Evening star., 1953-05-10
TurntobIe Talk
An Impressive Work
Jeanne dare gu Bucher' Now Recorded
In Most Moving Performance
TurntobIe Talk
By Jones 6. Deone


The superbly integrated per-
formance of Honegger's ora
torio, Jeanne dare au Bucher"
(Joan of Arc at the Stake),
which Eugene mandy
brought to Constitution Hall a
few months ago, now has made
its way onto records. In its
new form. as on the stage. the
work makes a striking impress
sion.
This oratorio is a work of
singular focus. On the stage,
the center point was the white
clad, almost motionless figure
and the voice-of Vera 70
rina, q very striking entity.
to say the least. The soloists
who 1lanked her, and the
orchestra players and chor-
listers deployed behind, became
somehow small and secondary.
although there was nothing
either small or uninteresting
about their sound. The music
and the pictures it conjured
up. which were supposed to
represent the remembrances
and the anguished uncertain
ties with which the condemned
girl was being tormented, pro-
ceeded with remarkable articu-
lateness. And when Joan had
given her last, finally tri-
umphant cry. one had the feel
ing Of having been profoundly
moved.
On the records there is only
the voice. surrounded by other
sounds and voices. But the i'm
pact remains, and perhaps is
even enhanced by the absence
Of visual distractions. Within
the opening moments. a spell
is set which becomes quickly
supercharged by the mysterious
choral incarnation on the name
Of Joan, and 1t never falterS.
through the encounter with an
accusing populace c"Heretique;
Sorciere; Relapse. Jeanne!
Jeanne! Jeanne!~, the sar-
donic trial and condemnation
by beasts, the Satirical card
game ending in Joan's be-
trayal, the tender recollections
of childhood innocence and
the final surrender to God.
A Noble erection
Nine. Zorina's is the princi-
pal honor in this remarkable
evocation, in this work which
to my mind is one of the noblest
creations of this century. Her
poignant portrayal of the tragic
figure in chains, struggling
vainly with her destiny, is
nothing short of exquisite. But
there are ample virtues to go
around. Raymond Gerome, as
Brother Dominic, essays the
other speaking role surely and
compassionately. David Lloyd,
whose small tenor was some
what swallowed in the dead
ening vacuum of Constitution
Hall, sounds forth splendidly in
his five demanding parts. Bass
Kenneth Smith, Sopranos
Frances Yeend and Carolyn
Long and Contralto Martha
Upton perform creditably. as
do the Temple University and
st. Peters Boy Choirs and the
boy soprano, John H. Brown.
The excellence of the Phila-
delphia Orchestra needs no
testimony, and Mr.. Ormandy
YIELDS all the disparate elements
into an eloquent and convinc
ing whole. The two speaking
voices in places might have
done with a shade less promi-
nence, but the engineering on
the two discs generally is suit
ably expert. The French-Eng-
lish text is included.
No less impressive in its own
realm is the latest Toscanini
product, which is Brahms Sec
ond Symphony. The venerable
but still volatile Italian is just
as much the master of Brahms
as of Beethoven, and this
Brahms symphony Is just as
much a masterpiece as the
three others-of which only the
third now remains unrepre-
sented among Toscanini LIPS
"a gap soon to be filed. The
engineering is notably good.
There is only one logical course
to follow, and that leads to the
nearest record store.
Mado Robins high G sharp