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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 29, No. 12. 1966.

Record reviews — D.J.H. reviews recent releases

page 9

Record reviews

D.J.H. reviews recent releases

I Am Very Pleased to welcome the Jean Francois Paillard recording of Handel's "Water Music" (World Record ASDM 6023). One of the main attractions of this disc is the strict attention to original orchestration in order "to recapture the freshness of the initial impressions." Instead of the score being dragged down by a weighty collection of instruments the orchestra consists of one flute, two oboes, bassoons, trumpets, horns, violins and harpsichord.

The performance is a sparkling one, Paillard's tempi are brisk and the music never lags. The brass and wind sections are admirable, there is a tasteful balance between horns and violins. The recording is excellent (on my copy there is considerable distortion at the beginning of the second side. However, I have been assured that this fault was adjusted before the pressing of retail copies).

Highlights From Fidelio (Columbia SAXM 2547) is an excellent disc. The excerpts are taken from a complete recording first released in 1962 with Christa Ludwig, Jon Vickers, Gottlob Frick, Walter Berry, Ingelborg Hallstein, the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Otto Klemperer.

All the cast perform well. Ludwig is outstanding in the role of Leonora, "Frick and Vicker's contributions are extremely good, both gentlemen are completely at ease in their parts and their characterisations are apt. Orchestral and choral performances come to expect from the Philharmonia and Klemperer's direction is inspiring. A first-class stereo recording (the voices and orchestra are well balanced) further encourages me to recommend this record.

are up to the very high standards we have

Highlights of this month's releases is "Vivaldi: Concerti For Diverse Instruments" (World Record ASDM 6025 stereo). Works performed by the Jean Francois Paillard Chamber Orchestra and soloists are the magnificent Concerto in C major for two trumpets, strings and continuo; Concerto in A minor for piccolo, strings and continuo; Concerto in B flat major for violin, oboe, strings and continuo; Concerto in G major for two violins, two cellos, strings and continuo; and Concerto in F major for violin, organ, strings and continuo. The list of performers reads like a "Who's Who" of French soloists—Maurice Andre and Marcel Lagorce (trumpets), Huguette Fernandez and Ginette Carles (violins), Maxence Larrieu (piccolo), Pierre Pielot (oboe), Bernard Fonteny and Constance Maurelet (cellos), Marie-Clair Alain (organ) and Anne-Marie Beckensteiner (harpsichord).

The performances are superlative. The two trumpeters demonstrate why they are considered two of the best soloists in the world. The tone of Andre's higher register in the third movement is outstanding. Both the piccolo concerto and the double concerto for violin and oboe are extremely colourful works. The technical ability of Huguette Fernandez is displayed in the other two concerti on side two. A highly recommended record.

Highlights From "Romeo And Juliette" (Columbia SAXM 2580 stereo) is an extremely attractive version of excerpts from this little-known Gounod opera. The librettists were Barbier and Carre, who were also responsible for "Faust." The dramatic construction of the opera is very close to that of the original. Obviously this offers unlimited opportunities to a lyrical composer and Gounod revels in them. The end product is an extremely pleasant "French" opera. Nicolai Gedda's portrayal of Romeo is the outstanding performance—the climax he reaches at the end of the Act 2 aria, "Ah! Leve-toi soleil" is wonderful. Joseph Rouleau is a convincing Frere Laurent and in his duet with Juliette (Rosanna Carteri) he handles the unusual monotone passage with ease. The orchestra is the Paris Opera Orchestra and conductor Alain Lombard ensures that all the emotion of the work is exploited. Highly recommended.

In View of the forthcoming opera season, World Record's release of highlights from "Die Fledermaus" with the Sadler's Wells Opera Company and Orchestra conducted by Vilem Tausky (SLZ 7130 stereo) is most opportune. The performances on the disc are up to the high standard of many other Sadler's Wells recordings of opera sung in English 'for example, "Hansel and Gretel"— HMV MCLP 1815/6). The cast performs well, Alexander Young's portrayal of Eisenstein, the practical joker who is placed on the receiving end of a joke through the revenge of Dr. Falke, one of his former victims, is especially good.

Choruses And Chorales From Bach: St. Matthew Passion (Columbia SAXM 2525 stereo) is a most welcome release of excerpts from the complete recording of the work with Otto Klemperer conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra and Choir. Throughout the tempi are on the slow side. However, under Klemperer's direction they never lag: instead the dignity of the work is emphasised. The tone of both orchestra and choir is very good. An excellent recording further enhances the attractiveness of the record.

Ella At Duke's Place (Verve V-4070 mono), featuring Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington's orchestra, is "champagne jazz"—light, bubbly and extroverted. Ella is in top form—just listen to her high register in "Duke's Place" (a vocal version of "C Jam Blues"); she glides through side one ("The pretty, the lovely, the tender, the hold-me-close side") and really swings through side two ("The finger-snapping, head-shaking, toe-tapping, go-for-yourself side"). The band's performance is very good, the solos by the sax section—Russel Procope. Paul Consalves, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney—are especially noteworthy.

Big Bill Broonzy and Pete Seeger in Concert (Verve FV-90008 mono) is a live recording by these two folk giants. Much of the patter between songs has been retained on this recording—admittedly this enables the listener to sense the atmosphere of the concert; however, it becomes monotonous on repeated playing. With this grumble aside I can now praise this disc, Broonzy's performance is outstanding—from his singing of the wonderful "Backwater Blues" to "Crawdad Hole" and "Willie Mae." Seeger is overshadowed; however, his hilarious "Goofin' off Suite," with the sudden appearance of the theme from the choral movement of Beethoven's Ninth, is entertaining.