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Salient. Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 26, No. 5. Monday, April 29, 1963

Records

Records

Heading for Records section

From World Record (AZ55) comes a collection of "early" Sibelius compositions including Karelia Suite, Swan of Tuonela, En Saga and Romance in C for Strings. The most satisfying performances are heard in the Swan and En Saga, where Anthony Collins conducts with authoritative and imaginative sweep. The strings and cor anglais are particularly well accounted for amongst the overall breadth of the orchestra—which is, by the way, the Royal Philharmonic. The Karelia is not as tautly played as it should be nor is the Romance in any wise inspired. My review copy, as an aside, had some bad surface click.

A miscellaneous collection of madness collated under the title The Hoffnung Astronautical Music Festival (Columbia 33MCX) is of course, the posthumous opus of Gerard Hoffnung. Probably the wittiest and most erudite of all his collections, this one features Horrortorio, a parody on the oratorio form with Dracula as theme. Many well-known musicians are featured—Lionel Salter, Malcolm Arnold. William Walton, April Cantelo. Owen Brannigan—in works ranging from the above item to an opaque reading of Beethoven's Leonore No. 3. Recording is exceptionally clear.

Apart from some enunciation difficulties and her characteristic unsteadiness of vibrato in the middle register. Joan Sutherland's singing in Messiah (Decca LXTM 6010, SXLM 6010) leaves little to be desired. The tone of her voice is most beautifully heard in "I know that my Redeemer liveth" and "If God Be for Us": singing) of exquisite verve and potential. She is accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult (the latter recorded Messiah on Decca in 1953 with Jennifer Vyvyan in the lead: a performance which ranked first (for many years). This record constitutes the score for soprano in its entirety, and is from the complete set made two years ago. The recording itself in mono and stereo is very spacious and definition between soloist, chorus and orchestra is good. However, watch out for some persistent tape his and rumble.

Keeping up the good work—and reverting back to the cover-designs initially used—the Record Society has issued an album of the once-recorded Der Mond of Carl Orff (RZ 6049). First issued in 1958, the performance includes Rudolf Christ. Hans Hotter, the Philharmonic Orchestra under Wofgang Sawallisch. Based on a Grimm fairy-tale, the music is of the inimitable simple, catchy style, similar to that of Carmina Burana (released also by the Record Society last year). Sawallisch has taken a clean and crisp interpretation: every nuance and shade of orchestral colour coming across with remarkable clarity. The recording is excellent: a test-piece scoring includes skittles, dice, an oscillator and dogs—at least the sound of. As the Narrator and Peter, Christ with his delicate tenor and Hotter, a smooth baritone are good. Altogether, to be recommended. I think a libretto should be issued with the album, for clarification purposes.

—M.J.W.