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Fine Arts Section

Mass in C. Major, Opus 86 (Beethoven). Jennifer Vyvyan (Soprano), Monica Sinclair (Contralto), Richard Lewis (Tenor), Marian Nowakowski (Bass), The Beecham Choral Society, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, Bart., C.H. World Record (Mono) Tz 134.

In the past I have been rather sceptical about some World Record Club releases—they have been a pretty mixed bunch on the whole, but for this record I can find nothing but praise.

The performance is remarkably exciting. Beecham seems to have used Beethoven's remark as a guiding principle—"it lies especially close to my heart" and knits both soloists, chorus and instrumental. forces into an integrated and triumphal whole. There are one or two moments when the soloists do no sound entirely sure of themselves, but it is the way that the orchestra is never thrust into the role of accompanist that pleases me; the music flows forth in a steady, effortless stream in which there is no prima donna highlighting of any one executant. It's teamwork all the way.

The recording is almost as good as it could be; the only flaw is a very slight hiss, but I mention this only for the file, for there is a welcome absence of extraneous surface noises. The one overall adjective to describe it is "clean," for even the most massive climaxes are reproduced without strain or distortion, while the vocal and orchestral lines are clear, being neither blurred nor drowned by each other.

To round off the disc's virtues, there is a particularly good sleeve note which has more information and less emotional cliches than most commercial issues, even if the cover design is not noticeably inspired. My one regret is that I could not hear the stereo version for comparison—if it is as good in its field as the mono, it will be very good indeed.

—A.W.E.

* * *

Schubert. Symphonies No. 2 in B flat major, D.125: No. 8 in B minor, D.759, "Unfinished." Vienna Philharmonic Orch/Karl Muenchinger. Decca LX TM 5528.

Schubert's Second Symphony was written in the composer's seventeenth year. It is a delightful work and receives here an excellent performance from Muenchinger and the Vienna players. Firstly, there is a slight tendency to portamento in the strings; the Largo suffers here in particular. Not that I am discrediting the fine phrasing that comes from this section. The strings are remarkably good throughout: though—and this is the second point—there is another tendency, for them to overcloud the woodwind in some places (but not, fortunately, to any great deleterious effect). Balance between brass, woodwind and strings is exceptionally well defined. The "Unfinished," too, is given a polished performance: it indeed repudiates much of what has been said about Muenchinger—that he is a conductor of limited capacity and style. He does not achieve any greatness in his interpretation for sure, but neither does he display any flashy techniques or unnecessary idiosyncrasies in style, which have marred many other recordings of this work. The orchestra plays marvellously, the cellos have a rich full sound, all the Vienna Philharmonic's own; the brass is brilliant, but not too forward; only the horns seem to suffer—their sound being at times both fuzzy and far away. Muenchinger has given careful thought to the detail in both symphonies—it is a disc to be thoroughly recommended.

—M.J.W.

Stravinsky. L'Oiseau de Feu.

Bizet. Jeux d'enfants.

Ravel. Ma Mere l'Oye.

Philharmonia Orch./Giulini. World Record Club, TZ 135.

This record can be recommended with only one or two reservations: namely, the recurrent tape hiss and surface noise, which intrudes on so many World Record Club recordings, and the rather haphazard tempi of some of the playing. However, neither is sufficient cause to detract attention from the extremely brilliant playing of the Philharmonia and the lyrical, plush reading of Carlo Maria Giulini. Stravinsky's L'Oiseau de Feu perhaps attracts more notice than the other two suites. Yet it is not the most successful on the disc. The tautness of Stravinsky or Ansermet is missing; the tempi are not consistent; and the colouring between woodwind and strings in sections II, III and IV is not what it can be, either (cf. Monteux). But this is concerning oneself too much with trivialities; apart from one or two other versions this is the best Oiseau to date. The suite is the 1919 concert edition.

Of the Ravel and Biz et, I unhesitatingly say these are the best played performances of the suites to yet appear. The woodwind is magnificently clear and unobtrusive, well balanced with the rest of the orchestra; the brass is likewise, outstanding. The strings have for once a most un-English sheen and subdued beauty. Giulini has certainly excelled himself in these two pieces; the Mere l'oye is an especially lovely performance. The disc, on the whole, is the finest World Record Club has so far produced.

—M.J.W.

Vienna Carnival. Eljen a Magyar. Spharenkla nge. Banditen. Kunsterleben. Unter Donner und Blitzen. Morgenblatter. Plapper-maulchen. Mein Lebenslauf ist Lieb' und Lust (Johann and Joseph Strauss). The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Willi Boskovsky. Decca (Mono) LXTM 5535.

I am almost tempted to say "the mixture as before" except that the playing lifts it above the routine. Strauss, the V.P.O., and Decca have always made a good triumvirate. I checked some of the above items with versions in my three discs set of the same orchestra in the New Year Concerts, under Clemens Krauss, now some years old but beautifully played.

Boskovsky, enjoying the advantages of more modern recording, has the advantage over Krauss. This is apparent not only in the "special effects department" of Plapper-maulchen and Banditen, but also in the sheen of the strings, the snarl of the brass and, especially in Unter Donner und Blitzen, the vivid presence of the percussion— deep, full of presence, but never boomy.

I find the Eljen a Magyar polka .too synthetic for my taste (a kind of pseudo-Hungarian Rhapsody type of concoction), but there is no doubt about the lilt in the start of the main theme of Mein Lebenslauf ist Lieb' und Lust—this is vintage Strauss. There is not a vast amount of difference in the style of these performances from the Krauss discs. They are all excellent. Strauss seems to find the Vienna Philharmonic always at the top of its impressive form, as though they played it by instinct.

And this is the way it should be played—with that attention to minute detail and tricky twists in the rhythm which so many lesser musicians miss. Any one of the V.P.O.'s versions is worth a dozen of the truncated and distorted efforts that Melaehrino, Mantovani and the like perpetrate.

—A.W.E.