Evening star., 1955-11-13
TALK
Creation.
Recorded
In Vienna
BY JAMES G. DEANE

~ NhAfAEG ~ D6fAtNG
Haydn Is not one Of the
present days most popular
composers In this country. and
q new recording proves how
unfortunate this Is in some
respects.
This is a Vanguard per-
formance. recorded In Vienna.
Of "The Creation" his most
famous choral work. THE
Creation" was written when
Haydn was 65. at the height
of his powers. and upon the
recent inspiration Of Handel's
mastery oratorios which he
had heard in England, It
uses the largest orchestra he
ever employed. which inter-
laces splendid choruses and
some very fetching solo nielo-
dies with some Of the most
graphic and eloquent instru-
mental music Haydn ! ever
wrote down. Yet In . life
time we hardly ever hear It.
Vanguard quite evidently
went at its task with q con-
sciousness Of all this, for the
recording Is an affair Of con-
siderable polish. It has first
class soloists tincluding Stich-
Randall, Dermota. Felber.
mayer and SchoefI1er), d con-
ductor with q stable reputa-
ton In this repertoire. Mo-
gems Woldike. and q chorus
and orchestra tboth OF the
Vienna State Opera which
.eyince appreciably more en-
thusiasm and unanirnity in
this enterprise than viennese
aggregations have In some
others.
Without hearing more per-
formances than has 30 far
been possible. it Is difhcult to
Judge with accuracy whether
this one Is. as the jacket
claims. definitive. It seems to
be . thoroughly conscientious
and capable one, however, and
the only criticism / would make
on the score Of recording re-
lates to occasional balances,
where the chorus seems q
trif1e distant or the soloists
slightly too loud. But these
discrepancies are minor.
Raphael In this recording
Is sung by an American basso,
Frederick Guthrie. Perhaps he
and Miss Stich Randall. also
an American, will eventually
return and give impulse to
performances OF this kind on
home territory.
~ -
BOSTON DAPHNIS
II has already been proved
twice that the proper way to
hear "Daphnis and Chloe" is
at full length. Ailsermet gave
Us q version that was typically
relaxed and fineiy detailed.
Dorati offered one more out
spoken. meaning louder.
though far less suave. Munich,
Victor and the Boston SYM
p1ony have now added their,
own brand Of confirmation.
Munich accents the dramatic
element In Rayel,s score.
There Is q kinetic impulse TO
the Boston performance
which gives 1t real sparkle.
and the orchestra, per sc, Is
the best Of the three. Boston's
Daphnis represents D definite
advance.
The Monteux baton supplies
the impulse in two other
Boston recordings. One is Q
fine new performance OF the
Tschaikowsky "rathetiQue."
one which appeals to me over
q sonically admirable previous
version by Ornandy chiefly
because 1t involves less putter-
ing. Whether the brightly
detailed Boston sound Is to be
preferred to the deep-throated
Philadelphia variety. other
matters aside. seems to me
moot. The other Monteux
effort is q coupling Of Delibes'
"Ccppelia" and sylvia suites
previously issued in : ballet
album, and attractive for those
who flnd the music so.
~ A5#
REVALUING CLEMENT
The relative Horowitz In
activity as d record maker
makes more surprising the ap-
4 pearance Of his name as
sociated with that Of Muzio
Clements.
Clenenti was q virtuoso
coinposer-pianist who once
was required To display his
talent In front Of the emperor
Of Austria in competition with
Q young rival named MOZART.
The latter. rather uncharitably.
labeled his opponent 70 mere
mechanic" Others have had
peter 10 say. Horowitz. whe