CLASSICAL DISCS A\D TAPES Reviewed by RICHARD FREED DAVID HALL GEORGE JELLINEK IGOR KIPNIS PAUL KRESH ERIC SALZMAN

RECORDINGS OF SPECIALMERIT Emperor with Karajan is perhaps even more Rachmaninoff Second Concerto, may be as- impressive. It is big, bold, and genuinely sym- tonished by the lusty, assertive virtuosity dis- BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5, in Elicit phonic in concept, not stormy but truly majes- played here. Walter, as in all of his finest re- Major, Op. 73 ("Emperor"). Alexis Weissen- tic in the outer movements and achieving a cordings, simply makes one feel he is allowing berg (.piano); Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, dramatically contrasting level of intimacy in the music to speak for itself, with no gratui- Herbert von Karajan cond. ANGEL S-37062 the middle one. The mutuality between soloist tous overlay of "interpretation," and the or- $6.98. and conductor is extraordinary. A few phras- chestra itself is heartbreakingly beautiful. It Performance: One of the best es here and there are a little fussy, but never doesn't take more than the first entry of the Recording: Very good enough to get in the way of the sweeping of horns in the second subject to remind one that fect, both viscerally exciting and deeply satis- the prewar Vienna Philharmonic was glo- BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5, in Elicit fying after repeated hearings. The sound is riously unique, whether playing the Emperor Major, Op. 73 ("Emperor"). Walter Gieseking rich and full-bodied, and in every respect this Concerto or the Emperor Waltz. This was, I (piano);ViennaPhilharmonicOrchestra, is one of the best Emperors around. believe, the last concerto recording made by Bruno Walter cond. TURNABOUT (tip THS- Sonically, of course, the same cannot be Bruno Walter or the Philharmoniker before 65011 $3.98. said of the Gieseking/Walter version, but it is the War, as well as Gieseking's only recorded Performance: Memorable a sublime performance, surely the best of collaboration with this conductor, and as such Recording: Good transfer Gieseking's three recordings of this work. it is an interesting document. But it is, as I (His second one, with Karajan, is gone now; hope I have been able to suggest, a great deal Whenever it seems about time to call a mora- his last, with Alceo Galliera and in stereo, is more than that, and the transfer from the 1938 torium on further recordings of this or that on Seraphim S-60069.) This is big and bold 78's has been accomplished most success- "overexposed" warhorse, something in the too, with fewer contrasts than the Weissen- fully - and without artificial stereo. R.F. nature of Ristenpart's Brandenburgs or Hai- berg/Karajan and other recent versions, but tink's Scheherazade comes along to make us with a straightforward grandeur that is really glad we did not. There are plenty of fine Em- irresistible. Discophiles who know Gieseking RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT peror Concertos in our catalogs, but both of only from his very delicate Debussy and usu- BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 11, in B -flat these would be welcome if there were a ally small -scaled Mozart (except in the con- Major, op. 22; Fantasy in G Minor, Op. 77; hundred, and together they constitute a digest certos!), and who never heard him play the Sonata No. 24, in F -sharp Major, Op. 78. of exemplary musicianship of today and of the fabulous era that ended with the outbreak of ALEXIS WEISSENBERG: his Emperor is big, hold, and genuinely symphonic in concept World War II. It took some time for Weissen- berg to hit his stride as a recording artist-that is, to come across on records as effectively as he does in the concert hall-but his recent Brahms D Minor Concerto withGiulini (Angel S-36967) was a knockout, and his new

Explanation of symbols: * = reel-to-reel stereo tape * = eight -track stereo cartridge = stereo cassette = quadraphonic disc N = reel-to-reel quadraphonic tape = eight -track quadraphonic tape = quadraphonic cassette Monophonic recordings are indicated by the symbol ® The first listing is the one reviewed: other formats, if available, follow it.

106 STEREO REVIEW