Toscanini in Stereo a report on RCA's "electronic reprocessing" MARCH ERS 60 CENTS FOR STEREO FANS! Three immortal recordings by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony have been given new tonal beauty and realism by means of a new RCA Victor engineering development, Electronic Stereo characteristics electronically, Reprocessing ( ESR ) . As a result of this technique, which creates stereo the Toscanini masterpieces emerge more moving, more impressive than ever before. With rigid supervision, all the artistic values have been scrupulously preserved. The performances are musically unaffected, but enhanced by the added spaciousness of ESR. Hear these historic Toscanini ESR albums at your dealer's soon. They cost no more than the original Toscanini monaural albums, which are still available. Note: ESR is for stereo phonographs only. A T ACTOR records, on the 33, newest idea in lei RACRO Or AMERICA Ask your dealer about Compact /1 CORPORATION M..00I sun.) . ., VINO .IMCMitmt Menem ILLCr sí1.10 ttitis I,M MT,oMC Mc0001.4 M , mi1MM MCRtmM M nm Simniind MOMSOMMC M Dvoìtk . Rn.psthI SYMPHONY Reemergáy Ravel RRntun. of Rome Plue. of Rome "FROM THE NEW WORLD" Pictures at an Exhibition TOSCANINI ARTURO TOSCANINI Toscanini NBC Symphony Orchestra Arturo It's all Empire -from the remarkable 208 belt- driven 3 -speed turntable -so quiet that only the sound of the music distinguishes between the turntable at rest and the turntable in motion ... to the famed Empire 98 transcription arm, so perfectly balanced that it will track a record with stylus forces well below those recommended by cartridge manufacturers. A. handsome matching walnut base is pro- vided. And, although we leave the choice of cartr dge up to you, we can't help but recommend the Empire 108, the first truly compatible mono -stereo cartridge. The empire 108 in the 98 arm tracks superbly at 11/2 grams. The price of this magnificent playback system, less cartridge, $145.50. new empíre troubador (record playback system audio empire 1075 Stewart Ave., Garden City, N. Y. CIRCLE. 13 ON READER-SERVICE CARD MARCH 1961 STANTON Calibration Standard: Model 381 - An ultra-linear professional pickup for recording channel calibration, radio stations and record evaluation by engineers and critics...from $48.00 t Collectors Series: Model 380 -A pre- cision pickup for the discriminating record collector...from $29.85 Pro -Standard Series: MK Il -A pro. fessional pickup outstanding for quality control ... from $24.00 StereoPlayer Series: Stereo 90 - A fine quality stereo magnetic pick- up for the audiophile...$16.50 more for everyone. .. more for every application i ... so much more for everyone ... for every J application ... in the complete line of Stanton 'r Stereo Fluxvalves. Here is responsible performance ... in four superb models ... for all who can hear the difference. From a gentle pianissimo to a resounding crescendo -every movement of the stylus reflects a quality touch possessed only by the Stereo Fluxvalve. LISTEN ! ... and you will agree Pickering has more for the best of everything in record reproduction -mono or stereo, More Output -More Channel Separation -More Response -More Record Life! In short ... more to enjoy.. because, there's more quality for more listening pleasure. Ask for a Stanton Stereo Fluxvalve* demonstration at your Hi -Fi Dealer today! FOR THOSE WHO CAN HEAR THE DIFFERENCE +U. S. Patent No. 2.917,590 riekerin Send for Pickering Tech - Specs -a handy guide for planning PICKERINGe & CO..INC.. PLAINVIEW. NEWYORK a fidelity Dept. A3 I g stereo high system ...address RIES. APE INC. PRODUCTS. STLSL .TERECT' . AYER, COLLECTORS SERIES, PRO -STANDARD SF CALINRTIDN STANDARD TRADEMARKS USED TO DENOTE THE QUALITY OF PICKERING COMPANY, MARCH 1961 high fidelity volume I I number 3 including AUDIOCRAFT and HI -FI MUSIC AT HOME l. Roland Celatt Editor Where Sound Sounds Best 30 Eric Salzman Joan Griffiths Executive Editor Wooden pilasters in Vienna can affectt the .wand Norman Eisenberg you hear in your living room. Audio Editor Conrad L. Osborne Toscanini in Stereo 40 Jack Arthur Somer Managing Edtor A report on electronically reprocessing Shirley Fleming the Maestro's discs. Assistant Editor Roy Lindstrom The Mixture That Is Milhaud 42 Edward Lockspeiser Art Director A close look at France's H. C. Robbins Landon prolific composer. European Editor Look the Stars 44 Alan Wagner Ralph Freas Sometimes Beyond Audio Coordinator Opera wouldn't he opera without its guards, messengers, and ladies -in- waiting. Editorial Board 10 Fleming John M. Conly Do Re Mi Marks a Record Marathon Shirley Chairman Overtime labors produced the tape of E. Power Biggs Broadway's latest success. Nathan Broder Notes from Abroad 18 R. D. Darrell Dispatches on doings in Alfred Frankenstein Hanover, Paris, Bucharest. Howard Hanson Julian Hirsch Music Makers 51 Roland Gelatt Robert C Marsh Francis Robinson Joseph Szigeti EQUIPMENT The Hobbyhorse Still Rocks 29 Warren B. Syer An editorial. General Manager Claire N. Eddings Cabinets for Components 34 Norman Eisenberg Advertising Manager Sales Advice and counsel on housing Walter F. Grueninger Circulation Director the nude component. Low Budget Formula for Component Housing 97 Follon Doug Climenson's example and Publication Policy do- it- yourself for $126. Charles Fowler Equipment Reports 47 Lawrence Gatto Eico HF -89 Dual 50 -Watt Power Amplifier W. D. Littleford Garrard Type A Automatic Turntable Warren B. Syer Fairchild 500 Integrated Arm and Cartridge DuKane lonovac Speaker High Fidelity Newsfronts 95 Ralph Freas ., A D V E R T I S I N G Main Office REVIEWS Claire N. Eddings, The Publishing House Great Barrington, Mass. Telephone 1300 New York Feature 1564 Broadway. New York 36 Record Reviews 53 Telephone: Plaza 7 -2800 Toscanini in "Electronically Reprocessed" Stereo. Sy Resnick, Andy Spanberger Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Baumgartner, et al) Chicago Other Classical Record Reviews 10 East Huron St., Chicago 11 55 Telephone: Michigan 2 -4245 Pete Dempers, Tom Berry The Lighter Side 75 Los Angeles Jazz Record Reviews 85 1520 North Gower. Hollywood 28 Telephone: Hollywood 9 -6239 The 91 George Kelley Tape Deck Cover Photo Courtesy Gray Sound Corp. Published monthly at Great Barrington, Mass. by The Billboard Publishing Co. Copyright © 1961 by The Billboard Co. The design and contents of High Fidelity Magazine are fully protected by copyright and must not be reproduced in any manner. Second -class pls'age paid at Great Barrington and at additional mailing offices. One-yeti' subscriplion in U. S., Possessions, and Canada $6.00. Elsewhere $7.00. FAYETTE AUTHORitatively Speaking Regular readers of the New York Times's RAD I O music columns are noting more and more frequently of late the by -line of Eric Salzman. They no doubt deduce that an- KT -600A PROFESSIONAL STEREO CONTROL CENTER other bright young critic has entered on the musical scene. They deduce quite cor- KT -600A In Kit Form Y LA -600A Completely Wired rectly. Mr. Salzman, still a safe distance 50 on the near side of thirty, started train- 134.50 ing for his present career a good many 5.00 DOWN years ago. beginning with violin lessons ± Response 5- 40,000 cps 1 db. at age seven and going on to piano stud- Precise "Null" Balancing System ies and private classes in musical theory Unique Stereo and Monaural Control Features Concentric Input Level Controls and composition. (How he managed on Easy -To- Assemble Kit Form. the side a high school varsity letter in basketball, we don't know -but it's a fact Sensitivity 2.2 my for 1 volt out. Dual low impedance he did.) An plate follower" outputs 1500 ohms. Less than .03% A.B. from Columbia. gradu- IM distortion; less than .1% harmonic distortion. Hum ate work at Princeton, and a Fulbright and noise 80 db below 2 volts. 14x105/8x41h". Shpg. Fellowship for study in Rome fol- wt., 16 lbs. lowed. Also teaching. Also conducting. Also performing. And writing about mu- THE REMARKABLE KT -650 FM TUNER KIT sic and musicians, of course. This month Mr. Salzman gives us (p. 30) a disquisi- LT -650A Completely Wired tion on recording halls here and abroad. KT- 650Kit 54.50 79.95 Jack Arthur Somer, whose "Toscanini in Virtually D 5.00 Down istortionless Performance -Less Stereo" appears on p. 40, holds at RCA Than .15% Distortion at 100 °0 Modulation Victor the post of administrator Sensitivity 3 µv for 30db of Quieting for au- dio coördination. A graduate of Response ±- 1/2db 15-35,000 cps CCNY +,arbgtigrawark ..4 with a degree Variable AFC in mechanical engineering, Somer was Professional FM Laboratory Standard Perform- Mr. previously employed at ance - Circuitry employs a low noise front RCA's Indianapolis development labora- end with . r-r triode mixer plus double tuned dual tories. When he could manage to extri- ' limiter and wide band Foster Seeley discrim- cate himself from the inator. IF and Discriminator coils are factory fascinating experi- prealigned- permits playing the tuner as soon ments going on there (and we all know as assembly is completed. Printed circuit board scientists' devotion to duty), he acted in and famous Lafayette instruction manuals make his spare time as assistant to Bilt- Made in U.S.A. kit building a pleasure. 14x5r%Hx11 "D. Shpg. wt., Edwin 131/2 lbs. cliffe, director of the Indianapolis Sym- phonic Choir. As a matter of fact, Mr. NEW! KT -550 100 -WATT BASIC STEREO AMPLIFIER KIT Somers has had a more than casual in- terest in music ever since he started tak- LA -550 Completely Wired KT -550 In Kit Form ing piano lessons as a small boy: he 134.50 himself is now giving private instruction 5.00 Down 184.50 to several adult beginners and, together with a fellow Victor staff member, is Rated at 50 -Watts Channel per engaged in composing a three -act opera.