Evening star., 1961-02-12

ba, Tetrazini, CALI -Curci
and others.
Miss Sutherland sings with
a Silvery, sensitive throat
some of the wonders of all
time from Handel. Bellini,
Rossini. Gounod, Verdi, Mo-
Zart, Delibes and more.
Jewel songs, bell songs, mad
scenes-they all emerge with
marvellous clarity. Can a
flute trill more eloquently?
BRAHMS. EFT Allow do
you like your Brahms First?
AS a clear mountain stream
"a Ia ToScanini) or a mean
dering meadow brook? Leon
ard Bernstein's New York
Philharmonic takes the lat
ter course in a Columbia re-
cording that clocks four
minutes longer than the old
ToScanini version of the c
minor symphony. II you like
the longer approach, call 1t
grandeur, and be happy
with it.
No one was closer to Ser
gel Rachmaninoff than the
young Eugene Ormandy and
his Philadelphia Orchestra.
Ormandy's affinity to the
Russian genius comes alive
again in the Symphonic
Dances (Columbia), the
strangely kinetic work Rach-
maninoff completed just be-
fore his death. Just as well
come is the work Of the
Italian, Alfredo Casella,
whose brightly skipping Pa
ganiniana is on the reverse
side.
MORE GREAT" ONES
Angels always welcome gift
to posterity, the Great
Recordings Of the Century"
series, is back with the vel
vety, beautifully controlled
tenor of Tito Schipa. All
who heard him in his active
years, the many more who
did not, will revel in these II
lyrical operatic arias.
He deserves much more
than space will permit. Read
about him in the competent
notes and libretto with the
record. What you should
know is that the present
record, taken from electrics
Of the early '30s, stands up
we'll beside today's hi-fi
breed. What singing!
Another in the same series:
Malta Battistina, "the"
baritone Of his time, doing
10 arias, most from Italian
operas. The recordings start
from 1903 and sound it, but
improve as time goes on.
But think Of it! This re-
markable man was still sing
ing at 68, the age at which
he recorded the final work
on this record, an aria from
La Fora del Destino.
Angel also is bringing back
Wanda Landowska, another
whose artistry was alive to
the time of her death at 80.
She is playing 20 harpsichord
sonatas of Domenico Scarlat-
tt. They run the gamut of
expression for this instru-
ment. Dated from 1885, they
restore the Polish artist at
the peak of her power.
II y = =
ROMANS. FRIENDS. ETC.
Two charming young French
ladies, judging by the covers,
are the Romans, Josette and
Yvette. For Kapp Records
they play with winning rap
port four pieces for two pi-
anos-Milhaud's Scaramou-
che, Franck's Prelude, Fugue
and Variations, Saint-Saens'
Scherzo and Infante's Three
Andalusian Dances.
Kapp also offers another
Of its opera without words"
series, Verdi's Masked Ball by
the Rome Symphony Orches-
ira, and it is good either for
background or undivided lis
tening.
On the lighter side, Kapp's
Medallion label brings out
some stunning stereo sound
and sophisticated playing
with these: Naked City (The
Sound Of Midnight), new ar
rangementS of old popular
favorites: Persuasive Pine
apples (The Sound of Ha-
waiiO, drums, bongos, steel
guitars and all the rest in
traditional 50th State fash
ion, and New Shows in
Town (The Sound of Broad
way, spicy instrumental ar
rangements of numbers from
Camelot, Irma la Douce.
Tenderloin, Wildcat, The
Conquering Hero, and others.
y u y 4
MENDELSSOHN: A Mid
summer Nights Dream;
SCHUBERT: Rosamunde;
L'Orchestre de Ia Suisse
Romande, Ernest Ansermet
conducting - London -
Ansermet as most collectors
know, is a bearcat on ballet
music. So one gets just what
he expects from these suites
lovely music, expertly done.
u Il y y
VICTOR Err B E R T:
Twelve representative orches-
tral pieces, Frederick Fennell
conducting - (Mercury) -
Victor HerbeR's nostalgia
tunes are given a modern.
freshly orchestrated dress on
a record notable for its excel
lent sound.