Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-09
TurntobIe Talk

to a lot of pianistS land listen
ers, tool. One of them was the
late famed conductor. Felix
Weingartner (also a pianist),
who thought the piece so be-
yond any pianos capabilities
that he orchestrated it.
The recording Weingartner
made of his arrangement is
an especially interesting item
in a new Columbia collectors
series" Of LIP revivals. Felix
knew his Beethoven; he used
practically the same inStru-
mentation as that of the Ninth
Symphony, which was written
about the same time as the
sonata. And he claimed that
the result differed in no es-
Sential from an original work
by Beethoven. This, of course,
only Beethoven himself would
know for sure. But the re-
write makes excellent listen
ing; and having heard it, you
find yourself contemplating the
original with new enthusiasm.
For any thoroughgoing Bee
thoven addict the record is al
most a must.
In every respect except
tonal reproduction the Vein
gartner recording is superior
to a new Urania release by
some Bavarian performers.
The competitive version is in
teresting, though, as proof that
the orchestrated Hammer
Xavier" still is played once in
a while. 1t could stand an &C.
casional concert hearing.
More Weineortner
A new, and fluent, piano
rendition by Solomon arrived
from Victor practically con-
currently. buttressed by the
more readily assimilable LES
AdieuX" - which altogether
must set some kind of record
for quantity of piano notes
on one disc. There are other
pianists who extract more Sig
niflcance from those notes
Kempff and Petri, for ex-
ample-but at least as a none
tary bargain this disc can't be
denied.
Columbia's revivals include
three more Weingartner discs.
One pairs Handel's fifth and
sixth concerti grossi, played
with wonderful spirit. Another
is a collection of Beethoven
overtures-"Egmont," "Leonore
No. g." "Prometheus," Eli
delio" and Conservation of
the House" Third is a batch
of Wagner-"S iegfried Idyll'
and orchestral excerpts from
three operas. AS historical
documents all three records
can be recommended highly.
The sound, of course, is rather
faded.
Also reissued are some at
tractive Bartok pieces played
by Szigeti-Benny Goodman is
a collaboration in the Con
trastS" for violin, clarinet and
piano-and Bloch's violin con-
certo and "Baal Shem," a
violin-piano suite, also played
by Szigeti. And the classic
Beecham 78-rp.m. perform
ances of Mozart's seth and
40th symphonies share another
disc. One wonders, regarding
the last, whether Sir Thomas
might not have been per-
Suaded to heft the baton once
more for the benefit of modern
engineering.
Clearly in the irreplaceable
category, however, is the disc
bearing the late Emanuel
Feuermann's renditions of
Beethoven's OPP. SO cello So
nata, the seven variations on
a tune from Magic Flute"
and the unaccompanied suite
in G major by Roger. Don't
be apprehensive if you've never
heard any Reger-this could be
Bach. Myra Hess presides over
the sonata keyboard, a note
worthy aspect itself.
Emotional Haydn
Hermann Scherchen's 18th
and 18th recorded Haydn
symphonies have just arrived
from Westminster, and the
occasion warrants an excla-
nation point not merely for
this cumulative feat but for
the results with the two opuses
here involved, "Trauer"
tMourning-No. Az and La
Passione" (No. 40. Scher-
chen's way. blunt and some
times blustery, makes what
some conductors do with
Haydn seem tame indeed. In
this case the bluntneSS is ap-
piled with enkindling effect to
two amazingly (for Haydn
emotional works. WeStmin-
ster's engineers have cooper
ated in model fashion, so that
those to whom the name
Haydn connotes mainly a later
Surprise" may find here an
Unexpectedly pleasant earlier