Evening star., 1941-04-27
By Elena de Sayn.

IL y 10" eS 1"J's
A colorful album, showing the ia
miliar picture Of Brahms, taking a
walk in the woods on the cover. is
one of the latest issues by the Vic
tor Co. This time the performers
are Washington's own orchestra. the
National Symphony, under DR.. Hans
Kinder.
There have been earlier record
ings of Brahms Symphony No. in
F Major, Op. &C.," yet the richness
and the resonant clarity of every
note is the distinctive quality of this
and the orchestra are in top form
Considered from the angle of a mere
performance, it is the best given the
symphony by this particular group.
In this we are brought face to face
with the fact that the National
Symphony is not a child" any
longer, but an organization which
is fully able to stand on its own
merit. 1t is especially evident when
one compares this recording with
those made by units of lesser pro-
fesSional experience.
However, in the case of the Ma
tional Symphony Orchestra, it is
not so much the quality of perform
anceS which determine today the
quality of its work but the individual
attainment of every musician within
the intimate circle. conductor in
cluded. The opening measures of
the symphony are especially COM
mendable, they throb with vitality
and artistic elan, DR.. Kinder lend
ing fiery impetus.
Another Brahms opus. "Serenade
No. 2 in A Major, Op. 16," played
by the Alumni Orchestra of the
National Orchestral Association.
conducted by Richard Korn and
written for smaller group, is on
review alongside with the third
symphony, released by Victor Co.
Popular Music
The policies of good neighborliness
and patriotism expand an additional
fraction with the release by Victor
of Folk Songs of the Americas" and
Columbia's Ballad for Americans"
and an album of marches.
Victor'S collection of folk melody
ranges far and wide over the hemi-
sphere, an amazing four-diSc feat
representing the nationalities of
(deep breath) Brazil, Peru, Argen-
tina, Mexico, Cuba, Chile and Ecua-
dor; Canada and the Heterogeneous
mass which makes up our own Ma
ton: Swiss, Swedish, Catalonian,
Polish, Czech, with cowboy tune
and a spiritual tossed in for good
measure. Individual selections are
held to a minimum length, conse-
quently this vast aggregation of song
doesn't quite spill over onto the back
cover of the album. But while this
necessary imposition of brevity de-
tracts somewhat from the separate
qualities of each song, the vocal as
signmentS are handled well by Mar
garet Daum and Elsie Houston, So
pranos; Walter Preston, baritone;
Tenor Alexandra Giraldo and Bari
tone FREDERICK Jimeno, and mixed
quartet.
Any performance of Ballad for
Americans" has ultimately to be
compared to that of Paul Robson.
The latest recorded version, pre-
sented by the Westminster Choir.
John Finley Williamson conducting
and John Gaius Baumgartner in the
baritone lead, viewed in the light of
Robeson's magnificent job, falls
short, as have all the rest. In the
first place, the cappella arrange
ment, scored by Composers La
Touche and Robinson especially for
the choir, lacks the clarity and
soundness of the original; further
more, Ballad" is a piece that needs
orchestral support for its full en-
phasis. And finally it's too bad that
Robeson's vigorous reading wasn't
available to pace the sterling voices
of the Westminster group.
For it's album of martial strains,
Columbia turns to the veteran Edwin
Franko Goldman and his band to
deal out eight of the most stirring of
our favorite IA timers. Sousa, Gold
man (the same E. F., of course) and
Bagley are represented by "On the
Mall" "On the Alert" ''ThundereT,"
stars and Stripes Forever" SEM
per Fideles," eel Captain" National
Emblem" "On Parade" Conductor
Goldman hasn't missed a trick in his
rousing set.
Hazel Scott, British-born Negro
swing stylist, makes her long
awaited record solo debut, and a
glittering debut it is. An ardent ad-
mirer of the Art Tatum method of
making keyboards disappear In .
cloud Of smoke, Miss Scott patterns
her style along similar lines-but