NOVEMBER 1972 75e LAB TEST REPORTS 11111CH C:8398 Revox's Dolby tape deck Fisher 801 receiver Miracord's top changer rIEDELIITV DBX compressor expander

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-< YES. Your next receiver should be convertible 2/4 -channel, like thenew Fisher 504 Studio -Standard. You'll get fullpowerinto 2or4 speakers,with all 4 amplifiers working all the time. The new Fisher 04 -series receivers corresponding ultraconservative speci- has inputs to accept any other 4 -channel (of which the 504, shown here, is the fication at 8 ohms is 2 times 90 watts, decoder, present or future. most elaborate) represent Fisher's latest which is actually more than the arith- We could go on endlessly about all thinking on the subject of high-fidelity metical sum of the 4 -channel ratings. the other advanced features, including electronics in general and 4 -channel in You can, in effect, switch back and forth the dual -gate MOSFET front end with particular. They are part of an entirely between a rather high-powered 4 - AGC, the completely original "lumped new generation of professional -quality channel receiver and a super -powered selectivity" IF circuitry, or the satellite - components for the serious audiophile, stereo receiver. inspired phase -locked loop IVIPX decoder. distinguished from other Fisher prod- Of course, there is a lot more than But we would rather have you read the ucts by the "Studio -Standard" that to the most ambitious receivers entire 12 -page technical brochure we designation. offered by Fisher to date. Both the 504 have prepared on the 04 series. It is Their most dramatic new feature and the middle -of -the -line 404 feature a nothing less than required reading for is that, unlike other 4 -channel receivers, single -lever master balance control or anyone interested in the state of the they are not restricted to half of their "joystick" for adjusting the relative 4 -channel art. Not to mention the total power when only 2 channels are in volume levels of the 4 channels. This stereo art . use. A front -panel switch permits com- sophisticated device works exactly like For your free copy. write to bining, or "strapping," the outputs of the pan pot used in professional record- Fisher Radio, 11-40 45th Road, the 4 amplifier channels when regular ing studio consoles to localize a particu- Long Island City. N.Y.11101. 2 -speaker stereo is being played. Thus lar sound source in space. FISHER lot. s300.05 FISHER 304. S24)0.05. you get the benefit of every precious Another feature of the entire watt you pay for, whether or not 4 - 04 -series is the SQ decoder, for channel material is your main interest at accurate 4 -channel playback of the present time. records made with the SQ matrix For example. the Fisher 504 system developed by CBS Laborat- delivers 4 times 32 watts continuous ories. Among a number of rival systems, sine -wave power at any frequency from SQ appears to have a good chance to 20 to 20,000 Hz into 8 ohms (or 4 times become the industry's final matrix FISHER 40 watts into 4 ohms). With its ampli- standard for 4 -channel LP records. In We invented high fidelity. fiers strapped for 2 -speaker stereo, the addition, each of the 04 -series receivers

AM 40REDUCED FRONT VOLUME DNL 2 FM HIGH MUTING FILTER OFF 1111-1 PHONES

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MONO ACCESSORY TO RCDR Pickering100% Music Power Cartridges "tell the truth, thewhole truth and nothing but the truth:' There is only one truth inre- What's more, every Pickering corded music-the sound that is in theXV-15 is designed to provide this record grooves. optimum performance with specific In the reproductionprocess, a lotrecord players. So, whenyou buy a of things can distort the truth. Pickering XV-15 cartridge, we ask To begin with, the cartridge. you to check its DCF (Dynamic An inefficient cartridgecan robCoupling Factor) rating withour music of its instrumental definition,DCF chart first, to make certainyou of its overtones and harmonics in theget the model that's best for you. upper frequency range. In these im-That way you just spend whatyou portant audio frequencies, some car-have to to get at the truth. In price tridges suffer as muchas a 50% lossranges to suit your equipment. For in music power. Whichmeans thatmore information write: Pickering & what you are hearing isa half-truth.Co., Inc., Dept. G, 101 Sunnyside All Pickering XV-15 cartridgesBlvd., Plainview, New York 11803. deliver 100% Music Power. They reproduce evenly across the entire musical spectrum. They don't add. They don't subtract. They don't PICKERING distort. "for those who can hear the difference" .4/1 Pickering cartridges are designed foruse with all two and four -channel matrix derived compatible systems. CIRCLE 52 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 2 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE November 1972 VOL. 22 NO. 11

music and musicians Leonard Marcus SIGNS OF THE TIMES 4 Edward Greenfield THE OPERAS ARE COMING! 16 Recording Cellini, William Tell, and Tosca in Gene Lees IN LOVE WITH LIFE 19 Rudolf Friml-still vital at 93 Whose words? See page 50. Patrick J. Smith WHO REALLY WROTE STRAVINSKY'S PROSE? 50 The facts behind the Craft-Libman-Henahan hassle Leo Haber WHO REALLY WROTE BEETHOVEN'S MUSIC? 57 Was Ludwig a black Jewish woman? Rudolf Bing DI STEFANO AND THE MET 64 H1611 The impresario spars with a great tenor audio and video FIDELITY TOO HOT TO HANDLE 30 NEWS AND VIEWS 32 Stereo AM? ... Bio of an audio pioneer . Sansui = RM EQUIPMENT IN THE NEWS 34 EQUIPMENT REPORTS 37 Miracord 50H Mark II automatic turntable DBX-117 compressor/expander Fisher 801 receiver Revox A-77 Dolby open -reel deck John Wright COMPATIBILITY IN RECORD -PLAYING EQUIPMENT 60 Why it's elusive; how to achieve it

recordings Dale Harris THE PAINFUL BIRTH OF A SUPERSTAR 71 Katia Ricciarelli's problematic path to glory

Gregor Benko THOSE WONDERFUL ROMANTIC CONCERTOS 72 Whose music? See page 57. New discoveries from the age of gilt Henry Edwards THE MERCHANDISING OF ELVIS 74 A pop -music phenomenon's new releases

H. C. Robbins Landon HAYDN FROM 77 Rarities and a couple of frauds CLASSICAL 78 A Szell memorial . Dutchman from Bayreuth What's compatible? See page 50. LIGHTER SIDE118

Jefferson Airplane . . Judy Collins ... Jimmy Webb

Publisoed at Great Barrington, Masi 01230 by Billboard Publicstione Inc. Copyright JAZZ126 F 197' by Billboord Publications.Inc. The deagn and contents of High Fidelity 1:10Magazine Inc fully protected by copyright and mut not be reproduced inany Harold Ashby Quartet ... Clarke/Boland big band manner. Sacond.clas postage paid at New York and at additional mailing offices. Authorized as second elms mad by the Post Office Department. Ottawa and for payment of postage in cash. R. D. Darrell THE TAPE DECK132 Nigh Fidel ty'Muscal America Edition a published monthly. Application to mail High Fidelity/ Musa, America at second class potap rates is pending at New York, New York and additional Today's piano giants ... Offbeat operas marling offices. Subs:nation in the U.S A. and its Possespone 514: elsewhere, $15. Air mail rate to lapin: one yell. 16,000 yen; suffice Me. 1.400 yen. Subscription including Concert Artist Directory published am December. $20 in the U.S.A. and its Possesionc elsewhere, 921. Regular mum 51.25 a copy. 91Itionel end other editions published monthly. Subscription in the U.S.A. etc. and Poremons.$7.95. Air mail rate to Japan: one year, 14,000 yen: air mail rate to one year 133 DM. Subscription rates ft all other countries Imitable on 'must. Regular mum LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 6 75t a copy Indeed in the Readers Guide to Periodical literature. Change el address mike; and undelivered copleo (Form 3579) should be "likened to High Fidelity, Subscription Deportment, Beleaguered critics ... Four -channel fraud? P.O. Boa 14156, Cincinnati, Ohio 45214. Here state both old and new eddies's tee rumeding a thanp. PRODUCT INFORMATION 9 An "at home" shopping service 123 Current and back copies of High Fidelity and High Fidelity/Musical America are available on microfilm ADVERTISING INDEX 122 from University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106. LEONARD MARCUS Signs of the Times Editor

NORMAN EISENBERG "Classical music will... eventually die. We haven't educated listeners to Executive Editor understand it. The same thing applies to baseball. If you don't teach young- sters to live and revere it. it too will die.... I hate the classics. Nobody ever PETER G. DAVIS taught me anything about them." Music Editor Dick Clark, host of ABC's "American Bandstand," ROBERT LONG as quoted in the August 6. 1972,New York Sunday News AudioVideo Editor **** SHIRLEY FLEMING Chicago's Board of Education, in a move to pare its budget by less thanone Editor, Musical America Section per cent, announced last school year that Chicago's public school curricu- EDITH CARTER lum would no longer include music (appreciation. orchestra, band, chorus, Associate Editor anything else)-or art or physical education for that matter. Onlya threat- ened teachers' strike (over two thousand teachers would have been made WAYNE ARMENTROUT obsolete), a spate of editorial attacks, and a silent march to the Loop by SHEILA RIZZO mu- Assistant Editors sic students, their instruments draped in black, forced the Bored of Educa- tion [typographer: leave this typo] members to revoke its decision thispast WILLIAM TYNAN summer. Special Projects Editor **** ROY LINDSTROM A ray of hope recently shone on record dealers who are faced with the prob- Art Director lem of how to resell as new those records returned for mistracking,warpage. scratches, or because the customer has already copied the album with his ROBERT MADDOCKS cassette recorder while playing the disc on a minichanger tracking at ten Associate Art Director grams. Ads in the August trade papers announced a "heat sealer with man- RUTH W. DUNTON ual shrink gun" for only $295 as "the solution to the annoying problem of Production Editor how to rewrap opened recordings. Any tape or recordcan be instantly re- packaged in tight. crystal-clear film in seconds. Fresh and sparkling like the JUDITH WEST factory job." Assistant Production Editor * * * * MORGAN AMES R. D. DARRELL Bob Long. our audio -video editor, took advantage of his pre -teen son's hav- HENRY EDWARDS ing joined one of the country's leading mail-order record clubs by ordering ALFRED FRANKENSTEIN a set of Beethoven piano sonatas. The album arrived with a soiled and HARRIS GOLDSMITH DAVID HAMILTON doodled -upon booklet of notes. The set was of course packaged ina "tight, DONAL HENAHAN crystal-clear film." In fact, come to think of it. this shrinkwrapwasthe "fac- MIKE JAHN tory job." MILES KREUGER **** PAUL HENRY LANG GENE LEES The Music Educators National Conference, at their Board meeting in ROBERT C. MARSH Washington this past July. officially approved a position that "elementary H. C. ROBBINS LANDON music should he taught by qualified music specialists." Well, there go those Contributing Editors two thousand teachers out again. STANLEY BINDER **** Circulation Manager One of those reference books that, like Fowler's CLAIRE N. EDDINGS Modern English Usage. Associate Publisher and hook you into reading more than you intended to look up. isThe Book of Director of Advertising Sales World -Famous Musicby James J. Fuld (Crown, rev. ed., 1971, $15). If you want to know whenBaa, Baa. Black Sheepfirst appeared in print, who WARREN B. SYER wroteTaps.the publication date of Brahms's First Symphony. the first Publisher printing of theRigoletto Cover photos: Robert Craft by Fred Plaut; Quartet as sheet music, or who wrote the tune to Lillian Libman by Andrian Siegel. Jack and Jill. it'sall there. **** ADVERTISING Main Office: Claire N. Eddings. The Publishing House. Next month we bring you our annual THE YEAR'S BEST RECORD- Great Barrington, Mass. 01230. Telephone: 413-528-1300. INGS, selected by an international jury in Montreux, Switzerland. But this New York: 165 W. 46th St., New York. N.Y. 10036. Tele- phone: 212-757-2800. Seymour Resnick, Eastern Adv. year we have added a panel of eight audio experts to our Christmas issue. Mgr. They will each announce THE COMPONENT I WOULD MOST LIKE New England The Publishing House, Great Barrington, FOR XMAS. Mike Jahn. in THE ROYALTY CHEATERS, will document Mass. 01230. Telephone: 413-528-1300. Russell Gilchrist. Chicago: Billboard Publications. Inc., 150 North Wacker the plight of some legendary blues singers and composers, including "The Dr.,Chicago, III. 60606.Telephone:312-236-9818. Father of Rock and Roll," Arthur Crudup, who have been bilked of the Leonard Levine. Los Angeles: Billboard Publications, Inc., 9000 Sunset economic fruits of their music. And our feature reviews will include the leg- Blvd.. Los Angeles, Calif. 90069. Telephone: 213-273- endary FURTWANGLERRING,finally being released-and as a budget 7040. Andrew Spanberger Nashville: Billboard Publications, Inc., 1719 West End recording too. From England. Peter Andry, manager of the international Ave., Nashville, Tenn. 37203. Telephone:615-329-3925. artists department at EMI (Capitol/Angel here), will give a behind -the- Robert Kendall. scenes glimpse at what was necessary to bring the project to fruition. London: 7 Carnaby St., London W.1, England. Telephone: (01) 437-8090. Andre de Vekey. Frankfurt/Main: Eschersheimer Landstrasse 69. Frank- turtiMain, West Germany. Telephone (0611) 590805-6. Walter B. Rios. Milan: Piazzale Loreto 9, Milan 20131, . Telephone: 28.29.158. Germano Ruscitto. Tokyo: Billboard Publications, Inc., Comfy Homes 78 6-6-28, Akasaka, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan. Telephone: 586-0261. Hiro Tsutsui.

4 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE We enjoy telling you how each aspect of the 12 make an A -B listening test with your records. year basic research program on sound reproduction 2. Place the BOSE 501's beside (with at least 2 feet contributed to the unconventional features found in clearance) any other speaker using woofers, tweeters the Bose 901 and 501 DIRECT/REFLECTINGc' loud- and crossovers and perform the A -Blisteningtest. speakers.* We also take pride in quoting from the un- (Don't ask the price of the 501 before the test) precedented series of rave reviews because to us they Then, just enjoy your records. When you finish you are like awards won for the best design.t will know why we get much more satisfaction from our However, itisimportant to realize that the re- work than could ever be derived from profits alone.

search and the reviews are of only academic interest P.S . . . . If you already own speakers, many unless the speakers really are audibly superior.Itis dealers will lend you a pair of BOSE 901's for an A -B in equally important to realize that YOU are in every your living room, where the acoustics are generally far sense the ultimate judge, for you are the one who lives superior to those of the speaker -lined showroom. with the sound you choose. * Copies of the Audio Engineering Society paper, So-forget the rave reviews and the research and 'ON THE DESIGN, MEASUREMENT AND EVALUA- sit in judgement of two fascinating experiments. Take TION OF LOUDSPEAKERS', by Dr. A. G. Bose, are your most exacting records to any franchised BOSE available from the Bose Corp. for fifty cents. dealer and: t For copies of the reviews, circle our number(s) on your reader service card. 1.Place the BOSE 901's directly on top of any other speakers, regardless of their size or price, and You can hear the difference no.=ASFAWLL''''' Unless they're audibly superior it's all academic.

The BOSE 901 and BOSE 501 ore covered by patent rights, issued and pending.

Circle 12 for in'ormation on the Bose 901 Circle 13 for in'ormation on the Bose 501

NOVEMBER 1972 5 criticisms of the SillsTraviata ["Letters,"June and the foolishness of working, and contains a letters 1972]. Mr. Harris refers to Callas as the defini- verbal painting "of an obscene, VD -infected tive Violetta; this may be so, but does that Old MacDonald's Farm." Like, sick, man. mean that other sopranos should be criticized Your magazine is constantly appealing to Beleaguered Critics or taken lightly because they are not quite Cal- me because it stays away from this type of re- las? Can't they bring their own individual view. The recording must be absurd, it would Dale Harris' review of the newPagliaccion "greatness" to the role? I can't help but feel seem to me, with the vacuous foolishness of RCA [July 1972] leaves the reader with the im- sorry for Mr. Harris because in his narrow- the typical pothead. pression that the set is not worth having. His minded Callas -no -one -but -Callas attitude he Westcott Clinton complete distaste for the recording and ho - cannot fully understand or appreciate the at- Wilmington, N.C. hum attitude leave this reader with a complete tempts of other interpreters. Four -Channel Fraud? distaste for his criticism. As for his remarks on Sills's performance. Although I tend to agree with Mr. Harris re- while I agree that the soprano was not quite in garding the misplacement of Cabal16 and Since you've been taking money under the her best voice, Mr. Harris seems to believe that table from advertisers to push four -channel McDaniel in the roles of Nedda and Silvio. I the only way a Violetta should interpret the see no justification for his absolute fiction re- sound, which is nothing more than a market- dramatic moments is by bursting into cries ing gimmick, I want to have nothing more to garding Milnes's portrayal of Tonio. Milnes and moans. The fact that Sills took a tem- sings with fervor and with gruff masculinity. do with you and will write a letter to Ralph perate approach by no means makes her per- Nader to expose your consumer fraud. where this is the requirement. Mr. Harris feels formance bad or disappointing: In the calm- that he is "careful rather than passionate." I Steve Gleitman ness of her voice there is a touching warmth of Beverly Hills, Calif. suppose that I simply don't understand Mr. interpretation. Harris' idea of what constitutes "passionate" Barry Malkin So the Goliath of the electronics industry is singing. New York, N.Y. In order to be passionate must Manes sing girding his loins for another rape of the con- every note triple forte with a strident accent on sumer. The news that RCA will issue only Mr. Harris replies: Mr. Sweitzer misreads me. I each? Must he scream? Will not Mr. Harris al- Quadradiscs to boost quadraphony is a prime low him the concession of being "musical"'i do not find thePagliacciset worthless, merely illustration of planned, designed, and exe- unsatisfactory. In my review I tried to set forth Perhaps Mr. Harris is not listening for music. cuted obsolesence. my reasons for this opinion. I am glad that Mr. In the latter part of the Prologuere voi, pile HIGH FIDELITY and other audio magazines Sweitzer and I agree on Cabalk and McDaniel lost°. .")the wonderful rise and fall of seem to have taken a rational approach to Milnes's inflection is so musical; yet Mr. Har- and sorry that we do not agree on Milnes. I t may quad sound to date. The message has come ris dismisses this as lacking sufficient "legato be that Mr. Sweitzer's standards for passion, through with minimum distortion that the lat- and smoothness of tonal emission." I also urge musicality, and legato are more easily met than est hi-fi fad is essentially an effort by the indus- Mr. Harris to listen again to the duet in which mine-in which case Milnes's Tonio, which I try to boost sales by appealing to the insatiable Nedda tells Tonio that he disgusts her, partic- find lacking on all three counts, would naturally American thirst for gadgets. ularly the lines"Ti beffi? Sciagurata!"This sound better to him. Actions such as that of RCA indicate that isn't passion? I beg to differ. If anyone can I appreciate Mr. Malkin's solicitude and the supreme arrogance of corporate power is doubt that Milnes is projecting malevolence sympathy for my problems as a critic. But surely alive and well even in this age of consumer- after hearing these lines, he is either stone deaf "the definitive Violetta" is his phrase, not mine? ism. But, of course, it was the RCAs of indus- or just plain stoned! And so, surely, is the idea that Violetta needs to try that made Nader possible. Philip Sweitzer burst into cries and moans. Callas, in my opin- Sidney D. Nolan, Jr. Philadelphia, Pa. ion, was a wonderful Violetta, especially at La College Station, Tex. Scala under Giulini. She was not by any means vocally perfect, but she presented a perfectly re- Alkan on Record alized,utterly satisfying musical character- ization. I am glad that Mr. Malkin enjoys Sills's Harris Goldsmith was perhaps a little rash in recording so much, but I cannot help wonder- proclaiming John Ogdon's performance [Au- ing, since he is so evidently troubled by narrow- gust 1972] as the "only" and "last" word on mindedness, why his appreciation of Sills has to the AlkanConcerto for Solo Piano.The piece be based on the denigration of another artist. was also recorded by Ronald Smith in 1969 for Mr. Fredd's definition of objective criticism His Master's Voice HQS 1204 as one of a would appear to be the presentation of views that series of Alkan recordings he has been mak- agree with Mr. Fredd's. His definition of beau- ing. While not as favorably recorded as the tiful singing is harder to follow but seems to be Ogdon release,Ifind Smith's presentation the equivalent of whatever singing Caballe does equally exciting and virtuosic. on her Verdi recital. With all due deference, this Caballe and Milnes-criticizedunfairly? Daniel Hitchcock seems to me more arbitrary than my desire to Wichita, Kan. have vocal artists bring their characters to life.

Dale Harris' review of Caballe's Verdi recital I hope STS's sour review ofLa Calisto[August Tempo Fugit [July 1972] is really very poor criticism. Per- 1972] doesn't scare anyone away from that de- haps it's because Ilike objective criticism licious recording.It'stoo bad that musi- I must take issue with Royal S. Brown's opin- rather than a reviewer's preconception of how cologists insist on using their knowledge as a ion that the recording of Shostakovich's Fifth an aria should be sung. moral whip. The plain fact is that STS doesn't Symphony under the direction of the compos- Why does D.S.H. impose his will on artists know one bit more than I do, or Leppard does, er's son, Maxim, is "definitive" [July 1972). like Cabana? Can he not enjoy the beauty of how Cavalli's opera really sounded. If she pre- I have listened to all of the recordings of this her voice? And on this recording her voice is fers them dry, that's her privilege. But I can't work now available and have found this par- exceptionally beautiful. Yet D.S.H. dismisses help being glad that Leppard is putting some ticular interpretation to be the poorest along these elements as unimportant compared to lifeinto early opera. with Stokowski's. his arbitraryrequirement that she "bring these Stephanie von Buchau The first and last movements are most characters to life." It may surprise D.S.H. to Larkspur, Calif. abused. In the first I was appalled by the sud- learn that the beautiful singing of a lovely aria den tempo change at rehearsal number 17 in brings these "characters to life" in the only In his review of "The Pope Smokes Dope" the score: It is not indicated in my copy and is way they really live-in music. [August1972], Henry Edwards says the an unwelcome interruption. The marking at Stephen Fredd recording depicts a "stoned Vatican life," pro- number 27 is Poco sostenuto, not Allegro vi- New York, N.Y. tests the Vietnam war, extols the merits of vace. marijuana, goes on record (no pun intended) In the last movement the marking is Allegro I was infuriated by the response of Dale Harris against the trail of the so-called Chicago non troppo. There is no mention in my score to George Dansker's letter dealing with his Seven, sings of the delights of living on welfare of a Poco a poco accelerando until the second

6 CIRCLE 103 ON READER -SERVICE CARD --II. IMPROVE YOUR HEARING FOR $200. Sometimes high fidelity people lose heard when they tested the first offered as an integral part of an sight of what it's all about: Sound. automatic turntable with Zero automatic player." High Fidelity. The ultimate test of any piece of Tracking Error. This is, to our "All of these features combined high fidelity equipment is what you knowledge, the first time a into one automatic turntable make hear. turntable has been given credit for news, even though some are found on That's why, of all the statements making records sound better. other units. Only in the Zero 100 are made by equipment reviewers about True tangent tracking geomett they all put together." Audio. our Garrard Zero 100, the most The Zero 100 tone arm. When Audio talks about "all of significant were these: these features" they're referring to "Using identical virgin records, such things as our magnetic and virgin styli in identical good anti -skating, variable speed control, cartridges, the Zero 100 on occasion illuminated strobe, viscous -damped sounded markedly 'crisper' than Artoculattng cueing, 15° vertical tracking other turntables." Rolling Stone. adjustment, patented Garrard "A listening test proves to bring Synchro-Lab synchronous motor and new life to many records, noticeably P U arm our exclusive two -point record reducing distortion on the inner support in automatic play. grooves." Radio Electronics. But all of this gets back to our

Pickup heed quirts P U arm original point. It is the sound that Articulating in this direction as arm pivot- sinus arm tracks across records. pivot Cents. line ol makes the difference. After all, a " cartridge tangential to record groove $200 record player should give you a Cartridges and other components, really meaningful difference. And Pickup arm Articulating arm yes. But never a turntable - until the the high fidelity experts agree that "From about 7 in. diameter to Zero 100. people who own a Zero 100 will hear runout, the Zero 100 delivers By this time you probably know better than people who don't. considerably less distortion and how we achieve Zero Tracking Error. If you'd like to read the reviews in greater definition than with the The principle of the articulating arm, full detail, we'll send them to you same pickup mounted in a standard continually adjusting the angle of along with a complete brochure on arm. The improvement in sound the cartridge so it is always at a 90° the Zero 100 and the Garrard line. quality is notably impressive:' tangent to the grooves, is a simple Write to:British Industries Company, Elementary Electronics. one. But the ingenious engineering Dept. K22, Westbury, N.Y. 11590. "The articulated arm of the Zero and the development of the precision 100 produced less distortion, and pivots to make the principle work, GARRARD therefore greater definition, on took several years. high-level, musically complex But enough from us. Let's go back ZERO 100 passages, from the inner grooves:' to what the reviewers say about the The only automatic turntable wit h Hi-Fi Stereo Buyers' Guide. Zero 100. Zero Tracking Error. That's what reviewers actually "It probably is the best arm yet Wg. by Plessey Ltd. Dist. by British Industries Company half of the sixth bar of the movement. There is no distinction in Mr. Brown's prize recording between the tempo markings at 98 and 104 as there should be. There is no marking for an accelerando at 105. and the tempo at 121 is much too slow. There is no ritard indicated until six bars before 131, and after 131 the tempo in this recording is also too slow. The beautiful writing hereis being dragged through a musically painful quagmire. Loy W. Lee Assistant Co-ordinator. WEKU-FM Eastern Kentucky University Richmond. Ky.

Mr. Brown replies: Good grief! Mr. Lee makes it sound as if a score is something to be fed into a computer that. if it were to follow all the written indications, would then produce a definitive in- Little black booksto terpretation. When 1 spoke of Maxim Shosta- kovich's interpretation of his father's Fifth keep track ofyour Symphony as "definitive," 1 certainly did not mean that he followed every marking in the score to the letter. 1 think that the argument favorite recording artists. that the best conductor is the one who remains most faithful to the score has been refuted often enough to require no further discussion here. Moreover, Maxim brings out a number of de- tails ignored by other conductors. However, 1 would like to point out at least two places in the score that Mr. Lee should look at more closely. The first is at number 17: While the tempo change used by Maxim may be some- what faster than what is written, the suddenness of the change. which Mr. Lee objects to. cer- tainly seems to be built into the score. The tran- sition here goes abruptly from pianissimo to forte and a tempo change is indicated: all other conductors tend to smooth over this transition in order to build up a climax further on, and to me this is much more unfaithful to the score than what Maxim does. Secondly, there most cer- tainly is an Accelerando marking at /05 in the last movement, at least in my copy of the score. The Right Organ for the Job

I cannot understand how Clifford F. Gilmore. reviewing in the July 1972 issue, could make the sophomoric observation that "an organ built by a first-rate builder according to classi- cal principles of voicing and specification is the best instrument for all organ music, not just the baroque literature." No one would suggest that piano literature was best served by a harpsichord. however classically voiced: yet that is in effect what Mr. Gilmore would have us believe. Inthelastfivecenturies organs have changed so radically with respect to voicing and specification (ignoring mechanical devel- opments) that it has become impossible to ob- When you have music on your mind included. Maxell Ultra Dynamic tape tain the tone colors and structure of one pe- you dOn't want to search for the sound on 7 inch reels is available in black riod upon another period's instruments. If one that pleases you. Just reach out and books, too. seeks authenticity (and that is what the Organ slip a tape into your tape machine, Maxell Ultra Dynamic tape repro- Reform Movement has been all about) and then enjoy the mood. That's the rea- duces music the way you love it. No wishes to convey accurately the composer's in- son for our little black books. Organize distortions, no strange interfering tentions. then one must confine the various lit- your own collection or give them as noises. Maxell tapes are limited only eratures to their particular instruments. If one gifts. Anyone interested in a conve- by the capability of the equipment wishes to compromise by forcing one period nient, high quality home music library they're playing on. upon another, that is his prerogative. but the will appreciate a little black book or Next time you want to listen to some- result must never be passed off as authentic. two. thing special, look it up in a little black If Mr. Gilmore has listened closely to any of The Maxell cassette black book book from Maxell. the recent recordings of Romantic French in- contains three UDC -90's and three struments playing their intended literature. UDC -60's in a handsome vinyl library and can then conclude that this literature. for binding. Complete indexing material is maxe118. example, sounds even better when all of the The answer to all your tape needs composer's carefullynotedintentionsfor Maxell Corporation of America, 501 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017 color and tonal structure have been ignored CIRCLE 46 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 8 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE ......

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SPECIAL SPEAKER ISSUE 13 Spectacular Accords to Judge Now you can enjoy Speakers Bygnik. the best in both musical 3111E.1111.51M worlds-in one colorful magazine: HIGH FIDELITY/MUSICAL AMERICA. High EfficiencyHow to Choose Speakers for mg. asset km iNadmPluics dirrirsr TY -"musical anicrica 730 Honest Wattsfrom An,* Moo $17(113 Tips 0s 4-Charwel Itacalver.+ -SQ-Deeedet Cassette Dad( with Day, pulse Opal= SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM New MO Record Changer Please enter a one year subscription to HIGH FIDELITY/MUSICAL 1,iIrTh AMERICA in my name. I'll receive 12 issues of HIGH FIDELITY, plus about 32 pages per issue of news and reviews of important musical happenings throughout the world-concert, opera, etc.-for only $14. O Please enter my subscription to HIGH FIDELITY only.I want to take advantage of your special offer of 15 issues for only $9.47. New Subscription Payment enclosed Renewal j Bill me For the full story of music and music makers today, be sure to include MUSICAL AMERICA as Name part of your HIGH FIDELITY sub- scription. Address In 32 sparkling pages, MUSICAL City State Zip Code AMERICA covers the live musi- cal scene completely. You'll get news, reviews and reports of im- For postage outside U.S.A., Possessions: Add $1.00 for portant musical events all over HIGH FIDELITY/MUSICAL AMERICA subscription (12 months); the world - written by critics who add $2.00 for HIGH FIDELITY subscription (15 months). know the score and how to write about it with wit as well as au- thority. You'll meet today's out- standing conductors, composers and performers ... learn how they work and live ... what they think First Class and say about music-and about Permit No. 111 each other. Cincinnati, Ohio MUSICAL AMERICA adds a n dimension to HIGH FIDELITY- and to your enjoyment of music. Use the postage -free card to start rBUSINESS REPLY MAIL copies com ing yourway.regularly. No postage stamp necessary if mailed in the United States (MUSICAL AMERICA isavailable Postage will be paid by- only by subscription ... and only with HIGH FIDELITY.Itis not Reader Service 72 sold on newsstands. Another im- portant reason for you to use the H Wit P.O. Box 14306 subscription card now.) FIMPELITIr Annex Station Cincinnati, Ohio 45214 Eight Exceptionally Clear Quotes from Reviewersonthe Advent Model 201 Cassette Deck:

"The 201 is a superlative tape deck. That it is a cassette unit with these qualities is something that would not have been believed just one year ago." Larry Zide, STEREO & HI-FI TIMES "In making recordings from discs and FM- both at the time of preparing the original report and in the intervening months-we find that the 201 documents the premise that the sound of state-of-the-art cassette equipment need make no apologies whatever to the better open- reel decks." HIGH FIDELITY "Summarizing, the Advent 201 is a tape deck of superlative quality. It is difficult to imagine how its sonic performance could be substan- "The Advent 201 easily met its specifications tially improved." and established itself -at least for now-as the Julian Hirsch, STEREO REVIEW best cassette recorder we know of. Having used it to evaluate the forty types of cassette tapes "All told, the 201 represents the present state of the cassette art." in a survey report, we have a familiarity with, and a respect for, its capabilities." Larry Zide, STEREO & HI-FI TIMES Julian Hirsch, STEREO REVIEW The only important fact that those quotes (and "Well, I have tested it and used it. And I can a dozen more like them) don't fully indicate is state categorically that it represents the finest the special, almost addictive, pleasure that cas- cassette deck available-one that is not likely settes provide when used with a tape machine to be surpassed in the near future." as good as the 201. There is something just Larry Zide, STEREO & HI-FI TIMES right about being able to put the latest Stones "In addition to the Dolby circuitry and the recording or a Beethoven symphony into your special bias and equalization control for Crolyn, shirt pocket. And there is a real joy in knowing the deck was the first we had come across in that locked in these Ettle cassettes is music of which a properly recorded cassette could be unsurpassed quality that you can hear again made literally indistinguishable from the sound and again - easily, conveniently, and without source." HIGH FIDELITY concern about scratches, loss of quality and the "It is difficult to restrain our enthusiasm for the other ills that discs are heir to. Advent 201. The unit came with a demonstra- We believe the Advent Model 201 will give tion tape that had been dubbed onto Crolyn you more pleasure than any piece of equipment tape by that specific machine from a Dolby "A" you have bought (or are likely to buy) for a master tape. The sound quality, especially with long, long time. the finest playback amplifiers and speakers, was If you would like more information, including literally awesome, as was the total absence of a list of Advent dealers, please write us at the hiss or other background noise." address below. Julian Hirsch, STEREO REVIEW Thank you. Advent Corporation, 195 Albany Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139.

NOVEMBER 1972 II completely. your readers should bear this in mind when reading his reviews. Joseph F. D:eda New Haven, Conn.

Mr. Gilmore replies: Mr. D:eda wakes a funda- mental-and very common-error in assuming that an organ built "according to classical prin- ciples of voicing and specification" is the same thing as a "baroque" organ. Messrs. Flenirop, Metzler, Marcussen, and many other modern builders would not be flattered. I'm sure, if we regarded their work as simply an attempt to copy the baroque builders. Open -toe voicing. unnicked pipes. fairly low wind pressure, etc. are principles basic to the production of beau - Wirt articulate, and vital organ tone, quite aside front any other factors characteristic of one style or another-just as a violin that responds quickly. accurately. and beautibilly to the im- pulses of the performer is the best instrument. regardless of the style. Now. these are the "classical principles"! re- ferred to that the baroque builders knew and that some modern builders are rediscovering. Otherwise, the Flentrop organ in the Rotterdam concert hall that Daniel Chor:empa used for recording Liszt has very little in common with the great baroque instruments-French. Ger- man, or any other. It is strictly a tweniieth-cen- turn instrument and could not have been built at Whatever any other time. Does Mr. Ikeda then imply. when he says "one must confine the various lit- eratures to their particular instruments," that Flentrop's magnificent instruments should he happened to used only for twentieth-century music? Us:1's organ music has never been associated with ant particular instrument. Therefore, per- formances on different instruments during his woofers and time involved a certain amount of adoption: and the performance On the Flentrop involved no ,greater amount of adaptation. The simple fact that the Flentrop is a vastly superior instrument tweeters? to most of those built in the midnineteenth cen- tury is enough to convince me of the integrity of Chor:empa's decision.

Nowadays it seems almost impossible to see or touch a Clifford F. Gilmore apparently has never had hi-fi speaker. All that you are shown is grille cloth and walnut. the pleasure of seeing and hearing Virgil Fox And the inside of the system is a mystery reserved only and the Pablo's Light Show perform in con- for engineers. cert.Mr. Gilmore's unfortunate diatribe against Fox and his "sick enterprise" [July It need not be so. Because there's another way to select 1972] reflects a sad ignorance of what Fox has a speaker system, starting with the actual components them- tried to communicate, not just to "screaming selves. There's a whole world of E -V custom loudspeakers hippies." but to all of us. He has tried to com- waiting. Woofers, tweeters, and full -range speakers to suit municate the joy of music and especially the every plan and need. music of Bach. He thankfully succeeded. and even though it took a lighting display to help The rewards are two -fold. Not only do you create a system pull people to the concerts, the success is still a that perfectly mirrors your taste in sound, you also have free fact. Mr. Gilmore should have tried it before rein to express your taste in enclosures. consde.e_mning the concerts as a "sick enter- You can build component speakers into walls or shelves to prise. save space and reduce clutter. Or install them in existing Thomas E. Layman or custom furniture that is a positive asset to your living room Minneapolis. Minn. rather than an intrusion. If the flexibility of the custom speaker idea engages your Musical Vulgarian interest and challenges your creativity, send for our catalog Some months ago, in a review of a recording today. It will put you back in touch with the basic elements of of the Haydn and Hummel trumpet concertos high fidelity. Write for your free copy or visit your nearby performed by the Russian Timofey Dokschit- Electro-Voice salesroom soon. ser. R. D. Darrell wrote very disparagingly of Mr. Dokschitser's playing of these works. Cer- ELECTRO-VOICE, INC., Dept. 1124H, 619 Cecil St., Buchanan, Mich. 49107 tainly no one, least of allI. would deny Mr. In Europe: ElectroVoice, S. A.. Reimerstrasse 49. 2560 Nidau. Switzerland Darrell the right to his opinion. good or bad. In Canada: EV of Canada, Ltd.. Gananocue. Ontario But when Mr. Darrell in the June 1972 issue reviewed the recording of another performer aGulon playing the Haydn concerto and alluded to COMPANY Mr. Dokschitser's reading as that of a "musi- gierririierrei cal vulgarian." I bridled. In his original review CIRCLE 26 ON READER SERVICE CARD I2 CIRCLE 43 ON READER -SERVICE CARD Marantz brings you stereo today and 4 -channel anytimeyou want it. If you're thinking about getting into stereo now, demodulators. This Marantz exclusive plug-in but may be ripe for 4 -channel later, the new Marantz decoder feature provides built-in snap -in, snap -out 4430 AM/FM Stereo Receiver will grow with adaptability to any future 4-channe matrix development. your needs. Packed with every feature you could imagine, A Iwist of a knob is all that it takes for the the ultra -sophisticated Model 4430 delivers 120 Watts Model 4430 to switch from regular stereo to exotic of continuous RMS power with less than 0.3% distortion. 4 -channel. What's more, Marantz components Also available: the Marantz Model 4415 synthesize 4 -channel sound from any stereo source AM/FM Stereo Receiver (60 Watts RMS). It's another (including your stereo records and tapes), decode memoer of the Marantz family of 2 or 4 -channel any matrix -encoded 4 -channel disc or FM broadcast, receivers, amplifiers and adaptors starting at just and accept optional SQ* matrix decoders and CD -40° $299.95. See your Marantz dealer n DW. s We sound better. OPTIONAL MARANTZ MODEL SOA-1 DECODER (shown) is Just one of a variety of optional matrix decoders which snap instantly into exclusive SO* decoder pocket found on all Marantz 4 -channel equipment.

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(Prof Davidson is professor of trumpet at In- diana University and former first solo trumpet with the Cleveland Orchestra.)

Mr. Darrell replies: In the heading of my June review of the Berinbaum trumpet -concerto pro- gram one of my "selected comparison" refer- ences was to Dokschitser's earlier recording of the Haydn work. Surely that justified, indeed necessitated, a brief comparative evaluation which in this case involved a restatement of the disparaging opinion first expressed in my Janu- ary 1971 review of the Russian .virtuoso's Haydn-Hummel-Biber program. There is also some justice, however, in Prof Davidson's implication that I may have strayed from the path of strict critical objectivity in my choice of pejorative phraseology. If so, it was de- liberate. Direct comparisons of several recent and standard recorded performances of what is probably the best known of all trumpet con- certos fired my indignation that what I consider to be an interpretatively and tonally disgraceful version should be issued at all. And my ire was intensified by the fear that musically unsophisti- cated listeners might, be deluded (by Dokschit- ser's flashy showmanship if not by his inter- national fame) into believing thatthisis the way Haydn's music (and a star trumpeter)should sound Ireacted similarly some years ago when a mass -public idol, Al Hirt, "vulgarized" Haydn in an even more blatant fashion. That inexpe- rienced listeners should be easily duped is per- haps expected; that Prof. Davidson-with or without distinguished colleagues-should allow admiration for spectacular virtuosity to blunt all INTRODUCING NEW AUDIO SOPHISTICATION FOR THE SPACE AGE sense of aesthetic discrimination is surprising Combining the most advanced audio engineering with space age electronics, Dokorder indeed. creates two highly sophisticated tape decks that offer the audiophile tomorrow's capa- bilities today: DOKORDER 7500... 6 -Head, Bi-Directional Tape Deck that automatically records and High Fidelity, November 1972, Vol. 22. No. 11. Pub- lished montnly by Billboard Publications, Inc.. publisher plays back in both directions ... incorporates high -density, precision micro -gap MBD of Stereo. Stereo International, Modern Photography. heads for greater frequency response, better separation, reduced crosstalk... boasts American Artist. Billboard, Vend, Amusement Business. Merchandising Week. Music Labo, Photo Weekly, three motors, including 2 -speed hysteresis synchronous capstan, with electronic speed Gift 8 Tableware Reporter, Record 8 Tape Retailer, change for smoothest, distortion -free operation RecordMirror,DiscografiaInternazionale,World ... provides Tape Bias Selector for Radio TV Handbook. standard or low noise tapes ... features electronic pushbutton controls, automatic shut- High Fidelity/Musical America. Edition published off, SOS/SWS/Echo, and a host of other top -of -the -line innovations that set new stand- monthly. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. ards in its price range. Editorial correspondence should be addressed to The Editor, High Fidelity. Great Barrington, Mass. 01230. DOKORDER 7200... a 4 -Head, versatile component that features Automatic Continuous Editorial contributions will be welcomed. Payment for Playback ... incorporates high -density MBD heads that eliminate tape friction and give articles accepted will be arranged prior to publication. Unsolicited manuscripts should be accompanied by improved frequency response ... operates smoothly and accurately with three solenoid- return postage. operated motors ... includes Tape Bias Selector for optimum quality from regular or Subscriptions should be addressed to High Fidelity. low noise tapes ... combines a multitude of top features such as Automatic Shut -Off, 2160 Patterson St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45214. Subscrip- Tape/Source Monitoring, separate channel controls, SOS/SWS/Echo, etc., to provide tion rates: High Fidelity Musical America: In the U.S.A. and its Possessions, I year $14; elsewhere. 1 year $15. optimum convenience with top performance. National and other editions published monthly: In the U.S.A. and its Possessions. 1 year $7.95. Subscription For complete specifications, visit your nearest Authorized Dokorder Dealer, or write: rates for all other countries available on request. Change of address notices and undelivered copies (Form 3579) should be addressed to High Fidelity, Sub- r=)o Ieorelar- Inc. 11264 Playa Court, Culver City, Calif. 90230 scription Fulfillment Dept., P.O. Box 14156, Cincinnati, Setting New Sound Standards in Tape Recorders Ohio 45214. CIRCLE 23 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 14 CIRCLE 74 ON READER -SERVICE CARD -31. if you are serious about music use the tape of the pro. TDK

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90 msrza.mu =10=1193 I ===1091915921001931211991901=311C19=0091===0911290=1=99 ETAIMiaiiiii!arj=91 Eda-Pierre ammomenessircifieneassiiiiTsria=Ei and Bastin master r Berlioz' (and Wembley's) NW =1:1090 inconsiderate demands ENI-91 :gm= in recordingCellini. NEW MODELS BETTER! The Operas Are Corning!

text was of very limited help but was de- NEW MODEL 70/70 LONDON lighted to discover what added riches The frequency curves had been uncovered by the return to the are actual tracings from Recording studios in London were version. Those worried about the a new Sharpe produc- chockablock with opera projectsthis spoken dialogue may take consolation in tion Model 10/10. past summer as Decca and EMI con- the fact that the cast is almost entirely Improved design of the famous top - ducted sessions at Kingsway Hall, RCA French-speaking-RobertMassardas rated Model 10A. at Walthamstow, and Philips at Wem- Fieramosca, Cellini's rival; Jane Berbie Smooth, brilliant, bley. The two most ambitious under- as Ascanio, Cellini's assistant (scoring a full response. takings were Philips' complete recording tremendous success at the Proms with Striking new decor. of Berlioz'Benvenuto Celliniand, fol- her "tra-la-la" aria); Roger Soyer as the NEW MRRIf 011 lowing close on its heels, EMI's record- Cardinal; Hugues Cuenod in the tiny For new bright sounds ing of Rossini'sGuillaume Tell.The character part of the innkeeper, Carabe- to satisfy the highest wonder was that both of these enormous tier; Jules Bastin as Balducci; and Chris- standards of discrimi- ventures had the same principal tenor, tiane Eda-Pierre as the heroine, Teresa. ating professionals Nicolai Gedda, who although occasion- Everyone agreed that Martinique so- and audiophiles ally complaining of throat trouble still prano Eda-Pierre is a great discovery, alike. Smart new produced his most rounded ringing tones possessing a voice that is at once pure appearance with in both Berlioz and Rossini. He even and rich as well as a technique that en- advanced acousti- cal designs. managed to include a concert perform- compasses all of Berlioz's highly incon- ance ofCelliniat the Proms with the siderate demands: dramatic and lyric NEW MODEL 7/7 same cast as in the recording. singing with unexpected passages of col- See this new budget - Benvenuto Cellinimarks another stage oratura. The Philips engineers had set up priced version of one f Sharpe's most popu- in Colin Davis' recorded progress no fewer than twenty-seven micro- lar models. Price and through the major works of Berlioz. The phones in the big Wembley auditorium, quality make it a actual taping at Wembley was confined and the placing of the huge forces-par- "best -buy Light- to a mere dozen sessions-quick pacing ticularly in the carnival scene-presented weight stereo since the actual length of the perform- enormous problems with Davis and the listening. Rich new ance may be too much for six LP sides- BBC Symphony Orchestra sometimes ebony decor. Your but preparation was unusually careful surrounded by singers. The hall itself did Sharpe dealer will and thorough. The text itself presents not always help. After a spell of unusu- gladly demonstrate problems, for David Cairns, the Berlioz ally dry weather, the floor was creaking the complete scholar who fortunately is on Philips' in odd places and sabotaged the effect of Sharpe Stereo line. staff.takes the view thatBerlioz' even the best -laid strips of red carpet. SHARPE amendments for Weimar after failure in "You ought to go round with a watering AUDIO Paris are not all to be preferred. The can," said Davis helpfully. DIVISION recording will broadly follow the Paris SCINTREX, INC. version, including passages of spoken Operation Tell. In time length at least Tonawanda, N.Y. dialogue, to preserve the composer's EMI'sGuillaumeTell was an even bigger 14150 original concept. The most important project, for with a text made as complete differences are in the final scene, where as possible (including an aria for Tell's Export Agents Berlioz's Weimar revisions are far too son Jemmy that was cut even before the ELPA MARKETING cautious and fail to build up the great first performance), it will take a full five INDUSTRIES, INC.. New I lyde Park, dramatic climax of the casting of the discs. The conductor is Lamberto Gar- N V 111)41) statue as in the Paris version. delli with the Royal Philharmonic Or- I went to the sessions for the final chestra, and the cast includes, besides scene bearing in hand the only available Gedda in the tenor role of Arnold, Ga- miniature score. I found that its Weimar briel Bacquier as Tell, Montserrat Ca - CIRCLE 64 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 16 CIRCLE 11 ON READER -SERVICE CARD-* BASF jamproof cassettes.

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*Pat3nt Pending Audio/Video Products \ balle as Mathilde, Mady Mesple as Macbeth two years ago, also with Gar- had helped in the task of getting photo- Jemmy, Gwynne Howell as Melchthal. delli in charge. stats of material from the Bibliotheque and a highly promising newcomer from Gedda was only just recovering from Nationale in Paris. But the parts, though Hungary, Kolas Kovacs as Walter. his Cellini sessions, not to mention his original, were riddled with mistakes, and I was lucky enough to catch the session Proms appearances (which he had en- two assistants-the orchestra's librarian in which Gedda and Bacquier recorded joyed enormously thanks to the extraor- and an assistant conductor-were sta- their important Act I duet. Special dinarily responsive audience), and was tioned at Gardelli's elbow to check the guards were placed in the passageway talking about throat trouble; but in fact score constantly. Slotover had also un- outside Kingsway Hall since one of the he produced top notes with a predicta- earthed an alternative ending to the doors had to be propped open per- bility that was marvelous. In between opera based on the famous galop from manently during recording so that the takes he would pick up a very green the overture. He had hoped that this four horn players gathered for their at- apple from the stage behind him and might be recorded as a supplement, but mospheric offstage fanfares could be take one or two bites before preparing in the end it was too difficult to assemble heard properly.Itall worked splen- himself for the next effort. the necessary forces at the right time. didly-causing far less trouble than the One of the main problems in record- As it was, Montserrat Cabana pleaded offstage trumpet fanfares that beset the ing Tell-as with Cellini-was the text. illness when she was expected back in Decca engineers in the final scene of The young impresario Robert Slotover London for the concluding session. Happily it did not cause too much dis- ruption, for Gedda was able to record much of his solo recitative as planned leaving only a single session's work for the following month when both would be back in England. Dust Tosca Chez RCA. Meanwhile RCA's Richard Mohr, working mainly at Wal- thamstow with the New Philharmonia Orchestra, was having an exceptionally busy summer too. The principal project buggin' was Tosca conducted by with Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo, and Sherrill Milnes. Sessions in August started atPrice's request with"Vissi d'arte" continuing to the end of Act II. Price characteristically had arrived in you? London a full week before the sessions with no professional engagements be- forehand, simply so that she could adjust Dust and dirt are the number one record dirt for removal by a downy soft plush fully and happily to the time switch be- killers. With today's featherweight track- roller. At the same time it applies anti- tween America and England. As well as ing cartridges and elliptical styli, the need static fluid to inhibit static build-up. The the end of Act II, the first day's sessions has never been greater for impeccably result: reproduction is sharper; surface had to include the death of Cavaradossi. clean records. Whether sitting still or noise is reduced and record and stylus Oddly enough Domingo had not even playing on the turntable, records attract life is substantially increased. arrived in England, and the rifle shots and hold dirt. The Dust Bug, along with plus Tosca's horrified comments were re- The solution is a Watts other Watts Record Care Equip- Dust Bug. Simply attached to ment and Kits,is available at corded "cold" minus the hero and with- any transcription or automatic leading hi-fi dealers. Send for out the preparation of the Act III love turntable, its dust -seeking brush Watts Record Care Book. En- duet. This was done because Mohr dis- penetrates the deep crevicesa close 25c for postage and han- covered in the nick of time that there are split second before the stylus dling. El pa Marketing Industries, curious restrictions about rifle shots on tracks the groove, and lifts the Inc., New Hyde Park, N.Y. 11040 English stages, and the official Covent Garden marksmen were on the point of going off for their summer holiday. Earlier Domingo had recorded in Get a Dust Bug. Walthamstow (also for RCA) a wide- ranging recital covering arias from Faust, Romeo et Juliette, La Forza del destino, , Cavalleria Rusticana, Gianni Schicchi, La Fanciulla del West, and Turandot. On the day after Mehta was due to finish recording Tosca for RCA he was scheduled to be at Kingsway Hall to record Turandot for Decca with Sutherland as the icy prin- cess and-believe it or not-Montserrat Caballe as Liu. But that majesticcon- frontation has, as I write, still to take place.I can hardly wait. Other opera projects still to come include Caballe in Bellini's Norma for RCA and Verdi's At- tila for Philips. EDWARD GREENFIELD

18 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE RUDOLF FRIML is a remarkable man. Is? the lees side Yes, is. Friml is alive and well and liv- ing in Hollywood Hills. Until a year ago, he rode his bicycle daily on Appian Way; and he still jogs, albeit more slowly than he once did, along Mulholland Drive. When Friml was born in 1879 (on De- In cember 7, a date that would not acquire a tone of the sinister for another sixty-two Love years), was still alive. So were Brahms, Wagner, Verdi, Queen Victoria, General Grant, and Chief Sit- with ting Bull. Mahler was a nineteen -year - old history and philosophy student at the Life University of Vienna; Puccini, at twenty- one, would not write his first opera for another four years; a seventeen -year -old Debussy was studying harmony at the Rudolf Friml at ninety. Paris Conservatory; and Maurice Ravel was only four. Today Friml is still going tance apart. I had read that Friml had a ing room. The room contains three pi- strong as Elvis Presley approaches low opinion of Stravinsky's music. Yet anos-a concert BOsendorfer, a concert middle age. there is a lot of Stravinsky in Friml's Steinway, and the six-foot Steinwayon I spent several days with him recently record collection. "A great composer," which he wrote all his , begin- in the course of writing and narrating a Friml said. "He had the courage to be ning with The Firefly in 1912, on through television special about him and his mu- different." Katinka, High Jinks, Rose Marie-thirty- sic. I came, as it were, to research him, "How come you never met him?" four in all. It is out of Herbert, Friml, and stayed to adore this vital and in "I think he was a hard man to know." and Romberg that the American musical many ways incredible old man. Friml and Victor Herbert were close comes. I have never been able to under- "I think you believe in love," I said to friends. "We drank a lot of beer together stand the claim that the musical is him at one point. "Yes," he said, in his in LOchow's in New York. Do you know "America's only original art form." (This Czech accent (or perhaps it should be it? It's still there, on Fourteenth Street. is said by people who aren't saying that called a Bohemian accent; for when he Herbert and I were having dinner one jazz is "America's only original art was born,inPrague, Czechoslovakia night and listening to an orchestra. He form.") The musical so clearly descends didn't exist either). "You must love. You said, 'Do you hear that? They're playing from the opera buffa tradition, with a love a melody, you love the sunset, you our music. And we're not being paid for strong influence of Gilbert and Sullivan, love women. You must love women. it!"' and from Viennese . Herbert, Without love, life has no meaning." ASCAP was born out of that conversa- Friml, and Romberg transplanted Vien- "And he practices what he preaches!" tion. The American Society of Compos- nese operetta to America. Within a gen- Friml's Chinese-American wife chimed ers, Authors and Publishers was the first eration, as happens in the families of in, laughing at memories of the affairs American performing -rights society, and most immigrants,it had acquired an for which Friml was once almost as fa- it began to collect money for composers American accent through the work of mous as he was for his music. And Friml and lyricists for the use of their music. It Kern, Gershwin, Arlen, Porter, You- laughed with her. Later he said to me, has made many men rich. Friml and mans, Rodgers. with a twinkle in his eye, "Who's that Herbert were among its founders. The Friml musicals suffer today from over there?" He was looking at our script The big three of American operetta their books: naive stories of mistaken girl who is, shall we say, built. Friml is a were of course Herbert, Friml, and Sig- identity (as in The Firefly, which had a leg man, I've noticed. Kay, his wife, still mund Romberg, all born in Europe. completely different story line from its has great legs. Only Friml survives. Did he know Rom- 1912 stage version in the 1937 film with Iasked him the obvious question: berg? "Very well, very well. I used to tell Allan Jones) and simple-minded What was Dvotak like? Friml studied him, 'Romberg, you are the greatest mu- Mounties, as in Rose Marie. I saw both with him. sical thief of all time. You steal every- films recently. The 1936 Nelson Eddy/ "Quiet," Friml said. "A very quiet thing from me and Lehar.' But we were Jeannette MacDonald Rose Marie was man. Sometimes I would walk home with good friends. I drank a lot of beer with not the first. A 1928 version with Joan him from the conservatory in , him too." Crawford had the curious distinction of and he would never say much. I think he "Would you like a beer?" I asked. The being history's only silent musical. (A pi- was composing all the time." camera crew had a couple of cold six- anist played the tunes in theaters where Friml improvises by the hour. He's packs. They were shooting the palm it ran.) There was a later version, made been doing it all his life. "When I would trees, the view of Los Angeles below, the in the 1950s, with Howard Keel and write a melody, and I would improvise great pine tree in Friml's garden. The Anne Blythe. It is unbelievably bad-al- on it. Dvotak would say to me, 'Why house once belonged to Alexander most impossible to sit through. don't you leave it alone?"Because it isn't Korda, later to Ginger Rogers. Its archi- Most of Friml's melodies, however, complicated enough,' I would tell him." tectural style is Spanish mission; its de- are superbly made, including Indian Until recently, there were two famous cor is Chinese-a weird combination. Love Call (I think Friml hates the words; survivors of the nineteenth century liv- "No," he said. "I don't drink beer any certainly he has fun with them when he's ing in Los Angeles. The other was Igor more." He does drink champagne, clowning) and Rose Marie, which, you'll Stravinsky. Friml and Stravinsky never though. note, is through -composed. There is only met, strangely enough, although they From the garden, you can see through one repeat (of the four -baropening lived only fifteen minutes' driving dis- a broad picture window into Friml's liv- strain) in the whole song. Only a Rose, 19 NOVEMBER 1972 R SPEAKER SYSTEMS. at is destined to become the nd reproduction system. PIONEER'S NEW An acoustic universally preferred achievement t SERIE so

a' * . R700 We started with the premise thatyouwanted better sound reproduction, andwetook it from there. Too often these days superlatives are used to camouflage mediocrity. Let's R700 R500 8300 just say you'll be excited with the magnitude of the achievement of the Speakers 12" woofer, midrange 10" woofer, 10" woofer, new Pioneer series R speaker horn, multicell horn 5" midrange, horn tweeter systems, once you hear them. They super tweeter horn tweeter _.._ represent the culmination of our more Maximum than six years of intensive research in Input Power75 watts 60 watts 40 watts every phase of speaker design on just this series alone. Crossovers 750 Hz, 14,000 Hz 800 Hz, 5,200 Hz 6,300 Hz We investigated, tested and Dimensions15" x 26" x 13%6" 133/4" x 24" x 12%16" 13" x 221/2" x 11" evaluated every known area: frequency response, dispersion, Price $229.95 $159.95 $119.95 distortion, transients, drivers, configurations, cabinetry - rejecting, accepting, improving until we were The acoustically padded enclosures are sturdily built and faced completely satisfied that we had the perfect combination. The sound most with handsome two-piece, two-color, removable grilles. The staining people would prefer when compared with the conventional speakers now process of the hand selected walnut available. requires ten steps alone, and utilizes an exclusive oil created by Pioneer. The story behind the grille Each unit is produced as if it was the To achieve this exceptional sound only one. reproduction, Pioneer has endowed Sound -absorbing foam the new series R with a host of polyurethane surrounds the woofers meaningful refinements that have of the R700 and R500 to reduce become the hallmark for our extensive collection of high fidelity distortion even further. The three R components. series models each employ long -throw voice coils providing greater cone Flush mounting. Unlike other movement for higher excursions. speaker systems on the market today, Unique concave center pole the R series' drivers are flush mounted design and pure copper cap/ring to the face of the enclosure, rather combination. The concave center pole than recessed. Combined with the of the drivers' magnetic structure is advanced design of the individual covered with a pure copper cap. Not speaker units, there is added vitality only does this reduce the inductance to the mid tones and wider dispersion. of the voice coil, it also decreases the voice coil's intermodulation distortion generated by the magnetic field. The result: vastly improved bass and midrange transient responses. Another example of Pioneer's meticu- lous engineering detail. Improved design horn tweeters of die -cut aluminum have completely replaced the more conventional (and less costly) cone and dome -type There are many technical tweeters in the entire series. You can reasons why you should buy a pair of hear the difference with wider the new Pioneer series R speakers dispersion, and you gain all the systems. But, in the final analysis, Conventional New up -front recessed speaker f ush mounting of advantages of horn drivers, such as when you compare them with com- mountings. Pioneer series R. high transient response and lowest parably priced speakers at your Exclusive FB cones assure robust distortion. Pioneer dealer, their absolute bass, clear mid and high tones, Crossovers are precisely de- superiority in sound reproduction is improve damping, while keeping signed in each model. In contrast to why you will buy them. distortion at an absolute minimum. other speakers that rely on the U.S. Pioneer Electronics Corp. High input signals are handled with capacitance method only, Pioneer 178 Commerce Rd., Carlstadt, complete ease. has combined both inductances and New Jersey 07072 capacitances for minimum inter - modulation distortion. And you'll never hear bass tones wandering to the tweeters, or highs intruding on the woofers. You couldn't ask for better linear response. PIONEER® when you want something better

West: 13300 S. Estrella, Los Angeles 90248 1500 Greenleaf, Elk Grove Village. III. 60007 Canada: S. H. Parker Co.. Ontario Giannina Mia, The Donkey Serenade, A FOUR -CHANNEL RECEIVER Sympathy, Some Day-theseare all beautifully constructed melodies. Friml will improvise on them (or play FOR $239.95? you some Chopin or Smetana) at the drop of a request. The once -brilliant technique isn't what it was, of course. and he is hard of hearing now. Listening to him play is like looking at the ruins of a Greek temple: The beauty is still there. 7 7 despite the damage of time. One hears 4 .4 an echo of the days when Friml first came to America, as accompanist to vio- linist Jan Kubelik or when he played his RMS Power: Quad 10W x4 Piano Concerto with the New York HERE IT IS ...THE ROTEL RX-154A Stereo 20W x 2 Symphony Orchestra (before it became the ). Victor "Versatile performance and unbeatable value! That's the NEW Herbert turned down a musical, some- ROTEL RX-154A Four Channel Receiver with "SQ" matrix sys- one asked Friml to write the score, and tem. The RX-154A has been designed to enable you to enjoy his success as an operetta composer 4 -channel realism in three different ways. . . 4 -channel repro- duction of 4 -channel tapes (discrete), 4 -channel enhancement buried his concert career. "I admired of your existing stereo library of tapes and records (derived) Kubelik so much," Friml said, "that I and ... "decoding" capabilities for specially encoded FM broad- did everything he did. He wore his hair casts, records and tapes ... Any way you look at it ... the NEW long, so I wore mine long. I had it long ROTEL RX-154A has all the answers. . . and at a price that is until ten years ago." easy to live with! Only $239.95, walnut finished wood cabinet "That's when the Beatles came along," included!" I said. "I didn't want to look like one of them," Friml grinned. ROTEL While we were shooting the film at 2642 CENTRAL PARK AVE.,YONKERS, N.Y. 10710 Friml's home, he commented cheerfully. "I am glad they are doing this while I am CIRCLE 59 ON READER -SERVICE CARD stillalive." Kay responded, "They'd have a hell of a time doing it with youaf- ter you're dead." Friml laughed hugely, but when he came out of the house and Sony's quintessential deck. sat alone at the far side of the garden, The top of the Sony stereo line. Without question, the finest component legs crossed, face in his cupped hand. 3 -motor stereo tape deck you can buy. No true stereo buff should be without the staring down, I felt I knew what hewas Sony TC-850. ($895.00). See the entire line of Sony reel-to-reel tape decks start- thinking: that hecan'thave too many ing at $159.95 at your Sony/Superscope dealer. years left. Later we went to lunch at Farmer's Market; he and Kay go there almost ev- Giant 101/2 inch Reels. For maximum record and playback time. ery day. Then we went to the beach at Santa Monica, another of his favorite haunts. "The sea air is good for your lungs," he said, inhaling and patting his chest. "It's better than champagne." We started across the sand, toward the water. It was late in the day. The sky was blue, the sea was blue, and Friml was wearing a light blue turtle -neck sweater, Three -Heads. For a frail little man now. Suddenly he threw Tape/Source moni- Automatic Pro- his .arms wide, approached the steady toring and widerfre- gram Scanner. surf, and head up sang out, "Rose quency response f Locates and plays Mareeeeee, I love you...." The scene individual seg- was back -lit, Friml in semi silhouette ments to music. against the blue -and -silver sea. French photographers have a wonderful expres- sion for back -lighting:contra jour. Against the day. "Get that, get that," I shrieked fran- tically to the cameraman. He got it, fol- lowing Friml across the sand. Three Motor Transport. With Servo -Control SUPERSCOPE That shot will always be a freeze- Capstan motor. Assures powerful torque, frame in my mind. That's how I'll always accurate and stable tape tension. You never heard it so goods remember him, arms outflung, in love with music and life, going down to the C1972 Superscope. Inc. 8144 Vineland Ave Sun Valley. Cellf 91352 Prices and models subject to change without notice Consult the Yellow Pages for your nearest Sony/Superscope dealer Send tor tree catalog. afternoon sea. Against the day. GENE LEES CIRCLE 63 ON READER -SERVICE CARO 24 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE The best time to upgrade yourcomponent system is beforeyoubuy it.

If you're a typical reader of this If the motor isn't quiet and free of magazine, you most likely have a sizeable vibration, an annoying rumble will accompany investment in a component system. So our the music. You can get rid of rumble by using advice about upgrading might come a little late. the bass control, but only at the expense of What you might have overlooked, the bass you want to hear. however, is the fact that your records are the Experienced component owners know costliest and most fragile component of all. As all this. Which is why so many of them, well as the only one you will continue to invest in. especially record reviewers and other music And since your turntable is the only experts, won't play their records on anything component that handles these valuable records, but a Dual. From the first play on. advice about upgrading your turntable is better Now, if you'd like to know what several late than never. independent test labs say about Dual, we'll Any compromise here will be costly. send you complete reprints of their reports. And permanent. Because there is just no way Plus a reprint of an article from a leading to improve a damaged record. music magazine telling you what to look for in If the stylus can't respond accurately and record p!aying equipment Whether you're sensitively to the rapidly changing contours of upgrading or not. the groove walls, especially the hazardous Better yet, just visif your franchised United peaks and valleys of the high frequencies, Audio dealer and ask for a demonstration. there's trouble. Any curve the stylus can't You'll find Dual automatic turntables negotiate, it may lop off. And with those l'ttle priced from $109.50 to $199.50. That may be bits of vinyl go the high notes and part of more than you spent on your present turntable, your investment. or more than you were intending to spend on If the record doesn't rotate at precisely your next one. the correct speed, musical pitch will be But think of it this way. It will be a long, distorted. No amplifier tone controls can long time before you'll need to upgrade your correct this distortion. Dual. Dual

D a1 121

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CIRCLE 24 ON READER -SERVICE CARD NOVEMI3ER 1972 25 minimaII &MI SPEAKERS NEW from CROWN those were the days A nostalgic romp through the pages of High Fidelity and Musical America Introducing the first speakers worthy of the Crown name - Auralinear Speaker Systems. Four models of unique electro- 60 Years Ago comparably beautiful and unforgettable, statics that are as far ahead of ordinary Leopold Godowsky returned to New for Germany today has no other conduc- speakers as the DC 300 was ahead of all other amplifiers when it was introduced. York for the first time in a decade to play tor who can excel Walter in his matchless The electrostatic design has potential the Brahms First Piano Concerto with sense of the delicate adjustment between for the finest response and lowest distor- the Philharmonic conducted by Josef singer and orchestra and in the ster- tion, but previous electrostatic speakers Stransky. "The work is not held in par- eoscopic backgrounds of his instrumen- suffered from three major weaknesses: ticular favor by New York audiences and tal accompaniments. His is not the art, (1)inabilitytodeliverrealistic sound its appearances are none too frequent. however, to make the welkin ring and in pressurelevels,especiallyatlowfre- It is long-drawn-out and in general such portions as the Dies Irae and the quencies (2) fragile, unreliable elements dull.... Furthermore, it is not essentially Sanctus, which Klemperer imbued with (3) poor dispersion. All of these problems have now been pianistic and quite fails to afford the tempestuous fervor and ecstatic jubila- beautifully resolvedin the Crown Aura - soloist the opportunity of revealing the tion, one lost the emotional contact linear Speaker Systems, by uniting radically varied colors of which the piano is ca- through sonorities that were at moments new extended -range electrostatic radiators pable. Yet Mr. Godowsky aroused the almost unpleasantly ostentatious. with special acoustic suspension woofers. audience to a high pitch of enthusiasm by is One result accurate reproductionof his performance of it . . . with broad, clear, high frequencies with none of the virile style, with a tone of imposing vol- That mastodon oforchestral/vocalsym- crackling, frying sounds that characterize ume, magnificent technical dexterity, and phonies, Mahler's Eighth, has now been many of today's electrostatics. We callit honest sound. much clarity of melodic utterance." issued on records for the first time (Her- For the location of your local Auralinear mann Scherchen conducting, on Colum- dealer, write Crown, Box 1000,Elkhart, The St. Paul Symphony Orchestra, John bia). The work itself is one of problem- Indiana, 46514. McCormack, and a delegation of Black- atic value. Its thematic materials, for the model ES224 foot Indians in full regalia divided the most part inferior in quality to the best attention of an audience of three thou- of those in other Mahler symphonies, FOUR , sand here. At the beginning of the sec- are frequently overburdened by the ..1A1./DELs ES 224 ond part of the program, the Indians, by enormous resources brought tobear 24 name Fred Big -Top, Two -Guns, White - upon them. The performance isless radiator: Calf, Jim Big -Top, Medicine Owl, Fish sumptuous than that given by Leopold 2.10"woofers resp. 22.30,000Hz Wolf -Rope, Lazy Boy, and Long Time Stokowski and the New York Philhar- crossover at 350Hz Sleep, were given seats in boxes as guests monic -Symphony a few seasons ago; but of L. W. Hill, president of the orchestra Mr. Scherchen's mastery of the score is ES 212 12bidirectional radiators association. They were apparently in- complete, and the huge machinery 2-10" woofers tensely interested, watched every play of moves with marvelous ease and natural- resp. 22-30,000Hz the orchestral game, and smiled broadly ness. The vocal soloists approach stran- crossover at 375Hz at Mr. McCormack's Irish songs. gulation at times,buttheir work is ES 266 radiators marked by an appreciation of musical woofers ears Ago arid poetic inflections. 2re. siP°."25-30,000Hz Dusolina Giannini, back from Germany crossover at1500Hz after spending five months singing there, Considered as a fusion of lyric art and ES144radiators says: "There may be a few hotblooded popular entertainment, as it must be, the 1-10" woofer Hitlerites who have been causing dis- NBC-TV premiere on November 16 of 30-30.000Hz resp. at 1500Hz turbances when foreign artists appear in 's Trouble in Tahiti crossover a German opera house.Butthis is rare. was, for allits loose ends, a success. With Hitlerism on the decline, the man- Whether one regards the work as a com- agers, who were a bit afraid of engaging promise of hallowed tradition with tech- foreigners, are back to normal." nology or, more properly, as an exciting experiment in an entirely new art form, After a triumphal tournee of the Conti- its success is clearly an omen. Trouble in nent, returned to Berlin Tahiti is a didactic clinical study of sub- if this month and opened his curtailed urban bourgeois life. As an opera, it is at series of Philharmonic concerts with a best a slender offering. But as an adven- glowingly impassioned performance of ture, a viscero-visual experienceand asan Verdi's Requiem in which he had the as- expedition into the terra incognita of the sistance of the Kittel Chorus with Maria TV medium, it is a rewarding sample of Nemeth, Kerstin Thorborg, Marcel Wit- that sort of enterprise that bodes well for trisch, and Hermann Schey as soloists. the growth of culture in America's living crown Many things in the performance were in- rooms. May there be more such samples. CIRCLE 18 ON READER -SERVICE CARD ih CIRCLE 69 ON READER -SERVICE CARD -31I. , Eleanor Rigby & Bill Bailey make a poor medley There are 57 FM stations in New York, 73 ii Los An-est stations with an unusual immunity to intrusion from geles and 37 in Chicago-all crammed between 88 andstrong ones. And a choice of power and features from 108MHz. With so many stations, and so little space,$699.50 to $199.50'.` Our new SQR-6650, 4 -channel there's bound to be a bit of pushing and shoving. Nowreceiver pours out 50 watts in stereo (25+25W RMS and again, an unfortunate overlap. A receiver withat 8 ohms) and costs hardly more than a stereo receiver ordinary sensitivity and selectivity just won't cut it. of comparable features and specs. $329.50* Visit your But, Sony doesn't make ordinary receivers. We givedealer for a demonstration. Sony Corporation of Ameri- you a choice of six models that bring in even the weak-ca, 47-47 Van Dam Street, Long Island City, N.Y. 11101.

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REGULAR MATRIX Scussui_SANSUI ELECTRONICS CORP.

Sansui Electronics Corp. New York 55-11 Queens Ellvd., Woodside. N.Y. 11377. Tel.: (212) 779-5300. Cable: SANSUILEC NEWYORK Telex: 422633 SEC UI. Los Angeles 333 West A'ondta BlvdGardena. Calif 90247Tel(213) 532-7670 Sansul Electric Co., Ltd. Tokyo 14-1, 2-chome. lzumi Suginarm-ku. Tokyo 168. Japan. Tel(03) 3231111. Cable. SANSUIELEC. Telex 232-2076 Sansui Audio Europe S.A. Belgium Diacern BuildingVesttngstraat 53-552000 AntwerpTel315663-5. Cable SANSUIEURO ANTWERP Telex ANTWERP 33538 Germany, W. 6 Frankfurt am Main. Reuterweg 93 Tel33538

CIRCLE 61 ON READER -SERVICE CARD beyond this point the intermodulation shoots up so rapidly that the curve can't be plotted accurately-while the 4 -ohm curve too hot continues out to more than 50 watts before turning sharply upward. This indicates a to handle somewhat greater output capability at 4 ohms-and enough to meet the 25 watts recommended for the AR-3a's-whereas some amplifier designs provide more at 8 ohms. Second, look more closely at the fig- ures Panasonic uses in its own advertising material. Continuous power is rated at 27 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 37 per I've been impressed with the appearance present tape units; but without it you still channel (or about 30 per cent higher) into 4 of B&O products for a long time, but when I will have to reconnect leads under some ohms. IHF output figures predictably bear a originally inquired about the Beomaster operating circumstances no matter what similar relationship: 75 watts total into 8 3000 receiver I was told that it couldn't be basic interconnection scheme you use. ohms, 100 watts into 4 ohms. It is this last sold here because it "didn't meet federal figure, incidentally, that you are remember- standards" and was being redesigned for Which should last longer: discs or ing from the ads. Moral: Don't use IHF the American market. I've heard similar tapes?-Bruce Cameron, Miami, Fla. power ratings as a guide to speaker match- things about other European equipment. Everybody knows about disc wear, ing. Conclusion: The SA -5800 should be Does this mean that a unit bought in Eu- whereas tape is thought of as being "per- adequate for the ARs unless your room is rope may be intrinsically inferior to the manent" until such time as itis erased. extremely large or extremely dead. Addi- same model bought here?-A. Jensen, Aside from accidental erasure-which can tional comment: Note that the price of the Green Bay, Wis. be occasioned by stray magnetic fields SA -5800 has risen since the unit appeared. Only insofar as conforming to the FCC's from motors, transformers, or even wiring, Our report showed the original price strict rules about the quantity of spurious as well as by a careless hand at the ($259.95); it now costs $299.95. radiation that tuners can emit. (All tuners- recorder's controls-there are several fac- AM, FM, or whatever-emit some.) Many tors that will reduce the life expectancy of As an avid open -reel far. I was pleased and European products exceed allowable limits tape recordings. Mechanical shock can re- encouraged by your August issue. But the in this respect and can interfere with other duce magnetic flux in the tape: Even a fast difficulty of obtaining prerecorded tapes is receiving equipment as a result. Most also winding will reduce its output level, albeit really getting me down. I used to get fan- include only the European FM band (if they insignificantly. Then there are the factors tastic service from a club in Chicago-but include FM at all) and will not receive a few that affect oxide shedding: binders, tape - no more. A local tape shop doesn't even U.S. FM stations (near the low end of the tensioningsystems,tape -guidedesigr. . know where to order reel issues; all they band) as a result. Actually the Beomaster head smoothness, and so on. Generally can talk about is cassettes. I wrote to Am- 3000 is known here as the 3000-2, and that speaking, cheap tapes shed, the most- pex at the tape service address and en- designation change implies at least one sometimes with large flakes of oxide, caus- closed 50c, but they never sent the cata- other change in its circuitry: an increase in ing massive dropouts in the sound. Without logue or even replied. Must I resign myself

output power. which was a mite skimpy by periodic degaussing, playback heads tend to living forever with the library I now American standards in the original version. to become increasingly magnetized. Re- own?-Guenther Krueger, Montreal, Can- sult: partial erasure and increased noise it ada. My present stereo system consists of a the tapes you play with the "dirty" head. Yours is the first complaint we've had Sansui 2000 receiver, a Sony /Superscope Erase and recording heads tend to be de- about the Ampex tape service, which is 250 tape recorder, and a Panasonic cas- gaussed by the bias current passing available in Canada; so don't give up too sette recorder. When the tape recorders through them in the record mode. But don't soon. Ampex is doing its bit to keep open - are connected at the same time-one count on it; regular use of a head demag- reel alive.It tells us it will make up indi- through the regular plugs and one through netizer is more reliable. Whether discs or vidual copies, if necessary, to filldirect the DIN plug-one will not play until the tapes will last longer obviously will depend orders for listed recordings-something no other is disconnected. Is there an easier on the way you treat each and the way you company we know of would do in the regu- way to wire them instead of disconnecting maintain the equipment on which they're lar course of business. And at this writing them each time? Also, output from the am- played. it is planning to issue some Dolby B open plifier to the tape recorder through the DIN reels. But while Ampex always has offered plug is greatly reduced by a resistor. I've been planning to purchase the the lion's share of the open -reel issues, its Would removing this resistor cause any Panasonic SA -5800 receiver, but I see that new releases are dwindling. disturbance to recorded quality?-Lyle L. your report [Sept., 1972] rates it for less Fettig, Novi, Mich. than 25 watts per channel with both chan- I can find many Dolby cassette decks, but Gerrrany s DIN specifications for both level nels driven. That's a big difference com- no cassette systems (including preampli- and impedance differ from those assumed pared to the 100 watts at which it's adver- fier,amplifier, and two speakers) with in this country; therefore the difference be- tised. Would the Panasonic do the job on a built-in Dolby noise reduction. How tween DIN and U.S.-style phono connec- pair of AR -3a speakers?-P. M., Vestal, come?-John Cumber, Hammond, Ind. tions. On an inexpensive receiver such as N.Y. At this stage of the cassette's development the 2000 the connections sometimes are Since measured performance at 0.5% THD Dolby noise reduction is being treated as a simply paralleled, though the added load- (a more demanding distortion rating, be it "purist" feature. And while the manufac- ing resistor you mention (to alter levels and noted, than is common in this price class) turers who offer Dolby decks give lip serv- impedances) and the automatic either/or was 24.2 watts in one channel and 22.8 ice to the idea that Dolby is the coming way switching you experience add very little to watts in the other with both driven, you're of cassette life, their run-of-the-mill models the cost. Bypassing the loading resistor splitting hairs to say that performance is prove that they still have reservations about should restore levels and impedances to "less than 25 watts per channel." And at broader application of the circuit itself. In U.S. standards in most such equipment, the AR-3a's 4 -ohm rating (our measure- some cases we suspect that a top -of -the - but a better system is that to be found on ments are of course at 8 ohms) the output is line Dolby deck is offered simply to prove the more expensive Sansuis: separate con- somewhat higher. There are two ways you that the company is among the vanguard; nections and monitor switching for each of can determine this. First note the IM distor- models-including compacts-that are two recorders. You don't need the monitor tion curves in our report. That for 8 ohms aimed at volume sales regularly omit the capability as such with either of your stops at a little over 30 watts-meaning that Dolby feature.

30 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE At lasta seriousrival to the KLH Model Fifty -One. Thenew KLH Model Fifty -Two.

When it comes to power, perform- channel RMS). The Fifty -Two also has walnut -grain enclosure). Also see ance and overall product integrity, a new KIN look, dual tuning meters, the rest of the KLH receiver line, KLH's classic Model Fifty -One is and a host of new convenience especially KLH's newest and lowest a tough stereo receiver to beat. At 'eatures. Now we know the Fifty -Two priced AM /FM stereo receiver, the $259.95t, it literally wipes out its will never replace the Fifty -One; we Model Fifty -Five. Powerful. Depend- competition. We just could not make a never intended it to. But if you have a able. And very special for just be -ter AM/ FM stereo receiver for special need for somewhat more $199.95t. For more information, write the money. power than the Fifty -One cffers, but to KLH Research and Development, So we've made a more expensive you want the same dependability, 30 Cross Street, Cambridge, one. precision engineering and super Mass. 02139. It's called the Model Fifty -Two. And quality, we have a new receiver for it costs $289.95t. The additional thirty you. The Fifty -Two ... the Fifty -One's 111111111111111111111111111112 dollars buys you additional power serious, but friendly rival. LH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (30 watts per channel RMS compared See the Fifty -Two at your KLH A Division of ThSinger CoHorser tSuggesied refif priu. Sl.phtly high., in the woe. with the Fifty -One's 20 watts per dealer now. Just $289.95. (including eA oodenserlI The Singer Co..,..,n CIRCLE 38 ON READER -SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1972 31 11M1111 1111111 views Is Stereo AMonthe Way? Recent reports have suggested that a system for stereo quency, the other slightly below-that is, tuned to the AM broadcasting might be tested experimentally by sta- two sidebands. Ultimately, of course, stereo AM radios tion WWDJ of Hackensack, New Jersey this fall. The could be built to handle the necessary signal differ- system is based on a special use of the carrier fre- entiation and stereo reproduction. But an aim of the sys- quency's sidebands: that is, the "spread" of the carrier tem-like those previously proposed for FM-is to be on either side of the station's assigned frequency (970 compatible with present mono radios as well. The as- kHz for WWDJ)-a normal concomitant of carrier modu- symetry of the sidebands would tend to introduce dis- lation. In effect the sidebands would no longer be sym- tortion into mono reception except for a special, pat- metrical but would carry left information on one side - ented signal -processing feature of the system, and one band, right information on the other. on which Mr. Kahn declines comment for the present. We called the system's developer, Leonard Kahn, While he obviously was concerned lest undue em- president of Kahn Research Laboratories, Inc., on Long phasis be placed on a project that is still far from a prac- Island. Yes, he is working on such a system, and yes, he ticalreality, Mr Kahn could not suppress his en- expects that WWDJ will provide its facilities for experi- thusiasm in talking of the potential that stereo AM mental broadcasts, though perhaps not before the be- broadcasting offers to automobile radios. Those who ginning of 1973. The purpose of those broadcasts will have cursed the vagaries of FM reception while driving be to document the system's on -the -air behavior-evi- among rural hills or urban buildings will find it easy to dence that, if all goes well, presumably will be submitted agree. Another possible benefit from stereo AM occurs to the FCC for system approval. The ins and outs of that to us: Disc jockeys might become interested in stereo process are well known to Mr. Kahn, who served on the recordings, perhaps raising the 45 -rpm single out of its committee that examined stereo FM systems for the mono stagnation and possibly stimulating a resurgence FCC just over a decade ago. of classical 45s for the DJ's use-just for kicks of Those within reach of WWDJ's transmitters should be course. And then again, if AM does go stereo, FM may able to receive the stereo broadcasts by using two AM have to dream up another gimmick to maintain its radios, one tuned slightly above the station's carrier fre- vaunted superiority. Like imaginative programming.

Cecil WattsPrivate and Some Big Names Public for Sansui Matrix This is not a book review column, but we were so struck Despite frequent favorable engineering comment on by Agnes Watts's memoir of her life with her late hus- the Sansui QS quadraphonic disc matrix system and its band, Cecil, that we can't let Cecil E. Watts, Pioneer of recognition by the EIAJ (Electronic Industries Associ- Direct Disc Recording pass unnoticed. Unlike most ation of Japan, which has written its "RM" or regular reminiscences dealing with men of achievement (Watts matrix standard on the basis of QS operating pa- not only designed the record -care products that bear rameters), the Sansui system has had far less public ex- his name but did significant work in several related posure in this country than either the Columbia SQ sys- areas) it is both human and compelling; we found it hard tem or that of Electro-Voice. Electro-Voice had an edge to put down. in being the first on the American market with encoding If you're interested, the book was privately printed in and decoding hardware; the star-studded Columbia is- England and is available here (for $5.50 postpaid) from sues were the first from a major recording company. the importer of Watts products: Elpa Marketing Indus- Sansui has had neither of these advantages, though it tries, Atlantic & Thorens Ave., New Hyde Park, N.Y. now counts a growing list of companies issuing QS 11040. discs. One recent recruit is A&M Records, which num- bers the Carpenters, Burt Bacharach, Herb Alpert, and Denon Bows Out of U.S. Market Cat Stevens among its stars. A&M already has issued Last month in this space we described a digital record- QS albums by Carole King and Joan Baez, with more to ing system developed by Denon, or more precisely by come. Nippon Columbia, whose products here go under the The recording artists themselves are asked to be Denon name. In the same issue our new equipment ar- present at all QS mixdown sessions-a stipulation that ticle mentioned Denon's Voice Changer, a device that may slow the quadraphonic pace but insures that the would allow you to replace the soloist's voice in com- end product will make more musical sense. A&M is giv- mercial recordings with your own. Now word comes that ing the albums deluxe treatment, with special quality these interesting goodies will not be available here. Nor control, antistatic vinyl, and sleeve liners. The company will any other Denon products. Nippon Columbia has says it is not irrevocably or exclusively committed to the just decided to close down its American subsidiary, cit- Sansui system, but as one spokesman put it to us, "So ing as its reason the currency revaluation and Denon's

far it's the best thing we've seen. . . ." resulting unfavorable competitive position.

32 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE What'sa 4 -channel system withouta 4 -channel deck?

Not very complete. Because so there's an AC hysteresis synchro- Of coarse, you also get a lot of much of the 4 -channel music nous motor. So voltage variations extras on the RS-858US Like a available is on discrete 4 -channel worit cause wow and flutter. locking fast forward button. And tape. That's also one of the rea- But maybe you're tired of lis- an Automatic Timing counter. To sons Panasonic picked discrete as tening to pre-recorded music. You heyou find out where you are tae standard for our 4 -channel watt to make some of your own. on the tape. You. see how much equipment. Including our 4 - Thea you need a deck that records time has elapsed. In minutes. channel cartridge decks. as well as plays back. Lake our Our 4 -channel components play We have two. The RS-847US RS-858US. It could be your own discrete, matris, stereo and mon- plays 4 -channel and 2 -channel sound studio for 4 -channel and aural. They even enhance the cartridges, automatically. No 2 -channel tapes. The 4 output sound stereo with our Quadru- switches to turn. No knobs to level controls let you blend the ples' circuitry. See our other set. You've also got controls for sour_d any way you want. And the components with our decks at a continuous play. Or automatic 4 se-xtrate VU meters let you see franchised Panasonic Hi-Fi deal- eject. A digital program indicator. what you're doing. There's even er. Because what's a 4 -channel Plus one program selector button a headphone selector switch so deck without a 4 -channel system. to control all eight tracks. And in- you can monitor the sound on the FOR YOUR NEAREST -TRANCHISED PANASON C HI-FI CEALER, CALL TO...L FREE side that lovely walnut cabinet, front or the back speakers. 800 243 6000. IN CONN., 1-800 882-6500

Panasonic HiFi 4 -Channel Tape Decks equipment in the news Sherwood builds Dynaquad circuit intoamp

Sherwood Electronics Laboratories has introducedthe S-9400 stereo amplifier withbuilt-in Dynaquad optionforsimulating quadraphonic sound (via four speakers) from stereoor matrixed quadraphonic sources. The company rates the S -9400'sper -chan- nel power output at 40 watts continuous into 8 ohmsacross the audio range with both channels driven. Other features includetwo phono inputs, mike inputs, two aux inputs, pre-out/main-injacks, and preamplified center -channel output. The price is $259.95,wal-

44 44 is t t t nut case included. CIRCLE 147 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

New look for Frazier speakers

The Frazier Capsule loudspeaker now comes with a 3- by 7 -inch compression horn said to give a wider frequency response and smoother sound. Frazier rates the Capsule's power -handling ca- pacity at 25 watts continuous and its impedance at 8 ohms. It is avail- able in a flat black finish at $149.90. For your groovier moods, Fra- zier offers The Wild One (shown here) a new speaker similar to the Capsule but stain -lacquered in three colors-wild fire, ocean blue, or frosty-at $208.25. CIRCLE 148 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

Dolbyized cassette deck from Sansui

Sansui's new SC -700 cassette deck is packed with features includ- ing Dolby circuitry, bias and equalization adjustment for both chro- mium dioxide and ferric oxide tapes, pause control, and automatic shutoff and release at the end of the tape. There are three mike in- puts, including one for center channel (feeding both left and right channels). Powered by a DC servo motor, the SC -700 is said to de- liver frequency response from 40 to 16,000 Hz with chromium diox- ide tape. The price is $299.95. CIRCLE 149 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

Utah introduces floor speaker

Utah Electronics says it has designed its new MP -3000 floor model speaker to obtain a strong, big -system sound. The ingredientsare a high compliance 15 -inch woofer with a 2 -inch voice coil anda 63/, - pound magnet structure, an acoustically isolated 5 -inch midrange, and two horn -loaded dome tweeters. Separate controls are pro- vided for the midrange and tweeters. With a walnut finish and sculp- tured foam grille, the MP -3000 sells for.$199.95. CIRCLE 151 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

Philips offers a touch-and-go turntable

The lightest touch of a finger activates the capacitance speed se- lection and stop on the Philips GA -212 turntable, minimizing the chance of mechanical shock and mistracking, even at minimum tracking forces. The GA -212, from the AKG division of North Ameri- can Philips Corp., has two speeds (33 and 45 rpm), a servo DC mo- tor, and flexible belt drive system. Supplied with an integrated tone arm and hinged dust cover, the GA -212 retails for $149.50 CIRCLE 150 ON READER-SERVICF CARD

34 HIGH Film.yry MAGAZINL

n oJr, ci/7 A ?_'2.v1L /4/- //5 3.410 ,c The ADC-XLM aclass by itself."

That's the way Stereo Review described our XLM. High Fidelity head- lined their review, "Superb new pickup from ADC" and went on to say, 44...must be counted among the state of the art contenders: And Audio echoed them with, "The ADC-XLM appears to be state of the art:' With the critics so lavish in their praise of the XLM, there's hardly any necessity to add anything. Far better to let the experts continue to speak for us.

Frequency responseThe CBS STR-100 test The XLM has remarkably low distortion in comparison record showed less than ± 1.5dB variation up with others. Audio to 20.000Hz. Stereo Review At 0.6 grams the distortion was low (under 1.5 oer ...response is within ±2dB over the entire range. Audiocent) Stereo Review Frequency response is exceptionally flat. High Fidelity Hum and noiseThe kivl coulc be instrumental in lowering the input noise from the first stage of a This is the only cartridge we have seen Tracking modern transistor amplifier. Audio that is really capable of tracking almost all stereo discs The cartridge had very good shielding against at 0.4 grams. Stereo Review induced hum. Stereo Review The XLM went through the usual torture test at 0.4 grams (some top models require more than a gram). High Fidelity PriceThis would be a very hard cartridge to surpass The XLM is capable of reproducing anything found on at any price. Stereo Review a phonograph record. Audio We found it impossible to attribute superior sound to costlier competing models High Fidelity DistortionDistortion readings...are without Priced as it is. it is a real bargain in cartridges. Audio exception better than those for any other model we've tested. High Fidelity The Pritchard High Definition ADC-XLM $50.

AUDIO DYNAMICS CORPORATION Pickett District Road. New Milford. Connecticut 0677E

CIRCLE 7 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

NOVLMBER 1972 35 Never before has this little noise accompanied this much music. Noise Distribution With Cr02 Tape Typical Frequency Response With Cr02 Tape -46 dB If you're sophisticated -48 without endangering it. sieli I., I.,..LILA.L leelelYleLessua,,s1,L 6 enough to be reading 50 hw'. Plug-in printed circuit -52 / 4 this magazine, you're , CONVENTIONAL MOST AUDIBLIE CASSETTE OM/- 2 boards are used for -54 RANGE NR40 probably familiar with -56 00 \--- 0 simplicity and reliability -2 the two main -se 1,111lirl of operation. Heads are -eo -4 characteristics of No -62 r* easy to reach and dean. cassette decks: hiss and -8 I000 WITH °OLEN' - And the transport is ---- 10 nonlinear frequency 12 the most reliable we've -'0 -14 response. 100 - 2 4 60000 20 4 1100 2 4 8 11:90 2 4 6 10000 2607.1ever tested; it even Which should make "E°"'"'"'"' FREQUENCY N MERTZ closes with the sort of you thoroughly reassuring "thunk" you unfamiliar with the Noise. Music. normally hear only by performance capabilities of our new HK -1000. As the closing the doors of expensive hand -built cars. charts indicate, it behaves more like reel-to-reel than a The price is $300. cassette deck: Never before has that small a price tag accompanied Signal-to-noise ( unweighted) is -58 dB with Dolby and this much cassette deck. -70 dB in the audible hiss level above 4,000 Hz. The For complete details and specs, write Harman/Kardon frequency response curve is essentially flat from less than 30 Incorporated, 55 Ames Court, Plainview, N.Y. 11803* to beyond 15 kHz, -±1.5 dB, with Cr02 tape. (This curve is due largely to the way we drive our heads. Instead of the harman/kardon conventional constant voltage drive to the head, the the music company HK -1000 is designed for constant current drive. Many studio model reel-to-reel decks are designed the same way.) Because of a new low in noise and a new wide in frequency, the HK -1000 brings you a new clarity in music. Ours is the first cassette deck designed for maximum phase linearity. Square wave response is better than every other cassette deck and even some expensive reel-to-reel decks. And the better the square waves, the cleaner and more transparent the music. Discriminating audiophiles will also appreciate the wide selection of controls to take control of. There are two "peak -reading" VU meters; automatic in all transport modes; separate controls for recording playback and microphone levels; a "memory" rewind feature that lets you key a selection to the exact start location; a Dolby test oscillator; both record and Dolby playback calibration adjustments on the top panel; and so on. The HK -1000 is also designed so you can use it often

*Distributed in Canada by Harman/Kardon of Canada. Ltd.. 9429 Cote de Liesse Rd.. Montreal 760. Quebec. CIRCLE 41 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 36 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE THE CONSUMER'S GUIDEnew equipment TO HIGH FIDELITY EQUIPMENTreports

Elac Updates Its Top Miracord Changer

The Equipment: Miracord 50H Mark II, a three -speed pressing the start button. You also can use the built-in (33, 45, 78 rpm) automatic turntable with integral arm. cueing device to interrupt play without affecting the Dimensions: chassis plate, 141/2 by 121/2 inches; 21/2 change cycle. inches minimum clearance required below, 51/2 inches You can begin play of a single record, using the short above. Price, less cartridge and base: $199.50. Manu- spindle, either automatically or marually. In either mode facturer: Elac, West Germany; U.S. distributor: Benja- the arm will return to rest at the end of the record and min Electronic Sound Corp., 40 Smith St., Farmingdale, the motor will shut off. You can stop play before the N. Y. 11735. record is finished by pressing the stop button (or one of the start buttons) or simply by lifting the arm and return- Comment: Compared to the former Model 50H (HF test ing it to the rest position. To repeat a record you insert report, June 1967), the new Mark II has dropped the 16 - the short spindle upside down (with its pointed end up). rpm speed but boasts some important design improve- Start the unit and-until you choose to stop it-the ments. For one thing, the unit now has a fine -speed ad- record will play repeatedly. justment with built-in illuminated strobe so that pinpoint Any standard cartridge may be used in the Miracord. accuracy of rotation (or variations from it for special Its arm has a removable platform that you adjust for opti- purposes) is possible. The tone arm has a new mecha- mum stylus overhang. using the gauge built onto the nism that provides very gentle and slow descent onto a plaster's base. When the adjustment has been made, record. The rear counterweight slips on more readily you may slip a little brush (supplied) over the gauge so than in the older model, and its sensitive adjustment that when the arm moves to its rest position the stylus knob makes arm balancing very easy. will be lowered into the bristles. Tie arm head has an Like other Miracords, the 50H Mk II comes with two ample finger grip for manual cueing. The pivot end of spindles. The long one, for stacking up to ten records of the arm assembly has a dial for setting vertical tracking the same diameter, is Elac's "magic wand" type that force and another for adjusting antiskating force. The holds the records on three small supports. During cy- VTF dial is numbered (in grams) from 0 to 6. Checking cling they retract and allow the records to slide very these settings, CBS Labs measured for 1, 1.1; 2, 1.9; 3, gently onto the platter. The short single -play spindle 2.8; 4, 3.8; and 5, 4.9 grams. The antiskating dial is sim- rotates with the record to minimize center -hole friction. ilarly numbered. and the setting to use corresponds to These spindles in conjunction with the four pLshbutton whatever number you have chosen for VTF. The arm's controls (one for stop and one each for the three record friction, laterally and vertically, is negligible-below 20 diameters: 12, 10, and 7 inches)-plus, of course, the milligrams; stylus force required to activate the auto- speed switch (33, 45, and 78 rpm) at the left of the top matic cycling mechanism is a very low 0.5 gram. Arm plate-offer a variety of operating modes. With the long resonance was checked out (with a Shure V-15 Type II spindle inserted, the 50H Mk II functions as a fully auto- Improved cartridge) as an 8 -dB rise at 6.5 Hz. matic record changer. During play of any record you The platter itself weighs 6 pounds, 5 ounces and is can rejectit and cycle the next one in the stack by well balanced. It is driven by a hysteresis motor. With

Equipment reports are based on laboratory measurements and controlled listening tests. Unless otherwise noted, test data and measurements are obtained by CBS Laboratories, Stamford. Connecticut. a division of Columbia Broadcasting System. Inc., one of the nation's leading research organizations. The choice of equipment to be tested rests with the editors of HIGH FIDELITY. Manufacturers are not permitted to read REPORT POLICY reports in advance of publication. and no report. or portion thereof. may be reproduced 'or any purpose or in any form without written per- mission of the publisher. All reports Should be construed as applying to the specific sample:: tested; neither HIGH FIDELITY nor CBS Laboratories assumes responsibility for product performance or quality.

NOVEMBER 1972 37 the unit set for absolute accuracy at 33 rpm, the lab total ensemble is highly resistant to external shock and found that it ran 0.2% fast at 45 rpm and 0.5% slow at 78 jarring, and the arm is well enough balanced to remain rpm. The speed did not vary with line voltage (105, 120, in the groove even when the unit is tilted off level. and 127 volts in the standard lab test). The strobe has The 50H Mk IIis supplied with a single -play adapter markings for 33 and 45 rpm, so you can readily achieve for large -hole 45s in addition to the two spindles, car- absolute accuracy at those speeds. The 78 -rpm speed tridge mounting hardware, a small screwdriver, and is, of course, less important today, and the measured color -coded signal cables. Optional accessories in- error is not significantly high. Total rumble, by the CBS- clude an automatic spindle for large -hole 45s, addi- ARLL standard, was -53 dB and inaudible even through tional arm pickup mounting platforms, various precut high-powered amplifiers and very wide -range speakers. mounting bases, and dust cover. Flutter, measured as 0.07%, was similarly inaudible. The CIRCLE 142 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

A Stereo Compressor/Expander- and a Noise -Reduction Unit

The Equipment: DBX-117 Decilinear, a compressor/ex- The front panel contains only three controls: a slow/ pander for altering the dynamic range of stereo signals. normal switch and a level -match control (whose re- Dimensions (in wood case supplied): 53/4 by 31/4 by 9 spective functions we shall explain in due course), plus inches. Price: $145. Manufacturer: DBX, Inc., 296 New- the main dynamic -range control knob. The center- ton St., Waltham, Mass. 02154. point of this knob is marked 1.0 (that is a 1:1ratio of input to output in terms of dynamics); maxima in each Comment: This is the first separate home unit we've direction are marked 2.0 (meaning, respectively, a 2:1 seen designed for stereo signals and capable of both in- compression ratio or a 1:2 expansion ratio) with three creasing and decreasing their dynamic range. The rea- intermediate points (1.2, 1.5, and 1.7) marked for both son for that latter capability may not be immediately ob- compression and expansion. The control is continuous vious. Expansion can be used to restore (within limits, of however, and still finer in-between settings are pos- course) the dynamic range of broadcasts-and even of sible. DBX suggests that the line cord be plugged into a commercial recordings-that have been compressed. switched convenience outlet on your receiver or ampli- Some form of compression or limiting is considered a fier and thus provides no AC power switch. virtual necessity by broadcasters to prevent carrier The back panel has three stereo pairs of phono jacks: overload while keeping average signal levels high input, output to the stereo system, and output to a tape enough so that they suffer minimum interference from recorder. DBX suggests that the first two be connected, noise and also "grab" the casual dial-twiddler. But ulti- respectively, to the tape output and tape monitor jacks mately fidelity suffers from the use (or, all too frequently, on your system. The output from the tape recorder misuse) of such techniques. would then have to be connected to aux inputs on the The DBX-117, then, is intended to restore lost dy- system; in such a setup the aux selector would be used namic range. But why compression? Well, for back- to play tapes and the tape -monitor switch would control ground listening, for one thing. When the dynamic the 117, putting it into or out of the audio circuit. Where a range of typical program fare is compressed it can be separate preamp and power amplifier are used, the out- kept pleasantly there: never loud, yet never really faint put of the 117 is fed directly to the amplifier, leaving the either; a continuous, self-effacing presence. More im- tape -monitor jacks on the preamp free for their intended portant, since the unit is calibrated reciprocally for both purpose. functions it is possible to compress home recordings by The graph showing input vs. output tells the basic a given factor during recording (to keep signal levels story of the 117's operation. The middle line represents above inherent noise levels) and expand them by the input vs. output with the main control at the 1.0 setting- same factor in playback to restore the original dynam- that is when the 117 is introducing no compression or ics. In other words it can be used by the home recordist expansion. Compression rotates this line to the left, ex- as a dynamic noise -reduction system. pansion rotates it to the right. The level -match control

38 HIGHFIDELITY MAGAZINE 1 KHZ

Oscilloscope photos show input vs. output (upper and lower traces), and were made with control at midpoint (left), set for expansion (middle), and set for compression (right). was set at its midpoint for this test. Rotating it changes fascinating unit to work with. And the lab data confirms the point at which the slope lines of this graph cross- that its electronic quality is excellent: Harmonic distor- that is, the reference level that the circuit assumes in tion is very low while the input/output curves are very determinjng whether a given input level must be close to the ideal straight-line shape. We found that it boosted or attenuated. The control can be helpful in added both to the quality of some reproduced sound calibrating a tape System with respect to 0 -VU levels, and to the fun of uigh fidelity. but for most home purposes DBX suggests that it be left CIRCLE 143 ON READER -SERVICE CARD at its midpoint. The oscilloscope photos demonstrate both the com- pression and expansion action with the decay switch As this report goes to press DBX informs us that a in the normal position. This normal mode is used in change has been made in the 117 in the interests of recording and for playback of most program material. opening up the scale, allowing resolution of finer dis- Sometimes, however, its fast decay will have too abrupt tinctionsinthe1.0 -to -1.2 expansion range-the an action to sound natural, particularlyin speech. range most used with typical program material. The Where there are clearly audible background noises, the new version dispenses with the compression range from 1.5 to 2.0-a range that we judged of value only extraneous material will stutter in and out in response to for extreme background music applications (that is, the on /off nature of the program itself. In the stiw set- for example, where tne music is intended to mask ting the switch prevents such abrupt recovery from high ambient noise levels) or in conference record- high-level inputs and smooths the over-all effect some- ings, neither of which we wouid class as a high fidel- what. The value of the switch can be demonstrated in ity application. At the same time DBX has added spe- expanding antique records (which often have an ex- cific calibration for the recommenced recording and tremely limited dynamic range) containing loud stac- playback settings when the 117 is used as a noise -re- cato passages. In the normal setting the disc's surface duction unit with a tape recorder. noise disappears abruptly in the intervening silences, and when it re-emerges with the music it may sound more like distortion of the music than like surface noise as such. By keeping the surface noise more nearly con- co ,+5 FREMENCY RESPONSE tinuous in such passages the slow setting allows you to ignore it and concentrate on the music. 0 In the expansion mode, in fact, we found the 117 to be 0_ 5 +0, -1.5 dB, 20 H214 20 kHz Q0 a product that can easily be misused. Excessive expan- C0 117/1 sion carries with it a host of ills-"breathing," a sense of 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K instability in the sound, gross exaggeration of musical FREQUENCY IN HZ miscalculations, and excessive sensitivity to any techni- cal imperfections (poor matching at a tape splice for ex- ample)-that influence levels. Fortunately DBX has in- cluded inthe manual a chart of basica.ly sane +20 recommendations for matching settings to the type of +10 program material in use. By using these recommenda- INPUT/OUTPUT CHARACTERISTICS tions as a starting point and doing a little critical listen- (0 dB = 1 V) ing, you can find settings that will enhance program ma- 0 terialwithoutserioussideeffects. We foundit ao mc' -10 particularly valuable (set at about 1.2 expansion) for re- Setting 1 (no expansion or compression) turning a littlevitality to some off -the -air Toscanini Expansion setting 1.5 -20 Expansion salting 2 recordings that had always seemed overly constricted. Compression setting 1.5 Used as a tape noise -reduction system it also is valu- - 30 able, though here again it can be overused. And in the Compression setting 2 compression mode lowering the level -match control 117/2 - 40 tends to raise the level of the signal, so level setting can -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 +10 +20 be confusing until you master the unit. Since the 117 is a OUTPUT IN DB broadband system it can help to combat low -frequency noises like hum as well as tape hiss; but by the same DBX-117 Compressor/Expander token a change in low -frequency signal level will alter Additional Data high -frequency levels as well. For this reason, again, extreme compression and expansion should be avoided lest undesirable side effects become audible. S N ratio 101dB (The 1 1 7 is by no means interchangeable with B -type Dolby equipment, which is not broadband in its action; it Channel separation 43 dB affects the high frequencies only.) Maximum output 1 1 V Inveterate putterers that we are, we found the 1 1 7 a

NoV INI111:11 1972_ 39 Highly Flexible Quadraphonics Receiver from Fisher

The Equipment: Fisher 801, a quadraphonic AM/ FM re- quadraphonic sets for aux 1, aux 2, and tape monitor in- ceiver in wood case with wireless WT -50 Autoscan re- puts plus the tape recording output). There also is a jack mote control. Dimensions: 175/8 by 6 by 141/2 inches. for use with an optional remote -control FM tuning unit Price: $749.95. Manufacturer: Fisher Radio Corp., 11- (an alternative to the WT -50 wireless Autoscan control 40 45th Rd., Long Island City, N. Y. 11101. delivered with the 801) and a ground connection. Two of the controls involved may require a little ex- Comment: Unlike most of the quadraphonic receivers planation. Fisher's Autoscan, which has appeared on a that have been announced recently, the 801 is neither a number of previous models, is just what the name im- stereo receiver with some minimal nods in the direction plies. Once the Autoscan button is pressed, the contin- of possible quadraphonic adaptation (typically termed a uous -scan button acts like a sort of fast -forward control four -channel -ready receiver) nor, at the other extreme, for moving across the FM dial, the action stopping at the one incorporating circuitry specifically keyed to a par- next station after the control is released; the one -station ticular quadraphonic system. Fisher, taking the sensible button will advance the tuner only to the next station on and highly practical middle road, has given the 801 four the dial. The button on the wireless remote control du- full channels of amplification, a comprehensive series plicates the continuous -scan function but can be used of switching options, and quadraphonic inputs for all for single -station advance by pressing the button only but a magnetic phono cartridge. It is therefore appro- momentarily. The remote unit is powered by a 9 -volt cell priate as the central element in a quadraphonic system (supplied) and contains a supersonic (22.8 kHz) trans- deriving its source signals from tape (either cartridges ducer that is aimed at a small grille in the receiver's front or reels), Quadradiscs, or matrixed discs-the neces- panel for use. sary tape players, demodulators, or decoders being The other relatively esoteric control is that for the "2 outboard units-in almost any combination. It also is ap- + 2" function. It actually is a quadraphonic matrix -de- propriate for stereo use, with or without simulation of code circuit similar to that in the original E -V decoder; quadraphonic sound from stereo sources, and even to the only difference between the pops and classical set- the playing of matrixed discs without an additional tings is that the output to the back channels is reduced adapter. But more of that in a moment. in the latter position to suggest hall (or ambience) The tuning dial has at its left a signal -strength meter sound rather than that of being surrounded by the musi- (which doubles as a subsidiary tuning dial for the Auto - cians. While the front -panel markings suggest use in scan feature) and indicators that light up for mode simulating quadraphonics from stereo program mate- (mono, stereo, quadraphonic) and stereo -FM recep- rial, 2 + 2 can be used to approximate decoded play- tion. To the right of the dial past the tuning knob are sep- back of presently available matrixed recordings as well. arate front and back volume sliders and the Autoscan The effect in either use will depend to some extent on FM tuningcontrols (Autoscan on/off,continuous the specifics of the recording; many of ours-stereo and search, and station -by -station search) and an AFC (au- matrixed alike-produced an excellent quadraphonic tomatic frequency control) on /off button. effect through the 2 + 2 circuit. Directly below these last controls are five more but- An exact match to a particular matrix technique (SQ tons: separate high -filter switches for front and back, for example) can be provided by an outboard decoder FM muting on/off, and separate loudness/volume attached to the tape -monitor connections. But while the switches for front and back. Along the bottom panel to 801's switch options allow for this kind of specialized the left of these switches are the power /output switch quadraphonic use, they also allow for some unusually (AC off, main speakers, remote speakers, all speakers, elaborate stereo systems. The instruction panel shows headphones only), ganged front and back left/right bal- how to set up for quadraphonic reproduction in the ance controls, similarly ganged treble and bass con- main listening room and stereo listening in each of two trols, mode switch (mono, stereo, four -channel, and two other rooms or for stereo listening in each of four "2 + 2" simulated quadraphonics positions: pop and rooms. In addition, by feeding different stereo program classical), selector (phono, FM, AM, aux 1, aux 2), and material to front and back channels of the tape -monitor tape monitor (front + rear, off, front. rear). At the ex- or one of the aux inputs, it's even possible to operate treme left is a stereo headphone jack, which is live at all the 801 as two relatively independent stereo systems, times. each with main and remote speaker connections. The back panel has screw terminals for FM (300 -ohm) If the maximum of eight speakers are to be used, mod- and AM antennas, spring clips for the leads to the eight els of fairly high efficiency will be desirable, though we speakers (main and remote quadraphonic sets), and found that the 801 provides plenty of clean sound for phono jacks for the audio leads (a stereo pair for phono, four low -efficiency bookshelf speakers. At the 30 -watt -

40 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE 2.0

1.5 HARMONIC DISTORTION CURVES 1.0

IHF FM SENSITIVITY 0.5 -20 2.0 IN at 90 MHz 0 1.8ILV 1.8 pV at 98 MHz 30 WAITS OUTPUT *6 -30 1.8 pV at 106 MHz - Left flannel:_ 0 5%. 40 Hz to 20 kHz --- Right -channel. 0.5 0.65%, 40 Hz to 20 kHz a o -40 15 WATTS OUTPUT cL. - Left . hannel: < 03%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz - Righ- channel: <0.26%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz -50 0.5

0 0.3 WATTS OUTPUT -60 - Left :hannel: <0.32%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz 1 100K - Righ channel: <0.41%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz 10 100 1K 10K 801/4 RF INPUT IN MICROVOLTS 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K20K FREQUENCY IN HZ

+5 MONO FM RESPONSE 0 +5 PREAMP & CONTROL CHARACTERISTICS 0.5 dB. 20 Hz to 20 kHz -5 0 -5 RIM EQUALIZATION: +1.5, -3 dB. 25 Hz to 20 kHz +5 STEREO FM RESPONSE cod 0 Bas boost Treble boost z _5 -Left channel: -0.75 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz --- Right channel: +0.5, -1.25 dB. 20 Hz to 15 kHz m+10 z -10 +5 CHANNEL SEPARATION -15 0 -Left channel: >35 dB. 100 Hz to 4 kHz, >25 dB. 27 Hz to 8.6 kHz o_ ct -20 --- Right channel: >35 dB. 83 Hz to 3 kHz; >25 dB. 24 Hz to 8.4 kHz 4.1 _5 -25 - 10 - 30 -15 Ba s cut Treble cut -35 - 20 -40 TONE CONTROLS HIGH FILTER -45 LOUDNESS CONTOUR (volume control at 3 o'clock) 801/2 801/6 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K FREQUENCY IN HZ FREQUENCY IN HZ

POWER OUTPUT DATA

CHANNELS INDIVIDUALLY II Left front at clipping: 28.9 watts for 0 08% THD a Left front at 0.5% THD: 32.0 watts Right front at clipping: 28.9 watts for 0.17% 110 Right front at 0.5% THD: 32.0 watts

CHANNELS SIMULTANEOUSLY 10 KH Lett front at clipping: 21.1 watts for 0.13% THD Right front at clipping: 20.4 watts for 0.09% DV Sodare-wave response Left back at clipping: 22.8 watts for 0.09% THD Fisher 801 Receiver Additional Data Right back at clipping: 21.1 watts for 0.10% T10

POWER BANDWIDTH Tuner Section cci Ifor 0.5% THD; 0 dB=30 watts) Capture ratio 1 7 dB 0 g _3 Below 10 Hz to 25 kHz Alternate -channel selectivity 66 dB FREQUENCY RESPONSE +5 MN 1 watt output) Si N ratio 71 dB c. n -5 +0, -3 dB, 12 Hz to 35 kHz TH D Mono L ch R ch 801/3 80 Hz 0.21% 0.41% 0.39% 1 kHz 10 20 100 1K 10K20K 100K 0.19% 0.26% 0.26% 10 kHz 0.28% 17% 17% FREQUENCY IN HZ 19 -kHz pilot -35 dB

38 -kHz subcarrier -49 dB

INTERMODULATION CURVES I Amplifier Section 8 -ohm load: <-0.43% to 33.2 watts i 4 -ohm load. 0.46% to 252 watts Damping :actor 60 16 -ohm load: <0.5% to 21 watts I/ 0.4 Input characteristics(for 30 watts ouput) Sensitivity S. N ratio `0-"Z' 02 ------phono 4.8 mV 70 dB 0_ aux 1 801/5 345 mV 71 dB 0 aux 2 345 mV 70.5 dB 1 2 3 4 5 7 10 20 30 40 50 70100 tape monitor 380 mV 72.5 dB POWER OUTPUT IN WATTS

N 51 B1: R 1972 41 10 Mann gift ideas-

The Famous Heathkit AR -1500 Successor to the famed Heathkit AR -15, with impressive improvements in every critical area. 180 watts Dynamic Music Power, 90 watts per channel, 8 ohm load. Less than 0.2% IM and 0.25% harmonic distortion. Greater than 90 dB FM selectivity and 1.8 uV sensitivity. Vastly superior AM, too. It's the talk of the audio world. And now available in your choice of kit or completely assembled versions. Put one on your Christmas list, now. Kit AR -1500, 42 lbs., (less cabinet) 379.95* ARA-1500-1, walnut cabinet, 6 lbs. 24.95* ARW-1500, Assembled Receiver and cabinet, 48 lbs. 649.95*

The best under $250-Heathkit AR -1302 An unusual valueinits price/power class. Delivers a clean 60 watts of Dynamic Music Power, 30 watts per channel, 8 ohm load. Less than 0.25% IM and harmonic distortion. New FM IF section with 2 ICs and 2 ceramic filters for outstanding performance. 60 dB selectivity and 1.9 uV sensitivity. Features assembled and aligned FM tuner,built-intestcircuitry,Black Magic Panel lighting. Kit AR -1302, 30 lbs., (less cabinet) 239.95* AE -19, oiled pecan cabinet, 9 lbs. 19.95*

NEW high-performance, low-cost leader -Heathkit AR -1214 Produces 50 watts IHF, 25 watts per channel into 8 ohms with amazing fidel- ity. Two ICs and 2 ceramic filters in the IF offer greater than 60 dB selec- tivity, while phase lock multiplex demodulator gives 40 dB typical channel separation at less than 0.5% distortion. Preassembled FM tuner boasts 2 uV sensitivity and 2 dB capture ratio. Other features are phono preamp level controls, flywheel tuning, stereo indicator light, headphone jack, and com- plete tape monitor facilities. And the cabinet is included in this low price. Stereo "separate" versions are also available (A1-1214 Tuner and M-1214 Amp., 89.95* each). Kit AR -1214, 16 lbs. 169.95*

The most advanced FM Tuner in stereo -Heathkit A1-1510 Another Heathkit "first" in consumer electronics. Pure digital computer de- AR -1214 NEW sign including digital frequency synthesizer tuning employing phase -lock -loop 16995* techniques. FET varactor FM RF front end, digital discriminator and readout incl. cab. result in performance specs and tuning convenience to make every audio- phile sit up and listen: channel frequency accuracy better than 0.005%; less than 1.8 uV sensitivity; distortion levels of 0.1%; selectivity and IF rejection better than 95 dB; image and spurious rejection better than 90 dB; S/N ratio better than 65 dB; separation better than 40 dB. One of a kind, the AJ-1510 "computer tuner" is the only tuner offering you 3 distinct tuning modes; key- board, computer -type punch cards (up to 3), plus automatic band scanning with variable speed and stereo -only capability. The 55 ICs, 50 transistors and 50 signal diodes mount on 10 modules with 7 plugging into a master board for optimum computer modularity and ease of assembly. Join the computer generation of audio equipment - order your AJ-1510 today. Kit A1-1510, 23 lbs., (less cabinet) 539.95* MA -1510-1, pecan cabinet, 6 lbs. 24.95*

Our most versatile amplifier: 200 watts, 4 channels-Heathkit "2004" Brings you 200 versatile watts for discrete or matrixed 4 -channel sound, and stereo or mono. Built-in matrix circuitry decodes matrixed 4 -channel record- ings or broadcasts, lets you use your existing stereo equipment as well as enhancing your present stereo records and tapes. As discrete 4 -channel me- dia grows the AA -2004 is ready...with four amplifiers producing 260 watts into 4 ohms (4x65), 200 watts into 8 ohms (4x501, 120 watts into 16 ohms (4x30), and controls for every source, mode and installation. Amplifier sec- tions are controlled in pairs with one complete stereo system for left and right front speakers and another for left and right rear - so it can be used to power two complete 4 -channel systems (up to 8 speakers)... or, four sep- AA -21'04 less cab. arate -source mono systems if desired. Easy circuit board assembly. Kit AA -2004, 38 lbs., (less cabinet) 349.95* AAA -2004-1, pecan cabinet, ilbs. 24.95* CIRCLE 28 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 1116H FH>t:l.rry MACiAZINI 350 more in FREE '73 Catalog

NEW Heathkit/Thomas Spinet Organ A kit for the whole family to build and enjoy. The all -solid-state TO -1160 Heathkit/Thomas Spinet has full 44 -note keyboards for Solo and Accompani- ment, exclusive Color-Glo keys that light up to indicate notes and chords. With the Color-Glo course included you'll be playing songs almost instantly. There are six solo stops - flute 16', 8' and 4', trumpet 8', oboe 8', and violin 8'. Five accompaniment stops - horn 8', diapason 8', melodia 8', cello 8', and pedal voice with 16' and 8' combined. Plus both regular and a new "light" TO -1160 vibrato effects. Other features include keyboard jacks for private earphone listening or use of a tape cassette deck. The beautiful pecan -veneer cabinet is shipped fully assembled, includes bench. The TO -1160 Spinet organ is one of the most exciting gifts you can give or get for Christmas. NEW Kit TO -1160, 211 lbs. 689.95* 689" Component quality stereo for cars - Heathkit FM Tuner and Cassette Deck Mobile FM stereo tuner features clean 7 watts (3.5 W per channel) with less than 2% THD; frequency response -±1 dB, 3 Hz to 15 kHz; 3 uV sensitivity; 60 dB selectivity; 40 dB min. separation. Stereo cassette deck offers hi-fi stereo cassette entertainment plus single -channel dictation while you drive. Single stereo amp powers either or both units. Choice of 5" coor mount or 6" x 9" rear deck speakers (19.95* the pair). Kit CR-1000, tuner, 6 lbs. 64.95* Kit CT -1001, cassette deck, 9 lbs. 89.95* CR-1000 Kit CRA-1000-1, amplifier, 3 lbs. 29.95* 64" NEW Heathkit Digital Electronic Alarm Clock The exciting Heathkit GC -1005 Digital Clock displays hours, minutes and sec- onds on highly visible cold -cathode readout tubes. A gentle "beeper" alarm can be set for 24 -hour cycle and features a snooze switch that gives you 11995* seven more minutes of sleep before the alarm sounds off again. The all - solid -state circuitry is designed to display either conventional 12 -hour or 24 - hour international time (Manual shows you how to wire it for the readout you CT -1001 prefer). Includes am/pm indicator light to facilitate setting time and alarm, special fail-safe circuit flashes all "eights" on display ifline voltage is in- terrupted. Operates on 120 or 240 VAC. Kit GC -1005, 4 lbs. 54.95* GC -1005 NEW Heathkit Dolby' Cassette Deck Enjoy the life -like fidelity of low -noise cassette recording atits finest,in- NEW cluding the new chromium dioxide tapes. The AD -1530 combines a preassem- bled top-quality domestic tape transport with the famous Dolby® Noise Re- duction System resulting in a superb cassette deck in easy -to -build, money- 5495* saving kit form. Controls for play/record, stop, fast -forward, rewind, eject - all interlocked. Switches for stereo or mono input, Dolby on/off, tape -type "regular" (iron oxide) or "Cr02" (Chromium Dioxide). Other features are individual record level controls with separate VU meters; large 3 -digit re- settable tape counter; input selector switch for NEW either microphone or high level source input (any low -impedance microphone with standard "Dolbyized" 1/2" phone jack can be used). 249.95* Kit AD -1530, 21 lbs. 24995*

SEND FOR YOUR FREE AD -1533 '73 HEATHKIT CATALOG

HEATHKIT ELECTRONIC CENTERS - ARIZ.: Phoenix, 2727 W. Indian School Rd.; CALIF.: Anaheim, 330 E. Ball Rd.; El Cerrito, 6000 Potrero Ave.; Los Angeles, 2309 S. Flower St.; HEATH COMPANY, Dept. B-11 Schlumberger Pomona, 1555 Orange Grove Ave. N.; Redwood City, 2001 Middlefield Rd.; San Diego (La Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022 Mesa), 8363 Center Dr.; Woodland Hills, 22504 Ventura Blvd.; COLO.: Denver, 5940 W. 38th Ave.; CONN.: Hartford (Avon), 395 W. Main St.(Rte. 44);FLA.: Miami (Hialeah), Please send FREE Heatnkit Catalog. 4705 W. 16th Ave.; GA.: Atlanta, 5285 Roswell Rd.;ILL.: Chicago, 3462-66 W. Devon Enclosed is $ pus shipping. Ave.; Downers Grove, 224 Ogden Ave.; IND.; Indianapolis, 2112 E. 62nd Ave.; KANSAS: Please send model(s) Kansas City (Mission), 5960 Lamar Ave.; MD.: Baltimore, 1713 E. Joppa Rd.; Rockville, 5542 Nicholson Lane; MASS.: Boston (Wellesley),165 Worcester St.;MICH.:Detroit, Name 18645 W. Eight Mile Rd. & 18149 E. Eight Mile Rd.; MINN.: Minneapolis (Hopkins), 101 Shady Oak Rd.; MO.: St. Louis, 9296 Gravois Ave.; N.J.: Fair Lawn, 35-07 Broadway (Rte. Address 4); N.Y.: Buffalo (Amherst), 3476 Sheridan Dr.; New York City, 35 W. 45th St.; Jericho, City State Zip L.I.,15 Jericho Turnpike; Rochester, Long Ridge Plaza; OHIO: Cincinnati (Woodlawn), 10133 Springfield Pike;Cleveland, 5444 PearlRd.;PA.: Philadelphia, 6318 Roosevelt Prices & spec ficOions subject to change without notice. Blvd.; Pittsburgh, 3482 Wm. Penn Hwy.; TEXAS: Dallas, 2715 Ross Ave.; Houston, 3705 *(Vail order prices; F.O.B. factory. CL -444j Westheimer; WASH.: Seattle, 221 Third Ave.; WIS.: Milwaukee, 5215 Fond du Lac. L CIRCLE 28 ON READER -SERVICE CARD NOVLMDf R 1972 45 per -channel rating (for each of the four channels) har- frequency are beyond audibility, and this measurement monic distortion rises rapidly below 40 Hz-that is, below is to that extent a test of electrical behavior more than the frequencies encountered in most program material. audible performance. At lower power, no trace of this distortion rise shows up The virtues that distinguish the 801 lie above all in its in the measurements, which confirm that in using four flexibility-both for use as -is in a stereo/quadraphonic speakers, models for which a per -channel input of 20 system and in accepting the demands of an expanding watts or less is recommended will be well suited to the quadraphonic system as the user decides to enlarge his 801 four -channel repertoire to include not only the special Measurements of the FM section are consistently equipment now available, but additional formats as (and good. As we have had cause to mention in previous re- if) they are introduced. Yet with all this the 801 keeps views, it would be a mistake to attach undue importance physical complexity to a minimum. Fisher is to be con- to the high THD figures at 10 kHz in stereo FM recep- gratulated on the sanity and practicality of its design. tion. True harmonic products of the 10 -kHz modulating CIRCLE 144 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

Dolbyizing a Lily?

The Equipment: Revox A-77 Mark III, an open -reel quar- ter -track two -speed (71/2, 33/4 ips) stereo tape deck, with built-in Dolby "B" noise -reduction circuitry, in wood case. Other configurations available. Dimensions: 161/4 by 141/4 inches (front) by 71/4 inches deep (to control panel); feet hold unit (horizontally or vertically) 1/2 inch above working surface; allow at least 21/2 inches at top and sides for clearance of NAB reels. Price: $969. Man- ufacturer: Willi Studer/ Revox, Switzerland and West Germany; U.S. distributor: Revox Corp., 155 Michael Dr., Syosset, N.Y. 11791. for each channel, are the same-as are the input se- Comment: Some readers, accustomed to associating lector and recording level controls for each channel, lo- the Dolby circuit with cassette equipment and a price in cated below the meters, and the multiposition switch for the $300 range, may be taken aback by this unit. Since power (on/off), reel size (large/small), and speed (71/2/ they have been told that cassettes are inherently noisier 33/4 ips) at the extreme right. Below the input/ recording - than open reel because of the slow transport speed, level controls a 19 -kHz filter switch has been added to they may think that only the cassette can profit from prevent any subcarrier leak from influencing Dolby ac- Dolby noise reduction. Not so. While Dolby processing tion in recording from stereo FM. A similar Dolby on/off offers demonstrably more dramatic improvements in the switch has been added at the left, below the mode/ cassette format, Revox has traditionally designed its playback -level control and the function / playback -bal- recorders for those who want the best that tape has to ance control. The function control dispenses with the offer and, indeed, for professional as well as home use. original's IEC playback equalization position;it now In such a context the Dolby B offers an improvement has one playback equalization (NAB) and the input that is both measurable and audible-and therefore sig- position, plus one for calibration of Dolby recording nificant. levels. In other respects the new Revox has not changed The Dolby calibration controls are below the long, much since our report on the original A-77 (June 1969). narrow head -cover panel, which swings out of the way Response and distortion figures are very much the behind the control panel to allow access to these con- same, though IM distortion has improved markedly, trols, to the mechanical pause and cueing feature, and while those for wow and flutter and for such things as to the heads (for editing or cleaning). A trough in the noise (Dolby aside) and crosstalk are almost identical. head shroud can be used as an editing block, though it The noise measurements for our Mark III test sample ac- provides no razor -blade slot for automatic cut -angle tually were slightly poorer than those for the original A- alignment. (We prefer the razor -blade method to Re- 77 because of some 60 -Hz hum leakage; when the lab vox's scissor method, outlined in the manual, because filtered out this hum to simulate expected normal per- in our opinion the latter can too easily produce mis- formance the figures are better than those for the origi- aligned tape ends and exposed adhesive.) nal. One change documented by the figures is in the On the control panel are a stereo headphone output motor drive: The present electronically governed sys- jack and phone jacks for left and right microphones, tem was unaffected by line voltage changes in the lab connected in parallel to phono-type microphone inputs tests, though its good accuracy figures were more than on the recessed jack panel. There are two microphone matched by the excellent ones supplied by our original positions on the input selectors, which adjust these sample even at the voltage extremes. mike inputs for use with either high- or low -impedance Cosmetically the Mark III is different too, with a dark models. Also on the back panel are phono jacks for line gray control panel lettered in white. The solenoid con- output and aux input, plus a DIN input/output ("radio") trols and the meters, flanked by record interlock buttons socket and one to accept an optional remote -control

46 HIGH 1:ipListyMAGAZINE The Base Performance of the BOSE 501 Did you know that the one inch base on the bottom of the As a consequence of this variation with position, the per- BOSE 501 DIRECT/REFLECTING® speaker is essential for the formance of every 'bookshelf' speaker is at best a compro- clarity of its sound? It is-but for a very different reason mise. Does it sounc better on a free standing shelf, on the than you might expect. floo-, along the wall, in the corner, or, is it designed to sound The surfaces immediately adjacent to any loudspeaker reasonably well in all positions and -herefore, not yield affect the balance of frequencies that it radiates into the optimum performance in any? This is a fundamental acoustical room. You have no doubt discovered this in changing the problem inherent in the concept of a 'shelf' speaker and position of your speakers at home. Variations in the location independent of designer or manufacturer. of any speaker relative to adjacent wall or floor surfaces And this is where the base of the 501 comes in. The base can cause gross variations of the frequency balance of the itself has nothing to do with the radiation of sound but it was sound radiated into the room, in the manner shown in Figure 1. designed so that you must place the 501 on the floor. In This is often more variation in sound than you get between add tion, you are instructed to place it along a wall. And we speakers of widely differing price ranges. don't allow you to place it in a comer! Our knowledge of your placement of the 501 gives us a

Fig. 1 Two frequency response curves, measurea at a design advantage that directly converts to a superior per- fixed microphone location, of a good quality conventional formance for you. The 501 is designed to optimally couple to speaker p aced at 2 different locations in the same room. the adjacent floor and wall surfaces. ao d b Admittedly, it is a rather autocratic approach for a designer 35 to tell you how to place your speaker. However, we feel 30 about the 501 as we do about the now famous 901, with which

25 it shares many features. We would much prefer that you buy

20 a conventional speake' than to use ours improperly-even

IS if it still has an edge over the competition when so used.

10 Your enjoyment and our reputation are involved with every performance. 5

0 20 100 1000 1000020000 FREQUENCY IN CYCLES PER SECOND FRAMINGHAM MA. 01701NASFICE You can hear the difference now.

"It hos not been publicized and itislittle known to the general public that BOSE Corporation for many years, hos been involved in he resear-.h and design of the most advanced electronicsystems under contracts from NASA, the Deportment of Transportation and other government agencies.It has long been rumored that BOSE Corporation's top flight team of scientists and engineers has been devoting sig nif ;cant research to consumer electronics. We have it on reliable information that sometime this loll they will introduce their first electronic product to theconsumer market-o highly sophisticated power amplifier." CIRCLE 60 ON READER -SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1972 47 unit. On our sample the panel also was marked for greater per -pass playing time of 33/4 ips makes it a desir- speaker connections, though Revox tells us the Dolby able speed. The 15 -kHz limit of FM reception plus the model is not supplied with monitor amps (the Dolby cir- subcarrier filter prevent practical program content at cuitry uses the space originally intended for that pur- frequencies above the response limitations of that pose) and so will not drive speakers directly.It can, speed, and we found the Dolbyized tapes to be indis- however, be bought in either quarter -track or half-track tinguishable from the broadcast. For live recording or stereo configurations and in either the home model where copies are to be made, we also found the added here reviewed or in a rack -mount version. dynamic range of Dolby processing a marked advan- We were glad to reacquaint ourselves with the special tage even at 71/2 ips. personality of the Revox, with its somewhat complex but CIRCLE 141 ON READER -SERVICE CARD extremely comprehensive control panel. Typical of its design, for example, is the mode switch: separate posi- 3 HARMONIC DISTORTION CURVES tions for stereo, left channel only to both outputs, right 2

channel only to both outputs, and mono mix of both 1 channels to both outputs. Common alternative designs 71/2ips s0 -Left channel: <2.1%, 50 Hz to 10 kHz would require two or even three controls to set up the Right channel: <2.8%, 50 Hz to 10 kHz same functions and might even omit some (particularly ti 3 the mono -mix mode). In addition, the Revox remains a fine performer even without the Dolby circuitry. d2 At this writing Ampex has just announced plans to 1 33/4ips 0 eft channel: <2.8%. 50 Hz to 10 kHz issue the first Dolby -processed open -reel prerecorded -Right channel: <2.3%, 50 Hz to 10 kHz tapes. Pending their availability the Dolby circuitis there for those who want to make their own -live, off 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K the air, or from other recordings. For live use particularly FREQUENCY IN HZ the built-in Dolby system is a great convenience by con- trast to the obvious alternative: a top-quality deck plus an outboard Dolby unit. In playing back Dolby off -the - Revox A-77 MK III/Dolby Additional Data air tapes (which we have been collecting via an out- board unit for some time), we worried at first that Dolby Speed accuracy levels might not match the preset Revox playback 71/2 ips 105 VAC: 0.5% slow circuitry. All levels turned out to be within about a dB 120 VAC: 0.5% slow of the Revox however -a negligible discrepancy and 127 VAC: 0.5% slow one that should give no qualms to inveterate tape 334 ips 105 VAC: 0.8% slow swappers who would like to step up to Dolby processing. 120 VAC: 0.8% slow 127 VAC: 0.8% slow And Dolby processing certainly is in order for longer recordings off the air (operas particularly) where the Wow and flutter 71/2 Ips playback, weighted: 0.02% playback, unwelghted: 0.035% record/ playback: 0.035% 3% Ips NAB PLAYBACK RESPONSE playback, weighted: 0.03% +5 playback, unweighted: 0.05% record/ playback 0.06% 1=% 0 71/2'pa a-5 -Left channel: +4.5, -0.25 dB, 50 Hz to 15 kHz Rewind time, 7 -In., 1,800 -ft. reel 1min. 30 sec. -- Right channel: +6.5, -0.25 dB, 50 Hz to 15 kH

Fast forward time, same reel 1 min. 28 sec. +5 S/N ratio (ref. 0 VU: see text) -5 3% Ips play (unfiltered) L ch: 55.5 dBR ch: 53.0 dB - Left channel. +2, -0.75 dB, 50 Hz to 7.5 kHZ r/p (unfiltered) L ch: 55.5 dBR ch: 53.0 dB --- Right channel: +3.5. -0.75 dB, 50 Hz to 7.5 play (filtered) A770/1 L ch: 60.5 dBR ch: 60.5 dB rip (filtered) L ch: 57.5 dBR ch: 57.5 dB 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K FREQUENCY IN HZ Erasure (400 Hz at normal level) 60 dB

Crosstalk (at 400 Hz) +5 RECORD/PLAYBACK RESPONSE record left, payback right 55 dB (0 dB = -10 VU) record right, playback left 0 58.5 dB 71/2 ips, Dolby off -Left channel: +1, -3 dB, 22 Hz to 16 kHz Sensitivity (for 0 -VU recording level) cic 1--- Right channel: +1.5, -3 dB. 21 Hz to 19 kHz aux (line) input L ch: 13.0 mV R ch: 13.8 mV

I radio (DIN) input +5 filter: -3 ,1S at 14 kHz L ch: 1.1 mV R ch: 1.1 mV mike (hi -Z) input La..1 ------L ch: 1.1 mV R ch: 1.1 mV v, 0 mike (lo -Z) input L ch: 0.15 mV R ch: 0.15 mV _5 71/2 iris, Dolby on w -left channel: +1, -3 dB, 22 Hz to 15 kHz Meter action (ref. NAB 0 VU) --- Right channel: +1.5, -3 dB, 21 Hz to 18 kHz L ch: exact R ch: 0.5 dB low +5

0 IM distortion (record/play, -10 VU) 3% ips, Dolby off 71/2 ips L ch: 1.6% R ch: 1.6% -Left channel: +1, -3 dB, 22 Hz to 12 kHz 3% ips L ch: 2.4% R ch: 2.5% --- Right channel: +1. -3 dB, 22 Hz to 12 kHz A770/2 Maximum output (line, 0 -VU) 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K L ch: 1.28 V R ch: 1.28 V FREQUENCY IN HZ

48 HIGHFIDELITY MAGAZINE All cartridgesaredifferent. Empire cartridgesare moredifferent than others! Takeatechnical look for yourself.

0 0

,n,latof

0 0

pole pole C011

How it works. show that an Empire cartridge 1000ZE/X and 999VE/X.) AUDIO MAGAZINE said of the Empire If you know how moving can give as mucn as 50 times the magnetic cartridges are made, you number of plays you'd get from an cartridge "outstanding square waves ...tops in separation." HIGH can see right away how different ordinary cartridge without any measurable record wear! HI -Fl FIDELITY noted "... the sound is an Empire variable reluctance SOUND MAGAZINE summed it up superb. The performance data cartridge is. With others, a magnet very well by calling the Empire is among the very best." While is attached directly to the stylus, cartridge "a real hi-fi masterpiece STEREO REVIEW, who tested 13 so that all the extra weight rests on A remarkable cartridge unlikely different cartridges, rated the your record. With Empire's ... to wear out discs any more rapidly Empire tops of all in light -weight construction (unique of its type), than a feather held lightly against tracking. the stylus floats free of its three the spinning groove." magnets. So naturally, it imposes X Designates newest improved version. much less weight on the record surface. Superb performance. World Famous Long Playing Cartridges The light -weight Empire Less record wear. cartr.dge picks up the sound from Empire's light -weight tracking the record groove with amazing emire ability means less wear on the accuracy. Distortion is minimal. For further details write: stylus, and less wear on your (Nore at all could be measured at Empire Scientific Corp., records. Laboratory measurements normal sound levels with Empire's Garden City, N.Y. 11530. tvIld USA CIRCLE 90 ON READER -SERVICE CARD OCTOBER 1972 49 6Who Itea11y6WroteSetravinsky's

LITERARY TEMPESTS in teapots are, like summer pages of a journal, however, there are half a dozen thunderstorms, usually around somewhere and that are in the whispering stage of gossip, and most make life amusing for at least the literary frater- of these fade and are forgotten with time. nity. These tempests can take many forms, from the The music field is no less rife with these scandals in-group letter exchanges in London'sTimes Liter- (if we believe Lillian Libman, they exist there on a ary Supplementto larger. more grandiose feuds that "grander and more heinous scale"), both in the mu- call in the public as witness the recent Edmund sicological and performing worlds. These can take Wilson -Vladimir Nabokov battle in theNew York the form of critics who "review" nonexistent con- TimesSunday book review. They can sometimes certs, or performers who play nonexistent pieces attract an international, front-page audience (as (Fritz Kreisler's fakes-his own compositions dis- did that truly Hollywood -sized epic, the Hughes bi- guised as works of earlier composers-were un- ography hoax). For every tempest that reaches the masked byNew York Timescritic Olin Downes) and all sorts of editorial and performance irregu- Patrick Smith, book review editor of HIGH FIDELITY'S MUSI- larities, usually intentional, which are constantly CAL AMERICA edition, is also editor and publisher of Musical being pointed out by alert commentators. But noth- Newsletter. ing in the musical world has made as much news

---7\-01PingtEka

snAvINSAY

Autitok OArripr vd& 0401ktri-4.0

Akw - The Stravinsky-Craft-Libman-Henahan hassle 6Prose and the books and articles that sparked it by Patrick J. Smith

lately as the Stravinsky -Craft -Libman row, which efforts. Moreover it was quite evident that since exploded upon the public in the spring of 1972, has Stravinsky had no children by his second marriage, rapidly grown increasingly ugly since then, and the role of Craft became more and more that of an promises to get even uglier as the months pass, to adoptive child. In the Fifties Craft added to his the obfuscation of thatlate,great composer's duties as secretary those of conductor and co-au- memory. thor of a series of books with the composer, duties For those of you who missed Act I of this masque, which became increasingly more important as the it would be useful to sketch in the main out- composer became ever older. lines of the tale. In 1949 the composer and his sec- By the Sixties it was inevitable that gossip should ond wife, Vera, met Robert Craft, a young begin and should grow in musical circles: gossip as musician of extraordinary dedication who soon be- to who was in charge of the recordings listed as con- came both a resident in the Stravinsky household ducted by Stravinsky, gossip as to who was the and the composer's amanuensis. To those who "true" author of the opinions ascribed in the books knew Stravinsky and his habits, this was nothing to Stravinsky, and gossip as to who was in charge of new since he had throughout his life relied on oth- the various peregrinations of Stravinsky, wife, and ers in his literary, as opposed to his compositional. amanuensis on conducting jaunts around the buried in . From then on the musical world awaited the first salvo. It would have come in time, of course, but its ap- pearance was hastened by Lillian Libman, a pro- fessional publicist and concert manager. Working on her own and also out of the offices of Sol Hurok, Libman took care of many of Stravinsky's concert bookings as well as numerous other chores includ- ing typing, planning, cooking, and living-off and on-in the Stravinsky household for the last twelve years of the composer's life. She decided to write a memoir of these years, which has now been pub- lishedas And Music at the Close: Stravinsky's Last Years (W.W. Norton, $9.95). The first "scoop" on the contents of the book-and there could not have been a more resounding opening salvo-was bro- ken in a front-page article in theNew York Times last March 3 by Donal Henahan, one of its music critics (and a HIGH FIDELITY contributing editor), which put forward all the questions that had been asked off the record. Robert Craft, in his first re- sponse, admitted that if he had the collaboration to do over, he would "make plain from the start how the writing of the books was done," and conceded world. The gossip increased as the aging com- several specific points Henahan had mentioned. poser's illnesses shunted him in and out of hospitals Then in the April 6New York Review of Books,he and as older friends noticed the decline of his pow- counterattacked by, among other things, denigrat- ers. The three Stravinsky children by his first mar- ing Libman's competance as a witness and her mo- riage (Theodore, Soulima, and Milene) had ac- tives in writing the book. cepted the situation, as they had no choice but to The stage was now set for Henahan to administer do, but in the later Sixties a growing coolness was what he thought would be acoup de grace.In a Sun- evident. This culminated in a complete break be- dayTimescolumn of May 7, he told the tale of a tween the children and the Stravinskys in 1969, at column that Craft had written for the Sunday the time the composer moved from Los Angeles to Timesof June 19,1966, when Stravinsky was New York. eighty-four, describing in detail Stravinsky's visit to By and large most of Stravinsky's old friends, Strasbourg-what he saw from the roof of his hotel whatever their opinions, refused to discuss the situ- there, what he ate (crayfish), etc. The first edition of ation out of respect for the composer and his second the paper contained the article as written; by the wife. Nonetheless over the years various hints and second edition most of it was deleted for the very thrusts reached publication, often to be vehemently good reason that Stravinsky had canceled his trip denied by letters over Stravinsky's signature. In to Strasbourg, being ill in Paris. Subsequently, the May 1969 however, Pierre Boulez, in an interview same column with all references changed to the in the English magazine theMusical Times,cate- Hotel Lotti in Paris appeared inRetrospectives and gorically stated that "an opinion of Stravinsky's" Conclusions.Henahan concluded from this episode was in his estimation Robert Craft's, and this was that "Robert Craft has dissipated his credibility as cited by the present writer in a review (MUSICAL historian and biographer [Craft is slated to write AMERICA, March 1970) of the Stravinsky -Craft Stravinsky's official biography-P.J.S.], though he bookRetrospectives and Conclusions,which raised may still command our admiration as the Geor- questions about the authenticity of the material. gette Heyer or Thomas B. Costain of musical his- When Stravinsky began "writing" a critical col- tory." Craft, in theN Y RB,pooh-poohed the decep- umn forHarper's magazineat about this time, the tion as a journalistic commonplace and unleashed gossip became widespread, for it was generally a vitriolic attack on Henahan and theTimes,point- known that the composer did not have either the ing out that Henahan'sTimesobituary of mobility or the health to be able to undertake such Stravinsky was similarly prewritten, as are obits in a task-the more so since the interviews that more general. Henahan, in reply, stated that he had not or less regularly appeared in theNew York Review written the Stravinsky obit. On June 4 Mrs. ofBooks detailed, at almost nauseating length, the Stravinsky, in a letter to theTimes,defended Craft afflictions, both innate and applied, of Stravinsky. and ended her letter with an extraordinary state- The composer, aged eighty-eight, finally (and one ment: "... the articles thatwerepublished have would add mercifully) died in April 1971 and was made me decide not to give my husband's archives

52 NOVEMBER 1972 and manuscripts to a city in which they would be surrounded by an atmosphere of so much hate"- extraordinary because no one, least of all any one in the Stravinsky circle, had ever mentioned any gift of Stravinsky's papers to anyone, much less New York, and the asking price for the archives was reportedly in excess of three million dollars. From then on the battle was joined. Robert Craft (who quipped that Libman's memoir should be re- titled The Stravinsky Nobody Knew) found allies in Ned Rorem ("art speaks truth even in lies"). B. H. Haggin, and Irving Lowens (music critic of the Washington Star), while the opposition attracted Boulez ("Maybe it's like it is in the military bar- racks: At the end, you know, the soup in the bar- racks is maybe ten grams of meat and a thousand liters of water, and I think also there are ten grams of Stravinsky and a thousand liters of water by Mr. Craft-of that I'm sure"), Richard Freedman ("Is Robert Craft the Thinking Man's CliffordIr- ving?")*, and Alan Rich (music critic of New York magazine). The current publication of Libman's memoir is bound to heighten the fracas. Why is all of this so important? In one sense it is sic history. And here is where whatever value exists not, for the sweeping and often pedantic backing- in the dispute lies, so that to ignore the whole mess and-forthing over details of the last years of Igor as self-serving public relations and sad stuff to titil- Stravinsky's life (and it must be remembered that late the reader would be to willfully ignore some- the important early life of the composer has been thing of import. nowhere as minutely documented) and opinions What then are the elements of significance that have only secondary relationship, if that, with the can be winnowed out of the fracas? Since most of fact of his compositions and his place in music his- Stravinsky's old friends continue to refuse any tory. Whether Stravinsky's music is today over- comment (although the author Paul Horgan has rated or rated correctly will become evident with written a memoir and Craft has said that Chris- the passage of years and is not affected by his opin- topher Isherwood, at least, will write something), ions of Stockhausen or Wagner or Gounod. Yet at we are left with three main exhibits: the works that the same time, Stravinsky was a comparatively rare Stravinsky and Craft wrote together, the Craft bird among composers in that throughout his life diaries, and the Libman memoir. As to the first, he remained a widely read intellectual who ap- there is more or less general agreement that the ear- proached music-its composition and its value-on lier books (Conversations with , a far less emotional and more ratiocinative level Memories and Commentaries, Expositions and De- than, say, a Rachmaninoff. Secondly, his pre-emi- velopments) are as they seem to be. The questioning nent position in twentieth-century music ensures grows with the last three books (Dialogues and a that his opinions of his fellow composers and on Diary, Themes and Episodes, Retrospectives and composers of the past would have greater weight Conclusions) and with the various writings which than the opinion of a minor composer such as (to were not collected-at least yet-(e.g., the Harper's take someone safely minor and dead) Alberic Mag- magazine critiques). nard. But by the same token, it is one thing for What comes into play here is the exceedingly Stravinsky to give his estimate of Wagner and quite thorny (and probably unanswerable without much another for Robert Craft to rephrase what Stravin- more documentation) area of stylistic analysis. sky might have said, for such rephrasing could Craft's method of composing the books, in general, change totally the emphasis of the remarks. was to write out questions for Stravinsky, to which Underneath the effluvia of the dispute, which it the latter would then write answers when he felt so must be said owes more than a little on both sides to inclined (a purportedly late example of this proce- a hunger for the limelight and the self-conscious dure was deftly included in a recent Stravinsky ex- enjoyment of a scandal, there remains a core of hibit at New York's Lincoln Center Library). But genuine disagreement, which has a bearing on mu- short of being given access to all the Craft - Stravinsky papers and being able to question Craft

Robert Craft has sued the Washington Post on the basis of this article-and at length, we have no way of arriving at an "objec- most probably that quote. By the time you read this. the case may have been tive" view. Without such documentation then, we dropped, quashed. forgotten, or settled out of court. but if it ever comes to trial. there should be a barnful of fireworks. are left with personal reactions. Henahan obviously

HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE 53 feels that Craft's behavior in the Strasbourg inci- are the same, but throughout Craft has rewritten dent makes all of his writings suspect, while Freed- sentences, presumably for clarity and better ex- man, in his review of Craft's collected diaries, says pression, added items that were not contained in that he doubts the genuineness of Stravinsky's the originals, and deleted or curtailed ones that words "purely on internal stylistic evidence." were. Most of these changes are minor from the Did Stravinsky speak the witty and glittering point of view of content, but some very definitely prose that Craft puts in his mouth time and again? further alter the entire picture. In several places He was not fluent in English and spoke with a quotes originally made by Stravinsky are now heavy accent. but he did have a lifelong interest in given as Craft's.* and at least in one place there has words and kept dictionaries constantly around been a touching up of Craft's portrait of the com- him. Here again witnesses differ: Some claim that, poser. In Dialogues (p. 153), the text runs: as adept in English as Stravinsky was, he was not as "Mr. Stravinsky, what was C. -F. Ramuz like?" adept as Craft shows him to be, but Paul Horgan, in "Well, I hardly know, as we were drunk most of his recent book Encounters with Stravinsky (Farrar, our time together." Slightly shocked pause. then, Strauss & Giroux, $7.95), in reply to a judgment of "Oh, yes, I am and always was a drunkard. I have the critic Winthrop Sargeant, wrote: "I have never been told this is my inferiority complex. and I am known conversational English more pungent than content with the explanation." his, or more grammatically correct,* precise (often devastatingly so) in vocabulary, and original in This continues for three more sentences. In Chron- style, all within the frame of the natural syntax of icle, all of this reference to being drunk and a the language." drunkard (which, itis easy to see, was only The situation with the Craft diaries is easier to Stravinsky's standard tactic) has been omitted, as if grasp. The work is purely subjective-Craft's own the shocked pause had now enveloped the diarist. view of events-and thus can be as colored as he A pinprick, to be sure, but one that could be inter- wishes. Craft published sections of the diaries in preted as the beginnings of a marmorealization of the last three collective books, but all of them have The Great Composer. Thus, Chronicle must be now been joined and reissued in one volume read with reference back to the earlier books for a (Stravinsky: Chronicle of a Friendship. Knopf, complete picture as seen by Craft. $12.50). Yet this fact carries its own burden, for the With the third item, the Libman memoir, we collection is not a reprinting of what had been pub- come to the most important document, for here we lished before, but a reworking. The general outlines are presented with a thoroughgoing portrait of the composer and his circle at short range, a portrait 'Compare. however. Craft: "[Stravinsky's English' was. by any measure, rich. that differs both generally and specifically from original, inventive. and grammatically incorrect" in the NYRE,. April 6, 1972. Craft's. Of course any two or more descriptions of the same event will result in differing descriptions (read criticisms of any play-or better yet, see the movie Rashomon). But this personal point of view would necessarily be heightened by the emotional involvement of the author with the subjects, and the Libman memoir makes it quite evident that she has and had a great affection for both of the Stravinskys. Craft's response that Libman was an outsider is largely refuted because she did spend long stretches of time living and traveling with the family. Certainly in the later years Libman was closer to the circle in terms of time spent with them than any of the "old friends," although it would perhaps be accurate to say that, intellectually, she never was as close to Stravinsky's mind as several of them. This proximity need not of course result in any special insight (viz., the current reams of mem- oirs by celebrities' cooks, butlers, and valets), but neither can it be dismissed out of hand, particularly when the writer is as sophisticated an observer as Libman assuredly is. There are many specific differences as to events in the works of the two writers, some of which have already been pointed out. For instance, Libman item of some significance since if Craft had second thoughts about those quotes, what about the others? See, for example. Chronicle. p. 110. reference to Ziegfeld girls, originally Dialogues, p. 160. says that Stravinsky was not present at a recording de football qui ne peut pas jouer a cause de son of hisCapriccio,supposedly "supervised" by him, mauvais dos."But V. is not listening, being only and that Craft and not the composer, as listed, con- immensely relieved that I.S. did not try to engage ducted the recording ofDanses concertantes.She the President in a tee-A-tete about having his also says that Craft was not present at the interview taxes reduced. with Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko that Libman's description of the evening's end (she did Craft describes originally inRetrospectives.Craft, not attend the dinner) differs: in reply, admits the allegations but says, in defense of the "supervision" of recordings that Stravinsky The first passenger to alight was Robert. who. without looking to right or left, covered the lobby trusted him, and that in the Yevtushenko interview in three strides and vanished into the self-service he was in the next room and had the event minutely elevator, fortuitously at ground level. Mrs. described to him by the Stravinskys. Stravinsky, a wee bit flushed but otherwise as tran- But the import of Libman's book goes beyond quilly beautiful as she had been at the start of the thespecifics,forthepicture she presents of evening, came next. I pointed warningly to the bar Stravinsky in the final decade of his life is quite dif- door and muttered "Press! Quick! Tell me what ferent from that given by Craft. In Craft, the em- happened. You're early." phasis is always on Stravinsky the Mind, the intel- "It was lovely," she proclaimed to me, the desk lectual who was also a great composer and who was clerk, and the columnist (who had a phobia for insistent on his place in the intellectual world, both closed doors). "Everything was lovely. The Presi- dent and his wife were lovely. The only thing un- through his music and through his witty and often lovely was my husband. He got drunk and the acerbic comments on a variety of matters that President had to take him to the men's room." range beyond music. Even when the medical his- And she too glided into another elevator. The tories attain prominence in the final years, this em- columnist, on winged feet, flew phoneward. phasis does not change, so that the proliferation of The "unlovely" culprit, supported by the chauf- detail about oxygen tanks and intravenous feed- feur and the hotel doorman, was then gently deliv- ings are seen as the ultimate indignity of mortality ered to me. I yearned to throw my arms around against a titan. In Libman's book however, all of him and laugh heartily, but instead I delivered this is reduced in scale to more human terms so him to his bed, where he promptly fell asleep be- that, although there is far too much detail about the fore I could finish clucking sympathy and button- trivia of daily life in the Stravinsky household ing his pajama jacket. (along with some very funny stories), the book be- Did Stravinsky awake to deliver his words to Craft? comes more of a picture of a family situation. The Were they said the next day and incorporated into deterioration of Stravinsky's health and its effects the evening's report? Aside from the discrepancy of on Vera and Craft are clearly delineated, and if the old man still had periods of lucidity up to the end, they are seen in the light of the very real burdens of illness and pain that he suffered. Stravinsky is less the Omnipresent Wit than a wise and gentle man slowly going out to sea, and his utterances are no- where as polished and pointed as in Craft. Libman moreover is explicit about the provenance of the writings she typed out that Craft said came from Stravinsky, as she is about the wisdom of trans- porting the composer to Europe in the final sum- mer of his life ("But most of the time he did not know where he was, and when he knew, he did not seem to care"). This difference of tone is marked in every com- parison of the Craft books and Libman's memoir, and a couple of incidents may be picked out to demonstrate the opposing points of view. Craft de- scribes the famous dinner with the Kennedys at the White House(Chronicle,pp. 150-2), quoting Stravinsky as saying at one point that he is "quite drunk," and concludes: I.S., in the car: "Nice kids." Back in the lobby of the Jefferson, however, a scrimmage of news hens is waiting for I.S. Surviv- ing that, too, and once we are upstairs, he remarks to V.:"Le President me rappelle d'un jeune homme Craft's "scrimmage of news hens" and Libman's and yet these seem not to be enough. The very in- solitary one, the tenor of Craft's description is that, tensity of his polemics makes the reader wonder: Is although the composer had perhaps too much to he afraid that the world will come between him and drink at the White House, he had largely recovered his foster parents? by the end of the evening. That of Libman's is pre- Numerous other points have been raised, but cisely opposite. they are matters of points of view. Many respon- And then there is the point of Stravinsky's death. sible people (Libman mentions Sol Hurok) felt that In Libman's description, Stravinsky was already the exhaustive journeyings of the Stravinsky men- dead when she was aroused, and she went to the age on concert tours and to the watering spots of sleeping Vera, who asked that Craft be awakened. the fashionable in his last years were financially un- Stravinsky thus died in the presence of only a night necessary and wore down the composer. Certainly nurse. In Craft: the opposite view can be taken-less that the money This time I doze off until awakened by L., who was needed (although this has some validity, since says he is sinking. I run to him in a half -stupor and Stravinsky received nothing from American rights see him die-a simple cessation, without struggle. in the original versions of the most performed early works) than that the tours were life -enhancing for And here we come to the heart of the matter, for we a man who was-unlike, say, Sibelius-an expat- arrive at the psychology of Craft's relationship to riate who actively enjoyed new sights and locales Stravinsky, which saturates all of his writings on and demanded the best food and accommodations the man and is responsible for the manic tone of his (befitting his stature as composer). Stravinsky, as a attacks since Stravinsky's death. Certainly Lib - free man, could do what he liked. But the argu- man's psychology is also involved (why did she feel ments have gone beyond the specific to the prej- she had to write the book? Did her motivation have udiced: either that the composer was being manip- something to do, as Craft maintains, with the in- ulated by Craft Enterprises Inc. or that he is being grained publicist leeching off the memory of a great beset by a gang of nonentities determined to sabo- man?), but Craft's is far more central, both because tage his declining years and destroy his memory. In Libman's memoir, although not sugarcoated, is such a poisoned atmosphere reason departs. never malicious (her view of Craft, while at times Is there any objective assessment that can be ar- tweakishly amusing, is by and large fair and re- rived at out of the fracas? Short of "a plague on strained) and because Craft's reaction to its publi- both your houses," I would say that the battle is cation has been (without him having seen the man- confined to a small area, roughly the last twenty uscript) fulminatory-and we can expect more now years of Stravinsky's life, when he had already that the memoir has appeared. composed most if not all of his major works. I Psychological explanation is vastly overdone to- would also say that what isat issue is less day and is always a risky endeavor, but it would not Stravinsky's life than Craft's fitness to recount it, go too far to say that Robert Craft saw himself as a for if one agrees with Henahan his credibility has foster son of the Stravinskys and their guardian been seriously impaired. Insofar as the first two ma- against the world in the last years of Stravinsky's jor books can be judged, Craft has emphasized the life. The fact that he had to be present at the mo- "brain" of the composer at the expense of the hu- ment of Stravinsky's passing over (that he could not man side, and Libman, through her ever human admit, even to himself, that he was not there?) and orientation, has inevitably drawn Stravinsky off the the fact that he has written that he would like to be pedestal Craft carefully erected. buried near Stravinsky are testaments to this close- But as Craft should be the first to know, pedestals ness. Craft came to feel himself an extension of are not erected to composers on the basis of their the composer, but at the same time he felt un- words and their flair. Stravinsky will stand or fall worthy of this position. This could account for both not as a commentator on music and musical life in his certainty that he had Stravinsky's trust and the twentieth century (although some of his writ- could allow recordings to be authenticated when ings will bear directly on his own works, and some the composer was not present and his certainty that will have currency as informed points of view), but he could "become" Stravinsky and write opinions as one of the century's major composers. that would be accepted as the composer's. Yet at And here we come to the consolation that can the same time his own pervasive insecurity (which provide the catharsis to the preceding storm. What Libman mentions) as not a flesh -and -blood relative is not at issue in any of these writings is Stravinsky's of the Stravinskys and a self -doubting writer and music. It is his and his alone and can be judged by conductor is clearly evidenced in his written behav- this and future generations as a whole and in rela- ior and in his attempts to close off any discussion of tion to that of his fellow composers. As the thunder- the circle except by accredited friends. heads recede into the distance the scores and the What does the man have to lose? He had the re- documents will remain, and from them the appre-

spect and love of Stravinsky and has it of Vera now, ciation of the composer Igor Stravinsky will begin.

56 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE by Leo Haber 6Who Really 6Wrote 6Beethoven's 6Music? Two YEARS HAVE PASSED since the world gave hom- rok, everyone would laugh heartily. One and all age to on the bicentennial would conclude that Shostakovich was the real of his birth, and still a question abides. Perhaps we composer and that the work was spirited out of the can address ourselves to this question in a dedi- Soviet Union and disguised because the third cated and scholarly manner now that the season of movement had proved to be a variation on an Is- idolatrous worship is long since gone. Who wrote raeli tune. Comes the impresario Ludwig van the works attributed to Beethoven? Beethoven, and all critical and scholarly faculties It is not an idle question. The boy named Ludwig are permanently suspended. was, like the man named Will Shakespeare, an There are minor arguments on the other side of uneducated country bumpkin who had little Latin the ledger. True scholarship thrives on facing up to and less Greek. Is it conceivable that such a one the members of the opposition, no matter how stu- could write the Quartet No. 14, Op. 131? Even his pid and unreasonable they are. handwriting was illegible. Ifind two insignificant facts that speak for He was the son of a tenor and a drunkard in the Beethoven's having been a composer of sorts. First choir of the chapel of the Elector of Bonn. Now his- of all, he was a bachelor every day of his life. tory proves that there have been many artists who There's nothing else that better liberates the crea- were the sons of drunkards, but not one, as far as I tive juices than permanent bachelorhood, (a prin- know, was ever the son of a tenor. Most tenors find ciple which proves, by the way, that J. S. Bach's mu- it rather hard producing sons, let alone Beetho- sic was undoubtedly written by the celibate priest vens! Vivaldi). William Shakespeare himself says in one Ludwig van Beethoven was the master pianist of of Bacon's essays: "He that hath wife and children his day. Carl Czerny, his renowned pupil, is quoted hath given hostages to fortune; for they are imped- as saying, "Nobody equaled him in the rapidity of iments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mis- his scales, double trills, skips, etc., not even Hum- chief."

mel. .. .He told me very often indeed that he gen- Beethoven did idle away some of his time in sor- erally had to practice until after midnight in his did love affairs with countesses and piano students. youth." What does all this prove? A Leonard Bern- Nevertheless, I concede that since he did not per- stein has to quit performing in order to find time to manently ally himself to an "immortal beloved" compose. The best a real piano virtuoso can do is to who would have expected him to do the 2:00 a.m. become a Hummel. Most of those who dabble at feeding, wash the dishes, fasten the storm windows, composing become Czerny himself, with volumes mow the lawn, take off his boots in the foyer, clean of horrid little musical nullities that sound like up his messy study, and give piano lessons all day piano exercises. and every day so that she could rent a bungalow at Besides playing the piano, Beethoven spent his Karlsbad right at the waterfront, he might have days at another vulgar pursuit. He arranged for had some time and energy to jot down a toy sym- concerts of music attributed to him, set the prices, phony or two. counted the house, totaled all the receipts, and The second fact that hints of Beethovenian au- regularly accused his best friends of cheating him. thorship to some extent is, alas, his deafness. I al- In short, he was an impresario, an agent, a man- ways wondered wh} the Fifth Symphony ends with ager. It is passing strange that this side of Beetho- ven has never given rise to suspicion. If Oistrakh The author, who teaches at the City College of New York, and Richter were to appear in our day at Carnegie lectured on the peccadilloes of pianists in the January 1972 Hall to play a new violin sonata written by Sol Hu- issue of HIGH FIDELITY.

NOVEMBER 1972 57 a thump -thump series of chords that repeat them- years of his life to his biography of Beethoven. But selves twenty-five to thirty times ad nauseam. A in the final analysis, one cannot trust a proper Bos- deaf man-with no insult intended-could easily tonian scholar who deigned to write a long essay at have written such a clatter. Assuredly no man with one time arguing against the commonplace that normal hearing could have written the acerbities of Bacon wrote the plays of Shakespeare! Thayer's the Grosse Fuge. (I don't go along with my partisans scholarship is ipso facto suspect-even though he who claim that only a stone-deaf composer could was a bachelor. have subjected sopranos and tenors to the Secondly, we must confront Beethoven's letters. screechingly difficult vocal lines in the Even his latest biographer, George Marek, con- dungeon scene or in the choral movement of the cedes that there are discrepancies. Marek writes the Ninth Symphony. Here I would maintain that only following about Beethoven: "Almost to the last he a composer with acute hearing would write such gave the impression of strength to those who knew

stuff in order to enjoy listening to the singers as they him....He does not give this impression in his let- struggle and curse his name.) ters, where he so frequently complains, bemoaning

What are the puerile scholarly arguments that I his fate....In them and in his self-pitying journal reject categorically? They can be divided into three notes he sometimes seems to ask, 'What is the use of parts. First of all, there is the testimony of men like it all?' In his art he never asked that question." Alexander W. Thayer of Boston who devoted forty A rhetorical dodge! The Beethoven of the letters

58 doesn't ask this question in his art because his art is nineteenth-century Schwann catalogue misprint. somebody else's art! Marek, on the threshold of an It should have appeared as Kreutzer's Sonata. By epiphany, steps back in awe and terror. I do not. this ineluctable logic, Kreutzer wrote the Kreutzer The third scholarly argument for Beethovenian Sonata, Rasumovsky wrote the Rasumovskv Quar- authorship seems the most difficult to withstand. It tets, two piano sonatas were written by a man named is based on internal evidence from the works Waldstein and a woman named Appassionata, and themselves. These scholars see an orderly devel- the Eroica Symphony was written by-by Napo- opment through three periods-early, middle, and leon naturally. (Not surprising in the least. There late. They see techniques of harmony and counter- are competent scholars who insist that Queen point, melodic configurations. and developmental Elizabeth I wrote the works of Shakespeare.) passages that have no duplication in the works of But I've laid this thesis aside in recent years. I other men. This kind of reasoning is at best simply can't find contemporaries with such strange tenuous. It does not prove to my satisfaction that names as Pathetique. Geister, Les Adieux (he it Beethoven was that man. Lester or Leslie), and Grosse Fuge. Nor can I get In fact, to me it proves that Beethoven wasn't myself to believe that Wellington wrote Well- even those men! The Bible critic, dealing with un- ington's Victory in spite of the apostrophe s that es- touchable sacred texts, is willing to claim that chap- caped the Schwann censor and has come down to ters one and two of Genesis were written by two dif- us intact. After all, Wellington was no Napoleon. ferent sources because the styles differ and because The solution to the puzzle is therefore not so the story of creation is repeated. Similar reasoning simple. I have no hard-and-fast answers anymore. would lead me to believe that the works of Beetho- But I can perhaps dole out some hints by proposing ven's three periods were written by three different some pointed and challenging questions. men-an early man. a middle man, and a late man. Why does the bridge movement before the last Critics have divided Beethoven's Fidelio into in the String Quartet No. 14 sound so much like Kol three parts. One authority claims that it begins as a Nidre? Was it written by a Sephardic Jew, a Mar- Mozartean , becomes Wagnerian music rano from Spain still cherishing his secret identity? drama, and ends as a contemporary cantata. Quite How do we explain the jazzy section in the third

apparently, Fidelio was written by the same three movement of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 men! (And the same three wrote the three Leonore that could easily have been written by an eight- Overtures, although I can't figure out who wrote eenth -century Fats Waller? Was Beethoven a black the Fidelio Overture.) Jew? Does Beethoven's Septet contain the same Isn't it strange that Schumann's Fantasia in C. theme as the last movement of his little piano So- Op. 17, contains a downward figuration near the nata in G, Opus 49, No. 2? Any Bible critic worth beginning of the third 'movement Adagio that his salt would tell you that two different men wrote sounds like the piano opening in the second move- these pieces. ment of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto? How The ballet music from the finale of Pro- could Schumann have written the Emperor since metheus, a contredanse, the Eroica Variations for Napoleon did? But Schumann, a teenager at piano, and the finale of the Eroica Symphony all Beethoven's death, was not merely one person. He build on the same theme? Our three men are back at called himself Florestan the revolutionary, Eu- work, stealing from each other in the honorable tra- sebius the dreamer, and Raro the mediator be- dition of Bach and Vivaldi. (Do you count four? tween the two. Were these the three composers I've The fourth fellow who may have written the Eroica alluded to above who did all the threesomes includ- Symphony is the mysterious one, no doubt, who ing early, middle, and late Beethoven? wrote the Fidelio Overture, not the three If Florestan, Eusebius, and Raro Schumann Leonores.) wrote the three Leonore Overtures, did Clara Schu- By some stealth. I've come to the mann write the fourth work in the sequence, the Fi- heart of the matter. Since it delio Overture? Was Ludwig van Beethoven, in is incontrovertible that part, a black Jewish woman? another man. perhaps The abiding secret. Works of genius can never several men. wrote the be explained away easily. Even if I were proved the works attributedto fool by those who scoff at minorities in general and Beethoven, who could women composers in particular, I would continue they be? to honor the work of the boor Beethoven. A still At one time in my small voice would question. would doubt. But no life I thought that the thundering voice could challenge the majesty of the solution was rather achievement. easy. The Kreutzer I began this scholarly essay by saying that a Sonata, for example, question abides. The truth is that Beethoven's work was the victim of a abides. All else is superfluous.

123,TV 59 by John S. Wright

_dm-ammilrff

How you interconnect your turntable, arm, and cartridge (and whether they should be used together at all) may be more important than the quality of the individual units themselves.

AreYour Record -Playing

IT IS COMMONLY HELD that a high fidelity system is These pitfalls abound particularly in disc -play- only as good as its weakest link, and audio en- back equipment. What could be easier than fitting thusiasts argue the merits of this product over that, a cartridge to the end of a tone arm? However, if one phono cartridge over another, brand X loud- the compliance of the cartridge does not suit the speakers over brand Y. Yet with all the knowledge arm, the combination may be disastrous. It is not many audiophiles possess, they frequently over- generally understood that a tone arm can be of too look a most important aspect of thecompletesys- low a mass for some cartridges, although arms tend tem: Quite often the weakest link is not among the rather to have too much effective mass for the aver- components themselves, but rather in the way they age cartridge. The weight of the cartridge plus the are linked to one another-or indeed their suit- effectivemass of the arm creates a resonant system ability to being linked together at all. with the springiness or compliance of the stylus as- The person who buys a complete and integrated sembly. This results in a resonant frequency similar compact system often obtains a hidden advantage to the bass resonance we are accustomed to experi- over one who compiles his own from separate com- encing in loudspeakers. What matters is the fre- ponents. If the manufacturer knows his job, the quency at which this resonance occurs and its se- complete compact system should be perfectly verity-that is, its "Q." matched and tailor-made to function as an inte- The only thing we can hope for is to place the res- grated whole even though each component may be onance out of harm's way; we cannot abolish it. It inferior to its separate counterpart. Putting to- must be below 20 Hz where no musical information gether one's own system presents many pitfalls. It can trigger the resonance, but if itis too low- simply is not enough to select each component on roughly in the 1/2 -to -6 -Hz range-we come into a re- its individual merits and hope that they all function gion where it might be excited by disc warps and at optimum when hooked together. Compatibility eccentricity. Furthermore we do not want it to is an essential, if hidden, link in the audio chain and manifest itself anywhere near turntable rumble fre- as such may well determine the final performance quencies. We are left, then, with a quite narrow of the system. band of frequencies at which this mass/compliance One of Great Britain's leading audio equipment designers resonance may safely occur-say, between 7 and 14 and experts, the author has also contributed many articles Hz. on audio subjects to various publications. To predetermine the frequency of this resonance

60 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE ComponentsCompatible?

it is necessary to know the effective mass of the tone turntable at 23. These figures represent the arms set arm-the actual moving mass as seen by the stylus- for use with a cartridge weighing 7 grams and were and the dynamic compliance of the cartridge. What measured using a vibration and mass substitution is usually quoted by cartridge manufacturers is the method. static compliance, which is not necessarily the same Too high an effective arm mass produces exces- thing at all because the dynamic compliance varies sive cantilever movements, accompanied by the with frequency. So try to find a manufacturer who "watery" effect of Doppler distortion or even par- quotes the effective mass of a tone arm or thedy- tial loss of groove contact on the fall of record namic compliance of a cartridge, then take a degree warps. This may also cause "cone -weave" on all but in physics and math, and you can start to find the infinite -baffle types of loudspeakers. These sub- ideal arm/cartridge combination in respect to com- sonic disturbances unnecessarily absorb amplifier patibility. Obviously impractical? Then only expe- power and possibly overload some early electronic rience can be the guide, and a really sincere audio stages. (For this reason there is much to be said in dealer can give advice that adequately justifies his favor of an amplifier's having a sharp cutoff below profit margin. 20 Hz, but most do not.) If the arm and cartridge For most cartridges tracking between 'A and 11/2 combination has too low an effective mass, the reso- grams and weighing some 7 to 8 grams, aneffective nance frequency will rise and the bass response arm mass of, say, 10 grams places thestylus com- may become overemphasized. Whether the reso- pliance resonance at about 10 Hz, giving plenty of nance is too high or too low, the resulting tracking margin each way. Of course, it is necessary to know problems can be only somewhat alleviated by in- the effective mass of the arm actually in use; for ex- creased stylus tracking force. ample, the Shure SME 9 -in. Series II arm has an ef- fective mass around 10 grams; the Thorens TP-13 arm and that on the Garrard Zero 100changer are Arm Damping Fact and Fancy only slightly heavier at about 12 grams: the Orto- fon RS -212 is much higher at about 17 grams Allied to the problem of compatibility between though the AS -212 measures only 13.5 grams. mass and compliance is the criticaldamping of arm Among the arms with higher mass are the Sony and cartridge-damping being the inhibition of PUA-237 at 28 grams and that on the Lenco L-75 spurious motion or oscillation. Most cartridges in -

61 NOVEMBER 1972 corporate a degree of low -frequency damping instability, mistracking, a tendency to set off room within their construction. However many car- resonances resulting in acoustic feedback, and ac- tridges may have inadequate damping for proper centuate the rumble. Thus a turntable acceptable results with the particular arm employed. Few tone for one tone arm, cartridge, and ancillary combina- arms incorporate the additional damping to opti- tion may not be as well suited to another. mizeresults. The significant advantage of a While ARLL and other "weighted" (or fre- damped arm over a nondamped type is that this quency -selective) methods of measuring turntable feature lowers the Q of the arm -mass resonance rumble are fine for expressing subjective rumble while generally stabilizing tracking. It also provides level, they do not take up the compatibility prob- a considerable degree of isolation against acoustic lem as such for two reasons. First, the frequencies feedback and external shock. It is virtually impos- at which rumble and arm resonance can act cumu- sible to overdamp an arm in this respect, and be- latively are below audibility and therefore usually cause of the often inadequate cartridge damping it- are minimized by the weighting curve. Second, the self, increasing that of the arm always is an resonance of the arm -and -cartridge combination advantage. One of the simplest and most effective will depend on both elements, and resonance of a ways of doing this is to pack the bearings with a stiff cartridge must be measured in some arm (but not but compliant grease, such as a silicone, in manu- necessarily in the arm that you would use it in) while facture. Why don't more manufacturers employ arm resonance can only be measured with some this simple solution? Perhaps it is because it makes cartridge. Published resonance figures for either a the arm feel stiff, which would give the novice the pickup or an arm, therefore, are a guide rather than impression of excessive bearing friction. an absolute in determining the compatibility of a Some people mistakenly think that a small prospective component mix. HIGH FIDELITY, for amount of arm pivot friction can be a substitute for example, normally measures all cartridges in the damping-or even for bias correction. This is, of SME arm, all arms using the Shure V-15 Type II course, nonsense. Should pivot friction be used this Improved cartridge. way, major force would be required to get the arm Manufacturers are of course aware of the consid- into motion from stationary; true damping requires erations we have been talking of. They might have negligible force to put it into motion-the damp- ameliorated the problems involved by integrating ing's effect is inversely proportional to velocity. It arm and pickup-rather than arm and turntable-at remains essential to keep arm friction as low as pos- the design stage, but the public has demonstrated a sible if the pickup is to follow the undulations of the distinct distaste for mounting arms on separate disc easily and precisely. It is enlightening to note turntables. Be that as it may, cartridge manufac- that if records could be made perfectly flat and per- turers must design for arms built by other com- fectly concentric, there would be little need to panies. But often the literature for these "univer- worry about tone arm friction, mass, or damping. sal" cartridge lines now (and fortunately with The characteristics of the turntable andits increasing regularity) specifies the equipment with mounting may further add to the troubles caused which the cartridges are to be used. These recom- by mismatch between arm mass and stylus com- mendations are not to be taken lightly. In suggest- pliance and the inadequate damping thereof. All ing that cartridge A be used with arm B but not turntables rumble more or less, and the frequency with arm C-or with changer D but not integrated of these rumble components (and their amplitude) turntable E-the manufacturer is allowing for the determines the "annoyance value" of the rumble. very compatibility factors that we are discussing Due to the way our hearing varies in sensitivity here. with frequency and intensity, rumble in the hun- Akin to the problem of turntable rumble is the dreds -of -Hertz region is far more obvious and un- manner in which the unit is mounted. All forms of pleasant than rumble at lower frequencies. Thus an rumble are minimized by mounting the turntable equal amount of rumble energy from two turn- solidly on a high -mass motorboard and, better still tables may result in distinctly different subjective if possible, affixing the unit directly to the structure results if one set of rumble components is at a of the building. But from a commercial viewpoint higher frequency than the other. (This phenom- this is quite impractical. Most manufacturers enon is the basis of the ARLL-Audible Rumble choose to suspend their turntables on springs in an Loudness Level-measurements provided for attempt to isolate them from feedback or mechani- HIGH FIDELITY test reports by CBS Labs.) cal shock. This type of mounting can cause prob- Don't be misled, however, into assuming that the lems of its own, however. The mass of the turntable lower the rumble frequencies, the better. It is not together with the compliance of the mounting quite that simple because if the rumble frequency is springs again establishes a resonant system, with a too low it may appear in the frequency band where frequency that accidentally may coincide with that arm resonances occur and result in the generation of the arm resonance, rumble components, a loud- of intermodulation. At worst it could cause pickup speaker, or room resonance-or even all of these

62 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE factors at once. I have frequently encountered these usually quoted into a purely resistive load of 47,000 very problems, which cause loudspeaker cones to ohms. Moreover the preamps built into many am- oscillate at near DC conditons, totally spoiling the plifiers do not present an ideal load-a fact easily reproduction from the system as a whole. Many documented by testing their response with a car- users suffering from these coincident conditions tridge of known performance characteristics. In seem totally unaware of the cause and blame al- general, the higher the inductance the more the most any component in their system except the cartridge will be affected by changes in lbad termi- turntable mounting springs. If the springs of a turn- nation. Thus unduly long pickup cables of high ca- table have to be used (it is usually possible to dis- pacitance can degrade performance. Again, few able them without harmful effects), they should be manufacturers bother to quote lead lengths and ca- well damped with sponge rubber so that the Q of pacitance per foot, so if in doubt replace the wires this resonance is low. Pieces of foam rubber, such as provided with the shortest possible lengths of high - that used in upholstery, can be stuffed into the quality (lowest -capacitance) shielded cable. springs for this purpose; in some installations the The comparatively low outputs of recent car- adhesive -backed foam rubber strips intended for tridges have also led to even more sensitive phono weatherstripping can come in handy. Properly input stages, figures of 1 or 2 mV becoming more treated, the springs will act only momentarily when common. Some amplifiers feature facilities for al- they really have to and are not continually in mo- ternative input sensitivities. You may think on first tion at the least provocation. Surely the time has consideration that the more sensitive the phono in- come when we can hope that more turntables will put the better so that the preamplifier will be sensi- employ sophisticated suspension arrangements, tive enough to accommodateanycartridge the user such as oil -filled dash pots or self -damping canti- may eventually choose. The hidden pitfall of this lever supports. philosophy is that, with conventional input cir- So much for "simply" fitting a cartridge to an cuitry, increasing the sensitivity also reduces the arm and turntable. peak voltage the amplifier input can accommodate without overload. Although the best magnetic car- tridges rate their outputs as only a few millivolts, And So, to the Preamp this measurement is based upon readings taken while playing low-level test discs. Under actual mu- The next step is to plug the leads from the tone sic conditions peaks between 30 and 50 mV are not arm into the preamplifer. Also simple? Of course, uncommon even from relatively low -output pick- but the present trend toward greater stylus com- ups. No matter what the preamp's phono input sen- pliance and lower tracking forces unfortunately sitivity then, the overload margin must be at least leads to lower cartridge outputs. To raise output 40 mV and preferably should approach 100 mV. once again, cartridge manufacturers usually apply For example, a cartridge rated at 6 mV output (for more turns of wire to the coils raising the cartridge 3.54 cm/sec. groove velocity at1 kHz) would be inductance. Not only can this increase hum pickup well suited to a preamp rated at 6 mV input sensi- problems unless adequate shielding is employed, tivity, with an overload point above 50 mV. Some but it also affects theelectricallyresonant circuit cartridges give over twice the output of other car- formed by the inductance of the cartridge combined tridges and make even greater demands on a sensi- with the capacitance of the interconnecting cables tive phono input. Depending on design therefore, (plus the input capacitance of the preamp). Like ultrasensitive inputs might be a mixed blessing. It is the aforementioned resonances this one too is expedient to see that the phono input matches the unavoidable, and all we can do in this case is hope cartridge not only in terms of impedance, but in in- to place it wellabovethe audio bandwidth. It put sensitivity and overload margin as well. Many should if possible avoid coinciding with the fre- pickups have been blamed for "mistracking" that quency of the stylus' tip -mass resonance, which will ultimately has been diagnosed as input overload. cause a peak in the high -frequency response and Canny diagnosis is in fact the key to achieving usually is accompanied by ringing and a response compatibility among your record -playing compo- that falls away rapidly above the resonance. This nents. In no other area of stereo equipment are the phenomenon takes on particular significance if we variables so diverse and yet so complexly inter- are to expect four -channel playback from disc via a related. This is why the pertinent performance data multiplex system with an extended bandwidth out (for resonance frequencies, amplitudes, and the to 40 kHz, requiring high -frequency resonance to rest) are both difficult to find for some products and be that much higher. difficult to interpret precisely for almost all prod- In any case, for normal two -channel playback it ucts. But even if the specs help you decide in ad- is necessary to keep the cable capacitance as low as vance which components seem to be most compat- possible (say. below 125 pF to be practical) if we ex- ible, there is no substitute for actually trying them pect to realize the manufacturer's specification, together-preferably in your own room.

NOVEMBER 1972 63 "It might have been a career men would remember with Caruso's."

by Rudolf Bing Di Stefano and the Met I Throughout his more than two decades as general My dear Di Stefano, manager of the , Rudolf Bing I hope you had a very good summer and that was constantly under fire from critics, performers, you and the family are well. and the public for the way he handled what is admit- We are now beginning to discuss plans for the tedly one of the toughest jobs in the world. 1953-54 season and you are practically the first When he retired last July it was expected that he artist whom I am approaching on that subject. would take the opportunity to reply with his side of May I ask you to keep everything in strict confi- the story, and reply he does in5,000 Nights at the dence. Opera,about to be published by Doubleday & Com- I am thinking of opening the season with a great pany, Inc. The following excerpt illustrates one of the new production of Gounod'sFaustand surely I would like you to do Faust in that production, for more intriguing problems Sir Rudolf had to deal which I am searching the world for a great de- with. signer and a great stage director. It must be very different from whatFaustwas at the Metropolitan ONE OF THE MOST ERRATIC artists with whom I had Opera for the last fifty years and you will have to to work at the Metropolitan Opera was also one of work hard in that production. You know that our openings are always some- the most gloriously talented: Giuseppe di Stefano. where before the middle of November which with The most spectacular single moment in my obser- the inevitable rehearsals for a new production vation year had come when I heard his diminuendo means that you would have to be available from on the high C in"Salut! demeure" in Faust:I shall about the middle of October. I shall be grateful if never as long as I live forget the beauty of that you will let me know by return whether that proj- sound. For my first season I was counting on him to ect interests you. do a number of Almavivasin Barbiere,and ulti- mately he did do most of them, but we never knew In reply the next week, Di Stefano told me my from day to day whether he would show up. Once letter had thrilled him and that he would indeed his wife called on the afternoon of a performance to come to the Metropolitan in 1953-54, because of tell me how sick he was, and I said that if he was his great respect for me. But he had money worries. that sick he should not be permitted to remain at Scala had offered him a chance to sing a few extra home; I would immediately call an ambulance at performances if only he could skip the first two the expense of the Metropolitan Opera. In an hour weeks of our rehearsals for the newBoheme.The he was at the theater. performances at Scala would give him glory in his The story of how Di Stefano's career at the Met- own country and some extra pennies. ropolitan was interrupted illustrates concisely one kind of catastrophe a general manager of an opera October 13, 1952 house must expect to face once in a while. This inci- My dear Di Stefano, dent also had, as will be seen, some larger implica- I am afraid your letter of October 7th is ex- tions. Both the story and the implications can be tremely depressing to me because in spite of all presented entirely in the documents of the period, our conversations it shows clearly that you still without any intrusion of hindsight. The occasion have no conception of what I mean when I talk of for the trouble was our forthcoming new produc- "new productions and a new approach to the dra- tion of LaBohemein 1952-53, but its formal begin- matic aspects of opera." I had hoped that you, as one of the best young tenors, would wish to take nings were in a letter I wrote while putting together part in a new development of American opera but a cast for the newFaust,which Pierre Monteux it seems that yoti are perfectly happy with the ri- would conduct more than a year later to open the diculous antics that usually pass on our stage for 1953-54 season: acting. I told you that this yearBohemewill be done in a new production for which I have engaged one of Copyright ©1972 by Rudolf Bing the outstanding film directors of our day. The fact

64 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE that you have done Boheme so often makes the DESABATA TO ALLOW TENOR DISTEFANO TO situation much worse because if this production is REMAIN HERE UNTIL DECEMBER 30TH STOP DI- to be a good one I do not believe that anything of STEFANO WOULD FLY OVER IMMEDIATELY AF- what you have done so far in the way of acting will TER THANKS REGARDS be acceptable. Of course, this does not apply to you only but to practically the whole cast. There- GHIRINGHELLI fore, you will have to unlearn what you have done and to learn new ways of moving and acting on the NOVEMBER 7, 1952 stage. I had hoped that you would be interested in GIUSEPPE DISTEFANO: such possibilities, which could lift you from being a very good singer to becoming a very good artist, CAN AGREE YOUR ARRIVING HERE SUNDAY DE- but apparently you are only thinking of making a CEMBER TWENTYEIGHT LATEST AVAILABLE few extra dollars at the Scala and trying to cut re- MORNING REHEARSAL TWENTYNINE PROVIDED hearsals. You know that I have promised you a YOU AGREE REDUCING EXPENSES PAYMENT TO substantial extra paymentifor your being available ONE THOUSAND on the agreed date-I did not do that just to please you; I did that because the minimum of rehearsals BING which would thereby be made possible is the min- imum that you will need to be integrated into the NOVEMBER 7, 1952 new Boheme production. I am awfully sorry I can- GHIRINGHELLI: not under. any circumstances agree to your arriv- ing later and I must warn you that the conse- VERY LATEST I CAN AGREE DISTEFANO ARRIV- quences will be serious. ING NEW YORK SUNDAY DECEMBER Now, as to next season your letter does not give TWENTYEIGHT AVAILABLE FOR MORNING RE- me a clear answer. Again, I can only use you for a HEARSAL TWENTYNINE REGARDS new production of Faust if you are ready and will- ing to forget completely what has so far happened BING on the Metropolitan stage which made me blush every time the curtain went up on Faust. In spite of NOVEMBER 17, 1952 your exceedingly beautiful singing, what went on on that stage during a Faust performance was RUDOLF BING: about the worst I have ever seen anywhere in the OWING TO YOUR KINDNESS WHICH HAS BEEN world and it will have to be changed from top to HIGHLY APPRECIATED DESABATA AND I RE- bottom. Do you want to be part of that or not? If SOLVE TO ASK YOU ALLOW DISTEFANO SING yes, you will have to work hard. If not, say so SCALA EVENING DECEMBER 28 AS WE ASSURE frankly. ... HIS DEPARTURE 29 BY PLANE STOP THIS PER- Please let me know clearly and unmistakably: MISSION WOULD AVOID US VERY SERIOUS a) that you will arrive ready and available for re- hearsals on December 22 as agreed; b) whether or TROUBLES THANKS IN ADVANCE KINDEST RE- not you would accept an offer for the season GARDS 1953-54.... GHIRINGHELLI I hope you realize that this whole letter, al- though it may displease you in certain aspects, is NOVEMBER 18, 1952 really a great compliment because if I did not think so highly of you I would not take the trouble GHIRINGHELLI: to write so fully. Also, you are so much younger DEEPLY REGRET CANNOT POSSIBLY EXTEND than I am I feel that I have not only a right but al- DISTEFANO PERMIT MUST INSIST HIS AVAIL- most an obligation to try to put you on the right way-believe me, you are not quite on the right ABILITY MORNING REHEARSAL DECEMBER way yet. I know that you are an excellent singer. I TWENTYNINE VERY SORRY REGARDS know that you are a successful singer and I know BING that you earn a great deal of money-but this is not all. You could be a great artist and in the long run NOVEMBER 18, 1952 make an even greater career and earn even more money. ... DISTEFANO : VERY SORRY BUT MUST INSIST YOUR ARRIVING Di Stefano wrote that he was disappointed, but HERE DECEMBER TWENTYEIGHT AVAILABLE would abide by his contract, and would talk about MORNING REHEARSAL TWENTYNINE REGARDS 1953-54 after his arrival in New York. But that was far from the end of it: BING

6 NOV 1952 On December 21 Di Stefano cabled that he would arrive as agreed on the twenty-eighth. On RUDOLF BING: December 27 he cabled that he was awfully sorry WOULD LIKE TO ASK ALSO IN NAME MAESTRO but because of a sudden illness he had been forbid -

NOVEMBER 1972 65 den by his doctor to fly to New York, and he was JANUARY 2, 1953 looking for a reservation on a ship. RUDOLF BING: IN SPITE DISTEFANOS ILLNESS WHICH PRE- DECEMBER 29, 1952 VENTED HIS DEBUT IN GIOCONDA DECEMBER 24TH HE FACED PERFORMANCE 26TH IMPOS- ROBERTO BAUER VIA MAGGIOLINI 2 MILANO: SIBLE FOR HIM TO TRAVEL HE USED HIS TIME CAN YOU STRICTLY CONFIDENTIALLY ASCER- SINGING OTHER PERFORMANCES REGARDS TAIN WHETHER DISTEFANO IS REALLY ILL GHIRINGHELLI WHEN WAS HIS LAST PERFORMANCE MILANO GREETINGS HAPPY NEW YEAR That same cable delivery brought one from Di BING Stefano, too, giving me the name of his doctor and demanding that we immediately deposit $2,000 to DECEMBER 29, 1952 his account in New York to pay for his steamship tickets. BING: DISTEFANO SINGS TONIGHT BAUER January 8, 1953 Dear Mr. Di Stefano: DECEMBER 30, 1952 In view of the information received about your DISTEFANO CORSO GENOVA 6: activities in Milano, we consider you in breach of contract which is hereby terminated. . . . REQUEST NAME ADDRESS YOUR DOCTOR WILL ASK AMERICAN CONSUL TO INSPECT DOCTORS CERTIFICATE STOP WILL YOU SUBMIT EXAM- A few weeks later I wrote a letter to Clare Boothe INATION DOCTOR DESIGNATED BY AMERICAN Luce, then the United States Ambassadress to CONSUL Italy, suggesting the idea of a Metropolitan Opera goodwill tour of Europe, and also telling her about BING some of the ill will that was being generated be- tween ourselves and La Scala. Returning from a European trip, George Sloan [then chairman of the DECEMBER 30, 1952 Metropolitan's board of directors] asked me irri- GHIRINGHELLI: tably why I was against the Marshall Plan. Never- ACCORDING MY INFORMATION DISTEFANO theless, some good seems to have come of it. Scala PERFORMED LASCALA LAST NIGHT THEREBY engaged Leonard Warren for what was for us an VIOLATING CONTRACT AND INVALIDATING HIS awkward part of the Metropolitan season, and also CLAIM TO BE SICK STOP GRATEFUL FOR YOUR lured Rise Stevens to Milan for part of that next CONFIRMATION WHEN HE SANG LAST AND year. (Her Scala schedule was such that she had to WHETHER FUTURE PERFORMANCES PLANNED go straight from the airplane to her dressing room at the Met for a broadcast Carmen.) But they did BING not try such outright piracy again. Bjoerling took the role I had set aside for Di Stefano in Faust. December 30, 1952 Our case to bar Di Stefano from American stages Dear Mr. Bing, was scheduled for a hearing at AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists) in late November 1954. I was certainly surprised when I received your Early that month I heard from Joseph Gimma, wire this morning. . . . As far as I could ascertain DiStefano never was Wall Streeter, Opera Club member, and husband ill at all and he sang very regularly his perform- to Licia Albanese, that he had been asked to act as ances here in Milano. He started on December Di Stefano's agent in America. We drew up a new 15th in La Boheme, repeated it on December 18th contract at the same rates as the one that had been and sang a matinee of it on the 21st. And then broken, withdrew the AGMA charges (and allowed came Gioconda. The premiere should have been Di Stefano to break our new contract to fulfill an on the 24th, but then they postponed it to the 26th. engagement he had carelessly entered into with the But as far as to my knowledge this was due partly Lyric Opera in Chicago), then presented Di Ste- because it was Xmas evening and besides that fano as Don Jose in 1955-56. Then he was gone for technically the performance was not completely ready. In any case he sang on the 26th, repeated good, except for one attempt at a comeback in a it on the 28th and is singing tonight... . He is an- disastrous Tales of Hoffmann in 1965. As I had nounced also for the Gioconda -matinee on the feared, his lack of self-discipline soon harmed what

1st of January. .. . might have been a career men would remember Roberto Bauer with Caruso's-but it was not to be.

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Controlled dispersion. Anewinsight.

Starting at top left, theFisher ST -550, Fisher ST -530 and FisherST -500(right), allwithcontrolled dispersion. Presenting the Studio Standard speaker systems by Fisher.

The problem of getting a solo speakers or omnidirectionals. this new approach to speaker design, instrument to come from a single point - At Fisher, we believe that controlledyou will have to read our detailed source while the rest of the orchestra dispersion is the complete answer. Ourliterature (available free, on request) appears to originate from the rest of new Studio Standard series of speakersand then listen to the speakers at your the stage is one that has plagued incorporates this new concept of dealer. engineers since the invention of high speaker design. Write to Fisher Radio, Dept. H F-11, fidelity. We believe that these three speakers11-44 45th Road, Long Island City, The problem has been attacked in arepresent a major step forward. In New York 11101. number of ways, by using reflective order to gain a full understanding of FISHER We invented high fidelity. Bernstein's new"Sacre" ismore interestingthan the other 22versions,including his oldone.

Presenting the world's first We have also prepared a quadraphonic "Le Sacre stereo -only version which still du Printemps." It's not just a reflects the impact of multi- quadraphonic recording of channel recording with a conventional orchestra. It's stunning clarity. an SQ recording of an In stereo, it rivals the other orchestra placed around 22 performances listed in Bernstein, the conductor. The the Schwann catalog, including listener, for the first time, is the three on Columbia-the in the middle of an orchestra one by Boulez, the old one by playing Stravinsky's Bernstein, and the one by "Le Sacre du Printemps." the composer himself. Of course, the new"Sacre" In SQ quadraphonic is compatible with and reproduction, it's even more playable on your regular interesting. stereo system as well as in 4 -channel.

On Columbia Recorder and

ClUMEIA MARCAn REG I RINTE0IN USA 70 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE TELEVISION'S POWER to create fame instantaneously has now been made manifest in opera. As a result of winning a vocal contest organized last year by Radiotelevisione Italianato celebrate the seventieth anniversary of Birth of an Verdi's death, a young soprano named Katia Ricciarelli first became an overnight celebrity and then a heroine. The most important feature of the proceedings turned Operatic Superstar out to be the way in which the television audience was able to participate in the creation of a star. As the contest wore on. the millions of viewers attracted to these pro- grams were able to see their dreams, aspirations, and sometimes their hostilities embodied in a personage they themselves, by means of letters and phone calls, had helped to designate. Viewers identified with Ricciarelli's struggles, exulted in her victory, and gloried in the radi- ance that descended on her head. For many Italians Ric- ciarelli is the most famous high-class singer since Mario Lanza. Like Lanza she is as much a person as a vocalist, the focus of certain human hopes and fears, and one of the vulnerable, and therefore cherishable, elect. Since the contest Ricciarelli has become many things to many people. To the Italian musical public she is an interesting young singer who is prepared to associate herself with the still -continuing revival of early nine- teenth-century Italian opera-she has sung only a hand- ful of roles on stage, but two of these are the heroine of Verdi's Il Corsaro in Parma and the title role of his Gio- vanni d'Arco in Venice. To operatic patriots Ricciarelli is the first native-born soprano to triumph in a field domi- nated hitherto by singers who hail from Greece, Aus- tralia, Turkey, Spain, and the United States-or, as the reaction to Ricciarelli has been put by a writer aptly named Franco Soprano, "la grande rivelazione della li- rica degli anni '70 e finalmente una voce italiana." To RCA Italiana, which immediately offered Ricciarelli a recording contract, she is naturally enough an exciting new commodity, a personality worth pushing, an instant star likely to catch the attention of the disc -buying pub- lic. To the mere outsider Ricciarelli is a puzzlement. Per- haps it's simply that you had to be there to understand the fuss. Certainly her debut recital gives only the merest hint of what the reason for her success might have been. The record reveals little more than a basic kind of vocal talent-and a lot less of it than, for example, she Sadler's Wells soprano Rita Hunter commands. Ricciarelli pos- sesses a voice that makes you notice her; it has an attrac- tive timbre. She shows some temperament. She also shows a lack of finish startling in an artist so notably in the public eye. There seems little here to quicken more than momentary interset or to suggest that the mantle of operatic divinity has, as RCA's publicity implies, fallen at last on worthy shoulders. At best Ricciarelli sounds game. Katia Ricciarelli and the In presenting a challenging Verdi recital Ricciarelli is entering upon musical obligations with which at this problems of instant fame initiatory stage of her career she is ill equipped to cope. Verdi is no easy assignment. His early works like Il Cor- saro and I Masnadieri make great demands on a singer's technical skill. These are operas that call for the utmost by Dale Harris refinements of the bel canto style. Any soprano embark- ing on them must be capable of spinning out a long, pliant vocal line that is both exposed and high -lying. She must be adept at staccatos, trills, and messe di voce. She must show a full command of ornaments, and partic-

NOVEMBER 1972 ularly for the cabalettas she must be able to handle very this foundation a singer can only get by if she has a great florid music with accuracy, speed, and gracefulness. She deal of vocal cunning, a gift for verbal projection, and must also sing with dramatic power, with incisive attack, personality enough to overwhelm a purist's objections. and with a wide range of vocal color. Katia Ricciarelli, it These Ricciarelli does not yet possess. stands to reason, cannot yet meet these requirements. In Verdi's later operas like Don Carlo and Otello make some of the excerpts her intonation is dubious. She demands no less inexorable than the early ones. The phrases clumsily. The roulades that conclude so many of chaster vocal line, which might be thought to require a these arias have been simplified but, even so, tax her relatively modest technique, calls in fact for purity of greatly and are very crudely executed. Her trills are hazy, tonal emission, an even scale, breath control, legato, her scales rough; everything is slowed down so that the spiritual amplitude, and pathos. There is pathos in Ric- obviously immature voice can cope with the assignment. ciarelli's voice but not the rest. As Elisabetta and Desde- At the moment Ricciarelli has little more than the natu- mona she sounds unsure of herself. In the "Ave Maria" ral gifts of a youthful debutante, and in Verdi natural she is rhythmically sluggish, and in addition to lagging gifts do not suffice. His music needs the technical profi- just a fraction behind the beat-as she also does in the ciency that comes solely from rigorous training. Without Trovatore excerpt-she adopts a deliberate pace quite at

by Gregor BenkoThose Wonderful Romantic

Gold-plated, chrome -plated, tin-plated- it's all there on Genesis Records.

THE PREDICTED Romantic revival of a few years ago has become a palpable reality-at least as far as recordings are concerned. Vox and its subsidiary labels have al- ready issued more than a score of records devoted to for- gotten Romantic works; pianists Earl Wild and Ray- mond Lewenthal also have explored this repertoire extensively on disc, while other artists like Aaron Ro- sand, John Ogdon, Jascha Silberstein, and Ronald Smith have been flirting with off -beat Romantics for years and Josef Joachim Raff are now beginning to produce recorded results. Presently at hand are six LPs from the enterprising new Genesis label containing seven previously unrecorded and vir- tually unknown Romantic piano concertos (a recording by Michael Ponti of the Raff piano concerto is available on Candide). The number of live performances of forgotten Ro- mantic music has been increasing steadily too. Frank Cooper's Festival of Romantic Music at Butler Univer- sity in Indiana was presented for the fifth consecutive year last May with greater crowds and a more enthusias- tic reception than ever, and similar festivals have sprung up in Newport. Amsterdam. and other cities. In many ways this current revival parallels the craze for baroque music of a decade or two ago and the concomitant flood of recorded baroque drivel (once the great masterpieces Ignaz Brull of that genre were exhausted) by the likes of Corelli, To- relli, Tartini, Manfredini, Padre Martini, Madre Partini, ad nauseam. That deluge of worthwhile and worthless music. frequently in underrehearsed and sometimes shockingly unstylistic performances, has largely stopped, and many of those records are embarrassing to hear today. In their great hurry to jump on the band- wagon, even the most prestigious labels gave us a lot of schlock. Erno Dohnanyi The Romantic revival already shows signs of eliciting

72 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE variance with Desdemona's devotional rapture. The fact ought to be encouraged to keep up her studies. It is un- that the A flat before"A men"hasa pronounced beat to it fortunate that a man of Gavazzeni's prestige should lend doesn't help either. TheDon Carloexcerpt closes with a himself to the exploitation of an unripe talent-and that very tentatively sustained F. There is in fact an insecurity he should take such liberties with Verdi's tempos as he toRicciarelli's sostenuto singing that raises serious does in theVespriexcerpt (not an aria, as suggested here, doubts about her vocal health. The voice, especially in but part of the soprano -tenor duet) and especially the the all-important middle register, sounds very breathy, Corsaro aria. and the extremely close miking, which makes it difficult to tell much about vocal size, does nothing to mitigate VaneOpera Arias.Katia Ricciarelli, soprano; Rome Philhar- that problem. If Ricciarelli is indeed the star we have monic Orchestra, Giananctrea Gavazzeni,cond. RCA Red Seal been waiting for, then the operatic outlook is bleaker LSC 3329, $5.98. I Masnadieri: Dall'infame banahetto Tu del mio Carlo ... Carlo vive. I than even pessimists imagined. Vespri SicilianArrigo! Ah, parli a un core. II Corsaro: Egli non riedi en- But Ricciarelli's stardom seems to have been created core'.. Non so le tetra immagMi. Otello: Ave Maria. Giovanna d'Arco: 0 by sensationalist rather than by musical considerations. fatidica forests. II Trovatore: Tmor dime? ... D'amor sull'ali rosee Tu vedrai the amore in terra. Don Carlo: Non piangere, mia compagna. Je- She is a gifted young singer with a lot to learn, and she rusalem: Ave Maria.

Composers and Their Fabulous Piano Concertos

precisely the same behavior from the record companies one, is Op. 185!) and respected of Romantic composers. as well as from unknown performers willing to commit It is a "glittery" piece that stems directly from Chopin's any musical sin in order to put their playing before the innovative keyboard figurations, and it has been com- public on a commercially distributed record. There is no posed with enormous contrapuntal craftsmanship and question that many currently unknown Romantic pieces skill. Like the Dreyschock, it is a virtuoso showpiece, but could gain a foothold in the active repertoire, but unlike here the virtuosity is completely subservient to subtle so much baroque music the Romantic works need very and often breath -taking musical effects. The first move- strong performances indeed if they are to make their ment offers many opportunities for the soloist to create points. No performance will save many of the downright quite fantastic shades of sonority and tonal beauty with bad works, as pianist Felicja Blumental has been quite sweeping arpeggios and left-handfigurations.Raft' busy proving with her series of discs on Victrola and proves himself one of music's most cherishable melod- Turnabout. On the other hand, unstylistic performances ists in the second movement. and Cooper's singing tone can cheapen even the best Romantic works, as Michael here is reminiscent of the greatest Romantic virtuosos of Ponti has been proving on Candide. the past. The broad, marchlike brilliance of the finale In the Romantic literature, as in any musical idiom, finds Cooper again in top form-how different from true masterpieces are uncommon; even more rare, how- Ponti's chrome -plated, brutal performance on Candide. ever, is the performer able to play this music properly. The Ignaz Brilll concerto is a genuine sleeper. Brull is The precepts of Romanticism in music have been largely a shadowy figure-far less is known of him and his activi- forgotten and even repudiated in the relatively short ties than any other composer presented in this release. time since these works were composed. In order to He was apparently an intimate friend of Brahms, and achieve full effect, these pieces require performances of perhaps the association brought him undeserved obliv- immense power, great virtuosity, and an understanding ion. While not startlingly innovative in matters of form of Romantic inflections of tempo, dynamics, and tone or harmony (most of Brfill's harmonic schemes could that are not to be found in the printed notes. have come directly from Brahms-one wonders how It is a pleasure to report that Genesis Records has by much each learned from the other), this concerto is a and large paired fine music with fine performers-some solid and endearing work. A descendent of the Beetho- of the most attractive jewels (and a few semiprecious ven G major Concerto as it might have been composed gems) of the Romantic piano concerto repertoire may be by Brahms. it lacks only the heavvhandedness and lake heard on these discs. Frank Cooper's debut in concerted profundity that have always characterized the Brahms works is of particular interest. For many years he has concertos for me. concerto is far more pianistic been perhaps the only serious musicologist engaged in and less inflated than Brahms's two-in fact the second an intensive study of the unknown Romantic repertoire. movement could very easily have been penned by TheKonzertstlickof Alexander Dreyschock is a typical Brahms himself in one of his less pompous moods. Un- score from Cooper's unique, immense library of forgot- questionably this concerto could very well become a ten Romantics, and it is delicious. By no means a great staple of the standard repertoire. Brfill'sMacbethOver- work,itisstill eminently enjoyable and Cooper's ture is of lesser consequence, but wholly enjoyable. idiomatic, profoundly understanding performance Cooper's extraordinary insight into these Romantic makes a second-rate effort seem a minor masterpiece. works probably stems from his training with Erno Doh- The Raff piano concerto, coupled with the Drey- nanyi, one of the last of the great Romantic composer/ schock. is another matter, for it is a serious work of great performers and himself an acquaintance of Brahms. merit by one of the most prolific (this concerto, his only While not congenitally endowed with the frame for the

NOVEMBER 1972 73 most powerful of interpretations, Cooper is always in- Like that work, the E flat No. 5 is clothed in dated bom- ventive. fresh,andprofoundlyperceptive. He conquers bastic rhetoric and strives to create superhuman effects the frightening difficulties in these scores with ease and of "grandness"; but unlike the D minor, it lacks almost skill. any purelymusicalinspiration. The concerto is calculated Another Dohnanyi pupil, Mint Vazsonyi, a pianist from beginning to end to display sonority and brilliance, almost unknown in America, brings us both a thunder- feats of technical sorcery, and ineffably soulful canti- ing and poetical performance of perhaps the most musi- lena-all of it completely devoid of quality and preten- cally worthwhile concerto that the Romantic revival has tiously overblown to boot. Adrian Ruiz puts all the notes unearthed to date-Dohnanyi's own First. Vazsonyi per- in their proper places and he does have a nice tone. But forms it with incredible intensity and conviction. The one cannot really fault him here for his lack of dash-I technical and musical complexities of the score are couldn't get very excited about the piece, either, if I had enormous, with its massive development from a single to play it. musical idea stated at the beginning of the first move- Rheinberger (who has elsewhere been described as ment (the concerto's closest musical relative in this re- "Liechtenstein's greatest composer") fares little better in spect is Liszt's piano sonata). The twenty -two -year -old my judgment. Rheinberger's only piano concerto is less composer wrote the piece for a piano concerto contest presumptuous and empty than Rubinstein's Fifth-but sponsored by the Bosendorfer piano firm in 1899, and his not much. I imagine Rheinberger was aiming for the entry won over seventy-one competitors. Why it has same "exaltation through controlled virtuosity alone" as been so neglected escapes me, for this rich work is burst- Rubinstein, and he is slightly more successful. His sec- ing with vitality and well worth anyone's attention, espe- ond movement is also obviously meant to strike the cially in such an authentic performance. hearer as beautiful, exquisite piano "sound," but unlike I'm afraid we must descend several notches when dis- the Rubinstein second movement, it is also meant to be cussing the remaining concertos by Rubinstein, Rhein- deeply profound. Unfortunately, Rheinberger is neither berger, and Berwald. You may be familiar with Rubin- deeply songful nor profound. If the Rheinberger con- stein's Fourth Concerto, once the most popular of all certo is the more attractive of the two, it is simply be- Romantic concertos, as recorded by Raymond Lewen- cause it is harmlessly simple-minded and lacks all traces thal, Michael Ponti, Oscar Levant. or Josef Hofmann. of decadence. Ruiz plays the Rheinberger far more con -

by Henry Edwards The Merchandising of Elvis

EACH YEARRCA proudlyissues itsupdated versionof a document entitledThe Complete Catalog of Elvis Records and Tapes. This year's dossier contains thirty- two pages, each one packed with indexes of Elvis' LPs, eight -track stereo tapes, cartridges, cassettes, and stereo reels. The following statement, printed in boldface on the last page of the catalogue, sadly tells much of the Elvis story. The declaration reads: "All merchandise in this catalog available at record dealers everywhere." Carefully note the word merchandise. Elvis has been merchandised to the hilt and most of his recent albums, including his latest, "Elvis As Recorded at Madison Square Garden," are examples of extraordinarily suc- cessful, extraordinarily uninspired packaging and pro- gramming. One could quibble endlessly with the content and crass merchandising associated with most of Elvis' discs. Elvis' LPs do seem to arrive with robotlike regularity; in fact many actually do serenade the coming of each new season. In addition, each one is plastered with ads pro- moting the two orthreeLPs that preceded it. The public. however, does not seem to mind. Elvis, after all, has sold close to 97,000,000 singles. He has released fifty-five LPs and twenty-six of them are gold records. Among the forty-eight active titlesin Elvis' catalogue are four "Greatest Hits" albums, two ornate gift boxes, each con- sisting of four LPs of previously released material, and twelve soundtracks taken from among the thirty-two profit -making films that Elvis has starred in. (These soundtracks are now being repackaged in a "Hits from

74 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE vincingly than he does the Rubinstein. and he gives it torted, although in the Ratj and Brull the balance be- the best-and only-performance I ever hope to hear. tween piano and orchestra could have been better. Every Most inconsequential of all is the Berwald concerto- piano buff and arm -chair musicologist should acquire truly third-rate music. The piece doesn't resemble much these discs and encourage Genesis Records to continue of anything-except perharq a series of technical exer- its good work. cises strung together to make a concerto. Its interest is mainly historical, for Berwald's dates (1796-1868) are one generation later than Beethoven. He is sort of an- B eRvamo: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, in D; Theme other "missing link" between Schubert and Chopin; but and Variations in G minor; Rondeau-Bagatelle in B flat; unlike Czerny, Field. and Clementi, a link without much Tempo di Marcia in E flat; Presto feroce. Greta Erikson, pi- influence or innate musical interest. Swedish pianist ano; Orchestra of the Swedish Radio, Stig Westerberg, cond. Genesis GS 1011, $5.98. Greta Erikson plays quite beautifully and has a lovely B ROLL: Macbeth Overture, Op. 46; Concerto for Piano and jeu perle,an even trill, and an appropriate declamatory Orchestra, No. 2, in C, Op. 24. Frank Cooper, piano; Nurn- style; but her performance is better than the music, and I berg Symphony Orchestra, Zsolt Deaky, cond. Genesis GS can only admire her sense of national artistic responsi- 1015, $5.98. bility. Dotudirn: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No. 1, in E mi- The Brill', Rheinberger, Rubinstein, Raft', and Drey- nor, Op. 5. Mint Vazsonyi, piano; New Philharmonia Orches- schock pieces are all accompanied by the Nurnberg Sym- tra. John Pritchard, cond. Genesis GS 1022, $5.98. phony Orchestra under the baton of Zsolt Deaky. While RAFF: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, in C minor, Op. this orchestra does not cultivate the ultimate in precision 185. DREYSCHOCK: KonzertstUck for Piano and Orchestra, in C minor, Op. 27. Frank Cooper, piano; Nurnberg Symphony or tonal beauty, the playing is always adequate. Better is Or.--testra, Zsolt Deaky, cond. Genesis GS 1013, $5.98. the Swedish Radio Orchestra under Stig Westerberg in RHEINBERGER: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, in A flat, the Berwald, and best yet is the New Philharmonia con- Op. 94. Adrian Ruiz, piano; Nurnberg Symphony Orchestra, ducted by John Pritchard in Dohnanyi's masterpiece. Zsolt Deaky, cord. Genesis GS 1014, $5.98. There is an electric intensity between Pritchard and pi- RualusrEitc Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No. 5, in E anist Vazsonyi that makes the performance all the more flat, Op. 94. Adrian Ruiz, piano; Nurnberg Symphony Orches- amazing. Sound quality on all discs is lifelike and undis- tra, Zsolt Deaky, cond. Genesis GS 1012, $5.98.

Five recent Presley releases underscore a pop music phenomenon.

the Movies" series.) An Elvis cut can never die. It is re- tionaries of the Sixties including those four clever young leased and then packaged and then, for good measure, gentlemen from Liverpool. Elvis was fresh, vital, confi- repackaged again. There also have been some even more dent, unpretentious, talented, and a Brand New Thing. spectacular attempts to get the record buyer's money. In In 1955 he teamed with Colonel Tom Parker, forming November 1969, RCA released a two -record set entitled, one of the most famous artist -manager relationships in "From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis" the history of show business. Sun Records sold the rising (RCA LSP 6020). This gold record set consisted of "Back star's contract to RCA for $35,000 and $6,000 that was in Memphis" (RCA LSP 4429) and "Elvis In Person at owed Elvis in back pay. In 1956 his recording of Heart- the International Hotel" (RCA LSP 4428). A year later, breakHotel made him an international sensation. both of these discs were released individually as if they Elvis' early LPs-"Elvis Presley" (RCA LSP 1254), were new products. The Elvis fan obviously seems "Elvis" (RCA LSP 1382), "Elvis' Golden Records (RCA unable to get enough of Elvis; others might rebel at this LSP 1707), "50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong" transparent hucksterism. (RCA LSP 2075), "Elvis Is Back!" (RCA LSP 2231)-are Sam Phillips, the man who first recorded Elvis for his still available. Kids who were Elvis fans and have grown Sun label in Memphis, Tennessee, once remarked: "If I up and now have kids of their own are able to pass on could find a white man who had the Negro sound and Elvis' original magic just by spinning a few discs. These the Negro feel, I could make a billion dollars." When easily accessible LPs are the source of the on -going Elvis Sam met Elvis he knew he had found his man. Here was legend. The singer, now an extremely polished nightclub "rockabilly music," a sound that combined the black and concert performer, a movie star, a multimillion -dol- blues with white country and western music. Elvis' inso- lar corporation, and one of the most stable and success- lent good looks, his sideburns, his flamboyant costumes, fully managed members of the music establishment, is the frank eroticism of his performance, and the "rock- for most fans, young and old alike, still the embodiment abilly" sound enabled him to become the first performer of that musical revolutionary of days gone by. Because simultaneously to conquer what were then three distinct Elvis is Elvis his legion of devoted fans gleefully accept markets: pop, rhythm and blues, and country and west- anything he records. The fans have, on many, many oc- ern. Taking the rough -edged blues that could be heard at casions, been mercilessly exploited. Colonel Parker is almost any county fair of that period and making that obviously aware of the fact that these recordings are the sound his own, Elvis singlehandedly created the style by only link a hungry public has with Elvis. They will buy which most future rock-and-roll would be judged and he almost anything because so few of them have ever had became the major influence for most of the pop revolu- the opportunity to see this musical deity perform in per -

NOVEMBER 1972 75 Touched Me, Bosom of Abraham,and A Thing Called Love are all heartfelt musical expressions of faith. Super- bly backed by the Imperials, Elvis really rises to the oc- casion. The arrangements are planned with skill and per- formed with taste and they give the star an eloquent showcase. Ultimately, one's over-all reaction to "He Touched Me" will depend on one's appetite for hymns. spirituals, and Jesus -rock. For many, myself included, this LP just might be too much of a good thing. "Elvis Sings Hits from His Movies. Volume One" is the most embarrassing of Elvis' recent releases. The record- ing includes highlights from the scores of Frankie and son and recordings are the only way they can keep in Johnny, It Happened at the World's Fair, Clambake, and touch. Double Trouble, and two "bonus" songs, Guitar Man and A devoted Elvis scholar once told me that every six Big Boss Man. Not one of the selections on this disc is years Elvis records something that lives up to his spec- listed on Elvis' official gold singles lists; not one was a tacular beginnings. Since those early days that dramati- hit! These numbers are as forgettable as the films in cally changed the direction of pop music, Elvis has sung which they were featured and the "bonus" songs are no practically every kind of song. His range is greater than bonus either. Colonel Parker, because he labeled these almost any other pop singer. His voice is a mellow and feeble tapes a "Hits" collection, should be reported to expressive instrument. He is a consummate professional the Better Business Bureau. and he never turns in a bad singing performance. His "Elvis As Recorded at Madison Square Garden" was material, however, is usually so banal that he rarely rush -released exactly fourteen days after Elvis con- seems inspired. quered New York City for the first time in his sixteen - Elvis' five most recent releases (arriving over a period year career as the superstar's superstar. Elvis, dressed in of just seven months) serve vividly as illustrations of the a white pants suit and a white cape with gold trim, did artistic failings of the merchandising of Elvis. create plenty of hysteria. In forty-five minutes, he "Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas," charged through sixteen songs, a medley of his golden Elvis' third Christmas album (the first was released in oldies and a medley of patriotic tunes. The presentation /957!) is obviously an attempt to take advantage of the was slick, well planned, carefully routined, energetically harried Christmas shopper. Most Christmas records are performed; it also achieved some fine musical moments, dreary and unimaginative and this disc is no exception. curiously enough, with pop and rock standards like The It's always fun, however, to hear Elvis gingerly croon his Impossible Dream, You Don't Have to Say You Love Me, way through corny c & w versions of songs like Winter and Dixie rather than with Elvis classics the Hound Dog Wonderland, and solemn versions of 0 Come, All Ye and Love Me Tender. Elvis obviously wasn't the Elvis of Faithful and The First Noel, A six -minute blues, Merry legend. He was a professional doing a professional's job. Christmas Baby, is desultory and only If I Get Home on His very presence seemed to be enough to satisfy the fan- Christmas possesses any of the Presley magic. tasies of these 80,000 fans, many of whom had been wait- Because of his amiable but substantial approach, Elvis ing sixteen years to see this rara avis in person. makes "Elvis Now" seem like less of a disaster than it Many singers would be truly satisfied if they could ac- really is. Only Kris Kristofferson's Help Me Make It complish as much as skillfully as Elvis did in this particu- Through the Night is performed with unqualified inten- lar set, but one still wonders if the legend will ever come sity. Elvis fools around with Hey Jude and the result is to life. This disc captures the aural part of what is an ex- almost parody. An original tune, Sylvia, is so hackneyed, tremely lucrative, somewhat frenzied public ritual. It both in the writing and performance, that it resembles also points out once again that the fans are not getting the kind of bloodless music Elvis originally had knocked what they think they paid for. off the charts. This disc also includes a throw -away ver- sion of Fools Rush In, a dismal spiritual, Miracle of the ELVIS PRESLEY: Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas. 0 Rosary, and a thoroughly gratuitous version of Buffy Come, All Ye Faithful; The First Noel; On a Snowy Christmas Night; eight more. RCA LSP 4579, $5.98. Tape: I P8S 1809, Sainte -Marie's Until It's Time for You to Go. $6.95; nil PK 1809, $6.95. On the whole. Elvis'EasterLP. "He Touched Me." is a ELVIS PRESLEY: Now. Help Me Make It Through the Night; Mir- much better bet. "He Touched Me," the fourth of Elvis' acle of the Rosary; Hey Jude; seven more. RCA LSP 4671, "sacred" albums, continues a tradition Elvis began in $5.98. Tape: ?P8S 1898, $6.95: In PK 1898, $6.95. 1960. Elvis does have an authentic feel for songs of faith. ELVIS PRESLEY: He Touched Me. He Touched Me; I Got Confi- When he had hardly entered his teens, he had sung spiri- dence; Amazing Grace; nine more. RCA LSP 4690, $5.98. tuals at the local First Assembly of God Church and then Tape: . P8S 1923, $6.95: U PK 1923, $6.95. joined a gospel group, the Blackwood Singers. It is no ELVIS PRESLEY: Sings Hits from His Movies, Volume wonder his "sacred" albums are produced and pro- BOne. Down By the Riverside and When the Saints Go Marching In; They Remind Me Too Much of You; Confi- grammed with more care than most of his other "mer- dence; seven more. RCA Camden CAS 2567, $2.49. chandise." In fact, this disc includes a positively brilliant ELVIS PRESLEY: As Recorded at Madison Square Garden. In- Presley vocal on An Evening Prayer which proves that troduction: Also spach Zarathustra; That's All Right: Proud when he wants to Presley can be peerless. The gospel - Mary; nineteen more. RCA LSP 4776, $5.98. Tape: V P8S rock I've Got Confidence is a fervent toe -tapper and He 2054, $6.95; U PK 2054, $6.95.

76 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Haydn from Hungary A batch of unusual works and a couple of frauds by H. C. Robbins Landon

THESE THREE Hungarian -produced Haydn discs contain in 1792 to English words. It IA as a large-scale piece of several first recordings and some interesting out -of -the - music and Haydn had not the room to enter all the in- ordinary works, making them essential to all lovers of struments on one single score. Like Mozart in his big op- that still -neglected composer. Unfortunately. each of eras, Haydn placed the horns, trumpets, kettledrums, these recordings includes at least one spurious or doubt- and probably the trombones on a separate score which ful composition. has become separated from the rest of the autograph Everyone knows, or should know, that Haydn com- (now in the Esterhazy Archives, Budapest). Fortunately, posed 107 symphonies, of which one (in D major) is lost The Stormwas very popular and Haydn made many au- and known to us only from an old catalogue. Not every- thentic copies-at least five exist-and also sent the com- one knows that there exist about two hundred spurious plete score to Breitkopf & Hartel, which published it. It symphonies-works by minor Austrian and German boggles the imagination, but the Hungarians have sim- composers such as Leopold Hofmann. Johann Baptist ply left out all the brass instruments and timpani. and Vafrhal. Carlos d'Ordonez (an Austrian despitehis this despite the fact that the Hungarian National Library Spanish name), and of course Haydn's talented brother, owns another authentic manuscript of the work, with the Johann Michael. It took Haydn scholars many years to full orchestra, from Haydn's library.The Stormis a mar- track down the real names for these doubtful and velous work, the equal of the "London" symphonies. spurious symphonies, and there is no doubt that not a and it is a great pity that the only available recording of it single one of these circa two hundred symphonies has should be in this truncated version. (There was a record- any claim to the name Joseph Haydn. ing of the full version, sung in German and available in It is the same situation with the choral works. Haydn Germany wrote fourteen Masses. But there exist another one hun- "Svanisce in un momento"isa chorus Haydn added to dred spurious Masses under his name. It was obviously the second version (1784) of his Italian oratorio.I! Ri- more profitable for professional copyists and publishers torno di Tobia.It is a stirring work and was very popular to sell Ordotiez symphonies as Haydn, and these unscru- in an arrangement as a religious piece entitledInsanae et pulous businessmen in Vienna, Paris, and London did a vanae curae,in which form it is brilliantly recorded as a brisk business in spurious Haydn. The average French- filler for the Angel recording of Haydn'sMissa in tem- man. in the 1770s, must have had a very warped idea of pore belli.For the religious version. there is a timpani Haydn, because the French publishers issued one fake part which also may have belonged to the oratorio ver- work for every genuine one. sion."Svanisce in un momento"showsus what excellent This short prelude is by way of introducing an unau- treasures of Haydn's vocal music await the enterprising thentic Haydn cantata in German about the election ofa recording company. Kappellmeister.The work was widely circulated in score After he returned from England Haydn composed.in as Haydn's: There are copies in Budapest (which the 1796, incidental music to an English play calledAl/red, Hungarians used for this record), Vienna, and else- King of the Danes,translated into German and given by where; but there is no evidence, either external of inter- Schikaneder inhis Freyhaustheater inthe Wieden nal. that suggests that Haydn really wrote a single note of (where Mozart'sMagic Flutewas making Schikaneder it. The date 1790 suggested a hundred years ago by the rich). Three pieces of this incidental music have sur- Haydn scholar C. F. Pohl, and mindlessly repeated ever vived: a duet with solo harp, a fantastic aria with wind since, is absurd: The work must have been composed at instruments and includingSprechgesang,and the least twenty years before (unless someone was being de- present rousing chorus, which is here recorded for the liberately archaic). It is a competent work by a second- first time. In style, the piece is close to the C major gran- rate but highly professional composer; it does not in the deur of theMass in Time ofWar. Mozart used to say, least sound like Haydn's vigorous and taut vocal music when he heard an "occasional piece" by Haydn, "You of the period. In view of the fact that volumes and vol- can tell the master even in such a work." And the Chorus umes of Haydn's vocal music remain unrecorded-I of the Danes, though a typicalpiece d'occasion,is clearly would mention only the greatA pplaususcantata of 1768 the work of a great master. which Leinsdorf gave some years ago at Tanglewood-it The Hungarians are becoming Haydn specialists. I re- seems a great pity to waste record space on an inferior member, on many trips to Budapest, being impressed by and spurious cantata such as theErwethlung eines Kap- how well they played Haydn. My memory has not failed, pellmeisters. and this is a first-rate performance throughout. Even the Authenticity seems, indeed, to bedevil this record. English words of the Madrigal are cleanly pronounced. Haydn wrote the "Madrigal." as he called it. in London The choral sound is slightly opaque, especially in the

NOVEMBER 1972 77 "Svanisce," but the orchestral sound is beautifully clear chael Haydn and composed about 1760. It first appeared throughout the record. in the Breitkopf catalogue of 1781, where it is listed as Haydn composed the first of the two horn concertos, "Concerto da Hayden [sic]." It is scored for strings, pre- recorded on LPX 11513. in 1762. It is a bright work, with sumably with harpsichord continuo (admirably "real- a small orchestra (oboes. strings). it was not printed until ized" for both concertos on this recording). It is a pleas- 1898 and then only with a piano arrangement. In 1954 ant and graceful work, but lacks the drive' and the full score appeared for the first time. The same pub- inventiveness of No. I. lishing history, incidentally, obtains for No. 2 as well. Ferenc Tarjani is a horn player of exceptional skill The slow movement of No. 1 is a beautiful adagio which and taste. He is dead true in his pitch and has a lovely shows off the horn's low register as well as its top, and is tone, both in the high as well as in the low registers of his altogether ingeniously written considering the limita- instument. He plays with great style and the orchestral tions of the valveless horn for which Haydn was com- accompaniment is fresh and lively. If there is one tiny posing. On the other hand, the Second Concerto is of criticism I would make, it is that Tarjani plays Haydn's doubtful authenticity. It is preserved only in one mss., trills with his valves rather than producing a lip trill; one from a German Library which contains half a dozen can hear this clearly, and this is a pity, though most horn spurious "Haydn" concertos, including the oboe con- players are guilty of the same historical sinning. Other- certo. For some astonishing reason, this doubtful Second wise, this record is a fine achievement. Concerto is much more popular than the much better The record jacket of the flute concerto says, rather First; there are, in the international catalogues. six coyly, "Joseph Haydn (?)," but the notes, again written recordings of the Second and only two of the First. The by Laszlo Somfai, say authoritatively that the so-called public loves these spurious Haydn concertos, it seems: Haydn Flute Concerto was actually the work of Haydn's There are half a dozen recordings of the oboe concerto. contemporary,Leopold Hofmann (orHoffmann), The sleeve notes, by the distinguished Hungarian Haydn Chapel Master of Saint Stephan's Cathedral in Vienna scholar Dr. Laszlo Somfai, is frank about the dubious and the composer of many attractive symphonies, authenticity of the Second Concerto. Masses, and other works, many of them falsely attrib- Who wrote the rather archaic -sounding Second Con- uted to Haydn. The work was first announced as Haydn certo (which, by the way, is for a second, or low, horn in the Breitkopf catalogue of 1771, but Brietkopf cor- rather than a high instrument)? It just might be by Mi- rected this ten years later when he announced it as one of

minor double concerto to find its way into the original instruments, but because their style of company's catalogue and the third record of playing Bach seems to me to more closely clinical the two single violin concertos. And it's less match the style of the music. Some people reviewed by than a year since the most recent one appeared may still find that style unacceptably "for- on Archive, with Melkus and the Vienna Ca- eign," and look instead for performances like ROYAL S. BROWN pella Academica. Of course other companies Francescatti's. As I said before, you could do R. D. DARRELL have not neglected these popular favorites ei- worse. C.F.G. PETER G. DAVIS ther, so there's quite a long list to choose from BACH: Suites for Cello Unaccompa- SHIRLEY FLEMING in the current Schwann. Francescatti's new offering is no worse than t" - Inied (complete).- , cello. ALFRED FRANKENSTEIN the average, but not much better either. He, of Angel CB 3786, $9.96 (three discs, CLIFFORD F. GILMORE course, plays with his customary large, fruity mono; from Angel COLH 16/8, re- HARRIS GOLDSMITH tone, perfect intonation, and more than ade- corded 1936-39). DAVID HAMILTON quate technique, and the tempos are suitably No.1, in G, S. 1007; No.2, in D minor, S. 1008; No. 3, conventional. He certainly isn't trying to com- in C, S. 1009; No. 4, in E flat, S. 1010; No. 5, in C mi- DALE S. HARRIS nor, S. 1011; No. 6, in D, S. 1012. pete with the Bach specialists, but his isn't an PHILIP HART overly romanticized version either. Only occa- Bach was the composer not only of mighty DONAL J. HENAHAN sionally does he try to warm things up with a choral works and spacious keyboard toccatas little portamento (actually, his partner in the PAUL HENRY LANG and fugues, but of a large body of chamber ANDREA MCMAHON D minor double concerto, Regis Pasquier, is music that represents the peak of intimate ba- far more addicted to the juicy slide) and his vi- ROBERT C. MARSH roque art and is in many instances unique and brato is not so wide as to draw attention to it- pathbreaking. In his sonatas for violin and ROBERT P. MORGAN self. harpsichord, he was the first composer to write It C. ROBBINS LANDON But the best thing about this new recording out the harpsichord part minutely instead of is the intense and lively playing of the Lucerne SUSAN THIEMANN SOMMER trusting it to the vagaries of continuo playing; Festival Strings. Even though the tempos are BACH: Concertos for Violin and String Or- never really fast, they keep the tension and ex- citement up to a high level throughout. They chestra: No. 1, in A minor, S. 1041; No. 2, in Explanation of symbols might have relaxed just a bit more in the slow E, S. 1042; Concerto for Two Violins and Classical: String Orchestra, in D minor, S. 1043. Zino movements, but at least the proceedings never got boring. Budget Francescatti, violin, Regis Fasquier, violin (in IBI the double concerto); Lucerne Festival My only criticism of DGG's rich and clear Historical recording is that there's not much channel sep- IHI Strings, Rudolf Baumgartner, cond. Archive Reissue aration between the two violins in the double IRI 2530 242, $6.98. concerto. If you don't know the piece or have Selected comparison: Recorded tape: Harnoncourt Tele. S 9508 the score on your lap, you won't be able to tell Open Reel who's on top and you'll miss the frequent part - 8 -Track Cartridge crossings. Someone at DGG/Archive must love these I still prefer the Harnoncourt recording on e* Cassette concertos: This is the fourth record of the D Telefunken of these works-not because of the

78 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE "II Concerti da Leop. Hoffmann." That same German li- certos record, there is a discreet harpsichord continuo. in brary in which the spurious "Haydn" oboe concerto and both cases modestly anonymous: How pleasant to have a the Second Horn Concerto were discovered, namely the continuo recorded in proper balance and not so over- Gymnasialbibliothek in Zittau (DDR), is also the host to amplified that you can hear it clanking drearily through- this spurious work. It exists, moreover, under Hofmann's out. name in several other German libraries. Actually, music The Hungarian archives are full of delightful unre- historians should be glad to have a pleasant example of corded Haydn works, and I hope these three records are Herr Hofmann's music available: but I doubt that it the harbingers of many good things to come. May one would ever have been recorded if Haydn's name had not make a suggestion? Why not record one of the many been attached to it. Haydn operas of which the Esterhazy Archives own the The other concerto is by Haydn's brother, Johann Mi- autographs. e.g.. Le Pescatrici (1769), which is, no less, to chael, who composed at least two flute concertos: this a text by Carlo Goldoni? Or what about some more of one (autograph dated 1766 in the Esterhazy Archives) the marvelous Michael Haydn music, such as the sere- and another, also in D, which was recorded on Unicorn nades for orchestra, all quite unknown today, and of twenty years ago and still exists in an old Vox recording. which the Esterhazy Archives own the autographs? Neither is great music, but like all of Michael's works, both are competent and sometimes prophetic of things HAYDN: Choral Music. Klara Takacs and Katalin SzOkefalvy- Nagy, sopranos; Attila Ful6p, tenor; Budapest Madrigal Choir; to come in Mozart, who much admired his elder col- Hungarian State Orchestra, Ferenc Szekeres, cond. Hun- league's works. It was worthwhile recording this flute garoton LPX 11527, $5.98. concerto, which the late Hungarian scholar and compos- Cantata: "Die Erwahlung eines Kapellmeisters: II Ritorno di TobiaSva- er JenO Vecsey printed for the first time some fifteen nisce i1un momento Madrigal "The Storm"; Alfred: Incidental Music: years ago, and which shows the kind of music the young Chor der Danen. Mozart heard in Salzburg when he was growing up: It HAYDN:Concertosfor Horn and Orchestra: No. 1, in D; No. 2, was, as the Italians say. una buona scuola. The flutist is in D. F. Tarjani, horn; Liszt Chamber Orchestra, Frigyes not only a fine virtuoso but a man of taste: his cadenzas Sandor, cond. Hungaroton LPX 11513, $5.98. HAYDN: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, in D. HAYDN, M.: for both works are models of stylistic discretion. The Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, in D. L6rant Kovacs, flute; Hungarian orchestra plays very neatly. and the record- Philharmonic Orchestra of GyOr, Janos Sandor, cond. Hun- ing is clear and very well balanced. As in the horn con- garoton LPX 11530, $5.98.

these are the first true violin sonatas. But the poetic and expressive as those for violin. The halfhearted attempt to preserve the controver- unaccompanied string sonatas and part itas are marvelous polyphony of the violin music here sial pedal haze in a class by themselves. We tend to forget that yields to a melodic writing rich in figuration: minutiae such as the F natural in lieu of the Bach. the great organist. was also an excellent the forms are variants of the old dance suite manuscript's F flat at bar 105 of the first - violin player who knew the stringed instru- scheme with "doubles." In the fifth suite Bach movement development and the use of the ments at first hand and whose unaccompanied demands that the A string he tuned down to G. watered-down pianissimo at bar 321 of the violin sonatas indeed represent the ultimate in and the sixth suite was really planned for the Rondo rather than the much more exhilarat- this difficult genre. In Cothen one of his col- violoncello piccolo,built at Bach's suggestion ing and authentic alternation of ff and p still leagues was the celebrated gamba and cello bya Leipzig instrument maker. show a certain addiction to halfhearted "tradi- virtuoso Christian Ferdinand Abel for whom In these old but well -rejuvenated record- tion." but at least the performance for once he wrote the music recorded here. ings. Casals offers string playingin excelsis; sounds like authentic Beethoven rather than These suites for unaccompanied cello con- the cello tone is robust and glorious without mere superficial virtuoso -oriented piano play- stitute a counterpart to the violin suites, but being fat and without the slightest nasal qual- ing. while pleasant and melodious they do not ity, nor is there any "whistling." so often heard The difficult Op. 101 gets an even more con- even approximate the vastness of proportions, when the cello climbs into the higher altitudes. vincing statement from Gilels. In contrast to the unbelievable technical mastery, and above Casals' bow technique is phenomenal. his in- the choppy. imprecise, erratic reading of that all the limitless imagination and invention that tonation infallible, and he can spin out the work I heard from him several years ago in went into the composition of the solo violin long melismatic lines without ever breaking Carnegie Hall. the recorded version is cogent, music. While in the violin suites Bach goes so the flow. The concept is perhaps a bit on the well controlled, and full of the right kind of far as to make a single fiddle play a genuine romantic side, but this music needs a little stress. Gilds plays the first movement less in- four-part fugue, in ,the cello pieces he avoids leavening lest it become monotonous. This is a wardly than Serkin did on his recent account. polyphony altogether, nor are these suites as great artistic achievement well worth recap- and if it has less reflective sweetness, it also turing. The sound is surprisingly good.P.H.L. seems to me to have a directness that is highly refreshing. (Do not get the impression that Gilds' playing is in any way metronomic- BEETHOVEN: Sonatas for Piano: No. 21, in there is. in fact, a great deal of flexible rubato C, Op. 53(Waldstein);No. 28, in A, Op. 101. albeit of a subtle, unobtrusive sort.) The Emil Gilels, piano. Deutsche Grammophon March is taken rather slowly, but with a su- 2530 253, $6.98. perb clipped rhythmic definition. I find much Selected comparison (00 101r more energy and textural differentiation than Sorkin Col. 31239 Serkin brought to that movement. The Adagio is a bit underplayed. but itis fair enough to Gilds has far more success with Beethoven look upon that short movement as an intro- here than he has had in the past. TheWald - duction to the finale. Gilds really is in his ele- steingets a straightforward reading, dazzling ment in that last named movement-the pulse in fingerwork, traditional and uncluttered in swings, the bass line is firm. the elements of interpretation, and yet with considerable counterpoint are miraculously clear. The re- idiomatic attention to detail. The Soviet pian- sult is cumulative and emotional, never cere- ist, for instance. scrupulously brings out the bral. And once again. I note with approval Casals-string playing in excelsis. inner lines in the Adagio and makes at least a that Gilds is modifying his erstwhile skeptical

NOVEMBER 1972 79 attitude toward Beethoven's pedal indications, and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw was one would seem to me that conductor Davis is the much to the music's advantage. Undoubtedly. of the leading contenders in the early stereo culprit. He projects a strong pulse but heartily this is one of the finest Op. 101s in the cata- catalogue. Rehearing that performance along- discourages his instrumental soloists from logue-if you will, a highly Toscanini-oriented side this "replacement" confirms my initial singing(such effusiveness undoubtedly sort of performance: bold and direct. yet with impression that something has been lost in the is frowned upon as "old fashioned," or "un- ample penetration to the heart of the music. remake. Objectively considered. the new re- erudite"). Gilels has made his finest record to date here. lease is finely judged, well played. and beau- In sum, what one finds here is a much -bet- Clean. ringing piano reproduction. with a tifully recorded. The balance is truly exem- ter -played alternative to the Oistrakh/ welcome astringency and unusual clarity of plary: It has the solo fiddle bright and forward Klemperer record, but an approach of line. H.G. with gutsy incisiveness and yet permits each wooden inflexibility with which I have little and every orchestral imitation to be heard sympathy. H.G. Mums: Concerto for Violin and Orches- with clarity. tra, in D, Op. 77. Arthur Grumiaux, violin; But where is the surge? The line? Itall CHOPIN:Polonaises.AntonioBarbosa, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Colin Davis, sounds terribly dry-a pedantic demonstration piano. Connoisseur Society CS 2041, $5.98. cond. Philips 6500 299, $6.98. of the "intellectual" Brahms, a sort of precur- No. 1, in C sharp minor, Op. 26, No. 1; No. 2, in E sor of Reger and Pfitzner rather than the flat minor, Op. 26. No. 2; No. 3, in A. Op. 40, No. 1 Grumiaux's older recording of the Brahms glorious inheritor of the Romantic crown (Military); No. 4, in C minor, Op. 40, No. 2; No. 5, concerto with the late Eduard van Beinum worn by Mendelssohn and Schumann.It in F sharp minor, Op. 44; No. 6, in A flat, Op. 53 (Heroic); No. 7, in A flat, Op. 61 (Polonaise-Fantaisie).

Barbosa upholds the fine impression made by his earlier Chopin discs; in fact, the polo- naises seem best suited of all to his lyrical yet robustly forthright style. He declaims the You've heard them before. phrases of the first two works with bold au- thority. He is not afraid to insert a fermata or ritard a melodic line for expressive effect, Butneverlike this. but these liberties always sound convincing rather than contrived. It is quite a pleasure to hear a young virtuoso who has the patience and inner repose to really listen to what he is doing. If there is anything missing in Bar- bosa's playing at present, it is simply that he doesn't quite command the authority and coloristic resources available to a Rubinstein or a Horowitz in this repertory. The trills in the A flat (Op. 53) Polonaise, for instance, are more clearly executed in the recent Horo- witz edition, and Barbosa is a bit bleak and constricted in the mighty final pages of the Polonaise-Fantaisie (which both Rubinstein and Horowitz make startlingly alive and dra- KARAJAN matic). But I don't want to quibble and make THE unfair comparisons: Seven polonaises, well recorded, on a single disc is substantial value, BERLIN and I am overjoyed to find another pianist who can be added to the mere handful of PHILHARMONIC genuine young romantics. With normal growth and experience he should be able to keep the tradition of Rubinstein et al. alive for at least one more generation. Typical wide -range, reverberant sound in the Connoisseur Society tradition; the sur- faces, however, are a bit noisier than usual. H.G.

T CNA IK SKV TCTI AIKOV SE V TCNAIV0VSEV Davioovskr: Synchronisms: No. 5; Symphony No 4 Symphony No 5 Symphony No 6I Pat TRISTAN UND ISOLDE I No. 6: Electronic Study No. 3. Kou: ., IL A RAJA N I(ARAJAN KARAJAN Trobar Clus; Solitaire for Piano and Vibes. Various performers. Turnabout NS 34487, $2.98.

The frigid impersonality of electronic music in public performance has led many composers to combine tape with liveplayers. which SEL -3 3688 4 S. S-36885" S-36886' means. inevitably. combining it with conven- tional instruments as well. That is what under- KARAJAN RAVEL VANI KARAJANCONDUCTS III VOILA MOZART CONCERTOS lies the Synchronisms of Mario Davidovskv. %Alit NS I NI HAAYDN No. 5is for percussion ensemble and elec- OrcheNts as Pans L P'JLE tronic sound and No. 6 for piano solo and &moor COMMOIN I NI sound of the same variety. Recording such Flu!. Com.* .0 OCK C.nnvi Conunein works cuts them down somewhat. since they Oeo Conceno on C RAIN I Nom Concsno C depend so much on the dramatic contrast be- SmoamaConconntem 511 3O NO D to, Oto Ciao. Noma Ilaucon 44.4. gen....L.P.., .111111ERT VON It ARAJAN tween the physical presence of the live perform- IERLIN MOLNAR...0NC I SOLOISTS er and the lack of such presence on the elec- S-36839" S-36866 SC -3783 tronic side: still and all, the unseen contrast of timbres in these works is always worth while. 'on Cassette tape only to say nothing of the contrast between the "on Cassette and 6 -Track tape world of fixed pitch and tempered intonation CIRCLE 6 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 80 CIRCLE 99 ON READER -SERVICE CARD-S. , ,,,,,,, ,.

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CIRCLE NO. 99 ON READER SERVICE CARD represented by the piano on the one hand and Edgar Varese, and it pays homage to Varese's poser conducting. has a solemn, silvery ele- the freedom in these respects of the electronic own instrumental style:itis violent. craggy. gance about it which may have suggested its world on the other. Over and above all that is hard -biting. and full of towering snarls of title. It is full of unusual effects, like the com- the fact that Mario Davidovskv is a first-rate sound. bination of harpsichord and trombone. but it composer. Each of Davidovsky's works presented here is not only a color piece. It hangs together in its Synchronisms No. 5. recorded with the per- is different in manner because of different in- unfolding as a finely reasoned score, and it cussionists of the Group for Contemporary tentions; think of that the next time you read makes perfectly clear why Barbara Kolb has Music. Harvey Sollberger conducting, comes that electronic composers keep writing the won practically all the prizes and awards a off the disc primarily as a color study, very same piece over and over again. composer can pick up in this country. dramatic in its contrasts of timbre and nuance The second side of the disc introduces a new Miss Kolb's Solitaire for Piano. Vibra- and highly propulsive in its rhythmic drive. composer. Barbara Kolb. Trobar Clus, the title phone, and Tape (Cheryl Seltzer, piano; Rich- No. 6. with Robert Miller as piano soloist. is of the first work of hers on the record, is a very ard Fitz, vibraphone) is incredibly different in much more lyrical and quiet, and the tape. learned reference: Trobar is the Provençal style. In spite of its dense texture and unortho- rather than competing with the live music as in word for troubadour. and a C/us is a kind of dox (and totally enchanting) timbral dress. No. 5. discreetly enfolds it in a gentle and mas- rondo or. better still. rondeau. Anyhow. the this is basically a romantic piano piece such as terly way. piece. which is for chamber orchestra and is Schumann might have written. It is good to The Electronic Study No. 3. which involves recorded by the Contemporary Chamber know that the ghost of Schumann rides again. no live performers. is subtitled In Memoriam Players of the University of Chicago. the com- A.F.

HAMILTON: Voyage; Epitaph for This World and Time. BarryTuckwell, horn, London Sin- fonietta, David Atherton, cond. (in Voyage); Choirs of the Cathedral Church of St. John theDivine (New York),TrinityChurch (Princeton), and Trinity Church (New York); Larry King, David Agler, and Jack Jones, or- The '300" ganists, Alec Wyton, cond.(inEpitaph). Composer's Recordings CRI SD 280, $5.95.

One of the greatest composers of the present day comes into his own, so far as records are concerned, in this magnificent and enthralling disc. lain Hamilton has had a few short pieces WithConcert all the "great", "new", "fantastic", Hal recorded before; now come two of the major frequencies and transients put in their "innovative" things everyone's claim- place: it's a spatial phenomenon. Which masterpieces of modern music back to back ing, how do we prove we've is where the LDL 749 really excells. on this release. got something remarkable? Precisely combining forward -radiated Voyage is a difficult piece to describe. You Lend us your ears. And sound from the front of the enclosure can call it a concerto for horn and chamber or- eyes. with panoramically -reflected sound chestra, if you wish, provided you understand from the rear. Result: the kind of acous- Walk into an authorized tical environment you used to need a that the woodwinds, brass, strings, and percus- LDL high fidelity dealer concert hall to get. sion of the ensemble have just as important roles, and just as difficult parts to execute, as with a favorite record or Need more convincing? A -B LDL 749's tape-hopefully, a demand- the horn. The thematic material is fragmen- ing one. Ask him to hook up your pres- against other speakers-even the $1000- a -pair variety. We honestly tary but unbelievably rich in substance and ent (or future) amplifier or receiver and think you'll prefer ours, amount. The work builds and builds and a pair of LDL 749 reflecting speakers. builds, exacting the utmost virtuosity from all And listen. Where do your eyes come in? To appreciate the concerned; it voyages over a vast terrain of Listen to the "speakerless' clarity of a speakers' compact size and color, movement, expression, and invention, multiple -transducer crossoverless sys- elegantlooks.Beginning never flagging for a second, but becoming tem using the finest components. if your with the $299.95 pricetag more and more intense with each moment un- record's got fundamental bass, the fun- damental's what you'll hear, up to and ... for the pair. Now, where til you are left almost limp and exhausted with includingtheattackofdrums and can you get a concert -hall for that? the power of this marvelous score. Part of its strings. And as for highs, you won't just For the name of your nearest dealer, effect, to be sure, is to be credited to the colos- listen to them-you can pick them apart: write or call: sal playing of the London Sinfonietta, both in- violins, trumpets, piccolos and more- dividually and collectively. each clearly defined. LINEAR DESIGN LABS, INC. 114 Wilkins Avenue, Port Chester, Epitaph for This World and Time is a mighty But good stereo (or quad) Is more than LDL N.Y. 10573 choral work based on one of the mightiest texts in the world, or parts of it: the Revelation Dealer Inquiries Invited of St. John the Divine. It calls for three choirs and three organs, but the immense forces re- quired are totally right. The choristers scream, shout, speak, and whisper as well as sing, and the eerie, sublime, and awe-inspiring effects of which the organ is capable are explored to the full. Recordings are in keeping with the stat- ure of the music. Now that Stravinsky is gone, let us rejoice that the world possesses an lain Hamilton. A.F.

HANDEL: Water Music. Liszt Chamber Or- chestra, Frigyes Sandor, cond. Hungaroton LPX 11567, $5.98. HANDEL: Music for the Royal Fireworks; $300. Water Music. Academy of St. Martin -in -the - Fields,Neville Marriner, cond. Argo ZRG Not For One... For Both!!! 697, $5.98.

CIRCLE 58 ON READER -SERVICE CARD --3110 All in the family. In the space of a few short years, the For what distinguishes the Revox A76 critically acclaimed Revox A77 has from all the rest is its uncanny ability established itself as the tape recorder to capture the weakest signals with a of choice for the knowledgeable clarity and a freedom from noise that is enthusiast. truly startling. Now, from the same dedicated design As for the Revox A78 stereo amplifier, team that created the Revox A77 come it does everything a superb amplifier two new meticulously engineered should do. And it does it just a little components, an FM tuner and a stereo better. amplifier, that extend performance to Together or separately these remark- the limits of current technology. able components are a fitting addition Take the Revox A76 FM stereo moni- to the Revox family and provide further tor tuner. With its incredibly sensitive proof of what we've said all along... front end, unique dual action IF strip, Revox delivers what all the rest only specially developed discriminator promise. circuit and two regulated power sup- plies, the A76 represents an entirely new approach to FM signal processing. In fact, the Revox A76 sets new per- formance standards in a half dozen different categories. But simply quoting a list of specifi- cations, however fine, doesn'-_ begin to describe the capabilities of this remarkable instrument.

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Revox Corporation 155 Michael Drive, Syosset. N.Y. 11791. Calif 3637 Cahuenga Blvd. West. Hollywood 90066. Canada: Revox Sales and Service, Montreal Handel'sWater Music, the epitomeof out- door music, has always been a great favorite, DIRECT but it is only now that we are getting authentic FACTORY recordings of the work. For a long time an en- gaging story was attached to this barge -borne suite. Handel overstayed his leave from the court of the Elector of Hanover, then suddenly SALE ,tom,-hsy pm found his employer right on his tail in London as King George I. The monarch was supposed This is a complete recording of Edward to be highly displeased with the truant, but $149.50 Fitzgerald's 5th version, and is the cu- Handel regained his favor by furnishing the mulative effort of three men of genius. music on the occasion of a royal water party Itis followed by a few comments and on the Thames: the King was so enchanted comparisons, and also Pedro Calde- with it that all was forgiven. ron de la Barca's The Dream Called Regrettably, the story has to be relieved of life and Life is a Dream. its romantic colors; there is no indication any- Lastly, beginning with Hamlet's solilo- where that George of Hanover and England quy, there is some of the best that is was angry with his fellow German musician, to be found in Shakespeare. nor was all the music composed for the same party. This new critical edition of Handel's A purchaser writes: "The record is be- works (used by both recordings) offersthree ing played over and over,itis my suites, in F, D. and G. which were composed treasure." for at least two different excursions on the And from Canada, this judgment and river. It does not really matter; the music re- SALE$109.00 request: "Because the record is such a mains delectably fresh. beauty, send me another one ..." In both these recordings, the orchestras are FOR A LIMITED TIME you can buy topnotch, as are the soloists (notably the pairs that cabinet you've been dreaming of A superlative delivery of superlative poetry DIRECT FROM THE FACTORY at low by Louis Zoul. of horns and trumpets), the performances are excellent, and the sound superb. If I somewhat factory prices. Equipment cabinets cre- $6.50 denzas, and music centers priced at a prefer Marriner and his English orchestra over fraction of their retail value. Beautifully Plus Applicable Soles Tox Frigyes Sandor and his Hungarians. it is be- finished or unfinished at even greater only for N.YStole residents) cause in general his music -making is a bit savings. Money back guarantee and Available Only By Mail crisper. his tempos a bit more bracing. and his prepaid freight. Send for your free bro- rhythm (especially when double -dotting is chure and order blank today. called for) a bit sharper. The Argo recording PUBLIC OPINION offers a nice bonus too: theRoyal Fireworks audio corigiria.ls Box H -4044 Long Island City, Music. P.H.L. New York 11104 HAYDN: Choral Music; Concertos for Horn 546 S. Meridian Indianapolis, Ind. and Orchestra; Concerto for Flute and Or- CIRCLE 55 ON READER -SERVICE CARD chestra. Various soloists; Hungarian State Orchestra, Ferenc Szekeres,cond.Liszt Chamber Orchestra, Frigyes Sandor, cond.; Philharmonic Orchestra of Gybr, Janos Sandor, cond. For a feature review of these McIntoshCATALOG recordings, see page 77.

nd FM DIRECTORY HAYDN, M.: Concerto for Flute and Orches- Get all the newest and latest information on the new McIntosh Sol- tra, in D. Lorant Kovacs. flute: Philharmonic id State equipment in the McIntosh catalog. In addition you will Orchestra of Gy6r, Janos Sandor, cond. For receive an FM station directory that covers all of North America. a feature review of this recording. see page 77.

KoLs: Trobar Clus; Solitaire for Piano and

i It Vibes-See Davidovsky: Synchronisms: No. 1-1111-11-Ti 5; No. 6; Electronic Study No. 3. A 666666/.1111NINOOOOO1.11. MAHLER: Symphonies: No. 6, in A minor; No.10, in F sharp minor. Cleveland Orches- .0 tra, , cond. Columbia M2 31313, $11.96 (two discs). Selected comparison: MX 113 Solti Lon. 2227 FM/FM STEREO - AM TUNER AND PREAMPLIFIER This memorial album combines George Szell's first and last Mahler recordings to reach McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. the public. The excellent performance of the East Side Station P.O. Box 96 unfinished Tenth Symphony (long available Binghamton, N.Y. 13904 on the Epic label) dates from the late 1950s. SEND while the Sixth Symphony was taped during the fiftieth season of the orchestra, 1967-68. NAME The performance is a live occasion, originally ADDR ESS made by WCLV, Cleveland, as part of their TODAY! series of Cleveland Orchestra broadcasts. CITY STATE ZIP. In a conversation record with producer Paul J Myers (included as a bonus with the set), Szell If you are in a hurry for your catalog please send the coupon to McIntosh. observed that he was "a very late convert to For non rush service send the Reader Service Card to the magazine. Mahler" as a composer since he "grew up in CIRCLE 47 ON READER -SERVICE CARD HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE AKAYOU BET!

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CIRCLE 3 ON READER -SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1972 SS Vienna in a strict anti -Mahler atmosphere" may be used and in their placement. There is Viennese elements in the thematic material. that rejected his music while respecting his more than enough here to provide a compre- Seldom have the varied (even the contradic- achievements as director of the opera. (We hensive view of Szell's performance, but addi- tory) aspects of this score been more thor- should not forget that Mahler faced the same tional presence microphones would have clar- oughly unified into a single artistic design. For divided public in New York.) The conversa- ified an occasional detail. all these things, this is a performance that we tion develops along several interesting lines, Any conductor must answer two textual should be grateful to have available. with characteristically pithy Szell comments questions before he performs Mahler's Sixth. Every great conductor dies before his time. on a number of matters, among them the ten- Is he going to play the first movement repeat? and Szell, like so many others. left us with con- dency to hyphenate Mahler and Bruckner as if Szell does not, and by inference from the re- tracts unfulfilled and projects unrealized. But they were two sides of the same musical coin. corded interview, he finds it structurally un- in this album, in his voice and his music. I find The sincerity of Szell's remarks can be necessary. And how many hammer blows are a welcome and worthy reminder of the man I documented by the repertory of his orchestra. there to be in the finale? Three, as Mahler first knew and what he meant to so many of us. which at the start of that fiftieth season had intended, or two as he later thought? The R.C.M. given complete performances of only half the timbre of the hammer stroke is wooden rather Mahler symphonies. Preparing the history of than metallic and tends to be submerged in the the Cleveland Orchestra for that occasion. I total orchestral texture, but Szell appears to MENDELSSOHN: Sextet for Piano, Violin, had several friendly arguments with Szell over omit the hammer the third time. Two Violas, Cello, and Double Bass, in D, this state of affairs. He would reply that he For those who want this music in something Op. 110; Quartet for Piano and Strings, No. found portions of the Mahler scores prob- approaching a state-of-the-art recording the 3, in B minor, Op. 3. Werner Haas, piano; lematic and that he could not conduct a work Solti set (with the repeat and three hammer Members of the Berlin Philharmonic Octet. unless he felt he understood it thoroughly blows) is one of several good choices, espe- Philips 6500 170, $6.98. enough to do justice to the composer. At that cially if you can dress it up with the interesting Selected comparison (sextet): time he was restudying the Sixth Symphony. effects SQ decoding provides. Vienna Octet Lon. 6636 and these 1967-68 performances,Isuspect, Szell played Mahler the same way he played were the first time he had ever played this mu- Mozart, with faultless articulation of note and Despite the misleading appearance of the sic. It is my impression that when he died in phrase, a firmly propulsive rhythmic founda- opus numbers. these two works are products the summer of 1970 Szell still had not per- tion. and a searching ear that can present the of the same year. The remarkably precocious formed all the Mahler symphonies. most complex contrapuntal design with every composer wrote them in 1824 when he was fif- In this light I think it would be wise to re- detailprecisely calculated and precisely teen. and in one of them, at least, he produced gard these discs primarily as a documentary placed. Compared with the romantic inter- a work of respectable maturity capable of recording. Made during a performance,it preters of this music ( Barbirolli, for example). holding the attention (or most of it) through its contains its share of audience noises and there Szell seems at first a little cool and reserved. considerable length (or most of it). This is Op. is applause at the close. And although the but I find this impression changes. Szell was 3,in which the juxtaposition of piano and Cleveland Orchestra under Szell made as few reared as a theater conductor. His sense of strings sets up some real tension, and in which mistakes as any group. of musicians on earth. drama, his ability to gauge effects. to pace a each of the strings is allowed enough individ- there are passing flaws which would have been long score, and to place the climactic passages uality to make its presence felt. In the first and mended in a formal recording session. More- in appropriate perspective, is here fully oper- final movements there is a good bit of text- over. concert recording imposes distinct limi- ative. Moreover that Viennese childhood is re- book "classical" development, but there is tations on the number of microphones that vealed in the way he handles the distinctively enough real motivation in the musical activity Encore to excellence. Thorens proudly presents its TD -125 AB Mark II all the advanced features of the original Electronic Turntable with a new, unsurpassed TD -125 have been retained. transcription tonearm. Visit your Thorens dealer today and learr When the Thorens TD -125 first appeared why this new Thorens is a must in an/ quality on the scene, Stereo Review acclaimed it as stereo and 4 -channel system. Thorens ... "unquestionably one of the elite among turntables start at $140. record players. It would be hard to imagine a Elpa Marketing Industries, Inc. unit that performs better." New Hyde Park, N.Y. 11040. 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NOVEMBER 1972 87 to keep the ball rolling convincingly. Selected comparisons: cosmicvision, starting with the creation and Not so Op. 110, which by rights ought to be K. and M. Labeque Erato 70567 ending (naturally) with consummation and classified as a piano work with string accom- Messiaen and Loriod Vega 8.509 paradise, while passing through such diverse paniment. There is lots of pretty keyboard Like Scriabin, Olivier Messiaen represents a subjects as the agony of Christ (III) and the ec- writing, involving some fairly brilliant show- rare example of a composer able to apply a stasy of desire (IV). It is truly a work for two off material for the soloist, but the interplay mystical vision to music, and in both cases the pianos: In many cases, Messiaen has differ- between piano and strings is negligible. Wer- musical languages produced represent impor- entiatedtheparts-harmonically,rhyth- ner Haas fulfills his assignment with style in tant stages in the evolution of twentieth-cen- mically, thematically-to such an extent that both works, and while the string players seem tury music. Unlike Scriabin, at least to my the musical complexity involved is simply a bit discouraged and unassuming in the sex- mind, Messiaen has proven to be much more staggering. In a typical fashion, Messiaen es- tet, they take hold firmly in the quartet. This relentless (a characteristic he shares with fel- tablishes a small number of motives, some of version of the Sextet, incidentally, is quite on a low "Jenne France" composer Andre Jolivet) them little more than harmonic -rhythmic pat- par with that of the Vienna Octet on London. in the application of his basic musical prin- terns (such as the seventh chords that open the S.F. ciples, and the results, as in the Visions de first Vision above a chorale theme in the sec- !Amen, can be quite jarring, particularly upon ond piano), often repeating them almost end- MESSIAEN: Visions de l'Amen. John Ogdon first hearing. lessly, and then weaving them throughout the and Brenda Lucas, pianos. Argo ZRG 665, Written in 1943, the Visions de l'Amen of- entire work according to a system that is more $5.98. fers seven different tableaux of the composer's philosophical than musical. It takes several hearings to get deeply into this structure, and my advice is to listen with a score in hand. The only version of the Visions to have is the one recorded by the Messiaens (Olivier and second wife Yvonne Loriod, to whom this work is dedicated). The recording by Ogdon and his wife, while marked by excellent pian- Phare Linear 700: ism and some brilliantly precise ensemble work, often strikes one as ponderous and just plain loud. And the Ogdons' interpretation is The criticr lay iton... scarcely more interesting than that of the La- beque sisters, who in fact manifest a superior grasp of the rhythms. But the Messiaens' per- formance is so loud, so relentless that it simply transcends all those details that weigh down the Ogdons' version and bursts with an elan which, by the end of the work, exhausts the lis- tener. In the process the Messiaens cover up such incongruities as the embarrassing Ravel - "The world's best amplifier!" "An incredible instrument, really too isms that crop up in the fourth and fifth Vi- W. R. Hickman, good for home high fidelity use." sions and carry everything away by the sheer High Fidelity Editor Collyn Rivers, Editor force of their communication with the music Seattle Post-Intelligencer Electronics Today and with each other. Furthermore, the Mes- siaen recording, although the oldest of the

. in a class by itself" .distortion ... was aslow as we three, is by far the best sonically. The Ogdon Julian Hirsch, Stereo Review can go with the present equipment! disc is marred by what I would call "English" There's no need to present a engineering-muted highs,fairly rich lows . a product for the all-out frequency response curve ...since never as resonant as one would like, and an audiophile interested only in it is perfectly flat . tobeyond the overly mellow if smooth midrange (not to superlatives! .. .performance is thelimits of our generator! Hum and mention a fair amount of distortion here and most impressive we have tested." noise figures were below anything there). The Messiaens, of course, used pianos we have encountered before. (well-nigh hammered to death by the end of High Fidelity Breakup, as when an opera singer the work) with extremely brittle tones; but the hits her high C, need never happen brilliant, bell -like upper tones produced on "Based on its sound quality only - again, for now there is the Phase their recording perfectly suit the musical con- regardless of price or power output Linear amplifier and when that ception and are maddeningly absent from the - the 700 is in our opinion an enormous reserve of power is Ogdons' (and, although to a lesser extent, excellent buy, and probably also a needed, the 700 is capable of from the Labeques'). This is not a work, at any must with the majority of acoustic handling practically anything you rate, for the uninitiated; if you want to initiate suspension loudspeakers and the care to feed it." yourself, try the Messiaen/Vega release. new "hybrid" electrostatic C. G. McProud, Audio R.S.B. reproducers so popular these days.

At about $1.00 per watt . . . the "WE WONDER IF 700 WATTS IS Mown: Serenade in G, K. 525 (Eine kleine Phase Linear 700 amplifier is ENOUGH!" Nachtmusik); Symphony in G, K. 318; Sin- probably the best bargain on the Julian Hirsch, Stereo Review fonia Concertante for Violin, Viola, and Or- market today." chestra, in G, K. 364. Alan Loveday, violin; Editor, Hi Fi Newsletter Stephan Shingles, viola (in the Sinfonia Con- certante); Academy of St. Martin -in -the - Fields,Neville Marriner, cond. Argo ZRG 679, $5.98.

Youwill search far before finding a trimmer. more joyous rendering of Eine kleine Nacht- musik-it simply takes off here in unhindered flight, radiating the spirit of purity and sim- plicity it must have had in the very private do- main of the composer's head. The same lu- eAmle clerinewl, minous clarity of texture typifies the so-called CORPORATION Symphony, K. 318, which is really a three - 405 Howell Way, Edmonds, Wa. 98020 movements -in -one work of the overture type. CIRCLE 51 ON READER.SERVICE CARD 88 CIRCLE 5 ON READER -SERVICE CARD- More soundtracks have come to life over an Altec system, so it makes sense they come alive best over an Altec system highs and lows. Full dynamics so you hear more music. in your home. The famed Altec Voice of Theatre speaker More than you've ever heard before. system is used in nine out of ten movie houses. From this The Altec 891A sells for only $125 each speaker. granddaddy of all speakers has emerged the new Altec Your Altec dealer will turn it on for you. 891A, shown below. Or write Altec, 1515 S. Manchester Avenue, Ana- The 891A bookshelf speaker offers clear, balanced heim, California 92803. When music becomes more than just something to listen to, Altec is involved.

ALTEC Nl1VI.N1111-.K 1972 A DIVISION OF ALTEC CORPORATION Sony's got a brand new angle. Itusesan augmented orchestra incorporating Sony's new TC-377 ($289.95) has a reversible slanted base that provides a second pair of horns and two trumpets, plus the perfect angle for either horizontal or vertical Operation.This Sony three -head timpani, and Marriner brings out the stir and bustle all this manages to create, maintaining tape deck is loaded with extra performance and convenient features. Also all the while a neat hold on the melodic line. available the Sony TC-366, with TMS. See both only at your Sony/Superscope Hegivesthe accents just the right amount of dealer. weight, never exaggerating, but creating an ex- hilarating awareness of the music's pulse. Ferrite and Ferrite Heads. Long The Sinfonia Concertante is the only dis- life, high performance, lasts up appointment. Marriner obviously takes the Total Mechanism Shut -Off. Sony's work's designation to heart and conceives of it to 200 times longer than per- as an ensemble piece featuring two prominent TMS completely turns off recorder malloy type. instruments. I'm afraid /conceive of thework mechanism when end -of -tape is as a two -solo concerto, and I am therefore reached. frustrated by the fact that the soloists-partic- ularly the violist-often tend to be eclipsed by Three -Heads. For Tape/Source the orchestra. Perhaps it is primarily a matter monitoring and wider fre- of miking, but one often strains to catch those two fine strands of song and catches instead a quency response. loud major triad outlined by the horns, of which Marriner cannot get enough. The soloists themselves are decorous and well be- haved, and commendably unanimous in spirit. But more of them, please. S.F.

MOZART: "Serenades, Vol. 2." Diver- [B timentos: No 1, in E flat, K.113; No 2, in D, K.131. Vienna Mozart Ensemble, Willi Boskovsky, cond. Stereo Treas- urySTS 15170, $2.98.

SUPUSCOPE, The Vienna Mozart Ensemble continues its laudable-andpleasant-task of recording You never heard it so goo0 Mozart's serenade music which makes up a 1972 Supemcope Inc6144 Vineland Ave Sun Valley Calif 91352 Prices and mode'sublect to cnange *Ohm! notice Consult the Yellow significant portion of the catalogue of his Pages for your nearest SonyiSuoerscooe dealer Send tor lee cata og works. Since serenade, divertimento, and cas- CIRCLE 63 ON READERSERVICE CARD eation are kindred and interchangeable terms, the confusing numbering should be aban- doned; it would be better to allude to these works by their title and Keichel number. GET An Adventure in the The two works recorded here are hardly the first and second compositions in the general MORE and BETTER World of Tape field of social entertainment music; they are FM Stereo Multiplex too well developed. The young composer is THE 1973 BUYER'S GUIDE TO THE quite obviously luxuriating in color; he is us- WORLD OF TAPE IS a complete up- ing clarinets for the first time (in K. 113) and BROADCASTS to-date directory of all the major four horns in K. 131. The E flat divertimento, 8 -track, open -reel and cassette composed at the age of sixteen, is just a charm- WITH recorders; microphones: tapes: ing trifle: but the other piece, composed a year 4 -channel equipment: headphones later, is a remarkable work. The four horns are and accessories on the market used in a daring fashion, with lots of chro- F7IVCIZ7. today. matic notes; it would be a long time before Award Winning FM Components These topics are a sampling of anyone (Weber not excepted) dared risk any- the adventures which await you in thing like the introduction to the finale. The FM ANTENNA trio of the first minuet, and the second minuet. Model FM -4G High Fidelity's BUYER'S GUIDE TO THE WORLD OF TAPE. Purchase a are given altogether to the four horns. The copy at your newsstand today. slow movement has an impressive, long - only $1.50, or fill out and mail the breathed melody and the fast movements are $28.60list spirited. Performance and sound arevery coupon below with your payment. goodand the four horn players deserve silver stars. P.H.L. High Fidelity 6765 FM BAND FM INDOOR Buyer's Guide to the World of Tape PASS FILTER AMPLIFIER 2160 Patterson Street MOZART: Sacred Choral Music. Kiri Te Ka- Model 3007 Model 65-7 $8.05list Cincinnati, Ohio 45214 nawa, soprano; Elizabeth Bainbridge, mezzo; S26.20 list Ryland Davies, tenor; Gwynne Howell, bass; Please send me copy(ies) London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, of the Buyer's Guide to the World Colin Davis, cond. Philips 6500 271, $6.98. of Tape at $1.50 each. I enclose Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339; Kyrie 0 a check, 0 money order for in D minor, K. 341; Ave verum corpus. K. 618; Ex- sultate, jubilate, K. 165. $ Name Old Leopold Mozart, a solid, sober, and let- Write Dept.HF-11- for Catalog 20-213 Address tered musician who rose to be archiepiscopal City State conductor, early learned that submission is the THE FINNEY COMPANY greatest of wisdoms, that it is dangerous for an 34 W. Interstate St., Bedford, Ohio 44146 Zip artist to follow his dreams, and that he should CIRCLE 27 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 90 CIRCLE 77 ON READER -SERVICE CARD-* Take your music any way you receiver's output stages (one in the like it. Live, Stereo FM, on record primary, two in the secondary). NEW or on tape. The new Nikko 4010 Receiver handles itall superbly What itall means is that with at a flip of a switch. And it offers the Nikko 4010 you have every- NIKKO more than others. Front -panel mic thing you need to be your own input with separate volume con- talent coordinator - selecting trol. Mix your music live with your entertainment from AM or FM, favorite recorded group and you phonograph, tape deck, auxiliary 4010 can swing seven ways to Sunday equipment and microphone. And AM/FM STEREO at your next party. for little front money too. The 4010 Ask a design engineer about the goes for a comfortable $169.95 RECEIVER 4010, and he'll mention its FET including walnut cabinet. Or if front end for super sensitivity and you don't need the mic PA fea- "The Talent Coordinator" IC circuits. He'll tell you about ture, look at our new 2010 Re- signal-to-noise ratio (70 dB for ceiver with 24 watts of power $169.95 tape), 55 watts (IHF) power rat- (IHF) for only $139.95, including (Including Walnut Cabinet) ing and frequency response (10- cabinet. See these new models 50,000 Hz ±-1 dB). And how your and the full complement of Nikko For complete literature write: speakers are safeguarded with speakers at your local authorized Nikko, 5001 Lankershim Blvd., three Nikko circuit breakers in the Nikko dealer. North Hollywood, Calif. 91601. Talent coordinator from Nikko: the new 4010 receiver does it all.

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MN 'MII=El IMI II 111 MB .0-1.-ameeheeere .%"WYMWeeMe1111111.111111V1111Y11111111111.11 WIIIMI- II 11111111II III IN Ill 1 111111 I I II AVIVIVIIIYAVe II I 11111111 I II rather seek "to find his place in the world." He and a small orchestra. But within the ground symphony orchestra. Mozart never used more fully realized his son's capabilities but soon rules laid down by the hated but musical arch- thanfivewoodwindsinhissymphonies found to his dismay that this miraculous gen- bishop, Mozart managed to go his own way. whereas in his operas he wrote for all eight. ius did have dreams that he followed, was not There are passages, even whole movements, in Beethoven cautiously added a third horn in amenable to submission, and could not find this work that do not accord with the prevail- the Eroica, trombones in the Fifth, and the his place in the world. In this fine bouquet of a ing customs. To be sure, "Laudate pueri" is a standard set of four horns appears only in the recording we can follow Mozart's career as fugue as tradition required, but this concise Ninth; yet all overtures to Fidelio have four church music composer from youthful op- fugue is anything but traditional, abounding horns and three trombones.) The increased portunistic conformity, through subtle rebel- in dramatic touches. His old teacher, Padre weight of the orchestra and its elaborate sym- lion against Salzburg restrictions, to the tran- Martini, may have shaken his head at the bold phonic -dramatic handling effectively comple- scendence of his last works. Exsultate,jubilate changes in mood, but he would have rejoiced menting the homophonic chorus is reflected in (K. 165), composed in Milan in 1773, is called in the superb contrapuntal lines. In the "Con- the power of the music. Not only its unusually a motet, but in reality it is a virtuoso solo can- fiteor" the opposition between the starkly somber tonality of D minor, but the entire tata, a veritable vocal concerto in three move- declaiming unison chorus and the floating solo spirit of this Kyrie reminds us of the Requiem. ments, complete with cadenzas and full of col- quartet creates tension, while the hauntingly With the Ave verum Mozart returns to his oraturas. It was composed to please the castrato beautiful soprano solo rising from the choral youth, to Italianate church music, but this mu- Rauzzini, who sang the lead role in Mozart's background in "Laudate Dominum"is Mozart sic was composed in the year of the clarinet early opera seria Lucio Silla, upon the success in his most enchanting melodic felicity. Also concerto, , and the Requiem, of which the two Mozarts placed great hopes. note the unusual sequence of tonalities: They by a man at peace with his Creator and not by The two outer movements are more scintillat- proceed by thirds rather than by fifths. the youthful. though devout, composer of de- ing than persuasive, but the Andante is gentle The minute Mozart is not obliged to follow lectable serenade -Masses. Still, this is the most and expressive. Kin Te Kanawa, a fine, sweet - the wishes of Archbishop Colloredo, he difficult kind of sacred music for northerners voiced soprano who is that rare species, a lyric reaches out and asserts his full powers. The to grasp. Pope (though a Catholic but an Eng- , takes the difficult custom -com- Kyrie (K. 341), composed in in 1781. lishman) expressed this attitude with his custo- posed "capon part" and turns it into an engag- is a tremendous fragment of a Mass that he mary elegance: "Some to church repaire/Not ingly feminine offering; "Fulget arnica dies"is unfortunately did not finish. This time-the for the doctrine, but the music there." "Oper- worthy of the Countess Almaviva. Feminine time of ldomeneo-he wrote for the best and atic,"they said-andstillsay-about this softness instead of neutral brilliance is very at- largest musical establishment in Europe, the serene piece, yet there simply could not be a tractive in this case but a reminder that such former Mannheim and presently Munich or- more sincere, profound, rapturous, and highly substitution does not work with operatic chestra and chorus. The Idomeneo orchestra artistic form of musical prayer than this little heroes such as Julius Caesar or Alexander the used in the Kyrie consists of the full wood- motet of forty-six measures. It is deeply mov- Great. wind octet (i.e., with clarinets), two braces of ing, quietly dramatic, of a seraphic directness The Vesperae solennes is the second of the horns, two trumpets, timpani, and organ. (In- of vision, and of controlled simplicity which Vespers composed for Salzburg in 1779-80. cidentally,itisinteresting to observe how is the best sort of magnificence. Mozart was compelled to follow the local much richer the opera and large scale church The performances are excellent. Colin practice, which called for brevity, compact- music orchestra was in the eighteenth and Davis carefully avoids bigness yet the dynamic ness. strict adherence to liturgic requirements. early nineteenth centuries as compared to the contrasts are telling; the solo quartet, which

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ELAC DIVISION LBENJAMINI We put more engineering in...so you get more music out. CIRCLE 25 ON READER -SERVICE CARD HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE 93 ..as a minor role, is kept on a close leash, but to tive recording orchestras during the lifetime of preti% e outlook. The harder, tighter registra- the accomplished soprano the conductor gives its greatmaitre.Ernest Ansermet. It is good to tion of the Bernstein serves to emphasize the freedom and discreetly shaded accom- hear it again on records, especially in music propulsion and excitement of his perform- paniment. The Kyrie is dark and powerful but with the depth and stature of this symphony. ance. and the softer contours and slightly without banging. and theAve verumineffably and in a recording that fairly blossoms when more distant perspective of the London set is gentle. It is hoped that Davis will follow this played through an SQ decoder (even though it flattering to Kletzki's approach. I find, with splendid recording with the first Salzburg Ves- is not billed as a four -channel production). extended comparison, that both conductors pers. an even greater work than the second. The preferred version up to now has been reveal a legitimate aspect of the score in a con- P.H.L. Bernstein's, and he still dominates the situ- sistent and artistically defensible manner. If ationif you seek maximum intensity and your preferences go to the Romantic school, drama in the performance. Kletzki. in fact, or to being surrounded by warm and shining NIELsEN: Symphony No. 5, Op. 50. Or- makes no real effort to challenge him. His per- sounds. the London editionis the obvious chestre de la Suisse Romande, Paul Kletzki, formance develops along quite different lines. rhoice. R.(-.\1. cond. London CS 6699, $5.98. Itis more romantic and expansive, with Selected comparison: greater stress on lyricism and a warmer, more Bernstein Col. 6414 glowing orchestral sound. PRoKonEv: Alexander Nevsky, Op. 78. Indeed, the engineers have done a remark- Anna Reynolds, mezzo; London Symphony The Suisse Romande was one of the most ac- able job of matching the sound with the inter - Chorus and Orchestra. Andre Previn conri Angel S 36843, $5.98. Tape: 9. 8XS 36843, $6.98; 00 4XS 36843, $6.98.

With its strong impulse of patriotic nation- alism, Prokofiev's cantata based on excerpts Inside artistry in sound... from his film score for Eisenstein'sAlexander Nevski'remains one of the composer's most vivid scores. Though a similar creative im- Take a close-up look into an Onkyo Addto this the genuine excitement cre- pulse was later to find more musically substan- Audio System. Your lasting impressionated by our Solid State Receivers, the tial expression in the Fifth Symphony. this will be "excellent craftsmanship and ma-Models TX -666 and TX -555. Guaranteed cantata wears extremely well-particularly the terialsresultinginoutstanding perfor-(3 years parts/2 years labor) specifica- haunting lament of the mezzo (beautifully mance." Our Model 25,3 -way systemtions include: 1.8 p. V FM Sensitivity (2.0 lig by Anna Reynolds) and the battle scene (detailed below) illustrates the point. But,u V for TX -555); 100 plus damping fac- you must hear it yourself. Stop in at anytor; ASO protection circuits; differential iiiits bleak wintry setting. of our select dealers and listen to tonal& direct coupled amplifier circuitry. The Previn leads an appropriately cinematic definition the experts say is "almost be-TX -555 is $349.95; the TX -666 is $429.95. performance, stressing the pictorial aspects of yond belief." And, for custom -design sys- In 4 -channel sound, Onkyo has madea the score. Despite what seems to be a superb tems you'll do well to look into our Markmajor contribution withthe exclusive performance-heartily endorsed by the critical 1:1 Speaker Component group. ScepterAutomatic Matrix System. excerpts quoted on the cover -1 do not feel Speaker Systems retail from $149.95 to For all products, Onkyo guarantees that that the recording has captured its range and $499.95. All have a 5 year guarantee onperformance will meet or exceed pub- labor and parts. lished "spec's." power: Modern techniques can do better than this.I suspect that the performance was re- corded with microphones closely stationed at various sections of the chorus and orchestra, and the often disturbing balances later created during the mixing process. Though the mezzo TWEETER Thin Diaphragm solo section is beautifully balanced, the or- Super -Hard Duralumlnuen chestra seems to recede when the chorus en- Magnet lbFerrite CABINET ters. Frame Cast Aluminum ','flake -Core Walnut 1,r Horizontal and Vertical Struts However, none of the other recordings now it.- Joint Braces Double Thickness Fiberglass available offers musical forces of comparable Damping Mats quality in combination with modern, albeit Removable Front Grille Solid Walnut Front Molding flawed. sound. P.H.

MID -RANGE. Olaphregrn - 2" die. RAVEL: Bolero; Pavane pour une Infante de- Super -Hard DurMunsinurn funte; La Valse. Royal Philharmonic Orches- Magnet - lb. Ferrite Comity Damping -r d. tra, Claude Monteux, cond. London Phase 4 Fiberglass SPC 21064, $5.98. NETWORK Integrated Circuit P.C. Board Construction Large Air Core Chokes Look again at the conductor's name above: Meier Non -Polarized Capacitors It's the son, previously best known as a flutist. 12d13 per Octave Slope Choke Attenuator. 5 position. and not the famous father-even though the 2e111 per Step. Tweeter and Mid -Range selections themselves are all closely associated with Pierre Monteux and still available in his WOOFER 14 'E.I.A. Diameter 1962 London(Pavane)and 1965 Philips(Bo- Molded Non -Press Cone Ported Dome leroandLa Valve)recordings. It would be Neoprene Surround Cast Aluminum Frame odious indeed to subject the son (in what 1 be- 3'. lb. Ferrite Magnet Write for complete details. Aluminum Foil Voice Coil Bobbin lieve is his first major recorded appearance as 2" Long -Throw Voice Coil a conductor) to direct comparisons with his fa- Neese Bolted Construction ther or other veteran Ravelian experts. Mak- ing no attempt to imitate any of them, he pro- jects his own individuality here in perform- O leiKV 0 ances that command one's respect even when they fall short of the ideal. HisBolerois brisk Artistry in Sound and admirably steady, if lacking in marked Mitsubishi International Corp./Onkyo Sales Section subtlety. HisPavaneis poetically eloquent, if 25-19 43rd Avenue. Long Island City. N.Y. 11101 / (212)729-2323 just not truly "magical." HisValseis both sen- suous and dramatic, if a bit too episodic. not quitemisieriosoenough at the beginning, a bit CIRCLE 50 ON READER -SERVICE CARD HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Celebration values at all

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Puzzle picture: find the clue that tells you how good the advertised system probably is. Our advice is to check the one component that is the source of the sound-the phono cartridge. We say this beczuse we know that the dealer who's assembled a superior package at a fair price is going to com- plete it with a superior cartridge within the available price range. This dealer ad above, for example, includes a Shure 110191E Hi -Track. Even if you weren't aware of the effortless way it meets your most rigorous trackability demands, you should know that it, as well as virtually every Shure cartridge, has been acclaimed by hi-fi critics and authorities as best in its class, or best for the cost. That's why you see so many of them teamed with "best -in -their -class" components, and why they invariably mean a more -tor -the -money total sys- tem that's going to make you very happy. Shure Brothers Inc., 222 Hartrey Ave., Evanston, III. 60204 V IR E CIRCLE 66 ON READER SERVICE CARD \.(1\ 'AMR 1972 95 overintense and heavy-handed inthe cli- deleted disc of this cycle by Bethany Beardslee maxes. However, some of these flaws may be and Robert Helps (Son -Nova 2), still the only The at least partly the fault of occasional coarse- adequate version ever recorded. And since the ness and detail -spotlighting in the otherwise songs of Opp. I and 2 are easily the least im- effective, expansively reverberant, but not es- portant of the earlier works, you may well feel pecially warm (acoustically) Phase 4 engineer- that Volume Iis expendable. ing. I can't honestly say that much of the work of Pick -Up In any case, and even discounting the use of the performers in Volume IIis significantly a British orchestra, these are not particularly better, but the magnitude of their undertaking "French" readingsstylistically.But that's here is considerably less, and now and then scarcely surprising since Claude Monteux the point of a song comes through as it rarely Pros. (who never formally studied with his father, as does in the more evanescent Op. 15. In Op. 6 far as I know) is unmistakably "American." especially, there are some strikingly beautiful He has been building up conductorial experi- pieces-by now Schoenberg has mastered the ence since 1959 with an enterprising provin- problem of generating a song from a single cial orchestra, the Hudson Valley Philhar- gesture. with a clearly defined relationship be- monic, centered in Poughkeepsie, New York, tween the persona of the singer and the role of but concertizing also in Kingston (near my the accompaniment-and one perceives this own home territory). So I can testify firsthand despite Miss Vanni's struggles with the range to his genuine talents both as an orchestral (at crucial high notes, she is often assisted by trainer and an imaginative programmer. The Mr. Gould, singing an octave lower). present release surely is only a forerunner of Of all these singers, only Donald Gramm many more to come. R.D.D. comes close to adequacy, and even he seems to be in rather rough voice. Ellen Faull, in Op. 2, suffers from a pronounced vibrato, and Cor- nelis Opthofs one contribution fails utterly to SCHOENBERG:Songs.Ellen Fault, soprano; project the drama of a rather striking song (cf. Helen Vanni, mezzo; Donald Gramm, bass - Fischer-Dieskau on DGG 2530 107, also vo- baritone; Cornelis Opthof, baritone; Glenn cally imperfect in conspicuous ways, but at Gould, piano. Columbia M 31311/2, $5.98 least delivered with real conviction about the each. tale he is telling). There really is no reason why M 31311: Two Songs, Op. 1 (Gramm); Four Songs, we should have to put up with subpar singing Op. 2 (Fault); Das Buch der hangenden Widen, Op. in this literature, any more than in the songs of 15 (Vanni) (from Columbia M2S 736, 1962). M 31312: Six Songs, Op. 3 (Gramm in No. 1, Vanni in Schubert, Brahms, or . remainder); Eight Songs, Op. 6 (Vanni); Two Bal- On the other hand, I'm really not sure why lads, Op. 12 (Vanni in No. 1, Opthof in No. 2); Two we should have to put up with the spectac- Songs, Op. 14 (Vanni); Three Songs, Op. 48 (Vanni); Two Songs, Op. Posth. (Vanni). ularly eccentric playing of ei- WOR-FM, the country's leading ther. Aside from his vocal efforts, which are FM/Stereo rock station, has been using Evidently an offshoot of Columbia's now - less obtrusive here than on some past occa- defunct Schoenberg project, these two discs sions, we are treated to a whole vocabulary of Stanton cartridges since its inception. "expressive" devices that are evidently sup- Program Director Sebastian Stone do in fact cover all of the composer's mature original solo songs-the qualifying adjectives posed to underline the "romanticism" of the likes the smooth, clean sound the Stanton songs:rolled chords when not indicated, delivers; the way it is able to pick up there take into account a body of as -yet -un- published juvenilia and a small group of folk - rhythmicized arpeggios where simple rolled everything on the record so that the song settings. The first record has been around chords are asked for, and on one striking occa- station can assure high quality for some time as part of Vol. IV of the Colum- sion (at the start of Op. 6, No. 5) even bare oc- transmission of every recording. bia series (M2S 736), where it was coupled taves are arpeggiated. At other points, the two Eric Small, Chief Engineer for with Gould's erratic performances of the solo hands are not together, and Mr. Gould has a WOR-FM, likes the way that Stanton piano music (now also available separately as wayward approach to Schoenberg's dynamics cartridges stand up under the wear and MS 7098). However, the second disc is new, that often cuts the ground from beneath cli- and contains several first recordings, including maxes. Several tempos are impossibly slow: tear of continuous use. "We standardized The sehr schnell passages in Op. I, No. 1 are the two posthumously publishedsongs, which on Stanton a couple of years back," Small anything but, and the indicated 6/8 miissig of said, "and we haven't had a cartridge date from the first decade ofthe century. Most of this music falls into Schoenberg's to- Gedenken (the first of the posthumous songs) is transformed into an implausible 3/4, pro- failure since." Studio Supervisor Artie nal period, with the major exception of Op. 15, ducing twice as many measures as Schoenberg Altro concurs. the Stefan George cycle, which was composed Whether you're a professional or wrote. With all this, he can obviously play the between 1907 and 1909 and thus overlaps with devil out of the piano when he wants to, and the Op. I I piano pieces as simply a sincere music lover, the integrity hisfirst major works Op. 6, No. 6 demonstrates impressive clarity of a Stanton 681 Series cartridge delivers in a nontonal style. Op. 48 contains Schoen - and address in dealing with a rhythmically berg's only twelve-tone songs; composed in the quality of performance you want. and pianistically complex task. But there is a It affords excellent frequency 1933, they remained unpublished until his late flipness about most of these readings. an atti- response, channel separation, compliance years in America, hence the high opus num- tude of condescension to the unabashed ro- and low mass and tracking pressure. And ber. manticism, that does the music no favors. every Stanton cartridge is fitted with the The George songs are certainly the com- For all their flaws, the eight songs that exclusive "longhair" brush to keep poser's major achievement in this genre: a Fischer-Dieskau offered last winter on his grooves clean and protect the stylus. full-scale cycle of great freedom and subtlety. DGG collection of the "Second Viennese with an incredible variety of textural inven- School" represent a more honest presentation For complete information and tion. Regrettably, the present performance- of this literature. And for Op. 15, perhaps specifications on Stanton an honest effort on the singer's part-does not someone will do us the favor of reviving the cartridges, write Stanton make the grade. for Miss Vanni lacks the nec- Beardslee-Helps disc. Magnetics, Inc., Terminal essary freedom and power at the extremities of Texts and translations are included with Drive, Plainview, L.I., N.Y. her range with the result that she does not so both records. D.H. 11803. much shape the lines as grasp at them. And srayron there is a shortage of expressive intensity in All Stanton cartridges are designed for most of these performances; one misses the use with au two and four -channel matrix sense of real projection of both text and music STRAUSS,R.:Serenade for Winds, Op. 7; derived compatible systems. as a unity that marked the unfortunately now Sonatina for Wind Instruments, No. 2(The CIRCLE 71 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 96 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Ifyou want tobe completely surrounded by music youneed a 4 -channel receiver that completely adjusts to your surroundings.

Since J VC wants to give you neatly in a professional studio. grated 4 -channel amplifier, the 280 watt perfect sound, we also have to give you a And the separate SEA control for Model 990. And if you have a really nearly perfect listening area. the rear speakers lets you adjust for any good stereo amplifier, you can convert The JVC 5445 4 -channel receiver future 4 -channel sound system. your system to 4 -channel instantly with does just that. This receiver also makes your present JVC's add-on amplifier, the 5101. A special sound effects amplifier stereo records, tape and FM stereo The JVC receiver, amplifier and (SEA) takes discrete and matrix broadcasts sound better than ever by add-on amplifier. 4 -channel sources, plus stereo and picking up previously hidden sounds They can take a monaural sources, and breaks them up through the rear speakers. beautifully ar- into five frequency ranges. instead of Naturally, this receiver is completely ranged room and just the usual bass and treble. compatible with your present equip- help you or- So you can bring up any frequency ment. And the equipment you'll chestrate it. that's absorbed or tone down any one probably buy in the future. It even has that's reflected too much. You can bring optional remote control and 4 -channel up any instrument. Or push any down. headphones. JVC is., Ink That's sound control you'd expect only JVC also makes a top-quality inte- % Queen, M..., n Ftpre...., CIRCLE 35 ON READER -SERVICE CARD From its Sequential Cam System that antiquates the conventional noisy cam gear and swinging plate to its Synchronous Power Unit, the BSR McDonald 810 is designed to match or Happy Workshop). Wind En- exceed the performance of any semble, Edo de Waart, cond. Philips 6500 automatic turntable currently 097, $6.98. available Some other highlights include a Variable The enormous productivity of Richard Strauss Pitch ControlA 12" still impresses one more than twenty years af- dynamically balanced ter his death. There is still much to be discov- turntable platter ered, and even if Die agyptische Helena never A viscous - achieves great popularity, there is a lot of un- damped familiar Strauss that calls for more frequent cue and performance. Both works here are in that cate- gory. The mere fact that a "Sonatina" for pause winds from his final years could wait this long control with for what Philips calls a first recording makes exclusive my point clear. friction Cue Although Stravinsky undoubtedly would Clutch to keep have had fits that a long work in this style the tone arm cued could be written in the world of 1943-45. every over the exact artist has the right to speak his own language: grooveAn automatic if Strauss chose to speak as he had spoken in tone arm lock to his youth. that was his privilege. This is not eliminate accidental modern music, and the sixty-four years of the damage to the stylus or composer's life that passed between the two records A Concentric scores should not obscure the fact that musi- Gimbal Arm Mount and cally they are two facets of the same mind. Introducing the featherweight push-button The early serenade is short, melodic, ro- operation featuring the widest mantic. and suave. It is a piece of inspired BSR McDonald 810 selection of operating modes juvenilia, here played with the fullest measure Your BSR McDonald dealer will be of insight and sympathy. In contrast the Sona- happy to audition the 810 for you tina is many times longer, far more sophis- Transcription Series The price for this unbelievable performer? ticated and complex. and yet still basically $149.50From BSRThe filled with romantic melody and an over- Automatic Turntable.world's largest manufacturer powering sense of joy. The descriptive refer- of automatic turntables BR ence to the hkppy workshop is to be taken seri- BSR (USA) Ltd. ously. This is the happiest music imaginable. Blauvelt, N.Y. 10913 Both works reveal a master of orchestration McDONALD writing with virtuosity, and both perform- CIRCLE 15 ON READER SERvICE CARD ances are tributes to De Waart and his players LOWEST AIR FARES TO EUROPE (as well as the Philips engineers). We don't generally think of Strauss in terms of Kiang- farbenmelodie, but although the termis Schoenberg's, Strauss knew all about it. Just listen to how every theme goes to an instru- ment with the exact tone quality needed to do it justice. If Strauss's wind writing here is not an example of timbre being used as an ele- ment in structure, well. play a piano reduction and see how that sounds! On the other hand, why not just stick with the record? It is most attractive in every wav, a swan song by an old gentleman of miraculous Ir charm. R.C.M.

STRAVINSKY: Choral Music. Various artists, Igor Stravinsky, cond. Columbia M 31124, $5.98. The Star-Spangled Banner (arr. Stravinsky); Bach: Chorale Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her" (arr. Stravinsky; from MS 6647, 1963); Zvezdoliki (from MS 6647, 1962) (all with CBC Sym- phony Orchestra, Festival Singers of Toronto); Four Russian Songs (Adrienne Albert, mezzo; Louise de Thingvellir, where Iceland's parliament was founded in the year 930A.D. Tullio, flute; Dorothy Remsen, harp; Laurindo Al- meida, guitar; from MS 7439, 1965); Four Russiar, Peasant Songs; Credo (); Re- The unphotographed country. Hurry! nard (George Shirley and Loren Driscoll, tenors; William Murphy, baritone; Donald Gramm, bass; Here where the air is clear as a lens, you get pictures never seen before. Fjords, Toni Koves, cimbalom; Columbia Chamber En- geysers, waterfalls, volcanic islands. Whaling stations. Farm and fishing villages. semble; from MS 6372, 1962); Babel (John Colicos, The Uninhabited Areas. Even the names are magic. Thingvellir. Langjokull. narrator; Festival Singers of Toronto, CBC Sym- Siglufjordur. You'll find birds like the Great Skua. And a people descended from phony Orchestra; from MS 6647, 1962); Ave Maria; the Vikings. This is Iceland, the unphotographed country. Stopover Tours for Pater Noster (Festival Singers of Toronto). under $20 a day. Hurry to Iceland before it gets all snapped up. Then continue on to Luxembourg, England, Scotland, Norway, or . Symbolically this is a sad record, for it con- See your Travel Agent, or contact us in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, tains the last remaining approved recordings Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Washington, D. C. or Mexico City. Write for by Igor Stravinsky in the Columbia files; there folder HF to Icelandic Airlines, 630 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y. 10020. is nothing more to come except possibly mate- rial from live concerts or piano rolls. ICELANDIC trip LOFTLEIDIR Readers of these columns will doubtless re- call that most recent Stravinsky releases have LOWEST AIR FARES TO EUROPE mixed reissues with "new" recordings, and CIRCLE 29 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 98 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Scott audiosystems arefully integrated todeliver the best sound New Scott fully integrated audio component systems

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CIRCLE 100 ON READER -SERVICE CARD this one is no exception; if you have been col- lecting Stravinsky material for any length of time, the only novelties on this disc will be the Four Russian Peasant Songs(in the 1954 ver- sion with accompaniment for four horns), the three church choruses, and the once notorious harmonization and orchestration of the Na- tional Anthem-a grand total of less than thir- teen minutes. All the contents of MS 6647, an earlier choral disc, have now been reissued elsewhere, and perhaps Columbia will accept trade-ins on that now -obsoleted disc. It is good New to have this excellent Renard-certainly the available (sung in English, by the from way)-back in the catalogue. TheFour Rus- tOTDOT sian Songs,on the other hand, remain an inadequate performance, as they were when RECORDS first issued on the hodgepodge song collec- tion of a few years ago; what they are doing in a choral collection is a mystery to me. Mahler: THE NINE SYMPHONIES TheStar-Spangled Bannerarrangement The Chicago Symphony Orchestra - The London Symphony surprises by offering a few unexpected chords Orchestra - The Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam - and flattening out some dotted rhythms of the Georg Solti original; it is amusing to recall that in 1944 this CSP 7 was enough to result in a "banned -in -Boston" status-which may once have sold books but SAN FRANCISCO OPERA GALA didn't do much for this music. Odd, too, that it A Historic De Luxe Edition Especially Released to Celebrate the 50th finally reaches records in a performance (quite Season of a Great Opera Company with a Panorama of Stars adequate) by a Canadian choir and orchestra! and Operas and a Lavishly Illustrated Souvenir Booklet. The four Russian choruses are amiable by - Artists include: blows of theLes Nocesperiod, with canonic. Flagstad, Bjoerling, Milanov, Warren, Tebaldi, Del Monaco, outdoorsy horn parts that the composer added Simionato, Borkh, Siepi, Rysanek, Nilsson, Hotter, Price, Merrill, many years later during theA gonperiod.I Vickers, Tozzi, Schoeffler, Jurinac, Cioni, McCracken, Gobbi, Sutherland, Resnik, Lorengar, Bastianini, Corelli, Burrows, prefer this version. sung in Russian. to Bou- Crespin, Ghiaurov, Pavarotti, Jones, Berganza, Deutekom, Bergonzi, lez' French -language version on Nonesuch H Evans, King, Donath, Domingo, Solti, Varviso, Bonynge and others. 71133 or to the composer's earlier version in OSA-1441 English with a skimpier ensemble on Colum- bia CML 5107 (although one of the small solo Liszt: THE BATTLE OF THE HUNS; parts in the latter is taken by the young Mari- ORPHEUS; MAZEPPA lyn Home!). It is interesting to note, however, The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra - Zubin Mehta that the composer no longer observes the da CS -6738 capo repeat that he previously made in the ALICIA DE LARROCHA - SCHUMANN RECITAL third song. Kreisleriana (Op. 16); Allegro (Op. 8); Romance (Op. 28, No. 2); The three little church choruses from the Novelette (Op. 21, No. 8) 1930s are here sung to the original Slavonic CS -6749 texts, rather than the Latin versions prepared MARTTI TALVELA -A LIEDER RECITAL in 1949; theCredowas subjected to further re- vision in 1964. Austere in style, they are well Schumann: Lust der Sturmnacht; Stirb, Lieb' and Freud'; Wanderlied; Erstes Gran; Sehnsucht nach der Waldgegend; Auf das performed here, although I suspect the com- Trinkglas eines verstorbenen Freundes; Wanderung; Stille Liebe; poser imagined a more plangent, "Russian - Frage; Stille Tranen; Wer machte dich so krank; Alte Laute. bass" sound, especially in the chanting of the Kilpinen: 8 Songs with Irwin Gage (piano) Credo. 0S-26240 Small beer, on the whole-but the real thing; if you want to explore the minor corners Suk: SERENADE FOR STRINGS of Stravinsky displayed in these "new" items Wolf: ITALIAN SERENADE or if you failed to catchRenard, Zvezoliki,or R. Strauss: INTRODUCTION FOR STRING Babelthe first time around, don't miss this SEXTET FROM "CAPRICCIO" record. Translations, but no original texts, are The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra - Karl Munchinger provided in an insert; the liner notes quote CS -6737 from the Stravinsky/Craft canon, but Craft's extensive account of the Bach variations, as ROMANTIC CELLO CONCERTOS given on MS 6647, has been pretty well gutted. Auber: Cello Concerto No. 1in A Minor; Massenet: Fantasy for D. H. Cello and Orchestra; Popper: Cello Concerto in E Jascha Silberstein - L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande - Richard Bonynge CS -6750 THE ROYAL FAMILY OF OPERA STRAVINSKY: The Rite of Spring; Zvezdoliki. SINGS ENSEMBLES New England Conservatory Chorus (in Zvez- doliki);Boston Symphony Orchestra, Michael Music from Cosi Fan Tutte, Norma, , Lucia di Tilson Thomas, cond. Deutsche Grammo- Lammermoor, Don Giovanni, Un Ballo in Maschera, Carmen, phon 2530 252, $6.98. , La Boheme and Faust sung by Sutherland, Selected comparison (The Rite): Tebaldi, Lorengar, Horne, Berganza, Resnik, Simionato, CoreIli, Col. 6319 Bergonzi, Cioni, Alexander, Bastianini, Merrill, Ghiaurov, Stravinsky Siepi, Corena and others. Before considering ' OS -26258 recording ofThe Rite-possiblythe most im- portant disc yet released by this remarkable twenty -seven -year -old conductor-I'd like to CIRCLE 42 ON READER -SERVICE CARD HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE We Call It TWA Energy Response At Jensen, our new (woofers, tweeters and purring .-mid -range speakers are really j---- sounding off. They're all part of a new design concept. Total Energy Response. Total Energy Response gives every ' tJensen speaker a fuller, richer sound than ever before. It improves musical balance throughout a listening area, so your whole component system , sounds better. 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CIRCLE 34 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 10I comment in some detail on the brief cantata in four-part harmony. and with relatively little clarity of texture and subtle shading of color. Zvezdoliki, which prefaces the principle order (for Stravinsky) rhythmic variety. In some sec- Like the recording of The Rite, it has a warm of business. tions it employs the polyharmonic piling of acoustic ambience. Thomas obviously has his In Eric Walter White's comprehensive sur- one chord upon another that first appeared in forces under control as he balances the texture vey of the works of Stravinsky (up to 1965), Petrushka and was to play so important a part and creates long lines of tension and resolu- this curious piece stands chronologically as the in The Rite. Stravinsky prefaced the setting of tion in a work rather devoid of rhythmic inter- most important work between Petrushka the poem with a six -part motif setting of the est. (1911) and The Rite (1913). Zvezdoliki is one title itself. Though White asserts that, unlike The Rite of Spring has been with us now for of two works written by Stravinsky in homage the Hebrew capitals in Threni, this was not in- considerably more than half a century and to Debussy; the other is the Symphonies of tended for performance, the composer in- hardly presents to the young conductor today Wind Instruments (1920). Robert Craft, in his cluded it in his recording and Thomas follows the awesome challenges it must have to the notes to the 1%2 Stravinsky recording, asserts his example here. A large orchestra is called generation of Ansermet, Monteux. or Sto- that there is a strong Debussyan influence in for, but it seldom plays at one time; instead its kowski. Mastery of its complexities is now as the middle section of the cantata. More impor- flexible resources are used for a variety of sub- much a part of a young conductor's training as tant, the entire composition in its harmonic in- tly shifting instrumental colors surrounding is the Eroica Symphony. Yet this score is by no novation may be regarded as a tribute to De- and supporting the rather stark vocal lines. means an easy one to master technically or bussy's revolutionary creative spirit. The present performance of Zvezdoliki musically, and its successful production in The cantata is in slow tempo, almost always projects this complex score with combined concert or for recording remains one of the su- preme challenges of any conductor's career. Possibly the most impressive aspect of Mi- chael Tilson Thomas' performance recorded here is its superb continuity-within the sec- tions and between them-and this is the hard- est impression for the listener to define in ter- minological description. Itis an impression conveyed by a combination of calculated ef- fects-the juxtaposition of tempos, the sus- pense of bridge passages, and the tension and relaxation of pace-but in the end the totality of these adds up to something more, a some- thing that arises from the conductor's emo- tional and instinctual response to the score and his ability to communicate that through the orchestra. I can cite any number of telling effects, such as the timbre of the trumpet duet in the introduction to Part Il, the juxtaposition of woodwinds in the two introductions, or the voicing of the tremendous chords in the Danse Sacrale. Certainly one of Thomas' greatest achievements here is in giving such variety of color to the dissonances in such a way that they lose some of their shock effect and be- come intrinsically expressive. Perhaps it is the mark of a fine performance that that last ele- ment of pulling everything together defies pre- cise verbal description. All 1 can say is that to this listener DGG's new recording adds up to a total musical experience. In this, of course, Thomas is supported by utakPRESENTS the Boston Symphony Orchestra, playing here with a vibrancy and vitality of tone that it has not always had of late. In such an orchestra, technical perfection can be taken for granted and the solo artists' musical response to the conductor will combine individuality and re- spect for the total conception; but the kind of )arROP projection heard here is rare in concert and rarer still under the peculiar conditions of recording. I hesitate to speculate just how this MOST POWERFUL, MOST EPIC PRODUCTION EVER! performance was recorded in takes, but the fi- nal impression is of one continuous and in- Thisis the one you will want to see and hear. Itis the most powerful spired reading. Moreover, although the DGG die-cast High Fidelity speaker series ever produced by Utah. Its name is engineers probably used a number of micro- phones to capture thefulldetail of CASCADE .. . the totally new co -axial speaker line.It has the largest Stravinsky's complex scoring, the over-all or- magnets ever and larger voice coils to handle more power for a longertime. chestral balance is consistent throughout: I do Clothrolls enhance bass performance. The rigid die-cast frame is designed not sense the "spotlighting" technique used in so many recent multichannel recordings. As a for maximum structural strength, and it can be mounted to either the front consequence, the string sections are some- or rear of the baffle board. Your choice of 2 -way of 3 -way models in 8" times overpowered in the climaxes, but this is and 12" sizes, some with co -axially mounted compression tweeters. Your the way Stravinsky scored The Riteandhow, even under the best circumstances, it sounds ticket to the powerful CASCADE performance can be hurried along by in concert. writing us for complete information. Nor can I speculate on the precise acoustic setting used, though I assume the recording was made in Symphony Hall. The resulting soundisspacious without excessive reso- UTAH ELECTRONICS nance, leaving room for plenty of detail with - HUNTINGTON, INDIANA 46750 102 CIRCLE 75 ON READER SERVICE CARD HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE vimmensaK Four 'none track

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NOVEMBER 1972 11)3 pcupic cu out destroying the sense of space around and beth. London Symphony Orchestra, Andre in the orchestra. This isin keeping with Previn, cond. RCA Red Seal LSC 3280, $5.98. Thomas' sense of warm colors and aids his ef- talking about fective shading of the massive harmonies of With these three discs, Andre Previn com- the music. pletes his series of recordings of the sym- Thomas' performance is an important addi- phonies of Vaughan Williams just in time for Magnum Opus tion to a number of distinguished readings of the centenary of the composer's birth. Angel The Rite of Springon records and will do has also released a complete series of these honor to any musical library. For myself, I symphonies played by the London Philhar- shall always consider Stravinsky's own record- monic under Sir Adrian Boult who was the ings indispensable, not because they are nec- composer's close friend and the "creator" of essarily better orchestrally or musically, but several of these works. The Boult series is con- because they contain insights into the score sistently finer than the Previn on every count, that are impossible to define in the printed and it is difficult to understand why an Ameri- score and are unlikely to be perceived by other can conductor of no great reputation or conductors without the composer's example in achievement should have been selected to un- McKendree Spring, performance. For those of us to whomThe dertake this monumental effort on behalf of Well known Rock Band on Decca Records. Rite of Spring isa sufficiently important work British music. The Previn series is far from Incredible, really incredible! to require owning more than one version, at bad, but it lacks Boult's drive and power and We were amazed-the bass is unbelievable- least one of these should be by a conductor of brings no special interpretative insight to bear Its the finest speaker we've ever heard!" the older generation, like Monteux, for whom on Vaughan Williams' magnificent scores. it was a new and revelatory experience. I also Previn's principal virtue is a delicate lyr- Werner Klemperer, want to hear this music conducted by one of icism which serves him especially well inthe Film and T. V. Actor "No shelf the younger masters of the conducting art, for PastoralSymphony; this is, in fact, the best of speaker I have ever heard whomThe Rite isa "traditional" work: the entire series. The brooding, ruminative comes even close to the quality of the score is very well brought out, Opus -7 in authenticity and Thomas unquestionably belongs in this group. delineation of individual P.H. and Heather Harper's voice and style are as instruments...as to the Opus well suited as her name to the utter English- 24A-altogether unbelievable. Owners of ness and the utter pastorality of the wordless, TANENeAuki: Arp Art. DestoDC 7130, $5.98. Crown, Marantz, and other fine amplifiers will unaccompanied vocal solo with which the be flabbergasted". symphony fades into silence at its end. The Arp to which this title refers is not Hans The dark, pessimistic, rather violent Ninth Barbera Cook, (or Jean). the Alsatian sculptor and painter. Symphony, with its saxophones and its flugel- Broadway Actress and Singing but an electronic synthesizer apparently horns and its mountainous brass color in gen- Star. "The sound is gorgeous. named after an inventor of the same patro- Voices and instruments are eral. draws more drama out of Previn than you nymic as the artist. The Arp Synthesizer is the might expect on the basis of previous perform- completely natural. Orchestral main instrument used at the electronic studio crescendos are so solid they ances; the one serious disappointment among seem organic. You can feel the air around of the Manhattan School of Music: Elias the symphonies recorded here is theLondon. each instrument." Tanenbaum heads that studio, and he has wherein Previn's performance has nothing completely mastered the Arp and all its ways. like the evocative power of Boult's. I have never heard a more beautiful piece of Previn fills out the disc ofthe Pastoralwith Creators of "Dynamic Damping' electronic music than theMovements of PAT. PEND. Tanenbaumwhich fills the first side of this A new concept in disc of the Ninth with a suite calledThree Por- record. In his jacket notes Tanenbaum talks traits from The England of Elizabeth.The Loudspeaker Technology about musical shapes moving through space. Tuba Concerto is a fascinating work, at least in and although I find it a little difficult to follow its first two movements; the first is a vigorous him here, I found his handling of electronic scherzolike movement close to the scherzo of color and of the structure and timing of a work the Fourth Symphony and the second move- in large form superlatively fine. You know at ment is a typical Vaughan Williams folksong once that a really authentic creative mind lies andante. In the finale the composer goes in for behind this score. the Great Tuba Joke, which is a twin of what The same is true of the three shorter pieces Sir Donald Francis Tovey used to call the on the flip side,Contrasts. Blue Fantasy, and Great Bassoon Joke, and the music suffers ac- For the Bird.The last of these three is espe- cordingly. For the tuba is no joke. at least in cially good. The Bird of the title is Charley the hands of a great artist like John Fletcher, Parker, and the work makes extremely subtle the tubist of this recording. Fletcher reminds and ingenious use of jazz rhythms: even more you of the fact that the tuba is actually a big subtly and ingeniouslyit weaves one of French horn, with all the beauty, subtlety. and Parker's own jazz tunes into the electronic fab- richness of tone one associates with that in- ric. strument, but lower in pitch. There is no such Watch out for the music of Elias Tanen- thing as a limited musical instrument; there baum. His is not a name you hear everywhere. are only limited musicians, and neither Ralph but this record is the find of the month so far as Vaughan Williams nor John Fletcher can by modern music is concerned. A.F. Magnum Opus Loudspeakers areavailable any stretch of the imagination be placed in in 5 Models. Priced from $129. to$795. that category. TheThree Portraits from The England of VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony No. 2 (Lon- Elizabeth isan arrangement by Muir Mathie- For additional information and Dealer List don). London Symphony Orchestra, Andre son of music from a film score by Vaughan write orphone- Previn, cond. RCA Red SealLSC 3282, Williams. It sounds tired and superficial and is $5.98. one of the very few things associated with the VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony No. 3 (Pas- name of Vaughan Williams of which that can toral); Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra. be said. A.F MKnum Heather Harper, soprano (in the symphony); John Fletcher, tuba (in the concerto); London pu Symphony Orchestra, Andre Previn, cond. ELECTRONICS LTD. RCA Red Seal LSC 3281, $5.98. VLIVANOVSKS: Serenades and Sonatas. 220 West 19 Street, New York, N.Y. 10011 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony No. 9; Prague ChamberSoloists with Members of (212)255-8156 Dealer Inquiries Invited Three Portraits from The England of Eliza- the Czech Philharmonic and Prague Sym- CIRCLE 45 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 104 CIRCLE 39 ON READER -SERVICE CARD -30

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KOSS CORPORATION 4129 N. Port Washington Ave., Milwaukee, Wis. 53212 Koss S.r.1., Via dei Valtorta, 21 20127, Milan, Italy phony Orchestras, Libor Petek, cond. Su- over the years, combining rich, weighty or- praphon 1 10 0695, $6.98. chestral sonority with speedy tempos and Serenatas: in C (1680); in C (1670). Sonatas: Se- headlong rhythmic drive. On the whole B6hm cunda in C a 6; in C E 10; in C it 7; "Paschalis" in C; manages to keep the excitement boiling while "La Posta" in C; Secunda in C a 7. still maintaining an over-all orderly perspec- It isn't often in this day and age that we get a tive-no mean feat in this heavily scored op- second chance to "discover" a hitherto un- era-but there is a price to be paid in terms of known musical giant-but here itis for the ensemble precision. and the lack of strict disci- benefit of those who missed the 1966-67 op- pline in this department may well become an- portunity of first hearing some of those long noying with repeated hearings. It also seems to obscured monuments of the baroque era, the me that Bohm could have brought a lighter nobly ceremonial works of Pavel Josef Vej- hand to sections such as the Spinning Chorus vanovsky (c.1640-1693), Heinrich Biber's and a more graceful touch to Erik's scenes. successor as director of the Bishop of Olo- Still, the charged atmosphere he conjures up mouc's orchestra in Moravia. in Acts 1 and III adds up to vivid theater, and a) The first chance was provided by a Cross- no otherDutchmanconductor on discs cap- tures the young Wagner's vitality quite as ef- a) o ci roads release of an earlier Artia/Supraphon Vejvanovsky program, also conducted by Pe- fectively. gek, which I enthusiastically reviewed back in Other good things include the chorus. tradi- January 1967, but which probably never tionally one of Bayreuth's strong suits, still un- der the watchful eve of choral trainer Wilhelm E co found any considerable audience beforeit E" ° < cvi Pitz.Karl Ridderbusch's Daland, and the o w went out of print. Since then there have been " c) several other European (but not Czech) Vej- Steersman of Harald Ek. Ridderbusch's smoothbasso cantantemakes a sumptuous 61 1 6-a vanovsky recordings in trumpet -music collec- 2 ri2 ai sound: evenly schooled from top to bottom u 6-6 2 g tions. but the present release is the first new 8.1 C CD and handled with unfailing musicality-cer- c'-00_.00)5z one that is both devoted exclusively to Vej- vanovsky and to a somewhat wider range of tainly the best recorded Daland to date. Ek TO .3) cn m ro7:13- Er does his little song with a good deal of lyrical O9- r- ON selections. Most of the works here also feature 0- =I- co 0 o high -register trumpets with strings and con- charm and leaves a good-hearted, bluff im- pression of this likable character. 0 tinuo (variously organ or harpsichord), but the 'CB second Sonata in C a 6 and the On stage during these performances (2) PaschalisSo- m Mt)rn t § nata are scored for strings and continuo only; Thomas Stewart impressed me with his force- =, o ful presence and shrewd delivery of the title 0E> 0 the Sonata in C a 10 adds two trombones to ?_) t) ca,), role's enormous demands. but on closer in- 0 co cr) s_ the usual two trumpets; and LaPosta Q is for o , three trombones, three strings, and continuo. spection without the visual element his singing cr, 1-4 does not really measure up to optimum stand- 1-6 cos Although the recording locale is not quite as V) coc expansively reverberant as that of the earlier ards. The Dutchman is a part for a real He/- ,_0 CD - ,_(2 0 c T0 denbariton who can pour it on equally and un- *- I- 0 4)(.1) w c) (1) Peek program, fine, spaciously big -sound en- >, a) 00 tiringlyovertwooctaves.Stewart _ c 0- gineeringmakesthemostofthe -c 0 -0.0 ra0 0 stratospheric trumpet timbres. Yet it's the shortchanges us in the lower register and while c =>, 033 the sound is pleasant enough in midrange can- I; well -varied but always truly "grand" music it- (a "o -0 c -0 self, no less than its distinctive sonics, that tilena. he has neither sufficient tonal power to 2. fn asoco a)(0E fill out and project the high -lying declamation ca0al holds one spellbound. This time, don't miss it! cm= CO c of the finale nor the technique to bind a well - E >Q cb al -0 R.D.D. knit. forward -moving legato line during such ai , hushed passages as"Dich (rage ich"or "Wie c a.) aus der Ferne."Also I find his interpretation (T3 TNCO r0E VERDI: Opera Arias from I Masnadieri, I , caz)c c0)07 too unrelentingly gruff and embittered-a le- was {:3) -C 0 0 (/) Vespri Siciliani,IICorsaro, Otello, Gio- > E 2 (ts v«-0 vanna d'Arco, II Trovatore, Don Carlo, and gitimate way of looking at the role in theory +c -D- c o cn -0 e Jerusalem.Katia Ricciarelli, soprano; Rome perhaps. but in practice rather limiting: the 0 Z'a).- '8) c (a 00 Dutchman may be sour when we first meet >.(7) E

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CIRCLE 49 ON READER -SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1972 107 - _ IMPACT OF recording is spaciously airy. full of presence, demic than either of them, his relatively con- and finely detailed. There's a good deal of servative harmonic idiom stillis piquantly stage noise, partly attributable to the nature of spiced with an accent at once essentially Mag- QUAD -SPECTRUM the opera itself and partly due to the Svoboda yar and yet distinctively original. It is this pi- production,far more physical thanthe quancy, enhanced by deftly ingenious orches- previous Wieland Wagner edition. tration, that vitalizes the otherwise somewhat -SOUND- In sum,a Dutchmannot without its points. old-fashioned romanticism of his incidental but hardly one to sweep the boards. I'd still go music (1913) to Vorosmarty's fairy-tale play, 4 CHANNEL STEREO for the London version with the strong casting Csongar LesTunde-music obviously kin to of Rysanek and London. Richmond's budget that by Mendelssohn for Shakespeare'sMid- DISC AND TAPE 1955 Bayreuth performance (in amazingly summer Night's Dream,but at the very least a full-bodied stereo), with Vamay and Uhde, is minor masterpiece of the same genre, as the A FULL CATALOG OF also well worth investigating. P.G.D. present six -movement suite convincingly demonstrates. Better still is the overside suite (1918) on Hungarian folk -dance materials 20 QUAD -SPECTRUM WAGNER: Overtures and Preludes: Der flie- which, while no less adroitly composed and gende Hollander; Rienzi; Die Meistersinger; scored, reveals more matured powers of orga- 4 CHANNEL ENCODED DISCS Tristan and Isolde. New York Philharmonic, nizational control and dramatic eloquence. i5 98 SUGGESTED LIST OS. Leonard Bernstein, cond. Columbia M31011, This fine work is such an immediately relish- AND $5.98. able delight that I can't understand why it- and other Weiner music-isn't heard more of- DISCRETE 4 CHANNEL STEREO I would surmise that these four performances ten in American concerts, perhaps especially came from three different recording sessions. in summer series where this Op. 18 well might TAPE CARTRIDGES command popularity comparable with that of, 56 98 SUGGESTED LIST PST At least they represent three different ways of miking and mixing the sound of the orchestra. say, Enesco'sRoumanian Rhapsodies. A Deluxe -Colorful In -Store The second side, with theDutchmanand Except for some harshness in the loudest Action Display FREE with Mini- Rienzi,offers far better sound than the first- passages, mainly by the Radio/TV Orchestra mum Order. It Sells Quad bright, full-bodied sonorities with lots of pres- on the "A" side, Breitner's expansively yet lu- ence-and here the Bernstein bravura is also cidly recorded performances make the most of SEE WHAT YOU HEAR dominant. This is the work of a great theater this music's delectable appeal. I recommend it COMPLETE CATALOG conductor who can find all the fire and brim- especially to listeners who find it far from easy stone in theDutchmanmusic and give the nowadays to find something provocatively Discrete Tape Discrete Tape Discrete Tape great, old corny tunes ofRienzi themaximum new to them which is also immediately intelli- Cartridge QST-1 Cartridge QST-2 Cartridge QST-3 gible. R.D.D. THE SOUL OF EXCITING MULTIPLE zest. As a fringe benefit for those experi- SPAIN, VOL. 3 SOUNDS GUITARS menting with four speakers, these bands yield QS Encoded QS Encoded QS Encoded Disc CIS -1 Disc QS -2 Disc OS -3 a fair measure of back -of -the -hall effect. TheMeistersinger iswell enough played but Discrete Tape suffers from a distinctly harsh and unpleasant Discrete Tape Discrete Tape Cartridge top. You can fiddle with tone controls, but this recitals Cartridge QST-4 Cartridge QST-5 Bob Jackson TODAY'S MOVIE really doesn't get you very far. I presume this THEMES The SaxSax with and miscellany CIS Encoded OS Encoded the Strange Ones was a second session. Disc (15.4 Disc QS -5 OS Encoded Tristanseems to come from even a Disc QS -6 The AMERICAN PIANO MUSIC. Herbert Rogers, pi- third session. The sound is better, pleasant this ano. Composers Recordings CRI SD 281, Discrete Tape time, but not as good as the overtures on Side Discrete Tape Discrete Tape Cartridge OST-9 $5.95. Cartridge QST-7 Cartridge QST-8 CALIF. POPPY 2. My basic objection to thisTristanprelude is From My JOHNNY DOE COUNTRY TALUS:Sonata for Piano, No 2.SESSIONS: PICKERS PLAY Sings the Sons HALL OF FAME that Bernstein uses the operatic text, following Diary POWELL invention' Episode; Six Ings Plus ofJohnny Cas QS Encoded AND SING through what Tovey calls, "the catastrophic One LyeeeNT: Sonata Brevis. OS Encoded Disc 05-8 QS Encoded Disc QS -7 Disc QS -9 darkening to C minor" and ending with two plucked notes in the cello and bass, after The sonata by Louise Talma and the short pieces by Henry Cowell stem from a period in Discrete Tape Discrete Tape Discrete Tape which the young sailor at the masthead sings Cartridge QST-1D Cartridge OST-11 Cartridge QST-12 of hisIrisch Kind.This is right in the theater American music when an energetic. motoric, SOUL OF "101 Strings GOLDEN AGE Orchestra" but an absurdity in the concert hall, and Wag- lithe, and fleet texture, sparked by consistent. ISRAEL plus Guitars DANCE BANDS QS Encoded OS Encoded CIS Encoded ner has provided the pages necessary to make delicately handled dissonance, was the thing. Disc OX -113 Disc 05.11 Disc 05.12 this a perfectly well -constituted piece that be- Furthermore, Miss Talma's excellent sonata gins in A major and ends in A minor as a uni- harks back to Ives in its slow sections which Discrete Tape Discrete Tape fied work of music. Cowell. Ives's discoverer and producer. never Discrete Tape Cartridge OST-14 Cartridge QST-15 does. Cartridge QST-13 Music from FIDDLER ON You hear that A minor close on RCA LSC MOVIE HITS CABARET THE ROOF 3011 in a fine performance by Leinsdorf and Cowell'sIngs arethe best things of his here. QS Encoded QS Encoded QS Encoded Their titlesare Floating. Frisking. Fleeting. Disc QS -13 Disc OS -14 Disc OS -15 the Boston Symphony. The same record also contains theMeistersingerPrelude andFlying Scooting. Wafting. Seething, and Whisking, DutchmanOverture,butitsubstitutes and they sound just like that. Discrete Tape Discrete Tape Discrete Tape TannhintserforRienzi.You may prefer the Roger Sessions'From My Diary isa set of Cartridge QST-16 Cartridge QST-17 Cartridge OST-18 four pieces rescued from a pile of short daily "101 Strings LATIN TODAY'S switch. Leinsdorf offers good sound through- Orchestra' HOLIDAY SOUNDS out, but not as up-to-date or spectacular as intellectual setting -up exercises with which QS Encoded QS Encoded OS Encoded Disc QS -16 Side 2 of the Bernstein disc. R.C.M. this composer used to put himself in shape for Disc 05-17 Disc CIS -18 real work. They have a fragmentary, pensive. resonant character rather less severe than is Discrete Tape WEINER: Csongar es Tiinde: Suite, Op. 10; Discrete Tape Cartridge usual with Sessions' works, and they belong in Cartridge QST-19 Discrete Tape Hungarian Folk Dances Suite, Op. 18. Or- the Hits of Cartridge QST-20 QUAD chestra of the HungarianRadio andTele- a great tradition of the composer's sketch to BACHARACH DYNAMIC SPECTRUM vision (in Op. 10); Budapest Philharmonic Or- which too little attention has been paid. AND WEBB SOUNDS SAMPLER OS Encoded QS Encoded DEMONSTRATOR chestra (in Op. 18), Tamas Breitner, cond. Donald Lybbert'sSonata Brevis isa very Disc OS -19 Disc QS -20 Hungaroton LPX 11526, $5.98. powerful work, with serial elements and tonal elements and, above everything, an intense WRITE OR PHONE ORDERS LeoWeiner (1885-1960) may be only a refer- and unflagging drive. A PRODUCT OF ALSHIRE INTERNATIONAL ence -book entry to most American music All this is magnificently performed by Her- P.O. BOX 7107, BURBANK, CA. 91505 lovers, but in his native Hungary he ranks bert Rogers. who makes a total and compel- close behind his more widely famed contem- ling case for each of the four works he per- PHONE (213) 849-4611 poraries Bart6k and Kodaly. 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Lafayette Radio ElectronicsP.O. Box 10, Dept 19112, Syosset, N.Y. 11791 r Send today! 19112 Send my FREE LAFAYETTE 1973 Catalog to: FREE The World's Largest Name Consumer Electronics Catalog Address Your One Complete Buying Guide For "Everything In Electronics" City State Zip L J CIRCLE 40 ON READER SERVICE CARD NubEN1111.1t 1972 109 CRISTINA DEUTEKOM: "In Vienna." Cristina tonal lapses but by what strikes me-despite unidentified in the otherwise notably informa- Deutekom, soprano; Orchestra of the Vienna the recording clarity and considerable rever- tive jacket notes. Volksoper, Franz Allers, cond. Philips 6500 beration-as unpleasantly thin -bodied and dry The strong, clean recording features vividly 228, $6.98. sonics. But at least this release is a welcome re- close-up miking-too close perhaps for com- Zau.ss: Lipizzaner Kaiserin (Der Vogelhandler). minder of a specialized repertory that's lam- plete aesthetic enjoyment, but ideal for stu- Lumen: Mich freut's, dass ich mich freu' (Die Land- entably neglected nowadays and warrants dents and connoisseurs of the double-reed in- streicher). JOHANN STRAUSS II: Accelerationen, Op. 234; Einmal nur im Leben (Liebeslieder, Op. 114): reinvestigation-that is if our age can produce struments themselves. These are played with Pester Csardas, Op. 23: Wo die Zitronen bkih'n, Op. who can recapture some of the admirable skill and gusto by a West Coast en- 364: Wienerwaldlerchen: Liebeswalzer. JOSEF magic veteran discophiles still associate with semble drawn from the Los Angeles Philhar- STRAUSS: Wenn's auf der Welt noch Wunder gibt (Mein Lebenslauf istLieb' and Lust. Op. 2631: such 78 -rpm -era grand ladies as , monic with one exception-the Westwood SphranklEinge, Op. 235. Maria Nemeth. and Adele Kern. R.D.D. Wind Quintet's oboist, Peter Christ. who also seems to have been this disc's main begetter, since he is the transcriber ( Bach and Handel) The young Dutch soprano Cristina Deutekom MUSIC FOR DOUBLE-REED ENSEMBLE. Mem- and dedicatee (Pillin and Heussenstamm). seems to invite divisiveness: Her listeners split bers of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Or- R.D.D. up equally into passionate groups of admirers chestra; Akiro Endo, cond. Crystal S 871, and disparagers. The former praise to the skies $5.98. her vocal and coloratura brilliance; the latter BACH: Ein musikalisches Opfer, S. 1079: Ricercara THE PEKING OPERA. Official Ensemble 6 (arr. Peter Christ). HANDEL: Two Pieces (arr. Peter ICIof the Chinese People's Republic. concede the éclat but find an acidulousness in Christ). MUM: Three Pieces for Double -Reed Sep- the voice itself and seemingly arrogant execu- tet (1971). HEUSSENSTAMM: Set for Double Reeds, pr\JSeraphim 60201, $2.98 (mono; from tant carelessness in the bravura. Op. 39 (1971). Angel 35229, 1956). Before hearing the present recital.I had hoped that by returning to the repertory of her This is a Must for everyone who shares my Look what Nixon's trip dredged up! This early career Miss Deutekom would be more own susceptibility for the bittersweet tonal recording was made at the Paris International successful than in her controversial recent op- qualities of oboes, English horns, and bas- Fair of Dramatic Art in 1955. It contains two eratic recordings. But here too I'm forced to soons, individually and in pungent ensemble. lovely things-TheCourt of the Phoenix, align myself with those who assert that this is a Perhaps conservative listeners will only po- played on the Chinese-style oboe known as great vocal talent gone largely wrong. That's litely tolerate Boris Pillin's by -no -means the so-na by Hou Tai Tchuen, andMoonlight particularly regrettable, since the operetta and unappealing or rigid manipulations of a tone on the Springtime River,played on the Chi- waltz selections themselves (arranged by Max row, and they may find George Heussen- nese guitar called pi -pa by Chang Yu -Tien. SchOnherr and Walter Kalischnig) are irresist- stamm's exercises in severer experimental tech- Hou and Chang are (or were) great virtuosos, ibly delectable and dazzingly virtuosic vehicles niques dismally lugubrious. But even these and until you have heard Hou imitate all the for a soloist; also both the singer and her timid spirits can still treasure this release for birds in the forest on his so-na, you have no conductor, Franz Alters, are obviously fluent an exhilarating version of one of Bach's great- conception of what a double reed can do. in the authentic Viennese idiom. est fugal masterpieces (taken here at an un- There are also three longish excerpts from But what should be an aural delight is too commonly brisk pace) and a couple of exhu- Chinese opera, with its wry -necked vocalism, often soured not only by the soloist's own berantly bouncing bitsof Handelania noisy percussion, and incomprehensible dra-

It'sthestati

CIRCLE 44 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 110 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE matic situations; a solo song, on the Chinese Burgess has clearly shot for the most gor- varied colors and trimmings. Nevertheless, zither known as the tseng; and an orchestral geous sound obtainable by his group and he having chosen an ideal of homogeneous dance, all of them trashily Westernized for the has got it. 0 rosa bella-sung by an unspecified sound, Burgess has done a very good job of it. tourist trade A.F. tenor and in a repeat by a bass as well, accom- He is aided by fine engineering and produc- panied by two viols-is one of the loveliest per- tion which separates the parts without altering formances of this wonderful song I have ever the blend and balance. S.T.S. PURCELL CONSORT OF VOICES: "Music of heard. The viols blend equally well with the Josquin des Pres and John Dunstable." soprano of Sancta Maria, and the delicate al- Purcell Consort of Voices; Elizabethan Con- ternatim of Ave marls stella is comparably ROMANTIC PIANO CONCERTOS: Berwald, sort of Viols, Grayston Burgess, dir. Argo handled. Only Burgess himself in Alma re- Dohnanyi, Dreyschock, Raff, Rhein- ZRG 681, $5.98. demptoris has a slight breathiness or edge to berger, and Rubinstein. Greta Erikson, DESPres:Petitecamusette; Coeursdesolez; La his voice which detracts from the total effect. Frank Cooper, Mint Vazsonyi, and Adrian Deploration sur la mort de Johan Okeghem; Vive le The Josquin works are, like the Dunstable, Ruiz, piano. For a feature review of these roy; El Grillo; La Bernardina; Baises moy; Fortuna familiar from many recordings. Again Burgess recordings, see page 77. desperata a 3; Ave Maria. DumsymiLE: 0 rosa bella; Ave maris stella; Alma redemptoris mater: Sancta strives successfully for a velvety blend of Maria succure miseris; Veni sancte spiritus/Veni sound and in some numbers it is thrilling. The BEVERLY SILLS CONCERT. Beverly Sills, so- creator spiritus. superb lament on the death of Ockeghem is prano; members of the Chamber Music deeply moving in the finest recording I can re- Society of Lincoln Center; Charles Wads- Grayston Burgess has selected some of the call hearing. The quick canonic instrumental worth, piano and harpsichord. ABC Audio most sumptuously beautiful familiar pieces by pieces, however, are not as sparkling as they Treasury ATS 20011, $5.98. two great masters of the Renaissance and might be, and the humor of the cricket, El ADAM: Bravura Variations on a Theme of Mozart. given them a sumptuously beautiful treat- -Ah, vous maman" (with Paula Robison, Grillo, is left behind a pretty but polite read- flute). SCHUBERT: Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (with Ger- ment. The result is like eating a dozen choco- ing. Josquin's Ave Maria is performed in an vase de Peyer. clarinet). ARNE: Artaxerxes: The Sol- late éclairs, and I think I like it very much- unusual arrangement with two additional dier Tir'd (with Charles Treger, violin: Leslie Parnas, though perhaps it wouldn't do for every day. voices from a contemporary manuscript cello) H ; Meine Seele hart im Sehen (with Robison and Parnas). CALOARA: La Rosa (with Par- To start chronologically, the first four works source. The result is a very crowded sound, es- nas). BISHOP: Lo. Here the Gentle Lark (with Rob- by Dunstable are in the new richly lyric song pecially since the piece is played by the whole ison) style the composer helped to create, with its ensemble. The performances of Petite cam- voluptuously swelling melodies cushioned on usene and Baises moy on the other hand are What a curious compilation is this, Beverly harmonies softened with luxurious thirds and lovely as is an instrumental version of Coeurs Sills's first recital disc and the first appearance sixths. Veni creator, an isorhythmic double- desolez played by the viol consort. of the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society texted motet in the old style, still has enough Burgess's treatment of these works, one on records: one Schubert song, three rather of the "English sweetness" which so as- should be aware, is by no means the only pos- dull baroque numbers ( one operatic aria, two tonished the continent in the fifteenth century sible interpretation of this repertoire. The cantatas). and two dreary nineteenth-century if one concentrates on the supple vocal deco- Dunstable pieces in particular respond very coloratura showpieces from the bottom of ration instead of the structural girders of this well to a structural approach and it has been Pattri barrel. It's rather hard to see who will magnificent work. fashionable lately to present Josquin in more want all of this together except, I suppose. Sills

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CIRCLE 44 ON READER -SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1972 fans-but the public that goes into raptures have a side to themselves.Silver Thawis for over Adam and Bishop is likely to find the any combination of instruments; Turetzky STYLUS FORCE GAUGE Caldara pretty dull going and vice versa (one records it on four tracks.Design GroupsNo. I hopes that the Schubert, at least, is to every- is for a percussion ensemble and is recorded one's taste). by Ron George on three tracks using a huge And yet it is all music that can be made in- armamentarium of strikables; this is the only teresting from some point of view. I'm a pretty band on the record in which Turetzky does not sober "real music" addict myself, but I've perform.Design GroupsNo. 2 is for any duo of been known to listen to, say. Miliza Korjus' high and low instruments; Turetzky plays the record of the Adam (on Preiser LV 7,2) for just low part and his wife the high, using several the sheer polish and accuracy of the singing. different flutes. All this music -sounds exactly But not all the confidence in the world-and alike-random, formless, and despite its lavish * Each unit individually calibrated she has plenty-can disguise the fact that Bev- use of timbral resources, colorless. The alea- * Dial registers 1/4 gram increments erly Sills is not able to get through the piece tory movement of recent years reaches the end *Scale range zero to five grams with anything like the precision of Korjus; the of the line in things like this. A.F. *Knob deflection full circle 360° *Overhang scale pan design permits inequalities of register. the unfocused tone. stylus force adjustment at exact point the technical makeshifts are such that one can of contact with record groove hardly enjoy the performance at that level. IGOR ZHUKOV: "Four Russian Rarities for *May be used with any record player And although you might not expect it, the Piano and Orchestra."Igor Zhukov,piano; same problems are as deleterious in the more MoscowRadio symphony Orchestra, Gen- straightforward cantabile literature. There is nady Rozhdestvensky (in the Rimsky-Korsa- some nice phrasing here, but the decorative kov and Tchaikovsky concertos) and Mikhail matter is rarely completely even and secure. Yurovsky (in the other works), cond. Melo- and wide-ranging lines don't hang together diya/Angel SR 40188, $5.98. because of the register problems, the scoop- RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Concerto for Piano and Orches- ing, and the flawed intonation. Nor are Miss tra, in C sharp minor, Op. 30. SCHRIABIN: Fantasia in Sills's well-known and justifiably admired A minor. TCHAIKOVSKY: Concerto for Piano and Or- $11.95 dramatic gifts of much value here-even the chestra, No. 3, in E flat, Op. 75; Allegro for Piano and few attempts at expression in the Schubert String Orchestra, in C minor. Selected comparison (Rimsky-Korsakov): come out sounding affected. and attacking Ponti, Kapp Can. 31056 FOR MORE INFORMATION WRITE notes from belowis notstylistically appro- Selected comparisons (Tchaikovsky concerto): priate in this work. Ponti, Fromert Can. 31056 AiramaINTERNATIONAL The obbligatos are well played, but the pi- Graffman, Ormandy Col. 6755 37 Newtown Road ano accompaniments are undistinguished, the Plainview, New York 11803 harpsichord mainly a buzzing noise. Texts and Igor Zhukov must be the U.S.S.R.'s answer to translations are included, in typically grungy Michael Ponti. He is very much the same sort CIRCLE 19 ON READER -SERVICE CARD ABC typography and-also typically-out of of player, to judge from the few recordings I sr sequence. D.H. have heard: addicted to unusual music, robust, energetic, not particularly subtle; and some- 0 T, times even a little ferocious and percussive. BERTRAM TURETZKY: Works for Contra- The present collection shows Zhukov to far This is a plug for bass. Bertram Turetzky, contrabass; assist- better advantage than his recent disc of a book about ing artists. Desto DC 7128, $5.98. Tchaikovsky's Second Piano Concerto. Here electronic music ERB: Basspiece. Gomm: By theIsar. MMUS- he keeps his pianism under closer surveillance O . Divertimento, La Ricarda. &Rom*: Silver and while the sonority he draws is still a bit Thaw; Design Groups No. 1; Design Groups No. 2. { - flinty and hard, he does shape and shade with The contrabass has been especially favored in greater consideration. the development of the new virtuosity and the The Rimsky-Korsakov is preferable to music written to exploit it, but a display of in- Ponti's recent version. While the warmth and THE LIBERATION strumental technique can be just as empty elegance of Richter's poorly reproduced ac- when it employs electronic tracks and/or the countislacking, Zhukov's approachis OF SOUND 12 -tone system as when it remains within forthright, excitingly propulsive, and large - nineteenth-centurylimitsof expression. scaled. Rozhdestvensky's support has mar-

Which is another way of saying that the only velous clarity and direction, and the cleanly really first-class work here is Donald Erb's separated, vividly detailed stereo sound clari- Basspiece,wherein the bass is accompanied fies the score most admirably. by a 4 -track tape of bass music often altered The Tchaikovsky Third Concerto is played {An Introduction to ElectronicMusic electronically to produce a rich fabric of in the one -movement version, and gets a by Herbert Russcol totally unbasslike sounds. The solo line is gusty,thoroughly Russian -sounding int,er- unbelievably difficult and involved and pretation. Zhukov's passagework is,again, Turetzky's performance is, as always, breath- spectacularly cleanbutnot objectionably per- 7 taking, but the result is also a highly respect- cussive or crude. This performance has more pianistic finesse and better orchestral support 11411 able work of art. Will Ogdon'sBy the Isar isa pleasantly lyr- than Ponti's and more vibrant temperament Someonehas finally written a non- ical setting of a poem by D. H. Lawrence for than Graffman's (excellent though that latter technicalbut factual book about elec- soprano voice, alto flute, and bass. TheDiver- edition is). The early Tchaikovsky Allegro is a tronicmusic. From Moog synthesizers to timento, La Ricardaby Josep Maria Mestres- minor specimen, over with practically before computersand magnetic tape, the whole spectrumof the "new music" is explored Quadreny, for bass. flute, and clarinet. is de- it has begun. The Scriabin was originally a Inarticles by composers, a glossary of scribed in the jacket notes as a "fun piece," but work for two pianos, and literal orchestration terms,and more. it doesn't sound that way; it has a kind of was made by one G. Zinger. It's a flexible, "Thebible of the new music." grimly minimal character, gray and austere highly expressive piece in Scriabin's familiar, Illustrated -Publishers Weekly without being interesting.Apparently the early romantic style. Zhukov plays both pieces $10.00 work is one of those ghastly things in which very efficiently, and the recording-as in the At yourbookseller or write to: the performers are supposed to cut some vis- concertos-is among the best the Soviet engi- Addison Tredd ual capers onstage. neers have produced. A recommended collec- ppi_iPRENTICE-HALL Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 07632 The three compositions by Netty Simons tion of out-of-the-way music. H.G. CIRCLE 54 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 112 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE The AR -3a is SeijiOzawa's choice for home listening.

Seiji Ozawa is acutely familiar objectively, and that the de- with the sound of the world's sign of high fidelity compo- of its own. Its purpose is to great orchestras. He is also nents can best be accom- reproduce as closely as pos- sensitive to the sound of the plished through the application sible the sound of the original same orchestras on records, of scientific methods in their performance. having made a prodigious testing and evaluation. number of recordings during The choice of AR loudspeak- recent years. We also believe that high fi- ers by Seiji Ozawa and other delity equipment should not celebrated musicians is a firm For home listening necessarily sound "good"- indication of the success of The loudspeakers that Mr. rather, it should have no sound this approach.

Ozawa has chosen for listen- 1 ing to records at home are Please send detailed information on thecomplete line of AR-3a's. The AR -3a is de- AR loudspeakers to signed to reproduce commer- cial recordings as accurately Name as is possible within the pres- ent limits of loudspeaker Address technology.

Objective standards HF-11 At AR we believe that the ac- Acoustic Research, Inc. curacy with which sound is 24 Thorndike St., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141 reproduced can be measured CIRCLE 1 ON READER -SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1972 113 4 -channel discs/tapesBY ROBERT LONG

Bravo, Columbia. As new issues continue guess you've got nothing to be concerned to appear. I remain more impressed with about. the Columbia quadraphonic catalogue Something Idid not mention pre- than with any other. It's not that I prefer viously was the inferiority of Ampex's the SQ matrix process to the available cartridge packaging to RCA's. RCA's options; I don't. I have yet to hear from thin cardboard case protects the open- any matrix processing quite thebreath- ings at the business end of the cartridge takingly convincing reconstruction of from dust and keeps the tape safe from space that exists in the best of thedis- snagging on irregular objects during crete quadraphonic demo tapes. Nor isit storage. The original Ampex wrapping- only a question of my tastes fitting those such asit was-came apart with the of Columbia's a & r department, though shrinkwrap and had to be discarded. that certainly has something to do with That, too, Ampex has remedied. The it. Any company that can muster the va- present cardboard sleeve wraps around riety and excitement of Columbia's lists- the top, bottom, and ends of the car- even on paper-has a good thing going. tridge. It does about as good a job as The real difference, however, is in the RCA's cover in protecting the open end consistency with which Columbia makes of the cartridge. the music and the quadraphonics work to mutual advantage. To be sure there The Big Tchaikovsky. If you like sym- are gimmicks on some of the Columbia phonic spectaculars, there are two Q-8 discs, but there's also a real feeling for cartridges of particularinterest. The the new medium. Columbia has nothing "dramatically new version" (with like an exclusive on that property, of chorus) of the 1812 Overture conducted course, and with any luck it will become by Igor Buketoff (RCA RQ8 1115, $7.95, commonplace. The sooner the better. whichalsocontainsRachmaninoff's A particular favorite of mine at the SpringCantata, Op. 20, and hisThree moment is "The World of Harry Partch" Russian Folk Songs,Op. 41) has been (MQ 31227, $6.98). The esoteric sono- available for some time on stereo disc. rities of Partch's handmade instruments While it's not my favorite reading, it will and the iconoclasm of his writing are do nicely whether you really like the what make you want to move into the piece or just want to bombard your sound and savor it. A sense of craftsman- friends with symphonic quadraphonics. ship-both musical and technical-per- More exacting in his musicianship is vades the recording. Listening in four Stokowski in his performance with the channels helps you feel the instrumental American Symphony of Tchaikovsky's textures and interplay, both of which are Fourth Symphony (Vanguard/Ampex highly pleasurable. Van L 715, $7.95, which also contains Stokowski's orchestration of Scriabin's C agnificent Ampex Mechanics. In the September sharp minor Etude, Op. 2, No. 1). Sto- column I mentioned that Ampex had put kowski's passion for sharply etched de- a raised logo on the top of their Q-8 car- tails and dramatic contrasts may not be Gosscssion tridge cases, next to the end with the above reproach, but his technique in openings for capstan and tape head. This achieving his ends is fastidious. Perhaps the best raised section caught on the flaplike door because of the dynamic range he im- over the cartridge slot of the Toyo player poses on his orchestra, thiscartridge pick-up arm I was then using and prevented easy re- seems a mite hissier than most,but the moval. sound is lush and fullbodied. in the world Recently I've been using a Wollensak Both recordings spread the orchestra Model 6054 cartridge deck which, while around the listener. This is easier to take rfl I-11 LJ 1=1 E it has a similar flap, doesn't snag the car- if you're after spectacular sound than itis tridges. Since I haven't gone around with if you want to hear something approach- an Ampex Q-8 checking everyplayer I ing a concert hall performance.Since 1 come across,I have no idea what the neither pieceislikely to hold much probabilities of snagging might be. charm for those who approach their mu- Ampex tells me, however, that it has sic listening with utter seriousness, I sup- SHURE BROTHERS INC. gotten rid of the logo. I checked my latest pose the quadraphonics can'tbe faulted 222 Hartrey Avenue batch of Ampex cartridges and all still in this respect. But the recordings suggest Evanston, Illinois 60204 had the old case, but Ampex says they (again) that a great deal remains to be "must be the last of the first run." Any- said about how the symphony orchestra way, if your cartridge slot has no flap,I can best be recordedquadraphonically. CIRCLE 68 ON READER -SERVICE CARD HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE I 1 4 We've just lowered the cost of electrostatics. Without lowering their performance.

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CIRCLE 73 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

NOVEMBER 19-.7 IIS the Sanwa Seven Here is another wonder from Sansui. Who else but Sansui engineers could have achieved it? We've highlighted seven significant features of the many that will make this total -capability FM/AM Stereo Receiver the most instrument of its kind. Actually there are more than 30, many of them Sansui exclusives, that set the SEVEN off from others. Yours for $459.95.

1. DIRECT -COUPLED POWER AMPLIFIER WITH AUTOMATICALLY RESTORING DOUBLE -PROTECTED OUTPUT. Direct coupling from one end of the power amplifier to the other yields unimpaired damping factor and 'ransient response at exceptional power band- width and phenomenally low distortion levels. Both quick -acting fuses and relay circuits protect both amplifier and speakers if failures occur, with automatic self -restoration if the problem is transient. 2. FULL -FEATURED JACK FIELD FOR DOLBY, QUADAPTERS AND MORE. Connect any noise -reduction adapter, Dolby or other, and activate. it with push-button convenience for tape recording. Go to four -channel stereo simply by connectingan adapter and rear -channel amplifier any time you wish, again with pushbutton activation. Connect two tape decks through a choice of regular pin jacks, three -contact phone jack or DIN multiple connector. Connect two phono- graphs. In addition, quick connect/disconnect links between amplifier and preamp sections permit separateuse or addition of other add-on devices. 3. CERAMIC FILTERS AND IC's IN FM IF. For exceptional selectivity and rejection characteristics with full bandwidth. min4rrum phase shift and remarkable freedom from distortion. The IC embodies a 3 -stage differential amplifier. Two ceramic resonators filter each of three stages. 4. SIGNAL -GRABBING FM FRONT END WITH DUAL -GATED MOSFET, 4 -GANG TUNING CAPACITOR AND WIDE -DIAL LINEAR FM SCALE. A sophisticated two -stage RF amplifier and mixer stage uses a low -noise MOSFET in conjunction with three costly, special- purpose silicon transistors and a 4 -gang frequency -linear tuning capacitor. That's why :he SEVEN is outstanding with respect to sensitivity, IM distortion and image ratio, and offers a dial scale precisely calibratedin 250kHz steps for pinpoint tuning. 5. TRIPLE, STEPPED EQUALIZER -TYPE TONE CONTROLS. Separate treble, bass, and midrange tone controls, the first two calibrated in 3dB steps, the midrange in 1dB steps, for custom tailoring of response across the full audiospectrum. 6. THREE -STAGE, DIRECT -COUPLED EQUALIZER/PREAMP AND CONSTANT CURRENT DRIVER AMPLIFIER. High signal-to-noise ratio, high sta- bility, extremely wide dynamic range and elimination of crossover distortion, as wellas °tier types, all contribute to an exceptionally clean, effortless, unclipped sound. Broad frequency response beyond the audioextremes also prevents phase shift at the low or high end of the spectrum, to add to the exceptional pLrity of reproduction. 7. NEW -DESIGN, QUALITY AM TUNER. AM reception is not just an "also" on the SEVEN: learn again mow good AMcan sound, at its best. An RF preselector-amplifier combines with a 3 -gang turing capacitor andan IF section that includes a 2 -resonator ceramic filter for ideal bandpass characteristics. A 2 -stage Automatic Gain Control Circuit actson both RF and IF sections for constant volume regardless of signal strength. A whistle filter eliminatesother -station beat interference.

MORE THAN SEVEN-Other features of the SEVEN include: Sharp -cutoff, Negative -feedback High and Low Filters. Low - distortion circuitry using especially designed transistors provide 12dB/octave characteristics. Brute -strength Power Supply. High plus -and -minus DC power supplies with constant -voltage stabilization and ripple filter applied to the equalizer/control circuits, plus4 bridge rectifiers and 2 huge 4,700-mf capacitors for the power amplifier. All for clean, rock -steady handling of signals with ample power reserve. Two Large Tuning Meters. One for signal strength, the other for center channel, for precision tuning. FM Muting Switch. Off for hunting distant stations; on for velvet -quiet tuning. Three -System Speaker Selector Off for headphone -only listening; also A, B, C, A+B and A+C. Adjustment -free Sharp -cutoff Filter for Multiplex Carrier.Front -panel Headphone Jack, Grounding Terminals, Switched and Unswitched AC Outlets, One -Touch Connector Terminals for Speakers and Antennas, 300-ohm/75-ohm FM Antenna Inputs, Loudness Switch ... and more, more, more. Sarszi and itssevenwonders

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SPECIFICATIONS FM Sensitivity (IHF) 1.8 microvolts Power Output FM Sigial/Noise better than 63 dB IHF Music 160 watts, 4 ohms FM IF cr Spurious -Response better than 100 dB Continuous RMS 47/47 watts, 8 ohms Rejection Power Bandwidth, IHF 10 to 50,000 Hz, E ohms FM Capture Ratio below 1.5 Frequency Response, Overall15 to 40,000 Hz +1dB, -1.5 d311 watt) AM Sensitivity 46dB/ m (bar antenna) Distortion, Overall AM Sele;tivity better than 30dB Total Harmonic below 0.3%, rated output (-2_-10kHz) TM below 0.3%, rated output Phono Input Sensitivity 2.5 my Hum and Noise, Overall (INF)80 dB (AUX input) Phono Input Maximum 100 my

0.1.0171.117C1. ION, MINIM illurrorn

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Action of the Triple -range Tone Controls Total Harmonic Distortion vs. Power (20 to 20,000 Hz)

THE SANSUI MODEL SIX: There's great news 'or those who want the, essential performance capability of the Mode' SEVEN, but whose power -output requirements . J. . are somewhat less demanding. Look into tt-e Superb Sansui SIX. close relative of the SEVEN with basically the sane design, features arc performance capability. $389.95.

SANSUI ELECTRONICS CORP. Woodside, New York 11377 Gardena, California 90247 ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTORS (Canada), Vancouver 9, B.C. SANSUI ELECTRIC CO., LTD., Tokyo, Japan Sansui Audio Europe S. A., Antwerp, Belgium CIRCLE 62 ON READER -SERVICE CARD JEFFERSON AIRPLANE: Long John Silver. of curiosity about that composer's life and the lighter side Grace Slick, piano and vocals; Jack Casady, career. In addition, the songwriter/guitarist bass; Paul Kantner, rhythm guitar and vocals; delivers powerhouse interpretations of two Jorma Kaukonen, lead guitar and vocals; Mickey Newbury compositions, Sweet Memo- Papa John Creach, violin; John . Barbata, ries and Mister Can't You See. Jeremiah, a tune of her own composition, finds her over- reviewed by Joey Covington, and Sammy Piazza, drums. Long John Silver; Aerie (Gang of Eagles); coming a primitive set of rhymes. Her wistful MORGAN AMES Twilight Double Leader; Milk Train; The Son rock ballad. He's an Indian Cowboy in the Ro- of Jesus; Easter?; Trial by Fire; Alexander the deo, is a much better bet. R. D. DARRELL Medium; Eat Starch Mom. Grunt FTR 1007, This LP's title song, Moonshot, has an open- HENRY EDWARDS $5.98. Tape: P8FTP 1007, $6.95; WO ing line that reads: "Into outer space you'll go, FKFTP 1007, $6.95. my friend." Songs like this one usually fail for MIKE JAHN lack of fresh imagery. Moonshot is obviously JOHN S. WILSON About three years ago I speculated that Jeffer- much too prosaic. However, once again Miss son Airplane really had recorded only one St. Marie's vocal prowess shines through. Po- song, three weeks long. Every time they tent vocalizing and superior musicianship needed a new album, they just got out the tape do make this disc a rewarding listening ex- and hacked off forty minutes' worth. perience. Even the horn arrangements, a "Long John Silver" is the new Airplane al- cliché on most pop albums this year, are ex- bum. It sounds like the last Airplane album. pressive without being overbearing. H.E. Elsymbol denotes There are the rumbly, ominous guitar chords an exceptional recording and Grace Slick's voice winding in and around them, managing to sing a short novel's JUDY COLLINS: Colors of the Day. Judy Col- worth of words without ever defining the mel- lins, guitar, piano, and vocals; vocal and in- ody. As for those words-well, there are a lot strumental accompaniment. Someday Soon; of them; if nothing ends up being said, I guess Since You Asked; Both Sides Now; Sons Of; Jimmy WEBB: Letters. Jimmy Webb, there must be some value in quantity. Look Suzanne; Farewell to Tarwathie; Who Knows vocals, piano, songs, and arrange- what it did for that fellow who wrote The Car- Where the Time Goes; Sunny Goodge Street; ments; Joni Mitchell and Susan Webb, petbaggers. The album jacket folds into a fake My Father; Albatross; In My Life; Amazing background vocals. Galveston; When stash box complete with fake pot. M.J. Grace.ElektraEKS 75030,$5.98. Can Brown Begin; Once in the Morn- Tape: 85030, $6.98; VP 55030, $6.98. ing: seven more. Reprise 2055, $5.98. BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE: Moonshot. I think this might be subtitled "folk music Jimmy Webb was born in Oklahoma in 1946 Butty Sainte -Marie, vocals and guitar; began in 1966." I don't know how Miss Col- and uprooted to southern California at the strings, reed, keyboard, rhythm, and lins, having spent the first four or five years sapling age of eighteen, whereupon he fell in horns accompaniment. Not the Lovin' of her public career becoming one of the most with the music community. Almost at once he Kind; You Know How to Turn On respected singers primarily of traditional folk was signed by Johnny Rivers and began writ- Those Lights; IWanna' Hold Your songs, can release a "best hits" album such ing monster hits (Up, Up and Away; Phoenix; Hand Forever; seven more. Vanguard as this which includes mainly new composi- MacArthur Park; Wichita Lineman; etc.). A VSD 79312, $5.98. Tape: fe M tions. True, there was an album of her older year or so later Webb gave up writing hits for 59312, $6.95. songs,called"Recollections,"containing other people to concentrate on writing for songs from "the folk years," but even that had himself. The industry and the public remains Even though I've had frequent objections to only one tune that vaguely could be thought reluctant to let him change his image. He has Buffy St. Marie's choice of subject matter and of as "traditional." given concerts to pale reviews and made two the affected vocal mannerisms she sometimes I don't see why she's so embarrassed by solo albums, neither of them hits. In terms of applies to these subjects, I cannot deny that having sung traditional ballads-two or three his dazzling early presence. Jimmy Webb has her voice is one of the most powerful and com- could have been included in her retrospec- slipped from view and gone off inside himself. pelling vocal instruments in pop music today. tives. Traditional folk music did, after all, pro- I must confess that his new album, "Let- Resplendently arranged and produced, vide her with a residual audience so that when ters," is the first of his three solo sets I've had a "Moonshot" is one of her most successful sets she did sing Dylan and Brel, a lot of people chance to study. It is impressive: warm and ro- in quite some time. Here Miss St. Marie really listened in. Anyway, for an LP containing the mantic, inconsistent and flawed, full of talent, rocks on Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's rock- recent best of Judy Collins, this is very good. humanity, and questions. abilly blues, My Baby Left Me. Her powerful, M.J. The old Jimmy Webb exists in the new. His raunchy vocal should add to the recent wave string writing is still lovely and still borderline excessive (and often too far back in the mix for ELVIS PRESLEY: Sings the Wonderful World my tastes). Webb is still capable of writing ex- of Christmas; Now; Sings Hits from His quisite and painfully simple melody lines that Movies, Volume One; He Touched Me; As stay in the head like old loves (Love Hurts). Recorded at Madison Square Garden. For This time out he tries his hand at satire too in a feature review of these five albums, see Campo de Elkin°, an ode to San Fernando page 74. Valley living: "I wanna live on the valley side/ Where the girls are skinny and the sky is wide/ Where I can take my horsy for a ride...:' BANANA AND THE BUNCH: Mid -Mountain Webb has also written a touching love song to Ranch. Banana, guitar, piano, and vocals; his piano, but not all the songs are that good. Michael Kane, bass; Joe Bauer, drums; in- Webb's friend Joni Mitchell joins in the back- strumental accompaniment. Back in the ground of Simile, a song with some beautiful U.S.A.; My True Life Blues; twelve more. lines but a sense of incompleteness. Hurt Me Raccoon/Warner Bros. BS 2626, $5.98. Well is as self-indulgent as the title implies. Jimmy Webb's voice is warm and una- Banana is the hairy-even by rockstar stand- dorned. At times he hesitates, as if to say, "I'd ards-guitarist for the Youngbloods; Bauer is better not." At other times he throws self-con- the drummer for that band; Kane has played sciousness out the window and soars. bass with them. Thus, if this LP sounds a bit In all, Jimmy Webb continues to be among like the Youngbloods, finding out why doesn't our most sensitive talents, a grower and a doer. take much sleuthing. Look in his woodsy window with this album. The songs contained hereon are a pleasant M.A. Buffy Sainte-Marie-potent vocalizing. and lighthearted mix of rock-and-roll, blues,

118 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE When Radio Shack featuresastereo systemonnetwork TV andon thecoverof theirnewcatalog ...it better be good!

S'ave S50 (9.eaet 670ece:a1/ We're showing off this all -Realistic system to millionsupon millions of viewers this fall on NBC and CBS pro football telecasts. With that kind of exposure, every component init had to be selected with painstaking care to deliver what we feel is best -for -the -money performance, style and features. We call it our "TV Special"on our 1973 catalog cover and it's very special indeed! Heart of this system is our STA-18 AM; FM StereoReceiver, rated at 25 watts and boasting some very special features or its price-center-channel FM/signal-strength AM tuning meter, tape inputs andoutputs with monitor, dial pointer that changes co/or to show FM stereo broadcasts. Thebookshelf -perfect MC -1000 speaker

systems have acoustic -suspension design, full 20-20,000 Hz response. Our LAB- 12A 4 -speed turntable handles your records with gentleness and precision.Itis complete with a factory -installed base and diamond magnetic stereo cartridge. The cabinets are made of oiled walnut wood: everything supplied for instant easy hook-up. Stop in, see it and hear it at any one of our over System Price 1600 stores inall 50 states. Reg. Sep. Items Price S279.90 22990 FREE '73 Catalog See What's Really New in Stereo, Communications, Hobby, Parts, Kits, Anten-Radio Ihaek nas, Tools, Much More. and ALLIED RADIO STORES At Your Nearby Store or MA TANDY CORPORATION COMPANY 10 Write Dept.: HFIX . losammv...morimmit P. 0. Box 1052, Fort Worth, Texas 76107 CIRCLE 57 ON READER -SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1972 119 folk, bluegrass, jazz-name it and you find it someplace. Chuck Berry's Back in the U.S.A. J. GORDON HOLT is revived in an energetic informal version. My True Life Blues deserves to be carved in reviewing the STUDIO IIin BI marble and presented to the British ambassa- "The Stereophile" Magazine dor, by way of getting even for all those blues bands. A satire of the familiar Born in Chi- (current issue), says: cago,it's a recounting in blues terminology of "What is unique, though, is DISCOUNTS a highly upper -middle-class life. In the oft -re- this kind of bass range in STEREO COMPONENTS corded original, the narrator bemoans his combination with the most friend who "went down" and died via some Largest selection of top name form of slum violence. Banana speaks of his friend who "went down" via wrapping up his extraordinary bass detail we brands try us and see. have ever experienced from Maserati. "Mid -Mountain Ranch" is a bit sporadic in all, but it has a lovable feel to it. any speaker system. Double M.J. basses sound like taut It's worth a call strings, organ pedals sound MALVINA REYNOLDS: Malvina. Malvina like massive shuddering (301) 288-1710 Reynolds, vocals and guitar; Clark columns of air, and the bass Maffitt, Brian Davies, and Dick Ros- drum and large tympani have mini, guitars; Steve Le Fever, bass; Mi- chael Batts, drums; Alex Hassilev, pi- a visceral impact you can ano. Little Boxes; You'll Be a Man; The 4//)iiithi Jill Mon

feel as well as hear." Albatross; nine more. Cassandra CFS The IMF MONITOR, STUDIO, 2807, $5.98. and ALS40 (new revolutionary This disc is a compilation of the most famous double driven line) are at ii/,,,,,,,,,,; tunes of Malvina Reynolds, the seventy -year - franchised dealers. Data and old folkie who is still busy writing, recording, r) 2031 Merritt Ave. gigging, and using her medium for her own world reviews on request Baltimore, Md. 21222 brand of social comment. A living legend (specify speaker). mail answered within 24 hours among all the current folkies, Ms. Reynolds Doily 9AM to 10PM has had her songs recorded by Judy Collins, Phone (301) Pete Seeger, and Joan Baez, among others.

288-1710 Sat. 9AM to 6PM She was doing what they've been doing way IMF PRODUCTS Pickups Daily 8 Saturday 5 P before they were born and found themselves /515 City Line Ave., 19151 Evening Pickup by Appointment in a world they wanted to change through CIRCLE 31 ON READER -SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 33 ON READER -SERVICE CARD their music. Ms. Reynolds has a piercing, ex- pressive voice. Her Little Boxes is a chilling comment on conformity. Her You'll Be a Man is a passionate antiwar song. On Turn Around check with the her voice turns soft and euphonious as she T East -Coast Stereo creates a touching portrait of old age. How- ever, on There's a Bottom Below, an angry blues tune, she spits out the words with great Discounters... venom. OVER 67YEARS Over-all, it's obvious that there is more dis- kvibiate,44te/iOFRELIABILITY ...then BUY from quiet present in Malvina Reynolds than in a reunion meeting of an S.D.S. chapter. Ms. Reynolds is polemical; she is simplistic; she is occasionally adolescent; she is feisty. She is in IS WHY STEREO & HI-FI MIDWEST a great American tradition, and "Malvina" documents itall.It's a record that should BUYERS CAN BE SURE OF dazzle the young and impress a great many HI-FI others. H.E. WHOLESALERS THE DOORS: Full Circle. Robby Kreiger, gui- SAVINGS Box567, Ellsworth Industrial Park tar and vocals; John Densmore, drums; Ray AT RABSONS Downers Grove, Illinois 60515 Manzarek, keyboards and vocals;Clydie (312) 852-5885 King, Vanetta Fields, and Melissa MacKay, AtRabsonsCompetitivePrices,Reliabilityand vocal accompaniment;strings,rhythm, PersonalServicehave been bywordsforover 67 years. brass, and woodwind accompaniment. Get It'sso EASY and SAFE to deal with Rabsons. ovr vevo Up and Dance; 4 Billion Souls; Verdillac; six As close as your telephone - as near as your Write for mailbox Fast Air Mail Response on Quotation price list more. EKS 75038, $5.98. Requests Franchised Distributor for Hi Fi Lines WHOLESALE You'll All merchandise brand new in factory sealed & catalog. "Other Voices," the Doors's first album after cartons,shippeddouble -packed, fullyinsured did! promptly from our warehouse Greater savings be gladyou the death of their lead singer, Jim Morrison,

on complete systems Export packing 220 Volts, 50 Cycle merchandising a specialty Free proved that they were musicians and not listof monthly specials. OVER 50 NA ME BRANDS merely a back-up band. Their only problem on that LP was the fact that Robby Kreiger BEFORE YOU BUY GET A RABSONS FACTORY - SEALED CARTONS and Ray Manzarek, who were alternating vo- QUOTE... YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID! WHOLESALE PRICES cals, just could not duplicate the sultry but ur- gent Morrison sound. On this disc, they once SAVE ON TIME again are both singing lead; this time, how- RABSONS57 ST. INC. 119 West 57th Street, New York, N. Y. 10019 & FREIGHT CHARGES ever, their voices are filled out by three female Tel. Area Code 212-247-0070 back-up voices who pitch in to create some CIRCLE 56 ON READER -SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 48 ON READER SERVICE CARD Ian HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Presenting the perfected iron -oxide tape, Capitol 2. Other companies aren't getting the The light.color is the result of taking The texture of the backcoating kind of performance out of iron -oxide the carbon out of the oxide side of the assures that the tape will always wind that we are. No wonder they've switched tape. Carbon doesn't help the recordingsmoothly with no steps, protruding to different materials. properties of tape in any way. But other layers, and other pack irregularities that We at Capitol. on the other hand, have manufacturers are forced to use it in cause, among other things, jamming. found a way to perfect iron -oxide tape. order to achieve good static properties. So Capitol 2 HOLN cassettes just And when we say perfected, we Capitol 2 solves that problem differently.don't jam. mean perfect. A tape that outperforms chromium dioxide and cobalt -energized The backcoating. The perfect cassette package: tapes in many ways, yet retains all the Just as the side of the tape that the Stak-PakTm inherent advantages of iron -oxide touches the heads should be smooth. the If you've ever tried to locate a formulations. texture of the back of the tape should havecassette in a hurry, or pick one from the a controlled roughness that improves bottom of a pile. or put one away in an What has Capitol done handling characteristics orderly fashion. you'll appreciate the differently? So Capitol puts the carbon into its Stak-Pak. Capitol makes more efficient use of new Cushion -Aire° backcoating. The It s modeled after something you iron -oxide particles than anyone else. new black backcoating not only find around the house: the chest We get more energy from each ron- prevents electrostatic charges from of drawers. oxide particle by keeping the particles building up, but improves the handling from touching one another (which would The Stak-Pak is. cause them to lose some of their very simply, a double energy). The process we use is secret, drawer. It holds two but the results aren't secret: Magnetic Coaling cassettes But the (shiny brown) unique part of it is that Capitol 2 is the world's highest - Polyester Base FitIll Sta'.c-Paks slide together output iron -oxide tape. Cushion Aire Backcoating and interlock to form a chest of drawers The new high -output, low -noise WA black) The more you have, the higher your tape, both cassette and reel, works chest of drawers. Each cassette is harder than other iron -oxide tapes. You characteristics of our reels, helps make neatly filed away in its own drawer. can record them at a higher record - our cassettes jamproof, and extends The world's most acclaimed level without distortion. the tape life considerably. cartridge. Capitol 2 has the world's best Presenting the world's best open - The Capitol 2 Audiopak'e is the dynamic range, bar none. reel tape: Capitol 2 Ultra -High -Output, world's most popular cartridge, long a Efficient use of oxide particles and Low -Noise (UHL). favorite not just with consumers, but smooth tape surfaces all but eliminate Capitol 2 UHL is the perfected reel witi broadcast studios and the three most annoying forms of noise: tape. At 15,000 Hz (at 33/4 ips) the new duplicators. The cartridge tape is a bias, modulation, and DC. So Capitol 2 tape is, on the average, 4.5 dB more special formulation of iron oxide, has the world's highest dynamic range. sensitive than the top tape made by the difierent from the new Capitol 2 You can record both louder and softer best known brand. cassettes and reels. It is specially signals than ever before. lubricated (that's why it's often called Presenting the perfected iron - oxide cassette: Capitol 2 'Iube tape'). Capitol 21-10LN cassette and UHL open reel Capitol 2 Audiopak cartridges are High -Output, Low -Noise (HOLN). the standard against which all other Capitol 2 cassettes aren't iust the bestcartridges are measured. iron -oxide cassettes you can buy (at least 6 dB more sensitive than conven- The price, perfected. tional premium tapes at high fre- other premium iron -oxide tape Your dealer will sell you four quencies, where it really counts). For Capitol 2 cassettes. 60's or 90's, your many reasons, they're the best cassettes choice. packaged in two Stak-Paks, 20Hz. 20.000 Hz. you can buy. for the price of three cassettes alone. Frequency Response at 334 PS (open reel) or 134 PS icassen Capitol 2 HOLN cassettes are How to find Capitol 2. compatible. Capitol 2 is the world's first low - Capitol 2 is new Not all stores print, high -output, low -noise tape. Say you bought a good cassette stock it yet If you can't find it. write us Print -through is a problem in high - recorder two years ago You can't use output tape (both cassettes and reels) chromium -dioxide cassettes But you can that Capitol 2 is really the first to solve. use Capitol 2 With the kind of results The uniform particle size, combined chromium -dioxide users have been Capitol 2 bragging about ever since it came out with a secret processing technique, Capitol 2,sthe family name mar Jcie, ,ira-H.gr - The new iron -oxide cassettes will improve Output. Low -Noise reel tapes. High -Output. Low -Noise cas- reduces print -through to inaudibility. settes. Audiopak" professional the sound of any cassette recorder in the 8 -trick cartridges and High- Capitol 2 high -output, low -noise house. from the old one you gave to your Pertormance fa.' 'apes is a tape of a different color. kid. to the new Dolby-ized one you bought The side of the new tape that faces yesterday the heads is a shiny brown, and not as Capitol 2 HOLN cassettes are dark as most tapes. The shiny mirror- jamproof. smooth tape finish improves high- frequency response by improving The Cushion-Aire'm backcoating not head -to -tape contact. only improves cassette winding, it makes cassettes jamproof.

01972 AUDIO DEVICES. INC A CAPITOL INDUSTRIES COOLENBROOK CONN 06906

CIRCLE 16 ON READER -SERVICE CARD compelling harmonies. While neither Kreiger ADVERTISING INDEX SPECIAL NEW nor Manzarek is a distinguished lead singer. they both are getting better. key No Page No. 113 Get Up and 1 Acoustic Research, Inc "Full Circle" commences with 2 A.D.R. Audio 128 STEREO DISCOUNTS Dance.a throbbing rocker, which is thor- Advent Corp. 11 oughly commercial without being exploita- 3 Akai Electric Co . Ltd 85 4 Alshire International 108 tive.Verdillacpossesses a jazzy middle section 5 Altec Lansing 89 all major brand highlighted by the interweaving of Charles 6 Angel Records 80 Lloyd's tenor sax and indicates that the Doors 14 Aria Corp. 106 7 Audio Dynamics Corp 35 components, systems ... are capable of taking a brand-new direction if Audio Originals 84 mixes the 9 Audio Warehouse Sales 126 INCLUDING: AR, DYNACO, SHURE, they ever wanted to.The Mosquito Doors's urgent sound with some calypso-ish ef- 10 Baltimore Stereo Wholesalers 130 KOSS, SONY, FISHER, SCOTT ... Bang & Olufsen 92 AND MANY, MANY OTHERS. fects, and the result is a solid novelty number. 11 BASF Systems, Inc 17 It Slipped My Mindsounds like an almost -but - 12 Bose Corp 5 Manufacturer's Warrantee not -quite instant Doors golden oldie. The 13 Bose Corp 5 60 Bose Corp 47 Factory Fresh Merchandise Doors do not pull off James Brown'sGood Bozak . 87 In Sealed Cartons Rockin'because Ray Manzarek is not Elvis 103 British Industries Co 7 Presley even though he gives it the good old 15 BSR (USA) Ltd. 98 Prompt Shipment, Insured 121 college try. The disc concludes with the witty 16 Capitol Tape 17 Carston Studios 126 Same -Day Air -Mail Reply The Peking King and the New York Queen. Classified Ads 131 To Your Quotation Request helped greatly by Jack Conrad's whining bass. 70 53 Connecticut Stereo Discount. Inc 122 We're Personal Sound It tells the tale of two romantically inclined 18 Crown International .....26 Professionals, Franchised spirits of the sky who assume mortal form 19 Delram a 112 Distributors, Not Just "Drop in order to consummate their romance but 21 District Sound. Inc 122 Shippers". find themselves poles apart, geographically 22 Dixie Hi Fidelity Wholesalers 125 23 Dokorder, Inc 14 Special Discounts Added and ethnically. 24 Dual 25 Dynaco, Inc. 107 MASTER CHARGE Accepted It usually takes three albums for a group to 49 really get together. "Other Voices"was a be- 25 Elac Division / Benjamin Electronics Sound Corp 93 ginning."Full Circle" is an excellent album. 26 Electro-Voice, Inc 12 The Doors's third should be brilliant. H.E. Elpa Marketing Industries. Inc 18.86 Write or Phone for 90 Empire Scientific Corp 49 99 Empire Scientific Corp 81 Free, Prompt Quote 27 Finney Company 90 LANI HALL: Sun Down Lady. Lani Hall, Fisher Radio Cover II. 1.68.69 vocals;rhythm accompaniment, 103 Garrard 7 Ocean Song; Come Down in Time; 36 OMB CONNECTICUT 41 Harman-Kardon. Inc STEREO DISCOUNT, INC. Vincent; sevenmore. A&M 4359. 28 Heath Co.. 42-45 $5.98. 29 Icelandic Airlines 98 18 Raymond Road, 30 Illinois Audio 130 West Hartford, Conn. 06107 31 IMF Products 120 In my opinion, Miss LaniHallwas for years 32 Institute of High Fidelity 127 Telephone: (203) 233-1787 the key to the sound of Sergio Mendes' Brasil 33 International Hi Fi Distributors 120 CIRCLE 53 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 34 Jensen Mfg. Co 101 '66. She became so adept with the language 97 and rhythms of Brazil that many were sur- 35 JVC America Inc 37 King Karol Records 130 prised to discover that she is a native of Chi- 36 Kenwood Electronics Cover IV cago. Sergio was lucky to find her. 38 KLH Research and Development 31 At last Miss Hall is free and on her own. 39 Koss 105 40 Lafayette Radio Electronics. Inc 109 Now all she has to do is face the task of chang- Linear Design 82 DISCOUNTS 100 ing her image. It is probable that many of her 42 London Records biggest fans don't even know her name. 44 Magnavox Co 110.111 WASH. D.C. Herb Alpert may have helped change all 45 Magnum Opus Electronics 104 43 Marantz 13 that. He produced and arranged this set for 46 Maxell Corp 8 HAS NO FAIR Miss Hall and sneaked in for a few well - 47 McIntosh 84 placed background vocals (particularlyir. 48 Midwest Hi Fi Wholesalers 120 TRADE Music Listener's Book Service 129 Love Song). Nikko Electric Corp. of America 91 Miss Hall has a sound all her own: clean. 77 LAWS! ON 50 Onkyo Audio Systems 94 strong. and sweet. The years with Brasil '66 Panasonic 33 gave her great presence. and this project gives 51 Phase Linear 88 STEREO her great choice. She has selected some of the 52 Pickering & Co 2 best contemporary songs plus one of her own 54 Prentice Hall 112 55 Public Opinion 84 Tiny Dancerby El- (You).Among the best are 56 Rabsons-57 St., Inc. 120 COMPONENTS ton John and Bernie Taupin,We Could Be 57 Radio Shack 119 Flyingby Michel Colombier and Paul Wil- Record Mart 130 58 Revox Corp 83 PLEASE REQUEST liams, and a striking unaccompanied version 24 Prices for your choice of 59 Rotel of America ofPaulSimon'sWherever I May Find Him 61 Sansui Electronics Corp 28.29 Changers, Receivers, Tape (original title:For Emily Wherever I May Find 62 Sansui Electronics Corp 116.117 Speakers, etc. 99 Recorders, Her). 100_..Scott, H. H., Inc 64 Sharpe Audio Div. iScintrex 16 PROMPT DELIVERY Herb Alpert keeps coming up with albums 65. Sherwood Electronic Laboratories, Inc 67 IN FACTORY suited to my tastes: listenable, expertly per- 66. Shure Brothers. Inc. 95 68 Shure iSME Ltd. 114 SEALED formed. masterfully engineered by Larry Le- 69. Sony Corp. of America 27 CARTONS. vine. and featuring heavy talent. Keep on 63 Sony Superscope. Inc 24.90 truckin'. M.A. 70 Sound Reproduction, Inc 128 71 Stanton Magnetics, Inc 96 72 Stereo Corp. of America 128 73 Superex Electronics Corp 115 DISTRICT 15 SANDY BARON: God Save the Queens. 74 TDK Electronics Corp. 67 Teac Corp. of America Cover III Sandy Baron, narrations; written by Sandy Thorens 86 SOUND INC. Baron and JamesR. McGraw. A&M 4355, 24 United Audio Products. Inc 25 U.S. Pioneer Electronics Corp 20-23 2316 Rhode Island Ave. N.E. $5.98. 102 2 0 0 1 8 75 Utah Washington, D.C. Watts 18 202-832-1900 The best sketch I've ever seen by comedian 76 Wollensak 103 Sandy Baron is one in which he deals with World of Tape 90 CIRCLE 21 ON READER -SERVICE CARD HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE 122. Write foraArs in it. Dixie Hi-FiAndsois Wholesaleeverybody Catalog. else. In the new Dixie catalogue you'll findall Acoustic Research is just one of about 50 the names you recognize, and you'llpay brand names you'll find in thenew Dixie less for them than anywhere else. catalog. That's a pretty gutsy statement, but we've If you're familiar with AR, there'sno need been backing it up for over 14years. to elaborate. f you're not-let's justsay And it's paid off. We started outgear- they are oie of the few companies ing our efforts to strictly Hi-Fi buffs who stillbelieve in old-fashioned -and their loyalty projectedus in- things like' pride"and"craftsmanship': to the top five wholesale distribu- In fact, after 15 years of imitation by tors in the country. other manufacturers, the acous- Now we've expanded our ware- tic suspension speaker sys- housefacilitiesto60,000 tem used in the original square feet and we want to AR -1 (and currently in get our new catalog in- the AR -3a and AR -1W) to everybody's hands. is still considered by au- We've even re -written thorities to achieve the the technical lan- cleanest, least distorted guage so it will also bass responseofall make sense for peo- speaker systems. ple who are just getting As for their receivers, interested in stereo or amplifiers, tuners and the new four -channel turntables, they can sup- equipment. ply you with a listof Once you receive the "who's who" in music catalogue, you can or- 1 FREE DIXIE HI-FI that have complete AR der by mail or by calling systems in their homes. (301) 937-3090. We stock WHOLESALE One such gentleman is every item in the cata- ArthurFiedler, (left) log, and your order will STEREO CATALOG conductor of the Boston be promptly shipped in Mail to: 10140 Bacon Drive, Beltsville, Pops Orchestra. That factory -sealed cartons. Maryland 20705 one name alone is worth Ifyou want a quote more than we could on something that's not Name ever tell you about AR. listed, we'll get one out (P.S. Our new catalog to you the same day. will also have the new We also honorsib Address AR -7 speaker.) Bank Americard and Master Charge.

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State Zip 10140 Bacon Drive, H F-11 Beltsville, Maryland 20705 CIRC-E 22 ON READER -SERVICE CARD No\ I R 1972 adolescent boys going out on dates with ado- McCartneyShe Came In Through the Bath- lescent girls. It's very funny, but after hearing room Windowand sheds no new light on the this album, I wonder what he is trying to tell tune. Only onBlack Coffee,a song of black- us. ness, andIf You Can Hully Gully (I Can Hully °F. ANWIOUS The subject of this album is told in its title. Gully Too),an amusing catalogue of dances. BRAND Never mind where your persuasions or sym- does "Feel Good" come alive. smos pathies lie. Wit is still wit and dull is dull. This Tina's next album is entitled "Tina in the CONIPOIOIS set does little for either humor or homosexual- Raw." I shudder. H.E. SIRE° ity. One weary, timeworn situation follows an- other. One notates the standard beer -drinking Roo STEWART: Never a Dull Moment. fag -hater. Another throws a little Freud at a RodStewart, vocals; vocal and instru- DISCOUNTS male hustler who thinks he's straight.That mental accompaniment. True Blue; Mama You Been on My Mind; Italian ON NATIONALLY ADVERTISED Was Your Life is atake -off about a movie star who is privately gay.Clockwork Pink is aten - Girls;Twistin' the Night Away; four TURNTABLES CARTRIDGES ton parody in which a cliché doctor attempts more. Mercury SRM 1-646, $5.98. COMPACTS RECEIVERS to "heterosexualize" a man through Pavlov - AMPLIFIERS TAPE RECORDERS type pain therapy. The finale.The Queen That Stewart's 1971 release, "Every Picture Tells a Wholesale Prices! Audio Warehouse Sales, Came Out of the Closet,skips humor alto- Story," was judged by many to be the top LP one of the capitols largest stereo whole- gether in order to make a pitch for pride in the of the year. This, his follow-up, has to suffer salerswillfilland deliverallyour mail gay community. This one is the most boring by comparison. It's lower in key, it doesn't try orders promptly in factory sealed cartons, but also the only honest routine. as hard to knock the ball out of the park, but it atprices thatwill amaze you. Sure, the situations are real and the cliché amounts to a home run nonetheless. Stewart Writefor quote on Famous Brand, people (nearly all of the straight ones are un- always sings Dylan especially well, and does Stereo Components. Askabout pleasant)exist.But what has that to do with so here withMama You Been on My Mind. our Special Policy. We guarantee entertainment? The problem is simply bad But the surprise track is the revival, the first satisfaction. writing. There is an occasional funny line, but I've heard, of Sam Cook'sTwistin' the Night each sounds improvised from Baron's rich Away.Stewart's reading lends more dignity to mind rather than part of the project. that song than it deserves. It may not be that This album does not make Sandy Baron an the supreme test of a singer is his ability to put AUDIO unfunny man. It makes him a chance -taker across the phone book, but it's not a bad one who judged wrong and missed. Wait till the either. M.J. WAREHOUSESALESE. VIRGINIAVE next time around. M.A. 2024 W. D.C.2000232 WASHINGTON,-1616 IKE 8 TINA TURNER: Feel Good. Tina Turner, (202) 8 vocals;Ike Turner, guitar; keyboard, and rhythm accompaniment. Chopper; Kay Got CIRCLE 9 ON READER -SERVICE CARD Laid (Joe Got Paid); Feel Good; six more. jazz United Artists UAS 5598, $5.98. HAROLD ASHBY QUARTET: Born to Before I eversawIke and Tina Turner per- Swing. Harold Ashby, tenor saxo- form in concert. Iwasawash with anticipa- phone;Jimmy Jones, piano;Al Hall, tion. I had listened to their records, and gutsy, bass; Oliver Jackson, drums. Back- gritty,raw -edged Tina's powerful inter- stairs; My Buddy; Last Minute Blues; pretations could make me gasp. Rumor had it fivemore. MJR 8112, $5.98(Master that she was one of the all-time performing Jazz Recordings, Box 579, Lenox Hill DISCOUNTS greats, and her records seemed to indicate that Station, New York, N. Y. 10021). therewassome truth in that judgment. Ifi- HI-FI SYSTEMS nally didseethe Turners perform. and they Although this set was made in 1959, nine years were indeed brilliant as they roared through before Harold Ashby joined Duke Ellington's COMPONENTS one of the most intricately choreographed, orchestra, it is a thoroughly Ellingtonian col- lection. Ashby at the time was playing in a KITS COMPACTS flashy, exhausting, and highly satisfying pop actsever. There have been many perform- style strongly influenced by Ben Webster, the TUNERS AMPLIFIERS ances and many records since then, and now first great Ellington tenor man (although to- RECEIVERS TURNTABLES the Turner magic fails to excite me. day, oddly enough, as the Webster influence SPEAKERS TAPE RECORDERS When I first put this disc on the turntable, I has become more strongly apparent in the listened to the opening cut and immediately playing of his sectionmate, Paul Gonsalves, Franchised Distributors for over 70 :rifts Largest selection in the country became bored with Tina's powerhouse deliv- it is less prominent in Ashby's work). Full manufacturers warranty protection ery. She is still larger than life. Even so, I took Ashby's tone is not as heavy and swagger- Only brand new, factory sealed components the record off, and it took me a while to get ing as Webster's, but he sings in the same way Fast, fully insured shipments Double -boxed cartons where possible back to it. The second time through, it was still that Webster does and uses a breathy coating Same day reply to your inquiry not satisfying listening, but I did not have the to color his sound. With Jimmy Jones, who Extra savings on complete systems same violent objections. Tina is a sexy woman. has been sitting in for Ellington at the piano Lowest possible prices Her voice can be compared only to the mating for years playing Ellingtonianbacking. WRITE FOR OUR QUOTE AND SPECIALS BULLETIN call of a nymphomaniac. She has developed a Ashby's quartet has the easy, smooth drive VISIT OUR NEW MODERN WAREHOUSE formula that has helped her achievesuccess. of those Ellington small groups that recorded FREE AMPLE PARKING AT PREMISES She writes songs about lust and sings them in the '30s and '40s even though there is only lustfully. It is a formula that has become wear- one Ellington tune on tap-Don'tGet Around ing, especially when her extraordinary gifts Much Any More,played by Ashby with a could easily qualify her as one of the great in- charmingly casual insouciance. CaliARETON terpreters of our time. There are three Ashby originals that, even in 1959. had an Ellington aura, and he ap- 146 OLD BROOKFIELD RD. (NORTH) On this disc,Chopper isjust another undis- tinguished matingcall. Kay Got Laid (Joe Got proaches such pop tunes asDancing on the DANBURY, CT. 06810 Paid)lives up to its title. It does not take genius CeilingandDay by Day withthe softly pad- DANBURY, CT. 1203/ 744-6421 to figure out what makes Tina feel good and ding, cat's-paw feeling that makes the Duke's N. Y CITY (212) 369-6212 what she likes when she singsFeel Goodand / band swing so easily. It is a remarkable in Like It.The singer also performs the Lennon/ stance of forehanded assimilation of a style CIRCLE 17 ON READER SERVICE CARD 126 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINI It beganas a simple idea.

(Then compe--itior_ started)

Ideas like products stan in the humblestof ways. Particularly great ideas. But it takesmore than an original genius to make :hese ideasgrow into some- thing big. It takes the lively competitionamong na- tionally advertised bransnames. The kind that has changed the sound of music to what it istoday. Brand names are what manufacturerscall their products. They put their names righton ;he package so you can see who they Ere. They work hard to make these products better. Offer brighterdevelopments. Innovations. Consistent cuality. This is howthey try to outdo other brands. And they letyou now about these improvements through advertising.B.it if they don't live up to these claims it's good-bye their rep- utations. That's how competition works. Nationally advertised brandsare what we take for granted. But we'd soon know the difference ifthey weren't around. BRAND NAMES FOUNDATION INC. CONFIDENCE BRAND When brand names compete, productsget better.NAMESEver notice? SATISFACTION INSTITUTE OF HIGH FIDELITY CIRCLE 32 ON READER -SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1972 127 RECEIVERS TAPE Even more remarkable is the fact that a rec- has been working out of Cologne since the TUNERS RECORDERS ord as good as this took so long to be released early '60s,is now a beautifully functioning AMPLIFIERS DECKS in the United States, particularly since the unit propelled by a fascinating drum duo, last thirteen years have been an undistin- Kenny Clarke and (how close can you get?) guished period for jazz recording inthis Kenny Clare. Their agility in complementing country. J.S.W. each other to create subtle,loose-jointed LOW rhythmic patterns without getting in each KENNY CLARKE/FRANCY BOLAND BIG other's way is remarkable. J.S.W. BAND: AllSmiles. Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, Jimmy Deuchar, and PRICES Sonny Grey, trumpets; Ake Persson, BUDDY TATE CELEBRITY CLUB ORCHESTRA: ON FAMOUS BRAND Nat Peck, and Erik Van Lier, trom- Unbroken. Dud Bascomb, trumpet; Eli Rob- inson, trombone; Ben Richardson, reeds; Nat NATIONALLY ADVERTISED bones; Derek Humble, Johnny Griffin, Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, and Sahib Pierce, piano; Buddy Tate, tenor saxophone; STEREO Shihab, saxophones; Dave Pike, Eddie Jones, bass; George Reed, drums. Un- COMPONENTS vibes; Francy Boland, piano; Jimmy decided; Moten Swing; Tuxedo Junction; five Woode, bass; Kenny Clarke and more. MPS 20740, $5.98. FAST DELIVERY Kenny Clare, drums. Let's Face the Buddy Tate's tight little band is carrying on FACTORY SEALED CARTONS Music and Dance; You Stepped Out of WRITE TODAY FOR OUR QUOTE a Dream; Sweet and Lovely; seven one of the styles that made the Swing Era more. MPS 29686, $5.98. swing. There are touches here of Basie and the blues as well as the John Kirby sextet, the Er- A. D.R After listening to the stolid, brassy sameness of skine Hawkins band, and even a fine rhythm- the few remaining American big bands (with and-blues groove on Ben's Broken Saxophone. AUDIO the exception of the idiomatically Elling- The warm, surging sound of Tate's saxophone 6200 CHILLUM PLACE N.W. tonian Ellington band), it always comes as a WASH., D.C. 20011 is. of course, at the core of the group, but it is (202) shock to be reminded by the Kenny Clarke/ matched by Dud Bascomb's crisp, crackling 723-6060 Francy Boland Big Band that they don't really trumpet, which turns up again and again. Eli have to sound the same. What American big Robinson on trombone and Ben Richardson's SEND FOR band today would put out an album made up various saxophones are used primarily as en- OUR FREE primarily of standard pop tunes? Would any semble instruments although Robinson has CATALOG other even program pops tunes as varied and two solo opportunities that are strikingly dis- as perceptively chosen as I'm Glad There Is similar-a big, open, soaring sound that might SPEAKERS ALL You, Get Out of Town, When Your Lover Has be Benny Morton on Undecided and a gently CARTRIDGES STEREO Gone, and George Gershwin's By Strauss. a gritty attack on Nat Pierce's tribute to Johnny tune I don't recall ever hearing played by any Hodges, One for Johnny. Pierce manages to COMPACTS SYSTEMS big band? play his piano solos in a spare, economical CIRCLE 2 ON READER -SERVICE CARD In addition to the brilliantly imaginative but fashion that is not, for once, a copy of Basie; in strongly melody -oriented writing by Boland. one instance-behind Tate's rich solo on including several superb saxophone en- Candy-he manages to drift from Ellis Larkins sembles (Boland is the finest craftsman in reed through Erroll Garner, which is pretty nice WRITE FOR writing since Benny Carter), we have here a drifting. J.S.W. band that understands this kind of writing and responds to it warmly. It is all on a recording QUOTATION that is so well balanced that there is none of BUDDY RICH: Rich in London. Lin Biviano, the electric -bass boom thatisthe bane of Jeff Stout, Wayne Naus, and John DeFlon. FACTORY SEALED CARTONS American big -band recordings. trumpets; Bruce Paulson, Tony DiMaggio, FRANCHISED DISTRIBUTOR This record is sheer joy for anyone who re- and .John Leys, trombones; Pat LaBarbera, members what big bands could sound like be- Brian A. Grivna, Jimmy Mosher, Don Englert, QUICK SHIPMENT fore every piece became a major opus and and Joe Cabo, saxophones; Bob Dogan, pi- soloists were allowed to go on and on ad nau- ano: Paul Kendziela, bass; Buddy Rich, seam. The Clarke/Boland band has some ex- drums. Two Bass Hit; Little Train; The Word; cellent soloists-notably Benny Bailey on flu- five more. RCA LSP 4666, $5.98. gelhom, Johnny Griffin and Tony Coe on tenor saxophone. Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, The Buddy Rich juggernaut rolls on, this time WE GIVE and Boland on piano, but, except for Coe's de- in Ronnie Scott's club in London and with liberate showcasing on Gloria. they are all ele- some strong arrangements by John LaBar- ments within the arrangement and not ends in bera. Don Piestrup. Herbie Phillips. and Mike DISCOUNTS themselves. This international hand. which Gibbs. This is a band with muscle which. rid - ON HI-FI Lowest of the LOW! COMPONENTS Shamelessly Low Prices... As one of America's largest wnolesale distributors, we're guilty of shamelessly low prices. Our buying volume has made our prices the lowest. We seriously doubt you can find one lower... and that we're proud of. What's more, at S.C.A. you can select from hundreds of NEW, Factory Sealed, Full Warrantee, Brand SOUND name, Hi-Fi Stereo components. If its in the Hi-Fi, Audio field... we have it! REPRODUCTION Write for a lowest of the low quote ... we're not ashamed. INC. 460 CENTRAL AVENUE East Orange, New Jersey 07018 STEREO CORPORATIONolAMERICA (201) 673-0600 2122 UTICA AVENUE, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11234 (212) 338.8555 CIRCLE 70 ON READER -SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 72 ON READER SERVICE CARD HIGH FIDEL' TY MAGAZINE A new and simple way to get those books you want, carefully selected from available lists. Circle the number(s) you Music Listener's Book Servicewant, send the coupon with your remittance. We do the rest.

from his memories of Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF MUSIC. Marc Pinch- among others; a folk song collection (words, music, erle. Trans. by Rollo Myers. Ed. by Georges and Rosa- guitar chords); a guide for the would -he folksinger, mond Bernier. Illus. (40 pages color, 200 black and player or composer. Here, with his illuminating com- white). Index. ments, is the folk music of the world -6r tish, Ameri- A lighly informative book, with textby noted PIAF. Simone Berteaut. Photos. can, European, Asian, African-how it came about, French musicologist Pincherle, and visually fascinat- how to sing it, play it, appreciate it. ing with its wealth of paintings, drawings, engravings, "So grand,so moving,sotragic... a great book."-Virgil Thomson. The extraordinary life story No. 2115 ... $12.50 tapes:ry, sculpture, photographs, composers' musical of Edith Piaf, the "little sparrow,- written by her half notation, frontispieces from first editions, etc. Here LETTERS OF : sister and constant companion. No. 2111... $10.00 for those who love to hear is a treat for the eye and THE BAYREUTH LETTERS. Trans. 8 Edit. by Caroline mind. No. 21110... $22.50 RECORDS IN REVIEW. 1972 EDITION. V. Kerr. Reprint of 1912 ed. with new index prep. for The 17th annual edition of this "bible for record '72 ed. THE RECORDINGS OF BEETHOVEN. As viewed by the collectors:' Hundreds of the authoritative, detailed re- Wagner laid the foundation stone of the Bayreuth Critics of High Fidelity. views which appeared in High Fidelity in 1971 are ar- festival theater in 1872. In this centenrial edition are To celebrate the Beethoven Bicentenary High Fi- ranged alphabetically by composer, sub -divided by the deeds, words, and persons involved in its realiza- delity published the most immense critical - category of music when releases of his music were tion. No. 2116... $10.00 graphy ever undertaken by any magazine, appraising considerable. A section on Recitals and Miscellany every available recording of the composer's works. At LETTERS TO MINNA WAGNER. Trans. by W. Ashton too, and an Artists' Index to all performers reviewed the end of the year these separate discographies were Ellis. Reprint of the 1909 ed. (2 Volumes). during the year, as well as those mentioned only in completely revised and updated and are here col- Christine Wilhelmine Planer, the actress "Minna," the text. lected into one convenient book. It is hard to imagine 285... $9.95 was married to Wagner for 30 years, with various sep- any record collection without it on an adjacent shelf. arations. Sorrowful letters these, yet they also mark CHAGALL AT THE "MET." Emily Genauer. Introduc- Index to performers. No. 2616 ... $6.95 tion by Sir Rudolf Bing. such occasiors as "The Flying Dutchman" premiere A book to be cherished, a visual banquet for any- and Wagner's first hearing of "Lohengrin" in Vienna. NORMAN ROCKWELL ILLUSTRATOR. Deluxe slipcased one interested in Chagall and the massive murals in No. 2117... $23.00 edition. the foyer of the Metropolitan Opera House and in his LETTERS TO MATHILDE WESENDONCK. Trans. by W. Itcan be conjectured that the success of this designs for the decor and costumes of the new pro- Ashton Ellis. Reprint of the 1905 ed. splendidly produced book is based on a need to re- duction of Mozart's "The Magic Flute." 52 full -page "That I should have written 'Tristar'I owe to you capture for a time at least Rockwell's uniquely benign color reproductions-preliminary sketches, working and I thank you for all eternity from the bottom of my and humorous view of American life. Dorothy Canfield sketches, final sketches, and close-up details of the heart." A famous collection. No. 2118... $12.00 Fisher (in her preface): "In a period when wormwood finished murals; curtains and costumes of the opja. and vinegar are the fashionable flavorings, itis gen- A critical evaluation by noted art critic Emily Ge- BESSIE. Chris Albertson. Illus. Index. uine originality for Rockwell to dip his brush into the nauer, including analysis of recurrent images and A timely book, written by the man who with John honey pot of lovableness and zest in living. 437 Illus- themes in Chagall's work; the origins and develop. Hammond is principally responsible for the current trations, 43 in color, plus 30 years of Saturday Eve- ments of the projects by Sir Rudolf, and Chagall's own revival of interest in "The Empress of the Blues,- and ning Post covers. A gift to warm your or a friend's observations on the creation of the murals and on his based to a large extent on first-hand recollections of heart. No. 297... $20.00 favorite composer and opera. No. 2112... $37.50 those who knew her intimately; a revealing portrait of a rare artist who was also a strong-willed, defiant, TARZAN OF THE APES. Drawings by Burne Hogarth. MARC CHAGALL "THE BALLET." Drawings and Water- tough, intense, and promiscuous woman: a tragic life (122 pages fullcolor). Text by Edgar Rice Bur- colors for The Ballet. Text by Jacques Lassaigne. but one lived to the fullest. No. 2119... $7.95 roughs. Introduction by Maurice Horn. A companion volume for a truly lavish Christmas, In the past decade, the international art world has this first book to reproduce in full color the exquisite THE WALTZ K iNGS. Johann Strauss, Father 8 Son, and discovered the comic strip as a significant contempo- original designs for "Aleko," "The Firebird," and their Romantic Age. Hans Fantel. rary art form. Horn documents in his learned intro- "Daphnis and Chloe." 68 color reproductions of both Illus. Bibl. List of Compositions. Index. duction the worldwide influence of Hogarth, named decor and costumes, and an original color lithograph "The life of the Waltz and the cluster of Strausses by french critics the "Michelangelo of the comic created especially for this edition. Interesting link: Al- who were its creators is retold with zest, wit, and nar- strip." though Chagall was interested in theater from his rative speed that does not exclude insight into the Now Hogarth presents a new pictorial version of early Paris days, a Metropolitan Opera commission cultural history of the town -beyond -belief. Vienna."- the novel that inspired the original comic strip-com- during World War II for the restaging of "Aleko" gave Jacques Barzun. Once opened, you'll not put this pletely redrawn for this handsome volume. A fascinat- him the first opportunity to experiment with his revo- book down. A cover -to -cover joyful trip in three-quar- ing book and a marvelous gift for any generation. lutionary ideas for making stage and costume design ter time. No 291 ... $6.95 No. 2104... $9.95 integral parts of a unique totality of music, motion, and color. No. 2113... $37.50 Music Listeners' Book Service 11.72 HIGH FIDELITY, 165 West 46th Street, New York, N.Y. 10036 CARUSO. Stanley Jackson. Illus. Index. Bibl. A popular biography of the legendary singer, re I enclose check or money order for $ . Please send me, postpaid, the books vealing episodes and relationships inhislife,ro indicated by the circled numbers below. (No cash, No C.O.D.'s, please). manticized or almost completely ignored in previous 2111 285 2112 2113 2114 2115 2116 2117 biographies. Jackson separates the man from the camouflage which he encouraged. The great artist is 2118 2119 291 21110 2616 297 2104 here, also the many -faceted character and person. ality. No. 2114... $7.95 NAME

THE INCOMPLEAT FOLKSINGER. Pete Seeger. Index. ADDRESS Folksinger and folklorist, composer, political activ- ist, conservationist-Seeger is all of these and more. CITY, STATE 8 ZIP The range of his book is wide too-portraits drawn

NOVEMBER 1972 129 ing on Rich's drumming, has managed to Leos RUSSELL: Carney. Shelter SW 8911, avoid falling into the stereotype of being just $5.98. another Woody Herman Herd type. The driv- This is mellow for Russell, sounding more like ing bass and drum duet on Dancing Men is a singer/songwriter's album than one done by evidence in itself of how this band has carved the superarranger and piano -thumper the SAVE! out its own niche. Pat LaBarbera on tenor and man is known to be. Tight Rope and Manhat- MONEY TIME FREIGHT Bruce Paulson on trombone are the kind of tan Island Serenade are quite nice as moderate QUALITY STEREO EQUIPMENT explosive soloists that this powerhouse must rockers, and Acid Annapolis, written by guitar- AT LOWEST PRICES have-men who can rise out of a swirling mass ist Don Preston, is a positive joy in the way it of sound and take instant command of a solo pokes fun at hippie hangers-on. In all I like YOUR REQUEST FOR QUOTA- spot. this much more than his last LP but miss the TION RETURNED SAME DAY. And yet, for balance and variety, there is a hard rock he was doing in the days of Delta jbc FACTORY SEALED CARTONS_ smooth ballad (the Love Story theme) with Lady. M.J. GUARANTEED AND INSURED. LaBarbera and Paulson showing that they can VAN Moslems: Saint Dominic's Preview. SAVE ON NAME BRANDS LIKE: be just as effective in calmer waters. In addi- Warner Bros. BS 2633, $5.98. KLH tion, the set includes a bright novelty song by A.D.C. Jon Hendricks sung with spirit by Buddy's A more accessible Van Morrison album than SHURE A.R. daughter, Kathy, backed up by Hendricks' usual. Some of it sounds almost like parody DYNACO KOSS two daughters, Michelle and Carlene, as well but Listen to the Lion is as fascinating a selec- tion as Morrison ever wrote or recorded. H.E. AND MORE THAN 50 OTHERS as one of those extended conversational ex- changes that Rich has with his audiences while he towels himself after his climactic drum PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM. Music and dialogue BUY THE MODERN WAY from the soundtrack. Paramount 1004, solo. But there is also another of those long ar- BY MAIL-FROM rangements which have become much too per- $5.98. If you liked the film, you'll like this miniature manent a part of Rich's programming. This version of it.It's heavy on the dialogue and one, by Bill Holman, scarcely seems worth the light on music, but what music there is here twelve -odd minutes that are devoted to it. originates from the fertile mind of composer J.S.W. Billy Goldenberg. M.A.

HOWARD KAYLAN & MARK VOLMAN: The illinoi,ia audio Phlorescent Leech & Eddie. Reprise MS 2099, $5.98. Department 217H This collection of electrified love songs cries 1019 North Dearborn Street In brief out for stronger melodies and fresher lyrics. Chicago, Illinois 60610 One has a right to expect more of these two, BUDDY HOLLY: A Rock & Roll Collection. both of them former Turtles and current 312-664-0020 Decca DXSE 7 207, $11.96 (two discs). members of the Zappa menagerie. Maybe, A two -disc collection of the hot, and most of next time. H.E. CIRCLE 30 ON READER -SERVICE CARD recordings by one of the primal rock-and-roll figures. Includes much material JOHN RENBOURN: Faro Annie. Warner Bros. not previously available. M.J. 2082. S5.98. BALTIMORE John Renboum is a fine guitarist who is best GILBERT O'SULLIVAN: Himself. MAM 2, known for his work with the group Pentangle. $5.98. This album primarily contains traditional A lone Again ( Naturally) is a huge and well -de- folk -type tunes rearranged slightly by the art- served hit. Gilbert O'Sullivan is one of Eng- ist. On several he sings as well. While Ren- land's most enchanting balladeers. "Gilbert bourn is a good musician, he works from a low O'Sullivan Himself," which features Alone energy standpoint. Because he lacks intensity, STEREO Again (Naturally). is a lovely LP. H.E. his work strikes me as too quiet. M.A. SIMON AND GARFUNKEL: GreatestHits. RECORDMART Advertisement Columbia KC 31350, $6.98. Just as the Sixties inevitably came to an end, so did the incredibly successful performing part- nership of Simon and Garfunkel. The four- R teen cuts on this disc, many of them recorded live, serve as a reminder of one of the more pleasant things that occurred during a par- HOLE- A ticularly addled time. H.E.

0R CHEECH AND CHONG: Big Bambu. Ode 1ALERS E 77014, $5.98. S This one gets a prize for eye -stopping graph- ics. The first time you see it. you can't place it for a second because it's too big. Big Bambu is a brand of cigarette paper sold at every other counter in town. If you like outrageous pop New, from the comfort of your home Free mailing anywhereinUSA, APO & you can buy almost any Stereo Com- FPO for mail orders from world's largest humor, man, these two comics may do it for M.A. ponent at Special Discount Prices, choice of records, tapes! The low price of you. from one of the East Coast's Lead- the record or tapeisallyou pay. King ing Wholesalers...Your order shipped promptly in factory -sealed Karol's prices lowest, service fastest and THE BUNCH: Rock On. A&M SP 4354, $5.98. cartons. Write for quote today. inventorylargest-we have everything! A number of British musicians and singers, SchwannCatalog$1-FREE withFirst some of whom are former members of Fair- 7126 Ambassador Road Order. Write: King Karol Records. Dept HF-11 port Convention, here form a rock group for Building S-4, Security Industrial Park 629, Times Sq.Sta.,NYC 10036 the purpose of rehashing 1950s rock-and-roll Baltimore, Md. 21207 Box (301) 265-8617 songs. Drab. M.J. CIRCLE 10 ON READER -SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 37 ON READER -SERVICE CARD HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE 131) SHOW ALBUMS -Rare, out -of -print LPs. Large list 104. Broad- HIGH FIDELITY CLASSIFIED way/Hollywood Recordings, Georgetown, CT 06829.

165 W. 46th St., New York, N. Y. Phone (212) 757-2800 "SOUNDTRACKS and SHOW, ALBUMS, rare, send to Show Mu- Rates: $1.00 per word. Minimum sic Box 12 Wood River, Illinois 62095." Name Records -soundtracks, shows, cut-outs. Send wants -we'll $10.00.Words in caps at 10c quote. Lesco, 2205 Marylane, Broomall, Pa. 19008. extra ea. Address_ WHY TRY THE REST? We give you the Best/Most Unique Serv- Full Payment Must Accompany All Copy for ice in Classical Recordings Imported From Around The World! Classified Ads except those placed by accredited advertising agencies. Sample Mailer -50t. August Rojas Classical Imports, 936 South City State ___zip Detroit. Los Angeles, California 90036. Telephone RARE SOUNDTRACKS -SHOWS. Extraordinary list.Write to: DEADLINE: 1st day of the month; 2 Film Music, Box 1195, Beverly Hills, Calif. 90013. months preceding the date of issue. My classified ad copy is attached. Raintree, Sinbad's 7th Voyage, Thief of Bagdad, 200 others on tape -catalog. Soundtrack, Box 93, Arlington, Mass. 02174. for sale STEREO TAPE RENTAL FOR PARTICULAR PEOPLE, Free cata- log. Gold Coast Tape Library, Box 2262, Palm Village Station, Hia. Soundtrack albums, etc. List 154. Louis Moore. 6066 Ridge, leah, Fla. 33012. Philadelphia, Pa. 19128. RARE ROMANTIC PIANO SCORES-Moscheles, Henselt, Herz, Litollf,Scharwenka,Scriabin, etc. Freecatalog.MUSIC Rare Soundtracks: Lists 10t. Salvatore Orlando, Rt.1, Box TREASURE PUBLICATIONS, Box 127. Highbridge Station, Bronx, 369G, Olympia, Wa. 98502. New York 10452. wanted to buy Soundtracks-O.C.-Personalities & Jazz Want lists to: Theo's PROTECT YOUR RECORDS -POLY SLEEVES FOR jackets 5t; in CASH FOR UNWANTED STEREO LPS AND PRERECORDED Records, P.O. Box 4994, Panaroma City, Ca. 91412. ner sleeves 44; Poly lined paper sleeves 104; White jackets 25t; TAPES. Reder. 81 Forshay Road, Monsey, New York 10952. Postage $1.00. Record Supply House, Hil!burn, N.Y. 10931. Soundtrack record albums from films. Whalon, 2321.M Hill, Redondo Beach, California 90278. WANTED WESTMINSTER 17111 or music guild 5852. Haydn WOLLENSAK RECORDERS. Scotch Recording Tapes. Catalog quartets OP 3/5, 20/2, 42 Allegri quartet. Westminster 17142 or 254. Tower, Lafayette Hill, Pa. 19444. Soundtracks, Musicals, personalities. Bill Wood, 131 South music guild 5863 Beethoven quartets OP. 74, 95 Allegri quartet. Blvd., San Mateo, Calif. 94402. REK-0-KUT TURNTABLES and Replacement Parts. Send self. Details and price to Taylor, 80 Marguerite Drive Leigh.on-Sea, addressed stamped envelope. Rek-O-Nut, 716 Jersey Ave., Glou Essex. SS9, INW. England. Trade records with Russian collector. George Drofa, Pechersky cester City. N 1. 08030 Spusk 18.66, Kiev II, USSR.

ANY RECORD, ANY TAPE AT LOWEST DISCOUNT PRICES. En- roll in Saturnian Record Club. $1.00 Lifetime Membership Fee miscellaneous new equipment for sale brings you a Free Schwann Catalogue and Forms for immediate ordering of any record at unmatchably low prices. No minimum, SLEEP -LEARNING -HYPNOTISM! TAPES, RECORDS, books, DON'T PAY THE HIGH MAIL ORDER PRICES. THIEVES WARE- no limit. Write Saturnian Record Club, 507 Fifth Ave., N.Y.C. equipment. Also Alpha Brainwave Feedback devices. Free catalog. HOUSE IS COMING TO YOUR AREA. FRANCHISES AVAILABLE. 10017. Box H.F. Autosuggestion, Box 24-F, Olympia, Washington 98501. THIEVES WAREHOUSE, P. 0. BOX 8057, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA 32505. Soundtrack Albums $4.25. Star -9, Rt 2, Box 1944R, Escondido, KLIPSCH, JBL, TANNOY, MARANTZ, THORENS, RABCO. No dis- Calif. 92025. counting. Superior Sound, 1801 Brewerton Rd., Syracuse, N. Y. "Enjoy whopping savings on factory fresh stereo components. 13211. No fair trade here. Write for prompt quotations. Our Ilth music 8 -Tr. Blank Cartridges $1.25, 80 Minute, Scotch Tape. Atlas year. Potomac, Box 34204, Washinghton, D.C. 20034." Electronics, PO Box 522, Dept. D, Blackwood, NJ 08012. DIAMOND NEEDLES and Stereo Cartridges at Discount prices NEW LOW PRICES ON COMPONENTS, SYSTEMS! SAME DAY for Shure, Pickering, Stanton, Empire, Grado and ADC. Send for "SPECIALIST'S" LONDON CASTS, MORRICONE'S, BRITISH QUOTES! FAST. LOW COST GUARANTEED DELIVERY! YOU'LL free catalog. All merchandise brand new and factory sealed. LYLE LPs.:-"PRICHARD" Whitehall Cottage, Rushwick, Nr. Worcester, CARTRIDGES, Dept. H, Box 69, Kensington Station, Brooklyn, HEAR MORE FROM REDWOOD STEREO!! R.S.0 , PO BOX 2794. England. New York 11218. SAN RAFAEL. CALIF. 94901. (415) 472-2255. Jo Stafford and Paul Weston present JONATHAN AND DAR- RADIO RERUNS catalogs $1.00 (refundable). Box 724-HF, Red. LENE EDWARDS IN PARIS. Vocal artistry and pianistic pyrotech- mond, Wash. 98052. tapes & records nics at their most horrible. A perfect gift for discriminating music lovers! Order: ISM Industries -Box 3168, Los Angeles, Calif. HIGH FIDELITY IS ON MICROFILM: Back copies of HIGH Fl. 90028 -54.95 -California add 5% tax. DELITY are available on microfilm dating from APRIL 1951 to DE. "HARD TO GET" RECORDS -ALL SPEEDS, RECORD Exchange, 842 Seventh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10019 CEMBER 1970. Microfilm copies of articles from any of these is. RARE RECORDS: RAINTREE-COUNTY. A. Hernandez, 2344 N. sues may be obtained from Billboard Publications at a cost of SCOTCH RECORDING TAPE, LOWEST PRICES. TAPE CENTER, Naomi Street, Burbank, Ca. 91504. $1.00 per page. For further information contact: Denis Hyland Box 4305C, Washington, D.C. 20012. Corporate Research Division Billboard Publications, 165 W. 46th PRERECORDED 8 TRACK TAPES: Top Popular, Rock, Jazz, Soul. St., New York, N.Y. 10036. 'LIVE' OPERA, CONCERTO, SYMPHONIC. TAPE BARGAINS! - Unmatchably low prices. Wide Selection. Send for catalog. $3.50 -(REELS & CASSETTES). BOX 1101, WOODHAVEN, NEW Soundtrek Sales Co., P.O. Box 626 HF, Norfolk, Va. 23510. COLLECTORS ISSUES HIGH FIDELITY -Issue as 1-$15..# 2 YORK 11421. thru 10-$5. each; balance $2. each. D. Gibson, 1359 Ridge, High- "Rococo Records: Famous Voices of the Past, vocal, instru- land Park, III. 60035. THE GREATEST R&R ALBUM two years in compilation. Avail- mental, orchestral. Free numerical list; detailed catalogue $1.00. able only thru mail. All songs released in original master form. 19 Box 175 Station "K". Toronto. Ontario. Canada." STEINER SCORES, Greenwillow. R. Yost, Box 2303. Arlington, songs incl Bopalena. House of Blue lights. Strange Love etc. All Va. 22202. songs are collectors items and stylistic landmarks in Rock and help wanted DYNACO STEREO 120 amplifier used three months $95. Pat.4 Roll. Send $5.00 to Album POB 1301. Studio City. Calif. 91604. preamp excellent $70. pair AR.3As very good $250. postpaid. Ro- OPERA TAPES -GREAT PERFORMANCES OF PAST 35 years. ELECTRO-ACOUSTICDESIGN ENGINEER. We desireto land Sinclair, 879 Lenox Road, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11203. Free catalog. Ed Rosen, P.O. Box x97, Freeport. N.Y. 11520. engage formutualbenefit someone who has the urgeto create and see produced elegant loudspeakers and loudspeaker OPERATIC ART GRAPHICS in varying sizes -numbered series OLD RADIO PROGRAMS ON CASSETTES OR REELS. THOU- systems. You can satisfy your urge for creativity and our needs signed by artist -free brochure-Oli-Box 184 -Santa Fe, N.M. SANDS OF YOUR FAVORITES LIVE AGAIN. LOW PRICES, HIGH simultaneously. PRIME REQUISITES are imagination and a love 87501 QUALITY. CATALOG 504. REMEMBER RADIO, INC., BOX 2513, of music coupled with a background in physics, an engineering NORMAN, OKLA. 73069. discipine or mathematics. A degreein one of these fields is desirable but not mandatory, as we also treasure the supremely GOLDEN AGE RADIO -Your best source for radio tapes. Box services self-educated individual. EXPERIENCE in the fieldof applied 84041, Olivette, Missouri 63132. musical acousticsifof high value. Send resume and salary RENT 4 -TRACK OPEN REEL TAPES -ALL MAJOR labels -3,000 MEMOREX retarding tape, audio & video, lowest prices. Write requirements in complete confidence to:Harold Boyce, V.P. different -free brochure. StereO-Parti, 57 St. James Drive, Santa for tree information. BERGETZ SYSTEMS CO., Box 1181, Melrose Industrial Relations, Electro-Voice, Inc., 600 Cecil St.. Buchanan, Rosa, Cal. 95401. Park, III. 60161. Michigan 49107. An Equal Opportunity Employer. RENT STEREO TAPES $1.50 week, Postpaid -new. Calalbg 25t. MOST AMAZING RADIO SHOW ever produced. Featuring Ken Tape Library, Box 8126, Washington, D.C. 20024. ADVERTISING INDEX Nordine On Cassettes. Free Brochure. "Incredible, But True!" CASSETTES! 60 -minute stereo/mono 'background music' rent- Sawyer. Michigan 49125. is on page 122. als -90 days: $1.50. 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NOVEMBER 1972 131 been lost. But the piano sound itself (like One standard piano concerto which is the tape that in Cliburn's more artistically satis- partly concertante in nature (with its vi- fying recent Brahms program) is mag- tal cello and horn solo parts), Brahms's deckBY R.D. DARRELL nificent. Second, currently appears in what must be a present-day grand master's fourth Concerto vs. Concertante. One serious recording: this one partnering Artur Ru- Grand Pianos. Luckily I began going to weakness of past grand masters was their binstein with Ormandy and the Philadel- concerts early enough to catch fading general insistence on imperious domina- phians (RCA Red Seal RK/R8S 1243, glimpses of the golden age of pianistic tion in all ensemble works, even those in cassette and 8 -track cartridge, $6.95 grandeur as personified in Hofmann, which the composer himself did not in- each). And perhaps never before has the Paderewski, Lhevinne, Rosenthal, Siloti, tend to put a continuous spotlight on the pianist been as mellowly eloquent or as et al. And since I remember those giants soloist. How far the best of today's vir- richly accompanied and recorded- better visually than aurally, the Rhada- tuosos have come in achieving artistic as triumphing even over the low blow dealt manthine appearance and mesmeric au- well as technical versatility and restraint him by the apparently incorrigible tape dience command of Siloti and Rosenthal is exemplified in a coupled concerto/ editor, who jarringly breaks the last few in particular still loom large in my mind. concertante Scriabin program by Vladi- minutes of the second movement in the I doubt that any of today's younger play- mir Ashkenazy with the London Phil- cassette edition. ers are as dramatically charismatic, but harmonic under Maazel (London/Am- in sheer digital accuracy and power they pex M 10251, Dolby cassette, $6.95; also OffbeatOperas.The centerpiece of surely match and quite possibly surpass L 80251, 71/2-ips reel, $7.95). In the early Donizetti's Elizabethan trilogy, Maria their elders. Witness, in evidence, the Concerto in F sharp minor, Op. 18 (with Stuarda, strikes me as also standing mid- awesome skill of Jorge Bolet in exactly its strong Chopinesque echoes, yet also way in musicodramatic interest between the same display pieces beloved of nine- distinctivelyindividual accents-espe- the arresting Anna Bolena and the disap- teenth-century aficionados: Liszt's tran- cially in the slow -movement variations pointing Roberto Devereux-that is,if scriptions of Donizetti, Verdi, and Wag- on a poignantly haunting theme), the one can fairly judge by its first recording, ner operatic excerpts, and of Schubert, soloist leads the way without ever seem- conducted by Aldo Ceccato (Audio Schumann, and Chopin songs (RCA ing to hog the stage or obscure the poet- Treasury/Ampex R 2010, two 71/2-ips Red Seal RK /R8S 1231, cassette and 8 - ically scored orchestral part. Then, in the reels, $21.95; including texts -and -notes track cartridge, $6.95 each). There is overside Prometheus: Poem of Fire, Op. booklet). No fan of its two stars, Beverly ample proof here too that such long dis- 60 (Scriabin's grandiose last major or- Sills and Eileen Farrell, is likely to be paraged "arrangements" are far more in- chestral work, calling for chorus and a disappointed, but over-all the work too teresting-musically as well as techni- "color organ" as well as a pianist), Ash- seldom maintains the level of its best cally-than younger listeners ever have kenazy somehow commands a true con- moments. Only in the (apocryphal) been led to expect. certante blend without, however, blur- meeting of the two Queens and in Mary's If Bolet's command of the grand man- ring his articulation of the intricate piano death scene am I able to suspend disbe- ner lacks the final touch of swaggering part. Indeed this recorded performance lief. panache, we can find that, along with ev- does better justice to the scoring details Yet in a completely fairy-tale opera, erything else, in "Horowitz Plays Rach- of Prometheus than any other I've ever the too seldom heard and even less often maninoff." These are live recordings, heard on records (including last year's adequately performed Cenerentola by 1967-68, of three etudes -tableaux, a Sokoloff/Ormandy version for RCA), Rossini,I am consistently held en- prelude, a moment musical, and the con- although of course even it cannot ap- tranced. Perhaps I'm biased for many voluted Second Sonata, Op. 36 (Colum- proach the overwhelming impact the years ago my heart was won over by a bia MT/MA 30464, $6.98 each). Then, in composer aimed for and which can he at grand prima donna who excelled in this sharp contrast to Horowitz's high -volt- least approximated in concert. opera's title role, Conchita Supervia. But age electricity, there is the scarcely less Prometheus is one of the rare composi- at any rate the new version starring the magisterial icy intellectualism of Rudolf tions that well may be congenitally unre- irresistible Teresa Berganza (DGG /Am- Serkin and the Opp. 101 and 110 Beetho- cordable-certainly so in both mono and pex R 2039, two 71/2-ips reels, $21.95; in- ven Sonatas (Columbia MT/MA 31239, stereo, quite possibly so even in quadra- cluding texts -and -notes booklet) easily $6.98 each). phony. But it still remains a fascinating supersedes the uneven London version All three masters are well recorded example of ambition run wild, and that of 1964, which stars Giulietta Simionato. (with Columbia's two enjoying the fascination, augmented more satisfac- The new set is also musicologically more added benefits of cassette Dolbyization), torily by the appeal of the engagingly complete and authentic; its conductor, and while Serkin's tonal qualities are unambitious concerto overside, makes Claudio Abbado, impresses me more somewhat harder than Bolet's or Horo- this a release I can warmly recommend here than he ever has in the symphonic witz's, the cassette edition of his program even to Scriabinphobes. repertory; yet it is the effervescent music proves to be completely free from the A better-known concertante work. itself, along with Berganza's skill and "baleful" processing defects in the disc Beethoven's Triple Concerto in C, Op. charm, which makes this release so ex- version that Harris Goldsmith castigated 56, is grandly played and expansively re- ceptionally delightful. last August. A fourth contemporary key- corded by pianist Arrau, violinist But I, for one, can find little real pleas- board colossus achieves (along with his Szeryng, and cellist Starker with the New ure in the latest Boris Godunov, with engineer's invaluable aid) the most im- Philharmonia under the gifted young Is- Ghiaurov in the title role and Karajan pressively rich and ringing piano timbres raeli conductor Eliahu Inbal (Philips/ conducting (London/Ampex V 90204. of all: Van Cliburn in "My Favorite De- Ampex L 5129. 71/2-ips reel. $7.95). Yet three 71/2-ips reels. $25.95; including bussy" (RCA Red Seal RK /R8S 1268, here I still tend to favor the brisker, taut- texts -and -notes booklet). Whatever its $6.95 each). But here, unfortunately, ex- er reading by Richter. Oistrakh, and considerable merits, it has the fatal ecutant and audio expertiseis not Rostropovich under Karajan in the demerit of perpetuating the Rimsky- matched by interpretative affinity. For brighter Angel recording. Its Ampex reel Korsakov rearrangement when it's more me, these performances are all too literal edition was short-lived, however: only than high time for a recording of Mus- translations from the French in which Angel's own cassette version is currently sorgsky's original score. No substitute

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