Evening star., 1939-06-11
| Review of
| Recordings
BY Alice Eversman.

phla Orchestra, has one OF his COM
positions among the releases this
month by the Victor Co. 1t is a
concerto for two pianos and orches-
ira played by Jeanne Behrend and
Alexander Kelberine together with
the Philadelphia Orchestra with
Leopold Stokowski directing.
The concerto was written in 1886
and in it Mr.. Mcdonald has at
tempted a few innovations which
give a distinct color to the work
AS the composer says, MY purpose
was to create a work for orchestra
with decoration in the solo instru-
ments rather than to use the orches-
ira as background for the soloists'
The rich orchestral material is what
strikes one Immediately with the
corresponding thought that it is not
an especially grateful work for the
soloists with the exception of a few
passages. These can be found in
some measures of the first move
ment in all of the second and to
great extent in the third.
The latter is a Jaurezca. a dance
of Northern Mexico, and full of
Mexican rhythm and certain tonal
colorings of the characteristic music
OF that nation. with a plentiful use
of percussion instruments Outside
OF these points, the concerto is the
work of fine craftsman who thinks
IN broad and sonorous terms. The
two young artists, who have already
been heard with the orchestra in
Washington, give brilliant per-
formance making their part stand
out as much as is possible.
Side by side with this work of a
living composer is a Concerto for
Orchestra in D Major" by K. P. E.
Bach. played by the Boston SYM
phonv Orchestra with Serge Kous-
sevltsky conducting. In listening to
these two concertos, one wonders
why the intense vitality Of the older
composer finds so little counterpart
IN the modern writer's, for one is
impressed at once by the abundant
and spontaneous vigor of Karl
Phillip Emanuel in every measure.
SandWiched in between the lively
first and third movements is
lovely slower movement full of poetry
that also has strength in it.
The concerto is for strings alone
and is scored by Maximilian Stein
berg. The very human qualities of
the music of this popular son of
Johann Sebastian will undoubtedly
appeal to the present-day listener
to the same remarkable degree that
1t did during the composers life
time. In fact, the popularity which
the music of Karl Phillip Emanuel
achieved far exceeded that of his
more gifted father and one can
understand this superficial appre-
citation when hearing this example
OF his type of writing.
Seventeen years before Harl Nc
Donald was born. TschiakoWsky
knew rare bit of success when his
"Serenade in C Major" was per-
formed in Moscow. 1t is given out
this month as played by the B. B. C.
Symphony Orchestra. conducted by
Sir Adrian Boult. This fine work
by the Russian composer carries
very little mark of the melancholy
and passionate questings that can
be found in other of his writings
but holds to a superlative degree
the many earmarks of his talent
when operating in a serenely in
spired mood. He has tried his hand
at various forms in this serenade,
beginning with the first movement.
"Pezzo in Forma di Sonatina," to
the lovely and familiar waltz of the
second movement, the noble elegie
and lastly the fiery little "Tema
Russo" with which the composition
ends.
For the singers there is a single
disc with a beautiful recording by
Kristen Flagstad of the "Du Bist
der Lenz" aria from die Walkuere"
and "Euch Lueften die Mein
Klagen,' from "Lohengrin," and an
album OF Brahms songs by Marian
Anderson. Two records of this
album are given over to the alto
Rhapsodie," in which the soloist is
assisted by the male chorus of the
University of Pennsylvania Choral
Society. All the songs are accom-
panied by the Philadelphia Orches-
ira, Eugene Ormandy conducting.
The other numbers are "Dein
Blaues Auge," Der Schmied" and
"1mmer Lesser Wird Mein Schlum-
mer."
The "Alto Rhapsody" is setting
Of three stanzas of Goethe's poem,
"Harzreise i'm Winter" which form
one movement. This work, of which
Brahms was extremely fond and
which he told Clara Schumann was
his bridal song" is an intensely
moving vocal work which Miss An
derson sings superbly.