion-either in the equipment or in the in- that one may finally have been found.) So, Can you please find me some blank 8 - structions-for such strapping, and with while there may be individual causes for track tape cartridges for quadriphonic some an attempt to parallel amplifiers can disgruntlement with any company, we can't recording?-Dale Means, Fairbanks, Ind. end in disaster. agree that the sale of a manufacturer im- Sure: Any 8 -track blanks will do. Of course plies a sellout of its customers. they won't have that little slot to trigger the Itis my belief that HIGH FIDELITY has cur- automatic 2.4 -channel switching, but the iously overlooked a major development in A Rectilinear ad in the October issue ad- switching normally works in playback only the high fidelity industry that has had the vises the reader that foam grilles are better and you can do it manually on any equip- most profound effects on consumers like at absorbing sound than at transmitting it. ment we've examined. If you insist on hav- myself. I refer to the purchase of compo- This surprises me since so many repu- ing the slot you may be out of luck. At least nent manufacturers by larger corporations table firms are using foam grille cloths we've seen no blank tapes with it. that are not themselves knowledgeable with apparent success, and test reports about theindustry. AR, KLH, Fisher, don't note a problem with the highs being Can an ordinary SO decoder work in re- Electro-Voice, Dynaco, and others have absorbed. Should I avoid buying a speaker verse as an encoder so that I might record lost their original ownership. What effect with a foam grille?-D.J. Smudey, South from CD -4 Ouadradiscs onto a stereo cas- does this have on their products? I see that Bend, Ind. sette deck for quadriphonic playback via AR has given up its electronics line, leav- It depends on the foam grille itself. Fads- the decoder? I'd be willing to buy the ing many people-including myself-with and the current rash of brightly colored, demodulator, but not a discrete-quad- equipment that has lost a good deal of its sculptured grille treatments is at least in riphonic open -reel deck.-Michael Ran- resale value. KLH's Model 6 is being sold part a fad-often form around the nucleus dall, New York, N.Y. in Baltimore with a vinyl cover at a price of a good idea that may get lost in the Matrix decoders can't be used for encod- that strongly suggests that more than the shuffle. The original reason for using the ing. You'd better stick to playing the origi- outer surface has been changed. The foam grille was its excellent acoustic trans- nal Quadradiscs instead of copies bloody dismemberment of that fine mail- parency, but not all of the present sculp- order house, Allied Radio, by Radio Shack tured grilles share that virtue. Some are, as I've seen some headphones marked Scin- is too recent to leave anyone hopeful about the Rectilinear ad suggests, a step back- trex that look suspiciously like Sharpe the future. One can only wonder whether ward-aping the appearance, but not the models I've looked at before. Are they the drivers in AR, KLH, and other speakers virtues, of the original concept. Of course made by the same supplier, and if so who are the same ones that were reviewed in speaker designers have for years been is it?-M. E. Eberhardt, Scottsdale, Ariz. HIGH FIDELITY.-William Rothstein, Balti- building speakers whose characteristics They are, the manufacturer is Scintrex, and more, Md. compensate for any high -frequency ab- "supplier" is not quite the right word. The We're not sure that any generalizations on sorptionin the grille treatment;ifthe Sharpe Audio Division of Scintrex in Tona- such a subject can be entirely valid; each speaker sounds good desp to a less -than - wanda, N.Y., has been making head- case is to a large extent unique. Consider. ideal grille material the design is hard to phones for years. Recently it changed its for example, that some companies are sold fault. And to our ears the best foam grilles name to the Scintrex Audio Division, and because the principals want to retire (or alter the sound less-not more-than con- the name on its products has changed ac- perhaps are simply tired of the business), ventional grille cloths. Either way, we can cordingly.

28 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE The classics from KIN. Four bookshelf loud- loudspeakers. And when you do, also look for speakers of such extraordinary quality that eachour other bestsellers-,he KLH stereo receivers. has set the standard of excellence inits price The Model Fifty -Five ($219.95t); the Model Fifty- range. Pictured to the far left, our popular little Two ($319.95t); and our newest receiver, the Thirty -Two ($55.00t). Next, one of the best sell-stereophonic/quadraphonic Model Fifty -Four ing loudspeakers in the country, the Seventeen ($525.00t). KLH-the best thing to happen to ($79.95t). Up feont, everybody's favorite, the bookshelves since books. Six ($139.951. And finally, our most spectacular For more information, visit your KLH dealer bookshelf model, the Five ($199.95t).If youor write to KLH Research and Development really want to know what KLH is all about, weCorp., 30 Cross Street, Cambridge, Mass. suggest you listen to any one or all of these fine 02139.

What'sabookshelf without the classics?

1111111111111111111111111111[1.11111" eel KLH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORP. 30 Cross St., Cambridge, Moss. 02139

T.Suggested retail prices-slightly higher in the South and West.

CIRCLE 26 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

MARCH 1974 29 To honor the 200th birthday of all time" TIME -LIFE RECORDS BEETHOVEN BICENTEN Start your collection with the first six symphonies, recorded by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Herbert von Karajan. All six symphonies are yours to audition for 10 days free.

four notes but those four notes color and characterize the entire work, a work filled with violence and muscle, strug- YOURS FREE gle, anger-and triumph. with purchase of Album 1 SYMPHONY NO. 6 IN F MAJOR- this $2950 book the "Pastoral," a musical evocation of nature's changing moods-from serene to tempestuous, from lush green to black stormy skies. Only the beginning:If you decide to keep VolumeI forjust $17.95 ($18.95 in Canada) plus shipping and handling, Beethoven's achievements are you become a subscriber, entitled to a reflection of the man himself, irHovEN for his music is like a diary into audition approximately every other which he poured hislife,his month, other albums in the collection BKEWENNIAL desires. his regrets, his furies, for the same low price. Some of the EDMON his melancholies and his loves. magnificent works contained here are: Irr.pro Beethoven was at constant THE 9TH SYMPHONY-the first odds with his society-a society choral symphony composed is a resplen- shaken by the opposing forces of repression and revolution. He dent setting of Schiller's "Ode to Joy," a transposed his own personal celebration of the brotherhood of man. struggle to the scale of the MISSA SOLEMNIS-a synthesis of symphony, opera, church music-ending What a feast of reading and looking whole human race, and awaits you in this big, exquisitely dreamed of bringing toitjoy with a prayer for inner and outer peace. and universal brotherhood. designed and printed book! It has 5 PIANO CONCERTOS - including been carefully prepared in coop- The Emperor, one of the most original, eration with the famed Beethoven imaginative, effective of all. Archive in Germany to enable you CELEBRATED PIANO SONATAS- to explore both the life and the Over the years there have been many like the famous Moonlight, the turbu- work of the master in fascinating record albums devoted to various works lent Appassionata and the vast and diffi- detail. In this one lifetime volume, of the immortal Ludwig van Beethoven. cult Hammerldavier. as a companion to your Beethoven albums, you enjoy an absorbing But there has never been a truly com- VIOLIN CONCERTO and KREUT- chronicle of Beethoven's life and prehensive collection of his works. That ZER SONATA - two of the mainstays times-essays and discussions of is why TIME -LIFE RECORDS assembled of every great violinist's repertory. every aspect of his work by noted this magnificent collection that contains THE 16 QUARTETS-reflecting Bee- musicologists-reproductions of every important work the master ever thoven's evolution from the elegant 18th his manuscripts and much, much wrote-even some rare vocal pieces century style to prophetic genius of the more! never before available! It's the BEE- future. THOVEN BICENTENNIAL COL- FIDELIO-complete recording of his These are just a few examples of the LECTION, recorded by the famous only opera, a heart -stirring drama ofexcitement you will discover in this Deutsche Grammophon Company of love, courage and the universal struggle monumental series. It includes every Germany. against oppression. major work Beethoven ever wrote. 10 -day free audition:'lb introduce you No risk or obligation:If you are as de- to this incomparable collection we invite Herbert von Karajan, Conductor lighted with Volume I as we think you you to audition Volume I, the first six will be, you may keep the five -record set symphonies plus the popular LEONORE for only $17.95 ($18.95 in Canada) plus OVERTURE NO. 3 for 10 days FREE. shipping and handling. We will include, These selections were performed by the free with your purchase, the giant book renowned Berlin Philharmonic Orches- on Beethoven described above-a $29.50 tra under the direction of Herbert von value. You are under no obligation to Karajan. Highlighted in Volume I are: purchase any minimum number of vol- SYMPHONY NO. 3 IN E FLAT umes and you may cancel your subscrip- MAJOR-the "Eroica." This was Bee- tion at any time. Mail the postpaid card thoven's first symphony on the "new" today-and reward yourself and your road-a decisive break from the eigh- family with this truly remarkable col- teenth century school. lection. SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN C MINOR- If card is missing write: TIME -LIFE The opening is probably Beethoven's RECORDS, Dept. 4002, Time & Life most well-known theme. It is merely Building, Chicago, Ill. 60611. of "the great musician created this magnificent NIAL COLLECTION

[ME LIFE RECORDS THE BEETHOVEN BICENTENNIAL COLLECTION Think what it will mean to families that care about serious music, to young people just discovering the pleasure of meaningful music. Imag- ins this series of LP recordings on your sheN, always at hand to bring the enchantment of Beethoven tyour home-his power, his ability to inspire, to confirm hope and make you laugh and rage and dream

World -Renowned Artists Perform this Feast of Beethoven HERBERT VON KARAJAN PIERRE FOURNIER Conductor, supreme interpreter of the Beethoven sym- Silken -toned cellist who brings his superb technique to phonic oeuvre. the service of Beethoven's five cello sonatas. YEHUDI MENUHIN THE AMADEUS QUARTET One of the world's most acclaimed violinists with a pro- The brilliant British ensemble which probes the depths found insight into Beethoven's work. of Beethoven's string quartets. BIRGIT NILSSON Opera's greatest dramatic soprano. KARL RICHTER Masterful choral conductor who leads the less frequently WILHELM KEMPFF heard but stirring Mass ir. C Major. Dean of European pianists; searching, insightful, powerful. THE BERLIN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA DIETRICH FISCHER-DIESKAU Brings a profound and moving interpretation to a num- Baritone, acknowledged master of German lieder. ber of Beethoven's major orchestral works. .40144.1... efts or - es, proorr

en"; le". - 01.1.4 ..01/".r. 411ave "law"WY, ea, 11114.,,,,.."11.111eriv. jike. Oft,4611.6, "Am Oa,

f*A41,024rimeip, JBL's Century 100. (In two years it became the most successful loudspeaker we ever made, and it's not even an original. It's a copy.)

About five years ago, we developed a new speaker -a studio monitor for the professional recording business. It had the big sound that the studios required, but dreamed possib'e. it was a compact. The size of Then we figured out why: a bookshelf speaker. The professionals were taking our studio monitors home, using them as bookshelf speakers. Well. if you were JBL, what would you do? That's what we did. JBL's Century 100. $273 each. The size of a compact

studio monitor. Almost its twir, in fact, except fcr oiled walnut The Original and a sculptured grille that JBL's 4310. Especially designed for control room installations. Available adds texture and shape and only through professional audio con- tractors. color. Would it impress you to know that the top professional recording studios Come hear JBL's like Warner Brothers and Capitol and Elektra and MGM use JBL loud- Century 100. But ask for it by speakers to record, play back. mix down and master their music? It's true name. With its success, some of our admiring competitors Instant success. have begun usirg words like (Very flattering, too. It's nice to "professional" and "studio have a talented, opinionated monitor" to describe their recording engineer pick your speakers. They're only kidding. speaker to go with his Century 100. The perfect $100,000 sound system.) copy. From the people who We sold more than we own the original.

James B. Lansing Sound. Inc/ High fidelity loudspeakers from $129 to $2 700 / 3249 Casitas Avenue, Los Angeles 90039. CIRCLE 27 ON READER -SERVICE CARD The full Luxman line of preamps, amps over transistorized units because power amps, and tuners includes some usually they can get more power per tubed models (Lux is one of the few dollar; contrary to some press reports, Japanese companies stillmanufac- hard-core Japanese audiophiles are not turing tubed components-see "Warm overlyenthusiasticaboutquadri- and-Some Say-Wonderful" in this col- phony-but a customer for a high-pow- umn), but initially all units sold in the ered amp in Japan is hard-pressed to U.S. will be solid-state. find a non-quadriphonic transistorized news and CIRCLE 156 ON READER -SERVICE CARD component. Also, more than a million Japanese views youths are estimated to work with short- wave radio, and most of the self -built Now in Hi-Fi: Automated ham -radio equipment (including the Diagnosis much -desired high -power rigs) is still in It's happened to us all: You suddenly the vacuum -tube stage. Many radio en- Stereo AM Update get the feeling that something isn't quite thusiasts are audiophiles as well and ap- right with your system. Your ears sense parently favor the tubed amp because In November 1972 we reported on an that performance has deteriorated, or it complements their other equipment. experimental stereo AM broadcasting that your new component doesn't sound Vacuum tubes and tubed -amp parts are system, which was scheduled for testing quite as good as the advertised specs readily available at the main shopping early in 1973. Those tests never oc- had led you to believe. Ever tried to ex- areas, and their prices have increased curred, partly because what was to have plain a complaint like that to a repair- at a slower pace than those of transis- been the original participating station, man? torized equipment. WWDS, was sold. WFBR in Baltimore, If you live in the New York City area, Some American audiophiles also con- Md., recently expressed interest in the Audio Diagnostics of New Hyde Park tinue to debate the same pros and cons project, and has since filed with the FCC may be able to help you. They will of tubed vs. transistorized equipment, for permission to carry on the experi- analyze amps, receivers, tuners, and and tubed components are still available mental broadcasts. tape recorders for prices ranging from in the U.S., primarily from Audio Re- The system was developed by Leon- $7.50 to $12.50. Test data for tape search Corp. Eventually Lux may intro- ard Kahn, president of Kahn Research recorders, for example, include THD in duce tubed models here.. . . (See "Lux Laboratories in Westbury, N.Y., and uti- both channels, measured at 1 kHz; wow is Back," in this column.) lizes the upper and lower sidebands of and flutter, weighted and unweighted; the station's normal frequency -1300 speed accuracy; signal-to-noise in both kHz in WFBR's case. To receive a stereo tracks; and a frequency -response chart. broadcast one currently would need two You can either take the results to your AM receivers, one tuned slightly above own repairman, or use Audio Diagnos- 1300 and the other slightly below. Tech- tics' shop, where half the analysis cost equipment in the nology for stereo AM reception in a will be applied toward repairs. single receiver is available, however. CIRCLE 157 ON READER -SERVICE CARD news Kahn says everything depends on FCC action, but he's hoping tests will begin within a few months. Warm and-Some Say- Wonderful Are there still people who buy vacuum - Lux is Back tube audio equipment? Yes, especially As reported inlast October's issue in Japan, where sales of tubed amps ("New Equipment for 1974"), the Lux have taken a sudden spurt. Big brand - Corp. of Japan is reintroducing its com- name manufacturers no longer produce ponent line into the U.S. However, the them, but they are available generally Marubeni Corp., known in this country and one new company (Onlife) offers for Miida products, and not Audio Tech- only tube amps, both mono and stereo. nica, as in our report, will handle mar- What accounts for this revival? Our keting. Lux's first bid to enter the U.S. Japanese correspondent cites several An electret headphone from market four years ago through British In- reasons.Japaneseradio/ TV /audio dustries Corp. (remember BIC/Lux?) monthly magazines regularlyfeature Telephonics was ultimately unsuccessful. do-it-yourself tubed -amp projects, and ISC's Telephonics Div. entered the The joint Lux-Marubeni venture will be veteran audiophiles who have built high fidelity field last summer with the called Lux America, the brand name these findithard psychologically to Telephonics headphone line after forty "Luxman." Equipment will be top -of - change to transistors. A naked tubed years in acoustic products design and the -line, the company says (L & G, a amp in operation is warm and alive, production. Their latest model is the subsidiary of Lux, makes components in compared to a cold transistorized unit TEL -111, an electret condenser unit. It what is termed the "medium -high" price hiding in its case. It's also a status sym- reportedly has distortion of only 0.2 per bracket), and geared to compete with bol: The recording studios and broad- cent at 115 dB SPL, will handle up to 65 McIntosh, Audio Research, Inc., and casting stations use tubed amps. Some watts, and has a frequency range of 18 Scientific Audio Electronics (SAE). The Japanese audiophiles believe that while to 24,000 Hz. A simple impedance first models to be introduced this spring transistorized amps appear to have at- matching box with a speakers/ phone will likely be two integrated amps: the tained better signal-to-noise and distor- switch is provided; the electret element Luxman 700, 20 watts per channel, $187 tion performance, tubed amps still have supplies the needed electrostatic polari- in Japan; and the Luxman 507, 50 watts better power -handlingcapacity. And zation bias so no power supply like that per channel, $349 in Japan. U.S. prices they somehow feel that the warm tubes of conventional electrostatic phones is are expected to be two or three times as produce warmer and fuller sound. needed. The TEL -111 sells for $87.50. high. Many Japanese also prefer tubed CIRCLE 149 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

36 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE INS. 1

emitting diodes for continuous visual *JO to IP monitoring of input -to -output balance

qb lb and overload warning, as well as ten oc- DELOS RECORDS fb 11111115 tave -equalizers 12 dB for each channel. Front panel controls allow tape dub- announces the availability of bing with two recorders, with the output equalized or unequalized while monitor- Exdting American ing either input or output. Other features Heath's Audio Scope kit Artists in performances captured in Heath has broadened its component kit line with the AD -1013 Audio Scope. It al- Sound to match lows visual checking of either two- or 14:f4.64.tffitiffiT Europe's finest. four -channel sources for such pa-

rameters as channel separation, phas- CAROL ROSENBERGER, piano ing, multipath, and center -tuning. Rear - Chopin Preludes #DEL -15311 Szymanowski Masques. Etudes #DEL -15312 panelinputsforleft -front,left -back, Schubert Sonata Op 42. Impromptus aDEL-15313 right -front, and right -back quadriphonic include two front -panel stereo headphone jacks, multiple phono preamps, MALCOLM HAMILTON. harpsichord signals can be switched and observed Scarlatti Sonatas #DEL -15321 on the screen independently or in com- unity -gain adjustments for each chan- Handel Suites #DEL -15322 bination. A front -panel input permits use nel, and dual main output. Specifica- tions are given as 90 dB of S/N, 10 to EVA HEINITZ. viola da gamba of the unit as a conventional oscillo- Art of the Gamba. Vol 1 scope for checking out equipment mal- 100,000 Hz -0.25 dB response, and less Bach/Telemann aDEL-15341 functions. The AD -1013 also includes a than 0.02 per cent distortion. The unit built-in oscillator covering the range comes with a walnut -grained cabinet; a from 20 to 20,000 Hz. The price of the rack mount is optional. AD -1013 is $199.95. CIRCLE 151 ON READER -SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 150 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

DEWS The new label with magnificent sound. CIRCLE 9 ON READER -SERVICE CARD reference standards?

Audio Dynamics introduces bookshelf speaker A newly developed 10 -inch woofer with an extremely rigid, lightweight cone and specially treated surround, plus two 21/2 - inch tweeters, comprise the heart of the ADC XT -10,a new $115 bookshelf speaker system from Audio Dynamics Corp. Frequency response of the 8 -ohm Akai's top -of -the -line unit is rated at 37 to 20,000 Hz ±3 dB. A quadriphonic contour control allows flat response to be cut 3 dB at 10 kHz. The speaker is open -reel deck said to offer very flat frequency re- The GX-400DSS from Akai (a four -chan- We would not claim our TL30 or 50 to sponse, excellent high -frequency dis- nel version of the GX-400D) features bethehighest performance systems persion, extremely low harmonic distor- Ouadrasync, which allows synchronous available-yet they offer performance tion,andoutstandingtransient dubbing of one track on another without that almost always causes the listener response. The airtight cabinet is oiled any time delay. This bidirectional deck to compare them with far more expensive systems. The TL30 and TL50 are walnut. has stereo/quad erase and record /play transmission line loudspeakers that of- CIRCLE 150 ON READER -SERVICE CARD heads for forward tape travel, and fer exceptional value for dollar, striking stereo erase and record/play heads for yet efficient styling, and most impor- the reverse direction-allowing bidi- tant, performance to satisfy the audio- rectional stereo operation inboth phile.If you are considering the purchase of loudspeakers you really can't A new preamp-equalizer recording and playback (with sensing afford not to investigate the Audionics from Soundcraftsmen foil). The deck accepts 101/2 -inch reels TL Series.Write for the name of your and has three speeds (15, 7'/s, 33/4), ADR nearest dealer. The PE -2217 preamp-equalizer (Automatic Distortion Reduction), input mixing, and three motors. The price is AUDIONICS INC. ($499.50) is the latest addition to Sound - 8600 NE Sandy Blvd craftsmen's equalizer -oriented equip- $1,495. Portland. Oregon 97220 ment line. This model includes light - CIRCLE 153 ON READER -SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 52 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

MARCH 1974 37 NEW BUDGET RELEASES bb THE COMPLETE SYMPHONIES OF HAYDN-Vol. 8 (Symphonies Nos. 1 to 19) The Philharmonia Hungarica -Antal Dorati Lafayette addsadds a Dolby AM/FM tuner 'STS 15310/15 (6 records) BAROQUE FLUTE SONATAS The newest addition toLafayette's outputs, four -channel FM detector jack, Sonatas by Loeillet, Gaultier, broad line of audio products is an AM/ and a 75/25 -microsecond Dolby de - Handel, Telemann, Vinci, Blavet FM tuner with built-in Dolby noise reduc- emphasis switch. IHF sensitivity is rated Andre Pepin (flute), Raymond Leppard (harpsichord), Claude Viala (cello) tion. The LT -D10 has center -tuning and at 1.65 microvolts selectivity at 60 dB, 'STS 15198 signal -strength meters and switches for S/ N ratio at 70 dB. The tuner costs J. S. BACH MOTETS-Vol. 1 stereo/mono, MPX filter, FM muting, $229.95 and comes with a walnut -finish Singet dem Herrn ern neues Lied; and dial -light dimmer. Rear -panel fea- cabinet. Der Geist hilft unsrer Schwachheit tures include variable and fixed -level CIRCLE 154 ON READER -SERVICE CARD mit; FUrchte dich nicht; Sei Lob and Preis mit ehren. The Aeolian Singers-Sebastian Forbes 'STS 15186 Haydn: SYMPHONY No. 94 IN G MAJOR ("Surprise"); 11411111111fflinPri SYMPHONY No. 101 IN D MAJOR ("Clock") The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra I -Pierre Monteux STS 15178 Mendelssohn: PIANO CONCERTO 11111111131110111111111113 No. 1 IN G MINOR; PIANO CONCERTO No. 2 in D MINOR Peter Katin- The Multi -Matrix Compensator- The London Symphony Orchestra -Anthony Collins STS 15236 a unique electronic cleaner -upper Rachmaninov: SYMPHONY No. 2 IN E MINOR Matrix Electronics has introduced the compensators, which are capable of The London Philharmonic Orchestra MMC-6X, apassive (non -powered) boosting bass by up to 16 dB and treble -Sir Adrian Boult electronic device called the Multi -Matrix by up to 14 dB with signals of at least 0.3 STS 15181 Compensator. It can accommodate up volts. The unit also can be used as a fil- Khachaturian: VIOLIN CONCERTO Ruggiero Ricci- to four tape decks, and allows recording ter while listening to old scratched The London Philharmonic Orchestra of up to four tapes simultaneously or records. A walnut cabinet is supplied; -Anatole Fistoulari dubbing from any one tape to all other mounting panels are available to individ- Glazunov: STENKA RAZIN tape units. In the process the Multi -Ma- ual specifications. It costs $189. L Orchestre de la Suisse Romande -Ernest Ansermet trix can filter noisy originals; the filtered CIRCLE 155 ON READER -SERVICE CARD STS 15240 tape can be played through the tone Tchaikovsky: SYMPHONY No. 3 IN D MAJOR ("Polish") The Paris Conservatoire Orchestra -Sir Adrian Boult Tchaikovsky: SUITE No. 3- Rogersound goes national, adds speaker Theme and Variations The London Philharmonic Orchestra For the past four years Rogersound -Sir Adrian Boult Laboratories has sold speaker systems STS 15237 out of its California factory. Recently the Brahms: SYMPHONY No. 1 company began national distribution, IN C MINOR and has since introduced the RSL Max The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra -Herbert von Karajan Tower system. It comes with an external STS 15194 passive crossover for use with single Ravel: QUARTET IN F MAJOR amps but is set up for triamplification Prokofiev: QUARTET No. 2 with an optional electronic crossover, IN F MAJOR which Rogersound says it will introduce The Carmirelli Quartet STS 15152 soon. The system includes a 12 -inch ab- 'First Release in U.S.A. sorption -tuned woofer, a transmission - line -tuned 8 -inch midrange driver (125 to 8,000 Hz), and two extremely light OTD61/: cone tweeters, one facing the front, the other the rear. The Max Tower costs STEREOTreasurY $350, and is available in white, blue, avocado green, orange, or walnut ve- LONDON'S GREAT BUDGET SERIES neer. CIRCLE 152 ON READER -SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 28 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

38 CIRCLE 50 ON READER -SERVICE CARD The TechnicsSA -5400X. 4 -amplifier 4 -channel and 4 -amplifier 2 -channel. Technics doesn't force you to choose between And a special phono-equalizer circuit so you 2 -channel and 4 -channel. We give you both in can use virtually any kind of phono cartridge one unit. The SA -5400X. efficiently. It's a very impressive 4 -channel receiver. There's also a very potent FM section that Each of its amplifiers delivers 8 watts RMS boasts sensitivity of 2.0ittv (IHF). With a 4 -pole at 852, all channels driven.* (4 x 8w = 32w.) MOS FET and IF amplIfiers whose ceramic And its full discrete capabilities include jacks filters yield 65dB selectivity. for a CD -4 demodulator. Plus jacks for both We knew you'd have a hard time trying to 4 -channel and 2 -channel tape sources. And two make up your mind about which kind of tape monitor circuits. receiver to buy. So we put both 2 -channel and There are also two matrix decoding circuits 4 -channel in one easy -to -afford unit. that can handle all the popular matrix methods. The SA -5400X_ The concept is simple. The The SA -5400X is a great 2 -channel receiver, execution is precise. The performance is too. Because it has Balanced Transformerless outstanding. The name is Technics. (311) circuitry. Our special way of strapping *T.H.D.: less than 0.8% Power Bandwidth: 7H.r.-28kHz, -3dB. the front and rear amplifiers in tandem for 200 PARK AVE., NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017 4 -amplifier 2 -channel. Which more than FOR YOUR NEAREST AUT-IORIZED doubles the power per channel in stereo. TECHNICS DEALER, CALL TOLL FREE Producing 20 watts RMS per channel at 852, 800 447-4700. IN ILLINOIS, 800 322-4400. all channels driven.* (2x 20w = 40w.) The amplifiers all have direct -coupled circuitry which vastly improves their low - frequency performance and power bandwidth. 'Ibchnics

eerdalrformi.r.ry.:-.4.-.rzzizzixe Arlirr..siArdrArWZ11.117- The Recordings of Maria Callas The artistry that has profoundly influenced subsequent opera singers and repertory is evident on her many discs. by David Hamilton TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, in a Radio Italiana stu- voce," in particular, carries a heavier weight of dio in Turin, Maria Callas made her first records. A emotion than with most singers, first intimated in few weeks earlier, this New York -born soprano of the plaintive upward portamento on the word Greek parentage had garnered headlines all over "speme" ("0 rendetemi la speme") and further Italy by replacing the indisposed Margherita Ca- adumbrated in much uncommon dynamic shading. rosio in Bellini's I Puritani-immediately after singing the Wallcure Briinnhilde! The Turin session made obeisance to this striking conjunction of Bel- lini and Wagner: three 78 -rpm discs containing Up to the time of these recordings, Maria Callas' "Carta diva" from Norma, "Qui la voce" from Puri- Italian career had been pretty much in the dra- tani, and the Liebestod from Tristan (sung in Ital- matic -soprano repertory. Since her debut at Ve- ian). rona in August 1947, her roles had been Gioconda, These discs reveal an apparently sizable, rather Isolde, Turandot, Aida, and the Forza Leonora. flexible voice, with a slightly squillante quality in Within the next two years, she added Kundry, the upper register, a strange, veiled color to the Norma, Abigaille (in Nabucco), Tosca, the Trova- lower -middle tones. Noteworthy are the care for tore Leonora, Fiorilla (in Rossini's Turco in Italia), clear, forward diction, the spacious phrasing, and and Violetta to that repertory-mostly roles exploit- the rhythmic vitality: In "Casta diva" the coloring the special combination of power and flexibility atura is firm and confident; in the Puritani caba- that the Turin recordings demonstrated. letta, it is light, although descending scales are not While versatility was perhaps the first source of ideally clean. Itisn't a conventionally beautiful her celebrity, it was not, eventually, the literally his- voice, but all of the singing is expressive. "Qui la toric aspect of the Callas career. The early 1950s

40 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE were an era of exhumation. of restoration in Italian were made by amateurs. off the air, and the listener opera houses; the ottocento repertory. hitherto must suffer incorrect or varying pitch. every kind of shrunk to the standard Rossini (mostly comic distortion. crosstalk. AM interference, hum, whis- works), Bellini (Norma, Sonnambula. and P urnit'll). tles, obtrusive prompters. omissions of greater or Donizetti (Lucia and the comic operas). and Verdi lesser importance. and so on and so forth, in order (from Rigoletto on). was subjected to extensive re- to get at that audible history. examination, and the particular abilities of Maria Nevertheless, the history is there. accessible to Callas played an essential part in this process. historians and students; it gives us more of Callas Callas was neither the conventional soprano leg- in her absolute vocal prime (1952 would seem to be giero nor the Gioconda -Aida dramatic soprano; the peak year). in many important roles, collabo- she approached this music neither in the bird -call rating with conductors such as Kleiber. Gui, Bern- style nor in the gusty Puccini-rerismo manner. With stein. and Giulini, with singers such as Valletti. Del brilliant, if probably instinctive, stylistic insight. Monaco. Simionato, Vickers, and Bastianini who. she conceived the soprano roles of the earlier nine- for reasons contractual or otherwise, did not take teenth century afresh, and showed the way to a new part in her commercial recordings. generation of singers who, in the 1960s. made these operas standard fare the world over. None of them were carbon copies of Callas, but each. in her dif- -ev-E-**44-a- ferent way, was clearly indebted to the same predecessor: The careers and achievements of Suther- The lack of these things in good -quality commer- land. Scotto, Caballe, Sills, Horne. Souliotis. and cial recordings is surely a deprivation, but one is Gencer are inconceivable without that example. hardly therefore inclined to deplore the recordings we do have-even such opera -house improb- abilities as the Callas Mimi, the Callas Nedda. From these, we see that the kind of musicality and Her recordings-and indeed her American career- theatrical instinct that Callas brought to bear on do not adequately reflect this historic aspect of her "from -scratch" conceptions was equally rele- Maria Callas' achievement. Consider the list of her vant to the roles we all thought we knew inside out. Italian revivals: at the Maggio Musicale Fioren- Endowed with a voice of considerable range (a tino, Verdi's I Vespri siciliani and Haydn's Ode° ed good two -and -a -half octaves). notable power, and Euridice (1951). Rossini's Armida (1952). Cheru- incisive character, she never had the tonal bloom, bini's Medea (1953); at Milan's La Scala. Verdi's the plush of a Ponselle, a Tebaldi. There were Macbeth (1952), Gluck's Alceste and Spontini's La technical problems, even at the start: that covered, Vestale (1954). Bellini's La Sonnambula (1955). guttural quality around the bottom of the treble Donizetti's Anna Bolena and Gluck's 1phigenie en staff, and a certain loss of focus at the upper break. Tauride (1957). Bellini's II Pirata (1958). Doni- Increasingly, after 1952. the top notes could be zetti's Poliuto (1960). Of these, only two (Medea simply ugly: wiry. acidulous, quavery. Very pos- and Sonnambula) were recorded commercially. sibly, the Callas voice as such had less going for it North America (Chicago, New York. and Dallas) than any other voice that has achieved interna- heard her on the stage in Norma. Traviata, Lucia. tional celebrity via the phonograph-a medium that Puritani, Trovatore, Butterfly. Tosca. and Medea. necessarily puts a premium on timbral endowment. plus a concert version of /7 Pirata. And the record- since it cannot directly transmit physical and dra- ings included all of these (except Pirata), plus matic qualities. (We tend. I suspect. to place more standardliterature:Barbiere.Rigoletto,Ballo. emphasis today on tonal luxuriance than did earlier For:a. Aida, Gioconda, Car 'n' Pag. Manon Les- times, when it was literally not possible to listen caut, Boheme. Turandot-some of them works she to singers without being aware of their theatrical hardly ever, or never, sang on the stage. presences.) For this reason, the accompanying discography How, then. did Callas command so many ears? incorporates (in brackets) a number of so-called One of her obvious character traits was a determi- "underground" recordings. which help us to fill in nation to succeed. to become a great singer-and the audible history of the Callas career; without she must have realized, early on. that the easy way. considering these, an accurate appreciation of its the be/la voce road. was closed to her. But she had significance is hardly possible. [In publishing Mr. brains, an apparently infinite capacity for hard Hamilton's documentation complete with "under- work and study. a strong innate instinct for musical ground" recordings HF is not expressing its ap- and verbal values. And she early came under the proval of them; as a publication of record, we are tutelage of Tullio Serafin, one of the wisest of Ital- simply acknowledging their existence.-Ed.] Few of ian conductors. them, alas. are of sufficiently good or consistent She learned how to accent and color every musi- quality to be considered for commercial release; cal line, every phrase of recitative. so that the sense their technical failings are legion. for the majority of both the words and the music was served. She

MARcH1974 41 never coasted-there is not, in any Callas perform- The tragedy is that such a career should have ance I have ever heard, a line, a phrase that is ended so early-after 1958 her operatic appear- thrown away, carelessly shaped. All the resources ances fell off drastically, and ended completely in available to a musician-tempo, accents both dy- 1965, when she was only forty -one -years old (the namic and agogic, pauses, rubato, dynamic shad- parallel with the career of Giuditta Pasta. 125 years ing, portamento, types of attack, timbral vari- earlier, is very striking). Also unfortunate is the cir- ation-are brought to bear, to give each phrase cumstance that many have encountered her momentum, coherence, a sense of destination, a through the later, stereo recordings (e.g., the two - clear function within the whole. disc sampler set "The Art of Maria Callas"). and And, of necessity, to give a dramatic function. To consequently either turned off or acquired unfortu- the question, "Why are you singing this?" (or, more nate ideas of what great singing sounds like; to specifically. "Why do you put an accent on that these listeners, I commend fresh attention to the note," etc.), one feels sure that Callas would never earlier recordings (the discography is arranged answer simply "Because the score says so." To be chronologically, partly for this reason). sure, she generally does what the score says-and in the process illuminates the musicodramatic reason for the composer's instruction. Too, she does a lot The Recordings more than the score says, always within the frame- work implied by the notes. In her master classes at Let us turn now to consideration of the Callas dis- the Juilliard School in 1972. she turned out to be cography as a representation of her repertory. Of less articulate about such matters than one might Gluck, she sang two operas; judging from the com- have hoped. but her sung examples of "how to do pleteIphigenia in Tauris(Scala, 1957), she brought it" were invariably instructive. She is, I suspect, pri- to Gluck's meticulous recitatives and long -lined marily an intuitive artist, but one whose instincts but often rhythmically square arias more declama- range over a much wider spectrum of possibilities tory resource and subtlety of phrasing than any than do those of most contemporaries-and one other singer of recent years. This performance, who is infinitely self-critical. sung in Italian and slightly cut, is an estimable one. and quite plausibly recorded; the commercial 1963 recording of"0 malheureuse 1phigenie"is edgy and strained. hardly representative of her best All of of this doesn't make her a perfect singer, nor her work. From the 1954 ScalaAlceste,some excerpts recordings "the best." Callas is important, not be- are in circulation-foggily recorded, but similarly cause she combines all the virtues of other singers. eloquent in their breadth of phrase; the 1961"Dini- but rather because she commands particular vir- nites du Styx"captures much of this intensity, if tues that few others had, and used them with great with lesser vocal bloom, and theOrpheearia from integrity. During the period when the voice re- the same year is very touching. mained pretty completely subservient to the intel- Mozart was not a Callas enthusiasm, although lect and the instinct, however, she was incom- she sang Konstanze in an Italian -languageEntfith- parably the most fascinating and illuminating per- rung(Scala, 1952); no recording of this has turned former on the operatic stage. This had very little to up, but at least two concert performances of"Mar - do with the figment of publicity ("The Tigress") tern tiller Arten"are floating around-exciting evi- that grew up, especially from the time of her Metro- dence of what a really powerful, flexible voice can politan Opera debut in 1956. Not that she isn't a do in this music. By the time of her 1964 Mozart/ complex woman-she obviously is-but it was her Beethoven/Weber recital (now out of print), regis- ability to draw upon every bit of this rich fund of ter disparities were playing havoc with the phras- emotional energy in realizing her operatic concep- ing; the recitative passages are invariably gripping tions that made her such a special performer. (one particularly regrets the omission of Anna's Eventually, to our loss, a combination of physical narration before"Or sai chi l'onore"),but the can- and emotional problems seriously undermined the tabile singing is pretty strenuous. Most intriguing workings of the voice; by the end of the 1950s the of the lot is Elvira's"Mi track,"which manages to diminished vocal possibilities seriously limited the be at once headlong and rhythmically secure, with interpretive range, and during the "comeback" of the final return of the main tune (at"pal -pi -tan - 1964-65, most of her appearances were touch-and- do") set movingly into relief. Callas sang in go between imminent vocal disaster and infinite Haydn'sOrfeo(Florence, 1951), but no recording dramatic resource. I don't propose to explore the has surfaced yet. reasons for this decline;I am a musician, not a Two important Callas revivals involved Parisian psychoanalyst, and sopranos are entitled to private operas by Italian composers, which she sang in Ital- lives just like the rest of us, even if their friends. ian -language versions:Cherubini'sMedeeand fans, and publicity agents don't always seem to Spontini's LaVestale.The first of these became one think so. of her most celebrated parts, although the trans -

42 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE lation and the use of Franz Lachner's undistinguished recitatives (written in 1854) made for an anomalous product. without any consistent stylistic reference point. Surely the impact of these performances derived more from Callas' intensity of declamation and mercurial presence than from any great interest inherent in Cherubini's rather static material: in later years. her reading of the part became strikingly free. The 1957 commercial recording. made at the end of a strenuous summer, is vocally weaker than the 1953 Scala premiere but still representative: the 1958-59 lip e -performance takes show signs of serious difficulties, but-especially at Covent Garden-the lines are delivered with awesome ferocity (I haven't heard the 1961 tape). The Spontini, a more concise. Gluckian score. survives in a noisy, somewhat fragmentary tape (Scala, 1954): happily, three major arias were done in the studio a few months later. Although Callas does not rival the sumptuous tones we remember from Ponselle's disc of two arias, she yet sculpts the phrases with grand authority, and "Tt«.he inroco- is appropriately shot through with characteristic dusky undertones of terror.

The 19521952 Florence revival of Rossini's Armida-an opera in which the use of fioritura is driven to the extremest limits of elaboration-was a landmark in the modern reappraisal of his serious works. As the Italian critic Fedele d'Amico has written. "In Ros- sini. coloratura passages could well mean ecstasy, lyrical rapture, fury: in other words. they were vehicles for dramatic expression ... it was not until I heard Callas in Rossini's Armida that Ireally understood the true coloratura style of the golden age.- The surviving recording of this performance Callas as Leonora (top) al the time she recorded II Trovatore in is. alas, extensively marred by obtrusive crosstalk 1956; as Norma, one of her best roles, in the middle '50s, and and other complaints, but through it all one can with Giuseppe di Stefano recording Rigoletto in Milan in 1955. hear what D'Amico istalking about: The imperious voice pours out roulades and spins scales of many colors and moods. A Semiramide should have followed-even the flawed "Be/raggio"on the 1964 Rossini/Donizetti record is delivered with unique authority (although for the most part this disc, now unavailable, is the nadir of the Callas discography). Her two comic Rossini roles are fortunately. and delightfully, captured on commercial records: the shrewish Fiorilla of II Turco in Italia (1954), and the minxish Rosina of II Barbiere (1957). In the latter. she hews frequently to the conventional soprano rewrite, but there are many welcome appog- giaturas in the recitatives-which, especially when Gobbi is involved, have never been played with such delicious humor. Also striking is the unusual note of passion Callas strikes in the middle of the Lesson Scene: not many Rosinas convince one that

\ I111974 43 their need for Almaviva is even greater than their distaste for Bartolo. ..<4044-fito-

Bellini's I Puritani and Norma were, of course, Cal- las' first incursions into the bel canto literature, and Norma was the role she kept most consistently before the public throughout her career. In two commercial recordings and at least five underground versions,itiscertainly well documented. En- thusiasts can, and will, endlessly debate the superiority of one or another of these-the earlier ones stronger vocally, the later ones manifesting fresh insights into the character. Despite the unattractive Pollione,Iprefer the earlier Angel set (now on Seraphim) to the later one, and find the well -recorded 1956 Rome Radio version perhaps the happiest medium of all. The Angel Puritani was made in 1953, at something near the flood tide of her vocal strength, with a reasonable supporting cast. I can't find much of interest in the Mexican performance of a year earlier; in fact, it may as well be said at this point that Puccini's tempestuous Tosca was Callas'role in her final appearance on the opera stage. That was with all the Mexico City material is not only poorly re- tenor Renato Cioni at London's Covent Garden in 1965. corded, but distressingly provincial in matters musical (to hear it is to understand completely why God, Lucia was a woman, not a bird! Incidentally, Callas became so fussy about her musical sur- a special treat is the performance from the Scala's roundings as soon as she could afford to do so!). 1955 visit to Berlin, conducted by Karajan-the As from another throat entirely emerges Amina voice exceptionally lambent, floating over the ulti- in Sonnambula-leggiero in spirit and color, al- mate in Simmons Beautyrest accompaniments. though not in scale. The commercial recording un- The live -performance recordings of Anna Bolena der Votto stems from the 1957 revival of Visconti's (1957) and Poliuto (1960) both sound quite well, al- Scala production; it is more sentimental, less vital though the latter manifests a serious loss of power than the original (1955) performances under Bern- and stability. One should note, in connection with stein (and also less complete, while the tenor tessi- all these works-and with most of the Verdi op- tura is further modified for Monti). I wish the ear- eras-that the era of absolute fidelity to the original lier tape sounded better, for the reading is just that score, including restoration of repeats and other much more brilliant and pointed. "conventional" cuts, had not really gotten under- The 1959 New York concert performance way at this time; that was a later stage of the bel doesn't represent either II Pirata or Callas very canto revival. and is not reflected in these record- well: a very weak supporting cast, brutal cuts (for ings. their sake and, presumably, to save the diva's resources for her final scene), and a tired -sounding star. The 1960 commercial recording of the en- "No other singer of our time has had as keen a sen- trance aria is not much better, but the 1958 finale sitivity to the shapes of Verdian gestures and the (in the "Mad Scenes" recital) is pretty compelling. proportions of sections, and none has come close to To date, I haven't encountered a tape of the 1958 her ability to maintain rhythm and mold rhythmic Scala performance with Corelli and Bastianini. transitions without once sounding calculated or lacking in spontaneity." Thus my colleague Conrad L. Osborne on Callas as a Verdi singer, and I can- As with Norma, so with Donizetti's Lucia: Comple- not disagree. All her commercial complete record- mentary virtues can be discovered in the two com- ings of Verdi are estimable; let us consider specific mercial versions, although in the case of Lucia the works, in the order in which she first sang them. first one is more strongly cast (in both cases, it may Aida. The Mexican version (1951) is a curiosity help that the earlier set is now on a budget label). for Callas' interpolation of a massive high E flat at Since Lucia was the opera of this group that Ameri- the end of the Triumphal Scene, but otherwise of cans knew best (thanks to Lily Pons's annual limited appeal. Nor is the London Act III (1953) broadcasts from the Met), the Callas interpretation competitive with the better -cast Angel set (1955), was to us perhaps her most striking revelation-my made two years after her last stage performance.

44 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Forza.Callas apparently sang this only once on emphases, although the voice has by now lost the stage (at Trieste in 1948), and recorded it com- thrust and focus. pellingly six years later. The opening scene of the Don Carlo.So far, no recording of the 1954 Scala last act is omitted. production (with Stignani.Silveri.Ortica, and Rossi-Lemeni. Votto conducting) has come into Nabucco.Another one-time role (1949); the pi- rate issue from that occasion includes all of Abi- sight. The separate arias on the 1958 and 1964 all - gaille's music, the voice big and flexible, if not as Verdi discs-including Eboli's"0 don fittale"-are distinctively colored as it later became. The 1958 some small compensation. commercial recording of the big aria has more Ballo.Despite Gavazzeni's mannered direction. pointed, forceful diction, but not quite the gutsy the 1957 Scala performance is quite good-but the abandon of 1949. 1956 Angel set is even better, with Gobbi's tre- mendous Renato a decisive factor of superiority. Trovatore.Callas' first three productions of this In addition to these complete sets, there is the opera can be sampled via the underground, but the valuable 1958 disc of Verdi arias, and the rather 1956 commercial set is best of all (although the lesssuccessful, although frequently absorbing. 1951 Naples version, a pretty hairy affair, is made 1964 discs, which include some unusual repertory memorable by the prodigious intensity of Cloe (why, though, was no Emilia hired for theOtello Elmo's Azucena). From tentative beginnings, the scene?-a ridiculous and debilitating economy). conception of the role takes on all kinds of light and shade (unfortunately, the top D flat in"D'amor sull'ali"disappears along the way). Karajan opens several cuts and affords really galvanizing support. Turning to to other Italian repertory of the later nine- Callas never sang the part again after that. teenth century, we find some conspicuous anom- Traviata.Here the commercial recording is rela- alies, such as a second recording ofLa Gioconda, tively early (1952) and the other singers relatively made some seven years after Callas gave up the inadequate, although Callas is in fine voice and al- part on stage. The 1952 Cetra set is a very gutsy ready offers many interpretive subtleties. Unfortu- performance on everyone's part-perhaps rather nately, the 1955 Visconti production reaches us in too consistently so-but seems infinitely preferable congested sound, and I must confess to finding to the weakly cast remake, by which time the regis- some of this (particularly the last act) somewhat ter disparities in Callas' voice are beginning to overdone-too many fussy details, not enough line. cause real musical problems. The 1958 London performance is vocally weaker, Then there are three operas(Pagliacci, Manon but probably the all-round best of the lot. Lescaut,andLa Boheme)that she never sang on I Vespri siciliani.The 1951 Florence perform- stage. one(Cavalleria)that she did only in her ance benefits greatly from Kleiber's sure hand, and Athens "precareer"-all of them interestingly spe- is not too badly recorded; tenor and baritone, alas, cific characterizations;I particularly like theBo- are thoroughly routine. As the 1954 studio record- heme(1956), an amiable all-round performance ing shows, Callas took the so-called "Bolero" (ac- with a Mimi who manages to keep her illness tually, and correctly, labeled "Siciliana" in the clearly before us without sacrificing breadth of score) at something less than the usual clip, achiev- phrase when necessary. TheButterfly(1955) was ing remarkable verve. The 1964 snippet from the recorded before her only stage performances; de- fourth -act duet is surprisingly good until she must spite some high -register difficulties, this too is a ascend above the staff; she bravely assays the diffi- brilliant job, and enjoys another of Karajan's for- cult cadenza, with its chromatic scale from top C mer -style (i.e., not overrefined) conducting jobs. down to F sharp below middle C (cf. the recent Two Giordano operas that Callas sang in Milan limp rendition on RCA LSC 3229 by Katia Riccia- (Andrea ChenierandFedora)were taken down on relli, who chooses the optional easy alternative). tape; Boito'sMefistofele(Verona, 1954) apparently Rigoletto.Another one -time -only part on the was not. I haven't heard the 1956Fedora;Madda- stage. The timbral control of the Mexican perform- lena doesn't require from Callas much of what she ance (1952) is extraordinary, but let's face it, there does best, but she sounds fine, despite congested can rarely have been such a chaoticRigoletto,with sound (1955). Some samples from this literature are every line audibly (and, it would seem, necessarily) on the 1954 "Coloratura/Lyric" recital; Marghe- prompted. The Angel set (1955) is less successfully rita's"L'altra noire" isimpressively moodful. but girlish, but has every other advantage. the Cilea and Catalani numbers miss fire somehow. Macbeth.A famous part, but only in one produc- One would give a lot to hear a Callas Turandot tion (Scala, 1952), when Callas was in absolutely from the years when she actively sang the part sensational voice. Once again, her colleagues are (1948-49). but the1957 recording.albeitless undistinguished, the recording muddy-but this is plentiful of voice than some others, has such au- theLady Macbeth. The three arias recorded in thority and force of delivery that other considera- 1958 are undeniably impressive, with many subtle tions seem relatively minor (not to mention the fact

MARCH 1974 45 that Serafin conducts the piece better than anyone possible that this literature, especially in its mezzo else on records). Fortunately, the Callas Tosca was or falcon aspects, might provide a way out of her captured in 1953 in the plenitude of vocal security, vocal difficulties, but the 1963 albumwas rather with a fine cast and ideal leadership; I'm afraid that less convincing, and after recording an interesting the 1964 set, where she attempts to overcome if not altogether successful Carmen (1964), she had crippling limitations of range and power through a another go at soprano roles. Some thingson these surfeit of verbal artifice, simply doesn't compare, recitals are rather fine, but, as with the 1964 record- although Gobbi and Bergonzi are very strong col- ings, much is not up to the Callas standard. leagues. I've heard some of the taped 1965 performances, and regret to say that their audible interest is primarily sentimental. The 1954 Puccini recital remains a startling demonstration of versatility, although in every relevant That, then,then, is what we have-a rather extensive pic- case, the complete performance offers a better view ture of this career, which will go down in the history of the Callas powers in operation. books along with Malibran, Pasta, Bellincioni, Ta- magno, Caruso. To be sure, they participated in the creation of styles, while Callas re-created-perhaps an even harder feat, at that. Consciously or uncon- There is,is, surprisingly, a Callas Wagner discog- sciously, many young singers model their singing raphy-in Italian, to be sure: not only the 1949 and their aspirations on the reigning idols of their Cetra Liebestod (a very sensuous and moving per- student days; naturally, they don't always emulate formance, incidentally), but also a 1950 Kundry the right things (as with numerous Caruso epi- from the underground-very clean, accurate, and gones)-but with Callas one can surely say that the tonally varied. Unfortunately, the tenor is just plain right things are there to emulate. awful, but Gui conducts with distinction (early un- Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, describing a recital by derground editions of this comprised the whole op- Victoria de los Angeles, once wrote some words era, and Wagnerians who do not jib at the wrong that I am sure he would agree could equally be ap- language are commended to Boris Christars truly plied to Callas: "When listening to her, one per- majestic Gurnemanz). Apparently there is no trace ceives that ideal point at which, when words are of that famous Walkiire; however, the existence of sung, the thought and the sound meet: the point at a Tristan performance is reliably rumored. which two otherwise irreconcilable worlds find a The French repertory (except for Gluck, Cheru- common ground." All the great singers lead us to bini, and Spontini as noted above) was part only of that ideal point, and none has done so more con- Callas' recorded career, and only in the later years. sistently more affectingly, more excitingly than When the 1961 Frenchrecital appeared. it seemed Maria Callas.

A Callas Discography

The following listing includes: significantly deleterious effect on the indicated after the catalogue number. I) All of the singer's commercial sound. An asterisk (*) indicates Callas' first recordings, with current catalogue num- 2) All of her. "live" performances of performance of the opera in question bers. The few items not currently avail- opera that I have traced on private during her mature career (i.e., not count- able from any source are marked "OP," records in complete or substantially ing the wartime years in Athens). and the most recent number is given. Al- complete form; these are indicated by though the Everest pressings of the Cetra "PR." recordings are officially out of print, 3) A selection of other significant per- copies are still fairly common; Italian formances in circulation on private tapes BELIAR: Norma: Casta diva. Radio Italiana pressings (probably in fake stereo) may (Turin), Basile, cond. CETRA R 30041 (78 also be found in some shops (American Listings for the private recordings rpm, OP). Feb. 1949. rights to the Cetra catalogue have gone (categories 2 and 3) are in brackets. BELLA!: IPuritani: 0 rendetemi la speme to Vox, so still another reincarnation These categories do not attempt to list Vien diletto. Radio Italiana (Turin), may be expected). All the EMI complete the numerous individual aria perform- Basile, cond. CETRA LPC 50175. Feb. 1949. operas currently unavailable from Angel ances available on private disc and tape. can be obtained on EMI Odeon Italian WAGNER: Tristan and Isolde: Liebestod (in All recordings are mono, unless indi- Italian).Radio Italiana(Turin),Basile, pressings (imported by Peters Inter- cated as "S" (stereo) or "R" (rechan- cond. CETRA LPC 50175. Feb. 1949. national), in rechanneled stereo that, on neled). For the commercial recordings. [VERDI: Nabucco*: excerpts. Bechi, Neroni, the basis of some sampling, has not had a the number of discs, if more than one, is Sinimberghi; San Carlo, Gui, cond. PR.

46 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Dec. 22, 1949.] PUCCINI: Tosca. Di Stefano, Gobbi; La Scala, Karajan, cond. PR. Sept. 29, 1955.] [BELLINI: Norma. Simionato, Baum, Mos- De Sabata, cond. ANGEL BL 3508 (2). BELLINI: Norma. Simionato, Del Monaco, cona; Mexico City, Picco, cond. PT. May Aug. 1953. Zaccaria; La Scala, Votto, cond. PT. Dec. 23, 1950.] [CHERuetivi: Medea. Nache,Barbieri, 7, 1955.] [PUCCINI: Tosca. Filippeschi, Weede; Mexico Penno, Modesti; La Scala,Bernstein. BELLINI: Norma. Stignan,, Del Monaco, City, Mugnai, cond. PR. June 8, 1950.] cond. PR. Dec. 10, 1953.] Modesti; Radio Italiana (Rome), Serafin, [VERDI: II Trovatore*: excerpts. Simionato, [GLucit: Alceste: excerpts. Gavarini, Pa- cond. PR. 1956.] Baum, Warren; Mexico City, Picco, cond. nerai; La Scala, Giulini, cond. PR. Apr. 4, [VERDI: La Traviata. Raimondi, Bastianini; La PR. June 1950.] 1954.] Scala, Giulini, cond. PT. Jan. 19, 1956.] [WAGNER: Parsifal: Act II (in Italian). Beldelli, BELLINI: Norma. Stignani, Filippeschi, Rossi- [Possum IIBarbiere di Siviglia*. Alva, Modesti; Radio Italiana (Rome), Gui, Lemeni; La Scala, Serafin, cond. SERA- Gobbi, Luise, Rossi-Lemeni; La Scala, cond. PR. Nov. 20, 1950.] PHIM IC 6037 (3). May 1954. Giulini, cond. PT. Feb. 16, 1956.]

[VERDI: II Trovatore. Elmo, Lauri-Volpi, Sil- LEONCAVALLO: I Pagliacci°. Di Stefano, [GIORDANO: Fedora*. Zanolli, Corelli, Col- veri; San Carlo, Serafin, cond. PR. Jan. Gobbi; La Scala, Serafin, cond. ANGEL CL zani; La Scala, Gavazzeni, cond. PT. May 27, 1951.] 3528 (3, with Cavalleria). June 1954. 21, 1956.] [VERDI: I Vespri siciliani*. Kokolicz, Mas- VERDI: La Forza del destino. Tucker, Tag- PucciNi: La Boheme*. Moffo, Di Stefano, cherini, Christoff; Maggio Musicale Fio- liabue, Rossi-Lemeni; La Scala, Serafin, Panerai; La Scala, Votto, cond. ANGEL BL rentino, Kleiber, cond. PR. May 1951.] cond. SERAPHIM IC 6088 (3). Aug. 1954. 3560 (2). Aug. 1956. [VERDI: Aida. Dominguez, Del Monaco, Tad- ROSSINI: II Turco in Italia. Gedda, Stabile, VERDI: II Trovatore. Barbier., Di Stefano, Pa- dei; Mexico City, De Fabritiis, cond. PR. Rossi-Lemeni;La Scala,Gavazzeni, nerai; La Scala, Karajan, cond. ANGEL July 3, 1951.] cond. EMI ODEON C 163 00978/80 (3, R). 5sL 3554 (3). Aug. 1956. [PucciNi: Tosca: excerpts. Poggi, Silveri; Sept. 1954. VERDI: Un Ballo in maschera*. Ratti, Bar- Rio de Janeiro, Votto, cond. PR. Sept. 24, PUCCINI ARIAS. La Boheme: Si, mi chia- bieri, Di Stefano, Gobbi; La Scala, Votto, 1951.] mano Mimi; Donde lieta usci. Gianni cond. SERAPHIM IC 6087 (3). Sept. 1956. [ROSSINI: Armida*. F. Albanese, Ziliani, Sal- Schicchi: 0 mio babbino caro. Madama [DONIZETTI: Lucia di Lammermoor. Cam- varezza, Filippeschi, Raimondi; Maggio Butterfly: Un bel di vedremo; Con onor pora, Sordello, Moscona; Metropolitan Musicale Fiorentino, Serafin, cond. PR. muore. Manon Lescaut: In quelle trine Opera, Cleva, cond. PT. Dec. 8, 1956.] Apr. 26, 1952.] morbide; Sola, perduta, abbandonata. ROSSINI: II Barbiere di Siviglia. Alva, Gobbi, [BELLINI: I Puritani.Di Stefano, Campo- Suor Angelica: Senza mamma. Turan- 011endorff, Zaccaria; Philharmonia Or- longhi, Silva; Mexico City, Picco, cond. dot: Signore, ascolta; In questa reggia; chestra, Galliera, cond. ANGEL SCL 3559 PR. May 29, 1952.] Tu che di gel sei cinta. Phiharmonia Or- (3, 5). Feb. 1957. [VERDI: La Traviata. Di Stefano, Campo- chestra, Serafin, condANGEL 35195. BELLINI: La Sonnambula. Monti, Zaccaria; longhi; Mexico City, Mugnai, cond. PR. Sept. 1954. La Scala, Votto, cond. EMI ODEON C 163 June 3, 1952.] COLORATURA/LYRIC. Boi To:Mefistofele: 17648/50 (3, R). Mar. 1957. [DoNinny Lucia di Lammermoor. Di Ste- L'altra notte. CATALAN!: La Wally: Eb- [CONIZETrl: Anna Bolena*. Simionato, Rai- fano, Campolonghi, Silva; Mexico City, ben! ne andro lontano. CILEA: Adriana mondi, Rossi-Lemeni; La Scala, Gavaz- Picco, cond. PR. June 10, 1952.] Lecouvreur: lo sono l'umile ancella; Po- zeni, cond. PR. Apr. 14, 1957.] [VERDI:Rigoletto*.DiStefano, Campo- veri fiori. DEusEs: Lakin& Bell Song (in GLuck: Iphigenie en Tauride* (in Italian). longhi; Mexico City, Mugnai, cond. PR. Italian). GIORDANO: Andrea Chenier: La (- Albanese, Dondi, Colzani; La Scala, June 17, 1952.] mamma morta. MEYERBEER: Dinorah: Sanzogno, cond. PR. June 1, 1957.]

PONCHIELLI: La Gioconda. Barbieri, Ama- Ombre legere (in Italian). ROSSINI: 11 PUCCINI: Manon Lescaut*. Di Stefano, dini, Poggi, Silveri, Neri; Radio Italiana Barbiere di Siviglia: Una voce poco fa. Fioravanti; La Scala, Serafin, cond. EMI (Turin), Votto, cond. EVEREST S 419 (3, R, VERDI: I Vespri siciliani: Bolero. Philhar- ODEON C 163 00484/6 (3, R). July 1957. OP). Sept. 1952. monia Orchestra, Serafin, cond. ANGEL PUCCINI: Turandot. Schwarzkopf, Fernandi, VERDI: La Traviata. F. Albanese, Savarese; 35233. Sept. 1954. Zaccaria; La Scala, Serafin, cond. EMI Radio Italiana (Turin), Santini, cond. Ev- I Spopmw: La Vestale*. Stignani,Corelli, ODEON C 163 00969/71 (3, R). July 1957. EREST S 425 (3, R, OP). Sept. 1952. Sorde lo, Rossi-Lemeni; La Scala, Votto, CHERueiNi: Medea. Scotto, Pirazzini, Picchi, [BELLINI: Norma. Stignani, Picchi, Vaghi; cond. PT. Dec. 7, 1954.] Modesti; La Scala, Serafin, cond. EVEREST Covent Garden, Gui, cond. PR. Nov. 8, [GIORDANO: Andrea,Chenier°. Del Monaco, S 437 (3, S). Sept. 1957. 1952.] Protti; La Scala, Votto, cond. PR. Jan. 8, [VERDI: Un Ballo in maschera. Ratti, Simio- [VERDI: Macbeth*. Penno, Mascherini, Tajo; 1955.] nato, Di Stefano, Bastianini; La Scala, Ga- La Scala, De Sabata, cond. PR. Dec. 7, [BELLINI: La Sonnambula*. Valletti,Mo- vazzeni, cond. PR. Dec. 7, 1957.] 1952.] desti; La Scala, Bernstein, cond. PR. Mar. [VERDI: La Traviata. Valletti, Zanasi; Covent DoNizErri: Lucia di Lammermoor. Di Ste- 2, 1955.] Garden, Rescigno, cond. PR. June 20, fano, Gobbi, Arie; Maggio Musicale Fio- [VERDI: La Traviata. Di Stefano, Bastianini; 1958.] rentino, Serafin, cond. SERAPHIM IB 6032 La Scala,Giulini, cond. PR. May 28, MAD SCENES. BELLINI: II Pirata: 0! s'io po- (2). Feb. 1953. 1955.] tessi . CoI sorriso d'innocenza. GONI- [VERDI: II Trovatore. Stignani, Penno, Tag- CHERusitii: Medea: Dei tuoi figli. SPoterum: ZETTI: Anna Bolena: Piangete voi .. Al liabue; La Scala, Votto, cond. PR. Feb. 23, La Vestale: Tu che invoco; 0 nume tute- dolce guidami. THOMAS: HAMLET: A vos 1953.] lar; Caro oggetto. La Scala, Serafin, jeux. Philharmonia Orcnestra, Rescigno, BELLINI: I Puritani.DiStefano,Panerai, cond. ANGEL S 36929 (R; in "Arias I Love, cond. ANGEL S 35764 (S). Sept. 1958. Rossi-Lemeni; La Scala, Serafin, cond. Album 1"). June 1955. 1958. ANGEL CL 3502 (3). Mar. 1953. PUCCINI: Madama Butterfly*. Danieli, VERDI HEROINES. Don Carlo: Tu che le va- [CHERusitu: Medea*. Barbieri, Penno, Petri; Gedda, Borriello; La Scala, Karajan, nita. Ernani: Sorta a la notte . Ernani, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Gui, cond. cond. ANGEL CL 3523 (3). Aug. 1955. involami. Macbeth: Nel di della vittoria PT. May 1953.] VERDI: Aida. Barbieri, Tucker, Gobbi; La Vieni, t'affretta; La luce langue; Una [VERDI: Aida: Act III. Simionato, Baum, Wal- Scala. Serafin, cond. ANGEL CL 3525 (3). macchia a qui tuttora. Nabucco: Ben io

ters; Covent Garden, Barbirolli, cond. PR. Sept. 1955. t'invenni. . . . Anch'io dischiuso un June 10, 1953.] VERDI: Rigoletto. Di Stefano, Gobbi; La giorno. Philharmonia Orchestra, Re- MASCAGNI: Cavalleria rusticana*. Di Ste- Scala. Serafin, cond. ANGEL 5sL 3537 (3). scigno, cond. ANGEL S 35763 (S). Sept. fano, Panerai; La Scala, Seraf in, cond. Sept. 1955. 1958. ANGEL CL 3528 (3, with Pagliacci). July [DONIZET11: Lucia di Lammermoor. Di Ste- [CHERUBINI: Medea. Carron, Berganza, 1953. fano,Panerai,Zaccaria; BIAS Berlin, Vickers, Zaccaria; Dallas Opera, Re -

MARCH 1974 47 scigno, cond. PR. Nov. 8, 1958.] stelo divulsa. I Lombardi: 0 madre, dal [BELLINI:IIPirata. Sarfaty, Ferrara, Ego; cielo . Se vano e it pregare. I Vespri American Opera Society,Rescigno, siciliani: Arrigo! ah parli a un core. Paris cond. PR. Jan. 27, 1959.] Conservatory Orchestra,Rescigno, HER CURRENT RECORDINGS ON ANGEL. DONIZETTI: Lucia di Lammermoor. Tagliavi- cond. ANGEL S 36852 (S) (with Pirata aria, ni, Cappuccilli, Ladysz; Philharmonia Or- recorded 1960). Feb. 1964. chestra, Serafin, cond. ANGEL SBL 3601 BIZET: Carmen*. Guiot, Gedda, Massard; (2, S). Mar. 1959. Paris Opera, Pretre, cond. ANGEL SCL Bellini: Norma. With Corelli. [CHENusiNi: Medea. Carlyle, Cossotto, Vick- 3650 (3. S). July 1964. Complete (3 LPs) SCL-3615; Hits. S-35666 ers, Zaccaria; Covent Garden, Rescigno, ROSSINI AND DONIZETTI ARIAS. ROSSINI: La Bellini: I Puritanl. With Di Stefano. cond. PR. June 30, 1959.] Cenerentolas Nacqui all'affanno. Gug- Complete (3 LPs) CL -3502 PoNcinEw: La Gioconda. Cossotto, Corn- lielmoTell:S'allontanano alfine Bizet: Carmen. With Gedda. paneez, Ferrara, Cappuccilli, Vinco; La Selva opaca. Semiramide: Bel raggio Complete (3 LPs) SCLX-3650; Hlts. S-36312 Scala, Votto, cond. SERAPHIM SIC 6031 (3, lusinghier. DONIZETTI: L'Elisir d'amore: Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor. S). Sept. 1959. Prendi, per me sei libero. La Figlia del With Cappuccilli. BELLINI: II Pirata: Sorgete! 6 in me dover. .. reggimento: Convien partir. Lucrezia Complete (2 I.Ps) SM.-3601; Hits. S-35831 Lo sognai ferito Sventurata, anch'io Borgia: Tranquillo ei posa... Com'e Leoncavallo: I Pagliacci & Mascagni: deliro. Philharmonia Orchestra, Tonini, bello. Paris Conservatory Orchestra, Cavalleria rusticana. \\ith 1)i Stefano. cond. ANGEL S 36852 (S;in "By Rescigno, cond. ANGEL S 36239 (5, OP). Complete (3 I.Ps) CL -3528 Request," with Verdi arias, recorded July 1964. 1964). 1960. Ponchielli: La Gioconda. 1Vith Ferraro. PUCCINI: Tosca. Bergonzi, Gobbi; Paris Op- Highlights S-359.10 BELLINI: Norma. Ludwig, Corelli, Zaccaria; era, Pretre, cond. ANGEL SBL 3655 (2, S). La Scala, Serafin, cond. ANGEL SCL 3615 Dec. 1964. Puccini: La Boheme. With Di Stefano. (3, S). Sept. 1960. [PUCCINI: Tosca. Cioni, Gobbi; Paris Opera, Complete (2 I.Ps) 111.-3560 [DONIZETTI:Poliuto*.Corelli,Bastianini, Pretre, cond. PT. Mar. 1, 1965.] Puccini: Madama Butterfly. With Gedda. Zaccaria; La Scala, Votto, cond. PR Dec. [PucciNi: Tosca. Corelli, Gobbi; Metropoli- Complete (3 I.Ps) CL -3523 7, 1960.] tan Opera, Cleva, cond. PT. Mar. 19, Puccini: Tosca. I'ith Di Stefano and Gobbi. GREAT ARIAS FROM FRENCH OPERA. BIZET: 1965.] Complete (2 LPs) BL -3508 Carmen: Habanera; Seguidilla. CHAR- [PUCCINI: Tosca. Tucker, Gobbi; Metropoli- Puccini: Tosca. With Bergonzi and Gobbi. PENTIER: Louise: Depuis le jour. GLUCK: tan Opera, Cleva, cond. PT. Mar. 25, Complete (2 1.N) SBL-3655; Hits. S-36326 Orphee et Eurydice: J'ai perdu mon 1965.] Rossini: II barbiere di Siviglia. Eurydice. Alceste: Divinites du Styx. [BELLINI: Norma. Cossotto, Cecchele, Vinco; (:obbi and Alva. GOUNOD: Romeo et Juliette: Valse. MAS- Paris Opera, Pretre, cond. PT. May 21, Complete (3 LPs) SCL-3559;Hits. S-35936 SENET: Le Cid: Pleurez, mes yeux. 1965.] Verdi: Aida. NVith Tucker. SAINT -Wm: Samson et Dalila: Prin- [PUCCINI: Tosca. Cioni, Gobbi; Covent Gar- Complete (3 I.Ps) CL3525 temps qui commence; Amour, viens ai- den, Pretre, cond. PT. July 5, 1965 (Cal- Verdi: Rigoletto. der ma faiblesse. THOMAS: Mignon: las' last operatic performance).] With Di Stefano and Gobbi. Polonaise. ORTF, Pretre, cond. ANGEL S Complete (3 I.Ps) 5sL-3537 35882 (S). Apr. 1961. Verdi: II Trovatore. With Di Stefano. [CHERUBIM: Medea. Tosini, Simionato, Vick- From the commercial complete operas Complete (3 LIN) 5sL3554 ers, Ghiaurov; La Scala, Schippers, cond. and recitals listed above, Angel has as- PT. Dec. 11, 1961.] Arias I Love, Album 1 (Masked Ball. sembled several all -Callas albums. As igolet to, Sonnambula, more). S-36929 CALLAS IN PARIS. BERLIOZ: La Damnation de Faust: D'amour l'ardente flamme. BI- noted in the discography. "Arias I Love, Arias I Love, Album 2 (I Lombardi. ZET: Les Pecheurs de perles: Me voila Album I" (S 36929) is the only current Aidl.. Attila, II Pirata, more). S-36930 seule Comme autrefois. GLUCK: 1phi- source for the 1955 La Vestale and Medea Art of Maria Callas, Vol. 1(Louise, genie en Tauride: 0 malheureuse Iphi- excerpts. All the material on "The Art Ibsca. Mirbeth, more). (2 LPs) SB-3696 genie. GouNOD: Faust: II etait un roi de of Maria Callas" (SB 3696, two discs). Art of Maria Callas, Vol. 2- Puccini Thule; Jewel Song. MASSENET: Manon: "Arias I Love. Album 2" (S 36930). and more). 35195

Je ne suis que faiblesse. . . Adieu, notre "Callas and Di Stefano at La Scala" (S Art of Maria Callas, Vol. 3- 1 v Tic & petite table; Suis-je gentille ainsi?. . Je 36940) isstillin print inits original Coloia lira ias (alm«o. innIel. !11233 marche sur tous les chemins. WERTHER: forms. "Highlights" discs are available By Request (I Lombardi. Attila. Masked Letter Scene. Paris Conservatory Or- from several of the complete recordings. Ball, II Pirata. more). S-36852 chestra, Pretre, cond. ANGEL S 36147 (S). May 2 and 7, 1963. and of course Callas excerpts have been Callas & Di Stefano at La Scala, Vol. 1 includedin (R igolet to, Tosca. Masked Ball). S-36940 [PucciNi: Tosca. Cioni, Gobbi; Covent Gar- numerous miscellaneous vocal collections. Callas & Di Stefano at La Scala, Vol. 2 den, Cillario, cond. PT. Jan. 24, 1964.] li-os a liisca. Mallon Lescaut). S-36966 As Edward Greenfield reportedin ARIAS BY BEETHOVEN, MOZART, AND WEBER. CallasinParis (from Minion, Pearl Fishers. BEETHOVEN: Ah! perfido, Op. 65. Mo- "Behind the Scenes." May 1973. Philips Faust. Ipliigettit, more). 5-3(11.17 wn: Don Giovanni: Or sai chi l'onore; lured Callas into the studio last year to Great Arias from French Opera In quali eccessi .. Mi tradi; Crudele begin a duet album with Di Stefano. To (Mignon. Le (:id, Carmen. more). S-35882 Non mi dir. Le Nozze di Figaro: Porgi, date. however, the unfinished project Mad Scenes (Anna Bolena. Hamlet. and amor. WEBER: Oberon: Ocean! thou remains in limbo. II Pi rata) S-35764 mighty monster. Paris Conservatory Or- chestra, Rescigno, cond. ANGEL S 36200 Verdi Heroines (from Macbeth, Nabucco, (S, OP). Feb. 1964. Dim Carlo and Ernatui). S3571',3

VERDI ARIAS. Aroldo: Ciel, ch'io respiri. . . Commercial Tapes Salvami, salvami, to gran Dio; 0 cielo! AND ON SERAPHIM. Dove son io. Don Carlo: Non pianger, One Angel recital disc, the 1961 Bellini: Norma. With Filippeschi. mia compagna; 0 don fatale. Otello: Mia "Great Arias from French Opera," is Complete (3 LPs) IC -6037 madre aveva una povera ancella . . Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor. available on 8 -track cartridge (8XS With Di Stefano. Complete (2 LPs) IB-6032 Ave Maria. Paris Conservatory Orches- 35882) and cassette (4XS 35882). Also tra, Rescigno, cond. ANGEL S 36221 (S). Ponchielli: La Gioconda. With Ferraro. Feb. 1964. available are excerpts from the follow- Complete (31.1's) SIC -6031 BY REQUEST. VERDI: Aida: Ritorna vincitor! ing complete operas: the 1957 Barber Verdi: La Forza del Destino. NVith Tucker. Attila: Liberamente or piangi .. Oh! nel of Seville (8SX/4XS 35936), the 1964 Complete (3 1.1's) 1C-6088 fuggente nuvolo. Un Ballo in maschera: Carmen (8XS/4XS 36312), and the Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera. Ecco l'orrido campo ... Ma dall'arido 1964 Tosca (8XS/4XS 36326). Nvith Di Stefano. Complete (3 1.1's) IC -6087 CIRCLE 2 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 48 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE More than any composer or conductor or any other singer during the past 25 years, she has changed opera. In a very real sense, she revived it. For it was Maria Callas who brought back the heroines of Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Cherubini, and the early Verdi. Every soprano singing those roles today owes a debt to her.

Ever since our label came to America in 1953, Angel has recordedCallas. Together, we have made history, and recorded it. The list of complete operas she has sung for us is awesome -24 in all, 18 of them from La Scala. All that, plus countless aria collections. It has been a most rewarding relationship.

Now, after 8 years away, Callas has returned in a concert tour with Giuseppe di Stefano, who shared most of her La Scala triumphs. In her own words, "It took courage:' But courage is a quality she has never lacked. We honor her withSeraphim releases of her complete La Forza and Masked Ball. And with 2 Angel programs of La Scala

CALLAS& DISTEFANO CAI I ASS, DI STI-1 \ NO duets with Di Stefano. And .1.0. AM La Scab at I aSc ala.Album Y LA FORZA LI\ 114110 DEL ocsnna MIVAIIIRAgf I ''...

1r] I :.'11'1 '.:. 5 U.. with our own heartfelt ,q,sey Sor "Bravissimo!" 833 \1*1 co CIRCLE 2 ON READER -SERVICE CARD by John McDonough

TFIERE HE WOULD su surrounded by his Slingerlands. The jaws chomping at a wad of gum. The right leg bouncing up and down giving a bass pulse to the beat. Shoulders hunched over a gleamingsnare. Head swinging from side to side. A forelock of hair swinging in the air. Eyes open and alert. Lips slightly puckered and grinning at the edges. His entire body quivering with a subtle English. Arms and sticks splashing across the drums and transmitting rocking clusters of clean, ricocheting rim shots. Suddenly a pause-this man capable of so much sound also understood the value of silence. His arms are momentarily outstretched and suspended. Head is cocked to the side now, eyes closed, mouth open. Suddenly the air literally shakes with a booming bass figure, punctuated by the slightly discordant twang of a cowbell on the first, third, and fourth beats. An audience then roars itsap- proval for the world's most famous drummer- Gene Krupa. Buddy Rich, certainly a major pretender to that unique distinction, is supposed to have said once that every time a drummer climbs behind hisgear he should first observe a moment of silence and face Yonkers, because there lived the man who first manded complete attention on the stand. Onere- made the drummer a high-priced guy. calls the stories of Benny Goodman's impatienceat Gene would shrug off such adoration. World so much public enchantment flowing toward a fame was something he lived easily with over the mere sideman, and a drummer at that! A person years. He was as unaffected and unpretentious a once sat watching somesilenthome movies of man as one could hope to find in a business of ego Krupa in action at the Metropole and found him- and image. Yet he occupied a place in the pantheon self tapping his foot to the mere sight of theman. of American music figures, a fact belatedly certi- That is charisma. fied in 1972 when he became thefirstdrummer to But the critics have always marched to the sound enter theDown BeatHall of Fame. of a different drummer-Zutty Singleton, perhaps, Considering his contributions, such recognition or Chick Webb. These were supposed to be the probably should have come sooner, but, yousee, originators, while Krupa was merely theone who Gene always had this problem with the critics. It took all the credit, or at least received all the credit centered on his charisma, which some con- from a vast unknowing audience. The odd thing is descendingly dubbed showmanship. Surely in the that Gene couldn't have agreed more. He openly heyday of swing there were corny routines that idolized Zutty, Chick, and that otherprecursor of clumsily tried to package it-Drummin'Man,for swing drummers, Baby Dodds. And he saidso ev- example, and that nonsense lyric about a "cowhide ery time he was asked about his influences. It's kickin' fool." But Krupa was perhaps the most nat- likely that many of the writers who scorned Krupa urally charismatic figure of the swing era. He pro- as show biz became aware of Chick, Zutty, Sid Cat- jected an image of sovereign independence, of cool lett, and others because of the great PR jobper- power, of heroic stature. He was a section unto him- formed by Gene in bringing the drummer-and self. Although modest by nature and the complete that means all drummers" --out of the shadows and gentleman, he cut an incandescent figure that com- into the spotlight. And if Krupa was aware of his debt to the great John McDonough, a free-lance writer and jazz huff isa drummers who preceded him, the ones who fol- copywriter at Foote, Cone, and Belding. lowed were no less aware of their debt to him. Be-

50 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Face Yonkers,Drummers! fore Gene died. Buddy Rich threw a dinner for him shows at Chicago's Mr. Kelly's, Gene was in a jo- CD in New York, and they all came out for it: Jo Jones, vial mood. Buddy asked if he could get him any- Joe Morrell°, even a partially paralyzed Zutty Sin- thing, meaning a drink. "Sure." joked Gene. "How gleton. In accepting the tributes, Gene stood before about a quart of blood?" his peers visibly moved and said he was glad to be There was slight nervous laughter from those CD alive to see it all happen. present. It was the sort of remark that turned up in much He told another friend the next day about a of his casual conversation near the end. He was not transfusion he'd received a week before. "Whoever a well man and he knew it. in all its grim detail. had this blood before I got it." he quipped. "had a Since October 1967 Krupa's professional life had lot of pimples ... and no interest in sex." been sharply limited. First it was emphysema, the His doctors may have cautioned him against accumulated dividend of a lifetime of smoking. hypochondria, but he still insisted that if he had a Even to the end he remained a captive of the habit. pain and it hurt or he sat down for dinner and had constantly setting time limits beyond which he no appetite, that was what mattered. "And the fact swore he'd never touch another cigarette. "Two is," he said, "I haven't had a day in the last year or more hours to go before I quit for good," he'd de- two when I could get up and say I really felt good." clare as he lit up. The deadlines came and went, but And sometimes his self-deprecation carried an the craving always remained. ominous chill. Sitting in the lobby of the Sheraton Then in 1969 he developed serious back prob- North Shore Hotel near Chicago last summer, he lems and underwent successful surgery. It contin- was asked if he'd mind saying hello to the pretty ued to give him twinges, though. And then after young clerk at the registration desk. "She's dying to about 1970 there was the frequent loss of energy, meet you," the general manager said in his enthusi- the curious, unexplained listlessness. In March asm. Gene smiled faintly to his companion. 1973 there was further bad luck. Gene's Yonkers "She's dying to meet me," he joked grimly as he home, which he built in1939. suffered $60,000 pulled himself slowly from his chair. "She's doin' damage in a fire. A week and a half later Gene was better than me. I'm just dying." to play a gig with Lionel Hampton in Pittsburgh. If 1973 had its share of bad times, it must also Although he didn't feel up to it mentally or physi- rank paradoxically as one of the most exhilarating cally, he flew out and checked into the Hilton there. years of his career. First, it was a time when his path Gene and his pal Frank Bellino, a Yonkers neigh- crossed those of many of his old associates. Gerry bor who'd been helping Gene in his travels in re- Mulligan, who gave Gene's postwar band some of cent years. started the block -and -a -half walk to its most striking charts, visited with Gene backstage Heinz Hall for the concert. But after less than a at Ravinia Park north of Chicago. block Gene felt too weak to continue. "Call a cab," "I gave you plenty of hard times back then w ith he told Frank, who thought at first he was kidding. all that temperament. I guess." confessed Gerry. He wasn't. "Not really," Gene said. "And if you did, you Back home soon afterwards, he entered Yonkers made up for it with your talent, man. That beau- Hospital for three and a half weeks of checkups. By tiful writing! And I was such a hard head. If I didn't the beginning of June the verdict was in: chronic hear that old ragtime, it wasn't right." leukemia, and suddenly the immortal drummer A few weeks before, Gene encountered another was brought face to face with his own mortality. old chum at the Newport Jazz Festival, Roy Eld- Often fatal in young children, leukemia in a man ridge, the brilliant trumpet wizard of the late '30s Krupa's age (sixty-four), so his doctors told him. who first broke Louis Armstrong's iron -clad he- can be controlled and stabilized through drugs and gemony over the instrument. The two had always regular transfusions. His doctors also cautioned enjoyed a particularly close professional friend- him against a tendency toward hypochondria-ex- ship, having first met in the spring of 1936 in Chi- cessive worry and talk about imagined ailments cago when Gene was with Benny Goodman at the and depression over the prospect of death, common Congress Hotel and Roy was with Fletcher Hen- in persons with chronic diseases. But death was derson at the Grand Terrace. Gene sought out the very much on his mind from then on. Henderson band because of Sid Catlett's drum- During a visit with Buddy Rich last July between ming, but he and Roy hit it off well, and Gene used

51 MARCH 1974 four months older. The idea began to develop that it might be fun to get the old BG quartet together again for a couple of short gigs. Lionel Hampton and Teddy Wilson were found willing, so it started with a couple of numbers in a Central Park concert. Then it turned into a guest shot on the "Timex All- Star Swing Festival" taped in October 1972 in Phil- harmonic Hall. After a string of unspectacular sets by Basie, Ellington, and Brubeck, the original Benny Goodman quartet in the flesh laid down one The sound of the Benny Goodman Quartet (plus bassist of the most spontaneous sessions ever captured for Slam Stewart)-Teddy Wilson, Goodman. Lionel Hampton, American television. The carefully scheduled show and Krupa-was heard again at the 1973 Ravinia Festival. ground to a complete halt while the live audience spent its enthusiasm. But it was much more than him on his first record date under his own name, mere nostalgia. The pure tingle and electricity that the famous Victor date that produced Swing Is radiated from the group was 100 -per -cent musical Here ("Swing, Vol. 1," RCA Victor LPV 578). in content. The fact that it was thirty-five years old In 1941 Roy joined Krupa's band and became only underlined the essential validity of the basic Gene's right hand, a sort of concertmaster. When concept, which has refused to grow stale. some unpleasant incidents occurred stemming The next day George Wein was on the phone from a black musician's presence in a popular making arrangements for a Carnegie Hall concert white band, Krupa ordered that all contracts con- during the Newport Festival. Ed Gordon began tain a rider giving Roy access to all facilities avail- clearing space for the group in the schedule for the able to the rest of the band. Gene felt strongly Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois. And about that, and on one occasion in York, Pennsyl- Boris Sokoloff was scrambling to get them into the vania, when a restaurant refused to serve Roy, Saratoga Festival in upstate New York. Financial Gene made such a fuss that the local sheriff was arrangements, it's been speculated, ran to $10,000 called. Krupa was arrested and jailed. to $15,000 per concert against a percentage. Out of The death of Eddie Condon in August 1973 hit that Goodman would pay the others; Hampton Gene hard. Both had begun their recording careers first, then Gene, then Teddy. A bassist, Slam Stew- together in 1927 on the famous Chicago date. Their art, was also added. relationship remained close, socially and profes- So as 1972 ended, Gene seemed on top of the sionally. Gene saw Eddie's two daughters, Liza and world. In the fall of that year he sat in his den at Maggie, grow up. He recalled how Eddie used to home and told jazz writer Bert Korall that, in spite bring them up to Yonkers for visits, and how they of his emphysema and recurring back trouble, "I've would wear his little wire-haired terrier, Mr. Jerk, never felt more like getting out and playing than I to a frazzle, playing with him. It finally got so that do now." He knew he would have to measure his Mr. Jerk wanted no part of it. Gene insisted the dog strength-steady work was out-but he looked for- could overhear his wife Ethel talking to Eddie's ward to 1973 with greater enthusiasm than he'd felt wife on the phone and inviting everybody up for an in years. evening. "Well," Gene declared in all seriousness, Then, a month before Newport and Carnegie "Mr. Jerk would catch that conversation and into Hall, Gene was struck with the leukemia diagnosis, the closet he'd go, and he wouldn't come out 'til the and everything suddenly stopped for him. He was Condon kids left." first afraid he wouldn't be able to make it, that he'd At Eddie's funeral, Gene's eulogy did not conceal be a drag on the others, and his first impulse was to either his own ordeal with a terminal disease or his cancel everything. Yet few men get the chance to profound sense of fulfillment with the life he had re-create and relive the triumphs of their youth and lived. "I believe in a life hereafter, Slick, because I actually occupy and embody the abstraction that want to do it all again," he said. "So long Slick." accompanies their own legend. If Krupa had had With time growing short, Gene was not ashamed any of the vanity that inclines men to ponder their of tears. own legends, this prospect might have fired him. There was an eerie final irony to their half -cen- But that just wasn't part of him. What did fire him tury -long friendship. Having begun their recording to go on was his instinct for uncompromising de- careers together on the same 1927 record session, so pendability, which in itself has become something did they end their recording careers in 1972. The al- of a minor legend among those who have dealt with bum was "Jazz at the New School" (Chiaroscuro him professionally. And perhaps most important, CR 110), and on it Gene played like a tiger. It was, he just wanted to play music, and there was no one in fact, Krupa's first new LP in almost a decade. he'd rather play it with than Goodman, Hampton, The quality of Gene's playing was not lost on his and Wilson. So he pulled together every fiber of old boss, Benny Goodman-"the old man," as energy and spirit that was in him, and set out to Gene called him affectionately, although Gene was make what he felt would be his last mark on

52 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE twentieth-century American music before his di- its musical quality. A Krupa solo was more than minishing body finally consumed itself. rhythmic riffs; each stroke had a tone and each For Goodman the Carnegie Hall concert of June phrase had tonality. To understand the inner me- 29 was one of the most unusual he ever played. It chanics of a drum solo, you can in effect put it un- was planned and carried out with one thought in der a microscope by playing the recording at 16 mind-to get Gene through the performance. Slam rpm instead of 33'/3. This allows you to really hear Stewart's presence, it was said, was for the purpose instead of just feeling the subtle intonations of each of taking some of the burden from Krupa; the orig- beat. inal quartet never used a bass. This may be an ex- Gene's incredible playing directly affected aggeration, however, since Goodman used a bass in Benny, who became utterly transfigured in the all his small groups after the quartet and certainly presence of his old colleagues. The feeling, the prefersits use wherever possible. The original emotion, the directness, the charging fluency, the quartet probably would have had a bass, save for swaggering attack, the rich mellowness of tone, the the fact that Goodman's only bassist at the time long sweeping notes that soared from his clarinet, was brother Harry, a reconstructed tuba player, the superb control of tension-they all made one who would have been over his head in such fast pause to seriously consider whether this person up company. there was really the same man who produced all And fast company it remained thirty-five years those sleepy and erratic records during the '50s and later. At Carnegie and particularly at the outdoor '60s. Could they somehow have been made by an Ravinia and Saratoga events, the four men played imposter? Suddenly, everything Goodman played to perhaps the largest audiences of their careers, seemed to justify the reputation he made in the vastly larger. it's likely, than any single member mid -'30s and has been riding on ever since. could have drawn alone. Even Benny, who came to But there was more than just Benny or Gene. It Ravinia from the Meadowbrook Festival in Roch- was the near psychic rapport and interaction of ester, Michigan. where he drew a large (7.030) but four men, the mutual musical understanding and not record crowd with a pickup group, rarely saw the ability of each to react instantly and with un- such receptions. At Ravinia, nearly 12.000; at Sara- canny infallibility to a note, a phrase, a feeling, an toga, almost 15,000. idea, even a gesture by the other. And the capacity There are few small jazz groups in which each of the group to sense and react to the crowd as one. member pulls equally to create a near perfect bal- Gene and Lionel strike up a hair-raising exchange ance of resources. The Modern Jazz Quartet is an at Saratoga on How High the Moon, and the per- exception. Most, and Benny's usual groups are a formance swerves into totally uncharted directions case in point, are designed to support a single star while shock waves can literally be felt fanning out performer. There is one dominant force around from Krupa's bass. Teddy Wilson spins bubbling which the others orbit. Not so with the BG quartet. contrapuntal lines that spill over Goodman's clari- There is no star. The group is the star, because the net like the sparkle of champagne. But time and group is more than the sum of its parts. It is the clas- again it's Krupa, who like no other drummer un- sic example of musical alchemy, in which each of derstood the kind of aggressive, competitive the basic components becomes transformed and rhythm section Benny needs to play against. As he magnified in each other's presence. Backstage at unexpectedly spears Goodman's fierce lines with Saratoga, Gene relaxed on a sofa in his dressing those iron-wristed rim shots or snatches the initia- room, which he shared with Teddy Wilson. He tive from him with a careening break in the six- looked drawn, almost gaunt, and his shirt and sport teenth bar, the King of Swing realizes that here coat tended to hang from his shoulders. As he among his peers he is a part of a musical unit he can walked toward the stage door, he was slightly hope to control only by the sheer force of his play- stooped and looked very tired. But when the ing. Gene, Lionel, and Teddy know it too. The re- spotlight caught him and he planted himself be- sult is a crucible of spontaneous competitive chal- hind his equipment and picked up his sticks, he lenge that forces out the very best that each of these seemed ten feet tall, and unbelievably cool. And his brilliant men has within him. It is a near perfect playing seemed to catch and compound the excite- balance of superforces. ment of the moment with every rim shot. To many these concerts were an occasion for nos- Krupa's was a very special sound, and it didn't talgia, a particularly gratifying nostalgia in this occur by chance. He would strike the drum head case, since by all standards there was no erosion of and rim in such a way that the stick carried the im- the original quality and no need to endure the sight pact from the rim down to the tip of the stick and of toothless old men no longer in control of their transmitted it to the head, which then acted like an horns and to pretend that nothing had changed. In- amplifier. Then-and this is the key-he would get deed the group was vastly more commanding than the stick away from the head immediately so that it in any of its performances on the original Victor didn't kill the vibrations. Leave the stick on the records. Some parents brought their children to drum an instant too long, he used to say, and you share experiences they had savored 10,000 mid- lose that echo that lingers after the shot and gives it nights ago when their world was young and swing -

MARCH 1974 53 ing, and these parents seemed to glow witha sort of "No, I guess not," chuckled Teddyas he exited warm pride that whispered rhetorically across the for the "master's" chamber. generation gap, "We were right back then. Thirty- It calls to mind the story that jazz enthusiast five years from now will you be able to say thesame Hank O'Neal recently told about Eddie Condon about Mick Jagger or Miles Davis?" and Goodman's old pianist Jess Stacy. Stacymet But nostalgia, in the final analysis, is thewrong Condon about thirteen years ago, after tapinga TV way to judge such an occasion as this. This was, af- performance with Benny, Gene, and Lionel. Con- ter all, music without gimmick being made in 1973 don asked Stacy how Bennywas these days. by four supremely cool and talented individualists "There's been a vast change," Jess replied. "That's who lived very much in the present and still had wonderful," Condon said. "How?" many exciting things to say. Moreover, swing is a "He's much worse." music of extraordinary sophistication andcom- If Jess never understood Goodman, Krupa did, plexity. Yet, it is by its very nature decisive music. It and he was big enough to accommodate hisways. is certain of its tradition and mission without being By 1973 there seemed little sense in carrying old a bit introspective or apologetic about itself. And feuds, real or imagined. For Gene, who had had all because it is so cocksure certain of itself, it becomes the fame and success his old boss achieved first. totally persuasive. Such music has a life of itsown there was no time to match egos and think harsh apart from its times. thoughts. Goodman himself was alwayscourteous, So it was the musical more than the sentimental friendly, and in the best of good humor in his deal- elements of this reunion that attracted Gene. Al- ings with his associates during theseevents. If he though his relationship with Goodman stretched failed to radiate warmth, it was only because he isa back more than forty years, it was essentiallypro- very private person who considers his feelings his fessional and not social. Each moved in hisown own business. Gene seemed to appreciate this, and circle of close personal friends. Although both it guided the personal relationship of theirpartner- stayed at the same hotel during the Ravinia week- ship for years. No one need makeany apologies. It end, they did not meet until a rehearsal the after- was an incredible and brilliant partnership. noon of the program, and then only for a quick ex- For Krupa, these concerts and the accom- change of pleasantries and small talk, likea couple panying activity were trying. Benny privately de- of former fraternity brothers at a homecoming who scribed them as "heroic," and Benny knew. By the find they no longer have a great deal incommon. end of the Carnegie Hall concert, Gene was unable Gene retreated to the side of the pavilion while to rise from his drums between the last number and Benny examined the sound system and instructed the encore. "I was really on the ropes," he admitted. the stage crew on the setup. No musicwas made And when he and Goodman finally departed the (Wilson and Hampton hadn't yet arrived), and stage arm in arm, Goodman was literally carrying Gene soon departed without further comment to him off. But what the performances took from him watch the Sox game on TV. At Saratoga their only physically, they repaid him emotionally. Wearyas meeting was on stage. he was after Saratoga, he sat in his car for twenty It was in stark contrast to the warmth thatpre- minutes after the show signing his last autographs vailed among Gene, Lionel, and Teddy. Therewas for fans. a comfortable, easy intimacy all around, while Krupa's life was occupied with many other Goodman appeared to isolate himself. Even things during those last months. Although hewas though these four giants were meeting as equals in divorced from his second wife, Patti, in 1968 (his 1973, there were vague undercurrents lingering first wife died in 1955 after twenty-threeyears of about from earlier days years ago. Therewere marriage), his ten -year -old daughter, Mary Grace, flashes of friction between BG and Hamptonas the and his eight -year -old son, Gene, werea great clarinetist pressed his old role of leader a bit much. pleasure to him. During the summer, work went And at Ravinia, Wilson politely declined to play ahead on the rebuilding of his home, whichwas the number Benny called as his solo piece (I'll Get complete except for new carpeting at the time of his By). Teddy said Sophisticated Lady, and Sophisti- death. Professionally, there was to be a date in In- cated Lady it was. dianapolis with Teddy Wilson, clarinetist Jerry The atmosphere was summed up in an exchange Fuller, and vibist Don DeMichael on August 28, backstage at Ravinia shortly before show time. but his health was too far deteriorated by then and Gene and Teddy sat chatting with some friends ina two days before he had to beg off. Saratoga thus be- dressing room adjoining Goodman's. Benny poked came the final public performance of his career. his head through the doorway. Hank O'Neal, who recorded the "New School" LP "Teddy, can I see you a moment?" he asked. in 1972, was also laying plans to record Gene with "Excuse me, gentlemen," Teddy joked. "The Teddy and Lionel for his Chiaroscuro label before master's voice beckons." a live audience. No one wanted to do it more than "Things don't change, do they?" a visitor said Gene, but time ran out before it got made. philosophically as he looked up. Although no adequate recording exists of the

54 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Ravinia concert (even a highly sophisticated sur- Gene Krupa began his career in the Twenties as reptitious attempt failed), both Carnegie and Sara- a rebel, consolidating the work of past masters and toga were captured in fine form, which leaves open pointing the way for future masters. Then success the possibility of a finalLP.Moreover, Columbia came, and he became the establishment. Others has long been planning to reissue many of Gene's came along, and he became a tradition. Then a leg- old Brunswicks and Columbias from the '30s and end. Last October he became a heritage, but his

'40s. beat goes on.

Gene KrupaRecommended Recordings

(available from: Secretary, c/o Prince George Drive, Isling- Unfortunately. many of Gene Krupa's record- ton, Ontario M9B 2 X B, Canada). ings are out of print. including some listed below Gene Krupa: 1945-46. International Assoc. of Jazz Rec. Col- lectors IAJRC 10 (same address as First Time Records (indicated "OP"), but the larger record shops above). ma). still have them in stock. Two excellent collations of rare transcription material. Several Gerry Mulligan charts. FTR 1512 offers Jau Odyssey, Vol. 3: Sound of Harlem. Columbia C3L 33 superb sound quality to boot. (OP). This collection of 48 tracks includes the four titles Krupa and Rich. Verve MGV 8069 (OP). from Krupa's first session (1927). They are landmark Krupa, Hampton, Wilson. Verve MGV 8066 (OP). performances in the history of jazz, proving Gene Exciting Gene Krupa. Verve MGV 8071 (OP). rode with the winners from the beginning. Jazz at the Philharmonic, Vol. 16. JATP 16 (OP). The Fifties were great years for Krupa. He worked Swing, Vol. 1. RCA LPV 578. with small groups and seemed to enjoy the freedom. This anthology offers four 1936 Krupa titles by an ad He slugged it out with Buddy Rich to a standstill hoc group that included Goodman, Eldridge, and sax (8069), did a sparkling session with Lionel Hampton great Chu Berry. At least two numbers are absolute and Teddy Wilson in 1956 (8066), and recorded some sizzlers. excellent sides with Charlie Shavers and Wilson, particularly Coronation Hop (8071). The JATP concert Benny Goodman: King of Swing. Columbia OSL 180. found him in superb form with a trio of Benny Carter Benny Goodman: Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert. Columbia and Oscar Peterson. If you can find these recordings, OSL 160. snap them up. Benny Goodman: At the Manhattan Room. Sunbeam SB 117 (Sunbeam, Box 4748, San Jose, California 95126). Chicago and All That Jazz. Verve MGV 8441 (OP). Benny Goodman: Small Groups. RCA LPV 521. Benny Goodman: Together Again. Benny Goodman Quartet. The Goodman years of Krupa's career are covered RCA Victor LPM 2698 (OP; available only on 8 -track car- best in the 1937-38 collection of broadcasts, the cream tridge, P8S 1030). of the crop. The Sunbeam record is also worth looking Re -creations often seem doomed to failure, but not up for an uncharacteristically slam-bang Ding Dong these. And Krupa is largely responsible for their suc- Daddy. OSL 160 offers a definitive Sing Sing Sing, cess. MGV 8441 recalls the Chicago session of 1927 and the Small Groups LP rounds up some typical trio (see C3L 33), and the Victor LP is an outstanding re- and quartet studio performances of the period. vival of the Benny Goodman Quartet.

Drummin Man. Columbia C2L 29. Jazz at the New School. Chiaroscuro CR 110. That Drummer's Band. Epic EE 22027 (OP). Recorded in April 1972, this was the LP that closed Gene Krupa and His Orchestra. Sounds of Swing LP 114 both Krupa's and Condon's careers. That makes it grist (available from Rare Records, 417 Broadway, Glendale, for legend, but until that time comes the music is more California 91204). than enough to make this an essential item. Krupa is To Be or Not to Be -bop. Sounds of Swing LP 119 (see above). in total command, and Wild Bill Davison, Ken Da- The years of the Krupa big band. C2L 29 offers the vern and Dick Wellstood are all frequently' inspired. basic course on the subject, and includes all his more Krupa's solos are rocking and compelling, but con- commercial work from 1938 to 1949. The Epic LP fo- structed with intelligence, taste, and a highly devel- cuses on the peak prewar years of 1940-42 and fea- oped sense of form. tures vocalist Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge. For those who wish to delve deeper, the Sounds of Swing Gene Krupa: Let Me Off Uptown. Verve 68571. collection contains such superb early pieces as Jungle Gene Krupa: Best Verve 68594. Madness (a follow-up to Sing Sing Sing) and Blue Gene Krupa. MGM GAS 132E. Rhythm Fantasy (LP 114) and a fine concentration of Gene and His Orchestra. CSP JCL 753 (available from Co- postwar instrumentals (LP 119), some from a 1949 air lumbia Special Products, 51 West 52nd St., New York, N.Y. shot with Eldridge. 10019). These recordings are not the best representative per- Gene Krupa and his Orchestra. First Time Records FTR 1512 formances but are listed because of their availability.

MARCH 1974 55 Bert. Bert. Bert.

Permit us this momentary bit of self-indulgence, because our intentions are pure: to assist you in choosing the best phono cartridge for your hi-fi system, within the practical limitations of your audio budget. To begin, if you feel uncomfortable with anything less than state-of-the-art playback perfection, we heartily recommend the Shure V-15 Type III, a cartridge of such flawless performance it is the perfect companion to the finest Lirn- tables and tone arms available today - and those coming tomorrow. At a more moderate level of performance and price, we suggest the Shure M91ED, a superb performer second in trackability only to the Type Ill. Finally, for optimum performance under a budget austerity program, the yeoman Shure M44E is for you. All in all, these are three great ways to enjoy music with the kind of system you have decided is best for you. Shure Brothers Inc. 222 Hartrey Ave., Evanston, Ill. 60204 1 11-A t.-J 1=t In Canada: A. C. Simmonds & Sons Ltd. CIRCLE 42 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 56 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE THE CONSUMER'S GUIDE newequipment TO HIGH FIDELITY EQUIPMENT reports

Dual's First Non -Changer

The Equipment: Dual 701. a two -speed (33 and 45 rpm) weight, which incorporates two mechanical filters de- automated single -play turntable and arm ensemble, signed to damp separate resonances-one at 7.5 Hz supplied with walnut wooden base and removable dust that relates to the arm/ p ckup combination, the other at cover. Over-all dimensions: 16 9.16 by 1438 by 57/8 70 Hz that relates to the chassis itself and its immunity to inches. Price: $399.95. Warranty: one year parts and external resonances. The arm can be adjusted for customer prepays shipping to authorized service cen- height. although as supplied it was parallel to the platter ter. Manufacturer: Dual, W. Germany; U.S. distributor: (as it should be) during play, with sufficient c:earance United Audio Products, Inc., 120 So. Columbia Ave., Mt. above the record during automatic cycling. Adjust- Vernon, N.Y. 10553. ments also are provided for stylus set -down, stylus overhang (via the gauge supplied), vertical tracking Comment: For years Dual has been offering automatic force and antiskating with separate dials for elliptical turntables that permitted you to stack records and have and spherical styli. The vertical tracking force scale them play in sequence. Now comes the Model 701, runs =nom 0 to 3 grams and was checked out at CBS which does not change records but instead plays one Labs as being on the nose for 1 gram and a mere 0.1 record at a time automatically. The distinction may be a gram high for settings of 2 and 3 grams. The antiskating fine one, but it is nonetheless real. By way of explana- action was deemed correct for bothelliptical and tion, what Dual has been advocating over the years is spherical tips. Arm friction is negligible laterally and ver- not record -changing as such, but the idea of automatically; it takes 0.17 grams of stylus force (well within any tion within the context of high -quality record -playing normal value you might ever use) to trip the automatic machinery. With the Model 1229 (HF test repor:, April cycling. The built-in cueilg device works smoothly, with 1973) this product approach was exemplified in Dual's no sice drift. Arm resonance is well down, showing a 5 - top -performing 'changer automatic" to date. dB rise at 6 Hz. During play, the arm-at a shade more The new Model 701 is a "non -changer automatic." than 1 gram of VTF with a new high -compliance car- That is to say, functionally it is similar to the Model 1229 tridge-could not be dislodged from the record groove (with its short spindle inserted) in that the 701 will play a even with violent stompi on the floor. single record automatically and shut itself off at the end The platter itself is a two-piece affair, the top portion of play. Manual cueing options are, of course, possible being a 12 -inch, well-balanced, nonferrous casting too. However, the 701 is a new device and not merely a weighing over 6 pounds. It rests on a substantial lower worked -over 1229-as witness its use of the in.7.reas- section that is actually the rotor of the unit's motor. ingly popular direct -drive system. Its DC drive motor Speed is absolutely accurate, showing no error at ei- runs at the actual rotation speed of the platter and con- ther setting and with any test line voltage. Average comitantly eliminates speed -reduction systems, idler weighted peak flutter measures (IEEE method) 0.1%, wheels, belts, and such. As in other recent direct -drive and rumble (CBS ARLL method) is -57 dB, which is models, these mechanical parts have been replaced by about 3 dB quieter than former Duals. fairly sophisticated electronic circuitry control. There are two main operating levers, one for start and The arm, while superficially resembling that on the stop. the other to select the speed. Concentric with the 1229, has been refined in terms of its rear counter- upper portion of the start. stop control is the pitch, or

Equipment reports are based on laboratory measurements and con rolled listening tests Unless otherwise noted test data and measurements are obtained by CBS Laboratories. Stamford Connecticut a division of Columbia Broadcasting System Incone of the nations leading REPORT POLICY research organizations The choice Of equipment to be tested testa with the editors of HIGH FIDELITY Manufacturers are not permhed to read reports in advance of publication and no report or portion therecf may be reproduced for any purpose or in any form without written per. mission of the publisher All reports should be construed as applying to the specific samples tested neither HIGH FIDE LITr nor CBS Laboratories assumes responsibility for product performance or quality

MARCH 1974 57 fine -speed, adjustment for 45 rpm; a similar adjustment the arm yourself and move it to its rest, or move the op- for 33 rpm is on the speed selector. These adjustments erating lever to "stop." may be used in conjunction with the built-in illuminated The base supplied with the Dual 701 provides excel- strobe indicator with its "movable window," similar to lent shock -mounting and, with its solidly molded, dark - that found on the model 1229, that lets you view it from tinted plastic cover, it enhances the unit's appearance virtually any angle. too. Prewired signal cables, a large -hole 45 -rpm Using the 701 is fairly simple and quite foolproof. You adapter, and pickup -mounting hardware also come can startit either by moving the start/stop control, with the unit. In this day of inflated costs and material which will automatically cue the arm and set it down at scarcities it is difficult to evaluate the advertised price of the lead-in groove; or you can raise the arm and move it the Dual 701 vis A-vis competing models-or even previ- toward the platter, which will start the motor. In the latter ous Duals. One thing does seem certain, however: The mode you can place the arm on its rest until you decide Model 701 is the best piece of record -playing machinery to cue, while the motor continues running. At the end of yet brought out by Dual and ranks easily with the top play the arm lifts up, returns to rest, and the motor shuts turntable/arm combinations available from any source. off. To interrupt a record during play you can either lift CIRCLE 17 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

A British Approach to the Superamp

The Equipment: Radford SPA -60 Mk. II, a power ampli- they were to be taken at more than the one frequency- fier in metal case. Dimensions: 17 by 43% by approx. 81/2 would prove valuable in comparing amplifier capability inches. Price: $429.95. Warranty (U.S. only): three to speaker behavior, and therefore in matching the two years parts and labor; shipping paid one way. Manufac- components to each other. turer: Radford, England; U.S. distributor: Audionics, When CBS Labs tested the amp, Radford's specifica- Inc., 8600 Northeast Sandy Blvd., Portland, Ore. 97220. tion methods resulted in some startling numbers. The rated output at 8 ohms (confirmed by the output/impedance curve) is 50 watts; no problem there. But rated dis- Comment: In its native England the Radford SPA -60's tortion (short of clipping) is a staggeringly low 0.05%. 50 watts per channel is considered a whopping output. We often encounter ratings below 0.5% these days, but Here we might characterize it as medium or moderately this is a mere one -tenth of that figure. Again, though, high power. But though we have become blasé about this rating is specified only at 1 kHz; we wouldn't expect wattage numbers as such, we can't help being im- distortion this low at all frequencies and hence didn't pressed by the over-all performance of the SPA -60. expect a power -bandwidth curve based on such a rigid If you have seen its specs you may have been a bit spec to be very impressive. confused by them however. Radford appears to have But the data show that even in the right channel made a number of changes; the Mk. II version reviewed (which, in our test sample, is not as impressive as the here-and the only version now available in the U.S.- left and in several respects barely makes it within Rad- has a respectable power bandwidth, for example, but ford's specs), and with both channels driven, the full 50 hardly matches the spread to 500 kHz that was quoted watts was produced into the standard 8 -ohm test load. in early literature-a bandwidth that actually can prove And even the power -bandwidth curve based on this excessive with electrostatic loads, which tend to de- 0.05% distortion level is not at all bad, remaining above crease in impedance with frequency and cause ampli- the 50 -watt level at all frequencies where you might rea- fier instability at extremely high frequencies. And Rad- sonably expect to need the full output power. At our ford's specs omit some that are relatively common here standard 0.5% distortion the bandwidth curve does re- while including others that appear esoteric to American main at or above the 50 -watt line over the entire audible eyes. range, although it is only a hair better in the midband For example, Radford specifies distortion (at 1 kHz) at than at the 0.05% spec. the onset of clipping and at so many dB below that With one curve measured at ten times the distortion of point-rather than at rated output. Some of its literature the other, shouldn't there be a bigger difference be- also includes a plot of maximum power output (again at tween them? No. The SPA -60, like most well -designed 1 kHz) versus impedance. This is a particularly inter- solid-state amplifiers, keeps distortion low up to rated esting curve, rising steeply to a maximum of some 90 output; from there, distortion rises so rapidly that only a watts at 6 ohms and then falling off almost as steeply as slight increase in output power will raise distortion dras- impedance rises. Perhaps such curves-particularly if tically. IM curves at 8 ohms regularly document this be -

58 HIGHFIDELITY MAGAZINE POWER OUTPUT DATA CHANNELS INDIVIDUALLY Left at clipping: 57.8 watts for 0.024% THD left at 0 05% THD: 58.3 watts Right at clipping: 55.1 watts for 0.050% THD Right at 0.05% THD: 55.1 watts 50 HZ CHANNELS SIMULTANEOUSLY Left at clipping: 56 7 watts for 0 036% THD Square -wave response Right at clipping: 50.0 watts for 0.050% THD

0.5 POWER BANDWIDTH 63 0.3 50 HARMONIC DISTORTION CURVES 0.2 - For 0.5% THD: below 10 Hz to 48 kHz 40 --- For 0.05% THD: 15 Hz to 13 kHz 31.5 0.1 25 0.07 FREQUENCY RESPONSE 0.05 +5 Q watt output) 0 0.03 -5 +0, -3 dB, II Hz to 100 kHz. +0, -1 dB, 20 Hz to 50 kHz 0.02 SPA60/1

10K20.t 100K 10 20 100 1K 1E 0.01 FREQUENCY IN HZ 50 WATTS OUTPUT - Left channel 0.18%.20 Hz to 20 kHz --- Right chain': 0 5%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

25 WATTS OUTPUT --- Left charnel 0 10% 20 Hz to 20 kHz 0.07 --- Right cha mei. 0 11%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz 0.05 l.0 0.03

0.02 0.5 INTERMODULATION CURVES / cs, 0.3 0.01 0 0.2 0 5 WATTS OUTPUT (,) - Left charnel..0.09% 20 Hz to 20 kHz 0 05% 20 Hz to 20 kHz M60 1 --- Right channel = 0.07 SPA60/2 E 0.05 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K cc FREQUENCY IN HZ t 0.03 0.02 '

0.01 8 -ohm load 0.05%, 0.125 to 57 watts Radford SPA -60 Mk. II Additional Data - - 4.ohm load -0.5%. 0.4 to 30 watts 16 -ohm load: 0.05%. below 0.1 to 32 watts SPA60/.$ Damping factor 52 1 2 5 10 20 50 100 200 500 1K OUTPUT IN WATTS Input characteristics itor 50 watts output) Sensitivity S N ratio 1.0 V 102 5 dB

havior as well. The SPA -60's are no exception. That at 4 pect to hear the difference. The Radford "listens" beau- ohms, however, rises more gradually with output power. tifully. In its power class it does not have many peers. While IM remains under 0.05% over the operati ig range The care evident in the Radford is generally reserved at both 8 and 16 ohms, the amp will produce little more for superpower 150 -watt amplifiers and up. And the than 10 watts into 4 ohms without exceeding this figure. Radford SPA -60 Mk. IIis as unobtrusive in appearance Put more realistically, IM into a 4 -ohm load ru is below as i: is in sound. The front panel has no operating con- 0.5% to about 30 watts. So though the 4 -ohm curve is trols -just a pilot light. On the back panel are an on/off not as impressive as the other two it is certainly respect- switch, a pair of pin acks for the input. and spring - able. and its relatively gradual rise is commoi among loaded connectors for bared speaker leads. Outside of transistor amplifiers. fuse holders and voltage selector, that's it. You may not What all this adds up to, then, is an ultraclean 50 watts even want to use the power switch, since AC switching per channel into 8 ohms, with most power into 6 ohms can be handled by a convenience outlet on your and some losses in both output power and measurable preamp. We are planning to report on the companion "cleanliness" into lower impedances. But we are talk- SC -242 preamp control unit next month. ing about distortion levels so low that you shouldn't ex - CIRCLE 145 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

St) MAR( H 1974 An Efficient Bookshelf Speaker from Rectilinear

The Equipment: Rectilinear Xla, speaker system in en- ±6.5 dB, the response covers the range from 42 Hz to closure. Dimensions: 23 by 12 by 10'/2 inches. Price: 10 kHz, with an output level of 81.5 dB as the reference $89. Warranty: Parts and labor, five years; owner pays and the tweeter control set to its "normal" position. shipping one way. Manufacturer: Rectilinear Research Raising this control will bring up the top highs by an av- Corp., 107 Bruckner Blvd., Bronx, N.Y. 10454. erage of 6 to 7 dB beyond 10,000 Hz, and since this control offers an unusually broad range for adjustment Comment: Although it looks like one and is about the we urge that the listener experiment with it to find the same size, the Rectilinear Xla is not an air -suspension most agreeable tonal balance in his room. Directional speaker system. It is, actually, a modified bass -reflex effects are moderate, increasing somewhat in the upper type using a tube or duct to vent the cabinet. This explains its relatively high efficiency, of course, since this design makes use of the speaker's back wave to aug- ment the frontal radiation at low frequencies. (In air -suspension systems, and in the "infinite baffle" design too, the woofer's rear wave is suppressed.) The Rectilinear Xla is a woofer-tWeeter system housed in a walnut enclosure. The duct opening is on the front baffle (behind thegrillecloth);input connections-which accept stripped leads-and a tweeter level control are at the rear. As with any basic design approach, the bass -reflex can be used for an "all-out" perfectionist system (viz., the large, over -$300 systems from such companies as Altec), or it can be used to create a lower - priced reproducer of more modest design aims. It all depends on what the system designer chooses to trade off. In the case of the Rectilinear Xla, it seems apparent that the widest bandwidth and maximum powerhandling capability were not paramount design aims, although on both these counts the speaker is at least the equal of many others in its price class. On the other hand, what the Xla designers have tried for is smooth response over most of the audible range, good transient performance, and the ability to mate readily with many receivers and amplifiers in the low -to -medium power class. It also is apparent, judging from our tests, that the speaker achieves these design aims quite handily. As the response graph shows, over the broad tonal spectrum of the midrange and into the mid -bass too (say, from just below 200 Hz to about 4,000 Hz) the speaker is exceptionally linear, varying in response by no more than ± 1 dB. Taking the more usual variation we have applied to speakers in this price -class, say Rectilinear Xla with grille cloth removed.

60 HIGH FIL-tLITYMAGAZINE treble, although test tones as high as 13 kHz are audible 100 somewhat off -axis of the system. A 14 -kHz tone can be heard mostly on -axis, and from here the response dips 90 to inaudibility. At the low end clean response holds up,

at normal listening levels, to about 45 Hz; from here 4=180 down to 20 Hz the response, at any audible level, is RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS mostly doubling. (1 watt input) 70 As stated, the Rectilinear Xla is fairly efficient. In the a_ AVERACE OMNIDIRECTIONAL RESPONSE

CBS Labs tests it took 2.8 watts to produce our standard ( 6.5 dB, 42 Hz to 10 kHz. re 81,5 dB) output test level of 94 dB at 1 meter on axis. The speaker c' 60 AVERACE FRONT HEMISPHERIC RESPONSE handled steady-state power inputs up to 40 watts before ON -AXIS RESPONSE Xle/1 buzzing, and it could take pulses of 133.3 wets (266.6 50 watts peak) before distorting significantly. These data 20 50 100 200 500 IK 2K 5K 10K20K indicate fairly good dynamic range -not admittedly the FREQUENCY IN HZ best we have measured, but certainly ample for most listening in the low -to -medium powered type of system and in the normal -size room one would logically associate with this speaker. The input impedance measures 6 Rectilinear Xla Harmonic Distortion* ohms following the usual bass rise and remains higher than 8 ohms across the range, indicating good loading Output Frequency characteristics and the ability to be run in parallel with Level 80 Hz 300 Hz other (8 -ohm) speakers. Transient response, as judged (dB) % 2nd % 3rd % 2nd % 3rd by pulse -signal tests and confirmed in listening tests, is 70 0.45 0.60 0.55 2.0 especially good, with no evidence of ringing and ac- 75 0.45 0.60 0.52 0.95 80 0.50 0.60 0.55 0.68 tually better "recovery" than noted in many speakers 85 0.75 0.70 0.55 0.60 costing more. A pair of Rectilinear Xla's present a very 90 0.95 0.80 0.55 0.68 firm stereo image that combines directional clues and a 95 0.95 0.80 0.55 0.68 nice center fill. We would say, all told, that Rectilinear 100 0.78 0.78 has succeeded notably in producing a speaker system 103 1.20 1.00 aptly suited for a modest, though high -quality, installa- 'Distortion data are taken on all tested speakers until distortion exceeds the 10 tion -and at a very competitive price. per cent level or the speaker produces the spurious output known as buzzing, CIRCLE 144 ON READER -SERVICE CARD whichever occurs first.

Hitachi Offers a Medium -Priced Dolby Deck The Equipment: Hitachi Model TRQ-20400, a stereo pushing rapidly into the $500 bracket, while the real cassette deck with Dolby B noise reduction, in wood budget Dolby decks go below $200. Despite its rela- case. Dimensions: 16 by 4 by 10'/4inches.Price: tively simple controls, the appearance of the unit sug- $229.95. Warranty: one year parts and labor, excluding gests a rather higher price. Exposed surfaces are cabinet; transistors (parts only), five years; customer mostly brushed metal and walnut veneer, with a min- pays shipping one way. Manufacturer: Hitachi, Ltd., Ja- imum of plastic. The cassette well has a pop-up lid of pan; U.S. distributor: Hitachi Sales Corp. of America, usual design and the usual push keys in front of it. 48-50 34th St., Long Island City, N.Y. 11101. These keys allow you to go directly from play (or record) to the fast -wind modes and back again without pressing Comment: Hitachi, a large corporation in its native Ja- the stop button. The recording -interlock key is right pan, has been selling a wide variety of electrical and neat to the play key, allowing one -finger activation of electronic products here but, though it has displayed the recording function but possibly threatening acci- impressive -looking components at a number of trade dental erasure in overhasty use. The transport will stop and consumer shows in recent years,it has only and disengage automatically at the end of the tape in recently established itself in what we would call the high the play and recording modes, but not in fast wind or re- fidelity marketplace. This is the first of its products we wind. have tested. To the left of the push keys is the main power on/off At under $250, the TRQ-2040D must be reckoned a button; to their right is a three -digit counter equipped moderate -priced Dolby deck; premium units now are with a "memory rewind" button. (If you will want to re -

MARCH 1974 61 turn to a given spot on the tape, you preset the counter to 000 at that spot: with the memory rewind button acti- HARMONIC DISTORTION CURVES vated, the transport will rewind to 999 and then stop.) In 2.0 ;at -10 VU) the front face of the case, below the push keys,are a stereo pair of mono phone jacks for the mike inputs and 1.0 ------a stereo phone jack for headphones. The latter is live a - - Lett channel. 13%. 50 Hz to 5 kHz with the incoming signal during recording, though the --- Right channel-- 1.4%. 50 Hz to 5 kHz line output is not. This design prevents feedback to the TRQ20400/2 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K microphones if the speakers are accidentally lefton during live recording. FREQUENCY IN HZ Near the right -channel meter at the far rightcorner of the top plate are two switches: Dolby on /off and tape selector (CrO"normal"). The lab used BASF chro- +5 DIN PLAYBACK RESPONSE (0 dB = -20 VU) mium dioxide where that is specified; all other lab tests 0 were with TDK SD. Chromium dioxide tapes vary very -5 -Left channel: +0.75, -1.25 dB, 31,5 Hz to 10 kHz little from brand to brand, of course: for listening tests --- Right channel: +0. -3.25 dB. 31.5 Hz to 6.3 kHz with ferric tape we used several of the "hotter" formula- RECORD/PLAYBACK RESPONSE tions, with similar results. At the right front of the top ------(0 dB = -20 VU) plate are a pair of sliders for adjusting recording level. Output level is adjusted with a knurled (and finger-op- CHROMIUM DIOXIDE TAPE. DOLBY OFF erable) screwdriver control on the back panel. For most - Left channel: +0.75. -3 dB. 38 Hz to 15 kHz uses this is fine: You set this control so that playback --- Right channel: +1.25, -3 dB, 38 Hz to 15.5 kHz and source match at normal recording levels, and then you forget it. For some purposes, however, it is less convenient than front -panel output controls, though it obviously is better than the common alternative:no output FERRIC TAPE. DOLBY OFF control at all. Also on the back panel are pin -jack pairs -Left channel, +0 5. -3 dB. 39 Hz to 12 kHz --- Right channel: +035, -3 dB, 38 Hz to 12 kHz for these inputs and outputs plus a DIN input/output connector. There are no user -accessible Dolby adjust- 0 ments. -5 The lab tests show some data better thanwe might FERRIC TAPE, DOLBY ON have expected at the price. Speed accuracy is excel- - Left channel: +0.5. -4.5 dB, 35 Hz to 12 kHz --- Right channel: +1, -4.5 dB, 34 Hz to 11.5 kHz lent; so is wow and flutter. On our sample the playback TRQ20400/1 response of the left channel is exemplary, though that of 50 100 200 500 IK 2K 5K 10K 20K the right channel droops noticeably at 1"1e high end. FREQUENCY IN HZ Note, however, that recording equalizationcompen- sates for this droop so that the two channels are well matched in the record/play curves. The poorestmeas- urement is that for crosstalk; while 23 dB is not low enough to prevent normal stereo imaging, the labgen- Hitachi TRQ-2040D Additional Data erally gets readings above 30 dB even in relatively inexpensive portables and has clocked 50 dB or better for two decks (Yamaha TB -700 and Advent 201). So while Speed accuracy exact at 105 VAC we can't honestly say we could hear the difference with 0.03% fast at 120 VAC normal musical program material, we could have 0.07% fast at 127 VAC wished for better figures here. In making trial recordings on the TRQ-2040D, Wow and flutter playback: 0.10% we record / play: 0.15% found the meters to be fairly good, though small. Sharp increases in signal level produce an overshoot ofno Rewind time, C-60 cassette 1 min. 9 sec. more than about 2 dB. (Instantaneous peaks -on per- Fast -forward time, same cassette 1 min. 8 sec. cussives. for example -are damped out, as theyare on

S N ratio (re DIN 0 VU, Dolby off) professional VU meters and on all but the peak -reading playback type in consumer equipment.) Being simple, the L ch: 53 5 dB R ch 49 dB con- record/play L ch: 49 dB R ch: 46.5 dB trols are virtually foolproof but not particularly versatile. The instruction manual (which is often obscurely writ- Erasure (333 Hz at normal level) 67 dB ten but can be deciphered with a little thought) gives instructions for line/ mike mixing, including the making of Crosstalk (at 333 Hz) record left, play right 23 dB mono recordings from a stereo line input plus one mike record right, play left in either jack. This is possible because, unlike most 23.5 dB comparable decks we've worked with, the TAO- Sensitivity (for 041.1 recording level) 2040D's mike jacks don't disable the line inputs when line input L ch: 88 mV R ch: 81 mV mike connectors are inserted. Lacking proper mixing mike input L ch: 0.36 mV R ch: 0.32 mV controls, however, the TRQ-2040D makes a hit-or-miss job of this process, and it can't be recommended for Meter action (re DIN 0 VU) precise results. L ch: 3 dB high R ch: 2.25 dB high All told, then, you can buy better performance than that of the TRQ-2040D, more accurate metering, and IM distortion (record/play, -10 VU) greater versatility; but of the units we have testedso L ch: 6% R ch: 6% far only those costing considerably more will outdo the Maximum output (at 0 VU) L ch: 1.3 V R ch: 1.3 V Hitachi significantly on any of these points. CIRCLE 141 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Iddi,ii. 41

Concord Budget Receiver Offers Above -Average Performance

The Equipment: Concord CR-250 stereo FM/ AM re- Input jacks, corresponding to the selector knob posi- ceiver supplied in walnut case. Dimensions: 131/4 by 51/2 tions, are on the back panel; so are stereo pairs for tape inches;143/4inches deep, including clearance for in and tape out. The set has a built-in loopstick antenna knobs and rear connectors. Warranty: Two years for for local AM plus terminals for connecting a long-wire parts; one year for service. Price: $229.95. Manufac- AM antenna. FM antenna terminals accept 300 -ohm turer: Concord Div., Benjamin Electronic Sound Corp., twinlead. A screw is provided for grounding a turntable. 40 Smith St., Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735. Speaker terminals are press -to -connect attachments that accept ordinary stripped leads. Two pairs of Comment: Stereo high fidelity on a budget -a goal speaker systems may be hooked up at once -to beef up shared by many in this era of rising costs -can be realized with the Concord CR-250 as the electronic center of a home music system. Attractive styling, ample features, and very competent performance combine to a, 0 make this set an appealing product for the cost-con- FM SENSITIVITY & QUIETING MONO SEISITIVITY STEREO THRESHOLD -102.0 IN (mono) scious but quality minded listener. The front panel, in (for 30 dB quieting) 5.5 pV at 90 MHz (for 30.5 dB quieting) brushed metal set in a walnut frame, contains a gener- 24 at 90 MHz 5.0 pV at 98 MHz (for 30 dB quieting)_ 2.0 pV at 98 MHz 6.2 oV at 106 MHz (for 30.5 dB quieting) ously proportioned tuning dial for AM and FM. At its left Cf,'2 -20 at 106 MHz are two tuning meters, one showing signal strength, the 2.9 \0 IN (stereo) other, center -of -channel. Both meters operate on FM, -30 the signal -strength meter on AM. In addition, the tuning indicator itself changes from an amber glow tc red when 2 -40 a stereo station is received. The tuning knob is at the CR250/1 -50 right; next to it is an unusual feature -a smaller knob for 100 1K 10K 100K "fine FM tuning" which is a handy way to tune an FM 1 10 RF INPUT. MICROVOLTS signal precisely. The lower half of the panel contains the normal complement of controls you'd expect on a modern stereo set. The selector knob has positions for AM, FM, phono, aux 1, and aux 2. Then there are six toggle switches for +5 MONO FM RESPONSE loudness contour, low filter, high filter, tape monitor, 0 stereo/mono mode, and FM interstation muting. To -5 +0. -3 dB, 20 Hz to 12 kHz their right is a stereo headphone jack and a speaker selector that lets you choose either, both, or neither of two pairs of stereo speaker systems. The headphone output +5 STEREO FM RESPONSE is live at all times. The bass and treble control knobs o handle their tonal ranges simultaneously on both chan- 5- - Left channel: +0. -3 dB. 20Hz to 14 kHz nels; an unusual (particularly on a budget -priced 0-10 --- Right channel. +0 -3 dB. 20 Hz to 13.5 kHz model) feature here is the fact that there are stepped -15 controls with numerical markings to facilitate precise cc' -20 CHANNEL SEPARATION and repeatable tonal settings. The channel balance -25 control is also unusual in that it has a detent at its center - 30 position that removes any guesswork about whether or - Left channel:-.25 dB. 20 Hz to 6 kHz: -'15 dB. 20 Hz to 13 kHz not both stereo sides are balanced electrically. This --- Right channel: --.25 dB, 7Hz to 7 kHz; : 15 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz control, and the volume control next to it, also are nu- CR250/2 merically calibrated. The last control on the panel is a 20 50 100 TOO 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K pushbutton power on /off switch. FREQUENCY IN HZ

63 MARCH 1974 PREAMP & CONTROL CHARACTERISTICS

POWER OUTPUT DATA +5

CHANNELS INDIVIDUALLY 0 RIM EQUALIZATION: +1.5, -0.5 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz Lett at clipping: 20.5 watts for 0.19% THD Lett at 1.0% THD: 22.8 watts co-5 Right at clipping: 20 5 watts for 0.19%THO Bass boost Treble boost Right at 1.0% THD: 22.8 watts tA +15 CHANNELS SIMULTANEOUSLY Lett at clipping: 18.6 watts for 0.21% THD E+10 Right at clipping: 18.6 watts for 0.20% THD Low filter Treble cut it+5 0 POWER BANDWIDTH 28 -5 Bass cut High filter 22 -10- 1 17.5 -TONE CONTROLS -For 0 5% THD- 32 Hz to 42 kHz - 15 ---- FILTERS 14 --- For 1.0% THD 29 Hz to 65 kHz -- LOUDNESS CONTOUR (volume control at 9 o'clock) 'N\ 11 CR250/6 FREQUENCY RESPONSE +5 watt output) 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K 0 FREQUENCY IN HZ -5 +I. -3 dB, 12 Hz to 55 kHz. 1 dB 18 Hz to 35 kHz CR250/3 10 20 100 1K 10K 20K 100K FREQUENCY IN HZ

(

10KFIZL 3.0 HARMONIC DISTORTION CURVES square -wave response 2.0

1.0 Concord CR-250 Additional Data 0.7 ------0.5 22 WATTS OUTPUT Tuner Section o -left channel 0.84.;. 100 Hz to 20 kHz --- Right channel 0.3 1.2%. 100 Hz to 20 kHz Capture ratio 1.5 dB z0.2\ Alternate -channel selectivity 41 dB

11 WATTS OUTPUT S N ratio 66 dB - Lett channel 0.29%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz

--- Right channel: - 0 25%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz THD Mono L ch R ch 80 Hz 0.72% 2.0% 1.7% 0.3 1 kHz 0.50% 1.0% 1.1% 0.2 0.22 WATTS OUTPUT 10 kHz 0.30% 5.9% 6.2% - Lett channel: 0 25%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz --- Right channel: 0.30%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz CR250/4 IM distortion 0.15% 0.120 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K 19 -kHz pilot FREQUENCY IN HZ -46 dB 38 -kHz subcarrier -58 dB

Frequency response mono 4- 0, -3 dB. 20 Hz to 12 kHz L ch + 0, -3 dB, 20 Hz to 14 kHz R ch + 0. -3 dB. 20 Hz to 13.5 kHz 3.0 Channel separation 25 dB. 20Hz to 6 kHz z2.0 15 dB. 20 Hz to 13 kHz 01.0 Amplifier Section

INTERMODULATION CURVES Damping factor 28 0.5 Input characteristics (for 22 watts output) 2 0.3 Sensitivity S ratio L-2 0.2 phono 215 mV 62 dB C.. -8-ohm load: aux 1 210 mV 72 dB 09%. below 0.1 to 24 watts aux 2 190 mV 0.1 ----4-ohm load:'1.3%. 1.58 to 25.2 watts 64 dB -- 16 -ohm loadvt0.43%. below 0.1 to 14.2 watts tape 215 mV 83 dB CR250/5 RIAA equalization accuracy 1 2 5 10 20 50 100 200 500 1K + 1,5, -0.5 dB. 20 Hz to 20 kHz OUTPUT IN WATTS

64 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE the stereo in one room, or to pipe stereo into another efficiency with plenty of gain and low distortion. Re- room. The set's line cord, a fuse holder, and two AC sponse generally is smooth and linear over the audible convenience outlets (one controlled by the power range; signal-to-noise characteristics are very good. switch) complete the rear -panel lineup. RIAA equalizationis especially commendable: tone The test results from CBS Labs, combined with our own controls and filters all are adequate for their intended listening tests, add up to the kind of product the British uses. The CR-250 prodjces a clean, undistorted sound: like to refer to as "cheap and cheerful." Cheap. that is, its controls all respond smoothly and effectively; the set, in terms of cost: cheerful in the sense of competent and in short. works very much as advertised. Of course pleasing. FM performance is adequate for reception there are better units around, but we doubt that you'll of all but really distant or very weak stations. Amplifier find one at this price. output will handle speaker systems of medium to high CIRCLE 158 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

Superex's $85 Electrostatic Headphones

The Equipment: Superex PEP -79,an electrostatic headset (PEP -71) with energizer "console" in metal case with simulated wood -grainfinish. Dimensions (console): 7 by 21/4 by 4 inches. Price: $85.00. Warranty: one year parts and labor. Manufacturer: Superex Elec- tronics Corp., 151 Ludlow St., Yonkers, N.Y. 10705.

Comment: Superex calls the PEP -79 a "budcet" electrostatic headset. If you haven't priced electrostatics, you may think $85 a rather high budget for a headset: but most electrostatics do run higher-often considerably higher. And considering the listening quality of the PEP -79s we would consider them perhaps the best buy we have yet encountered in an electrostatic. On the headphones themselves you'll find the model designation PEP -71. The headset can be plugged into other Superex "consoles" (or energizers, as other manufacturers seem to call the power -supply/ switching unit). The PEP -79 model designation applies equally to the console under test and to the combinat on of this console with the PEP -71 headset. On the back of the then, is exceptionally stable for a signal -powered elec- console are simple screw terminal strips for wires run- trostatic. ning from the output terminals of your ampli=fier and- It also is very smoot-i and wide -range. The bass holds should you need them-wires from the console to your up well down to about 60 Hz even at relatively high lev- speakers. A front -panel switch selects either speakers els. Below this frequency, the tone becomes progres- or phones; we preferred to drive the console from the sively subject to doubling; at lower volume levels, the remote -speaker terminals on our receiver and use its doubling becomes noticeable onlyatlower fre- speaker switching to select between the two (that is, the quencies, of course. 'Ale noted some roughness in the main speakers or the headset), leaving the speaker/ range between about 7 and 10 kHz, though-partic- phones switch in the phones position. ularly by contrast to some dynamics we have tested- The coiled cord of the headset plugs into a five -pin re- we did not consider it to be really severe. Rolloff at the ceptacle on the front of the console. There are no other top begins at about 12 kHz, and there is little usable out- controls or connections. The bias voltage required by put above 15 kHz. The sound is well balanced and with- the electrostatic elements is supplied by the audio, via out the exaggerated sibilance some listeners tend to the console, and no AC power is required. This bias complain of in electrostatics. supply is the most efficient we have yet tested in terms Though itis hardly luxurious in finish arid detailing, of continuing to provide the necessary high voltage no the unit's mechanical properties were judged good. The matter what happens to the audio. A note in the instruc- headband is made of spring steel, and the degree of tion folder points out that since the right -channel signal side pressure it exerts on the head can be varied by is the source (via a step-up transformer) of the bias, you careful bending. Acoustic isolation is fairly high and may hatie to give the right channel a few seconds of sig- long-term listening comfort is good. The headset itself nal every now and then if you are checking ou: your sys- (that is, not counting the cord) weighs some 14 ounces tem's left channel-and therefore normally leaving the and is supported on The top of the head via a series of right unused. With the right input turned off, however, small cushions on the underside of the headband. we were able to go more than fifteen minutes before we Again, the listening quality of the PEP -79s is excel- could hear a significant loss inleft -channel output. lent.If you don't need expensive niceties like a real Similar tests on other models in the past have produced wood case (the Superex console is covered in wood - noticeable change within only a few minutes; with some grained plastic veneer) we can recommend the PEP -79 models long quiet passages in the program could even as a good value. compromise performance. The sound from the PEP -79, CIRCLE 147 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

65 MIR( 11 1974 STEREO PRE

AUX S

011 AA.

Ace Audio Preamp "Gets Rid ofDistortion"

The Equipment: Ace Audio Zero -Distortion Preamp,a If you do-or evenif you don't-you should look phono-preamp/control unit in metal case. Dimensions: closely at the way the elements in your system will work 11 by 3 by 8 inches. Price: $87.50 (kit version: $69.95); together. Since the Zero -Distortion adds no gain what- optional cherry wood end caps, $2.50. Warranty: two ever to high-level inputs, they will have to be intrinsically years parts and labor; shipping paid one way. Manufac- high enough to feed the rest of the system. And since turer: Ace Audio Co., 25 Aberdeen Dr., Huntington, N.Y. the emitter -follower output has been omitted, the 11743. preamp's output leads should be kept as short aspos- sible. Even if you buy the Zero -Distortion and only then Comment: We're tempted to call this unit a "gutless find that you will need the output section, there'sa way wonder" because Ace Audio has reduced distortion by out. Ace Audio says it will convert the Zero -Distortion to simply throwing away portions of the circuitry ina con- the Basic for a cost equal to the difference in selling ventional preamp/ control unit, so to speak. Its own price between the two models-some $12. But thenyou will perforce pick up whatever additional distortion phono preamp, input and tape -monitor switching, and herent in the output circuitry. an output section that provides additional gain plus an And with high-level inputs there is, ofcourse, no emitter follower to allow for relatively long leads without measurable distortion of any kind in the Zero -Distortion. hum pickup. It is this last section that Ace has omitted to Lab tests were made with a 100,000 -ohm, 100-pico- create the Zero Distortion model. (The kit version is the farad load as a simulation of the loading one mightex- Basic; you may build it with or without the outputsec- pect in a typical system. Ace Audio says the load imped- tion.) ance should be at least 50,000 ohms, the lead capaci- We don't see how the resulting product could be tance no more than 190 picofarads (the equivalent of 10 made much simpler. There are inputs for magnetic feet of Belden No. 8421 audio cable). The over-allre- phono, tuner, tape monitoring, and two auxiliaries; out- sponse of the unit is ruler -flat across the entire audio puts are for tape recording and for feeding your power band and measures + 0, -0.5 dB from 10 Hz to 100 kHz amplifier. All but the phono input are passive. Their vol- with the volume controls at maximum. ume can be reduced and they can be switched via the Response through the phono preamp is not quiteas Zero -Distortion, but they are otherwise "untouched" in flat, showing some droop at the low end anda minute passing through it. The front panel has a selector, level- rise at the top; harmonic distortion at 1 kHz with the out- control sliders for each channel, a tape -monitor switch put driven to 5 volts is only about 0.05%. Only when the and one for AC power, and a pilot light. Aside from the phono preamp was driven to beyond 12 volts did CBS pin jacks, the back panel has a mono/stereo switch for Labs encounter clipping-indicating that the preamp's the phono input and four convenience AC outlets, three overload pointis well above the normal operating of which are controlled by the front -panel power switch. range. Note, however, that the phono preamp's input One screw is equipped with a solder lug for a "true sensitivity is relatively high (9.5 mV), meaning thatun- earth" ground (for instance to a water pipe) for min- less the output of your cartridge also is on the high side imum possible hum; no chassis screw is specifically you may not be driving the Zero -Distortion's output to designated for a turntable ground lead terminated in the the normally assumed peak levels of approximately 1 usual spade lug, though there are several thatcan be volt and hence may not be able to drive your amplifier to used for that purpose. full rated output, even with the level controls all theway Ace Audio evidently is one of those companies that up. But assuming normal disc cutting levels-and the classifies tone controls as relatively ineffective equal- normal choice of an amplifier that will deliver a little izers. The philosophy runs thus:If you want equal- more power than you actually will need-we wouldn't ization, get an equalizer; don't compromise the phase expect this to cause any practical problem in mostsys- coherence or linearity of your signals by putting in con- tems. ventional tone controls. And an equalizer can of course In sum, we're undecided whether to consider the be added between the preamp and whatever power Zero -Distortion as a high-performance unit with certain amp you plan to use with it. peculiarities that also happens to be very low in price,or

66 HIGH FIDELILY MAGAZINE as a low -budget control preamp that measured as- Ace Audio Zero -Distortion Additional Data toundingly well in most respects. Given most components presently on the market (and assuming that your physical layout will allow reasonably short leads to the Input characteristics (for 1 V output) power amp) the "missing" output stage is certainly not Sensitivity S/N ratio a necessity, and its omission does eliminate a source of phono 9.5 mV 77.5 dB >80 dB measurable (if not necessarily audible) distortion. But high-level inputs 1 V we suspect that for many readers the price will be the Frequency response ±0 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz unit's most undeniably attractive feature. +0, -0.5 dB, 10 Hz to 100 kHz CIRCLE 146 ON READER -SERVICE CARD Phono Preamp Section

Output at clipping (channels simultaneously or individually) RIAA EQUALIZATION left channel 12.5 V for 0.70% THD right channel 13.0 V for 0.75% THD

+0 5, -3 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz THD (1 kHz; 5 V output) left channel 0.047% z011 right channel 0.056% 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K Data taken with a load of 100k ohms, 100 pF. FREQUENCY IN HZ

Shure Gauge Checks Tracking Force

The Equipment: Shure SFG-2, a vertical tracking force gauge. Price: $4.95. Warranty: One year parts and labor; service available through factory, prepaid one way. Manufacturer: Shure Bros., Inc., 222 Hartrey Ave., Evanston, III. 60204.

Comment: As the use of high compliance cartridges increases, exactitude in setting vertical tracking force (VTF) becomes more important for good sound and for longevity of records and of the stylus. And while all high - quality turntables have VTF controls, their calibration sometimes is a little sketchy and rarely is totally accu- viewed in the little mirror. This indicates that-whatever rate. Shure's answer is a simple, precise VTF gauge, the arm's VTF calibrations may say-the actual tracking based on the balance -beam principle and calibrated in force is at the value where the SFG-2's sliding weight is 0.05 gram steps from 0.50 to 1.50 grams, but capable set. of measuring up to 3.0 grams. Shure claims the unit to be accurate within 0.10 gram, The gauge consists of a base 33% inches long with a and we found this to be essentially true. There is one mirror at one end near a notch that fits over the spindle possible source of error we were unable to measure on the turntable plus a calibrated 5 -inch lever arm with precisely, however; with some statically balanced arms precision -made roller pins that rests in a cradle on the whose gravity -dependent balance requires careful lev- base, much like a seesaw. A weight slides along the cal- eling the precise balar ce of the arm-and therefore the ibrated scale; two grooves at the opposite end of the precise tracking force-depends on the height of the lever arm hold the stylus-the outer groove for the scale stylus above the platter. Though the vertical displace- markings from 0.50 to 1.50 grams, the inner groove for ment caused by the SFG-2 is not much greater than that values between 1.0 and 3.0 grams (that is, double the of a disc (that is, the SFG-2 is thicker than a disc so to values shown on the scale). speak), it may be enough to compromise accuracy to With the notched end of the base over the turntable some extent with some statically balanced arms. In the spindle, and after making certain that the turntable itself dynamically balanced arms-including the arms on is flat, you set the sliding weight at the desired VTF and many changers-it snould introduce no inaccuracy place the stylus in the appropriate groove. Then you ad- whatever. For most applications, then, Shure's SFG-2 is just the turntable's VTF control until the tiny pointers on both uncomplicated and accurate. the base and on the beam are opposite each other as CIRCLE 142 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

67 MARCH 1974 ter on axis. It can take up to 50 watts steady-state power before distorting significantly. On pulse -power tests, the MT -2 handles 162.3 watts average power (324.6 watts peak) before distorting, and it produces, for this input, a sound level of 99.2 dB. These figures indicate a relatively limited dynamic range and also suggest that while the MT -2 ought to be driven by an amplifier that can furnish 30 watts per channel, it probably should not be used with one that can pump out too much more than that. Pulse -signal tests show some ringing in both high and low frequencies at high power demands. On audible test tones, the MT -2 has some noticeable peaks and dips but it does disperse the sound in a circular or "omnidirectional" manner. This observation confirms the response curves-see graph-which are all generally very close to each other, indicating uniform dispersion. The omnidirectional curve also confirms our observations of the MT -2's audible response at the low and high ends. The high end extends to beyond 13,000 Hz before response begins to fall off. The bass holds up at normal listening levels in an average -size room to just below 70 Hz. From this frequency downward, doubling is evident. Backing off on the volume control reduces the doubling, but it appears again at about 50 Hz. The MT -2 actually responds to a 20 -Hz input signal, but the response down there is highly distorted. We'd say the cleanest useful low -end response of this system extends to about 50 Hz. On program material, the MT -2 lived up to its wide -dispersion claim and a pair presented a good, firm stereo Circular Sound Spread image. But this virtue was accompanied, in the judgment of our listening panel, by a noticeable "edge" to the sound-and whether that quality is a virtue or not from New Microtower you'd best judge for yourself. CIRCLE 143 ON READER -SERVICE CARD The Equipment: Microtower MT -2 speaker system in walnut enclosure. Dimensions: 34 inches high; 8/2 inches wide; 81/2 inches deep. Warranty: 2 years, parts and labor; shipping paid one way. Price: $120 each; Microtower M-2 Harmonic Distortion* packed two to a carton. Manufacturer: Microtower Output Level Frequency Products, Inc., a division of Epicure Products, Inc., 126 re 0 0002 80 Hz 300 Hz Merrimac St., Newburyport, Mass. 01950. (dB) % 2nd % 3rd % 2nd % rd

Comment: Those seeking an "omnidirectional" type 70 45 55 80 62 75 38 50 1 0 62 speaker system that occupies very little floor space 80 43 50 1.5 62 might audition the Microtower MT -2. Physically it is an 85 45 54 2 5 .62 upright walnut cabinet (nominally intended for floor 90 75 54 4 4 68 placement, although it conceivably could stand on a 95 1 4 54 low bench too) that presents a neat and unobtrusive ap- 'Distortion data are taken on all tested speakers until distortion exceeds the pearance. Around the top, facing out on four sides, are 10 per cent level or the speaker produces the spurious output known as the speakers; middles and highs are dispersed from buzzing, whichever occurs first them, while the low frequencies radiate downward via openings below. Connections are made at the bottom to press -to -connect binding posts that accept stripped leads. Early models of the MT -2 came with no high -fre- 100 quency level control; later models include a control that RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS varies the upper -tonal balance by 2 or 3 dB. The MT -2 is 90 rated for 8 ohms impedance. (1 watt input) As measured at CBS Labs, the impedance at the nor- 03 mal rating point (just past the usual bass resonance) 80 was 7.7 ohms, confirming the manufacturer's rating. Im- pedance averages 8 ohms or a little higher across the '2 70 0_ -AVERAGE OMNIDIRECTIONAL RESPONSE range to about 2,500 Hz; above that it rolls off, reaching (7r-3 dB, 70 Hz to 14.5 kHz, re 80.25 dB) 4 ohms at 6,000 Hz and going a bit below that out to L" 60 ----FRONT HEMISPHERIC RESPONSE 20,000 Hz. ON -AXIS RESPONSE The MT -2 is not what could be called a "high -effi- MT2/I 50 ciency" system, since it requires as much as 31 watts to 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K20K produce the standard test output level of 94 dB at 1 me- FREQUENCY IN HZ

68 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE CCfCCC 0 oo( -CC

Kenwood KR -9340: a Do -Everything Quadriphonic Receiver

The Equipment: Kenwood KR -9340, a quadriphonic which is sold as an optional accessory to the others. FM/ AM receiver in wood case, including KCD-2 CD -4 That is, with the less expensive models you can post- demodulator module. Dimensions: 21 by 61/2 by 141/4 pone purchase of the CD -4 module if you want to inches. Price: $749.95. Warranty: Two years parts and spread the cost over a little more time. To this extent, labor. Manufacturer: Trio Electronics, Japan: U.S. dis- then, we might call the present model the one to choose tributor: Kenwood Electronics, Inc., 15777 E Broad- if you want to go the whole hog into quadriphonics. way, Gardena, Calif. 90248. It is a massive unit, and most of those we consulted found it extremely impressive in appearance. The six il- Comment: The KR -9340 is the top model in KE nwood's luminated meters (which, like the dial face above them, all -format group of quadriphonic receivers. All bear a glow bluish -green with orange details) are most striking. strong family resemblance; the KR -9340 is the fanciest The first two are for tuning (FM center tuning and AM/ and most powerful, but it also is the only ore whose FM signal strength), while the remaining four show price includes the KCD-2 CD -4 demodulator module, audio levels in the four amplifier channels.

CD -4 Testing, Second Time Around

Readers of our January issue, in which we Recent reports sugcest that the fault lay in published the initial results of testing with our the right -channel band on JVC's widely dis- newly produced CD -4 and SQ test ciscs, will tributed alignment disc, heretofore used as a remember that in both CD -4 products tested- standard for setting up CD -4 systems-and a JVC separate demodulator and the Kenwood therefore used as our reference in setting up KCD-2 demodulator module supplied with the any demodulator for test, resulting in an in- receiver reviewed here-separation figures correct setting of the right -channel separation were well below spec in the right channels. control. JVC has remastered this disc and at We commented at the time that these figures this writing we are using the new version to were suspect and that as soon as we could rerreasure some of the figures that appeared determine the cause of the anomaly we would in January. We plan to report on it in detail in pass the information on to our readers. April.

MARCH 1974 69 0

FM SENSITIVITY & QUIETING 0.1 z -10 HARMONIC DISTORTION CURVES ,..." MONO SENSITIVITY STEREO THRESHOLD 0.07 ,i, (for 30 dB quieting) 8 V at 90 MHz (for 37 dB quieting) 0.05 E- -20 1.1 oV at 90 MHz 8 at 98 MHz (for 38 dB quieting) CD \ 1.75V (mono) 1.75 at 98 MHz 8.5V at 106 MHz (for 37 dB quieting) 0.03 1.8 .V at 106 MHz a -30 40 WATTS OUTPUT

-Left channel: 0.1%. 20 Hz to 20 MHz V(stereo) --- Right channel: 0.09%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz 5 -40 20 WATTS OUTPUT ---left channel: 0.09%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz =-50 - -- Right channel: 0.08%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz

-60KR9340/1 0.3 1 10 100 1K 10K 100K 0.2

RF INPUT IN MICROVOLTS 0.4 WATTS OUTPUT

0.1 -Left channel: 0.22%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz --- Right channel: 0.23%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

KR9340 /4

20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K FREQUENCY IN HZ KR9340/2 +5 MONO FM RESPONSE 0 1.0 -5 +0.5, -3 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz 0.7 z 0.5 INTERMODULATION CURVES +5 STEREO FM RESPONSE g 0.3 mc, 0 :6 0.2 z -5 -Left channel +1, -2.5 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz --- Right channel: +1.5, -3 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz N-10 0.1 ______1-- 0-15 e 0.07. ca_ -20 LT. 0.05 -25 0.03 CHANNEL SEPARATION -30 -8 -ohm load: 1.8 to 58 watts ---- 4.ohm load: 0.25%. 0.6 to 78 watts -35 -- 16 -ohm load:.0.1%, 0.8 to 36 watts - 40 KR9340/5 1 2 -Left channel: >35 dB. 56 Hz to 3.6 kHz: :,25 dB. 20 Hz to 8.6 kHz 5 10 20 50 100 200 500 1K ---Right channel: :-35 dB. 57 Hz to 3.8 kHz; >25 dB, 20 Hz to 9 kHz OUTPUT IN WATTS

20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K FREQUENCY IN HZ

+5 CONTROL & PREAMP CHARACTERISTICS 0

-5 RiAA EQUALIZATION .t1 dB. 20 Hz to 20 kHz

POWER OUTPUT DATA

CHANNELS INDIVIDUALLY Bass boost Left at clipping: 50 0 watts for 0 08% THD Left at 0.5% THD 54 6 watts Right at clipping, 50 0 watts for 0.13% THD Right at 0 5% THD: 54 0 watts -10 CHANNELS SIMULTANEOUSLY -15 Left front at clipping. 46 1 watts for 005% THD "4"-- Low filter High filter ---"" Right front at clipping. 45 1 watts for 0.14% THD -20 Left back at clipping 461 watts for 0.05% THD - TONE CONTROLS Right back at clipping 45.1 watts for 012% THD ---- FILTERS - LOLDNESS CONTOUR ',volume control at 9 o'clock) +2 63 KR9340/6 +1 50 POWER BANDWIDTH 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K (for 0 5% THD) 0 40 FREQUENCY IN HZ below 10 Hz to 50 kHz - 1 32 -2 15 -3 20 )111111111113111111111 .111111116111111111_11 FREQUENCY RESPONSE (1 watt output) 11M1111111/E11111111 11111111111111111MEr +5 111110111111111011111 1111111111111111111611 0 1111111111110211111111111r 11111111E11111111111111 -5 +125. -3 dB. 11 Hz to 45 kHz 11111111611111E11114 111111111111 EERIE liklik/A1111111,111 WfiliaN11,1111111.111/1 1020 100 1K 10K 20K 100K FREQUENCY IN HZ Square -wave response

70 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE To the right are large knobs for tuning, selector, and B. DIN input/output ccnnectors (one for the front, an- volume plus smaller ones for mode and balance. There other for the back) also are provided for tape A. are three balance controls (front channels, back chan- Nearby are a knurled grounding screw that will ac - nels, and front back), each with a detent at its center cep: large spade lugs or bared wires and a mono phone position. The mode selector has positions for mono jack ior a microphone. When you insert a plug, this jack (identical signals to all four speakers), stereo (outputs automatically disables phono 1 and feeds the mike sig- to front channels only), RM (OS), SO, and discrete. The nal to both channels of the preamp. Mike signals can last is used for CD -4 in conjunction with a special posi- therefore be recorded (via the phono 1selector position for that purpose on the selector, which also has po- tion) but not mixed wits other inputs. Also on the back sitions for AM, FM, two phono inputs, and aux. panel are the built-in 4errite AM antenna, screwdriver Across the bottom are the headphone outputs (front terminals (accepting the bared wires or spade lugs) for and back stereo phone jacks, which are live at all times) antenna connections (long-wire AM, 75- or 300 -ohm and a series of pushbutton switches: AC power on off, FM), spring -loaded cl ps for bared -wire leads to two main speakers, remote speakers, audio meter sensi- quadriphonic sets of speakers, and three convenience tivity (high /low), tape monitors A and B, FM muting, AC outlets, one of which is controlled by the front -panel loudness contour, high and low filters. The tone con- power switch. trols are at the extreme right in this bottom panel: sepa- CBS Labs' measurements of the power amplifier sec- rate two -channel knobs for front treble and bass and tion show itto be conservatively rated at 40 watts back treble and bass. per channel Note that this is not one of Kenwood's At the extreme left of the back panel is the large slot "strapped" amplifier sections (in which per -channel into which you slip the CD -4 demodulator module. To its power in stereo is considerably greater than that for right are a series of pin jacks: one for FM detector out- quadriphonics), so the figures do not depend on the op- put (to be used with a quadriphonic-broadcast adapter, eration mode. With all channels driven simu taneously. should a discrete system be approved by the FCC), power at clipping measures about 45 watts per channel. pairs for phono 1 and phono 2 (the latter for CD -4 or a in single -channel and power -bandwidth tests the output second stereo input), and quadriphonic sets for aux in- measures about 50 watts per. We should note that fig- put plus the inputs and outputs for both tape A and tape ures were difficult to get at 20 Hz and below because full

Kenwood KR -9340 Additional Data

Tuner Section Channel separation LF output R= signal>18 dB. 400 Hz to 6 kHz

Capture ratio 1 5 dB LB signal: >5 dB. 40 Hz to 10 kHz RB signal: >5 dB. 400 Hz to 6 kHz Alternate -channel selectivity 64 dB RF output L= signal >12 dB, 70 Hz to 15 kHz S/N ratio 71 dB L3 signal >4 dB, 400 Hz to 6 kHz RB signal >5 dB. 40 Hz to 6 kHz THD Mono L ch R ch LB output 80 Hz 0.07% 0.25% 0.25% LF signal>3.5 dB. 40 Hz to 15 kHz 1 kHz 0.09% 0.21% 0.19% RF signal ,3 dB, 40 Hz to 15 kHz 10 kHz 0.30% 15% 15% RB signal-9 dB, 40 Hz to 15 kHz aB output IM distortion 0.15% LF signal >4 dB, 40 Hz to 10 kHz FF signal -3dB, 40 Hz to 15 kHz 19 -kHz pilot -48 dB LB signal,10.5 dB. 40 Hz to 15 kHz

38 -kHz subcarrier -65 dB Frequency response LF ch 2 dB, 40 Hz to 15 kHz Frequency response F:F Ch t 2 dB, 40 Hz to 15 kHz mono +0.5, -3 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz LB ch ±2 dB, 40 Hz to 15 kHz L ch +1, -2.5 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz RB ch t 1.5 dB. 70 Hz to 15 kHz R ch + 15, -3 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz Ha'monic distortion Channel separation -35 dB. 57 Hz to 3 6 kHz LF ch: 1.2% RF ch: 1.1% 25 dB. 20 Hz to E 6 kHz LB ch: 1.2% RB ch: 1.1% S, N ratio (re 1 kHz 0 dB. pieamp. decoder, & power amp) SO Decoder Section LF ch 66 dB RF ch 68 dB Uncorrected channel balance (1 kHz) LB ch 69 dB RB ch 69 dB LF ch: set 0 dB RF :h: -2.0 dB LB ch -3 8 dB RB ch. -3.8 dB Amplit,er Section Damping factor 22 Separation at1 kHz Output LF ch RF ch LB ch RB ch Input characteristics (for 40 watts output) LF signal 0 dB -15.5 dB -2 5 aB -2 dB Sensitivity S/N ratio RF signal -15 dB 0 dB -3 dB -3 dB ohono (1 or 2) 1.32 mV 61 dB LB signal -3 dB -2 dB 0 dB -13 dB mike 1.48 mV 57 dB 74 dB RB signal -3 5 dB -3.5 dB-10 dB 0 dB aux 131 mV !ape A 138 mV 73 dB Simultaneous -tone "crosstalk" (re 1 kHz 0 dB) tape B 138 mV 74 dB LF ch -4 8 dB RF ch 4 2 dB LB ch -3 2 dB RB ch 3 4 dB RIAA equalization accuracy 1 dB. 20 Hz to 20 kHz

MARCH 1974 71 output at those frequencies drives the Stereo quieting also passes the 50 -dB though it is relatively small the module protective circuit into "chattering" (rap- level, with all inputs from 10 microvolts can't be considered a compromise unit. id on off alternation), but this in no way up delivering better than 40 dB of quiet- Kenwood supplies a disc to aid in ad- impugns the amplifier section's ability to ing. Similar excellence is displayed in justment of the CD -4 module. deliver its rated power comfortably with the other tuner measurements. (Don't Measurement of the SQ decoder sec- normal program material. At most power be alarmed at the 15% THD at 10 kHz for tion had to be made through the head- levels,frequencies. and impedances stereo reception; it represents spurious phone jacks-and therefore through the the distortion-both THD an intermod- products, most of which are atfre- amplifier section of the receiver. In order ulation-runs no higher than about one - quencies above audibility. The lab has to avoid penalizing the decoder for pe- tenth of Kenwood's 0.5% rating. measured even higher percentages in culiarities of the amplifier (see the above The tuner section is no slouch either. superb tuners where no undesirable discussion on low -frequency behavior Like most of the better units todayit audible effects could be traced to these atfulloutput),distortion and noise shaves two or three tenths of a micro- supersonic products.) measurements were made through a volt off the 2 -microvolt mono sensitivity The measurements on the KCD-2 de- notch filter passing normal audio fre- figure that is considered a benchmark modulator module appeared in our Jan- quencies only. And these measure- of excellence, far more important,it uary issue. The figures matched quite ments are very good or excellent by achieves 50 dB of quieting before an- closely those measured for a separate comparison to other decoders we have tenna inputs have reached 5 microvolts. CD -4 demodulator unit, confirming that measured so far. Separation figures appear to be about par for a decoder with no logic or other enhancement circuitry. But note that the 1 -kHz separation figures (measured at our SQ test disc's 0 VU) are not quite as good as those in the full -bandwidth measurements (made at -10 VU). Decoder performance therefore appears to be a hair better at the lower level. There is no quadriphonic-simulator position as such on the KR -9340. The instruction manual-which is both well laid out and very explicit on most points -mentions the use of the RM matrix position for this purpose. Actually the SQ position can be used this way as well. The effect through the SO position emphasizes the front separation and sometimes presents more vivid spatial effects, though we did prefer the more "comfortable" simulation through the RM position with most stereo program material. In sum, Kenwood has done a fine job. The receiver has plenty of power and doesn't skimp on stereo performance in providingits quadnphonics.itwill handle all present forms of quadriphonics-including discrete tapes via the tape or aux inputs and QS-matrixed cassettes via the RM decoder position. And though the controls look alittle Next time you plan a trip formidable at first glance we found them easy to master and efficient at doing to Europe, make sure you their respective jobs. visit the unique country. CIRCLE 148 ON READER -SERVICE CARD REPORTS IN PROGRESS Where can you find: Europe's largest waterfalls? Europe's blondest blondes? Europe's highest geysers? Technics RS-858US Europe's greatest glaciers? cartridge deck And where can you find moonlike craters where the astronauts trained? More volcanos than anywhere else on earth? Historic landmarks of the Magitran world's oldest continuous parliament? Celebrations marking Europe's youngest republic? Poly -Planar DS -60 The answer to all of these questions is-ICELAND. Next time you plan a trip to Europe, make sure you visit Iceland. speaker system The only thing it may cost you is time well spent. Because you'll save enough money on Icelandic's lowest jet fares to Luxembourg to pay for your stopover in Iceland. Or, you can hop over from New York or Chicago for longer Sony TC-152 tours. See an erupting volcano. Take a cross-country pony trek Next time you plan a tripto Europe, ask your travel agent about Icelandic Airlines. Or phone Icelandic Airlines, for folders about Iceland cassette deck and lowest jet fares to Europe. In New York State, phone (212) 757-8585. Elsewhere in U.S., phone toll free (800) 221-9760. 72 CIRCLE 19 ON READER -SERVICE CARD hi In FIDELITY MAGAZINE RJBBER DOME WPM

7 OZ. FEFRITE MAGNET

Our tweeter. Likenoother.

A cross-section cuttlic of the ruggedly constructed Bczab B -200Y Tweeter shows some of the reasons why velvet -smooth treble with nc hint of shrillness is characteristic only w th Bozak. Eozak's aluminum diaomagm (only .0C2 inch thick) and a central aluminum don -e (providing dial radiation) are rested in a bed of foam rubber which dampens the peaks and resonances Jsualy characteristic of other "tweeters." No other tweeter has such complete damping. This t me -tested, 2 -inch tweeter is a part of every

Bezak speaker systeit . . . bookshelf to the famed Concert Grand. Our new, informative bcoklet, "Evaluat ng a Speaker System- covers not only tweeter design, bu: tells what to loof Jr in midrange and woofer design, cabinetry, lots more too. It's free on request. Write: Bozak Inc., Box 1163, Darien. Conn. 06e20. It's tough to compare something inaclass by

4 itself. I" ALL TN E WAYTO 50,000NI PLAYS ANY 4 CHANNEL SYSTEMPERFECTLY. PLAYS STEREO EVEN BETTERMAN BEFORE. Empire's new wide Discrete 4 channel well beyond the range of normal response 4000D series requires tho full 20,000 Hz hearing. Listening to a cartridge cartridge features our exclu- frequency spectrums. With a with a response to 50,000 Hz is sive -4 DIMENSIONAL" 50,000 Hz response you have a truly unique experience. Close diamond stylus tip. plenty of extra sound to spare. your eyes and you'll swear the This phenomenal new Even ordinary stereo is sound is live. Open your eyes cartridge will track (stay in the enhanced ...true music repro- and you'll never be satisfied with groove) any record below 1 duction depends upon wide anything else. gram and trace (follow the frequency response. For For your free "Empire wiggles) all the way to 50,000 example; a perfect square wave Guide to Sound Design" write: Hz. Our exclusive nude -4 requires a harmonic span of 10 EMPIRE SCIENTIFIC CORP., DIMENSIONAL"diamond tip has times the fundamental frequen- Garden City. N Y 11530 a .1 mil radius of engagement yet cies recorded. Obviously, to the very low force required for identify each instrument or tracking prevents any discern- sound nuance in a recording you Mfd ible record wear. must reproduce frequencies U S A LECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS/EMPIIE'SNEW 4000 DCAITIINES OUTPUT CHANNEL CHANNEL TRACKING LIST FREQUENCY VOLTAGE SEPARATIONSEPARATION FORCE STYLUS STYLUS MODEL PRICE RESPONSEmy per channel(left to right)(front to back) GRAMS TIP REPLACEMENT rofessional$149 95 5 50.000 Hz 3 0 more than more than 1/4 to 1-1/4miniature nude S 4000 D/III 4000 D/III 35 dB 25 dB diamond with White 1 mil tracing radius -4 DIMENSIONAL. Deluxe $124 95 5-45.000 Hz 3.0 more than more than 3/4 to 1-1/2miniature nude S 4000 D/II 4000 D/Il 35 dB 25 dB diamond with Yellow 1 mil tracing radius -4 DIMENSIONAL Standard $ 84 9510-40.000 Hz 3 0 more than more than 3/4 to 2 miniature diamond S 4000 D/1 4000 D/I 35 dB 25 dB with1 mil tracing Black radius -4 DIMENSIONAL -Trade Mark of the Empire Scientific Corporation (c) 1973 Empire Scientific Corp. CIRCLE 15 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 74 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE the new releases Schubert and Sibelius auf Deutsch

Bohm's"Prussian" Schubert- and twomore Unfinisheds (one of them finished!).

by John Rockwell

SCHUBERT'S most consistent perfection of expression sian, especially those recorded in 1971: grim, doggedly came in his songs. The larger and more grandiose the heavy, and earnest. There is always a certain classical form, the less often he found his own voice. But this is rigor to Bohm's work that allows him to avoid the heavi- not to say, simply, that he lacked a mastery of those ness of some versions from American orchestras (e.g., larger forms. True, he never wrote an opera that stuck in Ormandy/Philadelphia and Steinberg/Boston). And in the repertory, but that has as much to do with his choice the Tragic Fourth, Bohm's approach makes more sense of collaborators as with any innate lack on his part. The than elsewhere in Nos. 1-6. His Eighth is, simply, pro- supreme excellence of the Unfinished and the Great C saic. His Ninth, however, is a more light-fingered per- major Symphonies suggests that he needed little more formance, and the symphony itself is of sufficient weight than time to evolve a sureness in the symphonic idiom. to support the rigor that Bohm does bring to it. Once he had found that sureness, nothing but his early Unfortunately the competition in integral Schubert death could cut off his symphonic output. sets is minimal. Denis Vaughan's RCA box, deleted As it stands, Schubert's symphonies fall into three pe- from the U.S. catalogue nearly three years ago, was riods. There are the first six works, of varying if lesser in- worthily conceived butindifferentlyplayed.Peter spiration, from the Haydnesque/early Beethovenian Maag's budget set (Turnabout TV -S 34334/8) isn't much charms of the first three (especially Nos. 1 and 2) to the competition at all. Especially in the first five symphonies, grander pretensions of the Fourth to the exquisitely real- his versions are recorded in a distant, watery ambience ized Fifth to the intriguing if not entirely focused experi- that totally vitiates whatever virtues the performances mentation of the Sixth. Then there is a period of more may have. Maag has shown his strengths in early -nine- overt exploration, from about 1818 up to but not includ- teenth-century symphonic music, but these performing the Great C major masterpiece. This period includes ances, with the Philharmonia Hungarica, sound too the Unfinished (1822) as well as the completed sketch for rough and ready for real distinction. a Seventh Symphony in E minor and major (1821) and Kertesz's cycle on London (CSP 6, all five discs also other sketches. (For years it was thought that there was a available singly) still boasts the best sound of all the Gastein Symphony from 1825, and attempts were made available Schubert symphony records, though some of to orchestrate the Grand Duo for Piano Four Hands, D. the performances date back almost ten years. The 812. But the latest evidence now discredits that notion.) Vienna Philharmonic's playing too is mostly admirable, As the third and final period, there is the Ninth. and Kertesz's easygoing, relaxed, laissez-faire attitude The Ninth is, in fact, the best thing in Karl Bohm's may please those who object to big -orchestra, Master - "new" boxed set of the eight symphonies. It is also the Conductor overinterpretations of this outwardly most oldest of these performances. DG reports that it was artless of music. For me, however, true artlessness can be taped in June 1963, the Fifth and Eighth in February and obtained only through care and technique, and Kertesz's March 1966, the First and Second in May 1971, and the versions sound consistently lacking in loving attention to Third, Fourth, and Sixth in November 1971. All but the details of ensemble and balance and to over-all concep- last three have already been released separately (and tion. Schwann still lists (as of December 1973) all of Ye- presumably they too will appear on single discs in time). hudi Menuhin's Angel cycle, though the Ninth has al- The sound is surprisingly consistent. ready been deleted and several others will probably Visitors to the 1965 Bayreuth Festival were greeted follow shortly. What's left of the series is not competi- with a special DG promotional disc that contained tive: The violinist's inexperience as a conductor results Bohm's rehearsal of the first movement of the Ninth. in persistent sloppiness of detail and interpretive incon- That disc suggests that Bohm regards himself as a keeper sistencies. of the sacred Viennese flame (an absolutely over- Plainly the best way to collect the Schubert sym- powering Viennese dialect afflicts his speech). These phonies remains an assortment of individual records. performances of the symphonies and three Rosamunde Taking into account the couplings, I would begin with excerpts, however, aren't particularly "Viennese"-at Karl Ristenpart's First and Second (Nonesuch H 71230). least if we think of Vienna in terms of charm, grace, and, Both that disc and Georg Ludwig Jochum's pairing of yes, "Schubertian" lyricism. Really they are more Prus- the First and Third (Monitor MCS 2121) are budget -

MARCH 1974 75 priced, and Jochum (seven years younger than his more sonorities of a major orchestra yet still full of unman- famous brother Eugen) turns in admirably idiomatic, nered personality. unpretentious performances. But Jochum's coupling There are, of course, many fine versions of both the causes some overlap in the Third, where my choice Eighth and the Ninth. These two masterpieces haveat- would be Karl Miinchinger and the Vienna Philhar- tracted nearly all the great conductors of the recording monic (London CS 6453), whose coupling is my pre- era. ferred version of the Sixth. (Bohm's First, by the way, is Among the full -price Eighths, along with the new Jo- the only currently available version that uses a first- chum my favorites are Walter (the same disc thatcon- movement textual variant recommended by Schubert tains his fine Fifth), especially wonderful in the second scholar Otto Erich Deutsch; Vaughan also played the movement; Casals (Columbia MS 7262, with his unique movement Deutsch's way.) Miinchinger also wins my Mozart Fortieth), theatrical, idiosyncratic, andem- recommendation for the Fourth and Fifth, particularly phatic; Karajan (DG 139 001, with three Beethoven since that disc is on London's budget Stereo Treasury la- overtures), superrefined in his best manner; and Bern- bel (STS 15095). stein (Columbia MS 7057, with the Mendelssohn Ital- Other worthy performances of the first six symphonies ian), the best of those few versions that take the first- include Beecham's inimitable traversals of the First and movement repeat. The best budget version is undoubt- Second, in still passable mono sound, from Columbia edly Cantelli's (Seraphim 60002, mono, withan equally Special Products (CML 4903); Walter's and Bernstein's fine Mendelssohn Italian), unless you must have stereo, Fifths (Columbia MS 6218 and MS 7295 respectively)- in which case I'd suggest Miinchinger (Stereo Treasury the former especially endearing, with Walter's equally STS 15061, coupled with an inferior Second that isun- lovable, lyrical Eighth, the latter with Mendelssohn's Re- characteristically driven, thinly recorded, and skimpyon formation Symphony. repeats). Of the historical performances, the fierce Tos- From Schubert's period of experimentation, nothing canini (with the Schubert Fifth on Victrola VICS 1311or is currently available domestically of either the Seventh with the Beethoven Fifth on VICS 1648, both rechan- or the so-called Gast ein. Vanguard used to offer versions neled) and the mystical Furtwangler (with the Vienna of both; they have been issued as a two -disc set in Eng- Philharmonic on DaCapo C 047 00907, not the distantly land and might profitably be reissued here. recorded Berlin Philharmonic version on Turnabout) There are two available recordings that attempt, in are especially recommended. varying degrees, to finish the Unfinished. Max Gober- The Ninth may be "the symphony of heavenly man's, coupled with the Zauberharfe Overture (better lengths," but none of the conductors with recordingscur- known for its subsequent use as the overture for Rosa- rently on the market think it quite heavenly enoughto munde) and the otherwise unavailable Magnificat in C, take the repeats in either the first or last movements. Of offers the nine bars of the third movement that Schubert the full -price discs, in addition to Bohm (availablesepa- actually orchestrated (a few more orchestrated bars have rately on DG 138 877) I can recommend the Bernstein been discovered since), blending smoothly into what we (Columbia M 31012, full of idiomatic personality) and have of the piano sketch of the rest of the movement. A Kertesz (London CS 6381, the best of his Schubertsym- more ambitious attempt-if ultimately just as gimmicky phonies, still not to my taste but full of buoyant, exuber- as Goberman's-is now offered on an imported Odeon ant detail). Interesting mono versions include the Furt- disc (available through Peters International). Here Ger- wangler (Turnabout TV 4364, not tomy taste-with its ald Abraham has orchestrated an entire third move- extreme tempo fluctuations-but fascinating) and the ment, taking a bit of music from Rosamunde to fill out Kleiber (an Amadeo import, chaste and Mozartean). the trio. Then Abraham boldly (foolishly?) tacks on the RCA really owes it to us to reissueone of Toscanini's entire first entr'acte from the Rosamunde music for a fi- fleet,intense versions (although listedin the latest nale. Abraham's arguments for putting the entr'acte Schwann-2, the Philadelphia version is out of print). I where he does are more speculative and intuitive than hope Columbia will reissue Walter's lyrical ifa little un- solidly proven: It is scored for the same orchestra as the steady stereo version. Otherwise the budget collectorcan Unfinished, is of a far grander symphonic cast than the choose Krips (Stereo Treasury STS 15140),affec- other incidental pieces for Rosamunde, and is likewise in tionately unmannered, and Barbirolli (Seraphim S B minor. Still, it's well worth listening to, and the per- 60194), lyrical and grave. Both can hold theirown with formance by Charles Groves and the Royal Liverpool the full -price competition. Philharmonic is a worthy one (better by far in the famil- ScHusorr: Symphonies (8); Rosamunde (incidental music), iar first two movements than Goberman's); Groves's D. 797: Excerpts. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl BOhm, version of the Zauberharfe Overture is only adequate. cond. [Hans Hirsch and Ellen Hickmann, prod.] DEUTSCHE Vaughan also offered the third movement in his set (he GRAMMOPHON 2720 062, $32.45 (five discs, limited edition). completed the trio with material of his own); the result Symphonies: No.1, in D, D.82: No.2. in B flat, D. 125:No. 3, in D. D. 200; No. 4, in C minor, D. 417 (Tragic): No. 5. in B flat. D. 485; No. 6, in C. D. 589: No. 8, in B was less imaginative and colorful-and less well played minor. D. 759 (Unfinished); No. 9, in C, D. 944. Rosamunde: Die Zauberharfe and recorded-than the new version. Overture, D 644: Ballet Music Nos. 1 and 2. Turning to the standard two -movement version of the SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8, in B minor, D. 759 (four -move- Eighth, Eugen Jochum's new recording with the Boston ment version, ed. Gerald Abraham); Die Zauberharfe, D. Symphony stands up to the very best of the competition. 644:Overture. RoyalLiverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, He doesn't take the first -movement repeat, if that is im- Charles Groves, cond. [Brian Culverhouse, prod.] EMI ODEON portant to you (Groves, by the way, does), and the choice ASD 2743, $7.98. SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8, in Bminor,D. 759 (Unfinished). of coupling-a good, straightforward, affectionate, big- MOZART: Symphony No. 41, in C, K. 551 (Jupiter). Boston orchestra treatment of Mozart's Jupiter-is hardly the Symphony Orchestra, Eugen Jochum, cond. [Gunther Breest, most imaginative. But Jochum's Unfinished is a first-rate prod.] DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2530 357, $6.98. Tape: 89 modern statement of the score, making full use of the 468, $6.98; WI 3300 318, $6.98.

76 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Lush, post-Brahmsian Sibelius-and a bracing Third from East Berlin. by Abram Chipman

NorUNTILthe LP era, by which time Sibelius was sup- posedly fading into eclipse, was a recorded cycle of the seven symphonies completed-and then by both Sixten Ehrling and Anthony Collins. Since the advent of stereo, no less than five Sibelius symphony sets have been completed, by the Japanese -Finnish maestro Akeo Watana- be (his went out of print with the rest of the Epic catalogue), Sir John Barbirolli (alas, not fully issued in this country), Lorin Maazel, Leonard Bernstein, and the current enterprise from DG (whose accompanying booklet claims this as the "fourth complete recording of his symphonies"!). If I seem to be gloating, it is because I am pleased that considerable portions of the public pay less attention to fashionable notions of what is "in" or "sophisticated" than to what their guts tell them is imaginative, beautiful, powerfully conceived, and compellingly deep and vast in its human vision. The Berlin Philharmonic recordings in the new DG package have all been previously issued individually. The two discs by Okko Kamu and the Helsinki orchestra are new to Schwann. Kamu won the first annual Karajan conducting contest in 1969 and proceeded to launch his phonographic career with Karajan's orchestra in the Si- belius Second, a highly personalized, flexible tour de force of interpretive willfulness in which the Berliners playing (particularly the timpani), but those Viennese easily followed his somewhat convoluted ideas about the cellos are a little too quavery for my taste. Bernstein, piece. Back home with his own band, Kamu's other Si- though much flawed in sound, gives a taut and passion- belius readings seem more straightforward. perhaps be- ate presentation of the music. cause he has his hands full with the less-than-virtuosic Symphony No. 2. Kamu, as I wrote in reviewing the abilities of the Helsinki players. latest Ormandy version [September 1973], subscribes to This album does manage to argue a coherent and con- the heart -on -sleeve, reverent, even hysterical conception sistent point of view on the repertory at hand, despite the of this symphony. He twists tempos as if they were taffy. changes of venue and batons. DG's Sibelius fits him into In the Andante, for example. he takes the sostenuto epi- a Germanic, post-Brahtnsian zeitgeist (where, goodness sode like an endless dirge, reads pesante to mean faster, knows, many think he belongs), characterized here by and interprets allegro as something like presto assai. He broad tempos, dark and weighty sonority, and a rather is so fond of inventing ritards in the finale that indicated sweet, ardent shaping of the lyric me/os. If that is to your changes to !argument(' lose their effect. This rendition is taste, you need not hesitate to purchase this flawlessly also replete with overphrasings and indiscriminate pour- processed, beautifully packaged box of records. Other- ing on of tonal mush (cf. the violin line before cue B in wise, since the alternatively available Bernstein and the first movement). The Berliners, as I have indicated, Maazel sets do not consistently advance the opposite keep their cool admirably, and the sound may even be viewpoint (Sibelius as a writer of spare, gauntly snarling, the finest in the set. The rhetorical, overblown approach nervously modernistic scores), you may want to hunt and is also subscribed to, though to a lesser extent, by Maazel sift through the various "singles" offerings. In my com- and Bernstein (for redress, try Szell and the Concertge- parisons, I will stick primarily to the three integral ver- bouw on Philips 835 306 or Monteux and the London sions now in Schwann. Symphony on Stereo Treasury STS 15098). Symphony No. I. Kamu's statement is honest, solid, Symphony No. 3. What Kamu does most pleasingly and reasonably paced. The only point to which I take ex- here is to opt for a slower interpretation of the ambig- ception is the failure to shift into lento for the scherzo's uously marked (Andantino con moto, quasi allegretto) trio, but many conductors miss this contrast and one second movement. He shares the notion with all the must go back to the long unavailable Beecham (Colum- Scandinavians who've recorded the symphony (Ka- bia) to hear how effective taking Sibelius at his word can janus. Ehrling, Watanabe) that this section needs more be. The Helsinkians (or their hall) produce a somewhat gravity and repose than it gets in the goose-stepping opaque texture (cf. the two measures before letter F in waltzes of Bernstein, Maazel. et al. But, of our three the finale, where bassoons and cellos are lost under tim- "complete" contenders, it is the New York maestro who pani and double basses). There are many blemishes in most alertly characterizes the ever -shifting speeds of the the playing, perhaps the most blatant of which are the finale. The Helsinki players get into their share of off -pitch woodwinds in the scherzo's fugato episode (let- trouble again, most pervasively the double basses who ters E to F). Maazel has clearer sound. and some exciting keep lagging fractionally behind the beat (most notably

MARCH 1974 77 from the tenth through fifteenth measures after cue 5 in texture except. seemingly. by sheer accident. The Bard the first movement). makes fewer demands, and these forces acquit them- Symphony No. 4. This masterpiece may well be the selves better on the whole. Karajan's readings of the leanest. somberest. most concentrated scoreinthe three familiar potboilers are all rather interesting. The twentieth-century symphonic repertoire. Among current outer sections of Fin/am/hi have never sounded more readings, only Maazel achieves a clear, grey texture and Wagnerian, and the hymn section does everything but rapid. unswerving tempos. If you must have a bigger. sob. The Sayan of numela is light and flowing. The Valse more roundly "expressive" and colorful performance. triste from Kuolema (when will we have a complete Karajan could hardly be bettered, either in his deleted recording of that incidental music?) is churning meller- Angel LP with the Philharmonia or in this rich, solid, but drama that even late -period Stokowski couldn't outdo (it not overbearing Berlin edition. Some scholars love de- happens that Stoky's shellac Philadelphia recording, on bating whether "glocken" in the finale means big bells or Victor 14726, is still my favorite). glockenspiel (they even fuss over whether Sibelius' origi- Where does this leave the three sets on balance? Bern- nal manuscript has a period at the end of that instrumen- stein has a clear victory in Nos. I and 7. Maazel in No. 4 tal indication). Karajan goes for the little tinkly ones. and perhaps No. 6-but this reflects my own persuasion Bernstein for the big tubular bells; Szell, in a wonderful about hard-nosed Sibelius conducting. Others will find concert performance that should have been recorded, Kamu/Karajan the most consistently successful in con- had the last laugh and used both. veying the sheer mass and lyric sweep of the music. It Symphony No. 5. Karajan, who has now recorded the also contains the most filler works (at the cost of an extra Fifth three times, takes what one could call a "majestic" disc), though Maazel perhaps balances this in quality view-portentous, measured, with loud climaxes and (Tapiola and Karelia Suite). Only London offers all the careful attention to every last dynamic swell. Sometimes discs singly, though as noted DG is nearly there. Of he achieves a morbid expressionism that is well taken Bernstein's cycle, only Nos. I. 2, and 5 are available sep- (cf. the bassoon's lugubre and paietieo three to six meas- arately. I regret having to leave Watanabe's set out of ures after K in the first movement). Elsewhere, though. I these calculations, for it has many fine things init: am reminded of the composer's statement about giving should Columbia reissue it on Odyssey, that would be a the public "a cool, clear drink of water instead of a musi- "best buy." cal cocktail." Karajan mixes too heady a brew in the Not to get buried in this multidisc package (I hope) is a slow movement's poco tranquillo section just after letter very fine new Third by Kurt Sanderling, whose remark- C. The final half -dozen tutti chords at the very end seem able set of Brahms symphonies I reviewed in June 1973. rushed. There is a general trend for string tremolandos Though Sanderling's tempo for the center movement is (with which the symphony abounds) to lack tension. again more hurried than I would wish, it has plenty of lilt Bernstein and Maazel also paint the piece with a wider and feeling. In the finale, he (like Bernstein) is adroitly brush than I care for, but less bombastically so. responsive to the many nuances of movement and shad- Symphony No. 6. With this. Sibelius' most radiantly ing, while the opening of the work has all the powerful beautiful, perhaps even Mozartean, music. 1 drop all swagger one could ask. The East Berlin ensemble, postures of open-minded tolerance. Since Georg though less widely acclaimed than its West Berlin coun- Schneevoigt's 78 -rpm version for the old HMV/Victor terpart, is at least as stylish a Sibelian orchestra. It is also Sibelius Society, I have heard nobody direct this score a clean and responsive outfit that seems capable of doing properly. Despite sloppy moments, the crispness, grace, Sanderling's (and Sibelius') every bidding with no fuss and stark simplicity of that venerable recording by the and bother, and plenty of warm and translucent tone. Finnish National Orchestra have never been equaled. The overside En Saga (the coupling puts it into potential Most conductors are too slow, too lush, too "smooth" direct competition with Kamu, should DG decide to re- (except Maazel, who is too fast and brutal, though surely lease the latter as a single) has all the control and sweep exciting). And no stereo recording has opposed first and that Kamu's doesn't, with perhaps less rugged fire than second violins antiphonally. which this score simply Dorati's (Odeon ASD 2486). It joins a long list of out- cries out for again and again! Karajan's woodwinds be- standing En Sagas from different periods (Beecham. De tween E and F in the scherzo are sluggish, the strings at Sabata, Van Beinum, Collins). On both sides, Eurodisc's G in the second movement very flaccid. In the theme of team has provided sonics that are extremely open and the finale that begins eight measures before D. the horns clear, with nearly ideal spread, depth. and balance. playing quarters overbalance the strings eighths and six- teenths. And so forth and so on. [The Schneevoigt Sixth Sumuus: Symphonies (7); En,Saga, Op. 9; The Swan of Tu- was reissued last year in England in a two -disc set, "The onela, Op. 22, No. 3; Finlandia, Op. 26; Valse triste, Op. 44; Great Sibelius Interpreters" (World Records SH 173/4). The Bard, Op. 64. Helsinki Radio Symphony Orchestra, Okko available through Peters International.] Kamu, cond. (in Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3, Op. 9, and Op. 64); Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Okko Kamu, cond. (in Sym- Symphony No. 7. 1 will spare you descriptions of some phony No. 2); Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von of Karajan's questionable tempo relationships in this Karajan, cond. (in Symphonies Nos. 4-7, Op. 22, No. 3, Op. 26, highly unified one -movement work. The more impor- and Op. 44). [various prod.] DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2720 tant ptoblem is a sense that the rhetorical heaviness 067, $38.94 (six discs, limited edition). overwhelms the music. Of the three integral sets. Bern- Symphonies: No. 1. in E minor. Op. 39; No. 2. in D. Op. 43; No. 3, in C. Op. 52; No. 4, in A minor, Op. 63: No. 5. in E flat. Op. 82: No. 6, in D minor, Op. 104; No. 7, in stein's does best by No. 7. C, Op. 105. Shorter works. Orchestral imbalance and under- SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 3, in C, Op. 52; En Saga, Op. 9. Ber- nourishment are the bane of Kamu's En Saga. Tempos lin Symphony Orchestra, Kurt Sanderling, cond. [Heinz Weg- are pretty steady, except where he seems to give the ner, prod.] EURODISC 80 683 KK, $6.98. strings more room to articulate clearly. When the brasses Comparisons-complete symphonies: Bernstein /New York Philharmonic Col. M5S 784 carry the major melodic line, they rarely rise out of the Maazel Vienna Philharmonic Lon. CSP 4

78 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Lily: A Challenging Vision of Musical Theater The first part of Kirchner's opera -in -progress to reach disc blends electronic and live performance in a striking extension of his evocative musical language.

by Royal S. tirok

ONE THIN(; becomes immediately evident when you read Leon Kirchner's intentions for the staging of Lily, presented here as a chamber work:Henderson(from Saul Bellow's novelHenderson the Rain King).Kirch- ner's projected total -theater work from whichLillis ex- tracted, will be anything but "grand opera." Both musically and scenically, Kirchner's composition, instead of enacting drama, evokes it via a wide variety of psycho - sensorial phenomena with roots reaching into the deep- est mythological structures of both the prehistoric past and what will probably become the posthistoric future. Musically, Lih opens with a long, evocative flute solo (recorded here with a sumptuous reverberation that greatly enhances the junglelike atmosphere) accompanied here and there by different varieties of bells-including the wind chimes heard in Kirchner's Musicfor Orchestra(also a part ofHenderson).Chinese bells. celesta, and vibraphone. This is followed by a much more chaotic section that brings in other instruments of the chamber orchestra and introduces what is probably the principal motive inthis nondevelopmental work-a single note repeated in a free accelerando, a rhythmic pattern that can be heard in any number of Kirchner's compositions, including the Second String Quartet recorded here on the flip side. To complement scenically this opening instrumental prelude. Kirchner has envis- aged a stage whose darkness is broken only by flashes of How to create an extraordinary musical ambience? Leon various colored lights and, later, by moving screens on Kirchner and ensemble member Lorin Hollander work out which are projected visual realizations of some of the the details during the recording of Kirchner'sLily. primordial nature symbols that pervade the Bellow novel. clearing of an immense jungle forest"). Henderson's From the midst of the extraordinary musical am- long, spoken monologue, occasionally dying away in bience created by Kirchner arises the voice of Mtalba. echoes, is superimposed over the mingled instrumental who sings. in an unrecognizable language that is "per- and electronic sounds. It is Kirchner himself who offers

haps African or Aztec . . . or ancient Polynesian," an an impassioned reading of the narration, in which Hen- "aria of love and submission" to Henderson. Although derson reminisces on the meaning of wasted life. hardly operatic in the traditional sense, this aria is none- Eventually, the electronic sounds are reduced to oc- theless a coloratura showpiece-including a fiendish leap casional buzzes and bleeps, evoking once again the scat- to the F above high C-that should satisfy anyone's de- tered bits of animal and insect life in the quiet jungle; sire for vocal acrobatics, and it is sung here with perfect and then, following an almost romantic violin solo control and expression by Diana Hoagland. (vaguely recalling Kirchner's Sonata Concertante) and This bizarre and yet curiously moving love aria gives an extremely melancholic piano introduction, we hear way to a central section in which electronic material is the voice of a slightly tipsy Lily (also sung by Diana heard for the first time, accompanied by various out- Hoagland), Henderson's abandoned wife, singing an oc- bursts from the "live" instruments. Among other things, casionally jazzy song that begins with the unlikely lyrics, we hear a vocalizing female voice (sung by Kirchner's "Meet me in my orgone box with a double bourbon on wife, Gertrude) that doubles and triples itself and moves the rocks." Mtalba is heard once again before the music about freely within the sonic ambience; and as the taped simply dies away into a darkness from which the strange voice multiplies, new images on the moving screens are electronic chatter, once it has begun, is no longer fully seen in double and triple exposures. visually reproduc- absent. ing what is being heard, creating what should be an al- What is perhaps the most rewarding in all this, over most overwhelming impression of totality. Then, as and above what I find to be one of the most brilliantly Henderson is seen for the first time ("in a cathedral -like original conceptions of musical theater I know of, is that

MARCH 1974 79 Kirchner's music, in spite of the many new directions it compositions. And even in the much more conventional, takes vis-à-vis the composer's earlier works, remains un- three -movement quartet, one can see that Kirchner is mistakably Kirchner. Kirchner has shown here a rare consistently more concerned with an almost abstract def- ability to explore new territory with enough skill and inition of musical space than he is with developing any- care so as not to lose sight of the old, thus giving Lih a thing resembling a theme, tonal or otherwise. Thus, al- richness that can be felt even if one is unfamiliar with the though this austere work offers certain motives (many of rest of the composer's output. Even the pop elements of them rhythmic) that are recognizable when cyclically re- Lily's aria, instead of falling into the facility of the peated in the last two movements, the work's greatest mixed -media genre, maintain the distinct profile of the impact stems from the manner in which carefully con- composer's personal style. ceived networks of rhythm. timbre, and pitch are inter- This disc realization of Kirchner's efforts could not be woven and then juxtaposed within each movement. all more gratifying-the composer leads the skilled soloists of this done in accordance not with quasi -mathematical of "The Ensemble" (a chamber group of Marlboro calculation but in a seemingly romantic flow. And thus people including James Buswell IV on the violin and Lo- one is moved more by the sudden shift from low to high rin Hollander on the celesta) in a beautifully co-ordi- or by the appearance of a solitary rhythmic pattern than nated and expertly balanced interplay of sound and si- by the recognition of a particular melodic and/or har- lence, and the recorded sound maintains a perfect monic progression. The work represents a perfect com- equilibrium between clarity and resonance, between live plement for Lift and, although Ifeel that the Lenox performance and taped effects.I might add that. al- Quartet has sacrificed the definition of certain motives to though I have so far heard only the two -channel version. attain an ensemble sound. the Second Quartet has been in which stereo directional possibilities have been turned expertly and energetically performed by the Lenox into an integral part of the work, the quadriphonic po- group and recorded with exceptional clarity. tential of this recording is ear -boggling. The Second String Quartet, composed in 1958, shares KIRCHNER:Henderson: Lily; Quartet for Strings, No. 2. Diana with Lilt that moody, highly personal and expressionis- Hoagland, soprano; The Ensemble, Leon Kirchner, cond. (in tic quality that represents a Kirchner trademark and that Lily).Lenox Quartet (in the quartet). [Jay David Saks, prod.] has its roots in the era and state of mind that produced COLUMBIA M 32740,$5.98. Quadriphonic: MO 32740 (SQ-en- Schoenberg's Erwartung and almost all of Alban Berg's coded disc), $6.98.

sions of Bach's Brandenburgs on the domestic recorders. The Fifth offers, at the end of the classical market. But it can safely be said that no matter first movement, an abridged harpsichord ca- what your interpretive tastes may be. you must denza that ends with theatrical chromatic reviened hear this new set. Not because itis superbly runs. And the Sixth uses an organ for the con- ROYAL S. BROWN played and superbly recorded-although its tinuo. There are numerous other smaller. sub- ABRAM CHIPMAN virtues in those respects certainly place it near tler changes throughout. most of which are de- R. D. DARRELL the very top. Not because it is "the best"-as if lineated or atleastindicatedinthe set's any collection so rich and so often recorded as extensive notes. PETER G. DAVIS the Brandenburgs could have a "best." But be- The performances. recorded in evrly. 1971. SHIRLEY FLEMING cause it is unique. were the last in which Dart participated. and ALFRED FRANKENSTEIN What we have here is a performing edition constitute a tribute to him (he had himself di- KENNETH FURIE prepared by thelateBritishmusicologist rected a recording of the Brandenburgs in the CLIFFORD F. GILMORE Thurston Dart (with practical aid from his late 1950s with the Philomusica of London. long-time friend and collaborator. Marriner) which he at that time directed: the old set, HARRIS GOLDSMITH which attempts to go hack to Bach's early in- Oiseau-Lyre OLS 60005/6, is less radical in its DAVID HAMILTON tentions for these pieces. before he prepared choice of edition but remains a fine, scholarly. DALE S. HARRIS the final Dedication Copy for the MargrMAi 'of musical statement of the scores). Dart himself PHILIP HART Brandenburg in 1721. The phrase "first ver- played continuo for the entire Third and for PAUL HENRY LANG sion" on the jacket is a little misleading. in that the first movements of the Second and Fourth. Dart's reconstructions are based on a variety ANDREA MCMAHON When he was too ill to continue, he was re- of sources, mixed with his own solidly based placed by Philip Ledger, Colin Tilney, Ray- ROBERT C. MARSH intuition and some inspired guesswork. And mond Leppard. and George Malcolm (who ROBERT P. MORGAN the results are presented with charming diffi- plays in the Fifth). and it is the highest praise ANDREW PORTER dence: "Nobody will deny." says producer that the differences are not easily noticeable H. C. ROBBINS LANDON Erik Smith in his notes. "that the Dedication (Tilney handles the organ for the Sixth). Copy represents Bach's last thoughts on the Needless to say.in more normal musi- JOHN ROCKWELL concertos." The present performances are not cological matters this set represents a fine SUSAN THIEMANN SOMMER designed to displace the accepted versions. but blend of intuitive musicianship and scholarly to offer an insight into the way Bach worked: conscientiousness. and the Academy's work is BACH:Brandenburg Concertos (6),S. "They are made available."saysSmith sim- up to its very best. In short. not so much com- 1046-51 (ed.Dart). Philip Ledger, Colin Til- ply. "for the consideration of all." petition for the other Brandenburg sets as an ney, Thurston Dart, Raymond Leppard, and Some of the movements have little more invaluable adjunct to them. J R. George Malcolm, harpsichords; Colin Tilney, than minor textual alterations. and some con- organ (in No. 6); Academy of St. Martin -in - certos sound more radically different from the Explanation of symbols the -Fields,Neville Marriner, cond.[Erik familiar editions than others. But every one Classical- Smith, prod.] PHILIPS 6700 045, $13.96 (two will bring you up sharply somewhere along discs). the line if you know these concertos at all. IBI Budget Concertos: No. 1. in F (with Alan Loveday, violin); No. 2, in The First is in only three movements: the re- [HI Historical F (with lona Brown, violin; David Munrow. recorder; Neil mainder. in the 1721 version, is tacked on as Black, oboe; Barry Tuckwell, horn); No. 3. in G (with Reissue Brown); No. 4, in G (with Loveday; Munrow and John an appendix. The Second uses a horn (played Turner, sopranino recorders); No. 5, in D (with Brown; by Barry Tuckwell), a fifth lower than the writ- Recorded tape Claude Monteux, flute; George Malcolm, harpsichord); ten notes,instead of a trumpet. a fourth Open Reel No. 6, in B flat (with Stephen Shingles and Margaret Ma- higher. The Third (the least altered of all) jor. violas; Roderick Skeaping and Kenneth Skeaping, io viole da gamba). bridges the first and third movements with the 8 -Track Cartridge Adagio from Bach's Violin Sonata in G (S. 0 Cassette There aresome twenty currently available ver- 1021). The Fourth uses piccololike sopranino

80 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9, in D minor, Op. 125 (Choral) (arr. Liszt). Lour Festival Cantata. Richard and John Contiguglia, pi- WIOS. CONNOISSEUR SOCIETY CSO 2052, $9.98 (two SO -encoded discs).

This recording has a certain value, for it dis- proves the myth of Liszt as the flamboyant egotist who bent all music to serve his own interests. As scholars know, his edition of the Beethoven piano sonatas is one of the most self-effacing of all-virtually an Urtext. That same fidelity comes through in this remarkably undoctored two -piano reduction of the Ninth Symphony. Of course a distinction must be made between such a literal translation and the familiar Liszt-Rachmaninoff type of paraphrase. it is one thing to seize upon a composition and give it new creative life in another instrumental medium: Liszt's brilliant etudes after Paga- The LaSalle Quartet-one of the finest quartets presently performing. nini, for example, brilliantly re-create violinis-

tic fireworks in pianistic terms. But 1 can't BEETHovEN: Fantasy for Piano, Chorus, and The LaSalle plays the original version of believe that Liszt's piano versions of the or- Orchestra, in C minor, Op. 80; Concerto for Op. 130-that is. with the Grosse Fuge as fi- chestral repertory were intended as more than Piano and Orchestra, No. 2, in B flat, Op. nale. Their reading is very careful, even me- vehicles for disseminating this music in 19. Jan Panenka, piano; Prague Radio ticulous. and some may feel that they sacrifice prephonographic days. Chorus; Prague Symphony Orchestra, Va- too much excitement for control. It is true. cer- Indeed this Ninth is preferable to not hear- clay Smetadek, cond. [Zdenek Zahradnik (in tainly. that this is a rather subdued performing the music at all, but once you know the Op. 80) and Jan Vrana (in Op. 19), prod.] ance. butIfind that the sense of the piece original it sounds mighty pale. True, certain SUPRAPHON 110 1118, $5.98. comes through very well. They give the im- details emerge more clearly from this mo- pression. however. of allowing the work to nochromatic, watered-down reduction than This is a really excellent Choral Fantasy. Pa- take shape as if "on its own"-by scrupulous from most orchestral versions. But two pianos nenka's opening cadenza is alert. well struc- observance of the markings and a careful gra- cannot approximate the thrilling sounds of tured. full of nuanced light and shade. and yet dation of balances. In other words, they do not large orchestra, a full chorus, and four vocal massively powerful. Smetkek leads his forces hammer home their points through "dramatic soloists. Surprisingly, the choral finale strikes with pulse. discretion, admirable detail, and a punctuations" of various kinds. The differ- me as by far the least unsuccessful movement. welcome cumulative grasp. One or two epi- entiation of parts in the texture is particularly The Contiguglia brothers play with a re- sodes strike me as overly staid, but only when good. a point that becomes especially impor- fined sense of nuance and tonal precision measured against the ideal Serkin/Casals/ tant in the fugue. Rarely have I heard this but-even as pianists-they lack the requisite Marlboro rendition that Columbia is inex- movement sound clearer and less forced:it vigor and dynamism for Beethoven's music. cusably withholding from the music -loving does not, as is so often the case, become a sort This is particularly so in the scherzo (shorn of public. By any other standards, this is more of tortured. wildly scrambling tour de force all repeats) and in the Adagio, though all the than admirable:I am tempted to call it the that completely overpowers the rest of the movements are somewhat anemic and tenta- best Choral Fantasy on commercial records. quartet. but simply takes its place as the logical tive in their cool-headed, salonish rendition. Strongly reproduced too. climax for the piece as a whole. There is even less justification for recording The overside concerto seems to he a much Despite a few reservations-such asthe Liles own Festival Cantata (also a reduction older, and duller, reproduction. The balance is opening of the second movement, which of a chorus -and -orchestra original). This un- good but the strings lack bloom and color. As sounds overly "flip" due to the way the caden- fortunate remnant of an 1845 Beethoven Me- a performance it has sturdy rhythm and good tial chords are articulated (very hard and loud. morial Festival at Bonn is a really dreadful classical structure, but Panenka's sturdy fin- but with little sense of real rhythmic weight)- potpourri that has as its centerpiece a trun- gerwork lacks the nuance and personality of a this seems to me the most successful of the cated and woefully sentimentalized abomi- true soloist: He sounds rather stolid and neu- available single recordings of Op. 130. The nation of the third movement of Beethoven's tral. Incidentally, he uses an unfamiliar ca- Yale Quartet provides a very fine performance Archduke Trio. Surely it does no honor to denza in the first movement (his own?).H.G. of the second version. which replaces the either Liszt or Beethoven to dig up this long - Grosse Fuge with an alternate finale. com- lost. best -forgotten corpse. posed by Beethoven some nine months after I did not hear these discs quadriphonically, the other movements were completed. The but in stereo the tone is full and resonant, with BEETHOVEN: Quartet for Strings, No. 13, in Yale's playing is somewhat more assertive in some astute separation and an alarming num- B flat,Op. 130 (originalversion,with character, although it is also very convincing ber of scrunches. pops. ticks, and other press- Grosse Fuge, Op. 133). LaSalle Quartet. musically. But I confess that I am now so coming defects. What has happened to Connois- [Rainer Brock, prod.] DEUTSCHE GRAMMO- mitted to the original version that the new fi- seur Society's quality control of late? H.G. PHON 2530 351, $7.98. nale seems something of a letdown. The Quar- Comparisons: Ouartetto Italian() (both finales) Phi. 839 795 tette Italiano gives both versions (i.e.. both Yale Quartet (rev. version) Card. C 10096 finales are played): but since the Grosse Fuge is placed first. the closing movement comes BERuoz: Vocal Works. Eleanor Ste- The LaSalle Quartet, which makes its home in out sounding like a weak afterthought. More- 181ber, soprano; Columbia Symphony Cincinnati. is well known to those interested over, their performance is stiff by comparison Orchestra,Dimitri Mitropoulos (in in twentieth-century music for its excellent with the other two, lacking their unforced and Nuits Tete) and Jean Morel (in the re- DG set of the complete works for string quar- flexible rhythmic flow. maining works), cond. ODYSSEY Y tet by Schoenberg. Webern. and Berg-as well DG is already represented in the catalogue 32360, $2.98 (mono) [from COLUMBIA as for its recordings of quartets by such con- with a complete issue of the Beethoven quar- ML 4940, recorded in 1953]. Nuits crate. Op. 7: La Captive. Op. 12: Le ieune 'Aire Bre- temporaries as Ligeti. Penderecki. and Luto- tets as played by the Amadeus Quartet. This is ton Op. 13. No. 4: Zaide. Op. 19, No. 1. slawski. As far as I know, however. this is their one of the best integral versions available: but Comparison-Nuits date: first issue of a piece from the more standard this new issue is certainly good enough to war- Crespin, Ansermeti Suisse Romande Lon. OS 25821 repertoire. but it is good enough to leave no rant continuation. and I would very much like doubt that this is one of the finest quartets to hear what the LaSalle would do with the Eleanor Steber's performance of these songs presently performing. other works. R.P.M. deserved to be reissued. Steber was an early

MARCH 1974 81 partisan of Berlioz' vocal music. Nowadays we Orchestra. Lawrence Weller, baritone; Phila- are so used to Berlioz. so at ease with his musi- delphia Composers' Forum, Joel Thome, cal personality, that it comes as something of a cond. (in the Crumb). Contemporary Cham- shock to realize how very recently he has been ber Players of the University of Chicago, incorporated into the ranks of standard com- Ralph Shapey, cond. (in the Sessions). Dem posers. Nulls

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Always has been. ©TEA(' 1973 It plays together very well, with certain preci- The two rhapsodies are more obviously part The Clarinet Rhapsody has had its share of sion but also with the kind of careful nuance and parcel of the mature Debussy who had topflight editions. from the shellac -era Good- and subtle interaction that is essential to the "found" his special ambience. Of course the man/Barbirolli. right up to such recent win- projection of this music. master had his resistances to the Saxophone ners as Gugholz' (apetite and shy inter- Itis difficult to imagine a more different Rhapsody as well, at first procrastinating its pretation. whose buyers also get the ultrarare score from Crumb's than Roger Sessions' con- basic composition untilthefine day that K/tainma ballet and Ansermet's penultimate certino for chamber orchestra, written in 1972. American lady showed up on his doorstep to realization of La Mellor Dc Peyer's (a sec. vir- yet this piece is equally impressive in AS way. demand the result of her commission. (What a tuoso romp. sharing a side %%it h Printemps and Sessionsisstill concerned with large-scale scene dim must have been!) Later, he left its backed by Boulez' detiniti\ e \ octurnes). A.C. linear direction and with musical motion that orchestrationto he completed by Roger- is goal -oriented, unfolding gradually over an Duca.sse, in contrast to his spontaneous under- extended. sectionally articulated form. The taking of a similar task for the previously pi- DONIZETTI: Lucia diLammermoor. present piece is a fine example. perhaps some- B Lucia Lily Pons (s) ano -accompanied Clarinet Rhapsody-pub- Edgard() Richard Tucker (t) what less richly complex than the composer's lished as the "Premiere rapsodie," though Enrico Frank Guarrera (b) other recent works, but nevertheless a compo- there was never a deuxteme! The latter work Raimondo Norman Scott (bs) sition of remarkable technical achievement Arturo Thomas Hayward (0 needs no selling jobs nowadays. The Saxo- Alisa Thelma Votipka (s) and expressive power. Sessionsis known phone Rhapsody. however, has failed to be Normanno James McCracken (t) mainly as a symphonist. and it seems to me recognized as the delectable momeau it is. with Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra, that there are moments when the concertino is its syncopated Hispanic flavor,its sensual Fausto Cleva, cond. ODYSSEY Y2 32361, straining at the limits of its medium (the work languor, and that funny little coda straight out $5.96 (two discs, mono) [from COLUMBIA SL could. I feel, be effectively rescored for large of Iberia. 127, recorded January -February 1954]. orchestra), although this may to some extent Irather like the light -handed pianism of Comparisons-bargain editions: be a reflection of problems in the perform- Marylene Dosse on this recording. Too bad Callas, Di Stefano, Serafin Sera. IB 6032 ance. The latter is by no means bad, but it fails she isn't seconded by an equally adept and Scotto. Di Stefano. Sanzogno Es. S 439/2 Pucctio: La Boheme. to communicate the same sort of conviction athletic ensemble. Unfortunately, the Luxem- that is heard, for example. in the Crumb. Ev- B Mimi Bidu Sayao (s) burg Radio Orchestra is no mouse that roared. Rodolfo Richard Tucker (I) erythingisthere, but the players seem a and the puny. off -tune noises they make can- Musetta Mimi Benzell (s) bit unsure, and consequently the effectis not be redeemed by De Froment's obvious af- Marcell° Francesco Valentino (b) Collin Nicola Moscona (bs) somewhat constricted, too careful to convey fection for the music and his ample feel for its Schaunard George Cehanovsky (b) the strong character of the music. over-all pulse and contour. Benoit; Alcindoro Salvatore Baccaloni (bs) Both composers supply excellent notes on The two wind soloists here are best de- Parpignol Lodovico Oliviero (t) their pieces. In addition there is a four -page scribed as "wisely cautious" players. in view of Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra, insert that includes the Lorca poems in their their thin and monochromatic tones. their Giuseppe Antonicelli,cond. ODYSSEY Y2 original Spanish (the language in which painfully nervous handling of rapid passages. 32364, $5.96 (two discs, mono) [recorded Crumb sets them) and in translation, and, and their metrical rigidity. Again. the orches- December 1947]. moreover, the first line of the full score for tral work is tolerably provincial. Comparisons-bargain editions: each of the eight numbers in the Crumb piece. Albanese, Gigli, Berrettoni Sera. IB 6038 Attractive though the notion is. then, of Albanese, Peerce, Toscanini Victr. VICS 6019 This is particolarly welcome here, as Crumb's having the "Complete Concertos of Debussy" De los Angeles, Bjoerling, Beecham Sera. 166000 scores are in themselves objects of consider- on one disc, the present issue is clearly vulner- able visual beauty and interest. Despite their able to its more spread -around competition. I Here is the second installment of Odyssey's unusual format, they are relatively easy to fol- include among these the polished, solidly reissue of Columbia's Metropolitan Opera low once the reader has accustomed himself to journeyman -level Kars/Gibson Fantasy (in- series. (I reviewed the Carmen excerpts and the layout. Perhaps this will encourage some structively coupled with the Delius concerto) complete Faust and Butterfly in September listeners, on the basis of what has been given and the slightly overweight. if thoroughly pro- 1973.) The Boheme, one of the first to be re- here. to go out and purchase the complete fessionalized.Bernsteintreatments of the corded, is a fair representation of casting for score. R.P.M. rhapsodies (paired with assorted fare of this opera at the house in the late Forties-in Honegger). No longer available. alas, is Mar- fact, this cast actually did sing together at one DEBUSSY: Fantasy for Piano and Or- cel Mule's insinuating rendition of the Saxo- performance, later in the 1947-48 season. The Bchestra; Rhapsody for Clarinet and phone Rhapsody (on a ten -inch Capitol elements are worthy. but they don't add up to Orchestra; Rhapsody for Saxo- mono) or the charming Fevrier/Tzipine Piano an either enlivening or touching whole. Sayao phone and Orchestra. Marylene Fantasy (a French Columbia record also con- should be very good. one feels, but the usual Dosse, piano; Serge Dangain, clarinet; taining the most imperious statement I've ever conviction of her work is not present: this is Jean-Marie Londeix, saxophone; Lux- heard of Ravel's concerto for the left hand). neatly vocalized, but certainly not impas- emburg Radio Orchestra, Louis de sioned. not moodful. Tucker. then new at his Froment, cond. CANDIDE CE 31069, part. is reliable if hardly exuberant: he makes $3.98. the standard transpositions to avoid high Cs at Comparison-Piano Fantasy. the standard places in Act I. Benzell is simply Kars. Gibson London Sym. Lon. CS 6657 Comparisons-Clarinet Rhapsody: brittle-a foursquare and tiresome perform- Drucker, Bernstein/ N.Y. Phil. Col. MS 6659 ance. The others are all competent (most of Gugholz, Ansermet Suisse Rom. Lon. CS 6437 them took the same parts in Toscanini's per- De Peyer, Boulez/ New Phil. Col. M 30483 Comparison-Saxophone Rhapsody: formance twenty-two months earlier). The Rascher, Bernstein/N.Y. Phil. Col. MS 6659 blame for the generally listless proceedings would seem to rest primarily on the shoulders If you. like me, are fascinated by fledgling of Antonicelli, who provides little impetus or works of the great composers. a knowledge of pointing, almost no sense of long-range thrust Debussy's Fantasy will be essential. Com- to carry through, for example. the multi- pleted in 1890, the piece was held back from farious tempo changes of the second act. The public performance during most of its dissatis- lightly boxy sound may make the playing fied creator's lifetime. The first movement sound heavier than it actually was. Given the travels a long and significant stylistic path. At level of competition at the bargain -price level, one point, literal homage seems to be paid to this Boheme is hardly in the running. D'Indy's Symphony on a French Mountain The Lucia is a disappointment of another Air. Moments later, the woodwind writing sort. Cleva conducts rather firmly, and there is takes us into the subterranean grottos of Pel- some fine orchestral playing, especially from leas. So sure is the young Frenchman's com- the horn section (then led by Gunther Schull- mand of musical seam and substance, how- er) in the "Soffriva nel pianto" duet. Tucker is ever. that the altitude change hardly disturbs. typically firm in rhythm and tone, although he After a murmuring slow movement, there is a Lily Pons as Lucia- becomes decidedly lachrymose in the Tomb cascading, dancelike finale. a role recorded too late. Scene. The other supporting singers may be

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CIRCLE 21 ON READER -SERVICE CARD MARCH 1974 85 described, with some charity, as routine-al- FRAKAIX: Quintet. VILLA Losos: Quintette background music of countless film shorts (the though the first voice you hear, that of James en forme de choros. DOWNEY: Agort. Wood- woodwind quintet offers an economical me- McCracken, is clearly a rather potent sound. wind Arts Quintet. ORION ORS 73123, $5.98. dium for the soundtrack score) of the Sex Life But what is Lucia without Lucia? As the his- of the Paramecium variety. tory books tell us. Lily Pons was a Metropoli- Itis easy to see why a recording company The Downey piece suffers. I feel, from over - tan fixture in this role-or, rather, a Metropoli- would be attracted by the Woodwind Arts intellectualization. Besides referring to a tan monopoly. From her debut in 1931 until Quintet. Each member of the group elicits an Greek word (agora) implying the kind of dem- 1944, except for a single performance nobody exceptionally rich tone from his instrument ocratic discourse of which the five instruments else sang the part in the house, and she contin- and manifests outstanding technical gifts. And are supposed to offer a musical example, the ued to do it, if sporadically. until 1958. At one the old cliché of a group playing like a single title Agort furnishes one of its letters to each of time, it seems to have been a performance of instrument applies threefold to the Woodwind the work's five movements, which are sup- charm, if hardly of power. That time had Arts ensemble-the tutti work (particularly posed to capture the phonetic essence of the passed when this recording was made: The difficultinthe pieces recorded here) ap- particular letter. The result, as one might ex- tone is unsteady when sustained, limited in dy- proaches the uncann. the interpretive spark is pect.is a melange of styles-a device that namics. breathy in color. A very sketchy gargle intense, and the blending of the instrumental- seems to be coming into its own these days- passes for a trill, and the fioritura is pumped ists' superb tones is remarkably smooth. And including some modernistic uses of glissandos out in an effortful nonlegato. As always. she in spite of some occasional distortion and and micro -intervals in the A movement. a few takes the Fountain Aria up a semitone (thus echo, the sound and stereo balance of the tone clusters in the T movement. and some rel- restoring, if inadvertently, the key of Doni- Orion disc highlight every one of the quintet's atively conventional writing in between. It is zetti's manuscript) and the Mad Scene up a attributes. easy to see how the mercurial patterns of the R whole tone; her top notes were never a prob- Imust say. however, that the repertoire movement are supposed to capture the liquid- lem, but the middle register was always weak. leaves me groping for synonyms for shallow ity of that consonant; but I found myself less The Pons intonation was never of the surest- and uninspired. I grumbled in a recent review than spellbound by the whole idea. Agort of- even her 1930 Mad Scene (Victrola VIC 1473) about Francaix's masterpiece of insipidity and fers a few hints of the highly inventive rhyth- is flawed in this respect. although vastly more hapless attempts at musical humor, so there is mic language that pervades Downey's brilliant sparkling of tone than the 1954 one-and the little point in beating a very dead horse, in cello sonata (Composers Recordings SD 234). purity of sound that once enabled her to carry spite of the Woodwind Arts Quintet's admi- But my advice is to buy the CR1 disc, which through the ensembles has gone; here she is rable efforts to resuscitate it. contains not only Downey at his best, which is palpably boosted in the Sextet to match the The Villa Lobos Quintette en forme de quite impressive, but also Alan Stout's haunt- general volume. This recording is surely not a choros. with the original English horn part ing and intense cello sonata. R.S.B. fair representation of the Pons Lucia, and she played on this disc by the horn, shows perhaps was unwise to have taken part in it at so late a the best use of the medium of the three works. date. Written in1923, the quintet is one of the HANDEL: Royal Fireworks Music; Concerti a Both sets come with Met house librettos that Brazilian composer's more modern -sounding due core: No. 2, in F; No. 3, in F. English correspond to the texts sung in these perform- compositions. and itfeatures, among other Chamber Orchestra, Karl Richter, cond. ances. D.H. things, some interesting effects with over- [Gerd Ploebsch, prod.] ARCHIV 2533 151, lapping sonorities. But much of the work con- $7.98. sists of the kind of empty ostinatos and vapid HANDEL: Overtures. London Philharmonic DOWNEY: Agort -See Francaix Quintet melodic patterns that have characterized the Orchestra,KarlRichter,cond. [Gerd

1-10ROVVITZ, Horowitz's statements atIVIONI NTA. about the Appassionata SMINTN and Waldstein sonatas. APPA.SSIONSTASOII WANDS-1E1N he Appassionata and Waldstein sonatas are two of Beethoven's piano mast rpieces. In the words of Mr. Horo itz, the Appassionata sings with heroic .pirit and turbulent emotion and th Waldstein is charged with epic splendo.In this new recording, his perform nces bring his conception to a new an remarkable life. On Colum is Records .1. and Tapes The most precise tonearm has been added to the most sophisticated electronic turntable ever produced. When the now legendary Thorens Other features include: precision, You'll see for yourself why High Fidelity TD -125 electronic transcription turn- 2 -way damped, front panel cueing said: " This beautiful instrument table first revolutionized the high fidelitycontrol; 7 lb., I2 -inch dynamically provides a mark for others to aim at." world, Stereo Review acclaimed it as balanced non-ferrous die cast platter; Elpa Marketing Industries, Inc., "unquestionably one of the elite among tonearm and drive system isolated for New Hyde Park, N.Y. 11040 / 7301 E. record players. It would be hard to shock -free operation; new resonant -free Evans Rd., Scottsdale, Ariz. 85260 / imagine a unit that performs better." rubber turntable mat; 162/3, 331/2, 45 Canada: Tri-Tel Assocs. Impossible as it may seem, we've rpm speeds; walnut base. eclipsed ourselves with the Thorens Visit your Thoren3 dealer for a TD-125AB Mark II. TD-125AB Mark II de -nor stt ation. TH01131 To start, its completely new, nine inch straight tubular TP-16 gimbal TD-125AB MARK H suspension tonearm is mounted on polished ball bearings. The result is rock steady balance regardless of the gyra- tions in the groove. Then there's frictionless anti -skating control. No springs. No weights. Designed for ultra low tracking, you can use any quality high compliance car- tridgeintheplug-inshell. Tracking error isless than 0.2°. Motor rotor speed must be precise. That's why the TD-125AB Mark II uses a solid state electronic motor drive system. A solid state Wien bridge oscillator governs the rotor speed of the instant - starting, high torque, belt -driven 16 -pole synchronous motor. Rumble is reduced to inaudibility. You can make instant speed adjustments (± 2%) and monitor them on the built-in illuminated stroboscope.

CIRCLE 14 ON READER -SERVICE CARD MARCH 1974 87 Ploebsch,prod.] DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2530 342, $7.98. Alcina; Deidamia; Agrippina; Radamisto; Rinaldo; Jephtha: Rodelinda; Belshazzar; Susanna. HANDEL: Vocal Works; Joseph: Overture. Halina Lukomska and Elly Ameling, sopranos; Theo Altmeyer, tenor; Collegium Au- reum. [Alfred Kring and Heinz Handsen, prod.] BASF KHF 21687, $9.98 (two discs). Cantatas: Praise of Harmony; Nel dolce dell' oblio; the troppo inegali. Silete venti.

By now Karl Richter has emerged as one of the most distinguished interpreters of eight- eenth -century music-of both halves of the century. The Royal Fireworks Music is given a spacious performance. as are the concertos. and they pleasantly reflect the feeling of the out-of-doors. The concertos a due cori are really for three, not two. "choirs": strings. woodwinds. and brass; this is not profound music, and Handel casually borrowed from Messiah, but it is buoyant and brilliantly orchestrated. Perhaps the pieces were written for still another water party. with three barges for the musicians. Richter is in turn solemn, bantering, and elegiac: the antiphonal effects and Karl Richter-his Handel is in turn solemn, bantering, and elegiac. the contrasting timbres are well brought out: operas composed by Handel. but the perform- chestra, in E minor, Op. 64. BRUCH: Con- the winds are marvelously in tune, and the ances leave much to be desired. One feels the certo for Violin and Orchestra, No. 1, in G horns in particular play their difficult parts absence of an authoritative conductor. and in- minor, Op. 26. Itzhak Perlman, violin; Lon- without ever hitting a wrong tone. deed this performance is not conducted, but don Symphony Orchestra, Andre Previn, With the overtures we leave the alfresco directed by a "leader." Because in Handel's cond. [Suvi Raj Grubb, prod.] ANGEL S style: they are of the French type, but Handel time they did not flail the air with a baton. a 36963, $5.98. Tape: 8XS 36963, $7.98; manages a great variety within the generic self-respecting and up-to-dateL r -perform- se 4XS 36963, $7.98. scheme. They begin with a slow introduction ance group would not commit the heresy of MENciELssoHN: Concerto for Violin and Or- full of pathos. pomposo, which is followed by employing a maestro. The net result is that chestra, In E minor, Op. 64. TCHAIKOVSKY: a loosely constructed fugue; Handel does not while the musicians stay together. their per- Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, in D, stop here, however, adding a minuet or ga- formance is anonymous. Op. 35. Nathan Milstein, violin; Vienna Phil- votte, making the French overture into a sort And the "leader" pays little attention to harmonic Orchestra, Claudio Abbado, cond. of suite. His fugues are a delight. He ignores what his soloist does: Halina Lukomska could [Rainer Brock, prod.] DEUTSCHE GRAMMO- the established rules and just goes ahead with do much better with proper supervision. She PHON 2530 359, $7.98. gusto, for he had only one supreme rule: The has a split musical personality-a clear so- music must sound well, and if linear logic prano timbre on top, but a quite different. It's impossible to complain about endless du- would carry him into an unfavorable register nutty-mezzoish quality in the lower regions. plication of standard repertory when the inter- he simply abandons the logic for caprice. She is not helped by a pronounced echo: the pretations are as carefully thought out and as Handel knew as much counterpoint as any of ends of sentences wash over into the next. successfully executed as on these two discs. his redoubtable contemporaries, but he was making for poor articulation, especially when Since it seems you can't market anything not interested in "strict" counterpoint-he was combined with the uniformly legato playing that isn't some kind of first. Angel takes pains a dramatist. Listen to the overture to Dei- and unvaried pace. The beautiful melodic to note that this Bruch/Mendelssohn coupling damia-it is an operatic fantasy: Radamisto has turns antiphonally distributed between voice is the first Perlman/Previn collaboration on a concealed violin concerto; the introduction and orchestra are just rolled off without any Angel. (They did, of course. record together to Joseph violates every known convention; attempt at contrasting or complementary in- when both were under contract to RCA.) The Belsha::ar surprises with sudden dramatic terpretation. reunion turns out to be a notable event. Previn changes: while the uncommon fugue theme in Of the others, Elly Ameling is a cultivated has suddenly emerged as one of the finest con- Susanna would have raised Bach's eyebrows. singer with a pleasant and well -schooled so- ductors around. His abilityto animate a Everything is first-class in these perform- prano. She is quite independent of the leader. phrase rhythmically and his control of or- ances, the orchestra is alert and responsive, the phrases beautifully, and has an engagingly ex- chestral textures are unsurpassed: and as his engineering tops, the tempos bracing. the en- pressive delivery. The "night thoughts of recent recordings (notably the enthralling Pro- semble impeccable. and those pathos -laden Phyllis" are charming and are charmingly kofiev Romeo and Juliet on Angel SCL 3802 runs are exquisitely timed, not just slurred. sung. Tenor Theo Altmeyer is adequate: ba- and the almost unbearably intense Shostako- There is a carload of fine music in this record- roque flute and oboe are passable: the harpsi- vich Eighth. as yet unreleased domestically) ing. and about the only minor objection to be chord is very good. demonstrate. he has developed a powerful in- raisedisthe occasional dominance of the As noted previously, BASF. though U.S.- terpretive vision. particularly in the Romantic horns. But they are so wonderfully played that based, cannot make up its mind whether to repertory. These brooding performances are I am inclined to withdraw the objection. opt for this country or for the Rhine: The ri- dark, rich, and weighty. Handel's peculiar greatness rests on his diculous bilingual hodgepodge in the titles Perlman's playing has a technical brilliance ability to appeal to every degree and level of spills over into the liner notes. I particularly I've heard equaled only by Heifetz'. The tone musical experience, an ability that in turn is liked the moment when "the tenor sings a fer- remains even and full all the way up the E owing to his phenomenal capacity for absorb- mata." P.H.L. string: articulation is precise even in the most ing every style he encountered and making it elaborate passage work and double stops. The his own. The young German pilgrim in Italy KIRCHNER: Lily; Quartet for Strings, No. 2. Mendelssohn concerto has a unique brilliance instantly recognized the central position of the For a feature review of recordings of these and breadth (possibly too much breadth), cantata in Italian music, and his acclimatiza- works, see page 79. though the tempos are by no means out of the tion to this quintessentially Italian genre and ordinary. The Bruch concerto-hard on the idiom is astonishingly complete after only a heels of the splendid Kyung-Wha Chung ver- few trials; he could be more Italian than the Liszr:Festival Cantata-See Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 sion (London CS 6795)-is even better: this Italians. sturdy, imaginative work can take all the Ro- The cantatas recorded by BASF make a mantic stature Perlman and Previn can bring good selection of the hundred such miniature MENDELSSOHN: Concerto for Violin and Or- toit. The sound-rich and spacious. yet

88 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE 537-3880 (213) 90220/ California Compton, Blvd., Amo Del E. 2139 DeptAl Ltd./ America, AKAI

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If you've been reading the ads on questions - then you're not talking quadraphonic, you're probably aware 4CH to a Pioneer dealer. that most manufacturers claim 'total 2 CH M--1 Pioneer is the only full line of capability' for their receivers. How- quadraphonic receivers that repro- ever, total capability means different IN/ so duces every four -channel program things to each manufacturer. source (CD -4, SQ, RM, discrete) and How, then, you may ask, can you every record label - without adaptors, be certain you're actually getting add-on decoders or demodulators. total quadraphonic capability. QX-949 - $749.95; QX-747 - Simple. Before you buy demand these $649.95; QX-646 - $499.95. Prices answers. include walnut cabinets. 1. Does this quad receiver have U.S. Pioneer Electronics Corp., built-in circuitry to play CD -4 discrete 75 Oxford Drive, records from Warner, Atlantic, Elektra Moonachie, New Jersey 07074 and RCA? West: 13300 S. Estrella, Los Angeles 2. Does this quad receiver play 90248 / Midwest: 1500 Green'eaf, Columbia, Capitcl, Epic and Vanguard two -channel stereo records, tapes Elk Grove Village, Ill. 60007 / SQ matrix four -channel records? and FM flawlessly, with boosted Canada: S. H. Parker Co. 3. Does this quad receiver play the power from its quadraphonic limits? RM matrix records of A&M and Ode? If the answer you receive isn't a 4. Does this quad receiver play resounding "yes" to all these OTO PIONEER* when you want something better CIRCLE 23 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

11111111111111111111111111111111 \ basses; Elmar Schloter, organ; Regensburg Cathedral Choir; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik, cond. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2530 356, $7.98.

This is a curious recording; one would think that each side of the disc has its own conductor. performers, and engineers, yet only a couple of soloists are different. The Corona- tion Mass isfeatureless, because Kubelik drives his forces pretty relentlessly; even the pauses between movements are uncomfortably brief. The result is a quality of restlessness and overexcitement. and though the orchestra is well recorded the chorus is only variably so. The solo quartet is not balanced, and soprano Edith Mathis, the only one who can be heard distinctly, wobbles. Turn the record and everything changes. The so-called Sparrow Mass is an intimate and joyful work that does not deny life; it is the kind of church music that the Austrians love but the Northerners decry as being too "worldly." At any rate. Kubelik caught the

spirit of innocence of this delightful composi- Nathan Milstein -a stylish approach of his own to Romanticism tion and he is ably supported by his engineers. This time the singers are not driven. Mathis brilliantly detailed -is once again a ke\ ingre- The performances are good. but Colin does not wobble, and she carries the treble of a dient in the success of Angel's Pro in/ LSO Davis was unable to impart to the young well-balanced solo quartet commendably. The bonus piece. the A ye verum corpus, also series. American pianist the vitality of his own Milstein too is a first-rate Romantic stylist. straightforward way with Mozart. Bishop is a goes well; the chorus sings with quiet dignity but of a very different sort. What struck me on good pianist who plays cleanly and clearly, but and Kubelik avoids everything that would dis- first hearing as a lack of involvement I now re- he misjudges the nature of these works: The turb the magic simplicity of this ineffable alizeis simply a studious eschewal of the grandeur is missing and, except in the vi- piece. P.H.L. neuroticism of Romanticism at its most indul- vacious finales, the playing is subdued and a gent. His elegant rubato is inarguably Roman- little placid. NENNA: Vocal and Instrumental tic, but he maintains a clarity of line that, in The melodies in these Allegros may seem B Works. GESUALDO: Gagliarda a 4. this repertory, sounds positively classical. As a simple. and they are simple -until taken up by AccademiaMonteverdiana;Trinity is result these performances have a structural in- the elaborate symphonic development. It Boys' Choir; Accademia Chorus; Jaye these development sections of the tegrity and -without being in Consort of Viols, Denis Stevens, cond. any way unidiomatic -that should wear ex- opening movements that Bishop is unadven- NONESUCH H 71277, $2.98. turous. treating his part as if it were a rococo tremely well. NENNA: Merce grido piangendo; Ahi dispietata a crude: Technically the seventy -year -old Milstein is piece. He takes the strength out of the mel- L'arioroso veleno: Signora io penso: Ricercar a 2; As- in remarkable shape: Virtually every note is odies by almost invariably playing a dimin- ciugate i begli occhi; Deh scoprite it bel serve; Ecco 0 dolce; La mia doglia s'avanza; Lasso ch'io morn: S'io tac- comfortably in place. Only where sheer uendo on every vaulting step of a fifth or cio; Ecco o mia dolce pena; In monte Oliveti; Tristis est strength is required -as in characterizing the larger. anima mea; Tenebrae factae sunt. tone of individual notes in a rapid passage - There is no point in trying to imitate the does his age show. Abbado does a fine job of "Mozart piano"; it only results in a shallow Pomponia Nenna isscarcely a household following the soloist, and naturally the orches- tone. Since the strings and particularly the word. In fact his name doesn't even appear in tra plays well.I wish only that he had paid winds, which are full-fledged partners in these some of the most scholarly history books. more attention to the voicing of orchestral tex- concertos, play naturally -that is. with the best Grove's Dictionary gives him a scant para- tures for optimal ensemble sound -but then tone they can produce -the piano must do graph, and, while the grimly authoritative Die who does these days? (Previn. for one.) Other- likewise. In the old Epic recording of K. 503 Musik in Geschichte and Gegenwart allots him wise. the sound is up to the extremely high (which deserves to be reissued on Odyssey), a full column, there isn't much known to say standard DG has maintained in its Vienna Leon Fleisher, teaming up with George Szell. about this southern Italian contemporary of Philharmonic recordings. obtains beautiful pianos that still have sub- Monteverdi and Palestrina. Even his birth (c. Both of these discs offer sensible (and popu- stance. body. and color, and the grand design 1550-60) and death (1615?) dates are obscure. lar) couplings in deeply committed perform- and virtuosity of the work come through de- Why then issue a full disc devoted to his ances. Now that Perlman and Previn are re- spite the old stereo sound. music? Well, first, because he was a good com- united, there should be a lot more to come. In the heavenly slow movement of K. 467. poser. if not the equal of some more talented Milstein, following his debut disc for DG (and clearly echoing southern Italian church music and hitherto unrecorded contemporaries- his first recording for anybody in a good num- with its garlands of bittersweet suspensions, Marenzio jumps immediately to mind. But 1 ber of years). is working on a set of the Bach every measure seems to carry the super- suspect that Nenna's possible appeal lies more solo sonatas and partitas. That's good news on scription "cantabile," but Bishop does not in his similarity to that most personal and un- both fronts. K. F. sing: he plays nicely but with a denim tone. usual of composers, Carlo Gesualdo, prince of The orchestra is good, though its winds are no Vetiosa. Nenna and Gesualdo came from a MOZART: Concertos for Piano and Orches- match for Szell's Clevelanders, and Davis is similar background. The boot of Italy pro- tra: No. 21, in C, K. 467; No. 25, in C, K. 503. his usual expert stylistic and musical self. duced a number of fine musicians around the Stephen Bishop, piano; London Symphony P.H.L. turn of the sixteenth century: Nenna from Orchestra, Cohn Davis, cond. PHILIPS 6500 Bari; Giovanni Macque, Scipione Dentice, 431, $6.98. MOZART: Mass in C, K. 317 (Coronation); and Gesualdo from Naples; Sigismondo Missa brevis in C, K. 220 (Sparrow); Ave d'India from Palermo. These men shared a These are two of the greatest of Mozart's pi- verum corpus, K. 618. Edith Mathis, soprano common dialect of the contemporary musical ano concertos, and have a good deal in com- (in K. 317 and K. 220); Norma Procter (in K. language. Chromaticism and the surprise ef- mon besides the key of C major. Both are 317) and Tatiana Troyanos (in K. 220), mez- fect which could be produced by a sudden large-scale works, festive, proud. and virtuo- zos; Dona d Grobe (in K. 317) and Horst Lau- shift to an unexpected chord were the basis for sic, and both have exceptionally pensive, af- benthal (in K. 220), tenors; John Shirley - their music. Nenna was one of the first; we fecting, and profound slow movements. Quirk (in K. 317) and Kieth Engen (in K. 220), know he was a member of Gesualdo's musical

MARCH 1974 91 establishment from 1595 to 1598. and he may Oddly enough, he fails to meet his own stand- even have been the prince's teacher. Most im- ards in the tender quietude of "0 dolci mani." portant his madrigals as represented on the where the voice lacks proper support and the Nonesuch release sound remarkably like Ge- phrasing is effortful. Elsewhere he is very fine. sualdo's. Sherrill Milnes is not an effective Scarpia. Like the Neapolitans and unlike most of his His portrayal lacks irony, refinement, shrewd- northern contemporaries. Nenna's madrigals ness. He is more bully boy than manipulator. are basically homophonic. Short choppy He relies more on bombast than cunning. Sur- phrases follow one another like beads on a prisingly enough, he has less voice than the by - string-or perhaps a string of sausages would no -means youthful Taddei of Tosca Mark I. be a better simile, for like sausages Nenna's Top notes do not come easy to either singer, phrases are strongly flavored. Some of his later but Taddei handles all his big moments-e.g., works- Merce grido piangendo from his Fifth the Act II arioso "Gib mi dicon venal" and the Book of madrigals or Lasso ch'io moro from Te Deum at the end of Act I-with more vocal his Eighth, for example-are little more than a fluency than Milnes. Unlike the latter, he also bizarre series of chords echoing, albeit ap- brings great conviction to his characterization. propriately. some violently epigrammatic The other vocalists are sound enough. Paul verse. L'amoroso veleno and Ecco o dolce show Plishka is a satisfactory Sacristan, though he more polyphonic action, but the southern gives way to Corena-like squeals every so of- penchant for chromaticism and dissonance ten. Clifford Grant as Angelotti makes a cav- used in and for itself is still strongly in evi- ernous sound, but his Italian puts one's teeth dence. Nenna's earlier works, the four-part Placido Domingo- on edge: Consonants are far too forward, and madrigals from his First Book and the three - A splendid Cavaradossi hardly one of them is ever doubled correctly. voiced villanelle like Signora io penso, are Zubin Mehta's conducting is more idioma- more conventional, but even here an air of tic than that of Karajan, who often devitalizes melancholy hangs over the music, casting its Puccini's sweep. But Mehta has little feeling shadow in the bright sun of the mezzogiorno. Like her first effort, the new recording offers for the ebb and flow of the composer's orches- Three motets also suggest Gesualdo in their lessa portrayal of the fascinating Floria tral ideas. He often exaggerates the slow pas- choice of penitential texts, but the musical set- Tosca-capricious. temperamental,volatile. sages-e.g., the three -bar postlude to "E luce- tings are more subdued. Tristis est anima mea yet steadfast and resourceful-than a general- vanle stelle"-without being ableto with its well -crafted polyphony and expressive ized account of Puccini's notes and the Giaco- incorporate them into the larger musical state- vocal linesis especially fine. Nenna's little sa-Illica words they clothe. In an interpretive ment, and whole sections like the Te Deum two -voice ricercar, on the other hand, is little sense, the two performances can be thought of are simply too deliberate. In these respects he more than an academic exercise, while the in- together: to all intents and purposes, they are compares unfavorably with Victor de Sabata strumental gagliarda of Gesualdo suggests the same. (Angel), who leads what is still by far the most that this composer needed a poetic impulse to Price's Tosca is by no means lacking in cogent and the best -cast Tosca on records. inspire his musical imagination. drama, in power, or in emotion. It is. however, The new recording is sonically fine, being The soloists of the Accademia Montever- lacking in light and shade, in fluctuation of notably spacious and clear, but some of its diana are predictably excellent, as is the direc- mood. For many people the gorgeousness of perspectives are unsatisfactory. The shepherd tion and total concept of the recording by Price's voice will suffice. There has been no di- boy at the beginning of Act III is too close, and Denis Stevens. I am less enthusiastic about the minution of vocal sumptuousness. The top the Act II cantata, overheard in Scarpia's chorus, but they certainly do an adequate job still blazes up like a beacon. Indeed, the high quarters. sounds as if it's taking place at the with the motets. Nonesuch is again to be con- Cs in Act II of the new recording are even end of the room. There is also far too much gratulated for having given us such an inter- more secure than those on the previous one, pre -echo. We have previews of coming attrac- esting and piquant taste of an unfamiliar del- and the high -lying lyricism of Act III is freer tions all through. One of the most distracting is icacy. S.T.S. and more resplendent than ever. Further- the distant but clear foretaste of Tosca's pierc- more. Price has purified her style. Gone are ing reaction to Cavaradossi's death while she the former dips and glides, the arch porta- is still telling him to get up and fly with her. PUCCINI: La Boheme-See Donizetti: Lucia mentos. Gone, too, are the coarse chest notes. Libretto and translation. D.S.H. di Lammermoor. Everything now is conceived with fineness. To set against all this, though, there is in the latest recording an unmistakable deterioration RACHMANINOFF: Thirteen Preludes. Sviato- PUCCINI: Tosca. in the bottom half of the soprano's vocal slav Richter, piano. [Fritz Ganss, prod.] ME- Rona Tosca Leontyne Price (s) range. Price's lower and lower -middle regis- Mario Cavaradossi Placido Domingo (t) LoclivA /ANGEL SR 40235, $5.98. Baron Scarpia Sherrill Milnes (b) ters were never very strong. Nowadays they Preludes, Op. 23: No. 1, in F sharp minor; No. 2, in B flat: Cesare Angelotti Clifford Grant (bs) are almost without substance. Not only are her No. 4, in D; No. 5. in G minor; No. 7, in C minor; No. 8, in A Sacristan Paul Plishka (bs) flat. Preludes. Op. 32: No. 1, in C; No. 2, in B flat minor; No. Spoletta Francis Egerton (t) long lyrical flights impaired by the unevenness 6, in F minor; No. 7, in F; No. 9, in A; No. 10, in B minor; No. Sciarrone John Gibbs (bs) of her scale, but also the powerful incidents 12. in G sharp minor. Jailer Michael Rippon (bs) that end Act II are rendered ineffectual. Be- Shepherd David Pearl (s) cause she cannot voice low Cs and Ds with any The most significant products of the 1973 Wandsworth School Boys' Choir; John Alldis substantiality, she cannot give the necessary Rachmaninoff centennial were RCA's gala Choir; New Philharmonia Orchestra, Zubin ferocity and exultation to her taunts over the fifteen -disc revival of the great man's own re- Mehta, cond. [Richard Mohr, prod.] RCA RED dying Scarpia: "Muori dannato!Muori, corded legacy [reviewed in January and Feb- SEAL ARL 2-0105, $11.98 (two discs). muori!"("Die in damnation! Die, die!"). Nor. ruary 1974] and the first truly adequate record- Comparisons: Price, Di Stefano, Taddei, Karajan Lon. OSA 1284 for the same reason, can she hold us, as a ing of the Vespers [reviewed on page 97]. Callas, Di Stefano. Gobbi, De Sabata Ang. BL 3508 Tosca should, with her shuddering realization This superlative sampling of the preludes, over Scarpia's corpse that "avanti a lui tremava however, is something to cheer about. With the reversion to London Records of tutta Roma!" ("before him all Rome Richter playing Rachmaninoff is as hard to Leontyne Price's first recording of Tosca, orig- trembled!"). fault as Rachmaninoff playing Rachmani- inally issued in 1963 on the lavish Victor -Soria Domingo's Cavaradossi is splendid, and it is noff! As pianism. it takes one's breath away: series, it is perfectly natural for RCA to want vocally fresher than Di Stefano's in the earlier such ease, such color, such utter style and di- its leading prima donna represented on its Price album. Domingo sings with strength, versity. The intricatetexturesarere- own label by one of her most celebrated roles style. and subtlety. His top notes match Price's splendently delineated, the proportions as and to make sure that she has the backing of for splendor. Moreover, his musicianship is clear as daylight, the tone lustrous and always artists popular with the public right now. In very satisfying here: Listen to the way he singing. For all the effortless perfection of truth, though, the Price Tosca Mark IIis shapes the long, impassioned cantabile of Richter's work, the noble humanity never van- hardly distinguishable from the Price Tosca "Oh! dolci baci.o languide carezze" in "E luce- ishes. His way with this music, while wonder- Mark I, the soprano having discovered in the van le stelle." The propulsion, the shifts in fully idiomatic,is quite different from the interim no new insights. angles. or emphases. weight and emphasis. are perfectly judged. composer's. He tends to be more open -

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CIRCLE 37 ON READER -SERVICE CARD Reich's first pieces of his compositional ma- values) creates all kinds of rhythmic inge- turity involved taking a short phrase (first vo- nuities and more or less unexpected focusings cal, later instrumental) and letting it gradually on harmonic areas and overtone patterns that go out of phase with itself, in stereo. The result quickly transform these pieces into something was that what started out sounding like the quite complex indeed. Reich is still working same phrase being repeated over and over on the exploration of these phenomena. and again through two loudspeakers gradually courts them very deliberately in his more re- shifted, one speaker lagging behind the other, cent work. But they are present in Four Or- such that by the end of the piece, what with gans, as well, and contribute mightily to the continual overlapping, the denotative mean- Gothic, mystical qualities the piece has for the ing (or linear sense) of the original phrase had responsive listener. disappeared, to be replaced by a roaring, rush- Reich's career on records has been a curious ing. rhythmically dazzling mélange of vowel one. symptomatic of the American record in- and consonant sounds (or different clouds of dustry. In the pre -Clive Davis days, when Co-

pitches). lumbia still cared about contemporary music, Reich's next period involved getting live David Behrman was able to produce several players to duplicate this process, going delib- seminal records of this new American music, erately and precisely in and out of phase with and phase pieces by Reich appeared on a Co- one another. The structuralist -minimalist no- lumbia and an Odyssey record. Then Behr - tions behind these earlier periods (parallel to man was let go and Columbia's whole com- similar ideas current in the world of the visual mitment foundered. arts in New York in the Sixties) have more Reich was driven into the record under- recently shifted and developed again. Reich ground. Four Organs and a related piece

has long been fascinated with African drum- . called Phase Patterns were released on the ming and the Indonesian gamelan, and his Shandar label, a French jazz line so obscure pieces of the past couple of years have in- that you have to ask twice for it in Paris. Then volved whole teams of players rapping out Reich put out his Drumming, his first work in cross -rhythms on a heady variety of percus- his Afro -Indonesian idiom, as a limited edi- Sviatoslav Richter- sion instruments, mostly of the xylophone tion published by Multiples, the lithography more persuasive than Rachmaninoff. type. house based in New York and Los Angeles. Four Organs. composed in 1970, represents Thomas and Angel deserve a special vote of one of the last and most opulent of the pieces hearted and optimistic; he uses less rubato and thanks for bringing him back into general cir- that just precede the composer's current pe- approaches a melodic line with utter direct- culation. (DG may record some of his more riod. The underlying notion is simple enough recent music this year in Germany.) The Four ness. Do Idare admit thatIfind his con- to describe, but the effect it makes (to sympa- summately wrought interpretations even more Organs performance hereis,not un- thetic or unsympathetic ears) is not. Against a persuasive than Rachmaninoff's own? surprisingly, very similar to that on the Shan- steady grid pattern of even eighth notes from The piano tone is commendably realistic. dar disc, and the sound is much clearer (al- the maracas, the four electric organs begin to but someone's heavy hand is very evident. Es- though the more resonant acoustic on the reiterate a single eleventh chord, which inex- pecially in the Op. 23 pieces one can repeat- French record, recorded live at the Guggen- orably resolves, unresolves, and resolves edly hear the volume being turned up and heim Museum in New York. has its charms). again. Gradually. each player begins to aug- down. Richter. to be sure, is magician enough. Angel seems to have backed off from its origi- but even he can't produce a crescendo on a ment individual notes within the chord, nal plans to ballyhoo a quad release of Four stretching it slowly out against the maracas note after it has been struck! Organs; although it wasn't composed with grid. By the end (the piece is nearly twenty- Melodiya/Angel has scheduled Richter's four-way spatial separation in mind, it might five minutes long), the original chord has been new recording of Schumann's Bunte Blaster well make an extraordinary effect that way. and three Brahms Op. 118 pieces for domestic protracted into a chanting. droning contin- After all of this, the Cage (which does get uum (an absurd -looking chain of tied, dotted release.I hope his other recent recordings- first billing on the jacket) holds up very well. whole notes and smaller notes in the final bar three great Schubert sonatas, the Beethoven Cage's prepared -piano pieces are themselves Op. 90 Sonata, and Schumann's Symphonic of the score). specifically inspired by gamelan music, and al- Etudes-will follow quickly. Reich is. among other things, one of the though all of his work is very different from most provocative writers about music, and his what Riley, Reich, and Glass do. he and La notes for this record are almost as intriguing as Monte Young were still crucial in preparing REICH: Four Organs, for Four Electric Or- his music. He is an unabashed champion of the way aesthetically for the birth of their kind gans and Maracas. CAGE: Three Dances, "ear music" over "eye music": In other words, of music. Three Dances, written as it is for two for Two Prepared Pianos. Michael Tilson he believes that the structural principles be- prepared pianos (not amplified prepared pi- Thomas, Ralph Grierson, Roger Kellaway, hind a piece of music should be audible to the anos, as the jacket has it-what on earth would and Steve Reich, electric organs; Tom Ra- reasonably informed listener, not buried in be the point of amplifying the pianos for a ney, maracas (in the Reich). Michael Tilson scholastic formulas on the page for the sole recording?), is even more lavishly colored than Thomas and Ralph Grierson, prepared pi- delectation of mathematician -musicians. That his many pieces for solo prepared piano, and anos (in the Cage). [George Sponhaltz, attitude, along with his music. has put him at the performance it receives from Thomas and prod.] ANGEL. S 36059, $5.98. odds not only with the conventional concert- Grierson is an absolutely convincing one, fully goer. who hasn't the faintest notion of what to on a level with their two -piano version of Cage is the better-known composer here, and make of this music (Carnegie Hall erupted in Stravinsky's Sacre du printemps (Angel his Three Dances (1945) is a most charming boos when Thomas had the temerity to pro- S 36024). J.R. work that well deserves a recording as good as gram the piece on a Boston Symphony Spec- this. But it is the Reich that will raise the hack- trum concert there last winter), but with most Rimsky-KoRsAKov: Scheherazade, les of some listeners and the consciousness of trained. "serious" contemporary musicians as BOp. 35. Hugh Maguire, violin; London others. well. The avant-garde establishment finds Symphony Orchestra,Pierre Mon- Steve Reich was born in New York in 1936 Reich little better than Orff: They can hear teux, cond. LONDON STEREO TREASURY and classically trained. Since the mid -Sixties only the simplicity of the structure, and it has STS 15158, $2.98 [from RCA LSC he has been a pioneer in the kind of static. rein fact been the art world that has provided the 2208, 1958]. petitive. orientally influenced music that has principal audience and patronage for Riley, RimsKY-KoRsmcov: Scheherazade, been claiming increasing attention in recent Reich, and Glass, at least until fairly recently. ROp. 35. Rafael Druian, violin; Min- years. (Terry Riley and Philip Glass are other But there is more to Reich than superficial neapolis Symphony Orchestra, Antal composers of this general persuasion.al- structural simplicity. First of all, that very sim- Dorati, cond. MERCURY SRI 75008, though there are marked differences among plicity has its primitively hypnotic, ritualistic $6.98 [from MERCURY SR 90195, thethree, and all of them-particularly rewards. But the very nature of the process 1959]. Reich-have grown increasingly sensitive (whether it involves gradual phasing or sys- RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Scheherazade, Op. 35. about being lumped together.) tematic augmentation and diminution of note Rodney Friend, violin; London Philharmonic

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Prices suggested retail Sony Corp. of America. 9 West 57th St New York. N Y 10019 Orchestra, Bernard Haitink, cond. PHILIPS 6500 410, $6.98. Dorati's first recording of the suite for Mer- eminence of the Ansermet/London version has been at last superseded. Superb as that still Comparisons: cury in 1952 (following his 1938 78 -rpm ver- Ansermet /Suisse Romande Lon. CS 6212 sion with the London Philharmonic for RCA sounds, and always will, the new recording's Beecham /Royal Philharmonic Ang. S 35505 Victor) was successful enough to warrant his sonics are no less solid and authentic (indeed Stokowskii London Symphony Lon. SPC 21005 doing it again in stereo in 1959. But that per- even more immaculately "natural" in their One Thousand and One is of course the formance was regarded at the time routine at freedom from the slightest suggestion of "spotlighting"), while patently more airily mythical enumeration of Arabian nights dur- best. "colorless and undramatic" at worst- transparent and warmly glowing. ing which the Sultana Scheherazade post- and present-day rehearing confirms that ver- Following this Haitink version with a score poned her threatened death by strangling as dict. Many of the Mercury recordings. by Do- reinforces one's immediate impressions of she piqued the Sultan Schariar's curiosity to rati and others, of the early stereo era were well-nigh ideal tonal balances and detail -vs. - hear the next installment of her spellbinding memorable enough to justify revival in the mass proportions. and heightens still further tales of legendary marvels. But to a veteran new series of Golden Imports-so named be- one's admiration for the conductor's (and his discophile it sometimes seems that this 1,001 cause the pressings are done by Philips in Hol- players'. notably solo violinist Friend's) un- figure may approximate the strangling totality land. But this Dorati Schehera:ade is scarcely swerving fidelity to the letter, as well as the of recordings of Rimsky's symphonic evoca- worth that honor and certainly not worth its tion of the voluble Sultana and her endless present premium price. spirit, of Rimsky's magical score. It's only when we turn to the one brand-new If you're a jaded veteran smugly sure that so tales. version in the present group, this one engi- familiar a work as this can hold no new sur- In cold fact. though. I must report that hasty prises or rewards. prepare yourself for a consultations with my files and an abacus dis- neered as well as pressed by Philips, that we shock. If you're a youngster who's never be- close that "only" some sixty conductors (from are thrillingly transported from one sonic era fore listened carefully to Schehera:ade. here's Andre and Anonymous to Von MataZie and to an entirely new and nobler one. For the first your lucky chance to experience musical and Hans -Jurgen Walther) have actually recorded time in well over a decade, a detailed series of sonic revelations you'll never forget. I have no Schehera:ade. To be sure. a few of them have A/B comparisons have forced me to realize hesitation in predicting that years from now. made several versions (Stokowski and Or- not only that a new reading can match the An- when the number of recordings may actually mandy four each) and many of the individual sermet and Beecham Schehera:ades in both eloquence and musicianship but that the long - performances have achieved multiple appear- Continued on page 99 ances in 78-rpm/LP transfers, parallel mono/ supreme. indeed incomparable, sonic pre- stereo editions. and reissues under the same or different labels, to say nothing of various -format tape editions. So it might just be possible to account for 10I-if never 1.00I-Schehera- An Enchanting :ade recordings. In any case. no matter how impressive the total may be. relatively few versions have been Rachmaninoff Rarity truly outstanding. In the 78 -rpm and early LP eras, the Monteux/San Francisco version un- by Abram Chipman der the RCA Victor and later Camden labels led the field. In more recent years, the three to the utmost the haunting modal har- stereo versions listed as comparisons above BUYERS OF this album will accomplish two monies, the rather sweeping range of pitch (recordings that date respectively from 1961. things: They will have an enchanting musical experience quite unlike anything else and tone color of which a good choir is ca- 1958, and 1965) have been the most widely pable. the use of dynamic swells for im- preferred choices. Among them the Ansermet around: and they will help deliver a man- date to the record industry that its reper- portant textual phrases. The compositional version has been my personal favorite from its technique carries off in flying colors its first appearance (above all for its still superbly tory needs. perhaps more than anything else. the unveiling of obscure masterpieces ineffable variety. poignance. and sense of auditorium -authentic sonic qualities): butI movement. wholeheartedly agree that the less dramati- by major composers. so essential for a rounded understanding of their creative Iimagine my choice of favorite mo- cally recorded Beecham reading is a magnifi- ments will expand with repeated hearings. cent one. and that Stokowski's (despite all its span. Itisn't only the fledgling early efforts: sometimesit'saverylate work but as an initial reaction let me commend idiosyncrasies and even score-tamperings) is :he following: No. 2. with its heart-rending incomparable for its appropriately barbaric unaccountably spurned (where. oh where isDvotak'sfinalss mphonic poem. A mezzo solo: No. 5. which the solo tenor coloring and sensuality. opens with hold and aching intensity and There arc no new challenges to these lead- Hero's Song?). In the case of Rachmani- noffs Op. 37, which he considered one of whose ending. low B flat in the bass line. ers from the current reissues of the roughly was pronounced unsingable by the first contemporaneous Monteux/London Sym- his two most important scores, we are looking at the center of his career (1915). conductor to whom Rachmaninoff showed phony and Dorati/Minneapolis versions. the score: No. 7. whose soprano line brings Monteux at his best was surely one of. if not Individual excerpts from theVespers have been recorded through the years. and us to the sensual world of M ussoresky: No. the finest Schehera:ade interpreters. ( He has 9. with its dramatic dialogue between solo claimed a very special place in my heart ever a near -complete version was available on the German Musica Sacra label. The tenor and chorus: and the ecstatic excite- since I played hooky from high school to join ment of Nos. 10 and 12. Clearly, the subtle the Symphony Hall rush line and hear him- Melodiya recording was the serendipitous discovery of Angel's general manager beauties of the Vespers will grow and grow then in his antepenultimate season with the on the sympathetic hearer. Boston Symphony-provide my first Sche- Robert Myers while in the Soviet Union. Once he tracked down the recording. he Sveshnikov's reading "communicates" hera:ade experience.) But unlike the situation had to prevail rather heavily on the Soviet in no uncertain terms, and the choral sing- in 1942. when he first recorded the symphonic powers that he to make itpart of their ing is accurate. warm, vital. ideally bal- suite with the San Francisco Symphony Or- trade agreement with Angel. anced internally. shaded with consummate chestra. the London Symphony sessions of artistry. and something else besides. There some sixteen years later found the French These fifteen a cappella settings of the Russian Orthodox all-night service are as- is a kind of visceral urgency. the magical maestro far from his best. While his reading tonishing music. The ingredients are rather essence of Russian choruses. It will haunt remained admirably straightforward and as spartan. There are no instrumental back- you. musicianly as ever. it was undeniably perfunc- ings. Tempos are slow and meter is almost tory in spirit. It was recorded by English Decca always duple. Counterpoint is at a min- engineers. I believe (although the original re- imum. If inspiration were to sag. you'd RACHMANINOFF: Vespers, Op. 37. Klara lease was under the RCA Victor label and the know it pretty fast! Yet I cannot imagine Korkan mezzo-soprano; Konstantin Og- rights have only recently reverted to Decca in boredom setting in here (as it would. let us nevoi, tenor; U.S.S.R. Russian Chorus, Al- England and London in this country) and the say. if all the Lutheran chorales Bach used exander Sveshnikov, cond. [Alexander sound qualities remain quite effective. so the in his Passion settings were strung together Grosman, prod.] MELODIYA ' ANGEL SRB present budget -priced reissue is indeed a bar- in sequence). Rachmaninoff has exploited 4124, $11.98 (two discs). gain. But don't kid yourself that you're hearing the real Monteux Schehera:ade here!

97 4 ---CIRCLE 44 ON READER -SERVICE CARD Mercury Lives! by Kenneth Furie

Frederick Fennell-a welcome reissue.

A couple of years ago the conversion of tion well performed. And the Janis/ Kon- HOVHANESS: Symphony No. 4, Op. 165. Philips records from domestic to imported drashin Prokofiev-Rachmaninoff coupling Giamitic Symphony No. 3. Eastman pressings was completed; the results have -if you want it-is well done. Symphonic Wind Ensemble, A. Clyde been dramatic both in disc quality and in Several selections arc bizarre: Dorati's Roller, cond. MERCURY SRI 75010, $6.98 sales-despite the premium price tag. Scheherazade and Paray's Organ Sym- [from SR 90366, 1963]. Lately U.S. Phonogram has been look- phony might just pass muster at budget HOLST: Suites for Military Band, Op. 28: ing at its own classical catalogue-the Mer- price. And at this date what can one say No. 1, in E flat; No. 2, in F. VAUGHAN WIL- cury recordings of the Fifties and Sixties. about the resuscitation of Sir Hamilton LIAMS: Folk Song Suite; Toccata mar- Popular impression to the contrary (what Harty's Handel travesties? ziale. GRAINGER: Hill Song No. 2. East- with cutout bins full of Mercury discs), Otherwise one notes that Antal Dorati is man Wind Ensemble, Frederick Fennell, many Mercury titles have remained in represented almost exclusively by his least cond. MERCURY SRI 75011, $6.98 [from print. Now Phonogram is gambling that a interesting Mercury repertory -the pops various originals]. more reliable product might revive interest stuff that presumably `-sells" (are Philips OFFENBACH-ROSENTHAL: Gate Pari- in the Mercury catalogue. To test the idea. repertory decisions made that way?). The sienne. J. STRAUSS-DORATI: The Gradu- they have chosen nineteen titles (those notable exception is the Bartok concerto, a ation Ball. Minneapolis Symphony Or- listed here plus a Dorati Scheherazade. re- recording thoroughly superseded by the chestra, Antal Dorati, cond. MERCURY SRI viewed separately)-many out of print-for later Menuhin/Dorati recording with the 75014, $6.98 [from SR 90016, 1958]. pressing in Holland. The result: Mercury New Philharmonia (Angel S36360). STRAUSS, R.: Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59: Golden Imports. Perhaps if some of these discs sell we can Suite; Don Juan, Op. 20; Salome, Op. The processing is everything Philips im- look forward to having some of Mercury's 54: Dance of the Seven Veils. Min- ports would lead us to expect-silky best material: for example, the fine Starker neapolis Symphony Orchestra, Antal Do- smooth, noise -free surfaces. Which means recordings. Dorati's major recordings rati, cond. (in Opp. 59 and 20); Detroit that if you want any of these titles you can (such as his Tchaikovsky suites and Nut- Symphony Orchestra, Paul Paray, cond. now buy them without qualms. And those cracker), more Fennell (such as his Sousa (in Op. 54). MERCURY SRI 75015, $6.98 who found Mercury's "Living Presence" series and his Coates disc) [from various originals]. sound overbrilliant will find the highs RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Le Coq d'or: Suite. tamed in typically European fashion. Per- Bottom: Prince Igor: Overture; Polov- sonallyI prefer the brighter original TcHaucovsuv: 1812 Overture, Op. 49; tsian Dances. London Symphony Chorus sound. Listening through the surface gar- Capriccio italien, Op. 45. Minneapolis (in the Dances) and Orchestra, Antal Do- bage of my old copy of Dorati's 1812 Over- Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati, cond. rati, cond. MERCURY SRI 75016, $6.98 ture (the cannon -and -bellspioneer).I MERCURY SRI 75001, $6.98 [rpm SR [from various originals]. heard more impact than on the new press- 90054, 1958]. BLocH: Concerti Grossi for String Or- ing. (I was surprised too to hear how rough BART6K: Concerto for Violin and Or- chestra: No. 1; No. 2. Eastman -Roches- and routine this "classic" performance-it chestra, No. 2. Yehudi Menuhin, was one of the ter Orchestra, Howard Hanson, cond. firstclassical discs I Minneapais Symphony Orchestra, Antal MERCURY SRI 75017, $6.98 [from SR bought-sounds.) Dorati, cond. MERCURY SRI 75002, $6.98 90223, 1960]. For me only a few of these hilts are of [from SR 90003, 1957]. ENESCO: Rumanian Rhapsodies, Op. special interest musically. Fennell's Hoist- SAINT-Sid/is: Symphony No. 3, in C mi- 11: No. 1, in A; No. 2, in D. Liszr: Hun- Vaughan Williams -Grainger band disc is nor, Op. 78 (Organ). Marcel Dupre, or- garian Rhapsodies: No. 2, in C sharp genial. tuneful, absolutely captivating-a gan; Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Paul minor; No. 6, in D flat. London Symphony welcome restoration to the catalogue. The Paray, cond. MERCURY SRI 75003, $6.98 Orchestra, Antal Dorati, cond. MERCURY two Dorati Respighi discs offer the only [from SR 90012, 1958]. SRI 75018. $6.98 [from SR 90235, 1961]. available recording of the Brazilian Im- HANDEL-HARTY: Water Music: Suite; PROKOFiEv: Concerto tor Piano and Or- pressions and of all three charming suites Royal Fireworks Music. London Sym- chestra, No. 3, in C, Op. 26. RACHMANI- of Ancient Airs and Dances-all well per- phony Orchestra, AntalDorati, cond. HOFF: Concerto for Piano and Orches- formed. The Hanson coupling of the two MERCURY SRI 75005, $6.98 [from SR tra, No. 1, in F sharp minor, Op. 1. Byron Bloch concerti grossi not only makes good 90158, 1958]. Janis, piano; Moscow Philharmonic Or- sense; it also offers the only current version FRANCK: Piece heroique; Three Cho- chestra,Kyril Kondrashin, cond. MER- of No. 2. rales. Marcel Dupre, organ (organ of St. CURY SRI 75019, $6.98 [from SR 90300. Apart from the Bloch. Mercury's Ameri- Thomas' Church, New York City). MER- 1962]. can -music series is represented by the CURY SRI 75006, $6.98 [from SR 90168, AN EVENING WITH THE ROMEROS. Cele- Hanson and Hovhaness-Giannini discs. 1958] donia, Pepe, Celia, and Angel Romero, Hanson would. I think, have been better HANSON: Symphony No. 2, Op. 3G (Ro- guitars. MERCURY SRI 75022, $6.98 [from represented by his Four Psalms. coupled mantic); Lament for Beowulf, Op. 25. various originals]. with Virgil Thomson's Symphony on a Eastman School of Music Chorus (in Op. RESPIGHI: Gli Uccelli; Impressioni brasi- Hymn Tune. It would be nice too to have 25); Eastman -Rochester Orchestra, How- liane. London Symphony Orchestra, An- some of the Barber material Hanson re- ard Hanson, cond. MERCURY SRI 75007, tal Dorati, cond. MERCURY SRI 75023, corded, and of course his Ives disc of the $6.98 [from SR 90192, 1958]. $6.98 [from SR 90153, 1958]. Third Symphony and Three Places in New RESPIGHI: Antiche danze ed arie: Suites Blum's:Sixteen Hungarian Dances. England. Nos. 1-3. Philharmonia Hungarica. Antal London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Do- If you're looking for Franck organ mu- Dorati, cond. MERCURY SRI 75009, $6.98 rati, cond. MERCURY SRI 75024, $6.98 sic. the Dupre disc offers a sensible selec- [from SR 90179, 1959]. [from SR 90437, 1966].

98 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Continued from page 97 the A minor Sonata. D. 845. Kuerti's the It .an- Excerpts. For a feature review of recordings derer Fantitsy.) Both stress the formal aspects of these works, see page 75. have reached that mystic figure 1.001. Hai- of the long work: this is not to say that flexibil- tink's is sure to he remembered as one of the ity and personal poetry are slighted -Kemptrs major milestones in the work's fabulous dis- is particularly rewarding in these commodi- SESSIONS: Concertino for Chamber Or- chestra-See Crumb: Songs, Drones, and cographic history. R.D.D. ties-hut that both of these interpretations stress a certain rigorous objectivity and Bee- Refrains of Death. thovenian toughness over the piece's dream- iness. (7);Orchestral SAINT-SAENS: Le Carnaval des animaux- Ashkenazy takes what one might calla Sissuus: Symphonies See Walton Facade. middle ground. In terms of tempo. he veers Works. For a feature review of recordings of closer to the younger Serkin without ever these works, see page 77. lapsing into his occasional exaggerations and SCHUBERT: Sonata for Piano, in G, D. 894. vehement outbursts. The new performance TcHAikovsKy: Concerto for Violin and Or- Vladimir Ashkenazy. piano[David Harvey, also keeps the formal dimensions wellin chestra, in D-See Mendelssohn: Concerto. prod ] LONDON CS 6820, $5.98. hand, but%% ithout the insistence of either comparisons Kempf]. or Kuerti. As pianism. Ashkenazy's P Serkin RCA LSC 2874 VILLA Losos: Quintette en forme de Kempf) DG 139 104 work is completely limpid and relaxed. Even choros-See Francaix: Quintet. Kuerti Mon. MCS 2109 when he plays a good hefty fortissimo. his sound. as reproduced here. remains pellucid This composition is. along with the B flat. D. and without areal hard core. A super - WALTON: Facade. SAINT-SAENS: Le 960. the most purely lyric of Schubert's late pi- technician is of course at work here, and for B Carnaval des animaux (with verses ano sonatas. Itis instructive to compare the my taste he makes too light of the pianistic de- by Ogden Nash). Edith Sitwell, various ways its disc interpreters have dealt mands. I seek more stress and angularity in speaker; chamber orchestra, Fred- with its challenge. The young Peter Serkin (he music of this sort. erick Prausnitz, cond. (in the Wal- was seventeen when he made his RCA record- Subjective aesthetics aside. Ashkenazy of ton). Noel Coward, speaker; Leonid ing) takes a daringly slow tempo for the first a superlatively clear, intelligent, and in Hambro and Jascha Zayde, pianos; movement and builds with fierce dramatic many ways affecting account of an elusive Kostelanetz Orchestra, Andre Kos- outbursts in the development section. On the score. Like Peter Serkin. he observes the expo- telanetz, cond. (in the Saint -Satins). whole, his reading combines dreamy intro- sition repeat in the opening movement. One ODYSSEY Y 32359, $2.98 (mono) spection with an almost unbearable ironclad objective fact, however, ought not to be over- [Walton: from COLUMBIA ML 2047, militancy. It may not he a "mature" reading. looked: This disc lists for $5.98. while the 1949; Saint-Saens: from COLUMBIA but I find it very personal and very special. Kuerti gives you two excellent performances ML 4355, 1950]. At the opposite pole are the fine, sturdy ac- for $2.98. My favorite G major. regardless of counts of Kempf'. (DG) and Kuerti (Moni- price tag. is the Kempff: but all four are d istin- This must be one of the Odyssey program- mers happiest inspirations: to bring back into tor). 13s omitting the long first -movement re- guished. 11.G. peat and by opting for brisker tempos. both active circulation a coupling of two of the out- succeed in getting the entire sonata onto a standing examples of recorded music -cum - single disc side. (Kemptrs companion work is SCHUBERT: Symphonies (8): Rosamunde: speech. One is the embellishment of Saint-

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CIRCLE 51 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

Mk( it 1974 Satins' popular "zoological fantasy" with the monument. And like the best national monu- Kleiber's approach to the scoreisvery late Ogden Nash's witty verses, read in the idi- ments, it may inspire admiration and respect much that of a younger man eager to sweep osyncratic manner unique to the late Noel from tourists. but only the natives can really away cobwebby tradition. According to DG's Coward. The orchestral playing now seems identify with it. notes, he worked directly from Weber's auto- only crisply routine. except for the bravura Itis this intense parochial flavor that has graph. so some of the finer details heard here duo -piano playing by Hambro and Zayde. kept Freischiit: off international stages despite may be the result of his discoveries. Tempos and the recording still seems unduly dry. but music that has always been highly regarded are brisk. textures set out with X-ray clarity. of course it's the Nash/Coward contributions for its melodic spontaneity. boundless vitality. orchestral dynamics and balances carefully that have kept this version in constant broad- harmonic originality. and instrumental inge- worked out. Sometimes the mood and color of cast demand even after the original edition fi- nuity. But then Weber and his librettist. the music does seem to be sacrificed to me- nally went out of print several years ago. Friedrich Kind, made no attempt to univer- chanics-the Wolfs Glen scene could be more However, it's the coupled melodrama. the salize their neatly paired characters. each of atmospheric and less soberly efficient-but the saucy divertissementthatlaunched young whom personifies a basic Teutonic trait un- orchestral playing is usually most expressive. William Walton first into notoriety and then complicated by subtler shades of psychologi- with some outstanding work in the many solo into genuine fame. that makes this bargain - cal meaning. The most elemental types are the obbligato aria accompaniments. On the whole priced release a necessity for the collection of Hermit and Samiel. one a force of goodness Kleiber's objective view is at the opposite end every serious home listener who doesn't al- and rationality. the other a force of evil and of the scale from that of veteran Robert Heger. ready own at least one of the three versions destruction. On the human level.the two who leads a romantic. lushly expansive. al- starring Dame Edith Sitwell reading her own huntsmen. Caspar and Max. lace life's temp- most Wagnerian reading on Angel. Both ways verses. And if this one can't erase the memory tations like stalwart German lads: the former convey their own strengths. and I'm happy to of the original English Decca 78s of around is corrupted and destroyed. while the latter have the choice. 1931. which co-starred Constant Lambert in emerges with greater moral fiber and a keener The singing is rather more variable. but sheerly pyrotechnical performances of the sense of duty. Agathe is the ideal German never less than competent. Gundula Janowitz more virtuoso patter numbers. it is preferable woman-sweet. loving, sensitive. modest. and has just the kind of flutey. vibratoless tone that to Sitwell's (even more mannered version exuding a virginally suppressed but distin,:t Germans love to hear in their Agathes. It's all with Peter Pears on a London LP of the mid - sensuality: her companion. Aennchen.is very limpid and fragile. far more appropriate '50s. Except for the lack of printed texts (a seri- high-spirited, lovable, and quick to put a hu- than Nilsson's trumpety soprano on Angel. al- ous lack indeed in the case of verses as fantas- though not the equal of Elisabeth Griimmer's tically involuted as these). there can be only performance on Seraphim. sung with more to- lively praise for the quality of this reissue-not nal beauty and far more involvement. Edith only in quieter disc surfaces but in cleaning up Mathis is a charming Aennchen. one of those and brightening the sonics themselves. Even roles that never seem to fall into had hands. allowing for the heavy wear of my treasured The main problem with Peter Schreier's copy of the original ten -inch LP. it now seems Max is the nagging realization that arises every in comparison to be intolerably gritty and time he makes a record: His parts are those dull -toned. As for the work itself, if you don't that Fritz Wunderlich would have been as- know it. there's no possible way to describe its signed had he lived. Such comparisons must completely sui generic characteristics.Let's be the bane of Schreier's career by now. He is just say there's nothing else in the whole realm a good musician and a conscientious per- of music that can simultaneously tickle as gal- former. but his dry tenor (a hit undersized for vanically both one's funnybone and one's this music) is no substitute for his lamented most far-out dream -world imagination. predecessor. R.D.D. Theo Adam hardly possesses the lushest voice either. although he does manage Cas- par's octave -and -a -half scales more cleanly WEBER: Der Freischutz. than any other bass on disc. He too is always Agathe Gundula Janowitz (s) reliable. but he makes a very bland villain. Aennchen Edith Mathis (s) Bernd Weikl is an elegant Ottokar. and Franz First Bridesmaid Renate Holt (s) Third Bridesmaid Renate Krahmer (s) Crass repeats the same sonorous Hermit he of- Fourth Bridesmaid lngeborg Springer (ms) fered up on Angel. Second Bridesmaid Brigitte Pfretzschner (a) DG includes a generous amount of dia- Max Peter Schreier (t) Ottokar Bernd WOO (b) Gundula Janowitz- logue. spoken by a separate cast of actors-an Kilian Gunther Leib (b) a limpid, appropriate Agathe. unnecessary procedure. I would have thought. Caspar Theo Adam (bs) for the simple lines should pose no problems Kuno Siegfried Vogel (bs) Hermit Franz Crass (bs) morous perspective on her friend's more high- for these singers. The sound is mellow and Samiel Gerhard Paul (speaker) flown moods. Add to this a stern but benevo- spaciously spread.the productionfull of Leipzig Radio Chorus; Staatskapelle Dres- lent ruler ( Prince Ottokar). the concept of das movement and crowd noises-we are even den, Carlos Kleiber, cond. [Ellen Hickmann, Volk as a hearty. unimaginative. instantly re- allowed to hear the right eye of a hoopoe and prod.] DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2720 071, ceptive. sheeplike entity. plus an all-pervading the left eye of a lynx drop into Caspar's casting $23.94 (three discs). mystique of nature. and you have the Ur -Ger- ladle. Comparisons. man opera-not something that will appeal to It's impossible to give a clear-cut recom- Nilsson, Gedda. Heger Ang. SCL 3748 everybody. mendation from the currently available Frei- Seefried, Holm. Jochum DG 2707 009 FreischUt: is one of my favorite things. pos- Watson. Schock, Von Matadid Ev. 468 /3 seltht:es. My favorite from an over-all musical GrUmmer. Schock. Keilberth Sera. SIB 6010 sibly as a result of living in Germany and be- standpoint is still the Seraphim-a pity all the Cunitz, Hopf, Ackermann Rich. SR 62016 coming intrigued by the face of the country as dialogue was edited out from the original Ger- so accurately reflected in the opera. and cer- man recording to squeeze the performance Listening to a new recording of Der Freischlit: tainly because of Weber's music. which comes onto two discs. We can eliminate the ancient is always a pleasure. but sometimes I wonder up fresh at every hearing. And so it does in this and inferior Richmond edition. while the old who is out there buying them all. DG's latest performance. the first recording by Carlos DG version under Jochum now will undoubt- version is the third to be released over the past Kleiber. The son of the great conductor Erich edly be deleted. The Everest release from Eu- four years. bringing the catalogue total up to Kleiber.forty -three -year -old Carlos( the rodisc is a decently sung affair but rather mud- six-very generous considering how in- Spanish surname may perhaps derive from his dily recorded. That leaves Angel versus the frequently the operais performed inthis childhood in Argentina) has slowly been corn- new DG. both exceptionally well conducted in country (the Met's miserably inadequate pro- ing out of his father's shadow. conducting with their individual ways, the Angel boasting a su- duction of a few years back hardly seems mounting success in Germany's principal op- perior Max and Caspar (Gedda and Bern). worth reviving). Of course.. all of these re- era houses. Last October he led a Tristan in while DG's Janowitz and Mathis outshine corded performances hail from Germany. Vienna that apparently created the kind of fu- their Angel counterparts. Nilsson and Koth. where Freischitt: is not only a cornerstone of ror hitherto reserved there for Karajan and Fans of this opera will just have to get both. the repertoire but also something of a national Bernstein. P.G.D.

100 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE recitals SPECIALISTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SOUND RESEARCH and miscellany MODEL A-100 10' 3 -way bookshelf lout spaker243; x 13V x 12 ' " . urusually flat toward he top 'or a bookshelf system in the price catecory - HIGH FIDELFY MAGAZINE ANIMALS OF AFRICA: Sounds of the B Jungle, Plain, and Bush. Live recordings from East Africa of the leopard, vervet monkey, hyrax, rhinoceros, ze- bra,wildebeeste,lion,hyena, wild dog, silver -back jackal, elephant, and hippopotamus. NONESUCH H 72056, MODEL A-200 $2.98. 12" 4 -way fl)or-staocling loudspeaker What we have here is exactly what the jacket 27" x 15" x 23/4" advertises, nothing more and nothing less. The "The crescereo-handlling capability of record is a short one (28 minutes. 38 seconds). but there is more variety on it than in your av- the A-200 is extremely good." erage five -disc set. If the rhinoceros (eroticism - 9U010 MAGAZINE incarnate). hyena. elephant. and hippo were my own special favorites, all of these nicely varied and crisply recorded grunts and growls will give pleasure. But the question is. to whom and for what purpose? Naturalists should like this disc. and MODEL A-76 people in search of a party record, and Hugh 0" 2 -way bookshe f louds)eaker. Hefner types who want to add a bit of spice to their grapplings before the roaring fireplace. 21"12'4"x 1012. The jacket annotator. composer/pianist Wil- liam Bolcom. argues that "at least some of these animals' speech is as articulate as ours," but that strikes me as pushing the insecurity of the relativistic white liberal a bit far.I mean, Box 262, B-ookfield, Connecticut 06804 these are animals, after all.I can believe that (Auloanalyg) the ants are getting ready to take over, but it will take a while before I'm threatened by a CIRC_E 3DNREADER -SERVICE CARD vervet monkey. J.R.

DOMINGO CONDUCTS MILNES! MILNES CON- DUCTS DOMINGO! Placido Domingo, tenor; Sherrill Milnes, baritone: John Alldis Choir: McIntoshCATALOG New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sherrill Milnes and Placido Domingo, cond. [Richard Mohr, nd FM DIRECTORY prod.] RCA RED SEAL ARL 1-0122. $5.98. Get all the newest and latest information on the new McIntosh Sol- BIZET: Carmen: Toreador Song (Milnes): Flower Song id State equipment in the McIntosh catalog. In addition you will (Domingo). PA : Herodiade. Ce breuvage pourrait Vision fugitive (Milnes). Ban): Melistotele. Giunto sul receive an FM station directory that covers all of North America. passo (Domingo) Gomm Faust 0. sainte medaille Avant de quitter ces lieux (Milnes). GIORDANO: Andrea Chenier: Come un bet di di maggio (Domingo): Nemico della patria (Milnes). VERDI: Rigoletto. Ella mi fu rapita Parmi veder le lagrime (Domingo). MASCAGNI: Cavallena rusticana: II cavallo scalpita (Milnes) VERDI: La Traviata.

Lunge da lei . De' midi bollenti spirit! (Domingo)

Although the sincerity of the participants is beyond question. this recital has about it a dis- tasteful air of gimmickry. The exclamation points in the title set the tone only too accurately. Neither conducting debut issuf- ficiently astonishing to distract attention from MX 113 the fact that the singing is the more important element. Not that the singing is very good. It FM/FM STEREO -AM TUNER AND PREAMPLIFIER remains. however. the only valid reason for listening to these performances. McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. Despite the lack of experience on the part of East Side Station P.O. Box 96 both Domingo and Milnes. the conducting is Binghamton, N.Y. 13904 not by any means had. Each conductor has a SEND distinguishable personality. Domingo is musicianly and relaxed. He is not flaccid: he is I NAME measured and judicious. and a bit dull: but he ADDRESS allows the full weight of the musical phrases to TODAY! make themselves felt.".4 vow de gainer- is CITY STATE ZIP compreh en si s ely shaped: "II carallo seir/piur J has a pleasant lilt. If you are in a hurry for your catalog please send the coupon to McIntosh. Milnes. on the other hand. is fast. More For non rush service send the Reader Service Card to the magazine. damagingly. he ishectic. "Dr' ruse, bollemi CIRCLE 30 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

101 MARCH 1974 spirit!" rushes helter-skelter to its conclusion: too much inthe way of phrasing-grace. well-we can't even give away the duplicated material to deserving friends, for this package charm, emphasis-is lost. "Giant() sal passo." that eloquent dream of the soul's fulfillment. does not completely supersede any of the previous records. To wit: VIC 1500. an aria col- isunpoetic.unreflecting. and unaffecting. lection, has the stronger 1938 IS'imerstiinne "Come un hel di" is harried. and a bracing if improbable Stettermatinslied. Milnes, though he gets the better guidance VIC 1316 includes the first part of the Walk fire and support. does not come off very well as a scene (and what is a Melchior collection with- singer. either. The Toreador Song and " V7sion fugitive" both tax him severely at the lower out Siegmund's monologue?). VIC 1369 has end of his range. All the arias tax his upper no further Melchior. but Toscanini did go on to play the Rhine Journey. which has been register. There is neither ring nor steadiness in clipped out here, the duet leading into Hum- any sustained singing at the top of the staff. Only in the middle of the voice is there any perdinck's dreadful concert ending. VIC 1681 has the Lohengrin and Parsilid duets with evidence of the once startlingrefulgence Milnes used to command. Flagstad. You can buy all of those records for Though Domingo doesn't sing too well the price of this set, and that's just what you here, he at least sounds tired rather than vo- ,hould do-boycott RCA's wasteful and ex- cally diminished. Some of the tenor's details pensive chiseling practices. and wait for them are careless (for example. the thirty-second to issue the song record as a single. I'm not going to say anything more about notes on "lagrime" at the beginning of the the Wagner. which has all been often reviewed Rigoletto excerpt): he aspirates difficult joins in these pages. except to add a few more com- throughout: and he sometimes breaks the line plaints. No texts are provided, even for the ob- with sobs (for example. "Come un hel di"). There is. moreover. very little imagination or scure Scandinavian songs. One of the Meis- Launtz Meicluor - tersinger arias is not located where the leaflet poetry about these performances. The voice, but does the album do him justice? says it is. The first two Grieg songs are listed in now darker than ever, remains nevertheless reverse order on both leaflet and label. In a superb instrument. But surely a singer of mental clashes of Stravinsky's marvelous Rag- general. the labeling is clumsy, with accom- Domingo's attainments and fame ought to time. the earliest of the four works on this disc. paniment data given only on the back of the think twice before allowing himself to be per- I do prefer Earl Wild's performance of the box, recording dates and side layout only in manently represented by such lapses as the Gershwin variations to David Parkhouse's unsteady final E flat of "De' miei bollenti the booklet. In other words, a botch. here:but Herrmann's orchestral accom-' If and when that single record is issued, it paniment does the work much more justice will contain some vintage Melchior vocalism. Texts and translations. D.S.H. than Fiedler's rather hammy backup job. applied to a variety of material, some more ap- R.S.B. propriate than others. Opera singers are not necessarily good singers of songs-or they THE FOUR FACES OF JAZZ. London Festival may Recording Ensemble, Bernard Herrmann, be good at only certain types of songs. as I LAURITZ MELCHIOR: Heldentenor of think was the case with Melchior. In his day. in cond. [Raymond Few, prod.] LONDON PHASE - the Century. Lauritz Melchior, tenor; fact, a kind of recital song was common that 4 SPC 21077, S5.98. Tape: ^ M 95077, Ignace Strasfogel, piano (in the $6.97: M 94077. $6.97. seems to have been designed for opera sing- Rsongs); various orchestras, Eugene ers: The La Forge item here. for example. re- wow.: Die Dreigroschenoper Excerpts. Gansawfic Vari- ations on I Got Rhythm, for Piano and Orchestra (with Da- Ormandy, Edwin McArthur, Arturo volves around the swelling phrase and the vid Parkhouse. piano) STRAVINSKY: Ragtime. MluiAUD: HToscanini, and Fausto Cleve, cond. ringing high note. Sibelius' Svarta rosor, al- La Creation du monde RCA RED SEAL CRM 3-0308, $11.98 though more inspired, is of the same type. and Comparison-Weill anu Milhaud: (three discs, mono) [recorded Weisberg 'Contemporary Ch. Ens. None. H 71281 the Melchior voice wraps itself comfortably Comparison-Gershwin: 1937-46]. around the upreaching lines. Wild. FiedleriBoston Pops RCA LSC 2586 WAGNER: Parsifal: Ainfortas! Die Wunde!: Nur eine Waffe taugt. Lohengrin: Mein lieber Schwan. Siegfried: Noth- Strauss songs too sometimes fit this descrip- tion-in fact, you may think that Melchior's is It would appear that we are in the midst of an- ung!Nothung!(Ormandy. cond.: 1938). Lohengrin: In fer- nem Land. Die Meistersinger: Am stillen Herd; Morgen- the voice you always wanted to hear in Cacilie other record -industry trend. Right on the lich leuchtend. Wesendonck Lieder: Schmerzen; heels of Nonesuch's pairing of the Weill Traume (Oramandy, cond.; 1939). Siegfried: Schmiede, and Heindiche Atiffiirderung. You are not mein Hammer. Tannhauser Dir tone Lob!, Inbrunst inn wrong about that, but these particular per- Kleine Dreigroschenmusik with the Milhaud Herzen (McArthur. cond.: 1940). Die WalkUre: Winter- formances just don't work. Cacilie is terrifi- Creation. Phase 4 comes out with the same shirme and Love Duet. GOtterdammerung: Daybreak.. Zu neuen Thaten (with Helen Traubel, soprano; Tosca- cally rushed (to fit on the same ten -inch 78 side coupling (minus the overture and finale of the nini, cond.; 1941). Tristan and Isolde: 0 sink' hernieder as Zueigiing). with the piano postlude Weill). plus Gershwin's / Got Rhythm Vari- (with Kirsten Flagstad. soprano: McArthur, cond.: 1939). omitted: the repeated phrase "Wenn du es ationsforpiano and orchestra and LEONCAVALLO: I Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba; No! Pagliaccio non son! (Cleve, cond.; 1946). GRIEG: En svane; Jeg wiissiest" is a scramble. the whole thing very Stravinsky's Ragtime to round out what is re- elsker dig. JORDAN: Horer du. LA FORGE: Into the Light. choppy as it gallops to the ringing Bat the end. ferred to as "The Four Faces of Jazz" (what SJOBERG: Tonerna. R. Sraauss: Zueignung, Cacilie, And Melchior's famous rhythmic sloppiness is happened to the other dozen or so?). Heimliche Aufforderung (1937): Traum durch die Dam- merung (1938). BRANme: Auf dem Kirchhofe. JORDAN: very much to the fore in lleindiehe A tifforde- Well, in spite of the Weill truncation and Drick! TRUNK: Mir traumte von einem Konigskind; Shlles rung. throwing the metrics of the song com- the easy availability of good versions of all the Lied II. WOLF: Schon streckt ich aus im Bett; Ein Stand- chen euch zu bringen (1938). GRIM: Eros. SISEUUS: pletely out of kilter (it must have been quite a pieces recorded here, the disc is not unwel- Svarta rosor (1941). feat for pianist Ignace Strasfogel to stay in come. Bernard Herrmann turns in subtle. un- phase with his wayward tenor-but perhaps he derstated performances that nonetheless sup- It doesn't require much imagination to figure was used to it: we are told that Melchior was ply the appropriate bounce when necessary out how this package came about. Ifear: consistent inhis inaccuracies. The modu- ( as in the almost frenetically paced Canon Somebody in RCA's reissue department had lation of the tone in Traum third, die Diim- Song. referred to in the liner notes as "The put together a new Melchior single. containing merung is very lovely. but eventually the voice Big -Shots." from the Dreigrosehetimusik. in his unreleased Pagliacci arias and a selection insists on a touch of proclamation, spoiling the which Herrmann attains a genuine Charleston of songs. Then someone else-higher up, and effect. clip).I also particularly like the way Herr- closer to the balance sheet and its all-impor- The most surprising track of all is the first mann brings out the nostalgia of such pieces as tant "bottom line"-decided to repackage it as Wolf song. a marvel of soft and characterful Polly's Song (again from the Weill) and the a three -record set, surrounding the songs with singing. Unfortunately. the second Wolf piece opening of La Creation du monde. And the a lot of Wagner material that has been around is marred by pitch problems, probably ac- Phase -4 sound seems particularly suitable for for quite some time, and mostly at Victrola counting for the original nonrelease of the pair these works-the double -bass player sounds as prices to boot. Thus, in effect, the avid Mel- (doubtless inseparably linked on a 78 matrix): if he's sitting on the speaker at the beginning chior collector is being asked to fork out it would have been kinder to have released of the fugue in La Creation, and no other $11.98 for a single record. only the good one today. recording brings out as well the acerbic instru- Not only a gyp. this set is a frustration as Then there are the two Pagliacci arias. re-

102 HIGH FIDEI.11 Y MAGAZINE corded in 1946. The tone is still firm, although thinner above the break than of yore: the legato and the expansive phrasing are unim- paired. Vesti la giubba was a standard Mel- chior showpiece (and remained so into the days of television). and he mastered the Italian text pretty well, with powerful results. The second -act piece is less comfortable, and there are a few rhythmic awkwardnesses. Needless to say. these performances are not "idiomatic"-a term that embraces sins as well as belief Our unyielding belief in virtues-but they sure are impressive noises. the electrostatic principle Most of these dubbings are well done, al- compels us to utilize though there is occasional surface scratch, and electrostatic elements in an annoying hum in some of the unpublished every product we manufacture. songs. Perhaps that can he filtered out the next Every product from the Z -210A D.H. time around. to the Z-412HP. RUGGIERO RICCI: Violin Recital. Rug- EVERY PRODUCT. B gieroRicci,violin. LONDON STEREO TREASURY STS 15153, $2.98 [from From $119.95 R LONDON CS 6193, 1961]. mum*: Sonata for Solo Violin. STRAVINSKY: Elegie. Pao- KOFIEV: Sonata for Solo Violin. Op. 115. HINDINITN: So- natas for Solo Violin. Op. 31: No. 1; No. 2.

A high -density program. this-and cheers for its re-emergence after more than ten years (it JAN SZ E N lasted less than a year in Schwann when it was ELECTROSTATIC originally issued): Its birth date of 1961 proves 7516 42nd Avenue North no hindrance. for the sound is clean and clear. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55427 The Bartok and Prokofiev are unduplicated in a division of Electronic Industries,Inc. the catalogue, and the Hindemith sonatas are represented by only one alternate version, so this reissue is particularly welcome. Ricci does handsomely by these works, most of which demand more or less super- human technique in addition to an architectural overview that can make sense, in par- CIRCLE 25 ON READER -SERVICE CARD ticular, of Bartok's complex paragraphs. Ricci makes sense of them, all right, and at the same time doesn't hesitate to let the tension inherent in Bartok's big leaps and pained intervals come through. It seemed to me that in the first movement he could have done a little more THE ULTIMATE with dynamic contrast, but by the arrival of the third -movement Adagio I was in no mood to quibble-so fine, quiet. and sensitive is the AMPLIFIER FROM SAE melodic line. The fugue and the finale are both full of thrust and bite, and the finale especially benefits from a robust sonority that Ricci keeps in store for the work's climax. Hindemith was working more or less full time as violist in the Amar-Hindemith Quartet at the time he wrote his pair of Op. 31 sonatas in 1924. and his string orientation was tuned to a fine turn. The pieces are wonderfully vio- linistic (and. in contrast to Bartok, are mostly noncontrapuntal).No. I displaysafine sinuosity of line and, in the second movement particularly. resilient rhythmic patterns that a good fiddler can use as bouncing -off points for the next phrase: and the seamless, flashing. mercurial line of the Prestissimo finale makes To find out what makes the Mark 111CM the finest amplifier ever made, send the kind of curtain line that any playwright today for your free copy of "The Ultimate Amplifier " might be proud of. No. 2 is captioned "Esist r- so schbnes Wetter draussen" ("It is so fine out- SAE. Inc. side"), and we believe it. The first movement is Electronics Di dision lovely and almost poignant. the scherzo is P.O. BOK 60271 Terminal Annex cheerfully pizzicato throughout. and the finale Los Angeles, California 90060 is a set of variations on a highly unproblematic Please send my free copy of "The Ultimate song of Mozart's, "Komm, lieber Amplifier." The five-minute Stravinsky elegy, written in memory of Alphonse Onnou of the Pro Arte NAME Quartet, is quite absorbing in the monastic purity of its evenly paced, two-part counter- ADDRESS point. The Prokofiev is pretty thin stuff in these surroundings.buteffective enough. CITY STATE ZIP Welcome back to all of them. S.F. L TUAtH CIRCLE 55 ON READEF-SERVICE CARD MARCH 1974 in brief

BACH,C.P.E.: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, in D Emanuel Bach's reputation. admittedly not as high as genius of his caliberdeserves, fortunately minor, Wq. 22. CIMAROSA: Concerto for Two Flutes does not rest on concertos such as the one here recorded. Makeno mistake, the concerto is a and Orchestra, inG. Aurhle Nicolet, flute; Christiane charming, entertaining, and skillfully wrought work, but its charms Nicolet, flute (in the are all on its smoothly flow- Cimarosa); Stuttgart Chamber ing surface, as was expected ofplantcomposers. Emanuel probably wrote it for his boss, the Orchestra, Karl Munchinger. cond. London CS 6739, amateur flutist Frederick the Great, and as entertainment for $5.98. a royal salon it is no doubt well suited. Cimarosa's double concerto was written rather later in the eighteenthcentury when composers everywhere seemed to be intent on turning out these tuneful, jaunty, lightweight (frequently banal) bonbons. (Fortunately. Mozartwas already on the scene and things were soon to change.) The Nicolets play superbly and capture thesuave drawing -room air beautifully: Miinchinger's stylish and rich -sounding accompanimentsare also perfectly appropriate, and the recording is outstanding. If some well -made. unpretentious, and pleasantlyentertaining music is just what you're in the mood for, you'll find few better examplesthan this disc. C.F.G. BEETHOVEN: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No. The charming little rondo, probably the original last B 3, in C minor, Op. 37; Rondo for Piano and Orches- movement of the Op. 19 Concerto, gets a fleet, bracing reading from Katchen and Gamba (using thevery capable Czerny edition of the tra, in B Nat, WoO. 6.JuliusKatchen, piano; London fragmentary ms.). Tempos are fast, and a certain nimble severity lends Symphony Orchestra, Pierino Gamba, cond. London a music -box charm to the whole. In the concerto (the first of this complete cycleto find its way back into the domestic cata- Stereo Treasury STS 15111, $2.98 [from London CS logue) Katchen appropriately broadens and modifies his style 6096, 1960]. somewhat, though his playing is still deficient in robustness. Gamba's accompaniment is full ofsuperficial refinement but basically flaccid in rhythm and commonplace in phrasing. London'srestored sound is so clean and bnght that I borrowed a copy of the long out -of -print originalfor comparison: It was even better-more solid registration of tuttis, with more emphasison both top and bottom. H.G.

BRAHMS: Symphony No. 3, in F, Op. 90; Academic The period in which these recordings were made Festival Overture, Op. 80. Columbia Symphony Or- was far from Walter's best. The West Coast instrumentalists custom -assembled for him had yet to achievea homogeneous stylistic rapport chestra, Bruno Walter, cond. [Thomas Frost(in that allowed flexibility of response. Phrases lack the tender shapingof the conductor's earlier- Op. 90) and John McClure (in Op. 80), prod.] and sometimes later-recordings. Rhythm-though hardlymetronomic-is wanting in plasticity. Odyssey Y 32225, $2.98 (from Columbia D4S 615, Tempos and dynamics seem oppressively monotonous. As for the 1960) sound, I still find the middle voices underrecorded. with the balance favoring boomy bass andglossy highs. A.C.

RESPIGHI: La Boutique fantasque: Ballet Suite (arr. There are a couple of genuine surprises in this sleeper release. Sargent); The Pines of Rome. Czech Philharmonic Under the deft baton of its frequent Italian guest conductor Pedrotti the Czech Philharmonicgives distinctively first-rate Orchestra, Antonio Pedrotti, cond (Eduard Herzog, performances of both thePinesshowpiece and the glittering Toyshopballet suite. prod. I Supraphon 110 1204. $5.98. Buteven more unexpected are the gleaming cleanliness, clarity, and buoyancy of therecorded sonics proffered by Miloslav Kulhan as persuasive evidence that Supraphon engineersare well conversant with the current state of audio technologies. My only regretis that Pedrotti didn't skip the tone poem (since we already have so many other goodPines of Rome)in favor of a full-length recording of the delectable Rossinian ballet music. Like the 1971 Ormandy/Columbiasuite version, this one represents only about half the score played by Solti and the Israel Philharmonic(Stereo Treas- ury STS 15005). R . D. D.

SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 1, in F, Op. 10; The It is good to have this excellently remasteredre -reissue (which avoids the ridiculous movement Age of Gold (ballet suite), Op. 22a. London Sym break on the RCA Red Seal and Victrola releases) of Martinon phony Orchestra,Jean Martinon, cond. London conducting Shostakovich, if for no other reason than the French conductor's precise and beautifully dry approachto theAge of Stereo Treasury STS 15180, $2.98 [from RCA Victor Goldballet suite. But the Slavic eccentricities of the First Symphonyhave been so smoothed out LSC 2322, 1959, and RCA Victrola VICS 1184, by Martinon's almost dainty approach that the work 1967]. generates all the excitement of a Lully ballet spiced up with a bit of vodka. The whole thing is eminentlylistenable. but it should be a great deal more than that. R.S.B.

STRAVINSKY: Orpheus; Pulcinella: Suite. Czech Phil- Theexcellent strings of this orchestra are a good starting point for playing these harmonic Orchestra, Oskar Danon, cond. [Jaroslav scores, and the pleasant surprise is that Danon achieves a particularly successfulOrpheus:steady, reposeful, yet Krtek, prod.] Supraphon 1 10 1135, $5.98. not short of bite when required. Both here and inPulcinella.the Eastern fashion in horn tone is slightly obtrusive, but this is a minor flaw. The earlier score tendsto run down in vitality, particularly in the scherzino: despite the good playing, this isa lesser achievement-although both are markedly superior to any previous Stravinsky recordings from thispart of the world. If made available on a domestic budget label, theOrpheuswould be a decided ornament to any collection. D. H.

SZYMANOWSKI: Piano Works.Martin Jones. Argo A sensitive and immensely skilled pianist does his best here ZRG 113. $5.95. to make a case for music that is not quite first-class. The early piano music of Szymanowski, like the Etudes,Op. 4, and the Fantaisie in F minor. Op. 14. is much beholden to Chopin and Liszt. In the later works-the threepieces called Metopes, Op. 29, and the trio ofMasques,Op. 34-Szymanowski attains a more personal idiom. aided by. the examples of Scriabin and Ravel. It'snice music, and it is very beautifully done here, but it does not really stand up alongside the work of thecomposers by whom it was influenced. A.F.

WALTON: Choral Works. Stephen Darlington, organ; This record is innocent of title other than the name of thecomposer whose music it contains. ChoirofChristchurchCathedral,Oxford, Simon It is an anthology of Sir William Walton's shorter choral pieces,seven of them all told if a Preston. cond. Argo ZRG 725, $5.95. group of three carols counts as one. The choral writing throughout is elegant, ingenious, and economical. TheMissa Brevishas a good deal of power: the anthem entitledThe Twelve, to atext by W. H. Auden. is rich and varied: the rest emphasizes good taste more than anything else, with the white, quiet sound of little boys' voices floating serenelyout of tune A.F.

104 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE you can't tgll attaniAfier WO coffer

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SANSUI ELECTRONICS CORP. Woodside, New York 11377 Gardena. California 90247 SANSUIELECTRIC CO.. LTD..Tokyo. Japan Sansui Audio Europe S. A., Artwerp, Belgium ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTORS Canada. much attention when he recorded Stravinsky's Sacre in London and Oed- 4 -channel ipus in Boston. Whether that's to be expected (who wants radical Haydn?). wel- discs/tapesBY ROBERT LONG comed (some sanity returning to the studio!). or deplored (if they're recording quad. why don't they use it?) I leave to you. I'm not ready for surround Haydn symphonies myself. though we're Musicom on SQ. In the March 1973 issue corded concertos for two guitars and or- sure to have them sooner or later. I complimented Columbia on the crea- chestraby Castelnuovo-Tedesco and These are not my favorite Haydn per- tive and sensitive way it was applying Santorsola (Columbia MQ 32232, formances. however; they seem a little quadriphonics to Broadway show scores. $6.98), and the disc is a charming one. mannered and overdrawn after the With A Little Night Music (Columbia Don't expect anything spectacular-and sunny sanity that conductors like Mo- SQ 32265. $6.98) it has done it again. If don't be turned off by the liner -notes' gens Woldike breathed into this 'reper- I'm a little less enthusiastic than I was mention of Santorsola's serialism. But toire in the Fifties. But neither are Bern- over some of the earlier records-notably do listen to them if you have a taste for stein's performances the ponderous that of Company, which for obvious rea- this sort of thing. The Castelnuovo- affairs one expected earlier;the tex- sons (Stephen Sondheim being the most Tedesco is a bit gutsier than the more fa- tures-if not the tempos-are kept light obvious) Night Music resembles-there miliar concerto for solo guitar. but it is and tight. and the quadriphonics help by are a number of causes whose relative no less pretty: I find the Santorsola more surrounding the New York Philhar- importance I'm at a loss to evaluate. engrossing. particularly in its moments monic with reverberant room. rather First the novelty has worn off. The of intensely lyrical urgency. The quadri- than blowing it up to fill the available concerted numbers benefit as much from phonics are neat and unassuming. space. four -channel sound. for example. but And floating somewhere between rock the sense of wonder at being able to keep and classics-though considerably closer Semper Sousa. Columbia. having the participants so clearly differentiated to the former-is Rick Wakeman's suite scoredbrilliantlywith "Switched -On is gone. Then there is the show itself: An "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" (A&M Bach" and bombed with the "Monster all -waltz contemporary musical is some- QU 54361. $6.98). There are passages Concert." is at it again with a disc em- thing of a contradiction. andIdon't that suggest baroque organ music-even blazoned "For the First Time in Words think Sondheim fully integrates the nos- one that comes perilously close to plagia- & Music. Mormon Tabernacle Choir talgia with the now. (Company had no rizing the Bach D minor Toccata-and Sings Stars & Stripes Forever and Other such problem since it was contemporary passages of rock cliche: but there's a lot Favorite Marches" (Columbia MQ in every way.) The expressed feelings of freshness and vitality too. Each of the 32298. $6.98). For my money. it's an- sometimes sit awkwardly in their period six sectionsis devoted to one of the other bomb. dress. This may be the least of the wives. If the intent was to create a series Among credits for this succes de scan- awkwardnesses however. For me- of musical portraits. they are less than dale manque are Arthur Harris. arranger though it seems not for many other lis- full-length: if you think of them as a for and conductor of the Columbia Sym- teners-the audible closing -down of series of pieces that derive (sometimes phonic Band. producer Thomas Frost. "unused" channels by the logic circuit in obscure) inspiration from the ladies in and a number of lyricists including a the Lafayette LR-4000. through which question. they are highly successful. Thomas T. Frost whom I take to be the I've been listening to the disc, is more producer. All are to be congratulated on disturbing. It isn't often audible. but it Bernstein Back Up Front. For his what might have been an amusing idea. makes itself felt in those very concerted recordings of Ha N, S mphonies No. The lyrics are often clever-and very numbers where quadriphonics should be 94 (Surprise) and No. 93 (Columbia cleverly fitted into the music-and un- at their best. As you see, my curmud- MQ 32101. $6.98). Leonard Bernstein derline some unexpected parallels with geonly reservations about the logic ap- has turned away from the special per- Gilbert & Sullivan. roughly contempo- proach continue. iphonic placements that received so raries of Sousa. But in the first place you have to fol- Project 3's Q Projects. I sincerely wish I low the texts to appreciate them. Even liked the music of Enoch Light more with the words in front of me I can't than I do. I admire the energy and inge- always figure out which ones are being nuity with which he has brought us any sung at which moment. Neither the number of recording firsts over the years. choir's enunciation nor the quadriphonic and his Project 3 label remains the only clarity will allow it. And who wants to sit one to offer all forms of current quadri- with album in hand each time he listens? phonics: Q-8 cartridges, open -reel tapes. In the second place the band swamps the SQ and QS matrixed discs, and CD -4 chorus. And so it should: the instrumen- Quadradiscs. His "Brass Menagerie talists are, individually, the more inter- 1973" and "Charge" appear to be avail- esting musicians. Yet despite their able in all of them, for example. making verve-and abetted by an occasional possible comparisons that can be had no- lapse of ensemble-the over-all effect is where else. surprisingly flat. And that brings me to Unfortunately it all strikes me as mu- the third problem with the disc: its unre- sical kitsch. and I refuse to sit still for five mitting brightness. It never really presumably identical charges of the achieves brilliance or power. but it Light Brigade. If you disagree with me. hardly ever lets up either. After one side more power to you. Enjoy. you feel that you've been subjected to Sousa. rather than entertained by him. Two Engaging SQs. Sergio and Eduardo Stephen Sondheim-how does his period The experience doesn't invite contin- Abreu, the guitarist brothers, have re- Night Music take to quadriphonics? ued-let alone repeated-hearings. NE

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The enjoyment of 4 -channel sound is now within almost everyone's The Heathkit AR -2020 - one of budget. The new Heathkit AR -2020 4 -Channel AM -FM Receiver was the most outstanding quality/price planned from the start to give more 4 -channel performance for your values on the 4 -channel market. dollar than you can get anywhere else. And the kit -form components Kit AR -2020, includes cabinet, 31 lbs. ....249.95* go together so easily you'll wonder why you ever considered costly AR -2020 SPECIFICATIONS ready-made gear. AMPLIFIER SECTIONS - Dynamic power output per channel (Music Power The conservatively -rated four -section amplifier delivers a clean 25 watts Rating): 25 W (8 ohm ioad), 30 W (4 ohm load), 14 W (16 ohm load). Contin- uous power output per channel: 15 W (8 ohm load), 20 W (4 ohm load), 10 W IHF, 15 watts continuous, per channel into 8 ohms. The AR -2020 is de- (16 ohm load). Power bandwidth for constant .5% total harmonic distortion: 5 signed for maximum versatility with individual level controls for precise Hz to 30 kHz. Frequency response (1 W level): -±-1 dB 7 Hz to 50 kHz. dB 5 adjustment of each channel, a master gain control, and built-in SQ Hz to 70 kHz. Harmonic distortion: Less than 0.5% from 20 Hz to 20 kHz @ 15 circuitry so you can reproduce matrixed 4 -channel material as well as W output. Less than 0.25% @ 1000 Hz with 1 W output. Intermodulation distor- discrete 4 -channel, stereo or even mono through four separate amps. tion: Less than 0.5% with 15 3V output. Less than 0.25% @ 1 W output. Damp- A versatile rear panel phone socket arrangement provides inputs for ing factor: Greater than 30. Input sensitivity: Phono: 2.2 my. Tuner, Aux, Tape: 200 mV. Input overload: Phono: 35 mV to greater than 5 V. Tuner, Aux, Tape. Phono, Tape, Auxiliary - plus outputs for "Tape Out". Front -panel push- Greater than 3.0 V. Hum and noise: Phono -60 dB Tuner, Aux, Tape: -70 dB. button switches give you fingertip control of on -off, speakers, and all Tape output: 0.4 V out with 0.2 V in. TUNER SECTION - FM (mono) - Fre- modes of operation. Two front panel headphone jacks are provided for quency response: ±1 dB, 20 to 15,000 Hz. Sensitivity: 2µV. Selectivity: 60 private listening. dB.' image rejection: 50 dB.' IF rejection: 75 dB. Capture ratio: 2 dB. AM The tuner section boasts two integrated circuits and two ceramic filters suppression: 50 dB. Harmonic distortion: 0.5%. Intermodulation distortion: 0.5%. Hum and noise: 60 dB. Spurious rejection: 70 dB. FM (stereo) - in the IF to produce a selectivity greater than 60 dB, with superior am- Channel separation: 40 dB typical. Frequency response: ±1 dB from 20 to plifying/limiting characteristics. A phase lock multiplex demodulator 15,000 Hz. Harmonic distortion: 0.75% @ 1000 Hz with 100% modulation. 19 offers 40 JB typical channel separation at less than 0.75% distortion. kHz and 38 kHz suppression: 60 dB. SCA suppression: 55 dB typical. GENERAL The FM tuner, providing 2 µV sensitivity with a 2 dB capture ratio, - AC outlet sockets: 2, 1 svetched and 1 unswitched. Dimensions: 5" H x 20" comes preassembled to make kit -building even easier. W x 14" D. 'Rated IHF Standards.

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HEATHKIT ELECTRONIC CENTERS Free '74 Heathkit Catalog AiN Units of Schlumberger Products Corporation r Schlumberger- -1 ARIZ.: Phoenix: CALIF.- Anaheim, El Cerrito. The FREE 1974 Heath Company Los Angeles. Pomona. Redwood City,San Heathkit Catalog Dept. 8-3 Diego (La Mesa). Woodland Hills; COLO.: has over 350 Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022 Denver; CONN.: Hartford (Avon): FLA.: Miami easy -to -build (Hialeah). Tampa: GA.: Atlanta: ILL.: Chicago. kits - in all 0 Please send my free 1974 Heathkit Catalog. Downers Grove; IND.: Indianapolis: KANSAS: price ranges - Kansas City (Mission); KY.:Louisville;LA.: offering better Enclosed is $ , plus shipping. New Orleans (Kenner); MDBaltimore, Rock- performance ville: MASS.: Boston (Wellesley): MICH.: features for Please send model(s) Detroit: MINN.: Minneapolis (Hopkins): MO.: less money - St. Louis; NEB.: Omaha: N.J.: Fair Lawn; N.Y.: and the satis- Name Buffalo (Amherst), New York City, Jericho. faction of build- L.I., Rochester, White Plains: OHIO: Cincin- ing your own. Address nati (Woodlawn), Cleveland, Columbus; PA.: Send for your Philadelphia, Pittsburgh; R.I.: Providence free copy City State lip (Warwick): TEXAS: Dallas, Houston: WASH.: today! 'Mail order prices; F.O.B. factory HF-280 Seattle: WIS.: Milwaukee. L .1 CIRCLE 18 ON READER -SERVICE CARD MARCH 1974 107 and more personal point of view, he has pro- BLOSSOM DEARIE: Blossom Dearie the lighter side duced his best album to date. Sings. Blossom Dearie,vocals,all Of these three writers. Loudon Wainwright keyboards, arrangements, and songs; III once again proves that he has the most Herb Bushier and Pete Morgan, reviewed by compelling voice of all. Wainwright doesn't basses; Al Harewood, John Webb, assume that his personal experience is auto- MORGAN AMES and Trevor Tomkins, drums; Martin matically worth recording for posterity's sake. Kershaw, guitar. Somebody New; ROYAL S. BROWN He knows that imagination and wit are neces- Home; You Have Lived in the Autumn; R.D. DARRELL sary if one is concerned about distinction. "At- seven more. DAFFODIL BMD 101, tempted Mustache" is filled with the twists HENRY EDWARDS $5.50 (Daffodil Records, Box 522, Ra- and turns of a unique mind, and Wainwright's dio City Station, New York, N.Y. KENNETH FURIE whining, coaxing singing style is as fresh as 10019). MIKE JAHN ever. A Wainwright disc,andthis one even includes a song about the chauffeur's affair with a JOHN S. WILSON Oh Blossom, you surely are. Not only have teenaged Liza Minnelli. is always an educa- you made a new album, which everyone tional experience. Loudon is also a one-man knows is against all odds. You have even fig- Rorschach test. With this observation in mind. ured out a proper way to market it (by mail do not fail to listen to this set of songs. H.E. order). And most warming of all. you have not disappointed us. You found a way to be your JACKSON BROWNE: For Everyman. Jackson unique and mellow self and still be fresh. You Browne, vocals, acoustic guitar, rhythm gui- RINGO STARR: Ringo. Ringo Starr, co -wrote ten new songs and never once tar, and piano; vocal and instrumental ac- vocals and drums; vocal and instru- dumbed out for the quote market-that companiment. Take It Easy; Our Lady of the mental accompaniment. I'm the "cheap market" that exists only in the minds Well; Colors of the Sun; seven more. ASYLUM Greatest; Hold On; Photograph; Sun- of people who do not grow. Blossom, you SD 5067, $5.98. Tape: si TP 5067, $6.97; shine Life for Me; You're Sixteen; Devil grow. s CS 5067, $6.97. Woman; You and Me; Oh My My; Step A note for the needy: Blossom Dearie is a JOHN PRISE: Sweet Revenge. John Prine, Lightly; Six O'Clock. [Richard Perry, pianist/singer/writer who emerged in the late lead vocals and acoustic guitar; vocal and in- prod.] APPLESWAL3413, $6.98. '50s. She has always had breathtaking taste. strumental accompaniment. Sweet Revenge: Tape: si8XW3413, $6.98; f14XW She has a way of making hot chords come out Please Don't Bury Me; Christmas in Prison; 3413, $6.98. warm, becoming the perfect accompaniment nine more. [Aril Mardin, prod.] ATLANTICSD for her small, purely perfect soprano. She will 7274. $5.98.Tape: k TP 7274, $6.97; Ringo Starr's solo -recording excursions since do anything for a good song. including staying s CS 7274, $6.97. the breakup of the Beatles in 1970 have gener- out of its way. Thus she becomes her good LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III: Attempted ally been disappointing. Having failed with songs. She is little known in this country. her Mustache. Loudon Wainwright Ill, old standards and country music, he now has own, and she is famous in England. vocals and acoustic guitar; vocal and scored a stunning success with rock-and-roll. You don't have to be a lyric freak to love instrumental accompaniment. The "Ringo." produced by Richard Perry. the fel- this album. In fact you'd better not be one be- Swimming Song; A.M. World; Bell Bot- low who produced the two excellent "Schmils- cause. in most cases, these lyrics aren't up to tom Pants; nine more. [Bob Johnston, son" LPs by Harry Nilsson. is a superb collec- the rest of the package. The best of them are / prod.] COLUMBIA KC 32710, $5.98. tion of tunes by an assortment of fine writers: Like You, You're Nice by Arthur King; I'm Tape: si CA 32710, $6.98; s CT Randy Newman. George Harrison. John Len- Shadowing Youby Johnny Mercer (at his most 32710, $6.98. non. and Ringo himself. clever, most continental, most humorous); Best are two hard rockers:Hold On. the andHer. Johnby Jim Council, a tribute to These three singer/songwritersare much - Randy Newman tune, andPhotograph.by John Lennon. The other lyrics range from loved members of the rock -music estab- Harrison and Starr. which was a hit single. shallow to incomprehensible (You Have Lived lishment. Their new discs are automatically The old rock-and-roll chestnutYou're Sixteen in the Autumn).All melodies are by Blossom going to be bought, listened to. analyzed. and also goes down quite well. Under Perry's ex- Dearie. and one is more charming than the cherished. Each is capable of providing a great pert production. Ringo emerges as a much next, the same as her keyboard playing. Pete many fans with an almost religious experi- better singer than ever thought. He still is the Morgan's bass playing is steady and melodic: ence. In many instances, however, that brand most underrated drummer in rock. his use of ditto his vocal duet with Blossom onBaby. of psychic involvement does not do real justice tom-toms adding a unique excitement. M.J. You're My Kind.with a nice lyric by Arthur to the artist's work. As distinctive as all three King. writers are, they aren't equally good. If you are a Blossom Dearie fan, you are Jackson Browne is an engaging performer. used to hearing her sing the world's best lyrics, He presents a moody catalogue in which noth- by such as Lorenz Hart and Cole Porter. Don't ing is quite right: Life doesn't make too much look for that here. On the other hand, a song is sense: love and work don't quite work out: a hell of a lot more than a lyric (except to some there is meaning, but not enough meaning. in lyricists). Indeed, the wise artist knows that at the experience of being alive. Browne's me- times an intense lyric is against the over-all lodies are not terribly fresh: his lyrics are not point.I loved this album long before I duti- particularly original. But the tone of his work fully listened closely to the words. Don't is perfectly suited to those overpowering and bother. Ignore them when you wish and bask ambivalent adolescent moods that are so chic in the compleat glory that is this lady with the when one is of college age. While his work col- strange. sweet name. lapses under scrutiny. Browne-much like The album may be too late for Christmas. such novelsas The Catcher in the Rye-isan butit would make an uplifting Easter gift. effective expression of the more romantic phases of the growing -up process. Compared to Bob Dylan from the moment Explanation of symbols he picked up his guitar. John Prine has inevitably suffered as a result. He seems finally. however, to have found his authentic voice. exceptional recording He has modified his gruff singing style and has written an accessible set of tunes that are Recorded tape straightforward and in the tradition of the so- Open Reel cially oriented folksinger. Gone are Prine's S. 8 -Track Cartridge naive musical discussions of the Vietnam war Loudon Wainwright III- Cassette and the evils of drug addiction. With a fresh adding the necessary imagination and wit.

108 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE bu be bu tin Pri dic Pri

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Charley Pride- a lean, clean style that cuts through T. the clichés. so Pti tin an While we're at it, Ms. Deafie is performing an CHARLEY PRIDE: Amazing Love. co unlimited engagement at The Sign of the Charley Pride, vocals; Gary S. Paxton Dove in New York City. You're cheating Singers and Nashville Edition, vocal yourself if you don't go. M.A. accompaniment; rhythmarrange- ments by Charley Cochran. Comin' JOIIRIATH. Jobriath, vocals; instrumental and Down with Love; I'm Glad It Was You; vocal accompaniment. Take Me I'm Yours; JOHN LENNON: Mind Games. The Plastic U.F. If She Just Helps Me; seven more. Be Still; World Without End; eight more. Ono Band; instrumental and vocal accom- [Jack Clement, prod.] RCA APL 1- [Jobriath and Edwin H. Kramer, prod.] APS 1-0397, paniment. Mind Games; Tight As; Aisuma- 0397, $5.98. Tape: ELEKTRA EKS 75070, $5.98. sen; eight more. [John Lennon, prod.] APPLE $6.95; fi APK 1-0397, $6.95. SW 3414, $5.98. Tape: *. 8XW 3414, $6.98; Jobriath, yet another Hair emeritus trying for ire 4XW 3414, $6.98. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, here is a recording career, bills himself as a "true Charley Pride!" It's 1970 and I'm watching the fairy." Billboards appeared all over New York On this outing, John Lennon has abandoned tube. I hear a Nashville -band -type introduc- City portraying the young composer as a nude. the radical postures and Freudian self -investi- tion and out walks Charley Pride, whom I've emaciated statue whose face had been rouged gation that have characterized his previous never heard of, singing a Hank Williams tune and mascaraed with a vengeance. To say the solo albums. He has written an attractive rock - in traditional country fashion. Whoa. wait, least, Jobriath is grotesque. oriented collection that is singable. listenable. this is weird: Charley Pride is black: but to my His music, however, is for the most part and engaging. even ifitdoesn't pack the northern ears (always considerably behind the merely mediocre. Heavily influenced by the wallop one would expect from an ex-Beatle c & w scene anyway. no matter how Itry). outer -space songbook of DavidBowie. who has decided to create something commer- Charley Pride is singing white, as snowy white Jobriath has attempted to duplicate Bowie's cial in the best sense of the word. and plain and nasal as Hank Snow ever sang. "Ziggy Stardust" trip. His songs Earthling. For example Mind Games. the disc's title This Charley Pride, whom I'd never heard Space Clown, and Morning Starship are ob- tune (which is also the LP's hit single). finds of. was already making his tenth album for viously derivative and do not have the sparkle the composer editorializing on one of his fa- RCA at that time. This is his twentieth album. that Bowie's songs possess-if only because vorite themes: the importance of love. Lennon Pride's thriving career, so far from mine, Bowie's came first. Jobriath. however, does also decorates the tune with the whimsical lan- makes me realize for the hundredth time how have one craftsmanlike tune on his album: guage and knowing jargon that he alone can easy it is to categorize, regionally and cultur- Take Me I'm Yours is captivating-witty, eerie. conjure up. Here is a song that not only men- ally. and how full of mistakes those categories and ingratiating, all at the same time. It's a tions the "karmic wheel" but also includes can be. Good God. you take a ten-minute cof- memorable creation. anditindicates that "mind guerrillas" and "druid dudes." fee break from culture and you can miss six Jobriath, a young man with a nasal but hyp- Along the way the composer also provides a years' worth of truths and trends! The least notic voice who can produce himself on disc totally mindless rock tune. Meat City, one of a one can do. once in a while, is admit to a pass- with a fair amount of skill does have the po- genre of rock tunes whose lyrics just might be ing case of Dumb. As follows. tential to be a successful singing tunesmith. the working definition of imbecility. In addi- When Isee a black musician from the A "true fairy" is not automatically a distin- tion. Lennon who has the peculiar ability to be South. I expect Taj Mahal's blues (as in the guished recording artist. Jobriath should wipe able to write in the style of any working pop film Sounder) or the folk music of Brown off the make-up. tear up his press kits, and composer. gives Gilbert O'Sullivan a run for McGhee and Sonny Terry or a band like that write ten songs as good as Take Me I'm Yours. the money with his perfectly engaging Intui- of Muddy Waters. I do not expect Charley H.E. tion. an O'Sullivan soundalike. Pride. who is no more into the above than is I think John Lennon best serves his talents Eddie Arnold. On the other hand. Janis Joplin when he dispenses with the heavy-handed was white. And where do we put Samm) propaganda that has marred his recent re- Davis by these standards? The answer is ob- GEORGE CARLIN: Occupation: Foole. Writ- corded excursions. "Mind Games" offers vious: We have to keep breaking up our own ten and performed by George Carlin. [Monte promise for the future. H.E. narrow categories as often as possible. Kay and Jack Lewis, prod.] LITTLE DAVID LD

109 MARCH 1974 1005, $5.98. Tape:' TP 1005, $6.97; the amateur and professional, nor the impor- CS 1005, $6.97. tance of the ability to grasp before one func- ALBERT BROOKS: Comedy Minus One. Writ- tions. ten and performed by Albert Brooks; George I recommend the Brooks album totally if Jesse!, guest; Sid Feller, arr. and cond. [Al- only for this one incredible routine. M.A. bert Brooks, prod.] ABC ABCS 800, $5.98.

In the fragile, fickle world of comedy, George BETTE MIDLER. Bette Midler, vocals; vocal Carlin is currently a king and Albert Brooks is arid instrumental accompaniment. Skylark; coming up fast. Comedy audiences are partic- Drinking Again; Breaking Up Somebody's ularly cruel on the street. They love the up - Home; Surabaya Johnny;IShall Be Re- comer who's still scuffling but curl their lips leased; Optimistic Voices; Lullaby of Broad- once prominence is reached. It happened once way; In the Mood; Uptown; Da Doo Ron Ron; with Berman. Newham, and others, and now it Twisted; Higher and Higher. [Ant Mardin and is happening to Carlin. Not that this has much Barry Manilow, prod.] ATLANTIC SD 7270, to do with actual careers. At present Carlin $5.98. Tape: e TP 7238, $6.97; 34 CS can do what he wants to. But some hip folks 7238, $6.97. already sigh with boredom. This phenomenon always startles me. Miss M is a bit less divine on this, her second If Carlin has a fault, it is that each of his al- LP. While not a total loss, it is a significant dis- bums seems a holdover from the one before. appointment, mainly in her failure to remain Repeats sneak in from somewhere or other. serious throughout the serious songs. These This is really the fault of television, without take up all of Side I. and are treated in ways which Carlin would not be where he is-and ranging from excessstylization (Drinking without which his album material would al- Again) to frenzy (Breaking Up Somebody's ways be fresh. One-shot TV is famous for eat- Home) to bathos (Surabaya Johnny). ing up comedians alive. In this way. Carlin is Side 2 is better, but that's like saying the over a barrel. But if you look twice you'll see noose is an improvement upon the garrotte. It how well he rides it. contains the silly songs. the type of material Carlin is skilled, gentle. funny. and fast with upon which Miss Midler has based her popu- subjects such as ethnic groups, dialects of all larity. Included this time out are lighthearted kinds, disc jockeys. and music of the '50s. He 1 versions of Lullaby of Broadway. In the Mood, strikes me as honest and courageous. Comedy Uptown. Da Doo Ron Ron. and Twisted. The preferences are extremely personal. I find him last mentioned is a genuinely funny song easy to relate to and generally irresistible. If about a girl and her analyst. Miss M must fig- you laughed at earlier albums. you'll laugh at ure that her career will last longer if she is this extension of them. more than the Andrews Sisters. 1970s style. mow A Albert Brooks is unlike George ('arlin in Thus. we get songs like Drinking Again. But CIRCLE 32 ON READER -SERVICE CARD temperament and pacing and probably back- where on her first album she was competent ground-and like Carlin in profession. age on the serious songs, she now is less than that. I bracket, and mental speed. Carlin wears his don't know what happened. but I do think it is hair hack in a rubber band: Albert Brooks a trend that must be reversed if Bette Midler is wears a tux. You may know Brooks from his to be a lasting figure. M.J. bumbling -ventriloquist routines on TV. NoA Atom Brooks is not hip in the Carlin sense. but he The Brightest Super Star relates equally well to contemporary Ameri- In Stereo Today cana. rock groups, and so on. If Carlin is a JONI MITCHELL: Court and Spark. "foole." then Albert Brooks isin the great Joni Mitchell, keyboards, guitars, vo- At Last! American tradition of the clown. Brooks. not cals, arrangements, and songs; or- MAIL ORDER ('arlin. is the descendant of Red Skelton. But chestrated by Tom Scott. Help Me; - Plus - more than that. Albert Brooks is reminiscent Raised on Robbery; Down to You: SERVICE of Sid Caesar. with a wit equal parts quick- seven more. [Joni Mitchell and Henry - Plus - silver genius and pie -in -the -face buffoon. Lewy, prod.] ASYLUM SD 5072, $5.98. FINANCING The longest routine on Brooks's album is Tape: o TP 5072, $6.97; se CS Comedy Minus One: the idea is that the record 5072, $6.97. - Plus - buyer is Brooks's partner in a two -man routine TOP MAJOR recorded with one man missing. Both parts are BRANDS The first thing you notice about Joni Mitch- printed inside the jacket. It's a specialized idea ell's new album is that she has keyed herself Nationwide Financing and may just he a big hit, depending on how quite a bit lower than before. lying easily in Also Bank Americard & Mastercharge many record buyers have fantasies about her low and mid ranges. The warm areas. That We carry all the Fair Trade Brands being comics. It's useless unless you actually gives an idea about the tone of the album. It Whenever Possible these makes speak the missing part. and that makes it use- has a new intimacy. are quoted 'In Systems' less for me. Something else is new for Ms. Mitchell. For We quote on ALL Major Brands However. Brooks includes one of the fun- the first time she has made her basic tracks niest routines I've ever heard. in which he with a rhythm section. Nearly everyone who Large complete inventory on speculates on what might happen if the gov- records works in everything we sell this way. of course. Ms. ernment held open auditions in Washington Mitchell has had the odd distinction of work- We provide our own to those interested in rewriting the national ing in the opposite manner, laying down her Factory Authorized Service on anthem. The contestants arc ingenious. in- guitar and/or keyboard tracks first, alone. everything we sell cluding a cowboy. an old man ("seventy-five Later she would sweeten with other instru- YOU CAN TRUST US! years young"). a kid from Denver. a ghetto ments if she chose to. even adding drums or militant, a faggy cocktail piano player. and Write for our price and quotations on percussion in this way. It was a tribute to her complete systems or individual "Lee and the Anthemites from Sarasota. Flor- rock -solid time that she was capable of work- items Whatever your needs, ida." Brooks is brilliant and hilarious in all the ing this way at all. not to mention doing it so we'll fill them and SAVE you money, time and worry! roles. but even more hilarious is his concept of well. point -missing amateurs trying to squeeze a This isthe second album in which Ms. Box 542, 2940 A Prosperity Ave. new national anthem into their own little Mitchell has worked with arranger Tom Fairfax, VA 22030 scopes instead of the reverse. Never has there Scott-or with any arranger at all besides her- (703) 280-4500 been such a lesson in the difference between self. Scott is a young Los Angeles musician/ LIACLE 34 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

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CIRCLE 12 ON READERSEWICE CARD \INK( 11I 974 ALICE COOPER: Muscle ofLove. Alice Cooper, vocals; Dennis Dunaway, bass guitar; Neal Smith, drums; Michael Bruce and Glen Buxton, guitars; Liza Minnelli, La Belle, Ronnie Spector, and the Pointer Sisters, BRAND background vocals; instrumental and vocal smitiGsnINAOUS accompaniment.Big Apple Dreamin' CONIPONENIS (Hippo); Never Been Sold Before; Hard SIRE° Hearted Alice; six more. [Jack Richardson and Jack Douglas, prod.] WARNER BROS. BS 2748, $5.98. Tape: *k M 82748, $6.97; DISCOUNTS 52748, $6.97. ON NATIONALLY ADVERTISED Alice Cooper's sensational and sensation- TURNTABLES CARTRIDGES reeking career has always depended on novelty. One never knew what Alice would do on COMPACTS RECEIVERS stage: one never knew what Alice would sing AMPLIFIERS TAPE RECORDERS on record; Alice's records have always been WholesalePrices!Audio WarehouseSales. among the most exotically packaged on the oneoftheCapitol'slargeststereo whole. market. Much of Alice's recorded success has salers will fill and deliver all your mail orders been due to the efforts of producer Bob Ezrin, promptly in factory sealed cartons, at prices who found a way to turn Alice into a viable that will amaze you. recording artist. Under Ezrin's tutelage, Al- Write for quote on Famous Brand, ice's snarl of a voice suddenly developed a Stereo Components. Joni Mitchell- startling obsessiveness;thefreakrocker's We guarantee satisfaction. letting her own musicality shine through. songs. pungent portraits of victimized adoles- cents or adolescent fury in action, were arranged, scored, and performed to perfection. arranger/composer. He has been the best of This crafty, clever, and professional level of the studio reed players since he was in his production has been maintained on the new AUDIO teens. He is equally fluent as a jazz player and Cooper entry, even though Ezrin did not pro- SALE in recent years has done extensive TV film- duce the disc. "Muscle of Love" may be the WAREHOUSEAVE.NSE.. scoring and album arranging (Paul Williams, most uniform of all of Alice's LPs, so uniform YORK Sergio Mendes. etc.). Scott's talent has as fine 3310NEW 2000232 in fact that there are no standouts on the D.C. a shine as Joni Mitchell's. record, and this disc may be the first indication WASHINGTON, The team of Mitchell and Scott turned out that Alice's gimmicks are wearing thin. H.E. (202) 8-1616 to be both compatible and creative. Scott can hear as fast as Joni and translate her into the CIRCLE 4 ON READER -SERVICE CARD technical terms she fears without him. There is THE J. GEILS BAND: Ladies Invited. Peter plenty of space for him to add his own musical Wolf, vocals; Seth Justman, keyboards and colors as well. They trust each other. vocals; J. Geils, guitar; Magic Dick, harmon- For years Joni Mitchell has been among my $AVE MONEY NOW!! As one ica; Daniel Klein, bass; Stephen Jo Bladd, of America's largest favorite artists, and it seems to me that she is drums and vocals. Lay Your Good Thing wholesale distributors, venturing out at last. An associate of hers Down: The Lady Makes Demands; eight our buying volume has recently said that she was "a poet first and a more. ATLANTIC SD 7286, $5.98. kept our prices the lowest musician second." That's the trouble-that . .. We pass the savings on to you. kind of intimidation. For she is as much a mu- Making the rounds these days are several sician as anyone I know-and certainly more good.tightblues -rock bands that have ERRIFIC . Equipment at than most of her contemporaries. Next to Me- achieved varying degrees of popularity play- terrific prices. We carry lanie, she is a graduate course in musicality. ing essentially the same sort of aggressive yet over 60 major brands, all The distinction that must be made is that Ms. carefully played blues rock. The Allman factory sealed cartons, Mitchell's musicality is intuitive rather than fully warranteed, shipped Brothers Band and the J. Geils Band have from our warehouse fully technical. She can't talk, read, or write notes. achieved popularity, while the Canadian insured. She can only do it. You know how it is. The group Crowbar has not-at least not in Amer- other guy always seems to do it in a more ica. This newest LP from the J. Geils group

UTSTANDING VALUE . . . "proper" way. At any rate, through Tom Scott is, predictably. a good one. It's tensible and We are proud of the fact she has found a bridge to a new place. Her danceable; it may add nothing either to rock that we offer the best work is less fragile, more open. Her singing value anywhere in this or to blues, but it is nice to hop around to at a has never been stronger, free of the uneven industry party. M.J. vibrato that flawed some of her earlier albums. RICES Ours are the The thingI have liked best about Ms. lowest of the low, write Mitchell is her courage. Each album is a sur- BLACK OAK ARKANSAS: High on the Hog. us now for a lowest of prise, a change of color and spirit. This time the low quote. Black Oak Arkansas,allinstrumentation. the big surprise is the least likely tune in life Swimmin' in the Quicksand; Back to the (and the only tune ever recorded not self -writ- Land; Moving'; seven more. [Tom Dowd, OVERPAYING FOR AUDIO EQUIP. ten. as I recall). It is the jazz classic Twisted, prod.] Arco SD 7035, $5.98. Tape: ( TP Write us today - or better yet once made famous by Annie Ross of Lambert. 7035, $6.97; 30 CS 7035, $6.97. come down and see for yourself. Hendricks, and Ross. If you know the original, "We're taking the High Price out of this -one will blow you away. It is done with This rock ensemble has a reputation for being Hi Fi" great accuracy and respect, a bit slower than another one of those noisy "world's worsts." Annie Ross's and with a different vision-dif- No one likes them but the junior-high-school- STEREO CORPORATION01 AMERICA ferent but equal humor. Twisted is another ex- ers. On this disc, however, they've made some Dept. H-IE - 2122 Utica Ave. ample of JoniMitchell's natural courage. progress. Most of these selections are not un- Brooklyn, N.Y. 11234 Who else in her field would touch it. a classic Tel. (212) 3380263 pleasant-within Black Oak's limited musical from a wildly different era of style and atti- in Li 1180 HEMPSTEAD TPK ,UNIONDALE context. tude? By the time you reach the end of the second I always say that Joni Mitchell's new album side, though, the sheer repetition of the Black CIRCLE 46 ON READER -SERVICE CARD is her finest. It always is. M.A. Oak format can set you screaming. Progress

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MAR( H 1974 1 1 3 just may not be enough for these hillbilly rock- I would have been content to let this thing ers, who are as ingenuous as their music inevi- go by simply as a piece of record -company Great tably is grating. H.E. madness (where is even the possibility of profit on a venture like this?-except as a tax -Listening loss, which you can do with a single -disc set DAVID ACKLES: Five and Dime. David Ackles, and save the vinyl) and music mumbo jumbo, /Pleasure vocals arid piano; vocal and instrumental ac- until I heard the ungroup's count -it eighteen - companiment. Everybody Has a Story; I've minute version of MyFunny Valentine.I tell Been Loved; Jenne Saves; Surf's Down; eight you, this time they went too far. Tunes like Doeslit more. [David Ackles, prod.] COLUMBIA KC that are so far out that they're in again, you 32466, $5.98. Tape: CA 32466, $6.98; know. Especially since the establishment has Come ell CT 32466, $6.98. fully accepted rock-and-roll. Young dudes are cutting their hair again and playing My Funny Singer/songwriter David Ackles has a winner Valentine. There's a catch though. It doesn't in this, his debut LP for Columbia after an as- take brains or taste or skill to cut your hair. sociation with Elektra. The wry, clever lyrics Not so with tunes like Valentine. The players' ...07DoesIt? are delivered in the same firm baritone to the solos are as pink as a baby's bottom, with tune of the same half -rock, half -Broadway which they share other similarities. And they music for which the California native is justifi- can't hear the chord changes. Astonishing, be- ably famous. cause the song is not that sophisticated. Rich- Several of the tunes are love songs, and of ard Rodgers was not Duke Ellington, after all. these the best is I've Been Loved. Of the others, Yes, it does! We're one of the Did they think that if they kept up for eighteen country's largest Mail Order Everybody Has a Story is especially worth- minutes they'd finally get it right? Do they Houses of Stereo Equipment and while; it describes the problems of being the even know they missed changes? components. We pass our volume shoulder that everyone cries upon. On the Please. Nobody give a copy of this album to buying power right along to you. lighter side, there is Surfs Down, a hilarious Richard Rodgers. Or to any jazz musician. It's putdown of surfing and surfing music. M.J. interesting to think that, while at Shelley's Mannehole in Los Angeles and at the Half - note in New York real jazz is being presented tereo MERL SAUNDERS, JERRY GARCIA, JOHN by real jazz musicians to real audiences who KAHN, BILL Vern Live atKeystone.Merl come to love it, somewhere in Berkeley this Saunders, keyboards; Jerry Garcia, guitar nongroup is bumbling through standards and olesalers and vocals; John Kahn, bass; Bill Vitt, drums. jazz tunes in front of a young audience that 'WRITE OR PHONE FOR QUOTATIONS It's No Use; That's All Right, Mama; Like a thinks it is hearing something real. Weird. AND OUR LATEST FREE CATALOG Road; seven more. [Merl Saunders and Jerry This double set was a jam session. You had 7A Aylesbury Rood Garcia, prod.] FANTASY F 79002, $6.98 (two to be there. Thank God I wasn't. M.A. Timonium,Md. 21093 301,252-6880 discs).

CIRCLE 47 ON READER -SERVICE CARD A great number of albums that arrived this month were two -record sets. I have a suggestion: Why don't record companies put out jazz half -record sets instead? Even projects as vague as this sometimes benefit from editing. Of course one must sacrifice self-importance, BEN WEBSTER:At Work inEurope. DISCOUNTS and that can be painful. Apparently too pain- Kenny Drew and Frans Wieringa, pi- ful. So we get the pain instead. WASH. D.C. anos; Niels -Henning Orsted Peder- This album comes on as if it means a lot. sen, bass; Donald McKyre, drums (on "Live at Keystone" presumes significance. HAS NO FAIR The Preacher; Straight, No Chaser; For those of you who, like me, incredibly two more). Cees Slinger, piano; TRADE enough do not live in the San Francisco vicin- Jacques Schols, bass; John Engels, ity and attend a university, Keystone is in drums (on I GotItBad; Drop Me Off in LAWS! ON Berkeley. Harlem; three more). Ben Webster, The members of the group never really cop tenor saxophone. PRESTIGE P 23031, to being a group. Considering how many other $6.98 (two discs). STEREO groups they've passed through, it may be correct to say they have a commitment problem. WhenBen Webster died in 1973, the fact that It seems that among the groups they have he had removed himself from the mainstream COMPONENTS joined and left, one way or another, are Billy of contemporary jazz activity by choosing to Williams (?), Sons of Champlin (?), The live in Europe (primarily Amsterdam) for the PLEASE REQUEST Grateful Dead (ah), Mike Bloomfield, and previous ten years meant that an awareness of Prices for your choice of Paul Butterfield. At present, the four "play in him, which had been fading for most of the Changers, Receivers, Tape beer halls throughout the Bay Area ... they Recorders, Speakers, etc. thirty years since he left Duke Ellington's or- plan to get out [of the Bay Area) more often, chestra, was all but gone in this country. PROMPT DELIVERY although they will probably never be a touring Yet Webster was not only one of the three IN FACTORY band." I can almost guarantee it. or four top tenor saxophonists in jazz-he was SEALED Garcia contributes a hard -of -hearing ver- the kind of musician whose mere presence in CARTONS. sion of Dylan's Positively 4th Street. Why did I the Ellington band from 1940 to 1943 was, used to think that was such an interesting aside from his solo contributions, an impor- song? On Side 2 appears Space, a pointless tant factor in making this the most celebrated DISTRICT and tuneless trip of some kind "written" by all edition of the Duke's band. This farewell (if it four members. is) album, recorded in Denmark and the The group sounds rehearsed on one tune Netherlands in 1%9, shows Webster in utterly SOUND INC. only:Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers. The undiminished form, whether he is basking in 2316 Rhode Island Ave. N.E. tune actually has a little energy, though, like Ellington material with an adequate rhythm Washington,D.C.2 0 0 1 8 all the other tracks, it's too long. Lest you think section in Amsterdam or moving out into the 202.832.1900 the record company doesn't have terrific worlds of Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, brains, they programmed this tune first on the and Nat Adderley with a Danish group that set. includes Kenny Drew, another American ex - A CIRCLE 10 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

1 1 4 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE

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GOUNOD. James Harding. ENCOUNTERS WITH STRAVINSKY. A Personal Record. ing every available recording of the composer s works. The public and private life of this somewhat un- Paul Horgan. Illus. Photos. Index At the end of the year these separate discographies derrated composer reveals the contradictions of a For anyone who has felt the impact of Stravinsky's were completely revised and updated and are here complex personality. Faust and other works examined music on his own aesthetic responses. this is a book collected into one convenient book. It is hard to imag.

briefly. No. 411. . . $10.00 to treasure. As Hogan writes in his foreword. itis an me any record collection without it on an adjacent "act of homage to a transcendent artist who for al, shelf. Index to performers. No. 2616 ... $6.95 THE GLORY OF THE VIOLIN. Joseph Wechsberg. Illus. mostfourdecadesindirectlyandimpersonally Famed New Yorker author Wechsberg writes of brought aesthetic fulfillment to my life and learning- THIS BUSINESS OF MUSIC. Revised & Enlarged Edi- his great love, the violin, and touches many bases. an experience which then for another decade and a tion,Dec.'71.Sidney Shemel & M.William The great makers, the secrets of wood and varnish, half was crowned by personal friendship with him and Krasilovsky. Edited by Paul Ackerman. the business of buying, selling (and cheating), the his wife." It is not intended as a work of musicology or Anyone involved or just interested in the music. mysterious matter of tone, the noted virtuosos-all complete biography. rather a sketchbook, rich in de- record -tape industry needs this unique and indispen are dealt with in lively style. A fiddle fancier's delight. tail and anecdote. by a loving friend with the novel. sable reference book. No other single volume con fist's eye and ear for character and scene. No. 341 . . .$8.95 tains comparable information. arranged for easy ref No. 2910 ... $7.95 erenceandreadability. on thecomplexlegal, RECORDS IN REVIEW. 1973 EDITION. practical. and procedural problems. The 18th annual edition of this "bible for record BRAHMS: A CRITCIAL STUDY. Burnett James. Eight new chapters and one third more material in collectors." Hundreds of the authoritative, detailed Burnett James. moreover. has not written the this new edition. 544 pages. 180 pages of appendices reviews which appeared in High Fidelity in 1972 are usJaldates -and -placesbiography butrather a (Federal and International laws. statutes. contracts. arranged alphabetically by composer. sub divided by loosely biographical exegesis on Brattms slife and applications, agreements, etc.) No. 287 ... $15.00 category of music when releases of his music were music The book is highly discursive. for James considerable. A section on Recitals and Miscellany ikes to make analogies and to conjure up ideas we TARZAN OF THE APES. Drawings by Burne Hogarth. too. and an Artists' Index to all performers reviewed range from the composer to such figures as Freud. (122 pages full color). Text by Edgar Rice Burroughs. during the year, as well as those mentioned only in Hemingway. Sibelius,and back."-Patrick Smith. Introduction by Maurice Horn. the text. No. 285... $9.95 HIGH FIDELITY 'MUSICAL AMERICA In the past decade. the international art world has

CHOPIN. Collected Letters. No. 333 . . .$10.00 discovered the comic strip as a significant contempo. Beautifully produced reprint of the translation of rary art form. Horn documents in his learned intro duction the worldwide influence of Hogarth. named three hundred letters, from the original Polish and DANCING ON THE SEATS. Andrew H. Meyer. French (collected by Henryk Opienski).firstpub A wise and even witty book on the ins and outs by French critics the "Michelangelo of the comic lishedin 1931-an almost indispensable guide to of producing concerts on a college campus, covering strip." Now Hogarth presents a new pictorial version of Chopin's life. his friends and his music. such matters as choosing and negotiating with artists, the novel that inspired the original comic strip-com- No. 331 . .. $12.00 their agents. and their managers: promoting the pletely redrawn for this handsome volume. A fascinat- CARUSO. Stanley Jackson, Illus. Index. Bibl. concert: setting up the hall properly on the night of ing book and a marvelous gift for any generation A popular biography of the legendary singer re- the concert. The author, former president of a college No. 2104 ... $9.95 vealing episodes and relationships inhislife,ro- concert promotional firm. deals primarily with rock manticized or almost completely ignored in previous concerts, but his information applies to other types SChUBERT: THE FINAL YEARS. John Reed. biographies. Jackson separates the man from the as well. A valuable handbook for every new college No. 342 ... $6.95 for the more -than -casual Schubert fancier, this camouflage which he encouraged. The great artist is concert chairman. book explores.inreadable manner. thestylistic here. also the many faceted character and person THE DANCE BAND ERA: The Dancing Decades from development of the composer's work during the last ality. No. 2114 ... $7.95 Ragtime to Swing, 1910.1950. Albert McCarthy. three years of his life. The author's startling case for DIVAS. Winthrop Sargeant, Illus. Four decades of bands and bandleaders examined dating the Great C Major Symphony in 1826 rather The veteran music critic writes with liveliness and both in musical terms and in their social and eco- than in the last year of Schubert's lifeis provoca- often intimate knowledge about six great singers: nomic context.Unlike previoushistories,thisin- tive and convincing. No. 351 . . . $15.00 Sutherland, Horne, Sills, Nilsson. Price, and Farrell. cludes the great English and European bands. Lists of THE GERSHWINS. Robert Kimball and AlfredE. The profiles.fiveof which appearedin The New selected recordings with each chapter. Simon. No. 299 . . . $10.00 Yorker, are part interview, part career -sketch, part A lavish and beautifully produced book honoring canny observation. An assortment of photographs THE RECORDINGS OF BEETHOVEN. As viewed by the the seventy-fifth anniversary of George Gershwin's with each subject. No. 352 . . . $7.95 Critics of High Fidelity. birthday, with an introduction by Richard Rodgers. To celebrate the Beethoven Bicentenary High Fi- Containing many photographs, the volume is a com- THE CARMEN CHRONICLE: THE MAKING OF AN OP- delitypublishedthe most immense criticaldis- bination of scrapbook, journal and lively biography. ERA. Harvey E. Phillips. cography ever undertaken by any magazine. apprais No. 413 . . . $25.00 LeonardBernstein, James McCracken. Marilyn Horne were the all-star team that opened the Met Music Listeners' Book Service, Dept. HW with Carmen in 1972 and went on to record the per- 3.74 HIGH FIDELITY, 2160 Patterson Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45214 formance for DGG. The wear, tear, and exhiliration I enclose check or money order for Please send me, postpaid, the books of these taping sessions are captured here humor and a fine eye for detail. Many photographs. indicated by the circled numbers below. (No cash, No C.O.D.'s, please).

No. 412 . . . $8.95 411 341 285 331 2114 352 412 361 2910 FACING THE MUSIC: An Irreverent Close-up of the 2104 351 413 Real Concert World. Henri Temianka. Introduction 333 342 299 2616 287 by Yehudi Menuhin. Illus. NAME TheAmerican -basedviolinist andconductor. founder of the California Chamber Symphony, casts ADDRESS anexperiencedand sometimes causticeyeon famous colleagues in the music world. A lighthearted CITY, STATE & ZIP autobiography rich in anecdotes. No. 361 ... $6.95

MAR(lr 1974 115 ADVERTISING INDEX Key No. Page No. 1 Acoustic Research. Inc 27 patriate, on piano and Niels -Henning Orsted concerts in the Forties. The 1946 concert was Advent Corp 22.23 Pedersen on bass. Akai America. Ltd. 89 the one at which Django Reinhardt made his 2 Angel Records 48.49 This is a very solid slice of Webster that American debut, a disappointing event not 3 Audioanalyst. Inc. 101 helps tofill an enormous gap inhis dis- preserved on these records made just before Audio Dynamics Corp. 12. 13 cography. J.S.W. and after the concert. 52 Audionics. Inc. 37 4 Audio Warehouse 112 In terms of extended compositions, which were always features of this Ellington Car- Bozak 73 MARIAN MCPARTLAND: Plays the Music of negie Hall series, December 1946 was not an 5 British Industries 15 Alec Wilder. Marian McPartland, piano; Mike event of special notice. But it did provide an 6 BSR (USA) Ltd 18 Moore and Rusty Gilder, basses; Joe Cor- unusually good measure of short showcase sello, drums. Trouble Man; Inner Circle; pieces for Johnny Hodges (Sultry Sunset and 7 Carston Studios.. 120 Where Are the Good Companions; five more. Classified Ads . 122 Magenta Haze), for Harry Carney (Golden Columbia Quadraphonic Music Service....7 HALCYON 109, $4.98. Feather) and for Jimmy Hamilton (Flippant Columbia Records 86 Flurry). It also gave Ray Nance his best Elling- 8 Crown International 6 It seems to me that the only explanation for ton vocal opportunity (Tulip or Turnip) along the fact that Alec Wilder's songs and instru- with three marvelous displays of the whole El- 9 Delos Records 37 mental pieces-those delightful octetsthat 10 District Sound Inc. 114 lington ensemble (Jam -a -Ditty. Overture to a Dixie Hi-Fi Wholesalers 123 were recorded back in the Forties (and where Jam Session, and Mary Lou Williams' startling 11 Dokorder Inc. 14 are they now?)-are heard so infrequently and. arrangement of Blue Skies called Trumpet No 17 Dual 8 barring a few "hits" (by Wilder standards) End). But the highlights were Kay Davis' su- 12 Dynaco Inc 111 such as While We're Young and I'll Be perb vocalizing on Minnehaha and the intro- 13 Elac Products. Around, are relatively unknown is that just a duction of Happy Go Lucky Local, a part of Benjamin Electronic Sound Co 21 few select performers relate to and can com- the Deep South Suite that was brazenly 14 Elpa Marketing Industries. Inc. 87 municate the blend of strength and delicacy palmed off by others in the Fifties as Night Elpa Marketing Industries. Inc. 24 that flows through his work. The octets call for Train. 98 Empire Scientific Corp 25 15 Empire Scientific Corp 74 a supple woodwind group that swings in- These records, originally made by Musi- stinctively-not the easiest thing to find. For craft and reissued obscurely from time to time Fisher Radio Cover II. 1 the songs. there is still Mabel Mercer and there in the past twenty-five years. have finally wasMildred Bailey. whose lovely sense of achieved their proper presentation in this re- 16 Harman / Kardon 16.17 phrasing seemed the ideal complement to lease. And, as lagniappe, there are two addi- 18 Heath Co 107 Wilder's musical lines. Miss Bailey's record of High Fidelity's Test Reports 121 tional sides of piano duets by the Duke and "Give Me Time" is a minor but unmatched Billy Strayhorn, made in 1950 and originally classic that has been all but forgotten since it 19 Icelandic Airlines 72 released on the obscurity of the Mercer label. 20 I ihnois Audio 123 was made thirty-four years ago. They too are invaluable in their way, both as 21 Infinity Systems 85 Now Wilder has found another highly com- Ellingtonia and because four selections in- 22 International HrFi Distributors 120 patible interpreter, this time a pianist. Marian clude the brilliantly swinging cello of Oscar McPartland. He has been writing pieces spe- 25 Pettiford. J.S.W. Janszen Electrostatic 103 cifically for her from time to time for the past three years. Miss McPartland has gathered CAFE Sociart. Groups led by J. C. Heard, 36 Kenwood Cover IV 26 KLH Research & Development Corp 29 some of these personal pieces and a few of the Mary Lou Williams, Edmond Hall, and Maxine 24 Koss Corp 119 Wilder "hits" on this disc, accompanied on Sullivan, with George Treadwell and Mouse one side only by Mike Moore's bass, on the Randolph, trumpets; Dickie Harris and Hen- 27 Lansing. James B., Sound. Inc. 34.35 other by bass and drums. derson Chambers, trombones; Budd John- 28 London Records 38 On the whole, the duo pieces with Moore son, tenor saxophone; Jimmy Jones, Ellis come out best (the drums seem needlessly in- Larkins, and Kenneth Billings, pianos; Mary 43 Marantz Co.. Inc 95 29 Maxell Corp. of America 120 trusive). and Moore is such a superb bassist Osborne and Everett Barksdale, guitars; Mar- 30 McIntosh Laboratory. Inc 101 that he is as provocative a contributor as Miss jorie Hyams, vibes; Al McKibbon, Bea Taylor, 31 Memorex Corp 5 McPartland. And yet two of the most attrac- Johnny Williams, and Cedric Wallace, 32 Midwest Hi Fi 110 Music Listeners' Book Service 115 tive of the newer tunes are on the trio side- basses; Bridget O'Flynn and Jimmy Craw- Homeworkand Where Are the Good Compan- ford, drums. Azure: Blues at Mary Lou's; 37 Nakamichi Research (U.S.A.) Inc. 93 ions. Miss McPartland is always a meticulous Lonely Moments; thirteen more. ONYX 210, 34 Nova Audio 110 and imaginative pianist but she seems to bring $5.98 (mono) [recorded in the 1940s]. her richest perceptions to Wilder's music.. TOOTIN' THROUGH THE Roo", VOL. 1. 35 Polydor. Inc. 20 whether she is presenting his statement of a Groups led by Dave Tough, Hot Lips Page, theme or going off on what Wilder calls and Charlie Shavers, with Joe Thomas, Trum- 33 Rabsons 120 38 Radio Shack 113 "McPartlandizing." J.S.W. pet; Ted Nash, Earle Warren, and Dave Mat- Revox Corp 11 thews, saxophones; Buddy De Franco, clarinet; Bernie Leighton, Hank Jones, and John 39 Sansui Electronics Corp 105 DUKE ELLINGTON: The Golden Duke. Cootie Potoker, pianos; Jack Lesberg, Slam Stewart, 40 Scientific Audio Electronics 18 Williams, Taft Jordan, Harold Baker, Shelton and Sid Block, basses; Sid Catlett and Alvin 55 Scientific Audio Electronics 103 41 Sherwood Electronics 19 Hemphill, Ray Nance, and Cat Anderson, Stoller, drums. East of the Sun; Bloodhound; 42 Shure Brothers 56 trumpets; Lawrence Brown, Claude Jones, Broadjump; thirteen more. ONYX 109, $5.98 44 Sony Corp. 96 and Wilbur De Paris, trombones; Jimmy Ham- (mono) [recorded in the 1940s). 54 Sony/ Superscope. Inc 126, Cover III ilton, Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Al 45 Stanton Magnetics Inc 2 46 Stereo Corp. of America 112 Sears, and Harry Carney, reeds; Duke Elling- The mid -Forties was a remarkable period of 47 Stereo Wholesalers 114 ton and Billy Strayhorn, pianos; Fred Guy, jazz recording because, at a time after jazz had 48 Superex Electronics Corp. 4 guitar; Oscar Pettiford, cello and bass; Wen- been established and had won some measure dell Marshall and Lloyd Trotman, basses; of broad acceptance, the music was going 49 TDK Electronics 125 56 Teac Corp. of America 83 Sonny Greer and Jo Jones, drums. Cotton- through a very vital process of development 50 Technics by Panasonic 39 tail; Oscalypso; Diminuendo in Blue; twenty- and yet the changes were almost completely 14 Thorens 87 two more. PRESTIGE 24029, $6.98 (two discs, ignored by the record companies of the day. Time Life Records 3033 mono) [recorded in 1946 and 1950]. As aresult, ad hoc recording companies sprang up to try to capture what was going 17 United Audio 8 23 U.S. Pioneer Electronics Corp 90 There is, happily, no lack of Duke Ellington down. The musicians involved did not repre- 51 Utah Electronics 99 records these days. But this set, made in 1946 sent a far-out element. Many of them were 5 Venturi 15 and 1950. is particularly welcome, primarily well established, as a rundown of the names for the 1946 sides, which represent one of the involved on these two discs will attest. Watts 24 most celebrated of Ellington's Carnegie Hall But when these recordings were put out on

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WE ARE VERY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING ATTRACTIONS AVAILABLE FOR CONCERTS WITH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS

Alphabetically Listed

COUNT BASIE & HIS WORLD FAMOUS ORCHESTRA With Symphony. Available Summer through Fall 1974. MAYNARD FERGUSON & HIS ORCHESTRA With Symphony. Available Spring through Fall 1974. WOODY HERMAN & HIS ORCHESTRA With Symphony. Available Summer through Fall 1974. QUINCY JONES Guest Conductor With Symphony. Available mid -April through Summer 1974. STAN KENTON & HIS ORCHESTRA With Symphony. Available June through Fall 1974. MICHEL LEGRAND Guest Conductor Available June through August 1974. NELSON RIDDLE Guest Conductor Available Summer through Fall 1974.

March 1974 MA -17 made DeGaulle bomb the opera vocally wooden until the final act, to rial added in 1881. The orchestra house). In presenting the Venetian which he contributed a well -paced gave Ehrling precisely the lean, anti - scene in the more effective form of the Dr. Miracle-though it should also be lush sounds he wanted. original Barbier-Carre play he has said that except for Mlle. Tou- Properly dominating the perform- cut the famous sextet-which he then rangeau, who doesn't count, he came ance was Ingvar Wixell's strong Boc- restores, in the epilogue, in somewhat closest to an acceptable French ac- canegra, impressive both for sound truncated quartet form, presumably cent in the dialogue. and sense: His arrival at the Met is on the authority of some Offenbach The new sets and staging seemed to one of the best things to happen to deathbed papers. He has also cut a lot me a disaster. The decision to leave New York in years. And Adriana of traditional repeats (some of which the two-story side pieces from the tav- Maliponte, after a somewhat or- Imissed), and touched up Offen- ern on the stage through the tales phaned "Come in quest' ora bruna," blos- bach's instrumentation, very effec- meant that the floor was always somed in the consciousness of being tively. crowded, people could not get on and 1) loved and 2) fathered, and sang In fact, Bonynge was effective all off conveniently, and whenever mass- radiantly for the rest of the evening. night: Hoffmann was by an order of es of choristers were needed the place Her acting consists of stock gestures, magnitude the best work he has done seemed cluttered. In fact, we seemed but they fit well into this exact repro- in this theater. The performance was perilously close to the trickery of a duction of Margaret Webster's origi- much like that on the records (some so- provincial house that wants to make nal direction, and she executes them lecisms in the ornamentation for the a small company look populous. The with genuine, often touching, grace. doll's song were, fortunately, elimi- time required to set up the tavern Richard Tucker has been singing nated), and I felt in the house, as I again for the epilogue was so long Gabriele Adorno for a quarter of a had at home, that a few tempos were that Bonynge had to play the first -act century, and though I can image crit- uncomfortably fast and that "Ah! minuet before the barcarolle in the icisms of his performance I shall not vivre deux!". is a more beautiful song entr'acte, and his distaste for doing so utter them: He was an asset to the than Bonynge realizes; but on the was revealed by an arrangement that evening, and the unique placement of whole it seems to me that Bonynge made the simple modulation from A his voice is still often a pleasure to loves, deeply understands and, dam- major to D major seem a sour shock. hear. Giorgio Tozzi as Fiesco, on the mit, can conduct this score. The accom- Presumably our new opera house had other hand, was nothing short of plishment is one of will power, for been splendidly equipped for the pur- painful. There are roles that can be Bonynge's technique is still very low- pose of avoiding such horrors; but the played on the Met stage by a musical powered for such complicated work; old Met, with its nineteenth-century and intelligent singing artist in severe and even in this fine performance technology, did better than this. vocal difficulty, but Fiesco is not one there were embarrassing moments A special word of praise should be of them. Lawrence Shadur's Paolo (the worst of them at the beginning of spoken for the third -act collaboration was effective throughout, though he "Scintilla diamant") when the pit and of Stewart and the anonymous elec- came up a touch short of the requisite the stage got seriously out of synch. trician who kept the ghastly blue thin force in the second act soliloquy. The In her debut role at the house, Hu- spot smack on Dr. Miracle (and no- chorus, I regret to say, backslid, espe- guette Tourangeau was an ideal where else) for the better part of half cially in the prologue. Nicklausse; itis a grateful role, re- an hour. m. m. Dame Margaret's neo-Shakespe- stricted in range and fun to act, but rian conception of the drama has few do it with such intelligent verve, Simon Boccanegra held up well, and the Frederick Fox- and such a powerful lower register. Motley designs, while redolent of op- Andrea Velis was a significant asset Many in the less -than -capacity au- era -land rather than Genova, demon- throughout in the clown roles; Nico dience at the Met on December 6 strate the continuing values of the Castel as Spalanzani and James Mor- must have been thinking that Simon straight -forward. They demonstrate ris as Crespel were all one could ask. Boccanegra is a better opera than they also, by the way, that flats and drops For the rest, I fear, we have trouble. had previously realized, but the ap- with changes of costume for the prin- Nobody should sing all the soprano plause meter showed no under- cipals may be more valid dramati- roles in Hoffman, and Miss Sutherland standing that the reason for their en- cally than our current philosophy of was not in her best voice, anyway (es- hanced view of Verdi's work was to constructed sets within which all the pecially for Giulietta). She worked be found in the pit. Virtuoso effi- characters wear the same clothing all touchingly hard at the dramaturgy in ciency is clearly not the road to star- the time. all three scenes, and succeeded more dom for Sixten Ehrling. But this was Incidentally, with a libretto as often than one would have expected the best -conducted Verdi I have complicated as this one, cuts that (her comic talents, first revealed two heard at this house in a long time: eliminate explanation of what is go- years ago in La Filk du rigiment, were crisp, solidly idiomatic, carefully bal- ing on are especially dangerous. The well displayed in the doll scene). Not anced. Indeed, the very quality of the brief dialogues that show Paolo plot- every prima donna would undertake conducting gave rise to an odd prob- ting at the end of the first scene of Act to fall as she did at the end of the sec- lem: one was more conscious than I make a less effective curtain than ond scene, either. But the visual pres- usual of the contrast between the ma- Boccanegra's emotion at rediscover- ence was not convincing, and the terial that survives from the 1857 ver- ing his daughter. Without them, singing that might have excused it sion of the opera (especially the glor- though, the story is not just incredible was not forthcoming. Meanwhile, iously melodic first scene of Act I) and but incomprehensible; they ought to Thomas Stewart in the devil roles was the more grandly constructed mate- be restored. M.M. MA -18 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america DEBUTS & REAPPEARANCES dinary, the concerto's individuality L.A. County Art Museum's Bing Continued from page MA6 depends first on Kraft's special sensi- Theater. As luck would have it, the tivity to and ingenuity with timbre, evening's stand -out event was its only components: two three -tiered, raked but ultimately on the acute percep- non-premiere-an ardent perform- platforms and an uncounted number tions of the pianist. ance of George Crumb's ritualistic of staircases, dizzyingly ordered and Miss Golabek never disappointed. Ancient Voices of Children (1970). Deftly reordered in front of a single eye - Whether spinning luminous pianis- directed by Paul Chihara,Voices' pleasing, pastoral backdrop. Toms's simosinthe dreamy third -section eloquent panorama of percussive costuming, obviously limited by the opening, deftly counterbalancing a sounds was highlighted by the superb ways in which Puritans can be swift succession of instrumental solos dramatization of its mystic Lorca clothed, met dubious creative reward in section two, or driving the work texts by soprano Margaret Immer- in the complete Cavalier regalia- home on a thunderous, lefthand osti- man and boy soprano Scott Van San- heavy velvet cape, large plumed hat nato, she demonstrated a superb ford. and all-set upon the diminuitive di command of nuance and a seemingly Among the West Coast pre- Giuseppe, and in some rather im- effortless control of all things techni- mieres, Barbara Kolb's dreamy Soli- mense, bustled concoctions worn by cal. taire of 1971 (attentively played by pi- the statuesque Miss Sills. Mehta responded with an efficient anist Richard Grayson with Needless to say, the soprano radi- and engaging accompaniment. accompanying electronic sound) and antly dominated the production, MELODY PETERSON Michael Sahl's equally relaxed Buell's tossing off with ease the quirky com- Piece of 1966 (skillfully offered by bas- plications of "Son vergin vezzosa," shap- Monday Evening Concerts sist Buell Neidlinger) provided a gen- ing a dramatically compelling, vo- erous and attractive supply of subtle cally irridescent second -act mad Monday Evening Concerts, Los coloristic contrasts. (One appreciated scene and, with di Giuseppe in esti- Angeles' best known purveyor of mu- this despite the fact that, programed mable form, turning the high -rang- sical esoterica, turned to five East successively, the pieces' combined ef- ing "Vieni fra queste braccia" into an Coast composers for its December fectproved downrightsoporific.) exhilarating adventure. Julius Rudel 10th contemporary program in the Most problematic of the evening's ar- conducted with customary aplomb, his tempos quick, his coloristic responses vivid and to the point. M.P.

Los Angeles Phil.: Kraft premiere April is the cruelest month...? A bold new concerto, commissioned by pianist Mona Golabek and Not for us. composed by Los Angeles Philhar- monic percussionist William Kraft, received its premiere performances November 21 and 23 in the Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Also included on the Philharmonic programs conducted by Zubin The editors of MUSICAL AMERICA are pleased to announce: Mehta were Purcell's March and Can- zona for the Funeral of Queen Mary and Strauss's Ein Heldenleben. Funded by the Ford Foundation Beginning next month, expansion to 40 pages (through a Young Artist's Award to Miss Golabek), Kraft has provided a one -movement,three -sectionCon- certo (1972-73) which is, not surprisingly, creatively percussive in both its The inauguration of a new department devoted piano and orchestral parts. Massive, to the broad aspects of music education elbowed tone clusters, a seemingly endlessarrayof hands -alternated trills, and recurrent, single -note sfir- zandi are prominent among its pian- Provocative up -front features on significant developments in istic figures. Orchestrally, the exten- every branch of music and its related environment sionandamplificationofthese materials emanate largely from such things as timpani, brushed snares, wind chimes, vibes, and even some well -placed Philharmonic foot - Wider coverage of concert and opera, nationwide shuffling. Neither melodically, har- monically, or rhythmically extraor-

March 1974 MA -19 ray was Russell Peck's Lion's Breath. Written in 1969 on a commission by Neidlinger and percussionist John Bergamo, Breath's spare textures and blandly abstract rhythms seemed monotonously matter-of-fact in this, the musicians' first performance of it. Finally, in another bit of awkward programing, the brief and busy West Coast debut of Netty Simons' aleato- ric Design Groups I for percussion (1967) followed the Peck and be- haved curiously like a coda to it. MELODY PETERSON

NEW YORK

Contemp. Music Orch. Paris: Varese Edgard Varese, one of our century's great musical pathfinders, received a posthumous tribute at Car- Pianist Mona Golabek confers with conductorMehta, composerKraft before Los Angeles premiere negie Hall on November 19. The Contemporary Music Orchestra of the hall, making the listener feel quite tightly organized pitch relationships. Paris, Konstantin Simonovitch, mu- literally "inside" the music. Varese's This element integrates the alternat- sic director, presented a concert of later and much longer Diserts (1954), ing sections of live sounds and elec- works by Varese and by some of his for large wind and percussion en- tronic ones certainly as muchas musical forebears and descendants. semble and stereophonic electronic timbre or rhythm, (despite Varese's This intelligently constructedpro- tape, also exploits diverse sound own recorded comments about the gram emphasized Varese's concern sources. This masterwork of musique primacy of rhythm which were with spatialeffects. The opening concrete sounded, perhaps due to the played just before this performance work was the composer's Hyperprism performance, rather dull and ram- of Deserts.) (1922). Its sixteen percussionists (re- bling. It did, however, even more Varese was a conductor as well, es- cruited from the Manhattan School forcefully reinforce this listener's re- pecially of choral music. As if tore- of Music) were scattered throughout spect for the composer's always mind us of his interest in Venetian antiphony of the late sixteenthcen- tury, the program included two can- zonas for double brass choir by Gio- vanni Gabrieli,brilliantlyplayed from both sides of the first tier of boxes. Aside from these two pieces, and Hyperprism, Deserts, and the better known Octandre and Integrales of Va- rese, the concert included two works by contemporary composers. Pien (1966), by the Chinese -born American composer and pupil of Va- rese Chou Wen-chung, wasan extraordinarily dignified composition. There were hints of the teacher's style in the violent interjections which in- terrupted a slowly -moving background; but a particular Easternre- straint characterizes Chou's finely wrought works. The only cypher of the evening was Outre-mer (1962) by Bernard Parmegiani. Written for the electronic instrument Ondes Marte- not (played by Arlette Simonovitch) and pre-recorded electronicnoise, Out re-mer's constant din of white noise Edgard Varese: a pathfinder, concerned with spatial effects and absence of any noteworthy corn-

MA -20 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america positional event made it more suitable for the soundtrack of some sec- . and -rate science fiction film. PARIS SUMMER Given the superb instrumentalists, many of them familiar New York free-lancers, and the well -thought- FESTIVAL out programing, the performances were generally disappointing. Though technically fine, they simply More than thirty lacked that incisiveness and drama so events: Concerts. Ballets... characteristic of Varese's music. It was a dignified, but rather flaccidly medieval to modern music. paced occasion which left a certainly by the best artists mistaken impression that the bulk of in the most historic Varese's music sounds rather predic- table and pretty much alike.0261 buildings BRUCE SAYLOR International guitar N.Y. Phil.: Schumann's "Faust" D rectors course Jean Louis Petit The Philharmonic strike prevented Bernard Bonaldi the presentation of the first part of Apply tor information International Musical Pierre Boulez's Goethe Faust trilogy 5 Place des Ternes Critic Competition (the Berlioz work), but the second, 75017 Paris Robert Schumann's Scenes from Faust, took place December 13. The third, Mahler's Eighth Symphony, The Mannes would take place in February. The Schumann scenes are a great College of Music rarity, although Leinsdorf played JohnGoldmark,President them several years ago with the Bos- David Tcimpidis,Dean ton Symphony, and a recording con- ( 212) '37-0700 ducted by Benjamin Britten has just 157 East 74th Street, New York, N Y. 10021 been released in England. The com- Bachelor of Science Degree Bachelor of Music Degree poser wrote the final part first-to the Diploma Post Graduate Diploma concluding scene of Part II of Faust- and then, fired by the centennial of Extension Division Opera Workshop Goethe's birth, added scenes from the The Mannes Preparatory School ( ages 4-18) first part, dealing with Gretchen, and several from the second, dealing with Full and partial scholarships available Faust's death. The overture was com- catalog upon reques. pleted last, and an integral performance of the whole occurred only after Schumann's death. It is a strange work, certainly Schu- mannesque in its use of obsessive dot- KABI LARETEI, pianist ted rhythms and the clotted orches- tration of the overture, and there is a Has performed with Georg Solti, Antal wholly Schumann -like touch in the Dorati, Sixten Ehrling, Charles Munch, Karl incorporation of a simple phrase - Miinchinger, Dean Dixon, and Robert Craft. and -answer coda theme to the final "Das Ewigweibliche zieht uns hinan" lines (although its very simplicity is Has been hailed by composersIgor banalized through gross over - Stravinsky and Pau, Hindemith.

elaboration). But the work contains (212) YU 6-2515 very little of Schumann's best inspira- BENN CLAY MANAGEMENT 210) Park S0) I a.t New York, N.Y 10017 tion. The whole is very small -scaled, both in dynamics (endless pages of Teacherof ROBERT MERRILL, pianissimo writing) and in forceful- SAMUEL leading baritone MetropoLitanOpera ness, as if Schumann's rapt contem- (hisonlyvoiceteacher). JEROME HINES,leadingbassMetropolitan plation of the wonders of Goethe's Opera, as well as many other leading verse and universe had somehow singersof theMetropolitan Opera. stopped his individual creative flow MARGOLIS 205 West 57th Street, N.Y.C. COlumbus 5-9155 and led him to echo the conventional

MA -21 March 1974 -

choral pieties of the time. There is a the Queens Chamber Symphony Or- repeated calls for encores: That was timidity here which is simply not chestra, which made a queasy debut how the audience rewarded Shirley found, for instance, in the piano writ- at the Queens Playhouse on Novem- ing or in the symphonies. Verrett at her Carnegie Hall recital ber 10. Described in its publicityas on December 5. And how could it Schumann's unimaginative han- professional (and with its tickets have been otherwise? With the dling of accompanied recitative priced accordingly), the forty -man hypnotic appeal of her powerful, vi- weighs down stretches of the long orchestra sounded and looked more brant voice, her cultivated musical score (well over two hours of music). like a collegiate ensemble. Regardless tastes and her goddess -like stage pres- And, to take one example, the superb of the obvious lack of experience of ence, this American mezzo automat- poetry of the scene where the aged many of its players, the group could ically arouses excitement whenever Faust has been blinded by Care but probably have produced more pro- she appears. Add that to her recent refuses to give in-"deep night now fessional -sounding results under a tour deforce at the Met, where she twice seems to fall more deeply still/Yet in- stronger conductor. Joseph C. Lyons sang both Cassandra and Dido in an side me there shines a brilliant shepherded the orchestra through a evening's performance of Berlioz's light"-is not even approached by reasonablyauthoritativeperform- Les Troyens, and triumph was assured. Schumann's music, while Faust's ance of the Beethoven Eighth Sym- Aided by her somewhat impetuous death speech itself-that incredible phony. But he took a brusque and accompanist Warren Wilson, Miss Goethean summation of Man's dig- unruly approach inappropriate for Verrett projected three Spanish songs nity in striving onwards-is given no Respighi's Ancient Dances and Airs, by Nin and three American spirituals musical equivalent. Schumann was Suite 1; and he seemed helpless in try- somehow not able to give the mate- with idiomatic fervor. These items ing to keep the string section from fal- have long been specialities of hers. rial the dynamism of his best efforts, tering throughout the many exposed as, German Lieder, on the other hand, in different ways, Berlioz and passages in Mendelssohn's String have been one of her weaker points, a Boito did. Symphony No. 9. situation she has now apparently cor- The Philharmonicperformance The program began on a charming rected. Her performances of four unfortunately emphasized the weak- note with Barber's Summer Music Brahms songs may have been a shade nesses rather than the strengths of the played by the first -chair wind play- understated, but her German pro- score. Boulez's dynamic range was ers, who call themselves the Windbag deliberately kept to the small scale of nunciation sounded right and her Woodwind Quintet. If the orchestra breath control was superb inthe the score, so that a good deal was lost at large had been of equal quality, in the reaches of Avery Fisher Hall; opening to Die Mainacht. the concert might have offered some- Miss Verrett's heart really seems to nor did Boulez seize on the more dra- thing. ANDREW DeRHEN belong to opera, however, and it was matic elements, e.g., the sunrise sec- no surprise that nearly half her pro- tion, the death of Faust, or the Ca- Shirley Verrett, mezzo gram was devoted to operatic ex- thedral scene. The final part was the cerpts. In two arias from Gluck's Or- most successful (this is the same sec- Rapturous and prolonged ap- tion that Mahler uses in his sym- pheus her chest register sounded a plause, multiple standing ovations, good deal more resonant than it did a phony), sinceitis heavily choral. Boulez relaxed his strict ways with Schumann for this work, noticeably in taking ritards for "feminine" themes, but I am afraid that there is still too much self-consciousness in- Schuyler Chapin makes a debut volved: These moments did not TULSA: When Tulsa turns the tables on New York City, it's news. But it hap- sound natural. The manifold soloists pened: A New Yorker came to Tulsa to make his debut. were on a very high level, and Bou- The circumstance? Schuyler G. Chapin, manager of the Metropolitan lez's orchestra never covered them, Opera but John Shirley -Quirk's voice is too Company, was narrator-a debut-for a performance of Marc Blitzstein'sAir- borne cantata, programmed by the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestraon November small to make the proper effect with 26. A long-time friend of Skitch Henderson, the orchestra's conductor, Mephisto, despite his excellent dra- Chapin agreed to the engagement six months ago. The date turned matic coloring of the role, while Her- up, of course, when he was busiest. Nevertheless, he sandwiched the Tulsa mann Prey's spread tone dissipated a stop into his heavy sched- good deal of Faust's poetry. The ule. Blitzstein's work was not a new undertaking for eitherman. Chapin had been production manager in 1952 when Henderson conducted it Camerata Singers were solidly pre- on a New pared, but could have used-as the York Philharmonic spring concert. Tyrone Powerwas the narrator. On still an- evening could have used-a greater other occasion, Chapin was linked with Airborne. Itwas when Leonard Bernstein dynamic thrust. made the yet -unreleased recording for Columbia Records. Chapinwas then PATRICK J. SMITH manager of the company's classical division. Chapin is enthusiastic about the cantata, and describes itas effective and Queens Chamber Orch. (Lyons) moving, representative of Blitzstein's best writing. His enthusiasm showed,as he read the composer's text. It was exciting and meaningful. Any effortto decentralize New He smiled when he confessed that after twenty-twoyears in the music busi- York City's musical scene deserves ness the close range sound of chorus and orchestra shook him a bit at the first encouragement, but it will take more rehearsal. Before the concert he said, "I'm really notnervous, but I hope I can than mere encouragement to rescue count and I hope Skitch comes up with plenty of cues." JOHN TOMS

MA -22 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america few years ago. She let out some winning. Yoran went on to capture brilliant tones at the top end of the the savagery of Kodaly's Sonata well, staff and managed scale passages con- and in the process displayed a tre- fidently in arias from Donizetti's Anna mendous sonority. As encores came a Bolena, Rossini's Il Barbiere, and her forthright rendition of Stravinsky's encore of Mozart's "Alleluia". rather arid Russian Song from the Having noted these accom- opera Mavra and a not -so -discerning plishments, it is time to ask that the adaptation of one of Debussy's piano real Shirley Verrett stand up. Is she preludes, Minstrels. vying with Marilyn Horne as a color- A complete assessment of Yoran's atura mezzo? Will she follow Grace abilities was not possible with so un- Bumbry's recent lead and become a balanced a program, but my guess is soprano-having proved on her that he is a virtuoso who needs to pay Dido-evenings that she can do it? Or Voctor loran greater heed to niceties of dynamics will she stay a traditional alto and and style. He has it in him to be an shade stolid. content herself with an occasional Debussy's arabesques exciting artist. H.G. dalliance in other vocal domains? It need more color and imagination may be tempting for Miss Verrett to than either of these players was able assume a triple identity, but she still to provide. CARMEL BACH FESTIVAL has only one voice, and it would be Things improved in the Prokofiev. 37th Season unfortunate if such a beautiful one Yoran's cello tone became less fluffy, July 15-28, 1974 suffered from a rash decision. A.DeR. and Krasovsky loosened up enough Sandy Salgo, Music Director & Conductor to realize the few isolated moments of P.O. Box 575, Carmel, Ca. 93921 Victor Yoran,cello crisp, sarcastic humor. The percussive bow effects in the second movement Victor Yoran, a Russian emigre came forth with muscular precision, American Conservatory who made his formal New York de- and the intonation throughout was of Music but at Carnegie Recital Hall last De- wonderfully true to the mark. Per- Chicago, III. 60605 cember 2, showed decidedly more ap- haps the Allegro ma non troppo fi- Courses leading to B.M., titude for cello pyrotechnics than for nale was a bit "troppo," but such B.M.E., M.M., M.M.E., D.M.A. Mmbir, N. A. S. M. program building. Debussy's whimsi- youthful exuberence was undeniably cal D minor Sonata,Prokofiev's bland Sonata, Op. 119, and Kodaly's colorful but longwinded Sonata for Unaccompanied Cello add up to a technically impressive but musically monotonous display. One listener was left with a lot of unanswered questions and the strong suspicion that Yoran may have intended to display himself rather than the music. He possesses a magnificent plentitude ODGCRS The Rodgers Organ Company, of color, élan, and vibrant tone, but Builders of the world's most authentically voiced electronic organ on this occasion was rather deficient and prelusive representat s,e for in those equally desirable qualities, gentility and introspection. Debussy's Sonata (the one true masterpiece of the evening) came forth in a rather headstrong, temperamental style. In the Prologue Yo - ran might have been nervous, for his phrasing was mannered and fussy, belabored with too many porta- mentos. The keyboard assistance of Emanuel Krasovsky was direct and a Fratelli Ruffatti of Padua. Italy, World's most distinguished pipe ctgan builders CORRECTION: A factual error appeared on page 15 of our 1974 Di- rectory: Eleanor Steber, not Re- gina Resnik, made her debut at the Santa Fe Opera last summer in the production of Benjamin Brit - ten's Owen Wingrave. Apologies to For frame inforMation, write: RODGERS ORS COMPANY Miss Steber. Deiartment AB, Hillstoro, Oregon 97123

March 1974 FESTIVALS, PART I

Summertime music is varied and widespread in '74

ALASKA phony No. 92, and Bach's Mass in B faculty and student artists. Perform- minor. The festival includes concerts, ers include Reginald Stewart and Je- ALASKA FESTIVAL OF MUSIC. Anchor- lectures, recitals, and two perform- rome Lowenthal, piano; Zvi Zeitlin age, June 8-20. Richard Woitach, ances in Carmel Mission Basilica. and Oscar Chausow, violin; Gabor festival guest conductor; Maurice Rejto, cello; Milton Thomas, viola; Bonney, guest conductor. Festival of CLAREMONT MUSIC FESTIVAL. Clare- Mitchell Lurie, clarinet. The annual music, dance, and theater will present mont, July 5 -August 3. Giora Bern- opera, Verdi's Falstaff, will be sung in Carmina Burana with the Chicago stein, music director. Resident artists English with staging by Martial Contemporary Dance Theater, An- include Barry Tuckwell, horn; Singher. Festival events take place at chorage Community Chorus, Festi- Charles Libove, who will perform the Lobero Theatre. Also open to the val Orchestra, and soloists. Events in- Schoenberg's Violin Concerto; Philip public are Academy events including clude recitals, symphonies, and guest Goldberg, viola; Bertram Turetzky, recitals, lectures, previews, rehearsals, artists Rafael Druian, Ernst Muhl- performing a new bass concerto; Pe- and master classes. bacher, and Peter Schickele. ter Hewitt, piano; Hal Rees, percussion; Karl Kohn, composer and pian- OJAI MUSIC FESTIVAL. Ojai, May ARKANSAS ist;and guest artist Claudine 31 -June 2. Michael Tilson Thomas, Carlson, mezzo-soprano. There will musicdirector.Thefive -concert INSPIRATION POINT FINE ARTS COLONY befiveorchestralconcerts,four weekend will include an all -Beetho- FESTIVAL. Eureka Springs, July chamber concerts, three Sunday Mu- ven program, premieres of new 17-26. Dr. Isaac Van Grove, director. sical Matinees, and four Institute works, and a commemoration of the Opera works scheduled include Gou- concerts. Programs will include all - 100th anniversary of Schoenberg's birth. nod's Faust; Mascagni's Cavalleria Schoenberg and all -Stravinsky con- Rusticana; Hansel and Gretel; de la certs, and local and national pre- COLORADO Halle's Robin and Marion; Not'e's Fludde, mieres. a medieval play with music by Van ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL. Aspen, June Grove; The Green Tint, a chamber op- GEORGETOWN PERFORMING ARTS CEN- 24 -August 25. Jorge Mester, music era by composer William J. McDaniel. TER. Georgetown, July 19 -September director. Guest artists in this twenty- 27. Pietro Menci, artistic director. fifth anniversary season will be It- CALIFORNIA The series of four performances will zhak Perlman, Lynn Harrell, Mau- include the Ballet Folklorico of Mex- reen Forrester, Pinchas Zuckerman, CABRILLO MUSIC FESTIVAL. Aptos, Au- ico; Cal Tjader, classical jazz artist; Sidney Harth, Charles Treger, Ru- gust 16-18; 23-25. Dennis Russell and Selvio Carrizosa, Mexican gui- dolf Firkusny, William Masselos, Davies, music director. Three themes tarist. Herbert Blomstedt, Dennis Russell will dominate this season's events: a Davies, Sergiu Commisiona, Leonard retrospective look at the works of MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL. Monterey, Slatkin, Lawrence Foster, Fiora Con- Charles Ives in honor of his one -hun- September 20-22. Jimmy Lyons, tino, and James Levine. The Juilliard dredth birthday; the music of Schu- founder and general manager. Inter- String Quartet and the American bert; contemporary American national jazz artists will perform at Brass Quintet will be in residence. women composers and their works. the five -concert weekend held in the The theme of the festival is Master- outdoor arena on the Monterey pieces of the Twentieth Century with CARMEL BACH FESTIVAL. Carmel, July County Fairgrounds. emphasis on the Schoenberg Centen- 15-28. Sandor Salgo, music director. nial. Program includes weekly con- The program will include Handel's MUSIC ACADEMY OF THE WEST. Santa certs of the Festival Orchestra and the Chandos Anthem, William Byrd's Barbara, July 1 -August 24. Maurice Chamber Symphony, as well as the Mass for Five Voices, the complete Abravanel, music director. The festi- Conference on Contemporary Music Brandenburg Concertos, Haydn's Sym- val features public performances by and the Choral Institute.

MA -24 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america CONNECTICUT Rudolf Firkusny, Andre Watts, and Sills, Janice Harsanyi, Joanna Si- Alexis Weissenberg; cellists Lynn mon, Kenneth Riegel, and Michael CONNECTICUT COLLEGE AMERICAN Harrell and Janos Starker; vocalists Devlin. An all -French program will DANCE FESTIVAL. New London, June Maria Ewing, Eileen Farrell, and feature Saint -Satins' Piano Concerto 22 -August 3. Charles Rinehart, di- Paul Sperry; the LaSalle Quartet will No. 5. Also scheduled are the Brahms rector. Concentrated study with pro- return for chamber and preview con- Violin Concerto in D, Charpentier fessionals covers all aspects of the certs. The focus this summer will be and Donizetti arias, and Dvofak's dance, with weekend performances on the works of Schubert, Schumann, Requiem Mass, with Jindrich Rohan by various world-renowned dance and Schoenberg. This will be Ra- of Prague guest -conducting the Uni- companies. Workshops and programs vinia's third summer music educa- versity Choral Union. include the presentation of promising tion program in association with emerging companies, the fifth an- Northwestern University. Paul DETROIT CONCERT BAND. Detroit, June nual Dance Critics' Conference, the Sperry, Janos Starker, Rudolf Buch- 16 -August 11. Dr. Leonard B. Smith, second annual Dance -Television binder, and Alexis Weissenberg will music director. The band will per- Workshop, the Choreographers - conduct master classes. form varied programs ranging from Composers Program, and the Com- classics to show tunes with guest art- munity Outreach Program. KANSAS ists William Lane, trombone; Imo- gene Bird, Elsie Inselman. Christina HARTT SUMMER CHAMBER MUSIC FESTI- ANNUAL MESSIAH WEEK FESTIVAL. Lypecky, and Rosemary Jackson, so- VAL. West Hartford, June 23 -August Lindsborg, April 7-14. Elmer pranos. 11. Joseph F. Mulready, Jr., director. Copley, music director. The Bethany The festival consists of six Sunday Oratorio Society and guest soloists MEADOWBROOK MUSIC FESTIVAL. evenings devoted to music of smaller will perform Handel's Messiah and Rochester, June 27 -August 25. dimensions, including recitals, string Bach's The Passion According to St. Mat- Vladimir Ashkenazy, artistic adviser. quartets, and chamber ensembles. thew. Also scheduled are concerts by Soloists and guest conductors per- Bethany College Choir, Bethany form with the Detroit Symphony in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Community Symphony Orchestra, programs from the symphonic and and solo recitals by guest artists. pop repertoires; jazz artists perform AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL. Washing- on Friday evenings, and there will be ton, April 21 -June 2. Richard Bales, MASSACHUSETTS one week of ballet performances. music director. The seven -concert series will present the Portland Sym- BERKSHIRE MUSIC FESTIVAL. Lenox, NEW YORK phony String Quartet, pianists July 5 -August 25. Seiji Ozawa, artis- Frances Burnett, David Burge, and tic director, Berkshire Festival; Gun- LAKE GEORGE OPERA FESTIVAL. Glens Bradford Gowen; cellist Gordon Ep- ther Schuller, artistic director, Berk- Falls, July 11 -August 17. David person; the Camerata Chorus of shire Music Center. Guest conductors Lloyd, general and artistic director; Washington, John Reinthaler, con- appearing with the Boston Sym- Paul Callaway, music director. Per- ductor; tenor Ralph Williams; and phony will be Eugene Ormandy, Mi- formances this season will be Die Fk- the National Gallery Orchestra, chael Tilson Thomas, Karl Richter, derrnaus, La Traviata, The Crucible, The Richard Bales, conductor. Bernard Haitink, Eugen Jochum, Magic Flute, and Conrad Susa's Trans- and Arthur Fiedler. Highlights in- formations. There will also be five Sun- ILLINOIS clude Schoenberg's Gurrelieder, day evening Opera -on -the -Lake Haydn's Nelson Mass, a gala one -hun- cruises. RAVINIA FESTIVAL. Highland Park, dredth birthday concert in memory June 27 -August 25. James Levine, of Serge Koussevitzky, and all - NORTH CAROLINA music director. The festival's music Beethoven and all-Tchaikovsky director will conduct the Chicago weekends. BREVARD MUSIC FESTIVAL. Brevard, Symphony in major symphonic July 5 -August 18. Henry Janiec, ar- works, operas in concert version, and COLLEGE LIGHT OPERA COMPANY. Fal- tisticdirector. Scheduled perform- excerpts from operas. "Opera week" mouth, July 4 -September 2. Robert ances include La Bolferne, Brigadoon, will include two concert perform- A. Haslun, general manager. The fes- Falstaff, The Bartered Bride, and Romeo ances of Verdi's La Traviata with Bev- tival of light opera and musicals will and Juliet. erly Sills, and an all -Wagner pro- present H.M.S. Pinafore, Rose Marie, gram of excerpts from the Ring cycle Die Fledermaus, Babes in Toyland, lo- EASTERN MUSIC FESTIVAL. Greensboro, with soprano Eileen Farrell and tenor lanthe, My Fair Lady, Princess Ida, and June 22 -August 3. Sheldon Morgen- Jess Thomas. Italian Opera Night Jacques Brel. stern, music director. In a combined will feature Martina Arroyo and program of music education and Richard Tucker in a concert of arias MICHIGAN public performance, the festival pro- and duets. Among guest conductors vides solo guest and resident artist ap- are Franz Allers, who will conduct a ANN ARBOR MAY FESTIVAL. Ann Arbor, pearances, in conjunction with the Viennese program with Evelyn Lear May 1-4. Eugene Ormandy, musical chamber and orchestral program of and Thomas Stewart; Lawrence Fos- director. Artists appearing with the the Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra. ter; and Arthur Fiedler. Other guest Philadelphia Orchestra will be Ye- Master classes and private lessons are artists will be Rudolf Buchbinder, hudi Menuhin, Byron Janis, Beverly provided by faculty members and

March 1974 MA -25 visiting performers, and, as a part of liam Steinberg, and Werner WHAT'S NEW? Project Listen, students perform solo Tokanowsky. Scheduled soloists in- Continued from page MA -15 and chamber recitals throughout the clude Van Cliburn, Mayumi Fuji- general community. Artists -in -resi- kawa, Philip Hirshorn, Jerome Low- called them explicitly. By that I mean dence this year will be Lillian Fuchs, enthal, Roberta Peters, Beverly Sills, that Greek drama, which we tend to Frederik Prausnitz, Leonard Rose, and Andre Watts. There will be fif- think of as the dramaturgical equiva- the Beaux Arts Trio, Thomas Bric- teen free concerts; James Frazier, Jr. lent of a Greek vase, serene and fro- cetti, Leon Fleisher,Eliot Chapo, will serve as assistant conductor and zen, in fact balanced the Appolonian Daniel Ericourt, Gary Karr, and director of the children's concerts. and Dionysian sides of life in equal Veronica Tyler. measure. Similarly it is all too easy for TENNESSEE us to think of Oriental art, and In- MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS. Burnsville, dian art in particular, as epitomized June 23 -July 28. Frank Ell, musical SEWANEE SUMMER FESTIVAL. SeWanee, by the seraphic serenity of the Lord director. The Celo Chamber Players July 25-28. Martha McCrory, direc- Krishna and the soothing strains of will perform six Sunday afternoon tor. Performers this season will in- the sitar. Both the Greeks and the concerts; there will be concerts at clude faculty soloists, student cham- Orientals knew about death and Warren Wilson College in Asheville ber music groups, the Sewanee apocalyptic vengeance, and their tra- and workshops in July for student Symphony, the Cumberland Orches- ditional dramas are full of the most and amateur players; pianistLili tra, and the Sewannee Festival Or- appalling violence. What was over- Kraus, the festival's honorary direc- chestra, all prefaced by the annual whelming and frightening about the tor, will perform a benefit recital in concerto program. In celebration of Kerala company's performance of ex- August. the Schoenberg anniversary, Phyllis cerpts from the Mahabharata epic was Werlein Budd will perform Pierrot Lu- the way in which the most grue- OHIO naire. Festival artists include Peter some actions took place right on McHugh and Aaron Krosnick, vio- stage-not offstage, as in the Greek CINCINNATI MAY FESTIVAL. Cincinnati, lin; David Becker, viola; Martha dramas-and yet co -existed synergis- May 17, 18; 24, 25. James Levine, McCrory and Peter Spurbeck, cello; tically with their Apollonian opposite. music director. The May 17 premiere Marjorie Tyre, harp; Miles Mauney, The Mahabharata is the story of a of Donald Erb's New England's Pros- piano; Earnest Harrison, oboe. noble family's humiliation through pect will honor the beginning of the the treachery of its enemies and its festival's second century. Scheduled VERMONT years -long preparations for revenge. performances also include Berlioz's The climax comes when the hero The Damnation of Faust with Regine MARLBORO MUSIC FESTIVAL. Marlboro. meets the villain in battle, is trans- Crespin, Kenneth Riegel, and Mi- July 6 -August 11. Rudolf Serkin, ar- formed in a divine rage into a lion, chael Devlin; the Bach Aria Group in tistic director. Weekend concerts are kills his foe and rips out his entrails, an all -Bach program, John Nelson open to the public and develop binds the heroine's hair with them, conducting; and a complete concert programatically from the mid -week and is finally absolved by Krishna. performance of Wagner's Lohengrin. activities of the musicians inresi- The Kathalkali style blends the most Also appearing with the Cincinnati dence. lavish and bizarre costumes of any of Symphony will be Benita Valente, the Oriental troupes with an exot- Seth McCoy, and Ara Berberian. PUERTO RICO ically orange choreographic and pan- tomimic vocabulary that doesn't pre- PENNSYLVANIA FESTIVAL CASALS OF PUERTO RICO. San clude the most literal dramatizations. Juan, June 4-22. Alexander Schnei- It all came together at the end: the BACH FESTIVAL OF BETHLEHEM. Beth- der, assistant music director. Guest hero, his face contorted in leonine lehem, May 10,11; 17,18. Alfred artists appearing with the Festival fury, pulling yards of greasy, red, Mann, music director. Guest soloists Casals Orchestra will be Kyung-Wha dripping "entrails" from the dead vil- appearing with the Bach Choir of Chung, Antonio Janigro, Byron lain's stomach, smearing his face and Bethlehem in The Passion According to Janis, Peter Maag, Eduardo Mata, costume with them and binding his St. Matthew and the Mass in B minor Zubin Mehta, and Irma Vallecillo, wife's hair-all of this followed by a will be Dilys Smith, Elaine Bonazzi, pianist, performing with the Cleve- dance of Krishna, smiling sweetly Charles Bressler, Ray DeVoll, Gary land Quartet. Programs will include through the incense, the simplicity of Kendall, and Thomas Paul. Other works by Bach, Schumann, Mozart, which could only be understood in performances will be the Concerto in Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Saint- the context of the excess that had pre- G minor for harpsichord, the Con- Saens, Wagner and Casals. There will ceded it. The Kerala company pro- certo in D minor for two violins, and be a special chamber music program vided us that context, and the result the sixth Brandenburg Concerto. on June 7 in memory of Maestro Cas- was the most awesome theatrical ex- als with Alexander Schneider, Felix perience I have had in years. ROBIN HOOD DELL CONCERTS. Phila- Galimir, Walter Trampler, Jaime La- delphia, June 17 -July 25. Fredric R. redo, Leslie Parnas, Laurence Lesser A pair of Japanese groups Mann, president. Guest conductors and Richard Stoltzman performing appearing with the Philadelphia Or- the Mozart Clarinet Quintet and the It was interesting to see that it isn't chestra will be Aldo Ceccato, Andre String Quintet in G minor, and Schu- only young Westerners who have Kostelanetz, Yehudi Menuhin, Wil- bert's Quintet in C major. Continued on page MA29

MA -26 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america FORRESTT MILLER Taos

THE A

- TAOS SCHOOL 61r OF MUSIC

DURING THE PAST summer I made my annual visit, as an administrative consultant, to the Taos School of Music, a limited - enrollment chamber music study center in the Sangre de Cristo mountains above Taos, New Mexico. In this in- formal report on my impressions of Chamber music thrives, and so do students the school, which was established twelve years ago, I should like to em- phasize what seems to me to be a very important point: Despite its success On each of my visits to the Taos One appreciates such changes. both as a training center for young School of Music I sense the feeling of However, when I arrived at the chamber music artists and as a per- progress in the air. Sometimes itis school I was even more pleased to dis- forming arts entity in a community hard to pin it down. For example, last cover that one important thing distinguished throughout the world August as I drove the last ten miles hadn't changed in the least. The out- of the arts, the Taos School of Music from Taos up through the mountains ward character of the school was still has never slackened the rigor of its I knew that something had changed. one of easy friendliness. The person- method of selecting and training its The scenery was as striking and var- ality and style of the place were still student enrollment, which is limited ied as ever. The terrain changes from casual and relaxed. The newest stu- to nineteen. To put the matter an- sparsely covered mesa land that dent and the latest guest feel right at other way, it has maintained the orig- seems to reach out forever, to a small home. I was among old friends. The inal high aim of its artistic/profes- ski valley nine thousand feet up, cov- Mayer brothers, the owners of the Hotel sional goals, an aim reflected in its 1:4 ered with evergreens and aspen. St. Bernard and Edelweiss lodges teacher -student ratio. The school As usual,I was completely ab- which house the school and guests makes severe demands upon its stu- sorbed by the beauty of the scenery. during the summer, have a special dents, and itself. Every time I make Through the trees I could see some gift for providing an ambience of ease the return trip down through the new houses here and there-the sort of and charm which frees students and mountains from the school, I carry improvements one expects. Then, it faculty to concentrate on musical away the exciting feeling that as long struck me: I was driving along a good problems. The French cuisine in the as we have dedicated and gifted stu- two-lane, blacktop country road. On St. Bernard Lodge where all gather to dents and teachers joined in such a se- my first trip to the school, the occa- eat is prepared by M. and Mme. Jean rious musical purpose, the future of sional jolts on the original dirt road Mayer, and I must say that I envy my fine chamber music in America is had thrown me back to the days associates who are there for the full happily assured. when I had driven jeeps in the high term. country of Colorado. That blacktop After eating, guests may join stu- Mr. Miller is concert manager and director road, a small matter, really, in the dents and faculty members in a re- of recruiting at the Mannes College of Mu- larger sense of the meaning of prog- hearsal in the St. Bernard Lodge sic in New York; he wrote this report in col- ress, was simply a pleasant symbol of without leaving the building. It tells laboration with James T Maher. change and forward movement. much of the directness and casualness

March 1974 MA -27 cielny, both of Hartt College of Mu- sic, University of Hartford; violinists Robert McNally (concertmaster, Tulsa Philharmonic, and University of Tulsa) and Elaine Richey (concertmaster, North Carolina Symphony, and Davidson College); cellist Rob- ert Marsh (principal cello, Dallas Symphony, and Southern Methodist University), and violist Sally Peck (principal viola, Utah Symphony, and University of Utah). John Gold- mark, the president of the Mannes College of Music, was on a sabbatical leave last summer as a member of the piano faculty. Seminars on the interpretation and performance of chamber music are conducted by leading chamber music artists. Recently, Andor Toth of the Andor Toth conducting a rehearsal Alma Trio, a member of the faculty at Oberlin, led the seminar. Students are encouraged to explore of the school to note that one only has The school has a weekly schedule the beauty of the Sangre de Cristo to turn his chair around, as it were, to of thirty hours of group work, private mountains. John Goldmark, an avid share in the pleasures of music mak- lessons, and practice. The latter ses- mountain climber, leads excursions ing. During my stay this past summer sions are carried out with or without further afield, to such places as the I sat in on rehearsals of the Opus 81 the faculty. The school presents two Rio Grande Gorge, Mount Wheeler Piano Quintet by Dvoilik; other series of concerts each summer. Stu- (New Mexico's highest peak), and the works under preparation at the time dent Concerts, to which the public is famous prehistoric cave dwellings. were Beethoven's Quartet Op. 18 No. invited, are given four times during Tennis, swimming, and first-rate fish- 1 and Haydn's Op. 54 No. 1. the six -week session; two of these are ing are also available. The opera at During my business sessions and presented as part of the school's Sat- Santa Fe is a two-hour drive away social visits with Chilton Anderson, urday Night Concert Series in Taos. from the school. the founder and director of the Taos Students are required to participate Over the years I have enjoyed shar- School of Music, I discovered once in at least one of these public concerts ing in the feeling of anticipation that again the source of the love of excel- and in at least one of the school's in- grows as the final concert of the sea- lence that distinguishes the school as formal recitals. The second series of son approaches. I have been moved a chamber music center. Mr. Ander- public concerts is that given by the by the communal feeling of the son is a cellist who is familiar with the faculty in Taos. All the concerts are people of Taos toward the school. In traditions, the repertoire, and the de- free to the public. a way, the school "belongs" to them, mands upon one's musicianship in During the past summer the new and it is in turn nourished by their chamber playing. He set his sights civic auditorium in Taos was used for wholehearted support. Chilton An- high when he established the school, the Saturday evening concerts. The derson has long been their neighbor, and he keeps them there. His goal is series has become a major summer at- in fact, having developed a herd of to train advanced students to reach a traction in the area-a Taos chamber Black Angus at his nearby ranch. level of performance that seeks to music festival, as it were. The town it- My wife and I were able to spend equal in excellence the quality of the self has, of course, been famous in the more time in Taos itself during my chamber music masterpieces they are arts for more than three-quarters of a last business visit to the school, and studying. century. Writers, painters, sculptors, we drove slowly through the streets, craftsmen from all parts of the world thoroughly enjoying the historic Credit and concentration have come there to live and work. adobe architecture. The school is an- The audience at the school's summer other name on the impressive roll of The six -week summer session at concerts, therefore, is made up of a so- outstanding artists who have come to Taos is so intense that it equals one phisticated and appreciative group of Taos and worked under its spell. year's study in chamber music at the artists and tourists. When I drove away this time I felt best professional conservatories. An as though I were leaving the Shangri- objective measure isavailable by A roster of nineteen La of chamber music. But my roman- which one may judge this highly con- tic pleasure was tempered by a more centrated course of study: The Man- Enrollment is limited to eight vio- realistic thought. As a former Navy nes College of Music in New York lins, four violas, five cellos, and two man I had the sudden notion that City gives a year's credit in chamber piano students. The resident faculty Chilton Anderson runs a tight ship- music for the successful completion of last summer was made up of pianists but with a cultivated hand, the hand a summer session at Taos. Raymond D. Hanson and Anne Kos- of a musician. A MA -28 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america WHAT'S NEW? THE DANCE While the faith is evident-in pray- Continued from page MA -26 Continued from page MA13 erful gesture and heavenward glances-the anger, probably a riv- been affected by this material, and Sara," is a beautiful dancer, classi- eting force in its early performances, who have let it help shape their own cally trained, but in this role she lacks is absent. Several years ago when I contemporary work. Two Japanese the cold and bitter sexuality neces- sawMissa Breviswith Limon himself companies have been here recently, sary for the man -woman duel in the (surely one of the noblest -looking showing us their own efforts to up- "Olim lacus colueram"section. Jamison, creatures ever to walk on stage) in the date the past to fit the needs of the considering her extravagantly indi- central Man/minister role, I was dis- present. But these two groups, at vidual qualities, was, I found, wasted. satisfied with the piece. It seemed an least, were less successful at it than Perhaps a switch in roles between the empty vessel, a longish bore demand- their American counterparts.Per- two women might bring forth more ing reverence because of its subject. It haps from an understandable vener- stimulating results. seems so now, too. John Parks, al- ation of the past, they have failed to though distinctive in appearance, is incorporate the old organically with "Missa Brev s" by Limon certainly no father figure. And the the new, and the results left past and company-the men in workaday present coinciding in a not always Apparently Ailey's projected and shirts and pants, the women (includ- felicitous manner. systematic production of early Amer- ing Judith Jamison, Sara Yar- The more successful of the two was ican dance works ("Roots of Ameri- borough, and Donna Wood) swathed a group called the T.O.K.K. Soloists can Dance") has fallen under the eco- in babushkas and peasant -style Ensemble, which shared the bill a nomic ax, but he managed never- dresses designed by Charles D. Tom- little incongruously with the Singon theless to put on a work by another linson-sinks into appalling anonym- monks at the Brooklyn Academy. major American artist with the ity. Even Ming Cho Lee's contribu- This is a group made up of both tra- mounting by Daniel Lewis and tion, a facile backdrop featuring a ditional Japanese musicians (biwa, Laura Glenn of Jose Limon'sMissa pleasantly pretty ruin, seems as lack- shakuhachi) and modern intru- Brevis. ing in genuine emotion as the piece it- mentalists (harp, flute, piano), all un- Limon choreographed the work in self. der a slightly dated avant-garde 1958 after his company had returned Even though the two new produc- aesthetic umbrella. The most inter- from a tour of Western and Central tions were not up to Ailey standards esting piece they did was by Toshi Europe. On that tour Limon was and the wolf banged steadily on the Ichiyanagi, and involved two dancers moved by the sight of the devas- door (the company despite its popu- working through a planned event tation, particularly in Poland, still re- larity has a crushing deficit), the with musical accompaniment. It maining from World War II. In an group this season reached a new per- wasn't much more or less effective interview he spoke of hisMissa Brevis, forming peak. Also a new musical than other efforts of the past ten or set to Zoltan Kodaly'sMissa Brevis in peak under the direction of Howard fifteen years, but it did at least repre- TemporeBelli, as being "... choreo- Roberts, who guided his chorus- sent a successful attempt to demon- graphed as an act of expiation. It is from Orff through Kodaly to tradi- strate the kinship between the aes- an angry work," he said, "but I tional spirituals-with rich and often thetics of modern "happenings" and wanted it to point to abiding faith." thrilling results. A older Japanese ideals. Stomu Yamash'ta is a young Japa- nese musician who first made an international reputation for himself as an avant-garde percussionist. More recently he has devoted his considerable energies to his Red Buddha The- ater, a theater troupe based in Lon- don. Yamash'ta's "Man from the East" was an Orientalized, avant- garde rock opera that was withdrawn from the Brooklyn Academy in late October after one poorly attended week of a projected three-week run. There was an impressive amount of slightly hectoring energy in Yam- ash'ta's troupe, and some of the music blended old and new intriguingly. But the general effect was both dif- fuse and pretentious-perhaps earlier in the tour, in Europe, when the composer himself participated in the performances, things worked together more tightly. But Yamash'ta will probably turn up again. Ailey's Sara Yarborough: the sexuality was missing

MA -29 March 1974 not tell us very much about Duke El- book reviews lington. TCHAIKOVSKY, by John Warrack. Patrick J. Smith, Editor Scribner's, $14.95.

I HAVE LONGcampaigned (unsuccessfully) against the overly high MUSIC IS MY MISTRESS, by Duke a witty, mannered form of speech. prices of books on or about music, Ellington. Doubleday, $14.95. Most of this book is written in much but in this case the high pricemay the same manner. One reads and be justified. This biography of Reviewed by John S. Wilson reads, searching through the bland Tchaikovsky is made up ofpages of listings of where he went and whom illustrations-many in color,well- LIKE SATCHEL PAIGE,Duke Ellington he met and all the wives and mothers chosen and well produced-wedded never looks back. Aside from a very who are invariably beautiful and the to a thoroughly professional and few set pieces from the past (primar- prominent hosts and hostesses who readable biography. John Warrack, ily an "And then I wrote" medley), are invariably gracious. One looks for who recently wrote a fine biography Ellington refuses to play any of his the human being who is Edward of Weber, has here written for the lay- old compositions, which now means Kennedy Ellington. man, and thus the book does not con- works covering a period of more than He peeks through from time to tain music examples or technical talk. forty-five years. And if he should cave time. His affection for his mother and Yet his account of Tchaikovsky's life in and do an old piece, it is not a copy for Billy Strayhorn, the remarkable is an excellent example of how such of an old recording or an old per- composer and pianist who seemed al- biographies should be written, with formance: It is a contemporary ver- most a musical parallel of Ellington, knowledge and judiciousness and sion of something he had once done. are made very evident. His pride in without condescension. His discus- So the mere idea of Ellington writ- Jump for Joy, a musical he wrote in the sions of the musical works (and he ing an autobiography has, for many early Forties that took a strong but, writes about all the major ones and years, been a problem for publishers, a even in those days, easily swallowed good number of the minorones-es- many of whom have felt that he was approach to race relations, and in his pecially the operas), even though an all -too -obvious subject for a book. Second Sacred Concert (a reflection they are not detailed, are never sim- But the Duke would not cooperate of his quite open feeling toward God plified to the usual music -apprecia- with any writer who wanted to do his which crops up again and again in tion level of musical tags. biography. If anyone was going to do the book) are warmly and eloquently He is helped, of course, by the fact his life, he would. Yet given his reluc- made. that Tchaikovsky as a composerwas tance to look back-and the fact that But when Ellington has to deal eminently a man who wrote himself his time is completely taken up with with Ellington, he seems constantly current musical projects-when into his works, particularly into his to hide behind a veneer of slick, bland operas andhisfinal would he do it? three sym- language. He comes to life as a writer phonies, which Warrack sees asa his- Somehow, Doubleday-primarily when he can get away from dealing tory of the composer coming to terms Sam Vaughn of Doubleday, who directly with his own triumphs (he with his Fate. The clear-headed and started on this project more than a apparently never had any defeats, sympathetic way in which Warrack is decade ago-has managed to squeeze barring his rejection by the Pulitzer able to a book out of him. The elucidating discuss Tchaikovsky's ho- Prize Committee in his lateyears, by mosexuality, his disastrous marriage, factor would appear to be Stanley which time he had constructed sucha and his strange literary relationship Dance, a writer who has been skin - thick, witty shell that he could clev- with Nadezhda von Meck (hefty close to the Duke for many years but por- erly turn the rejection around). He tions of Tchaikovsky's letters to her whose loyalty is such that he would writes well when he relates his discov- are quite properly included), and not write a biography of the Duke- eries on his tour of the Middle East Warrack's knowledge of the Russian his closest skimming is a book called and when he skips through his adven- compositional scene of the nineteenth The World of Duke Ellington, a collec- tures with food or philosophizes on century and its special features, give tion of pieces on sidemen and others any of a number of subjects. the biography an authoritative who move in the Ellington world. Ellington obviously has tre- weight that most such biographies However it was done, there is now mendous (and justifiable) pride, but lack. a book by Ellington called Music Is he cannot get himself loose in words We are able to understand, at least My Mistress. And one can onlywon- about himself. He has those words for in part, the anguish of Tchaikovsky's der if it was worth all the pushing and others who mean something to him existence: the yearning foran prodding that went into it. Duke El- (yet the fact that he includes in this idealized home -life he could never lington writing about Duke Elling- book short reflections on innumer- have, the compulsive wanderings ton, as displayed in this book, is as able people for whom he really hasno over Europe (always accompanied by unrevealing as Duke Ellington on the words makes one wonder why he terrible homesickness and psycho- stage talking about the same subject. bothered about them). This isa somatic ills), the nameless brief lia- His stage personality is a glossy, handsome volume, full of pictures isons which he was terrified would highly stylized front for which he uses and words and listings. But it does lead either to blackmail orexposure MA -30 HIGH FIDELITY / musicalamerica But the book is worth the price, and includes, besides the numerous pictures, family trees of the Tchaikovsky, von Meck and Davidov families, a comprehensive list of works, and an index. P.J.S.

RUSSIAN MUSIC AND ITS SOURCES IN CHANT AND FOLK -SONG, by Alfred J. Swan. Nor- ton, 512.50.

THIS CURIOUS BOOK by the late Alfred Swan, a Haverford professor who spent his life in Russian musical research, is an uneasy amalgam of a pet theory and a straightforward, if cur- sory, history of Russian music, essentially from Glinka to early Shosta- kovich. It is Swan's theory that the fountainhead for all Russian music lies in the znamenny liturgical chant and the folk song, and that these have fertilized Russian music from its beginnings to today. But, although folk song has been a part of much (if hardly all) Russian music, znamenny chant has, by Swan's

Duke Ellington: Behind the musician, where is the man? musical america and ruination. And these in turn lead Rimini will not sound as empty as they to Tchaikovsky's refuge in music as do to me. Monthly the one constant, both in respect to Even given Warrack's self-imposed the musicalizations of his anguishes limitations on musical discussion, Directory (the last three symphonies), or in the however, I think he could have writ- deliberate rejection of them through ten more sharply drawn commentary the escapist musical summonings of on Tchaikovsky's musical individ- KEEP YOUR NAME BEFORE YOUR PUB- LIC . . . . at very little cost: One inch. is his beloved Mozart, the Classical uality, particularly those aspects of it only $189 for 12 monthly issues plus :the Age, and the surface sparkle and joie that we appreciate today. Some de- important MUSICAL AMERICA Annual Artist Directory. A half -inch listing, avail- de vivre of French music, to which he tailed comments on his brilliant use able only to teachers, coaches and accom- panists, costs only $99. Send copy and was ever drawn. of woodwinds, his appreciation of or- order to: Mrs. Claire N. Eddings, High Much of what is best in Tchai- chestral color (quite different from Fidelity/Musical America, Publishing kovsky lies in the juxtaposition of his compatriots Borodin or Rimsky- House. Great Barrington, Mass. 01230. these two traits (in the symphonies, in Korsakoff and yet allied to them), an opera like The Queen of Spades, or in and a greater appreciation of how, in DALCROZE the ballet scores), just as much of the the final symphonies, Tchaikovsky SCHOOL OF MUSIC weakest resulted when his emotional reconciled "sonata form" with the cy- "Combining the best features of IllilEuropean and American Education." insecurity invested his music in lash- clic concept and with his own ten- Complete Music Curriculum-Artist Faculty DALCROZE TEACHER'S CERTIFICATE COURSE ings of fustian or thick -stroked self- dency to musical fantasias on his per- 161 East 73rd St..N.Y., N.Y.10021TR 9.0316 Dr. Hilda M. Schuster, Dir.-The only authorized pity. He was an uneven composer, as sonal life would have been extremely ()alum Teachers Training School in the Americas. Warrack appreciates, who never valuable. For Tchaikovsky's last sym- JUNE BURGESS VOICE phonies (like those of Mahler) are in- All phases of Vocal Instruction consciously realized where his Fac. American Academy of Dramatic Arta strengths lay. But-apart from cer- dividualistic answers to the problems Ansonia Hotel NYSTA-HATS SU 7-3300 tain scores (notably the lesser operas) posed by symphonic development in 73rd & Brom:bray (Apt.10-112) where inspiration gave way to note- the nineteenth century. These often LOLA HAYES VOICE TEACHER OF SINGING spinning-his melodic gifts, his or- daring "answers" carried the sym- NYSTA-NATS chestral mastery, and his burning phony farther inits development 1200 f ifth Ave.. N.Y.C. TR6-2909 commitment manage to rescue sec- than the more conservatively ori- MARIENKA MICHNA PIANO tions, if not totalities, of most of his ented works of Brahms, as well as Concert Pianist-Teacher Opera Coach - Accompanist scores. And there will always be lis- mitigating a good deal of the worst in Hotel Art,innia, ar 73 St., N.Y.C. teners to whom works like Francesca da them.

March 1974 MA -31 own admission, lain dormant and un- President was the White House bar- missions-a piano concerto and a vio- noticed by composers and theoreti- ber. lin concerto. Morton Gould is a busy cians alike, and most Russian liturgi- man these days and not only as com- cal music sprang from a corruption of The Hendersons were hosts poser. He is in demand as guest con- the znamenny with Western influences ductor and serves on the boards of and orthodox pedantries. Since Swan On a chill night before last Elec- such institutions as ASCAP, the does little more than state his theory tion Day Ruth and Skitch Henderson American Symphony Orchestra, and in various ways throughout the book, stood from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. the National Endowment. without going into the close -grained under a tented entrance to a then - Amidst the confusion, bearded argument that would seem to be nec- unfinished restaurant they own on blond Skitch Henderson and his at- essary, the result is a sort of a priori Fifty-ninth Street and First Avenue, tractive wife remained cool and cor- quixoticism, at once simplistic (as practically under the Queensboro dial, obviously survivors of many with the folk song) and unproven (the Bridge. Itis called Daly's Daffodil, such revels. Skitch is unique-a con- liturgical chant). Swan's twin hobby- the name advertised in sequins on the ductor, composer, television person- horses ride into the historical study at hostess' black, floor -length, cashmere ality and wit who manages to live every point, disrupting rather than dress. The invitation had read: "John comfortably in the two worlds of seri- clarifying-the more so since time loves Mary. We love the Lindsays. ous and popular music and whose and again Swan states that the evi- Join us for a Love 'em Party." And gifts as an entrepreneur have ex- dences of folk song or chant are not everybody did, hundreds of Hender- tended from owning radio stations authentic, even when they do appear. son celebrity -friends from music, the- and a ski resort in Vermont to two The book would have been better ater, television, publishing, fashion- restaurants in New York. Daly's Daffo- split into two: one on the history of li- even some politicians. The Hender- dil follow's Daly's Dandelion. (There turgical chant in Russia and one in sons greeted arrivals, waved them in- should be a third called Henderson's which the folk song element could side to the kind of jammed party ev- Harvest.) Skitch, who has scored and have been more clearly tied in with erybody always says they hate and to conducted films, is now music direc- the history of Russian music. As it which everybody always flocks. The tor of the Tulsa Philharmonic and stands, the book tells us more about then -Mayor, wearing a broad red, commutes to Oklahoma. We asked the author and his preoccupations white, and blue polka-dot tie, tower- him how he managed it all. He ex- than about its subject. P. J. S. ing above the crowd, was at the far plained cheerfully: "There are Hans end of the bar -lined room, his back and Heidi-the children. They are ARTIST LIFE against an open kitchen and shelves growing. Have to support them." Continued from page MA4 of hamburgers, Danish pastry, and We finally reached the Mayor, ex- pickles. He faced a barrage of pho- tended our good wishes for his future Presidentialfavorite,the Richard tographers and well-wishers. as he was kissing Hermione Gingold, Rodgers music for the film Victory at Struggling to reach the Mayor we shaking hands with John Chancellor, Sea. Nixon revealed his preference to saw the whole Metropolitan Opera looking out for Schuyler Chapin. We Antal Dorati, and the music director management, a large contingent had read that once he left City Hall, of the National Symphony reported from City Center where Ruth Hen- he had plans for "serious" sailing in it to the New York Times. He had derson is the active chairman of the the Grenadines, for a return to law found the remark "very sweet, very Friends, a pride of Steinways, and with his old firm, for a run for the frank." He said: "Why should the musicians Gary Graffman and Mor- New York Senate seat in 1976. We President of the United States be a ton Gould. Pianist Graffman was think he should be the next head of music lover? It's not his business. In about to start off on a tour of Europe Lincoln Center. It's a tough political human history there was only a and South East Asia. He said pianos job which John Vliet Lindsay would handful of heads of state interested in in the Far East were "better than handle with grace. the arts, and one of them was Nero. you'd think" but that he did not Not long after that hail -and -fare- Yes, it would be nice if the President know about Djakarta where he had well party, the next Mayor of New was a music lover, but it would not never played. "A colleague told me York, Abraham D. Beame, an- make him a better or a worse presi- there is a good Chinese technician nounced that on January 1, the day dent." True. Thomas Jefferson was there so I'm hoping the piano will be he would be sworn in as the city's not a better president for having been in tune." Composer Gould, who has 105th mayor, he would hold his a fine amateur violinist but his Amati written the music for such ballets as inaugural party at the Metropolitan must have made him a happier one. Interplay and Fall River Legend, re- Opera House-the first such event in Perhaps Nixon, who played violin in vealed that he was working on a bal- its history. Even Mayor Lindsay had his high school orchestra, should have let inspired by Audubon for Balan- never thought of that. When the idea stuck to his fiddle. chine. It is for the Bicentennial and was suggested to Mr. Beame (who Speaking of Nixon and music, we the idea is to evoke the sights and plays gin rummy for recreation) he read that in December, when he gave sounds of primitive America, but "it said "That's nice." When Met Gen- a state dinner for the President of Ru- will not be a nationalistic piece in a eral Manager Schuyler Chapin (an mania, the entertainment for the eve- narrow sense." He said, "Balanchine old friend of Lindsay) heard about it, ning included excerpts from The Bar- has stimulated a lot of music out of he said: "It's very appropriate. The ber of Seville. The formidable guest list me. He thinks musically." Besides the Metropolitan is an important part of included the usual VIPs, except for ballet about ornithologist Audubon, New York life and the Mayor is the one man. Personally invited by the Gould has other Bicentennial corn- leader of the city." A MA -32 HIGH FIDELITY / musical america The Koss HV/1LC. Anewtwist to High Velocity Sound.

When you've already developed the finest high velocity And speaking of sound, the HV/1LC is in a class all its Stereophone in the world, you've got to come up with own. Why? Because Koss engineers not only created a a new twist to top it. And that's the HV/1LC. The worlds unique new ceramic magnet, but they also first lightweight, hear-thru, high velocity Stereophone developed a way to decrease the mass of the with volume -balance controls on each ear cup. So moving diaphragm assemblies. The result is a when you want to 'near more of the vio ins and less fidelity and wide -range frequency response of the bassoons, they re right at your firgertips. unmatched by any other lightweight, But then, the new 1-IV/1LC isn't the world's hear-thru Stereophone. finest high velocity Stereophone just because it But there's only one way to hear the features volume -balance controls. It's a difference the FIV/1LC makes. See your revolutionary new design concept that vents Audio Specialist for a live demonstration. the back sound waves thru the rear of the cup And write for our free full -color without raising the resonance or inhibit.ng catalog, c/o Virginia Lamm. The new transient response. So you can hear your HVA LC in ebony teak and champagne favorite music like you've never heard gold with rosewood grained it before and still be able to hear what's inlays should add a beautiful going on around you. twist to your favorite music. KOSS stereophones from the people who invented Stereophones.

KOSS CORPORATION. 1129 N. Port Washington Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212 Koss S.r.I., Vio dei Valtcrta, 21 20127, Milan, Poly.Ko,s Limited, 4112 South Service, Rd., Burlington, Ontario. CIRCLE 24 ON READER -SERVICE CARD their original 78 -rpm releases, they had very little circulation. Of the labels involved, Conti- BIG nental, Beacon. Jamboree, Vogue, and Mel- rose came and went fast. Dial is remembered only because Charlie Parker made a few records for it. In general, the recording quality iscou DISCOUNTS was mediocre, but it is impressive to hear how those musicians who had something to say- STEREO COMPONENTS HI-FI SYSTEMS Edmond Hall, Mary Lou Williams, Hot Lips Page, for example-came through no matter Largest selection of top name COMPONENTS what the conditions. And so it is valuable to try us and see brands KITS COMPACTS have these recordings brought into the mainstream of recording circulation for the first TUNERS AMPLIFIERS time. Its worth a call RECEIVERS TURNTABLES The "Cafe Society" set, made up of four SPEAKERS TAPE RECORDERS groups that were related to the celebrated New York night club, Cafe Society, either because Franchised Distributors for over 70 mfrs. (301)488-9600 Largest selection in the country they played there or their leaders led groups Full manufacturers warranty protection there, is highlighted by an all -female quintet Only brand new, factory sealed components (in 1945!) led by Mary Lou Williams and fea- 1111 ply IIIII Fast, fully insured shipments Double -boxed cartons where possible turing Mary Osborne on guitar (plus one vo- Same day reply to your inquiry cal, which does not indicate that she should Extra savings on complete systems )7") .,,,),11fiL..11.hilmin Lowest possible prices have abandoned guitar) and Margie Hyams on vibes. The set also includes some inter- //1)404;(///7/fir WRITE FOR OUR QUOTE AND SPECIALS BULLETIN esting views of Ellis Larkins as an ensemble VISIT OUR NEW MODERN WAREHOUSE FREE AMPLE PARKING AT PREMISES pianist (with Ed Hall's group) and the sound 7AIJILA)///),,,'H of Maxine Sullivan struggling with four songs that can only have been included as examples of how banal pop songs can be. 6330 Frankford Ave Ro TO "Tootin' Through theRoof'-featuring Baltimore. Md 21206 three trumpeters, Joe Thomas, Hot Lips Page. All mail answered within 24 hours 146 OLD BROOKFIELD RD. (NORTH) and Charlie Shavers-offers a loose and gutty group led by Page (some of the better record- Phone Daily 9 AM to 9 PM DANBURY, CT. 06810 DANBURY, Cr. 1203/744-6A/421)1S1644 ings of a musician who was very badly han- Saturday 9 AM to 4 PM N. Y. CITY (2121 369-6212 dledin recording studios) and a Charlie Phone 1301) 488-9600 Shavers group with Buddy De Franco that is a dead ringer (particularly in De Franco's clari- CIRCLE 22 ON READER -SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 7 ON READER -SERVICE CARD net) for Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five.J.S.W. We put more into it, so you in brief can get more out of it. CLYDIE KING: Brown Sugar. Chelsea BCL 1-0368, $5.98. The Maxell Ultra Dynamic Cassette. Clydie King has long been among the busiest studio singers in L.A. and an alumna of Ray Charles's Raylettes and every other background group you can think of. Every so often someone decides that because she is so professional on the sidelines she'll be a hit up front. But she simply doesn't have solo presence. She might have had it once, but it is virtually impossible to keep individuality while making a living fitting yourself into one or another star's identity. Clydie is professional as always on this album, but the public has never cared a damn about such a trait. No one does but the producer/money man on a record date, and hegetshis albums free. M.A.

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Washington 98501. nab, $1.00 each plus shipping byweight . Box 192W, Babylon, N.Y. 11702. and zone) DIAMOND NEEDLES and Stereo Cartridges at Dis- SAXITONE TAPE SALES SHOW ALBUMS -Rare, out -of -print LP's Large list 106. count prices for Shure, Pickering, Stanton, Empire, 1776 Columbia Rd., NM., Washington, D.C. 20009 Broadway/Hollywood Recordings, Georgetown., CT Grado and ADC. Send for tree catalog. All merchandise 06829. brand new and factory sealed. LYLE CARTRIDGES. FREE 200 -PAGE CATALOG. 1,400 New Stereo "For Sale classical LPs, mostly European. many dis- Dept. H, Box 69, Kensington Station. Brooklyn. New York Recordings. Renaissance, Baroque, Classical. Roman- continued. List 256. Ross, Box 1824, Miami Beach, Fla. 11218. tic, Modern Music. Not sold in stores. Not listed in 33139." Schwann's. Highest quality! Budget label prices! Avail- Stereo Components, Appliances, low quotes. Si .00 for able only by mail. MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY, Box "Rococo and Cantilena discs, vocal, orchestral, instru- catalog. Dela Electronics. 2209 B'Way, N.Y., N.Y. 10024. 932 HF, New York. N.Y. 10023. mental voices of the past. Free numerical list. Detailed (212) 874-0900. EVERYTHING ON OPEN REEL! Prerecorded classi- catalogues -new supplementary included -$2. Ross, Box 1824, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139. - HIGH FIDELITY'S TEST REPORTS -Over 175 cur- cal/popular tapes. Latest releases. Dolby. Quad. 96 -page rently available audio products. Tests, analyses, prices. catalogue $1. Barclay -Crocker. Room 857H, 11 Broad- Golden Age Radio -your best source for radio tapes. Send $2.25. includes 306 poslage & handling. to High Fi- way, NYC 10004. Box 25215-J, Portland, Oregon 97225. delity's Test Reports, Box HF, 2160 Patterson St., Cincin- nati. Ohio 45214. THREE GREAT STEREO ALBUMS: (1) "The New McKinney's Cotton Pickers" (1930 -style big band jazz. wanted to buy Protect your records Poly sleeves for jackets 66 featuring Dave Wilborn, vocalist with original band). = B- Roundbottom Inner sleeves 56 Poly lined paper sleeves 38000 (widely acclaimed!); (2) "From Monday On": a pot- CASH FOR UNWANTED STEREO LPS AND PRERE- 126 White jackets 276 Postage $1.00. Record Supply pourri of jazz, new and old, by "Tom Saunders' Surfside CORDED TAPES. Reder. 81 Forshay Road, Monsey, New House. Hillburn. New York 10931. Six" (a Detroit -area favorite),re13-38002; (3) "You're York 10952. Driving Me Crazy" -a second rompin', stompin' album by Back issues High Fidelity 1954-1968 Martin Zweibel. "The New McKinney's Cotton Pickers", 47-50 41st St.. Sunnyside, N.Y. 11104. ef 8-38001. $5.50 each, postpaid. Bountiful Record Corporation. books & literary services services 12311-H Gratiot, Detroit, Michigan 48205. International Writers' Bureau -Club -School. HELENE Cut-out records. Huge Stock, All new. No catalog. ERICKSON ASSOCIATES, INC.. 84-48 Manton St. (212) RENT 4 -TRACK OPEN REEL TAPES -ALL MAJOR la- Lesco, 2205 Marylane, Broomall, Pa., 19008 658-1698, Jamaica, N.Y. 11435. bels -3.000 different -free brochure. Stereo-Parti, 57 St. James Drive. Santa Rosa, Cal. 95401. LIVE OPERA. CONCERTO. SYMPHONIC. TAPE BAR. GAINS, -S3 50 -(REELS & CASSETTES), BOX 1101 used equipment for sale RECORD. TAPE, CASSETTE COPIES made (one or WOODHAVEN, NEW YORK 11421. more) also complete record production and demos from Reconditioned used Ampex 10.5" metal reels with Box your tapes. Request brochure. Trutone Records, Box SOUNDTRACKS. Large free catalog. Star -47, Box 850 $2 00 each plus 5% postage 10.5" Specialty. Box 88338, 830, Dept. H. Saddle Brook, N.J. 07662 (201) 868-9332. Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 Atlanta. Ga 30338 ELIABILITY Rabsons track that reallygets off. The others are all means reliability. Over high on energy and, low on direction. scatter- 68 years of experience. ing a little bit in this style and a little in that. UDIO SPECIALISTS ... Our The album art work is unfortunate. M.A. SAVE! staff at Rabsons are all MONEY TIME FREIGHT knowledgeable audio YOuNGHEARTe: Do You Have theTime. 20TH specialists. Personal serv- CENTURY TC 427, $5.98. lcQUALITY STEREO EQUIPMENT ice has been a byword AT LOWEST PRICES. for over 68 years. This isa boy -trio album on 20th to match the EST PRICES! ... Our prices girl trio reviewed above. The difference is that YOUR REQUEST FOR QUOTA- are really wholesale, this group has a fine, firm sense of itself both TION RETURNED SAME DAY. actually lower than dis- commercially and musically. Produced FACTORY SEALED CARTONS- r count. Requests for quotes group member Vernon Bullock, who wroteall CUARANTEED AND INSURED. are immediately given. the tunes. That keeps it in the family and ATISFACTION Is guar- strengthens motivations. If you ask me-and SAVE ON NAME BRANDS LIKE anteed. All merchandise no one does-this group's future has gold in it. A.D.C. KLH brand new in factory SHURE sealed cartons, shipped M.A. A.R. double -packed. fully in- DYNACO KOSS sured from our warehouse SANTANA: Welcome. COLUMBIA KC 32445, CT FISHER SONY UTSTANDING VALUE ... $5.98. Tape: ea CA 32445,$6.98; ei As one of America's 32445, $6.98. AND MORE THAN 50 OTHERS largest mail order houses BUY THE MODERN WAY we pass our volume and The "New" Santana Band, still under the di- buying power along to you rection of Carlos Santana. makes music that is BY MAIL-FROM ATIONALLY ADVERTISED even more complex and exotic than its "old" BRANDS .. We carry counterpart. This time around many of the over 60 brands Latin rhythms have been mated to the pro- AVE MONEY NOW! Write gressive rock sound that is growing increas- us now or even better. ingly more popular. To say the least, the result come down and see for is interesting. You take it from there. H.E. yourself LOGGINS AND MESSINA:FullSail. COLUMBIA Minot"ia audio KC 32540,$5.98. Tape: ! CA 32540, $6.98; RABSONS Department217H 1141414.14, 119 W. 57 ST. so CT 32540 $6.98. N. Y.C., N.Y. 10019 Loggins and Messina's gentle and lilting music 12 E.Delaware Place Tel. (212) 33/922611 is expertly crafted and exquisitely produced. It iib Chicago, Illinois60611 l,--;,,,ir,, does, however, lack drive, and while "Full Sail" inevitably will please the duo's horde of 312-664-0020 fans, it will not garner them any new converts. CIRCLE 33 ON READER -SERVICE CARD H.E. CIRCLE 20 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD. ATCOSD 2-806, $6.98 (twodiscs). The second anthology of Buffalo Springfield SAVE ON Now you material to be released. It partially duplicates can enjoy your the previous, single -disc "Retrospective" Audio (Atco SD 33 283). but adds one previously Brand Name antique records unreleased track: a nine -minute version of Bluebird. M.J. Components on a modern oUML, sound system! ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM.MCA 350, $5.98. Thislovely album splits honors between the Write Todayfor Our FREE Its easy! And it's all explained in a big 9 -page indomitable Jobim and Claus Ogerman. who Wholesale AudioCatalog flaw To article available in reprint form from arranged. conducted the considerable orches- HIGH FIDELITY. You'll also receive a bonus 85.71 DIXIE one of the largeststereo wholesalersfills tra. and produced. Jobim sings much of the all your orders promptlyAt prices actually LOWER to 70.59 rpm strobe disc to set your turntable work in Portuguese. He wrote both music and than "DiscountersSeeour exciting new Whole - speed. English words to the lengthyWaters of March. sae Price Catalog. or writefor quotes Choose the famous brand stereo equipmentand accessories Its simple! Written in lucid step-by-step fashion. which reads quite beautifully and sings quite you desire Everything shippedfactory sealed this reprint quickly enables you to listen to (and poorly.Cronica da Casa A ssas.sinadais a long tape) your antique 78 rpm records. Here are a few suite from a film by Paulo Sarraceni. and is for _.,..\,1t0SS of the subjects covered- me the most fascinating music of the album. 'a WM' Adusting your turntable to antique record In all. the album will be a joy for any Jobim LIMMO. speeds. PA;stet ChargefBankarnericard 11,,.._ fan. M.A. honored on mail orders ..4. Picking the right stylus for your 78S. r SHURE

Playing odd size records on your changer. i 1$110 GLEN CAMPBELL: I Remember Hank Wil- Converting your stereo pickup for vertical ctscs. FISHER ii'Figa. liams. CAPITOL SW 11253. $5.98. Tape: KIM CEO And this complete reprint, including pickup wiring 8XW 11253, $6.98; 4XW11253, diagrams and your bonus strobe disc is only $1. $6.98. t. SONY Supplies are limited, so fill out the coupon below Competent modern versions of country clas- wi and send it with your check or moncy order to sics by one of country music's best -loved com- GARRARD DYNACO M.J. posers. Best:You Win Again. r . HIGH RDELITY Magazine Dept. OR DIXIE HI -Fl WHOLESALERS The Publisting House 5600 Second St.. N.E.. Washington. D.C. 20011 DAVID CLAYTON -THOMAS. RCA APL 1-0173, Greet Barrington. Mass 01230 Please rush me your FREE Wholesale Audio Catalog Reese send rre my How to Ray Od Records on $5.98. and complete information I understand there is no New Equipmentreprintplus my txnus strobe Clayton -Thomas,ex -lead singer with Blood. ob,igation disc Enclosed is Si Sweat & Tears, became a solo act on Colum- Name Name bia Records after he left the band that had Address made him famous. He failed miserably. That Address failure has not been eradicated by his move to City State Zip I 202 635 4900 City& State p RCA. His performance ofHernando's Hidea- Place HF-3 wayon this disc just may set a new low. H.E.

MARCH1974 123 heightened sense of freedom from op- big -band music, normally heard out of the tape pressively small room environments. doors in live performances, the change in Unquestionably, then, it is this relatively technological approach is both reason- deckBY R.D. DARRELL conservative exploitation of quadri- able and mightily effective-if always at phonic potentials that will best appeal to the cost of diverting some attention to veteran home listeners, to anyone who isolated speaker sources. Over-all, how- Things As They Are vs. Things As They distrusts the new medium as an artificial ever, the balance tilts decisively on the Might Be.This, one of the oldest and pinging-ponging-panging-punging gim- side of quadriphony: The stereo edition most basic polarizations in human aspi- mick, and to everyone who resents hav- of this program, discussed here last De- rations and artistic aims, has always ing to metamorphose his comfortable cember, is less substantially satisfying as played a potent role in the making and miniature concert -hall home listening well as markedly less dynamically excit- evaluation of recorded music, but it has room into a disconcertingly alien the- ing. never been more powerful, or more divi- ater -in -the -round. And here is a consolation bone to toss sive, than in present-day quadriphony. to anti -Q audiophiles who may resent The eternal split between extraverts and Lebensraum for Tchaikovsky's Ballets. the attention I've been giving these last introverts, realists and romanticists, tra- Theambient -enhancement Q -philos- two months to quadriphony in general ditionalists and avant-gardists, now sep- ophy, which in actual practice has left and Q-8 tapes in particular. Most "sur- arates the proponents of two disparate me with somewhat lukewarm responses round" recordings not only lose much of technological/aesthetic philosophies. In to most of its early Columbia as well as their melodramatic specularity in stereo - one, the goal is enabling home listeners RCA symphonic -warhorse exemplars, only editions but also usually reveal to share as closely as possible the experi- impresses me much more favorably in other deficiencies when evaluated by ence of concert -hall audiences; in the RCA's latest approaches to music that normal engineering standards. On the other, the aim is to provide home listen- more insistently demands scenic and other hand, the stereo editions of am- ers with musical experiences seldom if special -settingillusions:the superbly bient -enhancement recordings not only ever practicable in "live" performances. theatrical ballet apotheoses of Tchai- lose less in frontal -only playback but Patently there can be no real quarrel kovsky. In RCA ART 1-0027, 1-0030, seem (at least in my experience so far) to between these two schools of thought and 1-0169 (Q-8 cartridges, $7.95 each), be just as satisfactory, technically, as where the use of 360 -degree encompass- the Philadelphia Orchestra under Or- recordings made exclusively in stereo. ing -sound techniques has been antici- mandy plays extended suites from the Which leaves the question moot whether pated by older composers (as by Berlioz Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping or not one's personal conversion to the for his Requiem) or is specifically called Beauty ballets respectively. There is no new medium truly warrants the effort for by contemporary composers (as by need to comment here on the readings and expense involved. Bernstein for his Mass) and novelty -pop and performances per se, since the opu- "No!" obstinately insists the conserva- arrangers. It's through the standard con- lent Philadelphian treatment already is tive/purist veteran. "Yes!" screams the cert repertory that the battle lines are well known to concertgoers and-via youngster eager for new sonic thrills. For drawn. Should a familiar symphony, 1962-64 Columbia stereo versions-to myself, I have considerable empathy for concerto, ballet, or opera be recorded disc and tape collectors. (In any case, I'm both extremist groups. But while I know and reproduced so that a home listener personally disqualified, as writer of the that change is as inevitable in sound hears it coming at him from all sides-the Nutcracker disc -jacket notes, from for- recording and reproduction as it is in ev- "surround -sound" approach? Or should mally reviewing that program, although erything else, I'm glad that the it be recorded and reproduced so that he ironically enough no notes by anyone quadriphonic movement is progressing hears it from the front of a listening are normally supplied with cartridge - relatively slowly. There isstillincal- room that is apparently expanded to big - tape editions!) The present concern is culably much to learn about the ideal hall or opera -house dimensions? primarily with the quadriphonic tech- matching of audio techniques to differ- This latter approach, the auditorium- nology involved. And if that is decidedly ent types of music, and in how to listen ambience -enhancementtechnique,is less "spectacular" than the best exam- with maximum enjoyment and min- the one espoused by RCA's classical - ples of surround sound, it is effectively imum awareness of the ever -more- record producers-in opposition to the dramatic in less obtrusive, more ortho- elaborate intermediaries between us and equably circumambient technique cur- dox, and above all more natural ways- the music itself. rently favored by Columbia and Van- most appealing in the delectable airiness guard classical producers and exempli- of the sonics themselves and in the il- Best (Stereo) Sounding Boheme. Mean- fiedinthe batch of Columbia Q-8 limitable expansiveness of the magical time, while we're waiting to find out cartridge tapes discussed in this column ballet stage evoked in one's imagination. what quadriphony may do for, and to, last month. Since then I have been listen- complete operas, another exceptionally ing to several new RCA Q -8s, which, like But Sousa Says, "Surround Me!"Of well -sung, -played, and -recorded stereo this company's earlier ones, confine di- course RCA's classical Q -audiology isn't example has come along. It is Puccini's rect sound production to the front speak- inflexibly maintained in other domains. La Boheme in a version starring Freni, ers, while the rear speakers provide the Most if not all the RCA Q pops distrib- Pavarotti, et al., with the Berlin Philhar- equivalents of the sonic reflections and ute sound sources around all four monic under Karajan (London/Ampex reverberations coming from the side and quadrants of one's listening room. And D 490235, two Dolbyized 71/2-ips reels, back walls of an auditorium. in the Q editions of the "Mancini Salutes $14.95, notes -and -texts booklet in- Obviously, this type of quadriphony is Sousa" program, most of the percussion cluded; also D 31235, two Dolbyized not startlingly different from familiar and some of the accompaniment instru- cassettes, $14.95). In sharp contrast with frontal stereo. It doesn't involve-at least ments are located in back; there are Schippers' high-powered1964 Angel to any dangerous extent-surround frequentfront/rear antiphonies, and version in which Freni first starred as sound's distracting temptations to listen even some circular sonic movement in Mimi, Karajan's reading isrelatively to individual speakers for specific sound - the drum -corps displays that precede slow and less exciting dramatically. But source locations rather than to a compre- several marches (APT 1-0013, $7.95; also what gorgeous, luminously captured vo- hensive, homogeneous musical -sound upcoming in a Stereotape-processed cal and orchestral sound! And what im- "image." And it provides a notably Q -reel, EPQ 1-0013). For this kind of maculately silent reel -tape surfaces!®

124 CIRCLE 49 ON READER -SERVICE CARD -* NR Stanton. BEnetrrp'irk for an Industry.

Stanton's 681 SEriEs is the Calibration Standard to rEcording EnginEErs suchas RobErt Ludwig. Whatever the requirements for recording and playback, Stanton's Series 681 cartridges are the Calibration Standard. And there is a 681 model engineered specifically for each of these critical applications. That's why Stanton is truly the Benchmark for the industry. The Stanton 681A - For Cutting Head Calibration. With Stanton's Model 681A, cutting heads can be accurately calibrated with the cartridge, for it has been primarily designed as a calibration standard in recording system checkouts. Frequency response is factory calibrated to the most rigid tolerances and the flat- test possible response is assured for precise alignment of recording channels. The Stanton 681EE-for Critical Listen- ing. Stanton's Model 681EE is designed for low -distortion tracking with minimum stylus force, regardless of the recorded velocity or the distance of the groove from the disc center. High compliance, low mass and low pressure assure perfect safety even on irreplaceable records. All Stanton Calibration Standard cartridges are guaranteed to meet the specifications with exacting limits. Their warranty comes packed with each unit-the calibration test results for that individual cartridge. For complete information and specifications write Stanton Magnetics, Inc., Terminal Drive, Plainview, L.I., New York. Kra NTon All Stanton cartridges are designed for use with all two- and four -channel matrix derived compatible systems. CIRCLE 45 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

F11(,11FIDI I II) M WIN! wayout! Tape cassettes and cassette opment of TDK's great new new hi-fi cassette offering excel- recorders were once regarded Dynamic -series of cassettes, the lent quality at moderate prices, pretty much as novelties. Sure, whole world of sound reproduc- with characteristics superior to they were great for voice record- tion has charged. most "premium" cassette tapes. ings, but they weren't taken seri- When it comes to matching or ex- So, if you want to be sure of ously by hi-fi buffs. Then along ceedIng the performance cepa- using cassettes that provide the came TDK's Super Dynamic, the best total performance on any re- tape that started a revclution in bil ties of present-day cassette recorders, TDK's new Dynamic corder ... for performance capa- the industry. It gave the cassette bilities that are and always will be true high-fidelity capability for the series is way out front. Extra Dynamic (EID cassettes offer an ahead of the industry ... discover first time, thereby stimulating the the dynamic world of TDK! development of improved cas- entirely new dimension in record- sette recorders. ing fidelity that is vastly superior to any other cassette now on the the new dynamic world of ilt. manufacturers of both market. Super Dynamic (SD), the -.ettes and cassette re- tape that started itall,still has tarted turning cut better better -balanced total perform- 14 wetter products. So today the ancecharacteristicsthan any . uestionis " how well do they other brand made and is available I41TDK® match each other in performance in cassette or open -reel format. TDK ELECTRONICS CORP. capability?" And with the devel- And Dynamic (D) is an entirely 755 Eastgate Boulevard. Garden City. New York 11530 C.) P.4 Y Om 0.111.1.a. Ks. wwil. mans mama a.. CARD READERSERVICE ON 54 CIRCLE .talog. free for Send dealer Superscope nearest your for Pases Yellow the Consult nonce. without change to subject nodels and Pnces 41352 Ci.if Valley, Sun Ave.. Vineland 8146 Inc.. Superscope 01973

anyone. Ask SONY are. We broadest the and newest the best, the on. and on and on go could We with first been always has Sony start, tape. recording Sony microphones, the from Right fidelity. perfect with Sony accessories, Sony recorders, music and words the capture to tape Sony world. the in ment recorders tape Sony came then And equip- recording tape of selection music. was there then And Secara.e components have always been preferred by professional sound engineers the world over. And KENWOOD has always been ttie name they look to for top performance and utmost dependabi ity. \kw KENYVOOD incorporates the same advanced audio concepts, he same sophistica-ed engineering frorii its top -of -the -line models into two mbd- erately priced amplifier'.uner components so that you can enjoy the same audio sophist cation as the expels. Step Lp to separates. Step up to KENWOOD.

at 'mad ac 'roach to quality It;7o Broadway. Garcon a.Cabf.11-3248 For complete information write TKENWOOD72 0? FI;ty.fint Ave, Woodsv!e. N.Y. 1;377 c vn 3da: Magnaso,c Cac.da, _td

CIPCLE 36 ON FEAPER-SEP ICE;;ARC