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RECORDS CLASSICAL them within a period of 27 months. Yet YSAYE they do constitute a kind of landmark in the Sonata for Violin alone, in L, Op. 27, Continued from page 71 history of opera, separating the Verdi of No. 3 - see Beethoven. Ernani and such from the Verdi of Otello, and it is awesome to think of the creative of the musicality and strength of line of his fires that burned in the composer in those singing, although Josef Herrmann (Oceanic) years between March, 2851, and March, COLLECTIONS AND actually sings the text more meaningfully. 1853. Hans Braun (London) is good enough, but The new Cetra set occupies a peculiar MISCELLANY not really special except in the possession of place, for while in some ways it is the most a voice with a big, solid middle. As Narra- desirable of recorded Rigoletto, to be had at RAPHAEL ARIE both, Anton Dermota is - perhaps a little this time, it does fall short not only of the Russian Songs surprisingly not notably better than Wal- - ideal but of what might reasonably have been Moussorgsky: The Song of the Flea; The demar Kmentt (Columbia), but both are hoped for. It is good, but not good enough Seminarist. Glinka: The Midnight Review; very good, and far outclass their callow in all respects to recommend without reser- Doubt. Gretchaninoff: Death. Lishin: She Dresden -Oceanic competition. None of vation, especially since there is a London Laughed. the Herodiases is anything much, but Mar - set somewhere in the making that may turn Raphael Arie (bs). Wilfred Parry, piano. garete Kenney (London) is best of the lot. out to be interesting. Both LONDON LD 9(03. rain. $2.95. London and Columbia sets are The trouble with choosing among the strongly cast in the extensive secondary list, existing versions of Rigoletto is that none is Rachmaninoff: Fate. Rimsky- Korsakoff: but the distribution parts is of better in the completely satisfactory, and that those with The Prophet. Koenemann: When the King London partly because - the presence of the truest artistic values are otherwise Went Forth to War; (arr.) Song of the Volga Ludwig Weber to sing the First Nazarene marginal cases. Actually, the two LP Boatmen. apparently allowed lesser basses to be pushed Rigoletto performances of greatest distinction Raphael Arie (bs). down and shifted around (for many of the London Symphony; are the Columbia Entré and the Urania, Anatole Fistoulari, same Viennese singers participate). Mr. cond.; and Wilfred Parry, but the first is decidedly low -fi and the other piano Weber, sad to say, does his bit here with (in Fate). is sung in German. LONDON LD 9101. to -in. $2.95. small distinction. Of the others, Else For a long time now the RCA Victor Schürhof, the rather mild witch of the Angel Rigoletto has held pride of place among re- Raphael Arie is a respectable singer but not Hanel and Gretel, settles down to a real corded versions, and although it is a long quite the sort of personality to stir up en- old -time contralto placement as the Page, way from perfection it does have thusiasm no matter what the music, so both and manages to sound disconcertingly singers of - - quality in the three main roles, and it still of these disks deserve to be assessed in more masculine than Narraboth. After sounds as ripely resonant as ever. A really terms of the out -of- ordinary repertoire they Kurt Böhme as the First Nazarene, the well -conducted, consistently well -sung Itali- present. On this basis, both are probably Oceanic cast falls plunk to a level far below an performance topple it, worth owning, but by any ordinary standards that of either Vienna set. could but the best the Cetra set can get is a draw. the first is more worth owning. After all, Clemens Krauss' conducting for London Of the two Rigolettos, Moussorgsky's flea song is a common, not is individual in certain contours and certain Giuseppe Taddei is a good deal more interesting to say battered, recital coin, and Glinka's details, but is consistent within itself and dramatically. But Rigoletto is perhaps Leonard Warren's The Midnight Review is only less so; and altogether impressive - more so than Josef although Mr. Arie sings both acceptably Keilberth's clean, sure performance for best role, and although his characterization may seem more carefully planned he sheds no special artistic glow on either, Oceanic or Rudolf Morali s rather routine, than vital, and some of his dynamic observances verge or any of the others. But The Seminarist is but often richly played, performance for very like a on affectation, he does sing it with controlled something great song; Doubt and Columbia. Engineering characteristics have Death are, in ways, power, fine tone, and a big, ringing top. their disparate good ones; already been described. All told, the Lon- and She Laughed at least illustrates the don Salome is not the unbeatable Both Gildas are very superior artists, but recording proprieties of harmony as taught by Rimsky- Lina Pagliughi is surer of her phrasing in that might have been hoped for, but it is of Korsakoff. Of the songs on the second disk, Italian than is Erna Berger (she should be; sufficient quality to rate preference even in a Fate is a characteristically superior Rach- she has been singing Gilda in Italian at field that includes two very worthy com- maninoff setting, and The Prophet least since the old, old, Victor 78 set has a petitors. J. H., Jr. con- certain sweep about it; ducted by Carlo Sabajnol, and for the most but Koenemann can crawl back into the encyclopedia and stay part her voice sounds as pure and malleable there. Broad, reliable vocal performances, as ever. As the Duke, Ferruccio Tagliavini VERDI with routine accompaniments. Engineering: is not in his most attractive voice, while Rigoletto typical in kind but Jan Peerce gives perhaps his best recorded otherwise not remarkable. No texts, but rather helpful notes. Giuseppe Verdi: Rigoletto (opera in four acts; performance in the Victor set. For those J. H., Jr. libretto by F. M. Piave after Victor Hugo's who are interested, it ought to be noted that MAURICE CHEVALIER Le Roi ?Amuse). Lina Pagliughi (s), Gilda; the Cetra set includes the Duke's third -act Ines Marietti (s), Countess Ceprano and cabaletta, acceptably sung. In the lesser roles Paris je t'aime; Paris d set 2000 ans; La A Page; Irma Colsanti (ms), Maddalena; both sets fall below standards acceptable for Chasse; J'ai fixé mon coeur; Trinque, Tilde Fiorio (ms), Giovanna; Ferruccio first -class opera houses, and although the Trinque; A la Francaise; Mais qui est-cel Tagliavini (t), Duke of Mantua; Tommaso Cetra second line lias at least the advantage Moi, jai gardé; Ah, si vous saviez; Peut - Soley (t), Borsa; Giuseppe Taddei (b), of being all- Italian they are a pretty ragged - Itrq Peintre en batiment; Une canne et une Rigoletto; Alberto Albertini (b), Marullo; sounding bunch, especially in ensembles. casquette Mario Giacobini (b), Usher of the Court; Nor is either set notably well conducted. (With Orchestra) Giulio Neri (bs), Sparafucile; Antonio Renato Cellini gets a clean performance, at COLUMBIA CL 568. 12 -in. 34 min. $3.95. Zerbini (bs), Monterone; Mario Zorgniotti whippet -like tempos, from the RCA players, (bs), Count Ceprano. The perennially youthful Chevalier, he of Orchestra of Radio- and Angelo Questa gets a decent but in no televisione Italiana, Turin, the straw hat and underslung lip, is back and Cetra Chorus; way exceptional performance, at more rea- with a batch of 12 songs, most of them new, Angelo Questa, cond. sonable and idiomatic tempos, from the CETRA C 1247. which fit his personality and style like the Three 12 -in. $17.85. Turin players. Rigoletto deserves better. proverbial glove. Except for Paris je t'aime Both sets are well recorded, the Victor with There are a certain few clichés of music re- and Paris a ses 2000 ans, both typical of full -ripe resonance, the Cetra with clean, viewing that are nearly inescapable. One of his jeun premier days, the remainder are a live presence and some (not invariably these has to do with Rigoletto, La Traviata, suc- nice mixture of double entendre (La Chasse and Il Trovatore. It is almost mandatory to cessful) attempt at theatrical illusion. As a and Peut -Erre), advice (Ah, si vous saviez), begin a consideration of any of them by matter of personal choice, I prefer the kind philosophy (Moi, jai gardé) and some vastly noting that the three together mark what is of performance given by Mr. Taddei and amusing satiric songs. And through it all commonly called Verdi's "middle period," Miss Pagliughi as being more apposite to one gets the impression that Chevalier is and to remark yet once again that it certainly the opera Verdi wrote, but wouldn't fight as amused as he is amusing. It is all très is something for a composer to have created about it. T. H., Jr. soigné. OCTOBER, 1954 73 www.americanradiohistory.com.