41 (Valentine), Di Stefano or Del Monaco ate's natural son), and Ian Wallace (Raoul), Siepi (Marcel), London Fine Handel (Altomaro, counsellor to Haliate). (Nevers) and Hines (St. Bris). One By HERBERT WEINSTOCK The Saint Anthony Singers and The could hardly deny that here are the Saint Cecilia Orchestra—plus a con- ingredients to produce a vocally bril­ N several occasions I have had tinuo made up of Thurston Dart harp­ liant "Gli Ugonotti"—if not a stylis­ occasion to complain in these sichordist, and Terence Weil, cellist—• tically idiomatic "Les Huguenots." On O hospitable pages of the plethora are conducted, not as forcefully or this issue we must be realistic and of "Messiah" recordings and the accurately as they should be, by face the fact that Paris today is one of dearth oi anything like adequate ver­ Anthony Lewis. the least likely places for providing a sions of Handel's other large vocal Near the beginning of Act I of cast to do vocal justice to Meyerbeer's v.'orks. It is exceedingly good news, "Sosarme," Elmira sings the most fa­ demands. At any rate, London dreams I think, that London has now issued miliar number in the opera, "Rend'il of furnishing the missing link between two Oiseau-Lyre recordings that sereno al ciglio," which Margaret sturdy Italian-American talents and bring us more than adequately two Ritchie projects handsomely. A little solid French tradition by assigning the full-length Handel compositions not later, William Herbert does almost as baton to the veteran Albert Wolff of previously available except in small well with Haliate's difficult "La turba Opera Comique fame. portions. They are his- Italian opera adulatrice." But the special character The plan, however, is hardly past "Sosarme" and English oratorio-opera of Handelian opera at its most bril­ the stage of wishful thinking at pres­ "Semele"—respectively OL-50091/3 liant baroque becomes clear only in ent. By a not at all strange coin­ ($14.94) and OL-50098/100 ($14.94). the closing number of Act I, Elmira's cidence, these same artists happen "Sosarme," though not consistently "Dite pace," in which Miss Ritchie to be in constant demand all over one of Handel's finest operas, contains proves that the art of singing eight­ the world for non-Meyerbeerian very many pages of extraordinarily eenth-century fioriture is not dead. chores. To assemble them at any given original and beautiful music. The cur­ This is, in its way, as compelling and point with adequate facilities for re­ ious libretto appears to be a revision taxing an aria as Zerbinetta's re­ hearsals and recording presents a of the late seventeenth-century text nowned obstacle race in Strauss's considerable problem, for Farkas called "Alfonso Primo," which was "Ariadne auf Naxos," but Miss Ritchie rightly contends that "you do Meyer­ written by Matteo Noris and set to does not forget that its text and music beer with great voices, or not at all." music by the Venetian composer Carlo must form meaning as well as sound. But the willingness is there and, with Francesco PoUai'olo in 1694. Handel's Mr. Deller makes the exotic counter­ some encouragement, the realization opera was first sung at His Majesty's tenor quality easily acceptable by may come sooner than expected. And Theatre in the Haymarket on Febru­ singing excellently with real musical- there are encouraging signs. Last ary 6, 1732, and ran for ten nights. The ity. Finally, Ian Wallace as Altomaro summer there was a televised produc­ cast included Anna Maria Strada del makes genuine drama of the fine aria tion of "Les Huguenots" in Italy. It P6 [known affectionately as "The "Sento il cor." It is far and away the emanated from Milan as part of the Pig"], the reigning castrate, Senesino best complete recording of a Handel regular broadcasts of the RAI net­ (Francesco Bernard!), and the mag­ work. The excellent cast, headed by opera to become available thus far. the indestructible Giacomo Lauri- nificent bass Antonio Montagnana. "Semele," of course, is something Volpi, turned in a performance which Oiseau-Lyre has solved the problem else. More "Handelian" in the usual caused the periodical Musica e Dischi of the castraio role—that of Sosarme, (if mistaken) sense, this secular ora­ to take issue with the "unjust ostra­ King of Media—correctly: by assign­ torio, much influenced by Purcell, ap­ cism" of this composer by the world ing it to the excellent counter-tenor proaches the condition of an English stages. Alfred Deller. Others in the cast are opera. The remarkable text was writ­ William Herbert (Haliate, King of ten by William Congreve in 1707 in Once the ice is broken, it is also easy Lydia), Nancy Evans (Erenice, Hali- a style reminiscent of Dryden. Handel to foresee future possibilities in other ate's wife), Margaret Ritchie (Elmira, used the oratorio to open his Covent areas. Angel, whose "immediate plans Haliate's daughter, betrothed to So- Garden season on February 10, 1744. do not include Meyerbeer," could cer­ sai'me), John Kentish (Argone, Hali­ It was sung only four times that year, tainly find a suitable cast to surround ate's son), Helen Watts (Melo, Hali- (Continued on page 57) Callas in a work such as "L'Africaine," so that she may add Meyerbeer to a repertory that already includes vir­ tually everything else. And Cetra could do the same for Ebe Stignani, who, although past her prime, could still sing an imposing Fides in "Le Prophete." Meyerbeer, whose music is virtually unknown to our generation, could emerge in these recordings with a new freshness. His striking touches of orchestration, contrived to achieve sensational effects, were really wasted on an age that had neither sound en­ gineers nor an appreciative multitude of hi-fi enthusiasts. No question about it, Meyerbeer would have an audience in our time. And, remembering what recordings have done for the music of Mozart, Vivaldi, Berlioz, Mahler, it is reasonable that the "live" influence would follow the recorded. "I'd show you the 'Master Audio Control,' but it's in my wife's room."

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 42 essential humaneness of Freemasonry. Mozart sought above all to make the divine, the otherworldly, relevant and The Mozart Issue meaningful in this life. He was world, and life, obsessed, and found his deepest fulfilment in the employment of his liv­ CONGRATULATIONS andrai" by Santley. Does his handling ing faculties. He died, not without hope, of the aria not electrify you? Does it but with regret, for he was, above all, MAY I CONGRATULATE you on your fine detract from your understanding of the a participant in life. commemorative Mozart issue [SR Jan. character, or does it enforce it? Yet He sought fullness in life as in art. He 28]. It gave me great pleasure to read all imagine the horror which today would sought not retreat from, but active ac­ the articles written on this unique genius. greet someone who would attempt this ceptance of, life. He sought to make I should like to point out, however, that vocal fancy. death itself a factor in his living that I was rather disturbed by some of the I beg you earnestly—do not allow your would deepen his work, and relate a views expressed and conclusions reached critical faculties to be lulled by the living present to a life after death. His in the article by Irving Kolodin. He authoritative insistence of Messrs. Walter, ultimate ideals became a bond between writes that many eminent Mozart in­ Stiedry, Reiner, and many others to sell two levels of life, and a bridge of recon­ terpreters of the present day profited you a static Mozart—in reality their ciliation. from either direct or indirect association Mahler in disguise—and bar progress WAYNE DAVENPORT. with Mahler, and as a result "the path- towards an even more developed inter­ Sarasota, Fla. breaking endeavours of Mahler became pretation and individualism in production. a highroad from which few, today, would I believe that Richard Strauss's ap­ IN RE WALTER dream of digressing." proach to Mozart was that of a fellow Have we then exchanged the singer's creator, quite direct and personal. Not YOUR "MOZART ISSUE" is an outstanding despotism for the autocracy of the baton? for him "the application of dogmatic literary contribution and a well of musical Does the road lead to Mozart only esthetics to works which should be judged information. Every reader can consider through Mahler and the numerous in­ by their own standards"—not for him himself fortunate in being enlightened fluential Mahlerites? Mahler's Mozart "the high priests who dare stand in the by such a sensitive, noble and original productions were designed to restore path of a vigorous evolution." As a analysis as given by our greatest living Mozart's operas to public favor by cor­ result, the Glyndebourne performances Mozart interpreter: Bruno Walter. rect staging, integrated performances, and manifest some of the benefits which ERNEST M. BETTMANN, M.D. in some cases returning to the original would accrue should the hold of the White Plains, N. Y. manuscript of text and music. He would Mahlerites on Mozart be broken. be the first man to object to the emascu­ One word more. "The age in which MORE WALTER lated Mozart which has been foisted upon singers were judged no less by their us for over forty years now by his ability to embellish a score, as by their I JUST RECEIVED the SR's latest issue and, adulators. I myself sat through innum­ capacity to estimate and interpret what as usual, tin-ned immediately to RECORD­ erable dreary performances of this de­ should be left intact is past." (I am quot­ INGS. The first article impressed me very vitalized Mozart and can confirm that we ing Mr. Chasins.) It may come again, much and it is in regard to this that I still have to put up with a "transcendent­ but if it does not the greater part of the would like to ask your advice—or help. al," "seraphic," and mysteriously intro­ responsibility for its passing forever can How could I obtain the original—I mean vert Mozart, whose music "preserved the squarely be laid at the door of the German—version of Bruno Walter's writ­ overtones of an otherworldly consonance "musical autocrats," including Mahler's ing? from a higher sphere." As a result we followers. RUTH VAN LEEUWEN. now have a humorless, longwinded, and A. G. Ross. Northbrook, 111. uninspiring "Don Giovanni" on London Toronto, Ontario. Records—made palatable only by the EDITOR'S NOTE: S. Fischer-Verlag, Frank- energetic approach of some of the solo­ EDITOR'S NOTE: Not all the points raised furt-am-Main, has published it in ists, malgre the conductor's design— in this interesting letter can be answered pamphlet form. hailed as the true Mozart. [EDITOR'S here, but it is, certainly, no contribution STRAUSS RECORDS NOTE: By some.] to dramatic purpose to repeat an action already consummated. Ij that is a con­ Mozart not only tolerated but en­ MILLER'S fine article on "Fifty Years of cept of a dynamic Mozart, it can best be couraged and expected improvisations Mozart on Records" whetted my appe­ accomplished by the devotee in his own and delighted in performers' interpreta­ tite for the appearance of several of the living room,, via a recording which he tive brilliance. Yet today performances mentioned selections on LP records. How­ can repeat endlessly. As to the dictator­ of Mozart's operas are petrified into a ever, I would gladly settle for one item: ship of the baton!—sorry experience has sacrosanct ritual for the benefit of the Richard Strauss's reading of the "Jupiter" shown that between the lapses of taste Puritans, and anyone who dares to devi­ Symphony on Brunswick M-5, released practised by singers and conductors, the ate from the prescribed pattern is ac­ in 1927. former tend to be more eccentric, re­ cused of lack of dedication and under­ If the holders of the masters can not standing of the Mozartean spirit. lated to physical equipment rather than good judgment. In other words, what they be persuaded to make a general release, Why should we endure the mummifica­ I would be the first to support a sub­ tion of the operas of this great individual­ can do conveniently, rather than what they should do conscientiously. Finally, scription issue. The fidelity of the record­ ist, humorist, and dramatic genius? So as the good or the bad in Mozart production ing is of little moment. Strauss's inter­ to confirm that he was a kindred spirit is not determined by a "school" or "line pretations of Mozart are legendary. This with Mahler? Why should we not accept of descent," but by the individual abilities release would be a highlight of the Bi­ and judge the use of tempi, interpolated of the persons concerned. centennial. high notes, or singing embellishments— GEORGE H. MILLIKEN. as practised by a Maurel, Santley, etc.— Santa Ana, Calif. on their merit rather than as a deviation BACH AND MOZART from an accepted code as laid down by HAYDN-MOZART-BEECHAM the Germanic conductors? What harm I AM DEEPLY appreciative of Dr. Walter's is done by repeating the "Letter Duet," splendid article on Mozart. I would like I WAS GREATLY interested in Sir Thomas "Den vieni," or "Dalla sua pace?" What to make one slight stricture: upon the Beecham's definition of the Haydn-Mo­ is wrong with a new approach in humour over-emphasis of the "other worldliness" zart disparities. It adds much to an or interpretation of character? Or why in Mozart's nature. appreciation of an interpreter's efforts to forbid a high note by the Queen of the J. S. Bach was otherworldly. In "Come have his mental processes as well as his Night which only crystallizes her an­ Sweet Death" he longed for the beyond. musical purposes documented. guish? Mozart was, however, essentially of this CARL GOLD. Listen to the re-recording of "Non piu world; this I believe, led him to the Chicago, 111.

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