Evening star., 1960-09-25
BY HERMAN SCHADEN
Star Record Critic SIP

ny HERMAN SCnADEN
Star Record Critic
Napoleon on his hottest
winning streak never enjoyed
the successes being licked
of by Richard Bales, whose
battlefield is no grimmer
than the National Gallery.
of Art and weapons no dead
lier than the pen and baton.
In his opening skirmish, a
few years ago. this concert
hall general gave the South a
new hour of glory with his
historical cantata, The Con-
federacy."
But the authentic rebel
yells hardly had died before
Gen. Bales turncoated to
THE Union" and soon the
pulsating Battle Hymn of
the Republic was matching
the rousing strains of Dixie.
With this score eVened, his
tory beckoned back to the
birth Of a nation. And at
this very moment in Wash
ington area record stores pa
troits are chasing redcoats
from Lexington to Yorktown
in the third of these can
tatas. aptly called The Rev.
olution."
A Book Record Package
AS in the Civil War cpl
sodes. Columbia Records has
issued THE Revolution" in
a handsome booker ecord
package. There are more than
so pages chock full of splen-
did articles and illustrations.
Together with the music they
provide a new. eaSy-to-take
understanding of our origin,
and what one of us cannot
stand a little refresher
course? =
- The record is history, too,
in more than one respect. It
must be the first time so
much genuine early Ameri-
can music has been gathered
in this form. 1t is not folk
music. but music composed
between 1775-1800 by Amer
leans breathing the air of a
newly freed Nation. men who
knew Adams and Revere
and Franklin.
1t is music of strength and
simple beauty. 1t cleanses
the heart and elevates the
spirit. 1t rings with the same
truth as the Liberty Bell,
whose actual tones are heard
in rarely recorded and thrill
ing moments at the outset
and conclusion.
StereOphOnically Radiant
To Mr.. Bales the cantatas
are his three children" and
he is loath to favor one above
another, He has sought to
clothe each in the costumes
of its period. For this reason
and one other. perhaps 1.-The
Revolution" captures a wee
bit more of his love. The
18th century. the century of
Mozart and Haydn, lies close
to his heart. This also is the
first to be produced Stereo-
phonically as well as mon
aurally. The latter is good
to hear: the former has q
radiance of its own. .f,
From the exciting, 10-min-
ute overture, The Battle Of
Trenton" to > the closing
Yankee Doodle" the can
tata is a reflection of the deft
Bales touch in organization
and orchestration. All II sec
tions were selected from the
composers, piano scores, and
transcribed by Mr.. Bales for
small orchestra, four-part
chorus, soprano and baritone
SoloiStS and harpsichord.
To describe each section
needs more than the allotted
space. The composer wanted
a varied sampling of the
times-the marches. the pa
triotic paeanS, the ballads,
the danceS-and he achieved
his aims. More than one of
the pieces is dedicated to
George Washington, and one
section deals with the music
for the ball honoring him at
Gadsby'S Tavern, Alexandria,
on his last birthday,
Two Charming Numbers
A reviewer recalls two
items from the Civil War
cantataS-The Yellow Rose
of Texas and Aura Lea -
and wonders whether any,
thing from The Revolution"
will win equal excepted pop
ularity. Maybe not, but this
record has two charmers-
Beneath a Weeping Willows
Shade. sung sweetly by So
prano Peggy, zabawa, and
TAN NUF n AR1~