Evening star., 1952-05-04
TurntobIe Talk


By jones
Grieg's Concerto in A Minor is
one of those works that come
close to being played too much.
Heard too often. its delights pail.
1t takes a pair of master hands
to bring them alive again.
Dinu Lipatti's hands must have
been such. A Romanian pianist
never heard in this country, he
died prematurely a little over a
year ago. But he left recorded
evidence of his abilities. Now
added to this evidence is the
Grieg concerto. newly released in
a pairing with Lipatti's perform
ance of another Concerto in A
Minor, by Schumann. Both are
on single Columbia 12-inch long
playing disc. (The Schumann
previously was available on a 10
inch single.)
They are powerful, masculine
performances, cohesive and in
tense. and marked by a continu-
Gus air of forward motion. But
Lipatti does not ignore the lyrical
elements. His vigor is matched
by equal comprehension Of the
imusic's poetic content. Alceo
Galliera is the conductor in the
Grieg, and Herbert Won Karajan
in the Schumann. with the Phil
harmonic Orchestra employed in
both. Recording is first rate.
Two concertos in c minor also
are on new releases. One is
the Concerto No. 3, by Beethoven,
heard less often than other
Beethoven keyboard works but
lnonetheless engaging. Lili Kraus
gives it an assured performance
with the Vienna Symphony
Orchestra, led by Rudolf Moralt
(Vox, 12-inch). The sound is
live, but the treble control may
have to be turned down to offset
sharpness.
The other c minor opus is that
by Mozart, the Concerto No. "A
TX. 49D, considered by many his
greatest. It was a kind of parent,
incidentally, for the Beethoven
work. Sari BRO is the soloist with
the Austrian Symphony Orchestra,
led by Wilhelm Loibner (Reming-
ton, 12-inch). The engineering,
except for grainy surfaces. is good,
but the performance has less
fluency than the recent West
minister issue with Paul Baduca-
Skoda. The disc includes the
Marriage of Figaro Overture led
by Robert Heger.
Sehumonn ond Mozart
The Schumann concerto and
another of Mozart's-NO. % in A
Major TX. 48S)-also have been
issued by Remington on separate
12-inch discs. Celini Chailley.
Richez' performance in the Schu-
mann sounds almost labored wher
compared with Lipatti's. The
Mozart soloist is Edward Kilenyi
an established artist well known
I to record buyers. and his playing
is good. But he is hampered by
| a wiry, compressed orchestra
sound. Liszt's Hungarian Fam
tasia, on, the reverse side, comes
4 through with much better balance
Felix Prohaska leads the Liszt
1 Paul Heger the Schumann anc
Paul Walter the Mozart.
\ Still a third Mozart piano con-
certo-No. 26 in d TX. 530-i:
/ paired on a Victor reissue with
| the Haydn Harpsichord Concerto
| in d. Wanda Landowska is thu
\ fleet fingered performer. Ths
Mozart is thoroughly ingratiating
/ the Haydn is fine, too, provided
you like Nine. Landowska's choser
instrument.
| X X * X
NEW 'NINTH."-News from
Victor. is that ToScanini has ap-
proved his recent taping of Bee
ithoven's Ninth" Richard Mohr
the recording director, said the
I85-year-old maestro wept wher
Ihe heard the playbacks. For thu
first time in his career, he sale
this was how Beethoven shoule
sound.
y \ \ \
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:
BABES IN ARMS made 1t!
Broadway bow just Is years agt
last month. Now, the Rodgers ant
Hart musical has been revived b!
Columbia exclusively for recori
collectors Mary Martin is thu
star, and Mardi Bayne. Jack Cas-
sidy and an orchestra and chorus
led by Lehman Engel join in offer
ing the IL numbers which com
prised the shows complete musi'
cal score. It's a single 12-ihch disc
/ Highlights from bygone hi
parade are throaty Miss Martin
where or When" ;" Johnny One
Note" and 1.-THE Lady Is {
Tramp" And clipper Miss Bayn
gives a bouncy rendition of !"
Wish I Were in Love Again." TIL
Sound is excellent, except tina
occasionally one wishes the solo
lists would back foot or two far
lther away from the microphone.
Some Lighter Fare
Here's a checklist OF some lis
ltenahle lighter fare:
/, TSCHAIKOWSKY: The Months
Morton Gould and his orchestr
columbia, IL inch). The well
known composer-o orchestra leade
himself handles the piano part i
his own arrangement Of a doze
piano pieces, several of ther
readily recognizable. Try June.
E(S0oCI loud sound.