phrase. As for vocal mastery, here it Songs Mostly in Cycles is in magnificent measure, with every inflection of the Biblical word matched BRAHMS: "Vier Ernste Gesange"; also a performance of absorbmg eloquence, by understanding art. It is almost too SCHUMANN: "Frauenliehe und Leb- fine musicality, and, I would say, much to expect equally sustained en." Kathleen Ferrier, alto, with definitive place in Mahler's recorded quality in the Schumann "Frauen­ John Newmark, piano. (London LP literature. Miss Sydney's "Das Ir- liehe und Leben" on the over side, but 271, $5.95.) dische Leben" and "Verlorne Muh" the fact is that a Schumann fancier are both superior instances of lieder could make out a case for considering BRAHMS: "Gestillte Sehnsucht," etc.; singing, and if Poell's "Tambourgesell" it superior. Not only among the pres- also SCHUMANN: "Liederkreis." does not match the version of Schlus- 3nt company of phonographic interpre­ Lorna Sydney, alto, with Wilhelm nus, it is close enough to measure ters, such as Marian Anderson and Uta Loibner, piano. (Vanguard LP 411, . against it. In addition, the finely at­ Graf, but in a list that stretches back $5.95.) mospheric orchestral accompaniment through Lotte Lehmann, Helen Trau- by Proha.ska is a plus to be reckoned bel, Astra Desmond, and Ria Ginster MAHLER: "Das Knaben Wunderhorn." with. Mahler enthusiasts will embrace to Elsa Alsen, Ferrier stands alone for Lorna Sydney, alto, and Alfred the whole set eagerly, but I believe equal attention to word and tone, in Poell, baritone, with Felix Prohaska any person at all susceptible to lieder cleanness of musical execution and conducting the Vienna State Opera will find it to his taste. richness of sound. Maybe there is Orchestra. (Vanguard LP set, While with Sydney and Poell I may more to be said, but it eludes me. John $11.90.) mention that neither measures to the Newmark is the fine pianist, and the Mahler standard in the other discs not­ sound is all one expects of London. I MOZART: "Dans un bois solitaire," and ed above. Miss Sydney comes closer, have one complaint to register: the five other songs; also SCHUBERT: for her artistry remains of the same German text is omitted. "Lied der Mignon," and six other order, though the broad pulsation of As attentive listeners to this year's songs. Genevieve Warner, soprano, her middle register is heavy for the Metropolitan Opera performances are with Franz Rupp piano. (Columbia intimacy of the Schumann songs and occasionally aware, Genevieve Warner LP 4365, $5.45.) occasionally tends to cloud the pitch is a young soprano with a clear, bell­ in the Brahms "Nachtigall" and "Des like voice who has been singing the WOLF: "Fussreise," "Anakreons Grab," Liebsten Schwur." In the songs with First Boy in "Magic Flute," the Mil­ "Der Musikant," and seventeen oth­ viola Emil Morawetz is a fine string liner in "Der Rosenkavalier," and er songs. Alfred Poell, baritone, with player, but the lack of vocal control other hard-to-hear parts. When heard Franz Holletschek, piano. (West­ is still bothersome to my ear. Poell's her voice suggests the uncommon kind minster LP 50-48, $5.95.) Wolf songs are typical of his musician­ of purity and well-floated tone that ship and seriousness, but except for distinguishes both sides of this intro­ WOLF: "Bedeckt mich mit Blumen," "An Eine Aeolsharfe" and "Der Musi­ ductory record. Beyond this physical "In der Friihe," "Verhorgenheit," kant" there is neither quickening im­ fact, however, there is little to be said. and thirteen other songs. Elisabeth agination nor temperamental spark to Whether it is Mozart's "Das Veilchen" Schumann, soprano, with George differentiate among twenty fine songs or "Das Lied der Trennung," Schu­ Reeves, piano. (Allegro LP 98, in which the differences are frequent­ bert's "Lied der Mignon" or "Im Aben- $5.45.) ly very subtle ones. However, it is no droth," Miss Warner performs with small matter to have such fine songs matter-of-fact excellence — which, OR CONVENIENCE the alphabeti­ as "Rattenfanger," "Feuerreiter," and while excellent, is still matter-of-fact. F cal arrangement above will suf­ "Fussreise" generally available. In all It is certainly uncommon to hear a fice; but for interest there is little cases the presence of German and young singer with so lovely an un­ doubt that first place goes to Mahler's English texts is gratefully noted. spoiled voice and so much easy, well- "Das Knaben Wunderhorn," not only The long-expected "Vier Ernste Ge­ produced tone at her disposal, but for the pleasure of hearing these fine sange" by Ferrier—first rumored many there is no overt evidence that she songs in totality and with orchestra, months ago as a 78-rpm project by really knows what she is singing but even more for the quality of ac­ English Decca—has finally borne fruit, about. The vocal consequences, while complishment by all concerned. Neith­ and what fruit! Rich, firm, fully eminently pleasant, have little to do er Poell nor Sydney nor Prohaska is packed, with both the bloom of youth with Mozart or Schubert. Rupp, for without previous recorded history, but and the ripeness of maturity in every that matter, is much paler than his none of them have made quite so custom. The reproduction is uniformly strong an impression in anything else. excellent. Whether this is a matter of mutual It is almost a sad anti-climax to compatability is difficult to say, but it mention here the Elisabeth Schumann sounds to me also a matter of clever collection of Wolf songs: her art and engineering by whoever set up this vocal quality at this period of her performance in Vienna. Miss Sydney's career can support evaluation on their rich, sometimes over-vibrant voice has own, but the recording sounds (be­ been treated with such skill that all sides those noted above) as if it were its expressive quality is retained, made in a closet—and a small one at while thinning it out slightly to the that. She sings "Bedeckt mich mit advantage of dead-center pitch. On Blumen" and other quiet songs with the other hand, Poell's drier sound great tenderness and reasonable con­ has been brought to a microphone ar­ trol, but anything of larger scope or rangement that gives it all its inher­ greater range is tentative. Among the ent resonance. Orchestral detail like­ infrequently heard songs are "O war wise has been balanced adroitly. dein Haus," "Sie blasen zum Ab- Since both singers are able tech­ marsch," and "Nun wand're Maria." nicians and thoroughly versed in the Kathleen Ferrier—"vocal mas­ George Reeves is the deft, mostly in­ content of this music, the outcome is tery in magnificent measure." audible, pianist. —THE EDITOR.

FEBRUARY 24, 1951 65

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How to listen to music Three Speeds Forward

f^ witli your eye HARVEY TAYLOR

ECAUSE of certain damaging damnedest "tres vif." But with the ^^-^LS^ THE admissions I intend to make in third movement I was compelled to Bthe following paragraphs, I admit something was at fault. Milhaud PERFECT should like to establish at the outset describes it as beginning "with a a reasonable admiration for my cour­ theme like a chorale, the character of age and professional dedication. I am the movement deeply tender." Nothing CONDUCTOR employed as a music and theatre re­ that came out of the speaker could by By Frederick Goldbeck porter, and the recording companies any imaginative stretch agree with favor me with their new releases. It this description. Delightful and witty advice on how is this phase of what I like to think At the risk of seeming foolish, I , you can have fun with every type of as my career that has led me into must add that the fault was not wholly of music—not only when heard at an uncharted area of musical experi­ mine. For many years now I have been ence about which I am driven, at a concert or on the radio, but when a martyr at trying to find in the music whatever cost, to report. what the annotators described. I an orchestra is actually seen. The other evening, after months of have, in fact, even cultivated a kind Illustrated, $3.50 evading the subject, I put on the Co­ of dogged patience about it. For ex­ ample, when I first heard Dvorak's At all bookstores lumbia recording of Darius Milhaud's Symphony No. 1 and settled to listen­ Symphony No. 1, I made a special ef­ Pellegrini & Codahy • New York 22 ing. Close at hand was liquid refresh­ fort to get a recording, because I ment and the record envelope with its thought the work so attractive. Read­ annotations. ing the notes, I discovered: "Another In the course of my professional endearing characteristic of Dvorak's duties I have from time to time de­ First Symphony is its delicious naivete. scribed Milhaud's music as "workman­ As Sir Donald Francis Tovey says so like," "lucid," "neat in form," etc.; well 'it trails clouds of glory not only (Des Knaben but the music has never impressed me with the outlook of a child but with Wunderhorn) very strongly one way or the other. the solemnity of a kitten running after ^ 13 Songs Here, however, was a different Mil- its tail.'" Sir Donald did say this, haud. From the first few measures I and very well, but I had an awful ,for Voice and sensed a new impulse at work, result­ time fitting it to the music. Orchestra by ing in a bravely venturesome, un­ Thus, I was still entranced by my O U S T A V familiar style. First of all, the tempo—• Milhaud when any record fan knows a driving, churning pace that made what was what all the while. It was, ^^ MAHLER the glass toward which my hand had of course, a long-playing disc of the 33- An anthology of folk songs and poetry groped tremble nervously. Then rpm variety which I had put on a sung by Lorna Sydney, meizo-soprano, and Alfred Poell, baritone, accompanied by the there was something revolutionary turntable set for 78 rpm. I was mere­ VIENNA STATE OPERA ORCHESTRA conducted about the timbre or tone color — an ly hearing it at slightly more than by Felix Prohaska. eerie, breathless sound with violins twice the speed intended by the com­ VRS- 4 I?/13 ? , , . 12 IP RECORDS- $5.95 eu. and woodwinds playing in generally poser. A less earnest reporter would Altrottivcly boed ... $11.90 untrod teiritory at the very top of have slid around in the back when For complete catalog write . I the range. Here, I decided, was a his wife left the room and, while io- \/CJVlCilCJUX thrilling new music. pretending to be busy at the bar, make / -. RECORDING jSOCrETY, INC. the proper adjustment and start all Oy 799 BROADWAY, NEW YORK 3, N. Y. As I skipped hastily across the bio­ graphical matter about Milhaud to o\'er again as if it were a new record, find out what the annotator had to say hoping meanwhile that the flush on his YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD about this departure in technique, I face had subsided. a "live" orchestra in your was detained by a quotation from But my reaction was not as simple living room Virgil Thomson describing Milhaud's as that. I must admit that I like it Unless you have listened to a music as "simple as a friendly conver­ better that way. Often when alone in Childs Handmade-to-Order sation and in its better moments the house I sneak in and play it at 78 Sound System. exactly as poetic and profound." My rpm, meanwhile thinking strange and For on eye-opening demonstration friendly conversations at their most exciting thoughts. So far I've held this WITHOUT OBLIGATION poetic and profound never sounded weird new vice under strict control WITHOUT SALESTALK—phone like THIS. As I hurried on I found and haven't yielded to the temptation Ulric J. Childs, Audio Engineer a quotation from Milhaud himself de­ of playing, say, Wagner's "Magic Fire TRofalgar 9-8290 Music" in a 33-rpm version at 45 or 1601 First Ave., (cor. 83rd St.) N.Y. 28, N.Y. scribing the first movement as "very melodic and quiet, with great feeling 78. I suppose it's silly to think that for nature." Adjoined was the com­ some enterprising composer will even­ GOOD NEWS FOR MUSIC LOVERS poser's marking: "Pastorale, modere- tually write a work to be played op­ Pocket-sized, Lew-Priced Editions ment anime." tionally at 33, 45, or 78 rpm, but it's BRAHMS: AH Vlolin-Plano Sonata* $.98 nice to speculate on the annotator who Since the composer was also con­ BACH: Well-Tem. Clavier, 2 volB., each 98 would have to write three separate in­ CHOPIN: 25 Prel.; 2 Sonatas; Fantasy 98 ducting the performance, I accepted BACH: 12 Solo Sonatas (6 Violin, 6 Cello) 98 terpretations thereof. & MANY OTHERS. WRITE FOR FREE CATALOG the obvious frenzy as traceable to a Order From your Dealer, or Direct From Gallic conception of moderate anima­ tion. The second movement, marked Harvey Taylor is music editor of the IEA POCKET SCORES°^Z\'',i^r2'u%. "tres vif," certainly was. It was the Detroit Times.

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