Bartok Concerto, Two Rubinstein Albums, "Elektra" Feature December Record List As is appropriate, December record lists are velopment and brilliant scoring, and represents rich in gift fare for music lovers. And here, Bartók at the height of his genius. synopsized to save space to credit all the fine Second Columbia feature is not musical, but items available these days, are some suggestions historical, yet not to be overlooked on your for parcels to be put under the Christmas tree gift list by any means. It’s Edward R. Mur- —including your own! row’s “I Can Hear It Now,” a collection of five discs which reproduce some of the most vital Artur Rubinstein is represented by undeniably moments in our history since 1932. We hear the two finest albums be has ever made through the voices of the Duke of Windsor, Roosevelt, out his illustrious career. One, a domestic Vic Will Rogers, Mussolini, Churchill. Hitler, Stalin. tor release, contains the Twenty-Four Preludes Willkie, General MacArthur, these are excerpts by Chopin, a revelation in how these perfect from sound tracks of unforgettable speeches; miniatures of drama and lyric poetry should be we hear even the historic break-in on the New played to limn all their impressionistic beauty. York Philharmonic broadcast on that fateful The other is an English-made HMV release, December 7, 1941. This album reminds us that and this critic must check his superlatives even we have been living through history, and pre when he says that in his opinion this is one serves for us the personalities of leaders and of the finest reproductions of music ever pre would-be leaders. sented on records—mechanically as well as Decca offers a number of English-made artistically: the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a singles which are of superb quality. For exam Theme by Paganini, with the Philharmonic Or ple, two Berlioz works, the “Beatrice and Bene chestra under Walter Susskind. Seldom has dict” Overture with Malcolm Sargent and the true piano tone been so faithfully captured on National Symphony Orchestra, and the “Car- discs 1 naval Romain,” with the London Philharmonic We are grateful also for Victor’s brilliant under Victor de Sabata; Erich Leinsdorf and recording of the final scene of Richard Strauss’ the London Philharmonic in Weber's Overture masterpiece, “Elektra.” as performed by the to “Der Freischutz”; Jeanne Demessieux in a Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, soloists and brilliant organ solo of the mighty Bach Toc chorus under Sir Thomas Beecham’s gifted cata and Fugue in D Minor; Kathleen Ferrier, baton. This is tremendously stirring music, the beautiful and gifted contralto with the marvellously reproduced. Erna Schluter makes Boyd Neel String Orchestra in a glorious read a convincing Elektra, and Paul Schoeffler has ing of “Woe Unto Thee” and “O Rest in the that brooding power so essential to the role Lord” from Mendelssohn’s “Elijah”; and the of Orestes. talented soprano Ada Alsop, with the same Columbia’s major contribution is a remarkable group, in "Oh, Sleep! Why Dost Thou Leave interpretation of a -still more remarkable mas Me” from Handel’s “Semele” and “Come, Be terpiece : Bela Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, loved,” from the same composer’s “Atalanta.” recorded by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orches Best Decca news, however, is that the Bloch tra. First performed by Koussevitzky in 1944, Second Quartet will soon be available—don’t fail this work is perfectly comprehensible even to to add this titanic work to your collection! the tyro. It has a wealth of melody, logical de —Paul Hugo Little.