Dec - American Radio History

DECEMBER
,y6c
THE MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC LISTENERS
www.americanradiohistory.com
60 CENTS
TAPE RECORDING PROBLEMS -AND HOW AUDIOTAPE HELPS YOU AVOID THEM
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inrltrditt, AUDIOCRAFT and
1960
DECEMBER
ro/rne
number 12
111
HI -FI MUSIC AT HOME
MUSIC
Roland Gelatt
Editor
Joan Griffiths
Executive Editor
One
Huneker in Retrospect
of America's most distinguished literary historians
writes of America's first influential music critic.
38
Van Wyck Brooks
The Pick of '60
45
Herbert Kupferberg
48
Robert Shelton
37
Ralph Freas
24
Shirley Fleming
Ralph Frees
Audio Editor
Norman Eisenberg
Technical Editor
Christmas shopping? Read this and relax.
Conrad L. Osborne
Managing Editor
The Weavers
Shirley Fleming
This folk-singing group's rise to Jame and for
tune has had its perilous moments.
Assistant Editor
Roy Lindstrom
Art Director
A Gift of Music
H. C. Robbins Landon
European Editor
Editorial Board
John M. Con ly
An editorial.
Malcolm Frager- Prize -winning Pianist
Brussels and the Levemriu may be just the beginning.
Chairman
Power Biggs
Nathan Broder
E.
Our correspondents report
.
.
.
Notes from Abroad
from London and Vienna.
12
Music Makers
57
Roland Gelatt
42
Robert Gorman
R. D. Darrell
Alfred Frankenstein
Howard Hanson
Julian Hirsch
Robert C. Marsh
Francis Robinson
Joseph Ssigeti
EQUIPMENT
The Sound of
Warren
Syer
B.
General Manager
Claire N. Eddings
Advertising Sales Manager
Walter
F.
Grueninger
Circulotion Director
All about retsrbenttin,t
Ambiophony
In your Iistening mom.
How To Improve Your TV's Audio
Equipment Reports
115
Charles Sinclair
51
H. H. Scott Model 399 Stereo Receiver
Audio -Tech ME -12 Speaker System
Publication Policy
Charles Fowler
Lawr
Getto
Karg CT -2 FM Tuner
Sony Sterecorder 300 Tape Recorder
Fisher FM -100 Tuner
Littleford
High Fidelity Newsfronts
W. D.
Warren
r-
A
B.
Syer
113
Ralph Freas
REVIEWS
D
V
E
R
T
I
S
N G
I
Main Office
Claire N. Eddings, The Publishing House
Great Barrington, Mass. Telephone 300
1
New York
1564 Broadway, New York 36
Feature Record Reviews
59
Weber: Der Freischutz (Keilberth, Jochum)
Mahler: Dos Lied von der Erde (Kletzki, Walter)
Telephone: Plaza 7 -2800
Sy Resnick, Andy Sponberger
Other Classical Record Reviews
61
Chicago
The Lighter Side
87
Jazz Record Reviews
99
10 East Huron St., Chicago 11
Telephone: Michigan
2 -4245
Pete Dempers, Tom Berry
Los Angeles
1520 North Gower, Hollywood 28
Telephone: Hollywood 9-6239
George Kelley
1` 1t
I
The Tape Deck
1
17
103
Corer Photo by Peter Eco.
Published monthly at Great Barrington, Mass. by The Billboard Publishing Co. Copyright © 1960 by The Billboard Publishing Co. The design
and contents of High Fidelity Magazine are fully protected by copyright and must not be reproduced in any manner. Second -class postage
paid at Great Borrington and at additional mailing offices. One year subscription in U. S., Possessions, and Canada $6.00. Elsewhere $7.00.
www.americanradiohistory.com
.
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Van Wyck Brooks has produced more than a
of books. America's Coming -of-Age, written
at twenty -nine, challenged American writers to a
sudden new awareness of their role as defenders
of humanistic values in an acquisitive society;
later, Mr. Brooks's studies of Mark Twain and
Henry James brought enriched understanding of
the tragic complexities of the artist working in
an alien civilization; still later, in The Flowering
of New England and New England: Indian Summer, this critic re- created for many, many thousands of readers a sense of their cultural heritage.
His achievements continue -most recently
with Howells: his Life and Work. In this issue
( "Huneker in Retrospect," p. 38) HIGH FtDELtTv is privileged to present Van Wyck Brooks in
his familiar office, shedding light on the past and
illuminating the present.
score
Robert Gorman's article on one of the most
recent developments in the reproduction of
sound (see p. 42) looks strictly towards the future
and stems, of course, from the author's professional knowledge of electronics, acoustics, and
allied audio matters. As it happens, however, Mr.
Gorman is also by way of being a student of the
American past; he has a particular interest in the
history of New England and at one time intended
to teach that subject. The Army ( "in its wisdom," he noncommittally observes) turned him
into a signal corps technician. A former electronics
editor, he is presently a freelance writer on technical subjects.
is not an emissary of Santa
Claus, nor is he a professional personal shopper.
He is, in fact, an editorial writer for the New
York Herald Tribune. Among his many duties in
this capacity is that of reviewing records. Possessed of a catholic taste and exposed to the
Herbert Kupferberg
$5.00 DOWN
Made in U.S.A.
See the
ALABAMA
1
Since the publication of Verses by Two Undergraduates (with John Hall Wheelock) in 1905,
I
BOSTON 10, MASS
whole year's crop of recordings, he is, naturally,
our choice to judge "The Pick of '60." See p. 45.
A copy editor for the New York Times and reviewer of folk music for that paper, Robert
Shelton writes also for The Nation, Modern Hi
Fi, and Jazz World. Readers of this journal will
remember his account of Folkways Records in
last June's issue, and will be glad to find him this
month undertaking a profile of today's leading
folk -singing group. If you've never attended a
hootenanny, Mr. Shelton's account of The
Weavers (p. 48) will make it clear you should; if
you have, you'll enjoy this inside view.
1960. Vol. 10, No.
I2. Published monthly by The Billboard Publishing Co., publishers of The Billboard, Vend.
Funspot. and The Billboard. Overseas Edition.
Telephone: Great Barrington 1300. Member
Audit Bureau of Circulations.
High Fidelity, December
Editorial Correspondence should
be ad-
Editor, High Fidelity, Great
Barrington. Mass. Editorial contributions will
be welcomed. Payment for articles accepted
will be arranged prior to publication.
dressed to The
solicited manuscripts should be accompanied
by return postage.
Change of Address notices and undelivered
copies should be addressed to High Fidelity.
Subscription Fulfillment Department, 2160
Patterson Street. Cincinnati 22, Ohio.
Subscriptions: Subscriptions should
dressed to High
be ad-
Fidelity, Great Barrington.
Mass. Subscription rates: United States. Possessions. and Canada. 1 year, S6; 2 years. RI I ;
3 years, S15; 5 years. $20. Elsewhere Sl per
year extra. Single copies 60 cents.
ON READER -SERVICE CARI)
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
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Mendet..oh.
Italian and ReformeUo
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Ch.rle. Munch
Boston Symphony Orr',
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DEATH AND THE MAIDEN"
(4w,.. s D Weal .r allaRTTTTa4R
MILLIARD STRING QUARTET
Nodule
These historic recordings were made before
the advent of stereophonic sound and are
therefore available
only in regular
23.
35.
TCHAIKOVSKY
Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor
Van Cliburn, pianist
Kiril Kondrashin, conductor
77.
RIMSKY.KORSAKOPP
Scheherazade
London Symphony Orchestra
Pierre Monteux, conductor
.caVlctos
BRAHMS
SCHUBERT
phonographs, of
Death and the Maiden Quartet
AND
Quartettsatr
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1812
Overture
FRITZ REINER
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Beethoven EROICA
course, and, like all
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The Juilliard String Quartet
SYMPHONY NO. 3
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80.
NBC Symphony Orchestra
Arturo Toscanini. conductor
Reapi8hi
THE PINES ..
THE FOUNTAINS OF ROME
Beethoven"Archduke'' Trio
NO
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Stereo Spectacular
7.
GERSHWIN
Rhapsody in Blue
AND An American in Paris
Earl Wild, pianist
Boston Pops Orchestra
Arthur Fiedler, conductor
I
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Symphony No. 3 in
Chicago Symphony
Orchestra
Fritz Reiner, conductor
TCHAIKOVSKY
1812 Overture
AND RAVEL
Bolero
Morton Gould and
His Orchestra
THE BASIC IDEA: SYSTEMATIC COLLECTION
this offer is to demonstrate, by your own experience,
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Most music -lovers certainly intend to
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RESPIGHI
Pines of Rome
AND Fountains of Rome
BEETHOVEN
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Artur Rubinstein, pianist
Jascha Heifetz, violinist
Emanuel Feuermann, cellist
-
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cardinal feature of the plan is
GUIDANCE. The Society has a Selection
Panel whose sole function is to recommend "must- have" works. The panel
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DEEMS TAYLOR, Chairman
composer and commentator
A
WANDA*LAADOMSEA
RHAPSODY ON
CONCERTO Na.
StOCOWSSI
82.
JACQUES BARZUN
author and music critic
81.
BACH Two -Part
Inventions Comp lets l AND
Three -Part Inventions
Nos. 1, 2, 5, 11, 13, 14, 15
SAMUEL CHOTZINOFF
Wanda Landowska
composer
ALFRED FRANKENSTEIN
Music Editor, Sate :Franci +co Chronicle
composer and Professor of Music,
Columbia University
WILLIAM SCHUMAN
composer and President of the
Juilliard School of Music
CARLETON SPRAGUE SMITH
lINANOT Conductors
RACHMANINOFF
Philadelphia Orchestra
Eugene Ormandy, conductor
Music Editor, 76c Atlantic
AARON COPLAND
PAGANINI
Rachmaninalt, pianist
I
of Paganini
Sergei Rachmaninoff, pianist
harpsichordist
NBC
THEME OF
A
Concerto No. 1 in F sharp
minor AND
Rhapsody on a Theme
I
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After purchasing the four additional
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The one -year membership offer made
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fill
B
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NBC Symphony Orchestra
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»...l ROLLPO
MORTON GOULD
ORCHESTRA
and BAND
78.
BEETHOVEN
Eroica Symphony
V12-12
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SPECIALLY
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NOT FOR SALE
COMMISSIONED
RECORDING
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The Orchestra ...The Instruments" No. LS661
Without a doubt, the most ambitious, musically sound,
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spatial relation to all other instruments. It is uniquely
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radio. Conceived and supervised by Dr. Kurt List, winner
of the Grand Prix du Disque, renowned composer, critic
and Musical Director of Westminster; recorded by the
Vienna State Opera Orchestra in the acoustically brilliant
Mozartsaal concert hall: Franz Bauer -Theussl conducts,
with first desk soloists. Program material is a cohesive
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STEREO SYSTEM FOR A MILLIONAIRE: 4 SELECTIONS Gentlemen's Quarterly
magazine asked James Lyons, editor of The American
Record Guide (the oldest record review magazine in the
United States), to poll hi -fi authorities on which audio
components they would choose for the best possible
stereo system, without any regard for price.
Three writers in the audio field and one audio consultant made up independent lists. The ideal systems they
projected in the April, 1960 issue of Gentlemen's Quarterly
are suitable for discriminating millionaires-one of
the systems, using a professional tape machine, would
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see the April, 1960 Gentlemen's Quarterly, or write us.
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Notes from Abroad
CO
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LONDON accompanied by a small administraticc contingent and a sprinkling of
players' wives in white berets and slate -gray
raincoats, the Leningrad Symphony Orchestra reached Wembley Town Hall auditorium, on the rim of suburban London, at
a playing strength of 106, including two
alternating leaders for each instrumental
section -an arrangement which struck veteran orchestral managers here, accustomed
to decades of cheeseparing, as lavish beyond
dreams.
The visit put Wembley caterers into something of a flutter. After the first of the
week's recording sessions (for the German
label, DGG), the players sat down to the inescapable English roast lamb; but as a
concession to exotic tastes, garlic had been
shredded into the mushroom soup, and
each plate was flanked not only by a wine
glass (for "Coke ") but also by a cup for
Russian tea.
Mravinsky
& Co. at Wembley. The sessions
began with a test run of Tchaikovsky's
Rococo Variations, Rozhdestvensky conducting and Rostropovitch playing solo
cello. At the playback the conductor and the
cellist sat side by side on a sofa, scores on
their knees, while a dozen or so rank -andfile players stared and listened from outside
through the casement window. In the first
half minute a thing struck me which had
struck me at the orchestra's Edinburgh
concerts and was to strike me again at the
Festival and Albert Halls, London. As we
in this country usually hear it, the tone of
the first French horn is exceedingly French.
The first horn solo of the Russians' Rococo
set pulsated mellowly in a way that saxophones and tenor trombones have. But more
about the orchestra's characteristics in a
moment.
Including the Rococo set, the sessions at
Wembley covered the ground forecast in
these "Notes" a month ago: Tchaikovsky's
Symphony No. 4,
Romeo and Julia, and
Francesca da Rimini;
the Schumann Cello
Concerto (with Ros-
tropovitch again);
Khachaturian's Gayne
Suite. Eugen Mravinsky, the Leningraders'
principal conductor
since 1938, had charge
Mravinsky
of the Fourth Symphony sessions, which ran
to nine hours-an astonishing total for a
piece so bedded in the repertory and Russian
blood that I should have thought a muzhik
tractor driver capable of playing it in his
sleep. Evidently Mravinsky is among those
who feel that second nature and ingrained
CIKCLI
It
ON. RI.:
habit are perils in themselves. He spent a full
hour on the last two minutes of the Finale
alone. It was not the playing that worried
him so much as the recording balance. I
remember a soft bassoon solo that simply
would not register as scored. Mravinsky and
the DGG engineers finally got what they
wanted by playing up the bassoon's tone
and stepping the microphone back in experimental stages. At the finish the bassoon
sounded forte to a listener in the hall. But
that wasn't how it reached the playback.
Sociological Observations. During lunch intervals the players strolled about Wembley
Park taking snapshots. Our suburban way
of life lay wide open, especially to such of
them (not a few) as read English. There was
the real estate office with a notice of a six bed house wanted at £7,500 displayed in
one window and in the window opposite a
card advertising a six -bed house (same type,
same district) offered for sale at £7,500.
There was the pub with 1947's Olympic
Torch in a glass reliquary on one wall and,
facing it, a photograph of five popular
vaudeville stars wearing ermine capes,
crowns, and comic expressions....
Artistic Preoccupations. Probably the Len ingraders were too immersed in their art to
puzzle or triumph over "inherent capitalist
contradictions." I had several talks with
individuals and groups. The first thing that
emerged was that they were passionately
anxious to make a good impression artistically in the West. They made the expected
references to "our Great Revolution" and
to the "unprecedented" glory of the
Leningrad Symphony Orchestra's achievements after 1917. Yet it was clear that as
artists they know in their bones that Soviet
centralization and bureaucracy does not give
them any potent magic or even any exclusive knack. They realize that in music
making there are universally valid yardsticks and that Russian orchestras must
submit to these as do orchestras elsewhere.
One player -group to whom I talked
through an interpreter paid compliments to
English orchestras ( "They are at the top ")
which seemed dictated in part by politeness.
Then came unsolicited American comparisons. "We consider," said one player-the
rest nodding in assent -"that our brass is
like that of the New York Philharmonic
and that our strings are like those of the
Boston Symphony."
Farewell and Coda. On the last day,
Mravinsky approved the last of the playbacks. Then, having called for champagne,
Continued on page 19
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"RESEARCH MAKES THEI';
1)1 I'' l'' l':
FENCE"*
NOTES FROM ABROAD
Continued from page 12
Karl -Heinz Schneider (DGG
producer) and Constantin T. Mataxos
(DGG's specialist in behind- the -Curtain
contracts) to bring their recording team
next year to Leningrad, for recordings to
he invited
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include one or more Prokofiev operas.
The invitation was accepted provisionally.
Before leaving, the Leningraders conferred
enameled badges depicting various of
Leningrad's public monuments upon DGG
engineers Harold Baudis and Walther Sommer, as well as upon G. S. Martin, of
DGG's London office, and the Mayor and
Mayoress of Wembley. There were bowings,
beamings, and hand kissings in all directions.
Both at their recording sessions and at
their eight public concerts in Britain (four
in Edinburgh, four in London), the orchestra impressed me and most English
critics by its precision and discipline, especially at high speeds. The quicksilver
handling of Tchaikovsky's vivace movements or moods, for instance, is quite
beyond English attainments and has hitherto
been outside even our imagination. Certain
aspects of the Leningraders' attack and
tone (e.g., that of the trumpets in the long held octaves they have to play in the
Scherzo trio of Beethoven's Seventh) struck
some of us as insufferably brash. Their
trombone playing was always true and immensely resonant, as though the players'
lungs were bigger and stronger than anything hitherto known to pneumology. As
has already been hinted, the horns were
admired less for their solo tone than for
their staggeringly solid and beautiful unisons,
especially in Prokofiev's Sixth and Shostakovich's Eighth symphonies, scores which
threw up also the richness and brilliance of
the strings and woodwind.
Certain of the ovations the orchestra
received were as elated and rowdy as anything Beecham has known -which means
the nearest thing to roof raising this town
CHARLES REID
knows.
VIENNA -Fritz Uhl, the Tristan in London's just completed recording of Wagner's
music- drama, is a thirty-two-year-old Vien-
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later -when he had moved to the German
town of Oberhausen -he decided to become
a dramatic tenor. Otello was his first experiment in this direction, followed by Radamcs
and Manrico. In 1958 he was engaged to
sing at the Munich Staatsoper, and there he
began to take on Wagnerian Heldentenor
Darts -Lohengrin, Stolzing, Loge, Siegmund.
Meanwhile, Uhl has returned to his native
Vienna to sing in what I like to call "Vienna's secret opera house," the Sofiensaal,
which for the past several years has served
as recording studio for London Records.
Continued on page 16
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NOTES FROM ABROAD
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Nilsson's partner in the new
recording of Tristan and lsolde under the
direction of Georg Solti, Uhl has made an
excellent impression. While his lyric background has had a very positive influence on
his rendering of the part -and there is more
than one line in the score which, in my
opinion, demands at least a sprinkling of
Tamino's timbre -his voice is suited to
heroic expression as well. In short, an exciting new Tristan seems to have been found.
From what I could gather in the course
of the two sessions I attended, conductor
Solti is not in favor of the "breathtaking"
approach to Tristan which has become fashionable in recent years. Rather he makes
the Vienna Philharmonic breathe naturally
in the very manner which Furtwängler once
described to me as "the natural flow of
Wagner's never abating melodic energy."
Other members of the Tristan cast are:
Regina Resnik (Brangäne), Tom Krause
(Kurwenal), Arnold van Mill (Marke), and
Ernst Kozub (Melot). The set will not be
issued until some time in 1961.
As Birgit
After Vivaldi- Corelli and Haydn. Max
Goberman, whose projected complete recording of Vivaldi's music is by now well
known on both sides of the Atlantic, has just
completed a series of sessions with the Vienna
Volksoper Orchestra which will result in
twelve discs of Corelli's music. The main
purpose, though, of Goberman's trip to
Vienna was not the recording of Corelli's
works, but the far more ambitious project of
recording the symphonies of Haydn in their
entirety -and exactly as Haydn wrote them.
Seventeen symphonies are already on tape.
Before assembling the orchestra in the studio
for the first rehearsal, Goberman -with the
assistance of the Haydn scholar (and HIGH
FIDELITY'S European Editor) H. C. Robbins Landon -spent many sleepless nights
inserting missing slurs, correcting grace
notes, eliminating wrong notes, and in general making the printed parts accord with
Haydn's manuscripts. For example, Goberman's reading of the Symphony No. 98, in
B flat, contains a cembalo solo in the final
movement. Of this solo we find no trace in
the printed scores, nor is it to be heard in
any of the existing recordings. Yet when this
symphony was first performed in London,
in February 1792, Haydn himself played
the cembalo solo, which had such a surprise
effect on the public that Salomon had to repeat the last movement. We shall be able to
hear this newly established "original version" of No. 98 early in 1961, when the first
records of this Haydn series will be made
available, together with the respective scores.
KURT BLAUKOFF
25.14 BROADWAY, LONG ISLAND CITY
6,
NEW YORK
Price subject to change
CIR1:1.F: 75 ON
ltt:sDElt- &FatVICF: calci)
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
16
www.americanradiohistory.com
The
M
EFFICIENT!
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FISHER®
Free-Piston
Speaker Systems
An exclusive six -pound magnet structure and a solid steel billet cover makes
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THE
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XP-2
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RESPONSE: 30 to 18,000 cycles.
Unstained Birch $124.50
Mahogany, Walnut and Cherry $129.50
treated five -inch tweeter. SIZE: 22"
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Write today for complete specifications!
FISHER RADIO CORPORATION
21 -25
44th DRIVE
Export: Morhon Exporting Corp., 458 Broadway, New York 13, N. Y.
CIRCLE
1
)
1
I
\
1L
48 ON
LONG ISLAND CITY 1, N. Y.
Available in Canada through Canadian-Marconi
HEADER-SERVICE
CA1111
I01il
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THIS
GIV
NOW ONLY
HEATHKII"
Brings You
ALL
1.
HEATHK IT
for the do-it-yourself
hobbyist
2.
HEATHKIT
factory-wired &
tested units ready for
immediate use &
enjoyment
3.
HEATHK IT
Science Series
I
...
entertaining,
instructive
explorations into
science & electronics
for youngsters
IDAVSTROM
56 ON
liKtlElt-SERVICE (AIM
HIGII FIDELITY MAGAZINE
Is
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HEATHKIT HI-FI...
the gift that goes on giving pleasure year after year.
STEREO EQUIPMENT
ENCLOSURE
ENSEMBLE
Complete ensemble, low as
Send for details.
5133.50
AUTOMATIC RECORD
CHANGER KIT
... quick change cartridge holder . . .
Jam -proof mechanism
Beautifully styled center cabinet
and optional speaker wings are
factory assembled, ready to use,
in choice of finished or unfinished woods. Center unit houses
changer, AM /FM tuner, stereo
amplifier and optional sliding
tape recorder drawer. Speaker
wings available in 2 models
for 12" or 15" stereo speakers.
"muting" switch
-
Model AD -50 549.95 to $54.95
depending on cartridge. Other models
from S22.95. Send for FREE Heathkit
catalog today!
MONOPHONIC
PREAMPLIFIER KIT
DELUXE AM /FM
STEREO TUNER
The AA -60 is a monophonic
hi -fi preamplifier control center
.. the heart of any good hi -fi
system. 6 separate inputs: mag.
phono, tape head, microphone,
tuner, crystal phono, and auxiliary. Tape head input has
NARTB equalization for direct
playback from tape head. Features separate tone controls.
input level controls, filament
balance, 6- position function
Exciting new styling and advance design features rocket this
Model AJ -30 (kit).
$9.75 dn
Model AJW-30 (wired)
$15.30 do
$97.50
$152.95
Heathkit to the top of the
Christmas value list. Featured
are: complete AM /FM, Stereo
reception, plus multiplex adapter output; flywheel tuning; individual tuning meters; FM AFC
and AM bandwidth switch.
25 lbs.
HI -FI RATED 50 -WATT
STEREO AMPLIFIER
selector.
Model AA -60
In the inimitable style of the
AJ -30 above, this complete
stereo amplifier offers the ultimate in stereo control and mas-
PORTABLE 4 -TRACK
STEREO TAPE
RECORDER KIT
$84.95
Model AAW -100 (wired)
$14.50 dn.
..
$144.95
$8.50 dn.
.....
.
mixed -channel
center
speaker
output; "separation," "balance"
and
"stereo reverse" controls.
31 lbs.
ACOUSTIC
SUSPENSION SPEAKER
SYSTEM KIT
Model AS -10U
(unfinished)
Model AS -10M or W
(mahog. or wal.) ..
$59.95
$64.95
It's "bookshelf" size belying its
gigantic capabilities, this amazing unit outperforms speakers
four times its size. A 10" acoustic
suspension woofer and two "dispersed- array" cone tweeters deliver high -fidelity tone with fantastic brilliance over the entire
range of 30- 15,000 cps. Pre assembled cabinets in choice of
finishes. Measures 24" L x 11%2 "
D x 13 %2" H. 28 lbs.
... 7 lbs.. $24.95
% hat better gift than this ... a
compact portable tape recorder
just waiting to record the caroling, frolicking, family joys of the
holiday season! You'll thrill to
the natural stereophonic sound
of this unit that also serves as a
hi -fi center with its versatile input accommodations and controls. Tape mechanism and cabinet are pre- assembled. 49 lbs.
Model AD -40...
tery of tonal values. Jam -packed
with special features including
Model AA -100 (kit)
...
and "sizeselector" for intermixing 7 ", 10"
and 12" records of the same
speed! Holds up to 10 records,
for hours of delightful stereo or
mono listening enjoyment.
$179.95
$18.00 dn
ORDER DIRECT BY MAIL OR SEE YOUR HEATHKIT DEALER
ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS
Fill out the order blank below.
In
elude charges for parcel post according to weights shown. Express
HEATH COMPANY
Benton Harbor 8, Michigan
orders shipped delivery charges
collect. All prices F.O.B. Benton
Harbor. Mich. A 20%, deposit is required on all C.O.D. orders. Prices
subject to change without notice.
Please send the following HEATHKITS:
ITEM
MODEL NO.
PRICE
ECONOMY AM /FM
STEREO TUNER KIT
Ideal suggestion for your Christmas hi -fi gift list
a low cost
tuner with every design feature
for superb AM, FM or stereo
AM /FM listening. Separate
"magic -eye" tuning indicators
"zero -in" stations while 3 -position AFC' gives drift -free reception. Output provided for multiplex adapter. 14 lbs.
...
i
-
Model AJ -10
...
$6.00 dn.
$59.95
CIRCLE
57 ON
Ship via
(
)
(
)
Parcel Post
(
)
Express
(
)
COD
(
)
Best Way
SEND MY FREE COPY OF YOUR COMPLETE CATALOG
Name
Address
City
HEADER-SERVICE
_
Zone
State
Dealer and export prices slightly higher.
CtitI)
DECEMBER 1960
19
www.americanradiohistory.com
The soft spring rain and the new ADC -1 Stereo Cartridge
Some people have a special kind cf sensitivity to the
world around them. They respond in a special way to
things they see, feel and hear. They experience beauty in
sights of no beauty in themselves. They sense subtleties
in sound that escape the insensitive ear.
The new ADC -1 miniature moving magnet cartridge
is designed for the man with this kind of perceptiveness.
Its performance is startling. You'll sense the subtle
differences immediately. Capable of floating on less than
1 gram of pressure, the ADC -1 produces brilliant highs
conspicuous by the lack of peaks. You hear thunderous
lows, clean and well rounded. Distortion is reduced to
a point where it is negligible. Unsuspected subtleties of
timbre and tonal gradation are revealed.
If you pride yourself in your ability to see, feel and
hear what others often miss, then you've a treat waiting
for you.... Ask your dealer to demonstrate the new
Audio Dynamics Corp. 1877 Cody Ave.. Ridgewood 27, N.Y.
ADC -1 today.
CIRCLE 12 ON READER- SERVICE CARD
HIGII FIDELITY MAGAZINE
20
www.americanradiohistory.com
AT NORMAL LISTENING LEVELS THE ONLY MEASURABLE
DISTORTION COMES FROM THE TEST EQUIPMENT!
Measuring intermodulation, harmonic or phase distortion on the new Citation Kits can be a unique experience
for any engineer. He will find that at normal listening
levels the only measurable distortion comes from the
test equipment.
But let's put the numbers away. The real distinction of
Citation is not in its specifications
remarkable as
they are. It is, rather, in its performance which goes
well beyond the point of numbers. Citation actually
sounds recognizably best. The "Citation Sound" has
created so profound an impression, that the words have
become part of the language of high fidelity.
In AUDIO MAGAZINE, editor C. G. McProud, wrote:
"When we heard the Citations, our immediate reaction
was that one listened through the amplifier system
clear back to the original performance, and that the
finer nuances of tone shading stood out clearly and
distinctly for the first time."
-
-
The basic quality of the "Citation Sound" was summed
up by the Hirsch -Houck Labs in HIGH FIDELITY: "The
more one listens... the more pleasing its sound becomes."
Another glowing tribute to Citation and its talented
engineering group, headed by Stew Hegeman (shown
above), came from Herbert Reid who said in HI -FI
STEREO REVIEW : "Over and above the details of design
and performance, we felt that the Citation group bore
eloquent witness to the one vital aspect of audio that
for so many of us has elevated high fidelity from a
casual hobby to a lifelong interest: the earnest attempt
to reach an ideal not for the sake of technical showmanship but for the sake of music and our demanding love of it."
THE CITATION I, Stereophonic Preamplifier Control Center...
$159.95; Factory -Wired ... $249.95; Walnut Enclosure,
WC -1 ... $29.95.
THE CITATION II, 120 Watt Stereophonic Power Amplifier...
$159.95; Factory -Wired ... $229.95; Charcoal Brown Enclosure, AC -2 ... $7.95. All prices slightly higher in the West.
-
-
For a complete report ou these remarkable instruments, write Dept. HF-1..', Citation Kit Division, Harman- Kardon, Plainview, N.
Build the Very Best
Y.
ITATION KITS by harman kardon
(:ItiC1.F
55 ON RE%DER-S
UtD
DECEMBER 1960
21
www.americanradiohistory.com
The greatest beauty of
Thorens famous quality...
you can afford it!
No need to hesitate, you can afford Thorens
famous quality. You can have music as it's
meant to be heard. You can relax with Thorens
unique one year guarantee. There's a Thorens
model that fits handily into any budget.
Whether you know a lot or a little about
high -fidelity equipment, you'll particularly
enjoy the courteous and knowledgeable way a
Thorens franchised dealer earns your confidence.
Each Thorens dealer is carefully selected for
knowledge, ability and integrity. They'll make
buying your Thorens almost as much fun as
owning it. Shop around this page for a few of
the outstanding features and then stop in
0.5
and see all of them for yourself.
Guaranteed for one full year. Sold only through
carefully selected franchised dealers.
HO EN
MATCHLESS!
TD -124. All four speeds.
Plays any record. Easy -touse lighted strobe sets
exact speed for best musical
SWISS MADE PRODUCTS
MUSIC BOXES HI -Fl COMPONENTS
LIGHTERS
SPRING -POWERED SHAVERS
New Hyde Park, N.Y.
reproduction. Completely
silent. Many more exclusive
features...only $99.95 net.
MORE ECONOMICAL!
TD -134. The finest 4-speed
manual turntable you can
buy. Includes tone arm.
Elimination of semiautomatic feature saves you
another $15. You can also
save up to $30 on the
tone arm. Look at TD -134
... only $59.95 net.
TD-124
MARVELOUS!
TD -184. Includes tone arm
and simple dialing system
that lets you select
records and start turntable.
All 4 speeds. Save $20 on
turntable, up to $30 on
tone arm. Look at TD -184
only $75.00 net.
...
MOST ECONOMICAL!
TDK -101. You can assemble
this Thorens turntable
yourself. The superb quality
..
of the components makes
all your work worthwhile.
Look at Thorens TDK -101
only $47.50 net.
...
TDK-101
V
(:lR(:l.E
110 ON liF:Al)ER-SF:RVICF. CARD
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
22
www.americanradiohistory.com
NO
ARTIFICIAL
COLORING
ADDED
PRESENTING THE WHARFEDALE ACHROMATIC SPEAKER SYSTEMS
The basic definition of "Achromatic" is: Pure. Non- colored by extraneous modulations.
During this past season Wharfedale, the name most highly regarded
by music lovers and technicians in the field of high fidelity speakers,
introduced the Wharfedale 60.
The Wharfedale 60 was the first shelf-sized speaker to employ the
exclusive sand -filled principle which achieves rich, non-strident high
notes and glowing bass without electronic, mechanical or acoustical
tone coloration or false resonance.
The Wharfedale 60 was the first compact speaker system truly to
meet the uncompromising standard of high fidelity performance which
identifies all Wharfedale speakers.
The W60, unmatched in its field for quality of sound, has won
amazing acceptance almost overnight. This success, in great measure,
has been spurred by the unprecedented endorsement of qualified high
fidelity dealers, everywhere.
But, above all, this adds to our pride and pleasure
... in the sweep-
ing triumph of the W60, 74% of the new owners who returned the
cards which register the Wharfedale guarantee, said that they had
purchased their W60 upon the enthusiastic recommendation of a
friend who had experience and knowledge of fine audio equipment.
Now, in addition to the W60, Wharfedale brings you two other
achromatic speaker systems, the W50 and the W70.
In every one of the achromatic systems, the speakers and the
superb, handsome cabinet perform truly as a single unit. The reproduction is a perfect image of the music as it was recorded
and,
certainly as you wish to hear it.
Today, with the advent of the new Wharfedale Achromatic Speaker
Systems, we have taken a giant step toward the goal of the perfect
reproduction of the sound of music.
May we suggest that you ask your dealer to demonstrate their
remarkable qualities.
...
Mail this coupon to dept. WX20
British Industries Corp.,
Port Washington, New York
Please send Wharfedale Achromatic
Series literature.
Marled& Achromatic WV
The Wharfedale Achromatic Series' sand -filled
panel consists of two
layers of wood with a
completely inert filler
of dry sand between
them for truer bass
down to 20 cycles.
The original Achromatic unit, which set
a new standard for
complete speaker systems regardless of size
or price.
True wood veneers:
Utility Model: J108.50
Unfinished $94.5o
WHARFEDALE,
A
Marled&
This fine speaker system is to be compared
only with the others in
this series.
True wood veneers:
Utility Model. $94.50
Unfinished $79.00
Madelele Acirssutic SIS
This great system is, in
truth, a fine musical
instrument. Its reproduction can be compared only to a live
performance.
True wood veneers:
Utility Model: $149.50
Unfinished $139.50
name
address
city
state
DIVISION OF BRITISH INDUSTRIES CORPORATION, PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.
CIRCLE
DECEMBER 1960
Achromatic MSF
The lowest -priced
Achromatic system.
26 ON
READER-SERVICE
Ctill)
23
-
Malcolm Frager
Prize -Winning Pianist
trading?
Brussels and the Leventritt
nute be just the &'ginning.
audio exchange
makes the BEST
Trades!*
See
HIGH FIDELITY Magazine,
May 1959, page 39
We have the franchise
for these exclusive
manufacturers
PROMPT SERVICE
LARGEST SELECTION
of guaranteed used equipment
TRADE BACK PLAN
-write for details
for our unique Trade Bock plan and Trading information.
Write Dept.
L
AE
audio exchange
Registered Component Dealers
r
er
HIGH FIDELITY
The Hi Fi Trading Organization
153-21 Hillside Ave., Jamaica 32, N.Y.
Parking of all stores
Closed Mondoys
Branches:
836 Flotbush Avenue
Brooklyn
White Ploins.367 Mamaroneck Avenue
451 Plondome Rood
Manhasset
CIRCLE
14
I has been broken, in pianistic
circles, and although the event took
place with relatively little fanfare, its aftermath is being recognized in concert halls
across the country and will soon be evident
in even more numerous listening rooms.
Until this year, no pianist has ever won the
Leventritt International Competition, held
each year in New York, and then gone on to
take first prize in the Queen Elisabeth of
Belgium contest, one of the most harrowing
-and most rewarding-musical trials in
the world. But the double victory was won
at last, not many months ago, by a twenty five- year -old pianist from St. Louis named
Malcolm Frager, who majored in Russian at
Columbia University, graduating magna cum
laude, and keeps a Phi Beta Kappa key
tucked away somewhere out of sight.
Frager came home after the seven -week
ordeal in Brussels some twenty pounds
lighter than when he went over, warmly
enthusiastic about the Belgians and about
Queen Elisabeth in particular, and happy
but firmly level- headed concerning his own
accomplishment. He confessed that he had
been warned by almost everyone not to
enter the Competition and risk losing the
ground gained by the Leventritt success. "I
thought about it a great deal, and I just felt
it was something I had to do," he said. This
capacity for calmly appraising his own abilities and acting on his convictions is typical
of Frager's self- possession, which has not the
slightest hint of vanity and which has allowed him to remain as easy and natural in
manner as if he had been winning $3,000
prizes all his life. ( "And that's a very good
A
RECEIEN
i
prize, you know," he commented. "I think
Van got only $1,000 in Moscow. ")
Musing on the experience, as he prepared
for a recording session in RCA's Webster
Hall in New York, Frager recalled the last
eight days before the finals, when the
twelve contestants who had survived the
two rounds of eliminations were confined,
literally under lock and key, in a chateau
several miles from town. They were given a
"very awkward" concerto to learn within
the week- composed for the occasion by
the head of the Brussels Conservatory.
-
(They were also served enticing meals
"They told us to order anything we wanted"
-during the entire stay.) " \Ve were in
another world -no radio, no newspapers,
practicing the concerto all day, not talking
to anybody. Looking back, it was the
pleasantest part." Queen Elisabeth came out
twice to visit each contestant in his suite.
"She remembered everyone's name," Frager
said, "and never missed a concert during the
whole contest. She founded the Competi-
tion, you know, in memory of Eugène
Ysaÿe, with whom she studied violin. Now,
besides playing, she paints and sculptures,
and, at eighty- three, she's begun to study
Russian. It was impossible to be nervous
with her."
When one sees Malcolm Frager sit down
at the keyboard it strikes one as unlikely
indeed that he could be nervous with anyone
or anything connected with his art. Or so it
seemed to me, at least, when I heard him
record the Haydn Sonata No. 35, in E
flat, to fill out Side 2 of RCA Victor's
recording of Prokofiev's Second Piano Concerto,
taped
the
week
before
in
Paris.
[For a review of this disc, see p. 76.] The
Haydn, like the Prokofiev, was one of
Frager's prize winners, and had clinched the
victory for him at the final concert in Brussels. "I was surprised the judges chose this
for me to play, really. The others played
Liszt and Rachmaninoff-much showier
things." So saying, Frager slipped into the
poised opening measures of Haydn's Allegro
moderato and proceeded to demonstrate
how their quiet elegance had outshone the
passion of the Romantics on that last decisive program of the Competition.
After two complete playings, Frager
retired to the control room to listen to a
playback, and pronounced hearing his own
work on tape "always a shocking experience." He shares this opinion with good
company, it seems, for he mentioned that
Myra Hess had once told him she "could
simply weep" when she heard one of her
recordings. But listening to himself in playback has not vet changed Frager's opinion
on any matters of interpretation, and he
refuses to be cowed by the rather awesome
permanence of the LP record -even his
own first one. During a third play- through
of the Haydn he changed some of the ornamentation in the last movement "just for the
heck of it," and cheerfully left the final
choice of versions up to Peter Dellheim,
musical director of the company's Red Seal
records. "If anyone can decide, you can,"
he said, and with this benediction brought
the final session of his recording debut to a
close and prepared to go out to lunch.
Dellheim and RCA have other projects in
store for their new artist, and among the
first is a recording of twenty Scarlatti
sonatas. In the meantime, a busy concert
schedule is keeping Frager on the road.
Brussels was just the beginning.
SHIRLEY FLEMING
ON HEADER-SERVICE CARD
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
)4
www.americanradiohistory.com
"REK-O -KUT "- the
safest
word you can say to your dealer
For sixteen years, Rek -O -Kut has been synonymous with
quality and integrity in the design of turntables. As other brands have risen, fallen and even completely disappeared, Rek -O -Kut has won consistent acclaim as the overwhelming choice in its field. In performance ratings and
engineering contributions to the art of turntable design, Rek -O -Kut has compiled a record unchallenged by any
other turntable producer. Now, this tradition is again emphasized by the introduction of the magnificent new
N-34H StereoTable ... a professional quality two -speed (33% and 45 rpm) turntable. Quiet power is furnished by
a Rek -O -Kut hysteresis synchronous motor and an efficient new belt -drive system. Speeds can be changed even
while the table is rotating, merely by pressing a lever.
The N -34H is a symphony of crisp, clean lines accentuated by the unusual deck design. Mated with the new
tapered base, the N -34H becomes one of the proudest and most beautiful components ever to grace a home music
system. Insist on seeing it at your dealer's.
-$79.95
net. Shown with new Rek -O -Kut Micropoise Stereo Tonearm, Model
N -3411 STEREOTABLE only
$29.95 net. Tapered base in hand -rubbed, oiled walnut, $14.95 net.
S-220,
A NEW DIMENSION
IN TURNTABLES -125/8" x 19 "DESIGNED TO FIT
NARROW CABINETS
AND BOOKSHELVES!
SPECIFICATIONS: Noise Level:-53db below
average recording level; Wow and Flutter:
0.15°ó; Drive: Nylon, neoprene- impregnated
endless belt. 2- Speeds, 331.3 and 45 rpm.
Simple lever-action changes speeds.
NOTE: COMING SOON...ANOTHER GREAT
DEVELOPMENT... Rek-O -Kut AUTO -POISE
-makes any Rek-O -Kut tonearm you buy
-.ow -fully automatic!
REK -O -KUT
STEREOTAB LES
Export: Morhan Exporting Corp., 458 Bway, N.Y. 13
Canada: Atlas Radio, 50 Wingold Ave., Toronto 19
Rek -O-Kut Company, Inc., Dept H -12
38 -19 108th Street. Corona 63, N.Y.
Please send me complete details on the
new N-34H STEREOTABLE:
Name
Address
City
State
CIRCLE 90 ON READER- SERVICE CARD
DECEMBER 1960
www.americanradiohistory.com
Zone
The PR -500 Turntable
..
a
.
single speed (331/2-rpm)
turntable with
an
integrally
mounted arm
employs a
somewhat unconventional drive
system which results in a totally inaudible rumble level,
and low wow and flutter. The
arm is simple yet effective,
with a mounting system which
makes the unit relatively insensitive to shock and vibration."
.
REVIEWS
..
.
.
"The arm tracks well at the
lowest stylus forces recommended by the cartridge manu-
LIKE
THESE...
facturer."
field surrounding the
very low, and no difficulty should be experienced
The hum
PR -500 is
from this source even with
poorly shielded cartridges."
the Stromberg - Carlson
-500 performs in a manner
comparable to that of the most
expensive turntables and arms,
yet sells for much less."
.
.
PR
"The PR -500 is an excellent
value at $69.95."
Hirsh -Houck Laboratory
I'idrIlly ,lingn:ivr,
...hint at the performance of
-`
New Amplifiers
-an extremely clean, beautifully designed stereo amplifier
Continuous power:
36 watts (18 watts per channel)
Music power:
(IHFM standard): 44 watts (22 watts per channel)
Total harmonic distortion: 0.6% at 18
watts per channel Intermodulation distortion:
1% at rated output (4:1 ratio, 60 and 7,000 cps)
Frequency response:
0.5 db, 20- 20,000 cps
Separate channel, clutch - type bass and
treble controls
Scratch filter (18 db; oct);
Rumble filter "Twin T" filter, null at 20 cps
I_c,udness contour switch; Balance control;
Channel reverse switch; Program selector;
Master gain control
DC on pre -amp heaters
for low noise; A plus B center speaker
termi nals.
Suggested Audiophile net: 5149.95
ASR 660
ASR
/¡"!r-
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220C
-
,%hly'Gn
new
New Speaker Systems
an unusually versatile medium
power stereo amplifier
Continuous power:
24 watts (12 watts per channel)
Music power
(IHFM standard) 28 watts (14 watts per channel)
Total harmonic distortion: 0.7% at 12
watts per channel Intermodulation distortion:
2% at rated output (4:1 ratio, 60 and 7,000 cps)
Frequency response:
0.5 db, 20- 20,000 cps
Separate channel clutch - type bass and
treble controls
Scratch filter (18 db /oct);
Rumble filter "Twin T" filter, null at 20 cps
Magnetic phono pre -amp with new, low noise
tubes
A plus B center -speaker terminals.
Suggested Audiophile net: $119.95
Three new, wide range speaker systems. A new elliptical tweeter with
a heavily silver -plated voice coil prevents harshness caused by cone
breakup in conventional circular
speakers. Woofers of extra -heavy cone
stock are capable of long, linear excursions for outstanding low frequency power handling without dis-
tortion. Tweeter level switches
included on all models. Enclosures
are carefully matched to the woofer.
Suggested
RS511
59.95 to
Audiophile net: RS514 74.95 to
(prices vary
with finish) RS516 105.00 to
84.95
99.95
135.00
For the sheer joy of listening ..."There is nothing finer than a Stromberg-Carlson"
I:IRCLF:
103
ON READER-SERVICE C tic U
26
I
www.americanradiohistory.com
IIGII FIDELITY MAGAZINE
Tuner...
The FM -443
tuners
on
..."
"The distortion of the ASR -880 is very
low at usual listening levels when
it has a rare
correctly operated
combination of very high gain and very
low hum. The amplifier has a number
of special features, such as center
channel output and a very effective
channel -balancing system, as well as
...
sensitivity measurement
to
IHFM standards, is amazing. Its
usable sensitivity is 3 microvolts, a figure not usually found
in tuners in this price range.
This high sensitivity has not
been obtained at the expense
IF
/1,0l,
the usual stereo control functions
found in all good amplifiers."
"Only 0.6 or 0.7 millivolts at the phono
inputs will drive the amplifier to 10
watts output per channel. At normal
the hum level is
gain settings
better than 70 db below 10 watts even
on phono input. This is completely
inaudible."
"With a listening quality matching its
laboratory response, the StrombergCarlson ASR -880 must be considered a
very good value at its $199.95 price."
Hirsh -Houck Laboratory
High Fidelity Magazine. Sept. '60
bandwidth."
The tuner sells
for $19.96."
Hirsh -Houck Laboratory -
f',d.I 0
a
"Each channel delivered 50 watts at
2% harmonic distortion, or 48 watts
at 1% distortion. This is unusual in
an amplifier rated at 32 watts
distortion at 100% modulation is about 1% for signals
stronger than 10 microvolts."
of
.
ends of the spectrum."
The
the FM -443, according
.
...
the market,
system."
of
...
compact integrated stereo
amplifier rated at 32 watts per chanit exceeds its
nel. Noteworthy
rated power substantially over most
of the audio range, has excellent
power - handling capabilities at both
".
approaches the performance of
more expensive equipment. It
is therefore an especially good
value for anyone who wants to
obtain the highest level of performance in a moderate- priced
The
Amplifier
The ASR -880
"The Stromberg- Carlson FM -443,
one of the least expensive FM
.
Maga;0111,.I11711 '60
.
.
-
Stromberg - Carlson components like these:
New Tuners
-a
-an improved version of the highly
rated FM -443 New, high- accuracy, precision
Precision components in de- emphasis
dial
network, giving improved frequency response:
Sensitivity: 3.5 micro20- 20,000 cps ± 1 db
Improved local volts for 20 db quieting
distance control in RF stage for lowest distortion and best signal -to -noise ratio on both
Total harmonic
local and distant stations
distortion; less than 1% full deviation.
Suggested Audiophile net: $79.95
combination of the FM -443A and
SR- 445A
an entirely new, wide -band AM section. FM
specifications: identical to FM -443A AM fre11/2 db
quency response: Broad: 25 to 9,000
Sharp: 25 to 2,500 cps ± 1V2 db AM noise
level: 60 db below 1 volt output AM harmonic
distortion: less than 1% at 100% modulation
Separate tuning indicators for AM and FM.
Suggested Audiophile net: $139.95
FM-443A
(Zone
I
All the new StrombergCarlson components have so
many impressive features,
you'll find a visit to your
Stromberg- Carlson dealer
most rewarding. He will be
glad to demonstrate either
an individual component or
a complete Stromberg-
Carlson Component En-
-
semble. See him or write:
Stromberg- Carlson,1419
012 North Goodman Street,
Rochester 3, New York.
prices. Subiecr to change without notice.)
STROM BERG- CARLSON
DIVISION OF GENERAL DYNAMICS
A
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27
DECEMBER 1960
www.americanradiohistory.com
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.
101'O sgrealnews
The Sensational Bozak
B -800 FULL -RANGE SPEAKER
(
PATENT PENDING
is yours for only
)
$45.001*
Change for the Sake of Change
SIR:
An 8 -inch speaker of unique design, the B -800 provides unbelievably
fine music and voice reproduction over a frequency range of 50 to
15000 cycles! Its clean bass, detailed midrange, and smooth highs
combine to give exceptional transient response and remarkably satisfying tone. It works beautifully from a small, infinite -baffle bookshelf
enclosure, or can be mounted flush in an ordinary interior wall.
You'll be proud to own the B -800! Now, at last, you can extend your
bring Bozak musical
music system to other parts of your home
at a truly modersound to den, playroom, kitchen, bedrooms
ate cost!
--
and,
THE BOZAK B -801
SPEAKER SYSTEM
a B -800 Full -Range Speaker
Mounted in a Handsome,
Well -Built Enclosure
is only
$89.50!*
Your chance to own a Bozak Speaker System! Thousands who heard
this instrument at the New York and other High Fidelity Shows
were delighted with its musical quality and amazed at its price!
You'll agree that it's the biggest bargain ever in really fine sound!
Consistent with the Bozak principle of providing for systematic growth, your B -801 can
achieve a broader dispersion of highs through
the addition of a Bozak B-200X Dual
Tweeter. An opening is provided for vertical or horizontal mounting of the B-200X,
as shown in the adjacent photo of the enclosure with grille cloth removed.
Hear this great
new speaker soon at a
Bozak Franchised Dealer!
DARIEN, CONN.
B E S T
V E R Y
I N
M U S
I
C
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CIRCLF:
121
ON !WADER-SERVICE
Many Revolutions Can We Afford ?" There
have been too many sleazy activities directed
toward short term advantages, as opposed to
solid standards of integrity and excellence.
The manufacturer who dares to be different
and innovate constructively must know
what to hold back as well as what to offer.
Change just for change's sake hurts rather
than helps our industry.
Some consumers -those who will not
develop the knowledge to make a sound
choice -are as much to blame as some manufacturers. They go madly pelting after the
new toy. For example, the stereo revolution
happened in less than a year. This was not
skulduggery on the manufacturers' part;
they were perforce dragged willy- nilly,
kicking and screaming, into the new field
by consumer demand.
The encouraging thing is that the manufacturers who base their work on standards
of integrity and ethics seem to be the ones
who thrive in the long haul. Modern marketing depends of course on finding out
what the consumer wants and supplying it
to him. In these complex times, however,
some consumers are guided by presumed
authority instead of doing some needed
hard thinking. They thus play into the
hands of those who offer sleazy products and
short -term advantages.
V. H. Pomper
Vice -President
H. H. Scott, Inc.
Maynard, Mass.
Macbeth Dies Again
SIR:
I was interested to note that nobody has so
far tumbled to the inclusion in Verdi's
Macbeth of a passage (heard in the RCA
Victor recording) which is not in the printed
full score nor in the Ricordi vocal score.
"SLIGHTLY HIGHER IN SOUTH AND WEST.
T H E
"Bravo" to your September editorial, "How
This is the death of Macbeth, which Verdi
carefully took out when revising the score,
but which Fritz Busch unearthed from
somewhere and carefully put back. This
passage is in manuscript in the Glyndebourne copy of the score, which the Met borrowed and photostated and eventually used
for the recording. So now we have the other
angle of the great Search for Authenticity.
Instead of altering our scores to coincide
with what the composer originally intended,
Continued on page 30
It I/
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
2S
www.americanradiohistory.com
any 2 different HI-FI programs
to several places in the home simultaneously
all thru one BOGEN-PRESTO instrument!
ONLY
CO
V N CO 7PAN MDOES IT:
ANY 2 DIFFERENT HI -FI PROGRAMS -Family music and entertainment
tastes can be satisfied -really satisfied
SoundSpan. Pop tunes for
the youngsters -while the grownups listen to classical music -from
AM or FM radio, records, tape, TV sound -any two, and at the same
time! No longer need the family be bound by the personal tastes of
one of its members. With SoundSpan you have music to suit the individual taste -entertainment when you want it.
-with
SEVERAL PLACES IN THE HOME SIMULTANEOUSLY -Whether you
Inc in a 3 -room apartment, a suburban split level or a very large home,
you'll find SoundSpan versatility the perfect answer to your family needs.
Think of
Mother can enjoy FM in the kitchen while the children
dance to records in the playroom ... thru one system! Later the whole
family together can thrill to stereo in the living room. The bedroom,
den, and the patio or terrace are other places you might locate loudspeakers operating from BOGEN -PRESTO's SoundSpan RP -40 Receiver
or AP -40 Amplifier. There are four controlled output lines. How you
use them is entirely up to you.
it-
AP-40 40 WATT AMPLIFIER
$199.50
TP-40 AMFM TUNER
LESS ENCLOSURE
Lits ENCLOSURE
$189.50
-
ALL THRU ONE BOGEN- PRESTO INSTRUMENT
Operating
SoundSpan is simplicity itself. Programming Selectors direct mono or
stereo programs to either or both channels. A lighted panel indicator
shows the program sources and channels in use. Your choices of these
programs are directed to speakers individually controlled by a simple
switching arrangement. Only the RP -40 or AP -40 with SoundSpan can
channel two different mono programs
one stereo program to several
loudspeakers located anywhere in your home ... and without input
program limitations. Owning the RP -40 is like having two independent
high -fidelity systems in your home -for the price of one. Send for free
literature; get the whole story on SoundSpan and the many other wonderful features incorporated in the model RP -40 Receiver and AP -40
Amplifier.
-or
NEW BOGEN -PRESTO RP -40
HOME MUSIC CENTER
STEREO RECEIVER WITH SOUNDSPAN:
$329.50
BOGEN -PRESTO
Prices slightly higher in :be
Weil
DESK H -120 PARAMUS, N. J.
A
DIVISION OF THE SIEGLER CORPORATION
www.americanradiohistory.com
-40
WATT AM -FM
LESS ENCLOSURE.
LETTERS
famous
H. H.
Scott
Continued from page 28
we alter them to coincide with what he
Factory Assembled
deliberately discarded.
Patrick Ilughes
Ringmer, Sussex
England
Hosannas for Hirsch -Houck
Sia:
Let me congratulate you on your foresighted
policy of publishing Hirsch -Houck Laboratory Reports on new audio equipment. I
am sure these reports, appearing each
month, already have become an outstanding
feature to your readers, and will keep HIGH
FIoEI.in- Magazine far and away the most
sought after publication in its field.
J. E. Boomer, Jr.
Detroit, Mich.
AMPLIFIERS
and TUNERS
These new Laboratory Standard amplifiers and tuners are the product of
painstaking research and development
engineering .
skillful,
. .. creative
patient manufacturing. Each receives
more than 50 separate quality tests before it is awarded the Laboratory
Standard Guarantee. This care assures
perfect performance for many years of
use.
Employment for Callas
SIR:
is good to read that Maria Callas is recording again. I agree that her previous Norma
and Traviata may benefit from new recordings (with better supporting casts than in
the previous releases, I hope). But is it really
necessary that Mme. Callas re- record Cat'-&Pag or Trovatore? There are so many roles
that she can do better than anyone, in operas that have either not been recorded or
have been recorded inadequately: Nabucco,
Macbeth, La Vestale, The Consul (why
not in Italian ?), Tabarro, to mention just
a few.
Alfredo Cernadas- Quesada
Buenos Aires
It
DEMAND
RCA
L
J
--
ô
The most expensive hi -fi rig
in the world cannot supply
the truly superb sound repro-
duction you expect unless
every component is carefully
selected for top performance
and reliability. Even the fin-
est amplifiers and speakers
cannot correct for an inferior
recording tape...so you cannot afford anything but the
finest tape! RCA Sound Tape
assures you high fidelity re-
production...full frequency
response from the thrilling
highs to the powerful lows...
and the best recording and
reproduction your tape recorder can deliver.
RCA Sound Tape is available in the popular and economical 5" and 7"
reel sizes, on splice free Mylar and acetate bases. Ask for
RCA Sound Tape
wherever superior
quality magnetic recording products are
sold. Electron Tube
Div., Harrison, N. J.
Du Pont registered trademark
The Most Trusted Name
in Electronics
RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA
330D AM -FM
Wide Band Stereo Tuner:
The AM and FM sections of this superb instrument
are completely separate for reception of AM -FM
stereo broadcasts. It is also equipped for addition of
Multiplex adaptor. AM quality is practically indis-
tinguishable from FM. FM sensitivity rating 2.5 m icrovolts, IHFM standards.
Price $209.95'
Argentina
Contra Stereo
U -watt Complete Dynaural Stereo
Amplifier: Here is a complete amplifier with the
272
SIR:
The advantage of stereo over mono may
be perfectly real at the level of equipment
where price is no object, but what of the
hi -fi set that must fit into its owner's budget?
In my experience as a hi -fi hobbyist, I have
found that, even by working from kits for
the woodworking and electronics, it takes
high power rating usually found only in separate
preamp -power amplifier systems. There are 25 separate controls, including patented H. H. Scott Dynaural Rumble Suppressors. Important features of
the 272 include unique pick -up selector switch, and
front -panel center -channel output control.
Price $269.95
at least $400 to assemble monophonic com-
ponents (including tuner and record player,
but not tape) of sufficiently smooth response
and freedom from various distortions and
noises to withstand critical listening. I suspect that if your budget -minded reader listeners who have been induced by the
stereo craze to spread their $400 between two
mediocre hi -fi sets (one for each ear) were to
hear the magnificent definition of musical
textures that comes only from the use of
superior equipment, they would, within
their budgets, prefer the aural separation of
musical elements through superior mono to
the physical separation of muddy textures
that is the inevitable result of relatively low priced stereo.
George Sargent
Bloomington, Ind.
299B 50-Watt Stereo Amplifier: This amplifier is in use in more fine music systems than any
other stereo amplifier in the world. Its many features
and operating conveniences Include: unique H. H.
Scott acoustic balancing provisions; separate scratch
and rumble filters; visual signal -light panel; third
channel output; inputs for two magnetic cartridges
and complete facilities for tape monitoring.
Price $209.95'
'Slightly higher west of Rockig. Accessory cases extra.
H.H. SCOTT
H. H. Scott Inc., 111 Powdermill Rd.,
Maynard, Massachusetts
CIRCLE 95 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
30
www.americanradiohistory.com
New kind of KIT
from
H. H.
Scott...
EASY -TO -BUILD 72 WATT STEREO
AMPLIFIER KIT LOOKS
5*
AND PERFORMS LIKE 41
FACTORY -BUILT UNITS!
Here's the kit that makes you a professional. Beautifully designed,
perfectly engineered, and so easy to wire that you can't go wrong. In
just a few evenings you can build a professional 72 watt IL H. Scott
stereo amplifier
one so good it challenges factory- assembled units
in both looks and performance. Despite its many features the new
LK-72 actually costs less than many pre-amplifier/power- amplifier
kits of lower power rating.
H. H. Scott engineers have developed exciting new techniques to ease
kit- building problems. The Kit -Pak container unfolds to a self-contained work -table. All wires are pre-cut and pre-stripped. Parts are
mounted on special cards in the order you use them. All mechanical
parts are pre-riveted to the chassis.
Yes ... the hard work is all done, but the fun's left for you! Build a new
H. H. Scott LK-72 for yourself. You'll have an amplifier that meets
one that delivers sufficient power to
rugged IHFM specifications
drive any speaker system
one that's professional in every sense of
the word.
...
...
...
IHFM Power
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: Full Power Output: 72 watts, 36 watts per channel
Amplifier
Band: extends down to ZOcps Total Harmonic Distortion: (I kc) under 0.4% at full power
Tubes: 4 7591 output tubes, 2
7199, 4
Hum Level: better than 70db below full power output
12AX7, 1
Weight of Output Transformers: 12 pounds
Amplifier fully stable under all
5AR4
Dimensions in accessory case: 15% w, 5!4 h, 13% d. Size and styling
loads including capacitive
matches H. H. Scott assembled or kit tuners.
-
-
-
-
IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE NEW H. I,. SCOTT LK -72 COMPLETE AMPLIFIER
container opens to a con' eeient work table. Folds up at night like
1.Unique Kit -Pak
All parts mounted in order of installation. No sifting
a suitcase. 2. Part- Charts
through loose parts. 3. All wires pre -cut, pre- stripped to cut assembly time. 4. Mechanical parts all pre- mounted Tube sockets and terminal strips riveted to chassis.
5. Easy -to- follow full color instm.ction book. E. Rich, gold -finish front panel harmonizes
with H. H. Scott factory- assemaled uni:s. 7. Special features include Center Channel
Level control; Scratch Filter; 'ripe Recorder Monitor; Separate Bass and Treble on
each channel; DC operated hi avers for fowesr bum.
-
Slightly higher wes! of the Rockies.
H.H. SCOTT
H. H.
SCOTT INC., DEPT
Rush me complete
IF-12
detail:
your new LK -72 Corn
piece Amplifier Kit, LT -10
FM Tuner Kit, and Custom
Stereo Components for 1961
111 POWDERMILL ROAD
MAYNARD, MASS.
Name
on
www.americanradiohistory.com
Adoress
City.
State
Export: Telesco Interna'ional Corp., 36 W. 40th St., !'.
Y. C.
PILOT
264 STEREOPHONIC AMPLIFIER
If purity of sound is your goal for your music system, then the Pilot 264 was
wade for you. Measured using the IHFM standard, at mid -band, power output
is 7D
watts continuous/74 watts music power. Measured at 25-20,000 cycles,
output
is 60
watts continuous,'64 watts music power. 'Harmonic Distortion
a: full output using either measurement is less than 0.5 %. IM distortion less
is6
than 0.3 %. Frequency response 10-100,C00 cycles.
Has
Pilot's exclusive
" Stereo Plus Curtain -of- Sound" center speaker outputs delivering the sum
of channel
A and
channel B. Complete with brass finish cover ...$179.50.
PILOT 248 AMPLIFIER-PREAMPLIFIER
The Pilot 264 Amplifier combined with an ultra -versatile preamplifier. Maxi-
mum operational
flexibility
is assured
with
15
controls, including scratch
Prlor
and rumble filters, tape monitor and 2 position loudness control. Like all Pilot
components, the 264 has a special center speaker connection "Stereo Plus
Curtain -of- Sound," delivering the sum of cha inels A and B, for 3- speaker
stereo; or to provide simultaneous monophonic sound in another room. The
Pilot 264 is ideal for those who desire a complete stereophonic preamamplifier combination. As pictured, complete with enclosure ... $249.50.
Pilot
FOUNDED 1919
..
P R
For complete specifications or the 264 and 248,
write to:
RADIO CORPORATION, 37 -10 36th STREET, LONG ISLAND CITY 1, NEW YORK
ON IuF:\IIF:R- 'F:II \I/:F:
1:
\It11
HIGH FIDELITY \1,\C.\z1\e
32
www.americanradiohistory.com
ding value
11
giee±rroke
ULTRA -COMPACT SPEAKER SYSTEMS
in kit form
Now Electro -Voice takes the mystery out of ultra -compact
speaker systems. No longer are the components a "sealed" secret.
You see what you get, know what you get, and enjoy the fun and
economy of building your own speaker system. All the materials
and instructions you need are included in the package. These new
kits are exactly the same as the carefully- designed, assembled
systems currently sold by Electro- Voice. Systems that
produce a clarity of sound that enable you to feel the deepest
bass, marvel at the effortless clarity in the midrange, and
delight in the brilliant definition of the upper harmonics.
Performance Depends on Component Quality
Variety of Prices and Performance
The Esquire 200 -Now the value -packed Esquire
A
Within each Electro -Voice system, every component is engineered to
complement perfectly the others with which it is used. Some of the
outstanding features you'll be receiving are illustrated in the cutaway
view of the Esquire 200 featured above: (1) Substantial magnetic circuits
for maximum sensitivity, power handling capacity, and uniformity of
response. (2) High compliance viscous damped cloth suspension for
smooth response and low resonant frequency. (3)Edgewise -wound voice
coil for most effective use of available magnetic energy. (4) Die -cast
frames for greatest reliability of performance. (5) True electrical crossover, at exceptionally low frequency of 200 cycles, to minimize all forms
of distortion associated with the use of woofers covering the midrange.
(6) Midrange speaker in a totally isolated cavity for outstandingly uniform
response throughout the range over which it is employed. (7) Sonophase*'
throat structure and integral diffraction horn to give virtually unequalled
high frequency response range, with excellent coverage of the wFole
listening area. (8) Two level controls which permit exact adjustment of
response characteristics to personal taste and individual acoustic
environments.
is available in three
different forms ... the handsome Esquire 200, the economical unfinished
Esquire 200 Utility and the new Esquire 200 Kit. Each is a full three -way
system with a 12" woofer, 8" cone-type mid -range speaker and E -V Super
Sonax very- high- frequency driver. Esquire 200-14" high x 25" wide x 13''4"
deep. Hand -rubbed Walnut, Mahogany or Limed Oak
$133.00. Esquire 200
Unfinished Fir Utility -14" high x 23''4" wide x 12" deep
$107.50. Esquire 200
in easy -to- assemble Kit form -14" high x 23''4" wide x 12" deep
$93.00.
The Regal 300-A premium -quality, three -way system utilizing the finest
quality components to assure the best sound possible in a small -sized
system. Deluxe 12" woofer, a Deluxe 8" cone -type midrange speaker, and
a compression -type, diffraction horn -loaded very- high- frequency driver.
high x 25" wide x 13''A" deep. Walnut, mahogany, or limed oak
Unfinished fir
$149.00. In Easy -to- assemble Kit Form
$125.00.
14"
Consumer Products Division
Dept. 12 H,
Electro- Voice, Inc.,
$179.00.
y.CC,
Buchanan, Michigan
CIRCLE 45 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
DECEMBER 1960
33
www.americanradiohistory.com
ow you can have all tomorrow's marvels
In one complete Bell stereo system
rything you hare scanted is in these all-new
ll Stereo Components
. a complete line
7 models from which to rrex:te the ideal
reo system of your choke. All -fjer wonder ul new features
Even /- ipher fidelity per rnanee
Easier operr.tion .. New styling
..
...
...
_
functionally and reaketeeally, perfect
fr either open or panel i trtidlatir>n.
'he wide selection fits any space, any
r ell k. You can start t ill. the bask corn nents and add matrhity units later to play
t record stereo programs from every source.
to
is
tuning capEcitors on aoth AM and FM, Edge -Vu
signal s :ren. th tuning -r rs, Automatic Frequency Ccntrol, Muitiçle output for future adoption to all-TM stereo.. F1V! sensitivity is 1.2 uy for
20 db quiettr g.
:t
2425 3- CHANNEL, 30-WATT STEREO
AMPLIFIER -TYNER COMBSATION, also available,
is easiest be operate m
n priced. Amplifier
BELL MODEL
diu
has all the basic features needed for stereo. Tuner
FM sensitiw:ty is 1.5 uy for 20 db quieting.
NEW BELL STEREO TUNER- AMPLIFIER
MBINATIONS ... THE HEA21 OF YOUR SYSTEM
rnpact, convenient, a.!1-in-( e_ th?se most mod -
components play all stereo program material
stereo records, stereo tapes, AM-FM stereo
Broadcasts, all monaural prc gams also.
.
EASY TO INSTAL..
MODEL 2445 2- CHANNE., 44 -WATT STEREO
PLIFIER -TUNER COMBINATION
shown above)
L
as every advanced stereo ficatr.re. Amplifier has
hono inputs, tape head aria tape amp inputs,
vidual bass and treble controls fjr each chan 'I. hi and lo filter switches, loudness compensa on switch, "Magic Touch" on-off switch that does
affect volume setting. Tuner t-as three gang
... EAISY
TO OPERATE
On new B ?:1 stereo components, the controls used
most frequently are al_ on oae center panel, distinguished 'rom mine= cc,:rcls by color and location. Simplifies ope-atio b. the non -experts in
your family. All corrponEars are in handsome walnut grain vinyl,
it Every styling detail. All
are designed for qui.A, eEsy panel mounting, if
desired. J.u: remove cover aid slide in.
.
mat
www.americanradiohistory.com
NEW BELL STEREO AMPLIFIERS
... IN
A CHOICE OF 3 MODELS
All offer advanced new features for playing every type
of stereo program material.
MODEL
2440 2- CHANNEL, 44 -WATT
STEREO
AMPLIFIER
has two phono inputs, individual bass and treble
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AMPLIFIER:
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...
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Iiic!io e m P re
..........
III
ELI
Y
r
HIGHER WEST OF ROCKIEE
www.americanradiohistory.com
7. STEWAi
AME
AiDEN CI-.
.i...,..
.
N.
Y.
A Gift of Music
he may regard himself, one can
that a high- fidelity music listener
does not consciously think of himself as a kind of missionary trying to convert an unenlightened public to
wide- range, distortionless sound reproduction. Yet according to this magazine's readership studies the
majority of high fidelitarians do exactly that -and very
effectively. Seven out of ten of our readers have told us
that they discovered the joys of high -fidelity sound by
hearing it via the music system of a friend or neighbor.
A fitting way, then -and appropriate to the season too
-of describing the high- fidelity music listener is as one
who bestows a gift of music.
Reluctantly, we must admit that there are exceptions
to this attractive characterization -people whose aim
seems mainly to be the creation of the means for a dazzling display of technical knowledge. To less well informed acquaintances they toss out an engineer's
jargon -half understood by themselves and bestowing
only the blight of confusion. They are a vocal lot, but,
fortunately, they are also a small minority.
There are many ways in which the gift of music can
be transmitted. We recall, for instance, an incident told
us just the other day by a long -time audiophile friend.
He had installed a music system in the home of his
sister, who wanted to create a pleasant musical atmosphere for the family as a whole. The system was a modest
one, but very acceptable.
Not long after, on one of his frequent visits, his sister
turned to her young daughter. "Maureen," she said,
"tell Uncle John what you played at the recital."
Maureen had "taken piano" for two years; anyone at all
familiar with such things will recognize the "recital" as
that annual function at which the local music teacher
shows off her students' progress to assembled parents.
In a perfectly matter -of-fact way, the little girl announced her recital effort as "Beethoven's Seventh
Symphony" -obviously a simplified piano version of the
theme and variations from the second movement of
Op. 92. Our friend had a happy thought.
"I have a record of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony
at home," he told the child, "and I'm going to give it
to you for your own."
H
AS
ELSE
safely assume
OWEVER
high fidelity
He told us later that the playing of that recording on
the music system he had installed made a profound impression on the child. The experience served to make
the music hers. "Can you imagine," he went on, "the
effect on her of an entire orchestra playing that simple
melody she knew so well, but with all of the color and
dynamics that properly belong to it ?"
Then he added a thought that is meaningful to anyone
with a rudimentary understanding of true high fidelity.
"I'm glad they have that high- fidelity system. They
can bring the volume up high enough for the music to
be heard as the composer intended it -as we hear it in
a concert hall. If they owned a so-called 'hi -fi,' the distortion, at a reasonably high listening level, would not
only chase their dog out of the house but give the child
a distaste for the music -not to mention the fact that
she wouldn't hear all of it in any case."
Clearly, Maureen had been given something far more
valuable than a 12 -inch microgroove disc.
There is, as well, a very tangible reason for characterizing the man who insists on good recorded sound
as a bestower of the gift of music. Speak to anyone who
has been actively interested in high fidelity for more
than five years and you will find that he has upgraded
his music system either by adding refinements to it (a
tweeter to the basic speaker system, for instance) or by
replacing a component with one he believes to be better.
If, let us say, he replaces a five -year-old amplifier with
a more recent, more powerful model, the earlier purchase very often forms the basis of a system for a favored
friend or relative. Five years is a very short time in the
life of a well- constructed amplifier, even one of modest
price. And the care with which its owner has used and
handled it lends it a "good -as -new" quality rather than
a "hand -me- down" tag. In fact, one view of loudspeakers (which we have no intention of exploring here)
holds that they actually improve with age like fine
wines of certain vintage.
Happily, a gift of music knows no season. As long as
people own and use high -fidelity equipment, the gift
will be made day or night, winter or summer, whether or
not the giver knows that he is giving.
RALPH FREAS
SEES IT
HUPEKER
BY VAN JVYCK BRO oAS
zn
RIEPFROSPECF
In this prodigal year of musical centennials, the anniversary of James Huneker
has been almost totally ignored. That is the fate of the music critic, even of so
outstandingly a good one as Huneker, who was the first American writer on
music to achieve an international reputation. Iluneker's infectious and wideranging enthusiasms, not only for the new musicians of his day, but also for the
dramatists, the poets, and the painters, initiated innumerable readers to the artistic
ferments that erupted at the end of the last century and the beginning of this.
HIGH FIDELITY is pleased to mark the centennial of Iluneker's birth with this
Von Wyck Brooks
appreciation of his work by America's foremost literary historian.
never to be summoned from
most
hedonistic master of the
the
by
the tombs
woe, hatred, murder and
of
and
Seven
war
devils
future.
arts from the House
the
gentle
rapine have driven forth
wrote
in 1918, three years
of Life." So James Huneker
have
described better
one
could
before his death, and no
world at the
over
the
aesthetic
the change that came
him died the
With
War
epoch.
beginning of the World
one who,
of
the
word,
best
sense
dilettante, in the
said
again and
he
man,"
as
though "only a newspaper
or
idea
an art."
an
love,
intensely
again, "could love,
in anremarked
he
full
-blown,
Expansive, impulsive,
abundant
and
be
to
prodigal
other letter, "It is better
I am
and fluid than hard, constipated, and narrow.
-music
my
last
stick
to
to
told twenty times a month
criticism -and, begad, I think people are right "; but,
believing that the purpose of the arts is to rejoice the
spirit, he saw the arts as all essentially one. He gave himself equally to poetry, painting, and fiction, although
music remained his master passion. He was a melomaniac
first and last.
A Roman Catholic Irishman who had come from
Philadelphia, with one Hungarian forebear to give him
the family name, he had, as a boy, played the organ in
ee
D
IL ETTANTISM IS DEAD,
...
R.G.
church on Sundays, and on Saturdays in a synagogue.
He had early studied Hebrew with Latin, for his mother
hoped he would be a priest, and his father, who had once
belonged to the circle of Edgar Allan Poe, entertained
all the visiting musical celebrities. Huneker remembered
seeing at home Gottschalk, Thalberg, Vieuxtemps, and
Ole Bull, who once went around the dinner table walking
on his thumbs. He had heard Von Bülow play, and Anton
Rubinstein, the "heaven- storming genius," and he had
been present at representations of the Meistersinger and
the Ring that were better than he experienced later at
Bayreuth. So much for "dear old dusty Philadelphia,"
that "cold- storage abode of Brotherly Love." He had
passed on his way to school the house in which Poe had
spent six years-Poe, the literary ancestor, as he said in
Iconoclasts, of nearly all the Parnassians and Diabolists,
and he had just convalesced from a severe attack of Poe
when he fell desperately ill with Whitmania. He called
upon Whitman in Camden and, meeting him on Market
Street, escorted him several times to symphony concerts.
Later he turned against the "windy" poet, while the
music of Chopin flooded his emotional horizon, Chopin
who remained his most enduring artistic passion, "the
piano bard, the piano rhapsodist, the Ariel of the piano."
a
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
38
www.americanradiohistory.com
James Huneker, born a century ago,
was not only America's first great music critic,
but an irresistible chronicler of all that
was bright and stimulating in his time.
Bettmono Archive
There was in him "something imponderable, fluid,
vaporous, evanescent" that eluded analysis, he said, in
Chopin: the Man and His Music; "each of his fingers was
a delicately differentiated voice, and these ten voices
could sing at times like the morning stars." For the rest,
"Music, the conqueror, beckoned to me," he wrote, "and
up the stairway of art I have pursued the apparition
since -up a steep stairway like one in a Piranesi etching,
the last stair always falling into space as you mount, I
have toiled, the dream waving me on."
Music mad, Huneker went to Paris in 1878, with a
longing to see Liszt, if not to know him, for the cult of
the Abbé Liszt had been strong in the household in
Philadelphia. He was to write a study of the legendary
Liszt, a book, planned as a biography, that turned into a
scrapbook of notes and recollections. In Paris he lived in
a sunless room at the top of a damp, dark building, and
he wore a velveteen coat, a Scotch cap, long locks, and a
fluffy little beard. From a genuine pupil of Chopin he
learned the art of fingering, but he found that by playing
Bach he gained finger independence and touch discrimination and color. "Bach," his Old Fogy said, "could
spin music as a spider spins its nest, from earth to the sky
and back again," and every morning he played Bach
DECEMBER 1960
preludes and fugues as he read Browning to prepare himself for the struggle with the world. Browning's Para celsus and Childe Roland were his "daily sustenance,"
and The Well- Tempered Clavichord grew younger with
time, he found: it remained his book of eternal wisdom.
For ten years after he returned to New York, he gave
regular piano lessons. In Paris he practiced every day
from six hours to ten or more.
Meanwhile, he developed in Paris an interest in the
other arts that he had felt as a boy in Philadelphia. He
knew by sight the celebrities of the new painting crowd,
Degas and especially Manet at the Café Guerbois, and he
saw Mallarmé walking with Manet once and Guy de
Maupassant sipping a bock at the Café Sylvain. He
caught sight of Victor Hugo mounting an omnibus, a
cotton umbrella in his hand. He heard Barbey d'Aurévilly talk, and Villiers de L'Isle Adam, and one day, on
the Chaussée d'Antin, Gustave Flaubert passed him,
evidently on his way to the train for Rouen. The terrific
old man with the drooping mustache, big blue eyes, and
large red face, gave him a smile "angelic in its indulgence," for Huneker fancied that to be an artist one
must dress like a cross between a studio model and a
brigand. Flaubert remained his romance: I- Iuneker
39
always came back to him as the greatest of all writers
of prose.
A born hero worshiper, hopelessly romantic -"There
are only romantics and imbeciles," he quoted a young
man saying to him-he found in Paris his patrie psychique,
the "reservoir of spiritual and artistic certitudes." There
he not only discovered painting and acquired a passion
for literature but he found his own literary form, the
causerie or feuilleton that French writers practiced but
that was virtually unknown in his own country. He was
to write in the manner of Anatole France, Jules Lemaitre
and, above all, Remy de Gourmont, of whom he became
a friend in 1897 and regarding whom he said, in words
that applied to himself, "The latch was always lifted on
on the
the front door of his ivory tower. He sits
ground floor, from which he may saunter and rub elbows
with life."
Huneker appeared in New York in 1886, and the years
at the end of the century, the Eighties and the Nineties,
were those in which he felt most at home. "Isn't it
lovely," he said in a letter, "to be able to write 1884
again; 1908 is so chilly, so dreary to me "; and he brought
the New York of those decades vividly to life in his later
novel Painted Veils. It was the New York of Edgar
Saltus, of the first Ibsen plays-before this "degenerate"
became a "tiresome preacher" -of the great days of
opera when Melba, Nordica, and the two De Reszkes
all sang together, with Plançon, in Les Huguenots. Joseffy, Godowsky, De Pachmann were in highest feather;
and "the human pulse beat more quickly than anywhere
else on the planet" at the point where Broadway
debouched into Union Square. So the critic of music,
Alfred Stone, felt in Huneker's novel. Lüchow's on East
Fourteenth Street faced Steinway and Sons across the
way; the Academy of Music stood on the corner; and
close by were Martin's and Delmonico's and cafés in
University Place that were made for men, like Huneker,
with master palates. There were semi -hotels with tables
d'hôte for singers, actors, painters, musicians, in one of
which Huneker fell in with the "Red Countess" over
whom Lassalle had fought his fatal duel. Dvoiák was
living in New York as head of the National Conservatory,
...
and Huneker traversed with him "the great thirst belt
of the neighborhood." These were the days of the hansom cab with the slightly shabby driver and the battered silk hat on the side of his disreputable head.
As an all but penniless music reporter, Huneker
worked hard, tramping out every night to every tenth rate performance at Steinway Hall, Chickering Hall, or
the Metropolitan Opera House. He even interviewed
Madame Blavatsky, who made him feel, as he remembered, "like a rabbit in the jaws of a boa constrictor."
The New Cosmopolis, he said, was no place for provinciality, and, as a Manhattan cockney, he aimed at
catholicity, at a cosmopolitan breadth, in taste and judgment. He had in mind, as a model, the archetype of
cosmopolitan critics, Georg Brandes, whom he first
met in New York, and he soon became an art critic, a
dramatic critic, a literary critic, or, one might better
say, an all -round essayist; for he was an impressionist who
set forth his personal preferences and did not always
attempt critical evaluations. There was an element of
truth in his remark about himself that he "saw music,
heard color, tasted architecture, smelt sculpture, and
fingered perfume."
It was a pleasant experience, he said, to catch the first
glow of a rising sun. Swinburne was new, Wagner was
new, Manet, Monet, Rodin were new. "I was happy in
being born at such a crossroads of art. I watched new
manifestations over the water." He said again in a letter,
"As far back as 1891, I was in the critical trenches as
dramatic critic and fighting the poison bombs of the
old -time criticism," reviewing all of Ibsen's plays when
the American press was against him, opposing "the
mean, narrow spirit in our arts and letters."
To "this land of hysteria, humbug, and hayseeds"
Huneker introduced the great new European talents,
writing about Nietzsche and Bernard Shaw as early as
1888: he was the first to write articles about Cézanne
and Gauguin. He had talked with Couture at his
country house near Paris in 1878, he visited Nietzsche's
sister, Frau Foerster-Nietzsche, and, interviewing
Maeterlinck in his little house at Passy, he went to
Stockholm to call upon Strindberg. On the esplanade in
At East 14th Street, where
Broadway emerged at Union
Square, "the human pulse beat
more quickly than anywhere else
on the planet." So wrote Huneker of Manhattan in the '805.
40
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
www.americanradiohistory.com
plays by Hauptmann and Sudermann there, Sudermann, "the
conjuror who pours out any
flavor, color, or liquid you desire
from his bottle." Sudermann's
Magda he had seen a dozen
times in German, French, Italian,
and Scandinavian; and
English,
old
gentleman
a
"sardonic
as
t
he
refused
to shudder at Wede,''.
with
the
'.4,
clothes,
illfitting
in
iaraaavut`zsgz '
atrocities
melodramatic
kind's
a
"_
of
gaze
suspicious
shrewd,
Awakwitnessed
when
he
Spring's
he
stood
notary,"
and
provincial
and
Prague
in
Berlin.
ening
house,
near
the
on the spot,
most
were
he
said,
the
Toledo,
were
where Cézanne's landscapes
original cities in Europe. He
usually painted. The pictures,
spent five months in Spain, findHuneker said, did not bear a close
ing Velasquez "still the most
resemblance to the view, "which
the
modern cf all painters
simply means that Cézanne had
with
of
them
all,
painter
greatest
vision and I had not."
the possible exception of VerOf American artists he liked
meer in Delft." Fancying that he
best Arthur B. Davies, "our
had been unfair to modern Gerown mystic primitive painter,"
Liichow's: Restaurant as Huneker knew it.
man painting, he visited in 1912
about whom he wrote one of his
the principal German cities,
best essays; and George Luks,
writing essays on the Frankfort gallery and the gallery at
with his lithe activity, made him think of the one-manCassel, where "the public knows how to savor life
orchestra whom he had once seen in France -with fife,
slowly.... At five o'clock every afternoon the knitting
cymbals, bells, and concertina, quivering, dancing,
brigade is seated drinking coffee." But he could find no
wriggling, and shaking his skull. The lyric, vaporous
new talent, only a sea of muddy paint, harsh flesh
creatures of Whistler seemed to him to be of the same
tints, and chemical greens.
stuff as the Lenores, Ligeias, and Annabels of Poe. Of
Huneker agreed with Huysmans that there are no
Albert Ryder he wrote in The Lost Master. He had
schools in the land of art -no symbolism, realism, idealvisited on West Fourteenth Street this painter of
ism-but only good artists and bad; and his own love
genius known to few, in the paint cave paved with
of the excellent led him to write about virtuosos, acempty frames, a litter of bottles, old paint tubes, easels,
tresses, singers, and artists in black and white. In a series
broken chairs, and worn -out carpets. There he saw
of papers he described Mary Garden's many roles, as
Ryder's "Phantom Ship" and a landscape with a little
he had discussed the plays of Ibsen, and he wrote about
stream beneath the rays of a poisonous golden moon.
Eleanora Duse, about Schopenhauer, William James,
Huneker crossed the Atlantic at least once a year,
and Gordon Craig, the designer of costumes and lighting.
living on occasion in London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels,
He said that to Godowsky all other pianists could go to
Milan, Munich, and Rome. In later years Belgium and
school: "he looks like Buddha under his Bodh tree conespecially Holland came first with him-above all,
juring beautiful sounds from sky and air and the murBruges and Haarlem. "Never again Europe for us without
muring of crystalline waters." The audacious American
Holland. We love Holland," he wrote in 1911. The
girl, the heroine of Painted Veils, went to Bayreuth, sang
placid orderly life of the Dutch cities pleased him best.
and conquered, the greatest Isolde since Lilli Lehmann.
"We were settled for life in Holland," he said in 1918,
Meanwhile, some of his finest essays dealt with the
"but 1914 drove us home "; and at Amsterdam he saw
black and white artists with whom he had been familiar
much of Hugo de Vries, in his experimental garden, for
in his childhood, for his father had a famous collection
botany also appealed to Huneker's critical curiosity.
that included John Martin's vast sinister mezzotints
Then, besides Rembrandt, the "cool clear magic" of
and the architectural dreams of Piranesi. Huneker was
Jan Vermeer tempted him at The Hague, Delft, and
the first in America to write about Felicien Rops, whose
Haarlem -"I've seen every Vermeer in existence," he
big style was ignored in favor of his pornographic prints;
wrote in one of his letters, "even the one down in
and, defending the stately but obsolete art of line
Budapest."
engraving, he wrote well on Daumier, Méryon, and
He was drawn to Budapest to hear Hungarian gypsy
Constantin Guys. Many of these essays appeared in
music, which had more fire, swing, dash, and heart than
Promenades of an Impressionist, a book that dealt almost
the gypsy bands at home; and there he studied the stage
entirely with painters and etchers. Among these were
machinery he had come to know in all the other capitals
Continued on page 123
Degas and Chardin and one of
of Europe. He saw a Maeterlinck play in Vienna and new
front of the Wagner theatre at
Bayreuth, he first encountered
George Moore, and he went to
see Joseph Conrad who was writing "the most wonderful things
in English." Cézanne, whom
Huneker saw at Aix, struck hint
---_
...
DECEMBER 1960
41
by Robert Gorman
THE
SOUND
OF
AMBIOPHONY
If your stereo sounds
pent up, the science of
ambiophony may soon
come to the rescue. Tiny
living rooms will become
spacious concert halls
and the millennium
will be at hand....
Photo by Peer Eco
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
www.americanradiohistory.com
THE GLORIES of stereo notwithstanding, there are
people who feel that something is still missing in
high -fidelity sound; and what's lacking, according to a
growing school of thought, is not the music of the concert
hall, but the concert hall itself.
If the old ultimate of "concert hall realism " -i.e.,
sound as it is actually heard in an auditorium in the presence of live musicians -has not yet been achieved in the
living room, a new development broadly defined as
"Ambiophonic Sound" may be the answer. Ambiophony
(the term was coined by Philips Industries of Holland)
means transporting, enhancing, or even simulating the
background or ambient acoustics of live music. Actually,
it embraces the separate recording of ambient acoustics
as well as several methods of altering the apparent space
and timbre of a room by means of controlled reverberation or "echo." This concern, of course, in the past has
a live perbeen wedded to the production of music
it
studio.
recently,
or
in
the
recording
More
formance
some
generally
by
in
techniques,
described
resulted
has
form of the word "reverberation," involving the reproduction of music (regardless of how it was recorded).
The impetus for adding reverberation is based on the
premise that, without it, what the listener hears lacks a
final touch of realism. Often this final touch is not
measurable, as are frequency response, distortion, and the
like. Indeed, in the last few years it has become apparent
that the ear can distinguish sound differences that the
best of test instruments cannot suggest. And, hold the
"ambiophonists," these differences depend on room
acoustics. They would cite as a case in point the kind of
A -B demonstration in which prerecorded sections of an
orchestral work are inserted in a live performance: if the
orchestra makes a good show of bowing and blowing
throughout the performance, the audience can't be sure
when the musicians leave off and the tape takes over. No
one could ask better proof of the faithfulness of modern
stereo recording and playback equipment. Yet all that
has really been proved is that good stereo can deliver concert hall realism in a concert hall. When you take the
same tapes and playback equipment home, they don't
sound quite the same. Why not?
Loudness level may play some part. Clearly the live
and recorded sections of an A -B test must be exactly
matched for the illusion to succeed. It is equally clear
that concert hall loudness -decibel for decibel -would
not be pleasant or even listenable in the average living
room. But the issue with which we are immediately concerned is the effect of the original acoustical environment.
Nearly two decades ago recording technicians switched
from padded to reverberant recording studios in a successful effort to add brightness and presence to their
discs. Since then it has become commonplace to add still
more reverberation either electronically or by re- recording a master tape through an echo chamber. In the last
few years, and particularly with the advent of stereo,
knowledge of room sounds has climbed onto firmer
AL
-at
DECEMBER 1960
ground. The path -at least for the reproduction of music
-is still not clear. For much of what is known about
manipulating the space effects of sound has developed
from the production- rather than reproduction -of
music.
Philips' scientists approached the problem of improving sound at its source -the live performance. In common with all competent sound technicians, they recognized not only that different auditoriums favor different
kinds of sounds, but also that a single performance may
impose conflicting requirements -often verging on the
impossible. It is hard to conceive of an acoustically
worse place for an orchestra than the opera house pit.
Yet musicians must be shoved underground to keep them
from blocking an audience's view of the singers. And
there are other basic acoustic difficulties. A hall with a
short reverberation time -that is, one that echoes the
original sound source within a very small fraction of a
second -gives instrumental music a dry and somewhat
muffled quality. A long reverberation time, on the other
hand, makes speech or singing unintelligible. (The reason
is that the echo, instead of reinforcing its own source, is
superimposed on an unrelated following sound.)
-
effort to reconcile such varying-and variable
requirements, Philips' Laboratories conducted intensive research into the nature of reverberation. The
subject, as you might suppose, is extremely complex.
Among the measurable properties of a reflected sound are
its time lag and intensity (as related to the original
source), the direction from which the reflections reach
your ears, the rate of repetition, and the rate and time of
decay. Within any given listening space, each of these
may vary independently with both the intensity and
frequency of the original source.
If each of these characteristics were of equal importance to the total acoustical effect, the job of manipulating them might easily prove unmanageable. In fact,
however, they partly manipulate themselves. Within a
considerable range, for example, the intensity and time
delay of a reflected sound tend to balance each other out.
You can easily check this-in a general way, at least
with a stereo record of a railroad train or Ping -pong ball
variety: if stereo sounds from two different directions
reach your ears at the same time, you will unfailingly
locate the source at whichever is louder; on the other
hand, if they are of equal loudness, the sound that arrives first will determine the apparent source. The relation is almost perfectly linear: a time difference of 1.
millisecond compensates for a loudness difference of 5 db.
Within narrow limits, therefore, you can balance time
against intensity (and make a railroad train stand still)
by increasing the volume of the later -arriving sound.
However, your ears limit the extent to which they will
accept a loudness increase as an apparent change of direction: you can't displace any sound that arrives faster than
3 milliseconds ahead of its counterpart.
I
rran
-
43
When the two components of a stereo sound are equal,
differences in the time or intensity of their reflections
can alter the apparent space of a listening room. A long
delay -and strong reverberation -push back the walls.
But if the delay becomes too long (over 50 milliseconds),
it is heard as a separate and interfering echo. This is
what makes speech muddy and unintelligible in a large
(and acoustically poor) auditorium. It might have a
similar effect on music except for music's greater fluidity
and the fact that actual reverberation is not heard as a
single echo. It comes to your ears, rather, as a decaying
series of reflections. And if the first reflection reaches you
within the 50- millisecond limit, the subsequent, lowerlevel repeats blend into the total effect. A longer decay
time makes a hall seem larger and more reverberant.
of all these interacting variables has led to
this conclusion: the acoustics of any listening space
can be manipulated at will through variable control of
reverberation time and intensity.
Philips scientists undertook to provide such controls
by devising a "delay wheel." They coated the rim of a
disc with a magnetic oxide similar to that used on recording tape. A number of magnetic heads were then mounted
to form a ring around the rim. The first head records a
signal picked up by a microphone, and the last one erases
it to prepare the rim for the next impression. But each
in- between head, in turn, repeats the original signal
through its own bank of amplifiers and loudspeakers.
Then, by controlling the loudness of each repeat, as well
as regulating wheel speed and head spacing, it is possible
to provide a complete range of acoustic effects.
Just such a delay -wheel system was first installed at the
Philips Theater in Eindhoven, Holland, about five years
ago. Besides improving the theatre's acoustics, the addition of artificial reverberation provided further practical
wARENESS
information about the number and placement of loudspeakers, maximum reverberation levels, microphone
location and directionality, amplifier power, and many
similar details. It also convinced its sponsors that ambiophony-at least in this complicated form -could
improve a live performance without compromising its
musical integrity. Subsequently, a similar system was
installed in Milan at La Scala. More recent customers
include Paris' Palais de Chaillot and the Grand Auditorium of the 1958 Brussels World's Fair.
A more modest variation -both electronically and
artistically- showed up in this country a few months
ago. A band -instrument echo box, made by Ecco-Fonic,
Incorporated, of Los Angeles, uses an endless tape loop
that records sound from a microphone, and repeats
it with controlled delay; the tape is then erased to take
the next impression. The Ecco -Fonic delay is said to
give a performer his choice of an intimate night -club
setting or that of a great auditorium. Or, in the words
or a smoke -filled
of one ad, an "Alpine valley
boogie basement."
...
It
however, a long way from La Scala to a living
room in St. Louis-or from manipulating hall acoustics
during a live performance to controlling listening room
acoustics during playback of a record or tape. Oddly
enough, the bridge-admittedly still incomplete -has
been suggested by the electronic organ.
Designers of electronic organs try to simulate the
traditional sound and setting of church organs with
many devices, including delay lines, reamplification circuits (that pipe part of an output signal back to the
input), and vibrato loudspeakers (that use revolving
shutters to beat a note out into the room).
It may be arguable whether electronic organs produce
or reproduce music in the home, but it is clear that they
combine a live performance with sound-reproducing
machinery. So it may be more than coincidence that the
first reverberation system to be built into packaged
phonographs (by Philco and Zenith) employs a delay
line developed by the Hammond Organ Company. Similar systems have been announced by Motorola, Westinghouse, Hoffman, and others, as a built -in feature on new
models. Plug -in accessory units such as the Fisher K -10
"Spacexpander" and the Sargent -Rayment "Reverbatron" have also been produced.
The Hammond reverberation system combines mechanical and electronic techniques. It taps off part of the
playback signal (mono or stereo) and feeds it, through a
transformer and a transducer, to a springlike delay line.
The signal induces a twisting motion into one end of the
"spring." As each twitch reaches the opposite end, it
induces a weakened and delayed voltage (presumably
proportional to the original signal) in a second transformer. This reverberation -or, more accurately, this
decaying series of reverberationlike signals-is then
added to the original via a matrix. It may be played
through the same or through separate speakers.
Since delay time depends on the length and structure
of the spring line, it is not adjustable by the listener.
But signal level is, and it permits an apparent adjustment
of reverberation time. In effect, a louder signal boosts a
larger number of follow -up reverberations into the audible range and thus stretches the decay (rather than the
delay) time. Proponents of such a system claim that it
increases the sense of space in a small room, stretching it
to "concert hall dimensions."
The organ principle is not the only one used for
enhancing reverberation on playback. Similar results
have been claimed for the "Holt Reverb" (formerly
called "Reverbetron Z ") made by Holt Stereo. This all electronic device uses a phase -shift circuit to delay signals in the 100- to 2,000-cycle range. (These frequencies,
according to Holt's studies, contribute most to the reverberation effect.) To produce a linear decay, the output of the phase-shift circuit is fed back into the input. A
level control permits an apparent time and space adjustment. Among the claimed features of this type of reverContinued on page 125
beration is that delay and
is,
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
44
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A well-known critic, sometimes known
St.
as
Nicholas, chooses some likely microgroove
candidates for your Yuletide bounty.
11;.
r ms
u
announced Santa Claus cheerfully,
giving records."
The First Elf looked up startled from the pile of order
forms he was just arranging for processing.
"You can't mean only records," he said in a surprised
but still respectful voice.
"Why not ?" demanded Santa Claus. "Think of what
we'll save on packing and shipping -cartons the same
size and shape; uniform handling; all that sort of thing.
Besides, they're all unbreakable nowadays, you know."
"I know," remonstrated the First Elf. "But handling
isn't the only consideration. We have to give people
what they like, what they want. It says so, right in our
contract. You remember what Pliny or whoever it was
always used to say: 'De gustibus..... "
"Was that Pliny the Elder or Pliny the Younger ?"
asked Santa Claus absently. "No matter. A pair of
pagans, both of them. No reason why we should pay
them the slightest heed, is there ?"
The First Elf shook his head and kept silent.
"Besides," continued Santa Claus, "don't you read
the record magazines? Man, or rather, Elf, today there's
a record for every taste. Why, you can't miss."
"But," the Elf persisted, "we have to give them
things that are new, things that have been made only
this year. We can't unload just any old stuff on them,
even if it's good- that's in our contract, too."
"Nothing easier," replied Santa genially. "Look right
here. I've got a list of records that have come out just
this year. And if I were a betting man -which I can't
afford to be in this business -I'd make you a little wager
that we can satisfy just about everybody we care about."
"Well," said the First Elf, still dubious, "where do
we begin ?"
"That's better!" cried Santa in triumph. "I knew
you'd see it my way. Let's begin with the stereo addicts
I "I'm
DECEMBER 1960
YEAR,"
by Herbert Kupferberg
-I
beard thoughtfully. "That Tebaldi now
imagine a
good many of the folks will be wanting the Turandot
she made for Victor with Nilsson and Bjoerling. Hard to
beat singers like that. And yet, as I played it over last
Michaelmas, I wondered whether the conducting and
-you
know, people who like to show off their new
equipment and don't worry about their neighbors."
"I thought they all listened to the 1812 Overture,"
remarked the First Elf.
"They used to. That shows how far behind the times
you've fallen, Elf. Nowadays what these people want
for Christmas is something like Beethoven's Battle
Symphony, which RCA Victor put out."
"Never heard of it."
"Neither had practically anyone else since Beethoven.
The music isn't much, but the stereo's great, and it's
kind of fun. I caught a couple of the Gnomes listening
to it the other night, trying to tell the real cannon shots
from the bangs of the bass drum."
The Elf sniffed superciliously.
"That's all very well for people who like noise," he
said. "But what about people who like music? Opera, for
instance."
"Certainly," said Santa at his most expansive. "What
kind of opera do you have in mind? French? There's
Capitol's recording of Bizet's Carmen, with Victoria de
los Angeles singing and Sir Thomas Beecham conducting.
You couldn't ask Père Noël for anything more elegant.
Or, for something more up -to -date there's Poulenc's
La Voiz humaine, issued by Victor."
"How about Italian opera ?"
Santa hummed a snatch of the "Largo al factotum."
"Always did like that song," he remarked. "This time
of year I'm a kind of Figaro myself-un alla volta per
carita and all that sort of thing. However" -he cleared
his throat guiltily and consulted his list again-"while
there was no Rossini Barber of Seville this year, there
was a recording by Mercury of Paisiello's Barber of
Seville, and a tasty morsel it was. How will that do ?"
"Well, it's all right," conceded the Elf. "But what's
there for people who prefer their opera a little more
well, familiar ?"
"Simple. There's an excellent Aida, with Tebaldi,
Simionato, Bergonzi, and MacNeil, from London; a good
Puccini Manon Lescaut from Angel, with Callas; a
Lucia di Lammermoor from Mercury, with Renata
Scotto, that's not half-bad. Enough ?"
"Well, I'm glad you got Tebaldi and Callas in there.
The way those girls work I should think they'd be higher
up on your list."
"It's a funny thing," replied Santa Claus, stroking his
-
the stereo quality in that set were all they should be."
"I never understood you were such an expert," muttered the Elf.
"I low's that again ?" said Santa sharply.
"I said isn't it good that you're such an expert."
"Well, I feel we ought to try to give the job a little
thought instead of just filling up the stockings with any
old thing. You know what the old poem says: `The
stockings were hung by the chimney with care.' With
care, Elf: remember that."
"Yes, sir," said the First Elf with due respect. "Are
there other operas you'd care to recommend ?"
"Let's see, now. Yes, a few things, more or less for
people with special interests: Handel's Acis and Galatea,
with Joan Sutherland, on the Oiseau -Lyre label; two
splendid reissues from Angel -Madama Butterfly with
Gigli and Dal Monte, and Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier
with Lehmann, Schumann and Richard Mayr -dear me,
I must have first distributed those twenty -five years ago.
Also, there's Smetana's Bartered Bride, recorded by Artia
at the Prague National Theatre. And Britten's Peter
Grimes, conducted by the composer and released by
London. And two excellent Gilbert and Sullivan productions from Angel, The Yeomen of the Guard and lolanthe.
Had enough ?"
"Plenty, I should think," murmured the Elf. "But
what about orchestral music ?"
"You mean like Jingle Bells ?" asked Santa eagerly.
"That's always been one of my favorites, you know. I'm
thinking of asking Stokowski to transcribe it for full
orchestra next year so
"No, no," the First Elf hastily interrupted. "That's
not what I had in mind. I was really thinking of Bach,
Mozart, Brahms-you know."
"Ah, yes, the more prosaic music," said Santa, sighing.
"Well, let's consult the list again.... Yes, there does
seem to be quite a bit. Some big albums, for example:
Krips conducting the complete Beethoven symphonies
for Everest; Szell conducting the Dvoiák Second,
Fourth, and New World for Epic; and Walter conducting
the four Brahms symphonies for Columbia...."
"Oh, no, not again!" groaned the Elf.
Santa ignored the interruption and went serenely on.
"Then there's Georg Solti's interpretation of the
Eroica for London, and Pierre Monteux's performance of
two Haydn symphonies, the Surprise and Clock, for
Victor. Amazing fellow, Monteux. Almost as old as
I am, but how he does get around -musically, I mean.
Thurston Dart's recording of the Water Music for OiseauLyre should make Handelians happy, and Walter's
playing of the Parsifal Prelude and Good Friday Spell,
on Columbia, should do the same for Wagnerians. Fritz
we...."
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINS
46
www.americanradiohistory.com
Reiner certainly shows, on a Victor recording, how to
make the most of Prokofiev's Alexander Nevslty. And I
think Leonard Bernstein's Columbia record of Charles
Ives's Symphony No. 2 might pleasantly surprise a good
many people, provided it gets the chance."
"And choral music ?" inquired the Elf.
"There are any number of excellent carol recordings
this year," answered Santa Claus importantly. "And I've
just heard a Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
"I said 'choral,' not 'carol,' " said the Elf firmly.
"Oh, I see," said Santa, a little crestfallen. "In that
case, I would suggest Bach's Mass in B minor, in the new
Westminster stereo version by Scherchen, or the Berlioz
Requiem by Munch for Victor, or the Dvoìák Requiem
by Karel AnZerl for Deutsche Grammophon, or Handel's
Israel in Egypt by Paul Böepple for Vox -not to mention
the same composer's L'Allegro ed Il Penseroso by Frederick Waldman for Decca. Or, a rather specialized but
quite lovely item, vocal music by Lili Boulanger, conducted by Igor Markevitch and released by Everest.
I myself also find very satisfactory several new recordings
of I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus which are sung
with real feeling and...."
"Let's get on to the pianists and violinists!" cried the
First Elf.
"Very well, if you insist," Santa said, a bit grumpily.
"You know, I suppose, that the Budapest Quartet once
again is doing Beethoven's complete quartets for Columbia and has just completed Vol. II. On the Deutsche
Grammophon label, Pierre Fou. nier and I rederic
Guida play Beethoven's complete cello sonatas. Boston
Records has issued a charming novelty, the Sonatas for
Violin and Guitar of Paganini, played by Fredy Ostrovsky and Ernest Calabria. There's a fine recording of
Mozart's Clarinet Concerto by Gervase de Peyer, from
London, and another of his two Flute Concertos, by
Ellen Shaffer, from Capitol. Beethoven's Octet in E flat
is beautifully played for Vanguard by the Prague Woodwind Octet."
"Yes, yes," exclaimed the Elf impatiently. "But what
about the Famous Names? You know how many people
insist on Famous Names!"
"Quite true," said Santa. "For them we have Vladimir
Horowitz playing Pictures at an Exhibition, Artur Rubinstein playing the four Chopin Ballades, and Van Cliburn
playing the Schumann Piano Concerto, all for Victor.
There are also Glenn Gould in Beethoven's Piano
Concerto No. 3 and Rudolf Serkin in Mendelssohn's
Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 (both Columbia) and
Leon Fleisher in Mozart's Concerto No. 25 in C and
Beethoven's No. 4 in G, on the Epic label."
"You amaze me," said the Elf. "I never would have
thought it of you. It really has been most interesting.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I'll get back
"But I've hardly begun," remonstrated Santa. "Why,
we haven't even come to the vocal records."
"Must we ?" asked the Elf weakly.
that...."
"Of course we must," said Santa. "Why, there are
some people who will listen to nothing but vocal records.
For them the best of the year might include Schumann's
Dichterliebe, sung by Cesare Valletti for Victor, or Wolf's
Spanisches Liederbuch sung by Dietrich Fischer -Dieskau
for Angel, or Hans Hotter's collection of German songs
for Angel, or Gerard Souzay's 'World of Song' anthology for Capitol, or Eileen Farrell's 'Arias in the Great
Tradition' for Columbia, or a Camden reissue of John
McCormack in opera and song. Fine records, all of them,
though I myself am partial to Bing Crosby's White
Christmas. It's always available, you know."
"I'm sure it is," agreed the Elf. "Is there anyone
else still on your list ?"
"Oh, plenty of them," said Santa. "You know, records
for children, for showgoers, for bird watchers, for locomotive lovers, for calisthenics -doers. What kind of records
aren't there? However, you seem to be a little impatient
-no doubt to begin sorting and packing -so I will
mention only the spoken records, of which there has
been an unusually extensive crop this year -for example,
London's magnificent series of Shakespeare recordings by
the Marlowe Society of Cambridge. If I had to select
one of these to give a friend, I think it might be their
excellent Othello. A similarly fine series of French
recordings of the Comédie -Française was made available
through Pathé imports. And then there are those stirring
speeches of Franklin D. Roosevelt released on the
Washington label. Caedmon put out a delightful reading
of Boswell's London Journal by Anthony Quayle. And
for people who like funny records -intentionally funny,
I mean -there were Peter Sellers for Angel, Wayne
and Schuster for Columbia, and C. Northcote Parkinson
for Libraphone. Wouldn't you say that takes care of
just about everyone, Elf ?"
But the First Elf was sound asleep, and didn't hear
the question. Santa shook him until he opened his eyes.
"My goodness!" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet.
"It's almost time to begin sorting and packing, isn't it ?"
"It is indeed, my lad," said Santa. "But I asked you
have I left anyone out ?"
"No, I don't think so," said the Elf, rubbing his eyes.
"Except" -and here he smiled elfishly-"except maybe
the people who've listened through this whole list with
me. What do you have for them ?"
Santa Claus doffed his red hat and bowed low. "Merry
Christmas to all," he said, "And to all a good night."
-
to...."
DECEMBER 1960
47
Erik Darling
THE
WEAVERS
:ed
BY ROBERT STIELTON
America's most successful folk -song group has had a checkered history.
of "togetherness" has struck American folk
in recent years. Groups of balladeers and
instrumentalists are sprouting like clusters of mushrooms.
The Kingston Trio, the Gateway Singers, the Brothers
Four, the Cumberland Three, the Belafonte Singers, the
Coachmen, the Highwaymen, the Limeliters, the Tar riers, the Song Spinners, the Uplanders, to name a few,
are newborn groups. There has been almost everything
but a Budapest Folk Quartet.
This rush toward group activity is not really the
emergence of the organization man in folk music. Partly
it represents a type of music making that goes back to
the first gathering around a fire of men who found
ABURST
pleasure in singing, dancing, and clapping hands together.
Most directly, the line can be traced back to the formation, eleven years ago, of a group of three men and
a girl who call themselves the Weavers.
It is largely the tremendous success of this group,
artistic as well as commercial, that has led to the development of a rash of progeny, offshoots. derivatives, and
deviates. The Weavers, however, have been the most
consistently skilled, tasteful, and principled performers
to transform folk music into a form that can reach the
widest possible audience. And if a year for the current
folk music revival were chosen, it would probably have
to be 1950, when the first hit songs of the Weavers-
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
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a lean, long -faced musician who has had a hand (as
Good Night, Irene; On Top of Old Smoky; and Kisses
accompanist, arranger, or musical director) in the proSweeter Than Wine-were zooming to the top of the lists.
duction of more than 150 folk records for several
Today the Weavers are enjoying larger audiences and
companies. He has written many popular songs under
more record sales than they ever have before, more than
the name Fred Brooks and has also written, in the folk
those of any other group except the pseudo -folk Kingston
vein, such ballads as I Never Will Marry and I'm Just a
Trio. They rank in popularity with the leaders of the
Country Boy.
field -Harry Belafonte, Theodore Bikel, Pete Seeger,
Erik Darling, who is twenty -six years old, had a man and Odetta; and they are the recipients of critical
sized job to step into the big country shoes of Pete
accolades which lay stress upon the group's artistic inSeeger, who left the Weavers in the summer of 1958.
tegrity and respect for tradition.
Undoubtedly, Seeger's dynamism and musical profiThe Weavers are four folk musicians of diverse backciency strongly contributed towards the early success
grounds who stand high in professional attainment:
of the Weavers, and his resignation from the group
Lee Hays, Ronnie Gilbert, Fred Hellerman, and Erik
has caused more legend and myth than any comparable
Darling. While each has a distinctive contribution to
personnel change in the folk music world.
make, the Weavers are sui generis in the sense that they
Why did Seeger leave, a recording company official
do not have a formal arranger or a leader. Almost
close to the Weavers was asked. "Why did Alexander
everything they finally arrive at is the result of group
Schneider leave the Budapest Quartet ?" was the reeffort. "It's a very inefficient way to work," Hellerman
joinder. Although it has been bruited about that Seeger
concedes, but all four agree it has succeeded handsomely.
felt the Weavers were getting overly commercial and
Hays, at forty -six, is the elder of the group. A portly
that there was supposedly an explosion over the propriety
country-bred baritone, he looks a bit like a Southern
of recording a cigarette "puff" for radio to a folk tune,
preacher and has the sardonic, moist wit of a W. C.
these reasons are discounted by the principals themFields. Currently most of the introductions and anecselves. Today, Seeger and all those connected with the
dotes from the stage come from him. While introducing
Weavers answer the question straightforwardly: he had
Marching to Pretoria he remarks that the Weavers distoo many commitments in his own concert career to be
covered that Pretoria is the administrative capital of
able to give to the Weavers the time that he and the
South Africa, "and that's a pretty bad start right there."
other three required. His pursuit of a career as an inOffstage, the wit is just as mordant. At the second
dividual singer simply clashed, and he says that he
annual Newport Folk Festival, Hays remarked to a
recommended Darling as his replacement.
bystander after eating a particularly tasteless morsel
Darling has a small tenor voice, with a true folk natusold at a concession stand, "I certainly wouldn't be able to
ralness, yet considerable control and communicativeness.
tell you whether that sandwich I just ate was wrapped or
He is one of the country's leading five -string banjo
unwrapped."
players. In recent concerts where he has taken over two
Hays was born in Arkansas, and he began to sing in
country churches and at fish fries
there in the Twenties. After a great
deal of absorption of Negro music in
his native state, he came to New
York, and it was only then, he says,
that he learned that he had been
singing "folk songs." He is a writer of
mystery stories, a columnist for The
Brooklyn Heights Press, and a member
of the Baby Sitters Quartet. Furthermore, he has been working for years
on what he laughingly refers to as
"his posthumous memoirs."
Ronnie Gilbert is a warm, matronly
appearing woman in her late thirties,
the possessor of the strongest solo
voice in the group. She is a contralto
who trained with various choral
groups, and her clear, driving vocalism has become a major component in
the Weavers' formula.
Fred Hellerman is a "New Yorker
All photographs by David Gohr
by birth, education, and inclination,"
At the Newport Festival in 1960 the Weavers sang to a neu generation of jans.
DECEMBER 1960
49
of the songs characteristically identified with Seeger,
Wimoweh and Cumberland Mountain Bear Chase, he has
won standing ovations.
The songs the group sings are as hard to catalogue
as the whole range of folk music itself. They may run
from an Indonesian lullaby, Suliram (learned from a
sailor who visited them backstage), to a canonlike spir-
itual, Virgin Mary. The Weavers' repertoire is international and multiregional, ranging from the Israeli
dance melody Tzena, Tzena to the New Orleans lament
The House ofthe Rising Sun. Of the approximately ninety
songs included in The Weavers Song Book, which Harper
& Brothers published this fall, about one fifth arc
foreign -born.
On all this material, the Weavers imprint the stamp
of their group personality. They aim at arrangements
that give a "Weavers- type" sound, an almost indefinable
mixture that involves traditional performing style plus
a shaping, molding, revising, and rewriting of some of
the traditional texts and melodies. One estimate is that
the Weavers have rewritten about one third of all the
songs they perform. Hellerman describes these changes
as an effort to retain the spirit of the original. "The spirit
of transportation means 'getting there,' whether by
oxcart or by jet," he says. "It becomes a question of
whether you want to look at this stuff as a museum piece
or as a vital, living thing. Mind you, I'm not putting
down museums, but I don't choose to be a curator."
This creative as well as interpretative role has been
one of the points on which folklore purists have challenged the work of the Weavers. Ewan MacColl, the
staunch traditionalist from Scotland, lumps the Weavers
and the Kingston Trio together into the same category,
of those who distort folk songs by making changes that
are alleged to "improve" them. And Alan Lomax has
questioned whether a Zulu tribesman would have any
feeling for Wrmoweh as the Weavers sing it.
The Weavers' transformations can be defended, however, on the unfailing basis of good taste, on their talent
for getting behind the words and achieving what Hays
calls "identification" with the people whose songs
they are singing. That many people to whom the debate
between tradition and innovation in folk music is a
never -ending pursuit will defend the Weavers while
attacking many of their imitators is just one indication
of the former's success.
The rigorous working -out process still goes on. "The
Weavers' songs are worked like a piece of fine steel,"
Darling says. The quartet's large repertory has been
built slowly and often painfully. There have been discussions for as long as a week's series of rehearsals about the
arrangement for a particular song, and then, once again,
on a group basis, the song has been discarded. Everything is hammered out with a kind of dogged professionalism all too rare in some folk music circles where, in
the name of "folksiness," many sorts of unmusical lapses
are excused and where an often confused audience has
50
unquestioningly accepted what it has heard. In fact, the
current revival is sharpening the standards of old enthusiasts as well as drawing thousands of new listeners.
The Weavers made many appearances in the late
Forties before they had a name or had even established
their size and aims. Hellerman and Miss Gilbert had sung
together as camp counsellors. Seeger and Hays began
singing together in 1940 as part of a group (with Woody
Guthrie, and either Millard Lampell or Pete Hawes)
called the Almanac Singers. In fact, each of the four
who were to become the Weavers had tackled ensemble
performances in hootenannies and in functions sponsored
by People's Songs.
There was a feeling among the four that many of the
songs that Leadbelly did with his big voice and twelvestring guitar would sound good in re- creation only if
performed by a group. In retrospect, the Weavers also
ascribe the original idea to "just singing for fun." They
began to appear at various functions as a group. (Two
girls, Jackie Gibson and Greta Brodie, originally with
them, dropped by the wayside.) Their first public
appearance as a quartet was at a Thanksgiving hootenanny in 1948 at the Irving Plaza in Manhattan.
After a series of appearances on radio "house parties" and
on Oscar Brand's WNYC "Folk Song Festival" as the
"nameless quartet," the group began to solidify. In
Christmas Week of 1949, Toshi Seeger, Pete's wife,
acting as business agent, booked the group for its historic
engagement at the cellar supper club in Manhattan
called the Village Vanguard.
The name "Weavers" had finally been arrived at as one
that could stand for many things. Hellerman had been
studying at Brooklyn College Hauptmann's play about a
peasant uprising called The Weavers. Then, too, there
were the six weavers of Dorset, and the name also seemed
to express "rhythm and work." "We did not want a
name that pinned us down to any one kind of song, like
cowboy or hillbilly songs. We wanted to sing music of
such wide range that no specific name could describe it
all," Hays has written.
So at a fee of ;50 apiece a week, plus free sandwiches,
the Weavers marched into the Vanguard. "It was like
being thrown into the water," Hellerman remembers.
"We agreed on a key and just sang, formulating parts as
we went along. It's the sad but the unfortunate truth
that our best things were spontaneous," he says, and this
difficult -to- attain blend of spontaneity with perfectionism and professionalism is what the Weavers have sought
to retain through the years.
Those early days at the Vanguard were decisive, and
things began to happen fast. One night Alan Lomax
brought Carl Sandburg down to the Vanguard, and it
was then that the old balladeer -poet made the often
quoted remark: "The Weavers are out of the grass roots
of America. I salute them for their great work in authentic renditions of ballads, folk songs, ditties, nice antiques
Continued on page 122
of word and melody. When I
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
The consumer's guide
to new
and important
high-fidelity equipment
high fideli
EQUIPMENT REPORTS
AT A GLANCE: The H. H. Scott Model 399 is essentially a Model 330 AM /FM
stereo tuner and a Model 299 stereo amplifier, both on a single chassis. The full performance of these two well -known units is obtained in a single compact package
without the need for any system interconnections other than input signals and
speaker connections. The combination sells for some $30 less than the separate components. There is practically no reduction in performance or flexibility and a considerable reduction in size. The Model 399 is priced at $399.95.
H. H. Scott
Model 399
Stereo Receiver
IN DETAIL: The FM tuner of the Scott 399 is similar to the 330D tuner or to the
31 D tuner of the same make. It employs wide -band detector circuitry which makes
I
tuning noncritical and provides a good capture ratio (the ability to reject an interfering signal if it is only slightly weaker than the desired signal). Like all the other
H. H. Scott FM tuners we have tested, the 399 is extremely stable and drift -free. Its
design makes exact measurements of drift difficult, but it can be turned on and tuned
to a station within a few seconds of operation (following warm -up) with no need to
retune at any later time. It is also totally unaffected by line voltage changes. With the
remarkable stability of the 399 FM tuner, AFC is unnecessary and is not provided.
The limiting action of the tuner is very effective, with no change in volume level
for any signal strength over 3 or 4 microvolts. The usable sensitivity (according to
IHFM standards) is 2.7 microvolts, which places this tuner in the top ranks.
The performance of the AM section is best indicated by the fact that in listening to
broadcast recorded material it is often difficult to distinguish between AM and FM
reception. This is especially striking when one switches between the AM and FM
outlets of the same station carrying the same program. With very good program
material, such as live broadcasts, the difference is heard as a loss of high frequencies
on AM. Unlike most AM tuners, the Scott 399 has a very quiet background and low
distortion, remarkably similar to an FM receiver's sound.
The amplifier portion of the 399 has two nominal 20 -watt power amplifiers and a
stereo control center. The input selector has four positions: PHONO, AM -FM STEREO,
FM-MX STEREO, and EXTRA (a high level pair of inputs). The FM -MX STEREO position is for use with an external multiplex adapter when a system of FM stereo broadcasting is finally established. Full input and output provisions for such an adapter are
built into the 399.
The stereo selector has seven positions. The BAL A and BAL B positions combine both
channels and send them to the left or the right speaker respectively. These are used to
balance the levels in a stereo system. The usual stereo and reversed channel stereo
positions are provided. The channel -A FM position feeds only channel A, or the FM
tuner if this is selected, to both speakers. The channel -B AM positions the same for
DECEMBER 1960
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STEREO RECEIVER
the other channel or the AM tuner. Finally, a monophonic record position parallels
both phono input channels for playing mono records with a stereo pickup.
The two tone controls for each channel are concentrically mounted. Positions are
marked for electronic crossover operation of the amplifier in a mono system, where
one channel carries the lows and the other the highs. (This application is not mentioned
in the instruction booklet, however.)
A conventional stereo balance control adjusts the relative levels of the two channels.
It can cut off either channel completely without materially affecting the other channel's volume. Finally, there is the loudness, or volume, control.
The control complement is rounded out by an array of eight slide switches. Each
has a dot identifying its normal position for most types of operation. These cover the
following functions: switching between two different stereo phono pickups, selecting
RIAA record or NARTB tape playback equalization, monitoring from a tape recorder while the recording is being made (this can be used to switch to tape playback
regardless of the setting of the input selector), rumble filter, scratch filter, AM selectivity (sharp or broad), speaker phase, and uncompensated or loudness -compensated
volume control.
Each to ier has a very smoothly operating tuning dial and a tuning eye. On the
rear of the chassis a separate level control is provided for each tuner, so that their
levels can be adjusted to correspond to normal phono level, or to a value suitable for
proper operation of the loudness compensation.
Our laboratory measurements on the amplifier show that it has very low distortion
at usual listening levels up to 5 watts, even down at 20 cps. The output at 2% inter modulation distortion is about 17 watts. Scott uses the so- called "music power rating,"
which results in a higher numerical value. Although we did not measure it in this way,
we are sure that the rated 20 watts would be easily attained. IHFM Power Bandwidth
rating was 28 cps to over 20,000 cps at 11 watts and I% harmonic distortion.
The amplifier was stable under all types of loads, and had very low hum levels. Even
on phono inputs the hum was 60 db below 10 watts, and on high level inputs it was
84 db below 10 watts. The gain on magnetic phono inputs was rather low, requiring
about 8 millivolts to drive it to 10 -watts output.
Frequency response is smooth, and falls off slightly at the frequency extremes. The
rumble and scratch filters are very mild, removing neither too much signal nor too
much rumble and scratch. The loudness contours have an unusual amount of high
frequency boost, in addition to the low frequency boost. At low levels this gives the
399 a distinctive sound which takes a little getting used to.
The operation manual accompanying the 399 is quite complete. For the benefit of
those who do not care to delve into the manual too frequently or too deeply, there is
a "Photo- Guide" with pictures of the front panel control positions for playing stereo
records, AM -FM stereo, or stereo tapes.
All things considered, the Scott 399 is a formidable and impressive instrument.
One can only suggest sonic of its flexibility in the space available here. In electrical
performance and listening quality it is first -rate. It is not cheap, yet costs appreciably
H. H. LABS.
less than the equivalent separate components.
AT A GLANCE: The Audio -Tech ME -12 is a fully enclosed bookshelf -type speaker
It employs a 12 -in. woofer and a 3 -in. cone tweeter for a useful response from
system.
15 kc. Its sound is slightly bright, with a broad rise in the socalled presence region between 500 and 3,000 cps. It is free from low frequency
"boom" and is especially fine in reproducing the male voice. Priced at $109.50, the
ME-12 comes in oil- finished cabinets of walnut, mahogany, or fruitwood. Dimensions: 24 in. high, 12 in. deep, and 14 in. wide.
about 50 cps to at least
IN DETAIL: The Audio-Tech ME -12
has several unusual features not immediately
visible to the eye. Its 16-ohm input terminals, a pair of color-coded binding posts, are
fused to prevent damage to the speaker if powers above 30 to 35 watts are applied.
Should the fuse blow, thus opening the load circuit in the amplifier's output transformer, a sufficiently low resistance shunts across amplifier output terminals to prevent
damage to output transformer or tubes.
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
52
www.americanradiohistory.com
The tweeter level control has a wide adjustment range calibrated to be reset if
accidentally changed. The cabinet is finished on four sides, and the speaker board is
slightly angled to help in projecting highs to the listener when the unit is standing on
the floor. When mounted horizontally, the speaker may be turned on either side to
project sound to either side. The angle gives no significant loss of response on axis.
Out -of-doors frequency response measurements show it to be generally smooth
from 50 to 15,000 cps. The large holes at 150 cps and 5.7 kc are due to ground reflections and speaker crossover cancellations, respectively. They appear at slightly different
frequencies when the microphone position or spacing is changed, and will be effectively
washed out in a normal listening environment due to multiple reflections from the
walls of the room.
The tweeter level in this test was set at the point of most pleasing sound. Considerably more high frequency amplitude is available, or it can be cut almost completely. If the highs are raised to make them more comparable to middle frequencies,
the sound is shrill and thin. As it is, highs and lows are well balanced, while the middles
are elevated some 5 or 6 db.
The resulting sound tends toward a "feathery" edge, probably because some of the
jaggedness in the high frequency end is real, and certainly to some extent because of
the elevated midrange. This effect, which is not overpronounced, is emphasized by
the somewhat limited low frequency response. This, too, is relative since it performs
very well down to 60 cps and almost as well at 50 cps, which is low enough for most
purposes. However, the distortion curve shows clearly that the linear cone excursion
is not sufficient to develop much output below 50 cps without severe distortion.
Polar response, taken at 7 kc, is typical of our measurements on systems using cone
type tweeters of 3- to 5 -in. diameter. Tone burst pictures, more indicative of how a
speaker sounds than any of the other tests, reveal a rather good transient response at
most frequencies. The photo taken at 3.5 kc is typical of the performance of the
ME -12 throughout most of its range. Although the tone burst picture at 5.7 kc (not
shown) is not at all promising, the fact that this is a crossover response hole and not
a true speaker response invalidates it.
The efficiency of the ME -12 is moderately low, yet not so low that it cannot be
driven by a good 10 -watt amplifier.
The Audio -Tech ME -l2 is good enough to merit consideration by anyone looking
in its price range, but it should be listened to, and critically, before purchase. We
can say that it is a slightly bright, snappy speaker with a good deal of presence, good
transient response, and has a somewhat thin low end as compared to systems that are
IL H. LABS.
competitively priced.
is a continuously tunable FM tuner, made by the
company which introduced the crystal -controlled FM tuner a few years ago. The
CT -2 is designed with multiplex stereo operation in mind, and provision is made for
attaching a Karg multiplex adapter with all control functions available on the tuner
panel.
The CT -2 has a usable (IHFM) sensitivity of 5.7 microvolts, with limiting being
virtually complete at 7 microvolts. AFC is provided, with a defeat switch on the front
panel. An extremely effective interstation muting circuit operates without a trace of
thump or other noise when tuning across a station. Chassis with perforated meta
cover, $139.50. Blond, walnut, or mahogany cabinets, $19.95 each.
AT A GLANCE: The Karg CT -2
IN DETAIL: As the IHFM sensitivity curve shows. the limiting action of the Karg
CT -2 is very rapid and fully effective at less than 10 microvolts. The distortion, at
100% modulation, is slightly below 1% for most received signal strengths. Hum was
found to be better than 60 db below 100% modulation, which is unusually good.
At large signal strengths, the distortion rises to about 3% at 100,000 microvolts.
This is much larger than will usually be encountered, but if the tuner is used very close
to an FM station it might be desirable to attenuate the signal in the antenna circuit.
There is a jumper incorporated on the antenna terminal board of the CT -2, which
couples the power line to the antenna circuit and eliminates the need for an external
antenna in strong signal areas. This worked reasonably well for us, but we found the
use of an outside antenna to be advantageous even in the New York metropolitan area.
DECEMBER 1960
Typical tone burst taken at 3.5 kc.
Karg
CT -2 FM
Tuner
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100% modulated signal
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30
0
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Usable Sensitivity
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SIGNAI- MKPOVOITS
53
KARG TUNER
The muting circuit is probably the best we have used. Its threshold of operation is
at about 5 microvolts. With no signal tuned in, the audio output is silenced.
When any signal stronger than 5 microvolts is tuned in, the audio is gated on, but in a
gradual manner, free of any trace of thump or click. Similarly, the blanking of the
sound when tuning off a station is done with perfect smoothness.
The optional AFC is so mild in its action that we question its effectiveness. Drift or
mistuning is reduced by a factor of 1.67 by the AFC. The warm -up drift of the CT -2
is over 100 kc, and takes at least 10 to 15 minutes to stabilize fully. A stronger AFC
action might prove beneficial in this case. The tuning of the CT -2 is not greatly
affected by variations in line voltage.
A weak spot in the CT -2 performance is the frequency response. The gentle rise at
low frequencies is of little importance, since there are few systems which cannot
benefit by an increase of a few db at 30 cycles. The high frequency response, however,
rolls off abruptly above 7.5 kc, and is down over 7 db at 15 kc. Our tests showed that
the audio output circuits of the CT -2 are of the high impedance type. This leaves
them subject to a loss of high frequency response when shunted by the inevitable
capacitance of shielded cables. Our tests are made with shielded cables totaling perhaps
5 feet in length connected to the tuner output, and we found that an additional 200
mmf (roughly six feet of cable) would roll off the 10 -kc response an additional 2.1 db.
The loss of highs is not so striking that one would notice it upon casual listening, but
when compared to other tuners with undiminished high frequency response, it can
be heard. When installing the Karg CT -2, keep the cable lengths to the preamplifier
at a minimum.
The front panel has a switch marked STEREO, MAIN, and MULTIPLEX. This is used
with the external multiplex adapter, as a program channel selector. Either the main
FM channel, or the multiplex channel, may be fed to the output terminals, or both
may be connected for stereo reception. The volume control, when listening to a
multiplex stereo broadcast, becomes a STEREO DEPTH control. We assume that this
adjusts the proportion of A -B, or difference information, in the multiplex adapter
matrixing circuits, and hence the amount of stereo effect.
The tuning dial is a slide rule type, with very linear and legible frequency calibrations. The tuning indicator is an eye tube, which is deceptively sensitive. It will give
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a clear indication on signals as weak as 2 or 3 microvolts, which are too weak to be
H. H. LABS.
received properly.
is a compact portable stereo tape recorder, which can record and play back either 2 -track or 4 -track stereo tapes, as well
as mono tapes, at either 3g or 7M ips.
It contains two small monitor speakers facing outward from the sides, with adjustable deflectors to assist in obtaining some stereo effect when playing with the built-in
facilities. It is completely adaptable to integration with a home system, recording and
playing back through an external control amplifier, or recording from the two small
dynamic microphones supplied with the unit.
The internal equalization of the Sony 300 accentuates high frequencies and results
in some loss of lows. A good external preamplifier should be able to equalize the recorder's output to within plus or minus 3 db from 30 to 15,000 cps, though its internal
amplifiers have a much larger variation than that.
The performance of the tape deck itself is outstanding, with very low wow and
flutter. The signal to noise ratio is also exceptionally good. Operation is very simple
and logical, and shows evidence of effective "human engineering."
Price of the Sony 300 is $349.50 for deck alone; $399.50 for deck, microphones, and
speakers, in case.
AT A GLANCE: The Sony 300 Sterecorder
Sony Sterecorder
300 Tape Recorder
regular
Equipment tested by HIGH FIDELITY is taken directly from dealers' shelves. We report only on
production -line models. The choice of equipment to be tested rests with HIGH FIDELITY'S editorial depart.
o
ment. Most equipment reports appearing here ore prepared for us by Hirsch -Houck loborotories,
Reports.
completely independent organizotion whose staff was responsible for the original Audio league
testing organ.
A few reports are prepared by members of the HIGH FIDELITY staff or by other Independent
are signed.
izotions working under the general supervision of Hirsch -Houck loborotories. All reports
54
REPORT POLICY
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
IN DETAIL : The Sony 300 is very solidly constructed, weighing forty -two pounds in
its attractive carrying case. When the cover is removed, the side deflectors may be
opened for obtaining a stereo "spread" of perhaps 30 inches between speakers. This is
adequate for detecting the presence of stereo at a distance of three or four feet, but has
less value beyond that distance.
Within the cover are the line cord, audio input cables, two microphones, and the
take -up reel. On the back of the case is a door which opens to reveal the AC socket,
two AC convenience outlets, input connectors for the high level, or Aux input, two
600 -ohm line outputs for driving an external amplifier, and jacks for external monitor
speakers or earphones. Two hum -balancing adjustments for the playback amplifiers
arc also included.
Most operations are push- button controlled. These are clearly marked, and the
recorder's entire operation is probably as simple and foolproof as it could be. One
button is pushed to turn the unit on and pushed again to turn it off. One or both of
the twin vu meters lights up to indicate that the machine is on. A pair of buttons
marked MONO and STEREO perform the obvious function of choosing mode of operation.
On MONO, only the left channel is used and only the left vu meter lights. On STEREO
both meters light.
On the right side of the recorder is a large button marked RECORD. This must be
depressed while the tape is put in motion in order to record, and it releases when the
tape is stopped. Large red warning lights indicate that the machine is set for recording.
Either one or both light depending on the selection of MONO or STEREO operation.
Two small slide switches respectively introduce bass boost into the playback amplifiers, and turn the internal monitor speakers on. In the center of the deck, above
the two microphone input jacks, are level controls for the two channels. Each channel
has a pair of concentric controls. The outer one controls recording gain on the Aux
input. The inner one controls gain on the microphone input, and serves as a playback
volume control. Here, too, the marking and meaning is exceptionally clear.
Above these controls a lever selects 2 -track or 4 -track operation. This moves the
entire head assembly up and down the proper distance. To the left of the feed reel is a
three -digit footage counter, and to its right is a lever which instantly stops the tape
without releasing the RECORD button (if it happens to be down). This can be handy in
eliminating undesired portions of a program being recorded off the air, for example.
Below the take -up reel is the single control for tape motion. Clockwise rotation
moves the tape forward, and counterclockwise rotation rewinds it. When in the forward direction, a concentric lever marked FAST FWD can be pushed to move the tape
forward at the same speed used for rewind.
In the center, above the heads, a knob selects either of the two tape speeds. Threading the tape is simple. An automatic shut -off switch turns off the drive when the tape
has passed through completely, in either direction.
Standard alignment tapes (Ampex and NCB) were played back to measure accuracy
of the playback equalization. The plotted curve, taken with the NCB tape, shows a
gradual response rise all the way from 100 cps to 15 kc. The bass boost switch, which is
practically a necessity with the internal speakers to give a reasonable low -end response,
actually improves the over -all flatness, though the dip in the middle prevents it from
being completely satisfactory. Even so, the response is within plus or minus 2 db from
50 to 12,000 cps in this condition, and rising beyond both limits.
When recording and playing back through the internal amplifiers of the Sony 300,
the response was quite similar to the playback response. This indicates that the equalization error is almost all in the playback amplifiers, except below 50 cps and above 12 kc.
Judicious use of the tone controls on an external control amplifier should be able to
flatten out this characteristic quite well. At 3% ips the response is quite good up to
8 or 10 kc.
The signal -to -noise ratio of this machine is one of the best we have seen in a home
recorder. It is 51 db, referred to maximum recording level (0 vu on the built -in
meters). This is practically all hiss, with the hum being well below the hiss level.
The harmonic distortion at 1 kc is only 1.8% at maximum recording level. The
intermodulation distortion (60 and 5,000 cps, in a 4:1 ratio) is 9% at this level. Both
these figures are good, as compared to other machines we have tested.
Crosstalk between the two channels is -32 db at 1,000 cps, comparable to the very
best stereo phono cartridges and quite satisfactory.
The measured wow and flutter figures were very low indeed. Wow and flutter were
0.02% and 0.07% respectively at 7% ips, and 0.05% and 0.11% at 3% ips.
The fast forward and rewind times for a 1,200 -foot reel were each two minutes forty
seconds. When the tape was stopped from fast forward, it overran and spilled. Some
hand braking is necessary on the take -up reel for this operation. Otherwise the tape
handling was good.
Although no measurements were made on the two microphones supplied, they
sounded good and should be adequate for most home recording applications.
DECEMBER 1960
+10
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55
SONY STERECORDER
The schematic of the electronics of this recorder indicates that the line outputs are
taken from the output of the two small 3 -watt playback amplifiers. These are rudimentary units, without the refinements incorporated in most high -fidelity power
amplifiers, and it is unfortunate that the output cannot be taken off ahead of the output stages. Even so, the distortion was low by comparison to many home machines.
In listening tests the sound of the Sony 300 was excellent, especially when the tone
controls on the external amplifier were trimmed to improve the flatness of response.
On the internal speakers the quality is mediocre, but all right for monitoring, which
is, after all, their intended use.
H. H. LABS.
Fisher
FM -100
AT A GLANCE: The one word which best describes the Fisher FM -100 tuner is
"smooth." It tunes with a silky smoothness; it has a squelch circuit that completely
silences the tuner between stations, yet acts without any thump or other disturbance;
and it sounds as smooth and distortion -free as any tuner we have ever used. The
FM -l00 is priced at $169.50. A mahogany cabinet is available at $24.95.
Tuner
IN DETAIL: Although many virtues of the Fisher FM -100 are immediately ap-
o
5
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AUDIO OUTPUT
0 db
= 3.0 volts-
13
-20
-
25
Usable sensitivity 3.0 uv
30
NUM SENSITIVITY
._ 10
Total distortion, noise, hum,
r.ferred to 100% modulo ion
15
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parent to the user, only by performing a full series of lab. measurements can one fully
appreciate this fine tuner.
Its sensitivity is high (3.0 microvolts by IHFM standards) though not necessarily
the highest we have encountered. The limiting action is complete at 5 microvolts,
not only in respect to audio level, but also in respect to distortion and quieting. In
other words, a 5- microvolt signal will give the same listening quality as a 50,000 microvolt signal. We would consider the FM -100 to be one of the two most sensitive
tuners (from a practical high -fidelity listening point of view) that we have yet tested.
Unlike some tuners, the FM -100's distortion does not rise at high signal levels. It
remains at -47 db, or 0.4%, with a I00%- modulated FM signal for all signal strengths
from about 7 microvolts to our upper test limit of 100,000 microvolts.
The drift of the FM -100 is negligible, amounting to about 18 kc from a cold start.
A 105- to 125 -volt line voltage shift changes the tuning by only 7 kc. No AFC is
provided or needed.
Internal hum of the FM -l00 is about as low as we have found, measuring -61 db
relative to 100% modulation. This compares to the hum in our signal generator.
AM rejection of the FM -100 is 41 db, the best we have found on any FM tuner.
Its capture ratio is 3.7 db, a figure approached by few tuners and in our experience
exceeded by only one.
The tuning eye is extremely sensitive, with a noticeable deflection being produced
by a 3- microvolt signal. Almost any signal one can find will close the eye completely,
giving the illusion of even greater sensitivity than the tuner actually has.
A very important fact is the ease with which the FM -100 tunes for low distortion.
Some tuners are capable of very low distortion when tuned with a distortion analyzer
connected to their output, yet are so critical that the user cannot expect to obtain
anything like the low distortion figures measured. We found that the FM -100 was
completely noncritical, and that tuning anywhere in the region of eye closure would
produce minimum distortion.
Frequency response is smooth, showing a slight rolloff at the extreme high end.
The FM -100 tends to sound a trifle more "full" than some others, though we can see
no clue to this in its measured response.
There is little more that can be said. This is a very fine tuner, tops in every respect
H. H. LABS
Pilot
Stereo Receiver
RFL "Suburban" Speaker System
NEXT MONTH'S REPORTS
i
5
602
Heathkit AA-40 Stereo Power Amplifier
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
aikiersj,uitAI
by ROLAND GELATT
SVIATOSLAV RICHTER, the Russian
pianist, is now on the last lap of an American tour that has taken him from coast to
coast and elicited a thesaurus of superlatives from the critics. His scintillant technique, his control of tone and volume, his
honest musicianship, and his gigantic
repertoire combine to place him in the
ne plus ultra category of musicians. No
generation can claim more than a few
performers of such majestic stature.
Before Richter arrived, it had been
hoped that he would engage in an extensive recording program while in this
country. Because of his previous isolation
(this is the pianist's first tour beyond the
Soviet sphere of influence), Richter is
still somewhat inadequately represented
on records here, and it was felt that a few
up -to -date American recordings would
be of tremendous appeal and might conceivably become best sellers of Cliburnian
proportions.
Accordingly, the Sol Hurok management set up Richter's tour to open with a
Chicago Symphony appearance on October 15, followed two days later by a
recording session there for RCA Victor.
Early in November, Richter was to make
a second RCA recording, this time with
the Boston Symphony; and before the
tour's conclusion the same company was
to make a Richter solo disc as well. These
three projected recordings for RCA were
duly embodied in the contract for Richter's American tour that Sol Hurok concluded with the Russian Ministry of
Culture last May, and the plans were
common knowledge in the record industry several weeks before the pianist's
arrival here.
By this time, however, a dissenting
voice had been raised by Artia Records.
Earlier in the year, Artia had negotiated
an agreement to import Russian tapes
and discs into the United States on an
exclusive basis, and its representatives
claimed that the contract covered not
only the exploitation of Russian recordings in this country, but also the recording activities of Russian musicians while
on United States soil. Artia felt that any
American recording deal for Richter
DECEMBER 1960
should embody a certain artistic quid pro
quo: in exchange for Richter's services
the American company should allow one
Glenn Gould, a
of its exclusive artists
Rubinstein, a Heifetz, a Bernstein
make records in Russia for eventual international distribution. Columbia Records reportedly indicated a willingness to
work along such lines, and it seemed for a
while as if a major legal battle might be
fought between Hurok and Artia over
the right to record Sviatoslav Richter in
the United States.
The conflict never did erupt. Hurok's
contract was apparently unassailable. On
October 17 the RCA Victor engineers,
the Chicago Symphony, and Sviatoslav
Richter assembled in Orchestra Hall as
scheduled to record the Brahms Piano
Concerto No. 2, in B flat. Only one
thing did not go according to plan. Fritz
Reiner (a Hurok artist, incidentally) was
supposed to have conducted, but he fell
ill and was unable to participate. Instead
of relying on Chicago's assistant conductor, Walter Hendl, who had been substituting ably for the ailing Reiner, RCA
flew in Erich Leinsdorf to direct the orchestra. Members of the press were barred
from the Chicago session, but our spies
-a
-to
tell us that it lasted seven hours and that
Richter seemed very nervous throughout
but performed magnificently nevertheless. A review of the recording will appear
in next month's issue.
In Boston, Richter was originally
scheduled to record the Tchaikovsky
Piano Concerto No. 1, but within a few
days of the Chicago session he let it be
known that the Tchaikovsky would have
to be indefinitely postponed. Instead, on
November 2, he recorded the far less taxwith
ing Beethoven Concerto No.
Munch and the Boston Orchestra. Because of Richter's dislike of the recording
microphone, he also turned thumbs down
1
on a proposal to make actual -performance
tapings of his Carnegie Hall recitals; the
sight of the mikes, he explained, might
adversely affect his playing.
Meanwhile, the pianist's stay in America has been extended somewhat, and it is
hoped that he will be more amenable to
making records when the tensions of the
tour are past history. All sorts of tentative plans are being drawn up for the
latter part of December, with any number of record companies interested. But
is the pianist? Stay tuned to this station
for further details.
Pianist Richter discusses a point in the score with conductor Leinsdorf.
57
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58
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PAUL AFFELDER
NATHAN BRODER
O. B. BRUMMELL
R. D. DARRELL
reviewed by
ALFRED FRANKENSTEIN
HARRIS GOLDSMITH
Records
in
Review
JOHN F. INDCOX
ROBERT C. MARSH
CONRAD L. OSBORNE
JOHN S. WILSON
,Ilahlerite
Mahler
-
U
V
alter and mezzo Mildred Miller before the microphones.
Das Lied von der Erde Recorded Twice More
by Joseph Roddy
and not very often, venturesome Mahlerites with firm grips
on themselves seek out Das Lied von der
Erde to hear their composer lay open the
centers of his wound -seeking soul. It is an
overwhelming work, this most symphonic
of song cycles and most songful of symphonies. With verses he borrowed from
Oriental poets and shaped to his Viennese
purposes, Mahler made Das Lied his own
serenade to life, death, and life after death,
then left it on the brink of bathos, one step
short of Teutonic tripe. There it reposes
still, the most vulnerable and least performer -proof piece in all music. A conductor
can destroy it with a heavy- handed underlining of one moment's joy or torment in its
vocal line. A singer can mock art trying to
match the emotional force of its orchestra\TE AT NIGHT,
DECEMBER 1960
tion. Even a listener must be wary before it.
One Das Lied may be all his heart has room
for, and Mahler never heard it performed at
all. "Is this to be endured ?" he asked when
he had finished it. "Will not people make
away with themselves after hearing it ?"
In the last few months, one hundred years
after the birth of Mahler, almost fifty years
after Das Lied was first played, three new
recorded performances have been released.
All of them are good in places, but none is
wholly satisfactory. Fritz Reiner and the
Chicago Orchestra give Das Lied a Mozartean trim and neatness unbecoming to a
score that is all mysticism and shadowy
shiftings about from the light to the dark.
It is a note-perfect performance, but with
much of the suffering rubbed out of it.
Reiner's singers- Maureen Forrester, with
contralto that matches the hues of the
music Mahler must have felt, and Richard
Lewis, who moves here in Mozartean phase
with Reiner -are better, in sum, than any
other two singers in the newer sets. The
RCA Victor stereo sound seems very good,
though scaled down to make the work more
arresting in its delicate utterances than in
its tumultuous ones.
Mahler once allowed, and surely that is
the most he did, that a baritone voice could
address itself to the three contralto sections
of Das Lied. Here Mahler erred if he meant
what he said, and the Angel set has Dietrich
a
Fischer -Dieskau to prove it. Paul Kletzki
conducts the Philharmonia, the tenor is
Murray Dickie, and though no sublimities
spring from their work, neither do the lapses
in concept. Fischer -Dieskau provides them.
59
Mahler's error in making such miscasting
possible is exceeded by this singer's folly
in trying to make it work. With even the
most controlled baritone voice, the closing
"ewig "s (they must be more thought than
sung, but thought with perfect intonation)
intrude on the crystalline textures of the
orchestra. This mars all, even what had
gone workably well before it. The passage
is woman's work, and any contralto fit to
sing the piece at all can sustain the shift
here from faint sound to faint silence, from
a perceptible tempo to pure timelessness
when all is still at the Abschied's end. The
best baritone cannot.
Mildred Miller, in mezzo -soprano office,
manages it well enough, but fails in other
places. She sings the part in the otherwise
excellent Columbia set conducted by Bruno
Walter. In this performance, Walter's third
on records, the eighty- four - year -old conductor who led Das Lied's premiere in Munich
six months after its composer died, uses Ernst
Häfliger as the tenor and has the New York
Philharmonic as his instrumental force. At
the subscription series in Carnegie Hall
last spring, Maureen Forrester was his contralto, fresh from recording sessions of Das
Lied with Reiner for RCA Victor. For
Columbia a change was indicated, and hence
Miss Miller, who sings all the notes but
cannot often make them poignant.
That failing comes close to being covered
for her by the phenomenal performance of
some of the instrumentalists. Ten bars into
the beginning of the last movement, Harold
Gomberg's oboe tone melds into a stringlike
timbre as it trails off on the F and the first
violin enters with an almost reedlike intonation. Where one voice leaves and the other
begins is beyond perception -and beyond
compare. A few bars further along, while
Miss Miller sings Die Sonne scheidet (here
expressionlessly, as specified by Mahler)
John Wummer's flute colors the interstices
with an obbligato passage supplying all the
emotional coloration the vocal line is denied.
Concertmaster Corigliano's bits and pieces
of solo commentary throughout are all exquisite. But more than any few of its soloists,
it is the intensity of the entire orchestra's
performance that gives the recording its
force. Does the Philharmonic play this work
so ravishingly because it feels propitiatory
about Mahler, who was its besieged conductor years ago? Or is this sublime accompani-
ment the handiwork of an orchestra playing
as if Kathleen Ferrier were again singing
before it as she did twelve years ago?
It is the London recording which Walter
made with Miss Ferrier and the Vienna
Philharmonic in 1952, shortly before she
died, that has not been exceeded. But to
leave it at that is to account for less than has
happened here, for that superb statement
seems somehow diminished by the luxuriant
sounds of these new performances -all of
them with less art but more craft. It is a
recurring and melancholy truth which music
lovers who live by progress and the phonograph must cope with. It calls for an exercise
of that sense of resignation Das Lied seems
to make so exalting.
MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde
Murray Dickie, tenor; Dietrich Fischer- Dieskau,
baritone; Philharmonia Orchestra, Paul Kletzki,
cond.
ANGEL 3607 B. Two LP. $9.96.
ANGEL S 3607 B. Two SD. $11.96.
Mildred Miller, mezzo; Ernst Häfliger, tenor;
New York Philharmonic, Bruno Walter, cond.
COLUMBIA M2L 255. Two LP. $9.96.
COLUMBIA M2S 617. Two SD. $11.96.
Weber's Der Freischütz
An Old Marvel in New Hands
by Conrad L. Osborne
popular composers of early
German romantic opera, two -Spohr
with his Faust and Marschner with his Der
Vampyr -have almost utterly vanished from
the stage. Only Weber remains, and Weber
means Der Freischütz, for Oberon and Euryanthe are seldom mounted, despite their
acknowledged musical beauties. The first
performance of Der Freischütz (Berlin, June
18, 1821) caused a sensation, and the opera
has remained a favorite in Germany. In
fact, it was performed 354 times in that
country during the season of 1958-59, only
seven operas being presented more frequently. The work's greatness is seldom
challenged, and its influence on the develop-
O
60
F THE THREE
ment of German opera is never disputed.
Yet the opera is unfamiliar to the last two
generations of American operagoers
puzzling situation. It is true that the spoken
dialogue presents a problem, but the same
problem does not obstruct at least occasional
productions of Die Zauberflöte and Fidelio,
both of which are considerably more challenging to performers than Der Freischütz,
and are by no means as sure -fire in their
theatrical effect.
Friedrich Kind's libretto for Der Freischütz was based on a story which appeared
in Apel and Laun's Gespensterbuch ( "Ghost
Book "), published in 1810. This, in turn,
was drawn from a half-legendary tale having
-a
its source in an actual witch trial held in
Bohemia during the previous century. The
story's hero is a huntsman named Max, who
in order to win his beloved, Agathe, must be
judged best shot in a bird -shooting trial.
To acquire a magic bullet which will guarantee him success Max, only half-realizing
what he is doing, sells his soul to Kaspar,
a fellow huntsman who is in reality an agent
of the Devil. At the actual contest, Max's
shot strikes down both Agathe and Kaspar;
the latter dies, cursing Heaven, but Agathe
revives at the hands of a revered hermit.
The reigning prince, Ottokar, banishes Max
from the realm, but-on the counsel of the
Hermit -relents and agrees to award Agathe
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
to Max after a year's probation.
The score is one of the marvels of the
German lyric theatre. Agathe's magnificent
scena (it is a cavatina, "Leise, leise," followed
by a cabaletta, "Alle mein Pulse schlagen")
is at once a great aria in the Italian tradition
and a remarkable piece of nature painting.
The parallel scene for Max, "Durch die
Wälder, durch die Auen," is nearly as good;
Kaspar's " Trinklied" and "Schweig! damit
dich niemand warn!" characterize him brilliantly; and Annchen's wonderful little airs
make her one of the least tiresome soubrettes
in all opera. All this says nothing of Agathe's
haunting Act III prayer, "Und ob die
Wolke," of the exhilarating huntsmen's
choruses, of the powerful and appropriate
lines given to Ottokar and The Hermit, or of
the astounding scene in the Wolf's Glen,
where at midnight the bullet is forged. Nor
does it begin to tell of Weber's unerring
choice of instrumental combinations -some
of his most ingenious strokes are in obbligato
form, as with the cello under "Und ob die
Wolke," or the flute beneath the Hermit's
lines concerning the probation. The influence
on succeeding composers is unreckonable.
but certain specific comparisons come immediately to mind. The relationship between
the climax of the Wolf's Glen scene and
Berlioi s Ride to the Abyss in La Damnation
de Faust is clear, and huge chunks of Wagner
stand in direct debt to Weber, most conspicuously in Der fliegende Holländer, but
in works as late as Siegfried or Die Meistersinger as well.
There have been two recordings of Der
Freischütz on the American market for the
past several years-one on London, the other
on Urania -but they are superseded by the
new albums from Electrola and Deutsche
Grammophon. Both of these presentations
are impressive, and choosing between them
is extremely difficult. Each of them has the
advantage of a conductor who gives the
score a full -blown dramatic treatment.
DGG's Jochum has the better chorus at his
disposal, though not by much, but the orchestras are quite evenly matched. In the
CLASSICAL
ALMAND: John Gilbert, a Steamboat
Overture-See Hindemith: Sinjonietta.
BACH: Cantatas: No. 33, Allein zu dir,
Herr Jesu Christe; No. 105, Herr, gebe
nicht ins Gericht
Ruth Guldbaek, soprano; Else Brems, contralto; Uno Ebrelius, tenor; Bernhard Sönnerstedt, bass; Danish State Radio Madrigal
Choir and Orchestra, Mogens Woldike,
cond.
VANGUARD
BG 603.
LP. $4.98.
No. 33 seems to be new to microgroove. It
is very welcome, especially for an expressive
DECEMBER 1960
matter of individual performances, I would
give the Electrola version a slight edge.
Elisabeth Grümmer is very fine in the role
of Agathe. She treats the text sensitively,
and her singing is true and finely shaded;
her "Leise, leise" is rendered in the spirit of
an offering, and exquisitely. Lisa Otto's
vocalism is not flawless, but her Annchen is
a distinctly winning personality. Rudolf
Schock is a somewhat frustrating singer;
there are times in his performances when he
will mold phrases with all the musical
insight and vocal richness of a Tauber, and
others when he is merely a fair -to- middling
German tenor, straining against the music.
His performance here is perfectly adequate
without ever becoming exciting. Karl Kohn
sings Kaspar's music well, but his voice is
rather light in color for the part, and when
he comes to the climax of his big aria ( "Triumph! Die Rache gelingt!"), he can only
ignore the words in an effort to unleash an
impressive tone. Prey is splendid as Ottokar
devilish role -and Frick brings his firm,
noble bass to the music of The Hermit.
For DGG, Irmgard Seefried does her best
singing in several LP years. As one would
expect, she too handles the words with
respect and dramatic instinct; as one might
not expect from her recent recorded efforts,
she also sings with a round, clear tone that
recalls her best form of a few years back. Rita
Streich vocalizes beautifully, though her
Annchen is not quite as piquantly drawn
as Otto's. Richard Holm's voice is really
too light for the role of Max, but he sings
with such intelligence and musicality as to
make him more than acceptable in the part.
There may be some doubt as to whether or
not the way Kurt Böhme screams out
"Fläschen sei mein A -B -C" is singing, but
there is no doubt as to where his Kaspar
stands -he's a bad yegg, and no mistake.
The black quality of his voice is also more
appropriate than that of Kohn's; neither of
these basses combines the dark color with a
singing line, as did, for example, Ludwig
Weber. Waechter matches Prey's Ottokar
note for note, and Kreppel's Hermit is
-a
aria for alto and for the splendid opening
movement, an elaborate orchestral piece
with the lines of the chorale embedded in
it like walnuts in a cake. No. 105 is another
fine work, but here there is competition
from a performance on an Archive disc
recorded by Fritz Lehmann. Woldike adopts
a cooler, more impersonal approach in the
opening movement, and makes less contrast
between the Adagio and the Allegro. On the
other hand, in the soprano aria, where the violins "shiver and tremble" like the thoughts
of the sinner, Lehmann's slower tempo is
less effective. Wgldikés soloists are acceptable, the chorus is fair, the sound good. N.B.
BACH: Partitas: No. 1, in B flat, S. 825;
No. 2, in C minor, S. 828. Concerto in F,
S. 971
("Italian ")
thoroughly competent, though it suffers by
comparison with Frick's.
The two companies have approached the
matter of the dialogue in different ways,
and here Electrola has a distinct advantage.
Electrola presents the dialogue complete
(DGG cuts it drastically to fit its version
onto four sides), and underplays it somewhat
-the mike is brought up close for a good
deal of murmuring and stage whispering,
much of which is most effective. DGG's
performers (at least the men) speak the lines
almost as they would on a stage, with rather
awesome results. The Act I conversation
between Max and Kaspar sounds too much
like a political rally, and the ranting of Ernst
Ginsberg as Samiel dispels some of the
mystery in the Wolf's Glen scene. Both
versions offer good sound; the Electrola is
generally a bit clearer, but is also burdened
with a fair amount of pre- and postecho.
Both accompanying booklets are attractive,
Electrola's being in German only, but
DGG's complete with a hilarious English
translation. The Electrola records are in
manual sequence.
WEBER: Der Freischlitz
Elisabeth Grümmer (s), Agathe; Lisa Otto (s),
Annchen; Rudolf Schock (t), Max; Wilhelm
Walter Dicks (b), Kilian; Hermann Prey (b),
Ottokar; Karl Kohn (bs), Kaspar; Gottlob Frick
(bs), The Hermit; Ernst Wiemann (bs), Kuno.
Chorus of the Berlin Municipal Opera, Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra, Joseph Keilberth, cond.
ELECTROLA 90956/58. Three LP. $17.94.
Three SD.
EL.ECTROLA STE 90956/58.
$20.94.
Irmgard Seefried (s), Agathe; Rita Streich (s),
Annchen; Richard Holm (t), Max; Paul Kuen
(t), Kilian; Eberhard Waechter (b), Ottokar;
Kurt Böhme (bs), Kaspar; Walter Kreppel (bs),
The Hermit; Albrecht Peter (bs), Kuno. Chorus
and Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, Eugen
Jochum, cond.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON LPM 18639/40.
Two LP. $11.96.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON SLPM
138639/40. Two SD. $13.96.
Glenn Gould, piano.
COLUMBIA ML 5472. LP. $4.98.
COLUMBIA MS 6141. SD. $5.98.
These performances by Glenn Gould are inspired. They are fresh, creative, and vital.
They are also highly unorthodox. His approach ranges from ecclesiastical austerity
to swooning sensuality, and I confess that
certain mannerisms repelled me at first.
When the initial shock had abated, however,
I found this playing a revelation. Mr. Gould
has an extremely well -disciplined musical
mind and many individual interpretative
concepts. Even when he injects a personal
note into these renditions, there is always
overwhelming conviction and usually stylistic validity. His tiny accelerations and casings of tempo produce a mobility of outline
61
and acute emotional intensity which can
be readily experienced but not adequately
described.
With a few notable exceptions, such as the
prestissimo presto of the Italian Concerto, the
tempos are broadly incisive. Both the record
label and the sleeve notes state that the
Italian Concerto's second movement
is
tone
an
LP.
o
°
Iií 1M 1++orw2l+bisl
o
NEXT
0
I
SD.
138119.
SLPM
GRAMMOPHON
$6.98.
Walcha plays the elaborate pedal solo in the
Toccata smoothly and with unfaltering
rhythm, but the section that immediately
follows is taken so fast and registered so
loudly that it loses the jaunty tranquillity
it can have. The three chorale preludes, half
of the "Schübler" set, are very nicely done,
and Walcha lavishes much care, variety, and
skill on the long and, to me, rather dull
partita. The imposing instrument he uses
here is the Large Organ of the Church of
St. Laurens in Alkmaar, the Netherlands.
Excellent sound in both versions.
N.B.
BEETHOVEN: Sonatas for Piano: No. 31,
in A flat, Op. 110; No. 32, in C minor,
Op. 11I
V Hans
l
o
H.G.
$5.98.
DEUTSCHE
tion) give this tempo marking as andante,
Gould's performance sounds increasingly
convincing.
The artist introduces much interesting
ornamental detail in the B flat Partita. He
adheres to the basic harmonic skeleton but
creates suspensions, alters some of tie rhythmic figurations, and even shifts his "registration" up an octave in the repeat of
Minuet II. And speaking of repeats, I might
add that while some are observed, a few
very important ones -such as the da capo
of Minuet I in the same partita-are inexplicably scuttled.
Since Mr. Gould chortles, gasps, and
moans throughout most of the record, it
is worth noting that his voice is hardly of
operatic caliber. The artist's vibrant (piano!)
fig}
reproduced beautifully.
BACH: Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C,
S. 564. Chorale Preludes: Wachet auf, S.
645; Wo soll ich fliehen hin, S. 646;
Kommst du nun, S. 650. Chorale Partita:
Sei gegrüsset, Jesu gütig, S. 768
Helmut Walcha, organ.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON LPM 18619.
adagio. And so it is in the present performance, for Mr. Gould plays it with sustained
inflection and a measured gravity of pace.
Although all of the versions I am acquainted
with (including the Bach Gesellschaft edi-
TT
is
Richter -Haaser, piano.
441 IT+bwI
Ari i
MONTH
o
0 0
lbZ
0 0
o
IN
The biggest and most glittering opera house in the
world may be moving into a new epoch of splendor.
by Roy McMullen
Each summer in Provence musk becomes more magical
in the ancient city that progress has passed by.
by Roland Gelatt
The Driverless Tweeter from Paris
-
by Norman Eisenberg
Latest Word from the Left Bank
°
Of the popular French chanson and
whose specialty
is
by John
k
°
°
62
its practitioners,
of course l'amour.
F.
Also- Hirsch -Houck
Indcox
Equipment Reports
A Kit Report
Record Reviews .
Other Features
.
.
7,
in A, Op.
Beecham, cond.
CAPITOL G 7223. LP. $4.98.
CAPITOL SG 7223. SD. $5.98.
Festival at Aix
°
ven performances.
In the first of a possible series of the
Sonatas, Richter -Haaser has started at the
summit in Beethoven. Yet both of these
sonatas are realized with a degree of success
one can hardly hope to hear bettered. These
performances are plainly the fruit of many
years of study and practice, and they have
the communicative impact possible only
when the artist has thoroughly assimilated
the work. The stereo is closer to life -size
than the mono set, although both are well
recorded. Combining the outstanding qualities of engineering and performance, these
are the most desirable recent versions of
these two works.
R.C.M.
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas
New Deal at the Paris Opéra
France's latest contribution to l'haute frdelite
a loudspeaker with no moving parts.
Richter -Haaser, who made his debut in this
country about a year ago and embarked upon
his second United States tour last fall, is one
of the most important European artists to
join our concert scene in the postwar years.
Although initially billed as a Beethoven
specialist, a role he fills with distinction in
this recording, Richter -Haaser is, in fact,
a pianist of great range. He can bring to a
Bach partita. a Chopin étude, or a contemporary work the same technical facility and
musical authority one finds in these Beetho-
92
high fideli
°
$4.98.
$5.98.
SD.
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No.
.00
°
LP.
ANGEL. S35749.
o
A Special Issue on France
o
ANGEL 35749.
w
0
o)y°
0)0
°
Need I say that this is not the stereotyped,
hypertensive account of this music? Rather,
it is a performance distinctive in every way
of Sir Thomas. Some people are going to
admire it, and some are going to hate it,
but no one who hears it can fail to respond
in one way or another.
When this disc was first issued in England
in December 1959 one of my colleagues
concluded that "this work doesn't, or didn't,
mean anything to Sir Thomas" and went on
to attribute the unusual features of the performance to the conductor's acting in "a
careless, misguided, or irresponsible manner." These are stern words to apply to a
man of Beecham's cut, and I don't think
they are justified by this Seventh. My appraisal of the situation is that Sir Thomas
is here searching for a statement of the score
that synthesizes Beethoven's writing and
his own musical predilections. The merits
of the performance come from the degree
to which he has succeeded, and its faults
from his failure to complete the search before
his recording was declared finished.
Thus I am convinced, particularly in the
first and final movements, that with time
this performance would have sprung into
focus as representing Beecham's best. As it
is, you hear a few bloopers, some wonderful
pages, and some searching for effects that
are sometimes suggested rather than fully
realized. It's interesting, and if Beethoven
(or Beecham) are special interests of yours,
it's very much worth having. As one of
many distinctions, I note the presence of the
repeat in the Scherzo.
The recorded sound is not particularly
good. It preserves aesthetic distance, giving
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Presents the widest possible range of sound recording. weaving dazzling musical
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COMMAND STEREO "CHECKOUT" RECORD -CSC 100.
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CIRCLE 34 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
Angel's own guide
Signs and portents for good listeningTHE
The
Schwarzkopf
Spectrum
CONSTELLATION
OF CALLAS!
A legend in her lifetime ..."the
undisputed Queen of the World's
Opera" (Time)... the fabulous performances of Maria Callas on Angel
Records make choice gifts!
Her latest complete opera! L4 GIOCONDA. Recorded at Teatro
alla Scala, Milan. In the passionate title role, Callas "comes as close
as humanly possible to that elusive thing, the definitive performance"
(Saturday Review). 6 sides, with complete Italian -English libretto.
Angel (S) 3606 C/L
ALSO BY CALLAS IN ANGEL STEREO!
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti). With Tag liavini, Cappuccilli; Philharmonia Orchestra
and Chorus, conducted by Tullio Serafin.
4 sides. Angel (S) 3601
41
'9411,
CALLAS
Mod Scene,
ANNA
lOIH1
HAMLET
Il %RATA
-
From Lieder to Oratorio, from
Champagne Operetta to Wagner,
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's "exquisite
voice and personality give special
radiance to each song she touches"
(High Fidelity).
Perfect example: MORE SONGS You LOVE, an album for Christmas
and all holidays, includes the original version of Silent Night, in
which Schwarzkopf sings both solo parts. «'ith orchestra, organ
and chorus, Charles Mackerras conducting.
Angel 35530
k
B/L
RO,t. \A,\ \.NI ILK
Callas: Mad Scenes Great moments of operatic
madness from Anna Bolena, Hamlet, Il Pirata.
"Her dramatic instincts are well-nigh perfect"
(Gramophone Record Review). Angel (S) 35764
DER ROSENKAVALIER
Another "dream performance," with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf magnificent as the
Marschallin. Christa Ludwig as Octavian,
Otto Edelmann as Baron Ochs, Karajan
conducting the Philharmonia. 8 sides, with
handsomely illustrated German- English
libretto.
Angel (S) 3563 DAL
Guiding Stars in the Musical Heavens!
gi
GIULINI
KARAJAN
sings MAHLER
conducts FALLA and RAVEL
conducts BEETHOVEN
2- record set,
"The best male Lieder singer
including selections from Rienzi,
The Flying Dutchman, Tann.
now before the public and one
of the supreme vocal artists of
the century" (High Fidelity),
in the first recording of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde sung
by a baritone instead of the
more usual contralto. PhilharmoniaOrch., Paul Kletzki cond.
Angel (S) 3607 B
Carlo Maria Giulini, "one of
the brightest stars on the horizon" (High Fidelity), is now completing his brilliant U.S. tour
with the Israel Philharmonic.
In his newest Angel album he
conducts the Philharmonia in
Falla's 3- Cornered Hat, Ravel's
Herbert von Karajan conducts
a "deeply impressive perform.
KLEMPERER
conducts WAGNER!
Magnificent
huser, Lohengrin, Meister.
singer, Tristan und Isolde, Göt-
terdämmerung. With Philharmonia Orch. "It is plain from
these 4 sides that Klemperer is a
great Wagner conductor, probably the greatest in the world."
(Gramophone) Angel (S) 3610 B
Planets
of Rare
Musical
Pleasure
FISCHER-DIESKAU
Alborado del Gracioso and
Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2.
Angel (S) 35750
These 12 violin concertos byVivaldi include
the famous "Four Seasons." Beautifully
performed for the first time in stereo by
the "great instrumental ensemble of this
age" (Toscanini).6 sides. Angel (S) 3611 C
,..._... .it
BI1sl IA7J_aeS
FEAST
ON 1(F::11F:1(_tiF:BV7(:F:
Stereo premiere of Walton's fiery Biblical
oratorio, with the composer conducting
the Philharmonia Orch. & Chorus. Spine -
Angel (S) 35681
A priceless legacy, Walter Gieseking's last
recordings in his projected complete cycle
of Beethoven sonatas. Includes Sonatas
No. 1;8 ( Pathétique); 12; 15 (Pastoral);
voices, with balalaikas and
brass, thunder out ! t Russian folk ballads,
plus "Tipperary" and "Oh, No, John."
Angel (S) 35411
a
Solemnis, with Soloists Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nicolai
Gedda, Nicola Zaccaria, Christa
Ludwig, the Philharmonia
Orchestra and the Vienna
Friends of Music Chorus.4 sides,
booklet
Angel (S) 3595 B/L
tingling choral sound!
wo lusty
(:IIiI:I.F:
ance" (Gramophone Record
Review) of Beethoven's Missa
4 sides. Angel 3600
19; 20.
B/L
l::Uill
64
I
www.americanradiohistory.com
IIGII FIDELITY M:\GAZ-INF.
to heavenly lifts
AkG
EOS
and good giving- from among these hosts of Angels!
THE GALAXY OF GAIETY
(Or -how to Navigate from Chortle to Chuckle,
with Time Out for a Waltz)
The Best of Sellers
that is. As in "The Mouse That Roared," "I'm All Right,
Jack," "The Battle of the Sexes" and other funny British films. In
this, his antic debut on Angel Records, Sellers' multi- voiced mimicry
PETER SELLERS,
and citrus -lined sense of the absurd make some hilarious hearing. Note
particularly his discourse on the art of the pick -up. "A major comic
imagination, "' said Time.
Angel (S) 35884
ü
At the Drop of a Hat
Messrs. Flanders & Swann have taken to
the U.S. road this season with their "lively,
witty, literate, explosively funny" two -man
revue (N.Y. Herald Tribune) after convulsing,
successively, London audiences, Angel
At
the drop of a Hat
Record collectors, and Broadway audiences.
Have you heard At Me Drop of a Hat, yet?
Angel's Original Cast Album is (S) 35797
Gilbert & Sullivan
Pinafore
61llERi
8
SUl11VAN
f,.
ir;
aV
The Hoffnung Interplanetary Music Festival
(Very
Far Out, Indeed)
The inspired tuba -opportunist, Punch cartoonist
and "highbrow Spike Jones" (Time) has done it
again. Gerard Hoffnung's second evening of
extravagant symphonic caricature and
clever musical spoof is even funnier than
the first. "It will be a sourpuss that
doesn't get a chuckle" (Hi -Fi
Review).
Angel (S) 35800
"What, Never? Hardly ever" such a treat
as Angel's all -star, all- British and buoyant
stereo performances of Gilbert & Sullivan. Sir
Malcolm Sargent conducts.
Angel (S) 3589B/L 4 sides
Also: THE MIKADO (S) 3573 B/L
H.R1.S PIf1QFORE
The Merry Widow( Highlights)
The world's most popular operetta, with
The Waltz, elegantly recorded in stereo
by the Sadler's Wells Opera Company and
Orchestra. Sung in English. A gift to beguile!
.t1,
;1;i
Angel (S) 35816
ellso in fingers Light Opera Series: Noël Coward's "Bittersweet"
The Christmas Star!
TEMPLE CHURCH BOYS' CHOIR
l L,.r,_.,..
.
l
1, /,
a
,;
OBERNKIRCHEN CHILDREN'S CHOIR
"Angels in Pigtails" singing Christmas songs
from France, Germany, Spain, England, Italy,
with an appealing, innocent joy. Angel (S) 65021
HANDEL MESSIAH
Sir Malcolm Sargent conducts the 125- year -old
lI
\\III
4i;7/
CHICLE
l
I.,
14
fr
'1
'
Schubert's "Lilac Time"
I
\l
I
»I
DON GIOVANNI
Mozart lovers have been waiting for
this! A cast "as fine as could be assembled today" (Opera News) with 31year-old Eberhard Wächter as Don
Giovanni. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf as
Elvira; the phenomenal Australian
soprano, Joan Sutherland, as Donna
Anna; Giuseppe Taddei as Leporello;
Graziella Sciutti as Zerlina; Luigi Alva
as Don Ottavio. Conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini, with the Phil.
harmonia Orch. and Chorus. 8 sides, with complete bi- lingual
libretto.
Angel (S) 3605 D/L
\I,I
DIE FLEDERMAUS
Viennese operetta never had it so good! Otto
Ackermann, who has conducted 5 operettas for Angel, directs an all- Viennese cast
in a bubbling Strauss performance that has
all the nicest effects of champagne. Phil harmonia Orch. 4 sides. Angel (S) 3581 B/L
Huddersfield Choral Society, Liverpool Philharmonic Orch., and soloists. Permeated with
the great spirit of British choral tradition. Complete, 6 sides, with booklet.
Angel (S) 3598 C
Messiah highlights also available in single- record
album.
Angel (S) 35830
I)HI:lNIBIiK I1)60
<l
The Orbit of Opera
London's Temple Church has welcomed Christmas for eight centuries, and its famous Boys'
Choir has been the model for church choirs
throughout England.
Angel (S) 35834
r
c<,
6 ON ItF %III I: «I!14%ICE
CARD
t
the effect of a spacious room, but detail and
clarity suffer. The timpani have the poorly
defined, grumbly sound that I have come to
regard an
,
EMI specialty. (Surely Sir Thomas
better drummer than this!) In stereo
things are better, of course, but mono at
times provides more convincing ensemble
weight. There are, however, some beautiful
ppp -pp -p contrasts, and the wind band gets
R.C.M.
a better than usual break.
has a
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No.
minor, Op. 125
9,
in D
Norma Proctor,
contralto; Anton Dermota, tenor; Arnold
Joan Sutherland, soprano;
van Mill, bass; Chorale de Brassus; Choeur
de Jeunes de L'Eglise Nationale Vaudoise;
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest
Ansermet, cond.
LONDON CM 9033.
LONDON CS 6143.
LP.
SD.
This is a Ninth quite unlike any other we
have, or, for that matter, ever have had. It
is antiromantic in the extreme, the antithesis
to the Karajan or Walter type of reading.
The pace is fast, although rarely would
you describe it as rushed and, in terms of
the total concept, the speed never becomes
excessive. Ansermet keeps the sonorities
lean, somewhat dry, and etches the thematic
lines in terms of clearly defined instrumental
registration. Even the chorus is given this
quality. There are moments of exceptional
beauty in both the singing and the playing,
but never a lush effect, a purple passage, a
trace of sensuosity.
The sonic characteristics give emphasis
to the reading itself, an intense, strongly
propulsive exposition of the score in which
rhetorical devices are deliberately underplayed. You may find it uncongenial at first
and have no occasion to change your mind.
For me, this was a performance that grew in
stature and effect with rehearing. And the
vocal quartet, incidentally, is one of the
R.C.M.
best ever recorded in this work.
$4.98.
$5.98.
The most obvious thing at first sight here is
that this is a Ninth contained on a single
disc. This provides the manufacturer with
the purchaser
a competitive advantage,
with a bargain, and the artists with a wider
than usual public. All of this is to the good
and anyone who buys this set is sure to get
his money's worth -and more.
The two -surface tour de force is achieved
by a slightly lower than usual recording level
and a slightly disconcerting break in the
slow movement, aided by the brisk tempos
of the performance. The mechanical concessions are easily made. A twist of the
wrist gave me all the volume I wanted, and
the length of the break depends only on
your speed as a disc flipper.
THE
BERLIOZ: Roméo et Juliette, Op. 17:
Scène d'amour; La reine Mab- Scherzo;
Roméo sea! et Grande fête chez Capulet.
Le Carnaval romain, Overture, Op. 9
AUTHENTIC
SOUND
OF
BROADWAY
IS ON
COLUMBIA
New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, cond.
'
STEREOPHONIC TAPE
BYE BYE BIRDIE: Chita Rivera and Dick Van Dyke with the Original
Broadway Cast. OQ 320 (4 Track)
FLOWER DRUM SONG: Miyoshi Umeki, Larry Blyden, Juanita Hall,
Arabella Hong and Pat Suzuki with the Original
Broadway Cast. TOB 44 (2 Track)
Ed Kenney, Keye Luke,
GYPSY: Ethel Merman with Jack Klugman, Sandra Church and the
Original Broadway Cast. TOB 53 (2 Track)
MY FAIR LADY:
Rex Harrison, Julie Andrews and Stanley Holloway
with the Original Broadway Cast. OQ 310 (4 Track) TOB 43 (2 Track)
COLUMBIA ML 5570. LP. $4.98.
COLUMBIA MS 6170. SD. $5.98.
Bernstein's real affinity for the music of
Berlioz is made quite certain by this recording. In Romeo and Juliet, the "Love Scene"
is full of tender passion; the Queen Mab
Scherzo emerges with airy lightness and
transparency, and the "Capulets' Fate" is
marked by festive brilliance. Incidentally,
Bernstein has rearranged these purely instrumental excerpts for better programmatic
effect, putting the "Love Scene" before
"Capulets' Fete" as distinct from the order
in the complete work. As for the Roman
Carnival Overture, it fairly crackles with
sparkling fire. Columbia's reproduction is of
the same high order as the performance. The
stereo version, in particular, is notable for
P.A.
its realism and directional presence.
BOIELDIEU: Concerto for Harp and Or-
chestra, in C-See Rodrigo: ConcertSerenade for Harp and Orchestra.
BORODIN: Prince Igor: Overture; Polov-
THE SOUND OF MUSIC: Mary Martin with Theodore Bikel, Marion
Marlowe, Patricia Neway, Kurt Kasznar and the Original Broadway Cast.
OQ 311 (4 Track) TOB 58 (2 Track)
WEST SIDE STORY: Carol Lawrence, Larry Kert, Chita Rivera and
the Original Broadway Cast. TOB 13 (2 Track)
Coming soon
...
CAMELOT: Julie Andrews, Richard Burton with the Original Broadway Cast. OQ 344 (4 Track) TOB 100 (2 Track)
Ask your dealer today for
Stereophonic Tapes from
®
Columbia
,
1.2
Na
a
complete listing of
2 -Track
COLUMBIA S
A
and 4 -Track
tsian Dances
tRimsky- Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol,
Op. 34; Easter Overture, Op. 36 ( "Grande
Poque Russe ")
London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati, cond.
MERCURY MG 50265. LP. $4.98.
MERCURY SR 90265. SD. $5.98.
Dorati is in his element when performing
showy music such as this. Under his baton,
it emerges with an excellent combination of
flashing brilliance and disciplined clarity.
The sonics, on the whole, are very good, too,
with a satisfyingly broad instrumental
spread in stereo. The jacket notes indicate,
however, that the recordings were made at
two widely spaced sessions, and there is a
Continued on page 68
CIRCLE 33 ON READER- SERVICE CARD
66
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
WESTMINSTER
SCHERCHEN
HANDEL,
CONDUCTING
MOZART
ANO
BACH,
BERLIOZ,
in
Westminster recordings of such brilliance and clarity that they are everywhere regarded as the definitive
recordings of these Masters. Christmas
music from all the world, for all the
world: yours to own, to give, with in-
finite rejoicing.
IN B MINOR. Vienna AkadeKammerchor. Vienna Symphony Orchestra and Soloists, Hermann Scherchen
Conducting.
WST 304 (Stereo)
XWN 3305 (Monaural)
(3 records)
BACH: ST. MATTHEW PASSION (Complete
and
Unabridged). Symphony Orchestra,
Chorus and Soloists Conducted by Hermann
Scherchen.
WST 402 (Stereo)
XWN 4402 (Monaural)
(4 records)
TSCHAIKOVSKY: NUTCRACKER BALLET
(Complete). Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of London, Artur Rodzinski, Conductor.
WST 213 (Stereo)
OPW 1205
NUTCRACKER BALLET(excerots)
WST 14087 (Stereo)
WESIM INSTE
CHRISTMAS
Vienna Academy
Chorus, Vienna State Opera Orchestra and
Soloists Conducted by Hermann Scherchen.
WST 306 (Stereo)
XWL 3306 (Monaural)
(3 records)
BELOVED CHORUSES from Handel's
MESSIAH.
WST 14094 (Stereo)
XWN 18099 (Monaural) (1 record)
HIGHLIGHTS from THE MESSIAH.
WST 14096 (Stereo)
XWN 18676 (Monaural) (1 record)
MOZART: REQUIEM, (K. 626). Vienna Academy Chorus, Vienna State Opera Orchestra
and Soloists Conducted by Scherchen.
REGINA COELI (K. 118); AVE VERUM CORPUS (K. 618); TE DEUM (K. 141); SANTA
MARIA (K. 273) Vienna Academy Chorus,
Vienna State Opera Orchestra Conducted
FESTIVAL
nT.-.
h
del
Messía!hì
_-_ `C-
by Rene Leibowitz.
WST 205 (Stereo)
XWN 2230
(Monaural)
(2 records)
BERLIOZ: REQUIEM Choruses of Radiodiffusion- Television Francaise, Orchestre
du Theatre National de l'opera, Conducted
by Hermann Scherchen.
XWN 2227 (Monaural)
WST 201 (Stereo)
(2 records)
J. S.
BACH: Scherchen Conducts Bach
Nos.
Brandenburg Concertos,
1 through 6.
XWN 3316 (Monaural) (3 records)
WST 307 (Stereo) (3 records)
SINGLE RECORDS:
Nos. 1 and 2
XWN 18932 (Monaural)
WST 14114 (Stereo)
Hermann Scllerchcn
Nos.
3
and 4
Nos.
5
and 6
18933 (Monaural)
WST 14115 (Stereo)
XWN 18934 (Monaural)
WST 14116 (Stereo)
record)
WP 6019 (Monaural)
mie
THE MESSIAH.
(1
CHRISTMAS CAROLS FROM AUSTRIA.
Gunther Theuring conducting the Vienna
Akademie Kammerchor. 27 classics.
BACH: MASS
HANDEL:
(Monaural)
records)
(2
CARILLON FOR CHRISTMAS. Robert Locksmith: StrombergCarlson Flemish Master
Carillon. Robert Owen: organ of the First
Baptist Church, Rochester, N. Y. 16 Carillon organ carols.
WP (Monaural) 6020
16
FAVORITE CHRISTMAS CAROLS. The
DEUTSCHMEISTER BAND, Conducted by
Julius Herrmann.
WP
(Monaural) 6024
CHRISTMAS
Leibert.
12
WST (Stereo) 15048
AT RADIO CITY; ORGAN. Dick
World -wide, traditional carols.
WP
(Monaural) 6035
CATHEDRAL BELLRINGERS of the Cathedral
of St. Philip. Atlanta, conducted by the
Rev. Canon Frederick L. Eckel.
WP
(Monaural) 6059
MERRY
A
WST (Stereo) 15018
WURLITZER
CHRISTMAS.
Dick
Leibert playing 12 Christmas classics on
the Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ in the
Byrd Theatre, Richmond, Va.
WP
(Monaural) 6060
CHRISTMAS
EVE
IN
WST (Stereo) 15020
THE
CATHEDRAL. The
Shrine of the Immaculate Conception,
Atlanta, Georgia. 15 Magnificent choral
performances.
WP (Monaural) 6061
WST (Stereo) 15019
CHRISTMAS WITH THE SALVATION ARMY.
Salvation Army New York Staff Band and
Male Chorus, conducted by Major Richard
E. Holz.
WP (Monaural) 6096
WST (Stereo) 15015
MUSIC
CHRISTMAS.
BOXES
FOR
Inter-
changeable Cylinder Orchestral Swiss
Music Box.
WP
(Monaural) 6097
WST (Stereo) 15016
XWN
CHRISTMAS CAROLS
SINGERS. Presenting
pieces.
Collectors: Send for your complete Westminster Catalogue. Write: Dept. HF-12
,
BY
THE
19 of
RANDOLPH
their master-
WST (Stereo) 15052
275 Seventh Avenue, New York
1, N. Y.
CIRCLE 120 ON READER- SERVICE CARD
DECEMBER 1960
67
www.americanradiohistory.com
noticeable difference between the sound of
the Rimsky- Korsakov works and that of the
Borodin music. The former are consistently
bright and clear, the latter has a few spots
marred by distortion. This is especially noticeable in the Poloatsian Dances, performed
here in the choral version. The assisting
P.A.
singers remain anonymous.
BRAHMS: Quartets for Strings: No. 1, in
C minor, Op. 51, No. 1; No. 2, in A minor,
Op. 51, No. 2
Amadeus Quartet.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
LPM 18614.
LP. $5.98.
DEUTSCHE
138114.
SD.
GRAMMOPHON
SLPM
$6.98.
BRAHMS: Quartet for Strings, No. 3, in
B flat, Op. 67
*\re `òest
fun
fDvoctík: Quartet for Strings, No. 6, in
F, Op. 96 ( "American ")
Amadeus Quartet.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON LPM 18626.
LP. $4.98.
SLPM
GRAMMOPHON
DEUTSCHE
S
ati`e zaniest
C
138126.
Nest
...
the most unusual operatic recording ever made
(LEDERMAUS
GALA PERFORMANCE
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan
SD.
$5.98.
In their stereo debut all four of these quartets
are given first -rate performances, clean and
fairly sweet- toned. There will be those who
will prefer the greater solidity of the Budapest Quartet discs, especially in the Brahms
B flat Quartet, and most particularly in its
final variations; otherwise, there is little or
nothing about which to cavil. As a matter of
fact, the Dvoiák seems to me to respond exceptionally well to the tenderer treatment
given it here. The sound is clear and well
balanced in both editions, though the stereo
versions of both discs offer little by way of
P.A.
additional spread or directionalism.
BRAHMS: Sonata for Piano, No. 3, in P
minor, Op. 5; Intermezzo in E, Op. 116,
No. 6; Romance in F, Op. 118, No. S
Artur Rubinstein, piano.
RCA VICTOR LM 2459. LP. $4.98.
RCA VICTOR LSC 2459.
A brilliant cast from the Vienna State Opera
Giusseppe Zampieri
Waldemar Kmentt
Walter Berry
Eberhard Waechter
Hilde Gueden
Erika Köth
Regina Resnik
Erich Kunz
Surprise performances by such renowned artists
Renata Tebaldi
Joan
Birgit Nilsson
as
Giulietta Simionato
Teresa Berganza
Sutherland
Leontyne Price
Jussi Bjoerling
Mario Del Monaco
Ettore Bastianini
Fernando Corena
and
I.juba Welitsch
'Write for free complete catalog
ffrr
Mono
ffss
O fC0.0OY
O
Dept.DQ, 539 West 25th Street, New
York
Stereo
1,
N
}
SD.
$5.98.
In past years, there have been many notable
recordings of this sonata, including a splendid 78 -rpm version by Harold Bauer and
early, now discontinued, LPs by Edwin
Fischer and Rubinstein himself. Now Rubinstein repeats his performance for stereo, and
once again, the spacious music evokes from
him an appropriately large -scaled utterance.
He plays the first movement with stormy
breadth and the burlesquelike scherzo has
thrilling panache under his inspired hands
(and feet -he uses the sustaining pedal with
great zeal). The entire conception has singing
warmth and Rubinstein's large scanning of
phrases holds the rather sprawling piano
writing together as only a master can. It
must be pointed out, however, that the
artist's inimitable personality permeates
every note of these renditions, with the result that the music's essentially square -cut
solidity is here rounded off and charged with
nuance and impetuosity. For those who
cherish "tradition," there is an authoritative
Decca release of the Sonata by Wilhelm
Kempff. In his playing the first two movements have a certain angular integrity, but
Rubinstein's incomparable flamboyance in
the third movement makes Kempff's echt-
CIRCLE 72 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
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Deutsch pianism sound, to my ears, like a
steam roller.
As regards sonic merits the monophonic
and stereo versions differ immensely. The
SD is full- toned, brilliant, and well processed; the one -channel edition tends to sound
opaque because the pianist's extraordinary
tonal power boomerangs off the wall. The
sound of this disc is further muddied by
noisy processing
least my review copy
had assorted pops, clicks, and surface
H.G.
scrunch at the beginning of Side 2.
ROGER,
WAGNER
,first
Recording
of a
-at
ttventíeth-Centurg
BRAHMS: Symphonies: No. 1, in C minor,
Op. 68; No. 2, in D, Op. 73; No. 3, in
F, Op. 90; No. 4, in E minor, Op. 98.
Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80;
Tragic Overture, Op. 81; Variations on a
Theme of Haydn, Op. 56a
Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno
Walter, cond.
COLUMBIA M4L 252. Four LP. $19.98.
COLUMBIA M4S 615.
Four SD.
$23.98.
BRAHMS: Symphonies: No. 1, in C minor,
Op. 68; No. 2, in D, Op. 73; No. 3, in
F, Op. 90; No. 4, in E minor, Op. 98
London Symphony Orchestra; London Philharmonic Orchestra (in Symphony No. 3);
Felix Weingartner, cond.
HARMONY HL 7246/49. Four LP.
CHORALE
eStereo
iirla,oterpíere
Vaughan Williams:
Mass in G minor
Bach: Christ lay in the
bonds of death
The majestic antiphonal effects of Vaughan Williams' Mass
in G Minor were
meant for stereo -and for the Roger Wagner Chorale.
A choir of 150 voices is divided into two distinct groups, designed to answer each
other back and forth across the space of a cathedral.
This classic of modern English church music, (sung at the Coronation of Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey), has never before been recorded with such massive
authenticity.
The Chorale, whose "voices blend ...as strings in an orchestra;' (Harper's) also
sings Bach's exalted and moving Christ Lay in the Bonds o/ Death. (S) P 8535
$1.98 each.
Several years ago, Columbia issued an album of Brahms orchestral music by Bruno
Walter and the New York Philharmonic. Its
contents were identical with those of the
new set, and its sound quality is still of a
high order. Presumably, the reason for remaking this collection was so it could be
recorded in stereo.
Essentially, the difference between the
old and new versions is one of tempo. In
almost every movement, the Philharmonic
performances were a shade faster than the
present ones, the general result being one of
greater animation. In the First Symphony,
where lyricism, spaciousness, and nobility
arc the keynotes, it seems to me that Walter's now more relaxed approach works to
the advantage of the music. The conductor's
slower handling of the Second Symphony,
however, robs it of much of its forward motion and imparts to it a degree of stiffness. It
fares much better in the Philharmonic presentation. On the other hand, at least the
final movement of the Third Symphony
benefits from slower tempos; in the earlier
album it was rushed.
The Fourth Symphony, previously released as a single record, I reviewed in these
pages last July. Though here too the tempos
are fairly leisurely, I found Walter's reading
a model of lyrical eloquence. The Tragic
Overture was also issued on a single, coupled
with the Double Concerto. In writing of it
last month, I called it the most satisfying
performance I had ever heard, broad and
noble in the outer sections, yet with a welcome forward motion in the middle.
An exuberant joie de vivre prevails in
Walter's reading of the Academic Festival
Overture, and the transparent recording
permits one to hear every variation of timbre
in the winds as it has not been heard before
on discs. As for the Haydn Variations, I feel
that in the present performance they are a
bit too deliberate and are inclined to drag.
Another Capitol first. Whittemore and
POULENC
CONCfPTO
Lowe perform the first stereo recording of
Two PIANOS
Poulenc's brilliant and witty Concerto for Two
Pianos and Orchestra -the work with which
they have become most closely identified
and which they have played with virtually every
major orchestra in the United States.
Also a sparkling performance of the capricious
Carnival of the Animals by Saint -Saëns.
CARNIVAL'
ANIMALS
1s+ls..r_
'.
41^c
WHITTEMORE tP LOWE
The
PhaAunnwún Orchestra mndurrrd by Pierre Drnm.,
kit
Ai,
(S)P8537
[Li
BRAHMS
SYMPHONY NO. 2 IN O
SIR THOMAS BEECHAM
urx r. Ut.
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Ten musical perennials rooted
deep in affection. Dance of the
Hours; Hungarian Rhapsody
No. 2; Clair de Lune; Perpe:.
ual Motion, etc.
(S)G7231
New magic in old favorites as
"the master violinist" (N.Y
Times) plays Poupée valsante;
Abendlied; Brahms Waltz in
A Major; 6 others. (S)P 8536
.
Beecham, "the most versatile
of all interpreters of orchestral
music :' (Gramophone) imparts
a new radiance to this beloved
pastoral work.
(S)G 7228
CHOPIN RECITAL
BENNO MOISEIWITSCII
BeeI'H
The Surest Sign
of the
Finest Sound
en
(bNCERTO IN D,or.a
YEHUDI MENUHIN
A new recording of Menuhin's
virtuoso performance which
has become one of the most
renowned interpretations of
(S)G 7229
this work.
definitive recital of 7 Chopin
works in the "grand tradition"
A
that has made Moiseiwitach
"one of the great artista of our
(N.Y. Times) (S)G 7230
day:'
Prefix S
indicates stereo version
available.
OcrITOL (CO.,,. ine.
CIRCLE 29 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
DECEMBER 1960
69
if it isn't
in the groove...
it just isn't!
GOOD LISTENING BEGINS WITH TOP TALENT!
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES COME ALIVE ON
A word about the orchestral playing,
which is exceptionally fine throughout. The
West Coast musicians assembled for these recordings are the same as those employed for
Walter's Beethoven, Bruckner, and Wagner
discs. Working together under one inspiring
leader for such an extended series has given
the orchestra a homogeneity of tone and
style equal to that of any firmly established
symphonic organization. In monophony, it
has been given here full and equitably
balanced recording, but stereo adds dimensions of width and depth, with just the right
degree of studio resonance. Directionalism is
not pronounced, except in the strings.
To sum up, the new album is indeed beautiful, offering excellent playing and reproduction. Those who listen monophonically,
however, might still prefer the readings on
the old Philharmonic set.
The Weingartner discs, dating back as far
as 1926, have been reissued on Columbia's
Harmony label as a collector's item. Surely,
the late Austrian conductor was one of the
most honest, self-effacing of performers,
allowing the music to speak for itself; but I
find him more at home in the music of
Beethoven than in that of Brahms. In direct
contrast to Walter, he is inclined to rush the
tempos almost all the way through. The one
notable exception is the Fourth Symphony,
which has a marvelous consistency about it,
particularly in the final chaconne, taken at
the relatively unvaried pace indicated by the
score.
Irte
"4$idiary of Decca Records+
41100
Aside from the First Symphony, which is
mushy and distorted throughout, the Columbia engineers have worked wonders with
the old 78 -rpm discs, producing LPs with
P.A.
more than respectable sonics.
NAUGHTY
NAUGHTY
Columbia
CRL
57337
...
CRL
757337 (Stereo)
...
a natA fabulous musical parley
ural for stereo. Pete Fountain and
"Big" Tiny Little.
CRL
57334
CRL
757334 (Stereo)
For everyone who digs an old song
sung young.
CRL 757329 (Stereo)
CRL 57329
Blue Hawaii, Beyond The Reef, Lovely
played as
Hula Hands, many more
...
never before.
CRL
57352
CRL
Symphony
Orchestra,
Bruno
COLUMBIA ML 5571. LP. $4.98.
SD. $5.98.
COLUMBIA MS 6171.
BREER
romantic mood by the
Songs
for every him and
McGuire Sisters
her who's ever been in love.
in D
\falter, cond.
TERESA
in a
9,
BRUCKNER: Symphony No.
minor
NAUDEIiY
757352 (Stereo)
Bruno Walter has won deserved renown for
his Bruckner readings, especially of the
Fourth and Ninth Symphonies, and this recording has been eagerly awaited. One must
confess to some disappointment. We can be
grateful for the use of the composer's original
scoring, as restored by Robert Haas; and
Walter's conception of this unfinished symphony's two slow movements is the essence of
nobility and eloquence, realizing every iota
of the music's deeply religious feeling. But
these two lengthy movements are separated
and relieved by a delightful scherzo, much
lighter in texture than most of its counterparts in the other symphonies. For some unexplained reason, the conductor takes it at
such a deliberate pace that he divests it of
all that lightness, with the result that it fails
to act as a foil for the two weightier movements.
The orchestral playing is of a high order,
the sound in both mono and stereo, the
two- channel edition having the advantage
of greater over-all spaciousness. But I do
wish it had all happened ten years earlier.
P.A.
as is
BUXTEHUDE: Organ Music
Memorable movie themes...
incomparable Liberace.
CRL
57292
CRL
à
la the
757292 (Stereo)
Music for the imagination. Romantic
themes inspired by the Zodiac.
CRL 757339 (Stereo)
CRL 57339
Eduard Büchsel, organ.
CANTATE
CAN
1
1
11.
LP.
$5.95.
CIRCLE 36 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
70
www.americanradiohistory.com
Mr. Büchsel, whom I have not heard before,
is an impressive artist. He has evidently
studied these works long and well. His
phrasing is plausible and musical, his treatment of the improvisatory sections fanciful
but without exaggeration, his registrations
are interesting and not bizarre. He is given
to fast tempos, but most of the time they
suit the music well. An especially striking
touch is the rich investiture of the pedal in
the Chaconne of the Prelude, Fugue and
Chaconne in C. Other works on this disc
are the chorale fantasies on the Magnat
primi toni and Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern and the Preludes and Fugues in F
major (Hedar II, 15), E minor ( Hedar II,
10), and D minor (Hedar II, 19). The organ
is a restored baroque instrument in the parish
church at Borgentreich in Westphalia (its
specifications are given in the notes). It has
bright, sharp colors, and Büchsel is careful to
keep the lines clearly distinguishable. Good
N.B.
sound.
Gala listening with Mercury Living Presence
CHOPIN: Concerto for Piano and Orches-
TCHAIKOVSKY
tra, No. Z in F minor, Op. 21; Fantasie in
F minor, Op. 49
BYRON JANIS
.Nfl
+:I
Witold Malcuzynski, piano; London Symphony Orchestra, Walter Susskind, cond.
(in the Concerto).
ANGEL 35729. LP. $4.98.
ANGEL S 35729. SD. $5.98.
Malcuzynski's way with this music is already
familiar to record collectors: this is the
pianist's third edition of the Concerto, and
the Fantasy has also received attention from
him previously. His performances here are
in the old -fashioned, romantic style. He is
lavish in his use of rubato, slightly exaggerated at times, and his fingerwork is rather
smeary. But despite some capricious mannerisms and occasionally excessive sentimentality, his playing has sweeping authority
and convincing expansiveness. Susskind
plays the first movement tuttis in their
entirety (as Kletzki did not in the pianist's
earlier recordings), but his orchestral support
seems rather brusque and untidy on this
disc. This effect may be largely due to the
rattly and jumbled sonics, however. There
is excessive reverberation, the strings swamp
the wind, and the solo instrument obscures
some orchestral detail. The muffled and
distorted stereo version is especially bad, but
monophonically the sound is no great shakes
H.G.
either.
CHOPIN: Preludes, Op. 28(24); Polonaise
No. 6, in A flat, Op. 53
Geza Anda, piano.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
LP.
SR90266/MC50266
LUCIA
:,)s<nldaelr,
err°"\t
i
l
t.
,
SR2- 9008/0L2.10$
SR2.9010/0L2.1 to
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1. Byron Janis, pianist; London
Symphony, Menges.
SR90266/MC50266
SOUND OFF! A dozen marches by John Philip Sousa. Eastman
Ensemble, Fennell.
DONIZETTI Lucia Di Lammennoor. Di Stefano, Scotto, Bastianini.
Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Sanzogno
PAISIELLO
SR2-9008 /OL2 -108
The Barber of Seville (world premiere recording). Sciutti,
Monti, Panerai, Capecchi, Petri. Virtuosi Di Roma, Fasano.
SR2- 9010/0L2 -110
LPM 18604.
$5.98.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
138084. SD. $6.98.
Wind
SR90264/MC 50264
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2. Byron Janis, pianist. Min-
SLPM
neapolis Symphony, Dorati.
SUPPÉ OVERTURES:
Geza Anda's performance of the Preludes
is outstandingly fine. This pianist has warmth
when it is required, but his playing is fastidious, shapely, and level- headed. He shows
great concern for the symmetrical design of
each piece, and the cycle moves ahead inexorably in a direct musical line. Most of the
ornaments are executed in the classical manner, which is to say that Anda stresses the
grace notes by placing them on the beat
rather than before it. To my mind, this unusual practice makes convincing musical
SR90260/MG5o260
Poet and Peasant; Pique Dame; The Beautiful
Galatea; Light Cavalry; Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna; Boccaccio. Detroit Symphony, Paray.
SR90271/MG50271
DVORÁK Symphony No. 5 in E minor ( "From the New World ").
Detroit Symphony, Paray.
C
SR9o262 /MC5O262
SR indicates the stereo album number,
,wg, the monaural album number.
RECOwO X745 FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK 22, N.Y.
CIRCLE 78 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
DECEMBER 1960
71
If you listen
to the critics...
you'll listen to
sense, intensifying the melodic lyricism inherent in the music. By adopting faster
tempos than usual, Anda also avoids the
lethargic dragging one hears so often in the
slower pieces. There may be an occasional
lack of abandon here (the whirlwind B flat
minor Prelude, for example, is a shade
cautious despite the impeccable filigree execution, and the big Polonaise is emotionally
inhibited) but this is excellent Chopin
H.G.
playing, with engineering to match.
COPLAND: Variations for Piano; Fantasy for Piano
O'1D 0V
Pet :N'
William Masselos, piano.
COLUMBIA ML 5568. LP. $4.98.
COLUMBIA MS 6168. SD. $5.98.
The words say one thing and the music another. The notes quote Masselos on Cop land's piano music in general: "Boldly he
explores a rocky terrain. ' A few lines further
VatàK
l-lcrata
Tribune
"Stereo
excellence"
on, the English critic Colin Mason is invoked
to tell us about the "percussive and continuously dissonant" qualities of the Fantasy. But none of this comes through. A
romantic brooding haunts the interpretation, as if Masselos had decided to be the
Rachmaninoff of the 1960s. Some of the
grandeur and monumentality of Copland's
sounds can be realized in that way, but this
approach as a whole robs the two big works
of some of their power. The Fantasy, an immense, all but twelve -tone piece that lasts
half an hour, has never been recorded before.
A.F.
The sound of the disc is excellent.
"Stereo
mastery"
Herbert Kupferberg,
Record Editor,
N. Y. Herald Tribune
John Conly,
Atlantic Monthly
DAQUIN: Noëls (12)
CLASSICAL SUGGESTIONS
BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS -Complete
Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra -Karl Miinchinger
(3 records) CSA 2301
Bach
Stravinsky: SYMPHONY IN C
Stravinsky: SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS
L'Orchestre de lo Suisse Romonde- Ernest Ansermet
CS 6190
COMPLETE PIANO CONCERTOS Nos. I -5
Wilhelm Bockhous -Vienno Phil. Orch. -Hans Schmidt
Isserstedt.
(4 records) CSA 2401
Beethoven
-
Bizet; arr.
Sarosote: CARMEN FANTASIE
Sarasote. ZIGEUNERWEISEN
Saint. Soens: HAVANAISE
INTRODUCTION AND
RONDO CAPRICCIOSO
Ruggiero Ricci, Violin- London Symphony OrchestroPierino Gamba
CS 6165
-
Prokofiev:
PETER
Monteux
-
1
-
OS 25120
Mendelssohn A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM -Suite
Schubert ROSAMUNDE -Incidental Music
L'Orchestre de lo Suisse Romonde- Ernest Ansermet
CS 6186
MANON LESCAUT- Complete
Renato Teboldi; Mario del Monaco and other soloists
with Chorus and Orchestra of Accademia di Santa
Cecilia, Rome
Conducted by Francesco MolinoriProdelli.
(3 records) OSA 1317
Puccini.
-
AND THE WOLF
Saint -Soens: CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS
Bea Lillie, Norrotor- London Symphony Orchestra. Skitch
Henderson
CS 6187
Brahms: PIANO CONCERTO No.
Julius Kotchen
London Symphony
RENATA TEBALDI -ITALIAN OPERA ARIAS
Puccini: Modomo Butterfly-Un Bel Di, Ancora Un Posso
Signore Ascolto;
Or Via; Con Ono, Muore. Turandot
Tu Che Di Gel Sei Cinto. Monon Lescour -In Quelle
Trine Morbide, Sola. Perduto. Abbandonato. Verdi. Lo
Troviota- Teneste Lo Promesso; Addio. Del Passato. Lo
Forza Del Destino -Pace Mio Dio. Giordano. Andrea
Cheniér -La Mamma Morto. Boito. Mef stolele- L'Altro
Notte In Donde Al Mare; Spunto L'Aurora Pallido.
IN D MINOR
Pierre
Orchestra
-
CS 6151
Verdi: AIDA- Highlights
Renato Tebaldi; Carlo Bergonzi; Giulietta Simionato;
Cornell MacNeil and other soloists with Singverein der
Gesellschott der Musikfreunde and The Vienna Phil.
harmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert Von Karajan.
OS 25206
SUPPE OVERTURES
Light Covolry; Poet And Peasant
Morning, Noon And
Night In Vienna; Pique Dame. Vienna Philharmonic
Orchestra -Georg Solti.
CS 6146
Ravel, DAPHNIS ET CHLOE (Complete)
Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent
London Symphony Orchestra -Pierre Monteux.
Gorden.
BOHEME- Complete
Tebaldi; Carlo Bergonzi; Errore Bostionini;
Cesare Siepi; Fernando Carena and other soloists with
Chorus and Orchestra of L'Accademia di Santa Cecilia,
Rome, cond. by Tullio Serafin.
(2 records) OSA 1208
Puccini:
Renato
LA
CS 6147
Tchoikovsky: THE SWAN LAKE, Op. 20 (Complete)
L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romonde -Ernest Ansermet.
(2 records) CSA 2204
Gilbert & Sullivan. H.M.S. PiNAFORE -Complete
D'Ovly Corte Opero Co. and New Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Isidore Godfrey.
ffss
RECORDS
full frequency stereophonic sound
Write for free complete catalog. Dept.DT
CIRCLE
72
73
,
539 W. 25th St.,
N.Y.C.
(2 records) OSA 1209
GIVE
RECORDS
GIFT
RAPPED
E. Power Biggs, organ.
/* COLUMBIA ML
!
COLUMBIA
5567. LP. $4.98.
MS 6167. SD. $5.98.
Louis Claude Daquin (1694- 1772), known
today mostly for a keyboard piece called
The Cuckoo, was one of the most celebrated
organ virtuosos of his time in France. He
published remarkably little
set of harpsichord pieces in 1735, the present set of
organ pieces about ten years later, and a
small cantata. These Noëls are a varied
batch of Christmas melodies, some grave,
some lively, each subjected to variation.
I was particularly struck by the dreamy
loveliness of No. 3 and by the inventiveness
of No. 9. It is not recommended that they
be listened to uninterruptedly-Daquin's
procedures are not varied enough for that
but any one of these pieces would make a
fine, unhackneyed number on any Christmas
program or any organ recital program. Mr.
Biggs follows the composer's registrations
carefully and tastefully adds his own when
necessary. He cuts a few of the longer pieces,
but this does not seem to be serious here.
Except for a bit of extraneous noise at the
beginning of No. 9, the sound is first -rate in
N.B.
both versions.
-a
-
-
DEBUSSY: Piano Works
Estampes (complete); Rêverie; Danse; Ballade; Masques; Nocturne, in D flat; Suite
Bergamasque: No. 3, Clair de lune. Images,
Set I: No. 1, Reflets dans l'eau.
Werner Haas, piano.
EPIC LC 3735. LP. $4.98.
EPIC BC 1100. SD. $5.98.
The opening work on this debut disc,
a
ON IrF.tUEIr-SF:RyICF: CARD
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
beautiful account of that Pegasus among
warhorses, Clair de lune, is in itself sufficient
to stamp Werner Haas as a really unique
Debussy player. The artful simplicity of the
musicianship, the subtle manipulation of
rhythm, line, and accent, and above all the
exquisitely sensuous tonal quality make his
performance bloom and shimmer. As it happens, however, some of his playing in the
other selections achieves even greater
heights. Haas studied under Gieseking, and
on this recording one hears the same deep rolling bass, the scented mistiness, and the
characteristically brilliant "ping" of the
treble so much admired in the late master's
work. In addition, Haas has a rhythmic élan
and technical fleetness that put his Jardins
sous la pluie and Soirée dans Grenade in a class
by themselves. Fine recorded sound. H.G.
hkft
rgi
BOLDO
OF
DIAMOND: Timon of Athens, a Symphonic Portrait -See Hindemith: Sin fonietta in E.
DVORAK: Quartet for Strings, No. 6, in
F, Op. 96 ( "American ")-See Brahms:
Quartet for Strings, No. 3, in B flat, Op.
67.
DVORAK: Symphonies: No.
SERIES
A
2000 -FOR
music- the finest arrangers, the most advanced recording -echniques.
2,
in D minor,
Op. 70; No. 4, in G, Op. 88; No. 5, in
E minor, Op. 95 ( "From the New World"}
Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell, cond.
Epic SC 6038. Three LP. $14.98.
Eric BSC 109. Three SD. $17.98.
HEAR YE!
An advance hit
Ari
advance hit.
A
the Symphony No. 2, is a new release. Szell
interprets it with considerable strength;
but in his desire to keep this essentially dark hued score from sounding too somber, he is
inclined to push the tempo here and there,
to gloss over a phrase that might have benefited from a little more attention. This is a
sound reading, but I am inclined to prefer
the one by Bernard Haitink and the Con certgebouw Orchestra, also on Epic stereo,
for its more interesting character.
The Fourth and Fifth Symphonies were
issued last year. In reviewing the former I
called it a flawless performance, commendably interpreted, though I would have liked
a bit more abandon in the end movements.
Of the New World, I remarked on the snap
and brilliance of the faster movements, which
were tellingly contrasted with the extreme
tenderness of the Largo; I also marveled at
the combination of precision, glowing intensity, and flexibility of phrasing displayed
throughout the symphony.
The stereo reproduction in all three symphonies is of a high order -spacious in width
P.A.
and depth and well focused.
cal CAMELOT: THE STORY OF
KING ARTHUR. Their first musical since "My Fair Lady." The
news has stirred up tremendous
advance interest and excitement. Here are the sure -fire
selections before you hear
them on Broadway, arranged for
full rich orchestral effect by
Hugo Montenegro for percussion, strings and brass.
Eastman- Rochester Symphony
Howard Hanson, cond.
Orchestra,
MERCURY MG 50263. LP. $4.98.
MERCURY SR 90263. SD. $5.98.
Two of Morton Gould's finest, most serious
works are represented on this record. Fall
River Legend is the Agnes de Mille ballet
based on the I.izzie Borden murder case,
for which Gould wrote a compelling score,
now simple and folksy, now full of delib-
HEAR
YE,
FIRE HIT!
PERCUSSION
ON STAGE
C T É Ìl..QÓ)
TÌ M
sure thing.
The new Lerner and Loew musi-
GOULD: Fall River Legend: Ballet Suite;
Spirituals for String Choir and Orcbestra
STERE)
AND MONAURAL RECORDS, 4 -TRACK STEREO TAPE.
Only one of the recordings in this album,
CAMELOT
-A
ALAN JAY LERNER
.4 FREDERICK LOEWE
SURE-
S/2022, Mono 52022
SEDUCTIVE
`
TTfv1E
STRINGS
SOW
/
The pulsating, full- bodied cha cha tempo
excitingly captured in magnificent mellow
brass -and -percussion arrangement by Hugo
Montenegro. 6 saxophones, 5 trumpets, 4
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DECEMBER 1960
THOSE WHO DARE!
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George Siravo's powerful, lust orchestra
of strings: 32 violins, 4 violas, 4 cell' ant
bass -with piano, percussion, guitar, harp
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erately forced gaiety, now nostalgic, now
powerful and biting. Hanson treats the six movement suite of excerpts from the ballet
more as a concert piece than as a dance
work, but the music stands up equally well
under this treatment.
Spirituals reflects five different moods of
the Negro. Though these moods have been
eloquently expressed in traditional spirituals,
Gould's composition quotes none of them,
preferring to make only stylistic suggestions.
There are many fine antiphonal effects between the string choir and the remainder of
the orchestra. Hanson's presentation brings
out admirably the music's great strength
and simple expressiveness. Still, it might be
well to compare this reading with another
excellent one, by Walter Susskind on
Everest.
The sound in both works is full, occa-
GRADO
sionally a bit overmodulated, particularly
in the monophonic edition. The stereo version is moderately directional.
P.A.
HANDEL: Concertos for Organ and Orchestra, Op. 4: No. 1, in G minor; No. 2,
in !i flat; No. 3, in G minor
Johannes Ernest Köhler, organ; Leipzig
Gewandhaus Orchestra, Kurt Thomas,
cond.
that there
is in the Biggs recording of the
complete Op. 4, but the orchestral playing
is not heavy-handed. From the standpoint
of sound (in both versions) as well as that of
performance, a pleasing disc.
N.B.
HAYDN: Andante con variazioni, in F
minor-See Schubert: Quintet for Piano
and Strings, in A, Op. 114 ("Trout").
HAYDN: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, in D, Op. 21-See Mozart: Concerto
for Piano and Orchestra, No. 21, in G K.
EPIC LC 3734. LP. $4.98.
EPIC BC 1101. SD. $5.98.
Mr. Köhler, who teaches and plays in Weimar, performs these works with good style
and considerable skill. He sticks mostly
to a few basic registrations. The orchestra
sounds rather large, and there is not the same
exquisite balance between it and the organ
"Truly the world's finest..."
467.
HAYDN: Sonata for Piano, in E flat-See
Prokofiev: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No.
2,
in G minor, Op. 16.
HINDEMITH: Sinfonietta in E
tDiamond: Timon of Athens, a Symphonic
Portrait
tA1mand: John Gilbert, a Steamboat Over-
tire
Louisville Orchestra, Robert Whitney, cond.
LOUISVILLE LOU 605. LP. Available
on special order only.
LABORATORY SERIES
All three of these works were commissioned
by the Louisville Orchestra and were first
performed in 1949 and 1950. They sound
as if they had been recorded about that
TONE ARM
time, too. The musical significance of the
Hindemith (actually a symphony of considerable size and weight), the profound
piece by Diamond, and the folklore piece
by the late Claude Almand is extremely
high, but the recording tries one's patience
at every point.
A.F.
HONEGGER: Concertino for Piano and
Orchestra -See Stravinsky: Concerto for
Piano and Wind Instruments.
JANACEK: Concertino for Piano and
Wind Instruments-See Stravinsky: Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments.
LASSUS: Seven Penitential Psalms
Helmut Krebs, tenor; Hans -Joachim Rotzsch,
tenor; Hans -Olaf Hudemann, bass; Aachener
Domsingknaben; Instrumental Ensemble,
Rudolph Pohl, cond.
ARCHIVE ARC 3134/35. Two LP.
$11.96.
ARCHIVE ARC 73134/35. Two SD.
$13.96.
Gunstock walnut wood
Smaller in size and mass
Vertical balance adjustment
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N. Y.
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C.
Great pains have been taken here to present Lassus' famous cycle of psalm settings
in a manner that would be historically accurate. The choir of the Aachen Cathedral
is supported by an ensemble of exactly the
types of instruments that would have been
employed in a performance by Lassus himself
at the Bavarian court in the sixteenth century. For the verses that are written in only
two or three parts, the excellent solo singers
named above are employed, providing welcome and striking contrast with the chorus.
What, then, is wrong? Unfortunately,
plenty. The prevailing tempo is a kind of
jaunty and unvarying allegretto, which
would be fine for, say, Boy Scouts marching
on an outing, but is hardly the best way to
present the supple lines of Renaissance
counterpoint or the "lamenting and plain
CIRCLE 53 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
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tive melody" that a contemporary of Lassus
found in these pieces. One would never
know from this hearty and rhythmically unyielding singing that Lassus, a master of vocal
tone painting, is dealing with such lines as
"I water my couch with my tears" or "My
heart is smitten, and withered like grass."
Except in the solo sections, there seems to
be no awareness on the part of the conductor
that this music is not a matter of downbeats
at regular intervals but a subtle blending of
four or five or six lines each of which has
its own shape and rhythmic life.
In all but one of the Psalms the instruments merely double the voices. In the third
Psalm, however (Psalm 37, Domine, ne in
quoniam), imaginative use
furore tuo
is made of the instruments. In most of the
verses only one part is sung -by a solo tenor
or bass, or by a few sopranos or altos in
unison -and all the other parts are allotted
to instruments. Since the instruments employed vary from verse to verse. this is a
delightful relief from the grayness of the
choral singing here and, to me, by far the
most interesting performance in the set. The
complete texts of the Psalms, in both Latin
N.B.
and English, are supplied.
...
l
I
-
LISZT: Concertos for Piano and Orchestra:
No. 1, ir: E flat; No. 2, in A
Edith Farnadi, piano; Vienna State Opera
Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult, cond.
LI'. $4.98.
WESTMINSTER XWN 14125.
WESTMINSTER
W
ST
14125.
SD.
$5.98.
W. S. Gilbert's whimsical phrase "modified
rapture" would aptly describe my initial
reaction to this record. Farnadi's playing is
technically fluent but not note -perfect, and
the orchestral work is rather unpolished (the
horns, in particular, have a rather bloopy
sound). Furthermore, Deutsche Grammophon's recent Vásáry coupling of these same
concertos offers, in addition, two solo selections. These observations pale into insignificance, however, because Westminster's
performances are so musical, colorful, and
full of joie de vivre. The finales of both works
have a sort of reckless brio here, and the
pianist's tone in the quiet interludes has an
appealing lyricism. Listeners will have to
make their own choice between this disc and
either Vásilry's pointed, deftly colored, ultra refined playing or the Teutonic, introverted,
spaciously relaxed Brendel edition.
Westminster's sound is rather over resonant and some instrumental detail is
lost as a result, but I doubt if these conics
H.G.
will disappoint seriously.
-a
common
panying material in the piano
fault -but otherwise balances and the sound
of the recording in general are entirely
N.B.
acceptable.
MOZART: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No. 21, in C, K. 467
t Haydn: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra,
in D, Op. 21
Emil Gilets, piano; Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Rudolf Barshai, cond.
Awry, ALP 159. LI'. $4.98.
MOZART: Mass in C minor, K. 427
Maria Stader, soprano; Hertha Topper, contralto; Ernst Häfliger, tenor; Ivan Sardi,
bass; Chorus of St. Hedwig's Cathedral;
Radio -Symphony Orchestra of Berlin,
Ferenc Fricsay, cond.
is at its
best in the marvelous Andante. There he
achieves the singing line and poetic shading
required by this aria for piano and orchestra.
In the opening movement too (despite an
Gilds' treatment of the Mozart
DEUTSCHE
P.
occasional tendency to romanticize) and in
much of the Haydn, Gilets does justice to
the music. The finale of the Mozart suffers,
it seems to me, from a rather heavy- handed
orchestra and a lack of humor. The woodwinds are sometimes drowned by accom-
LPM 18624.
GRAMMOPHON
$5.98.
SD.
SLPM
GRAMMOPHON
DEUTSCHE
138124.
$6.98.
At last, a thoroughly recommendable recording of this great masterwork. Fricsay is in
top form here, as is Miss Stader, who has
THEY DO IT
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When the WEAVERS perform a folksong, however
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Darling Corey, Kisses Sweeter
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Vol. 2
Sinking of the Reuben James,
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VRS -9075 & 'VSD -2069
THE WEAVERS ON TOUR
Tzena Tzena, Old Smoky, Drill
Ye Tarriers, Michael Row the
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VRS -9043 & 'VSD -2022
MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde
Murray Dickie, tenor; Dietrich Fischer Dieskau, baritone; Philharmonia Orchestra,
Paul Kletzki, cond.
ANGEL 3607 B. Two LP. $9.96.
ANGEL S 3607 B. Two SD. $11.96.
Other outstanding records
JOAN
BAEZ
VRS 9078 & 'VSD 2077
ODETTA
SINGS
CHRISTMAS
SPIRITUALS
VRS -9079 & 'VSD -2079
Mildred Miller, mezzo; Ernst Häfliger,
tenor; New York Philharmonic, Bruno
Walter, cond.
COLUMBIA M2L 255. Two LP. $9.96.
COLUMBIA M2S 617. Two SD.
$1 1.96.
For a feature review of these albums, see
p. 59.
ODETTA AT CARNEGIE HALL
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C11tt:LE
DECEMBER 1960
"BEHOLD THOU ART FAIR ":
NETANIA DAVRATH SINGS
116 ON IsE
SONGS OF ISRAEL
VRS -9077 & 'VSD -2076
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GIVE
OPERAS
Puccini: Madama Butterfly
(Complete) Tebaldi (2 Reels)
London /LOR -90010
4 -TRACK
STEREO
TAPE
Verdi Aida (Complete)
Tebaldi (2 Reels)
Landon /LOR -90015
VOCALS
Ella Fitzgerald Sings
DANCE MUSIC
Let's Dance /Let's Dante
Again -David Carroll (Twirl.
Gershwin, Vol. 1
Verve /VSTC -215
Pak)- Mercury /STG -1
Join Bing and Sing Along
Dante Along With BaSi°
Bing Crosby
Warner Bros. /WST -1363
Count
Basie
Roulette /RTC -517
SYMPHONIES
Schubert: Sym
«8; Mozart:
Sym. «40 -London Sym. Orch.
Everest Tapes /STBR -3046
THIS
Dvorak: Sym.
New World
# 5 "From The
"-
Golschmann
Vanguard/VTC -1622
:
the bulk of the solo work. The conductor
brings out the stirring and dramatic contrasts of the "Gloria in excelsis "; he keeps
the splendid fugue of the "Cum Sancto
Spiritu" marching animatedly along; and the
delightful, crisp " Osanna" is done to a turn.
In the Kyrie Miss Stader sometimes teeters
on the edge of sentimentality, but later she
settles down to business. In the "Laudamus
te" her tone retains its attractive quality
throughout the very wide range, and the
coloratura is accurately and nimbly sung; in
the beautiful "Et incarnatus est" Miss Stader
holds her own quite well in the remarkable
cadenza for flute, oboe, bassoon, and soprano.
Miss Töpper is not in the same league, but in
the "Quoniam" she attacks her high notes
valiantly. if not always successfully.
The chorus sounds rich but not so large
that it
cannot negotiate rapid passages
cleanly. It is well balanced here, even the
tenors coming out when they should. The
sound is live and transparent. In the stereo
version the engineers missed an opportunity
in the "Domine Deus," a duet for soprano
and alto, by recording both singers on the
same track; but the separation of the two
choruses in the "Qui tollis" and the Sanctus
is very effective.
N.B.
MOZART: Symphonies: No.
CHRISTMAS
40, in G
minor, K. 5.50; No. 41, in C K. 551
("Jupiter")
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Keilberth, cond.
TELEFUNKEN TC 8036. LP. $1.98.
TELEFUNKEN TCS 18036. SD. $2.98.
CHAMBER MUSIC
Schubert: "Trout" Quintet
Fine Arts Quartet
Concertapes/4T -4004
Mozart: Clarinet Quintet
Reginald Kell
Concertapes /4T -4005
SOUNDTRACKS
PERCUSSION
Around The World
In 80 Days- Soundtrack
Terry Snyder
Decca /ST74 -9046
Command /RS4T -800
Gigi
The Sound of Top Brass
Soundtrack
Peter London Orchestra
Medallion /MST -47000
Persuasive Percussion
MGM /STC -3641
JAll
Pyramid /No Sun In Venice
Modern Jazz Quartet
(Twin-Pak) Atlantic /ALP -1904
there's
Marching Dukes of Dixieland, Vol. 3- -Audio Fidelity
AFST -1851 -4
Excellent value for the price. The performances are stylish, clean, musical. One
might prefer here and there slightly different
tempos: both slow movements seem a bit
fast, and the finale of the G minor, taken
more slowly than usual, lacks the fury it can
have. But these are largely matters of taste.
The sound is live and resonant in both versions, the stereo having the customary
advantage of spaciousness. Except for a
somewhat veiled clarinet in the G minor, the
balances are just.
N.B.
MOZART: Symphony No. 40, in G minor,
K. 550; Serenade No. 13, in G, K. 525
("Eine kleine Nachtmusik ")
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Sir Adrian
Boult, cond.
WESTMINSTER XWN 18942. LP. $4.98.
WESTMINSTER
WST
14126. SD.
$5.98.
MORE OF IT!
CHRISTMAS MUSIC
Christmas Time
Roger Williams
)(app /KT -41019
little slower, the Romance
Christmas Carols
Mantovani
London/LPM -70036
TAPE- select from
the wide variety available now at leading hi fi
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MUSIC SOUNDS BEST ON
UNITED STEREO TAPES
GIIieLF:
111 ON I5I
Sir Adrian seems to find more pathos than
passion in the Symphony. The Andante
flows pensively and the violins slash into
the searing dissonances of the Minuet, but
I miss the drama that I think the first
movement should have and the fury of the
extraordinary harmonic progressions in the
finale. In the Kleine Nachtmusik the string
orchestra seems large but it is supple. Here
too everything flows, the first movement a
F
a little faster
than usual. There are no conductorial
idiosyncrasies to stand between the music
and the listener, except in the last movement, which is taken more deliberately than
usual, the slow pace reducing its bright
sparkle to a dull gleam and changing this
finale from a thing of delight to an exercise
for string ensemble. Very good sound. N.B.
PROKOFIEV: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No. 2, in G minor, Op. 16
tHaydn: Sonata for Piano, in E flat
Malcolm Frager, piano; Orchestre de la
Société des Concerts du Conservatoire de
Paris, René Leibowitz, cond.
RCA Vicroa LM 2465. LP.
$4.98.
RCA VICTOR LSC 2465. SD. $5.98.
RCA's earlier version of the engaging
concerto (by Nicole Henriot and the Boston
Symphony) was a good one-clear, crisp,
and objective -but Frager's more colorful
and pianistically resourceful playing better
conveys the music's power and lyricism.
He is a shade too measured in the busy little
scherzo movement perhaps, but his exciting
rhythmic sweep and tonal warmth elsewhere
are a pleasure to hear. The pianist's fine
sensitivity and musical intellect are also very
apparent in the Haydn Sonata (Peters No.
35), but I suspect that the exposed, linear
idiom of this type of writing is not second
nature to him. His sophisticated playing
here sounds just a bit constrained.
Leibowitz gives firm support in the
Concerto, and the snarling sound of the
French brass, for once. is entirely appropriate
to the music. The engineering has a trace
more vividness in the stereo pressing, but
both editions are sonically superlative. H.G.
PROKOFIEV: Symphony No.
6,
in E Flat,
Op. 111
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Eugene
Mravinsky, cond.
ARTIA ALP 158. LP. $4.98.
The Sixth has never been one of Prokofiev's
successful symphonies, doubtless because of
a certain flabbiness and formlessness in the
first two of its three movements. It is full of
good music, however, in the Russian master's late vein, and its finale contains some
of his most delightful symphonic comedy.
Mravinsky makes a very good case for the
work, and the recording is passable.
A.F.
RAVEL: Pavane pour une infante défunte;
Sonatine; Le Tombeau de Couperin;
Jeux d'eau
Leonard Pennario, piano.
CAPITOL P 8533. LP. $4.98.
CAPtroL SP 8533. SD. $5.98.
Pennario's playing here is altogether admirable- poetic, gracious, urbane, and colorful.
The Pavane is elegantly shaped. tender, and
warm. As much can be said for the other
three performances though the pianist's
tasteful lyricism, which is so admirable
in the crisply objective second movement
of the Sonatine, is not as appropriate to
the terribly difficult toccata conclusion of
the Tombeau de Couperin. This music needs
more brilliance and rhythmic precision to
make its maximum effect. On the other
hand. Pennario's interpretations are also
mercifully free of the brittle sentimentality
that plagues so many performances of
French impressionist music. Both versions
have beautiful piano tone with a shade more
full -toned roundness in the stereo. H.G.
RIMSKY -KORSAKOV: Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34; Eastern Overture, Op. 36
%I)EIc- NERVICF: CARD
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
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-
See Borodin: Prince Igor: Overture; Polovtsian
Dances.
( "Grande
Pâque Russe")
RODRIGO: Concert- Serenade for Harp
and Orchestra
tBoieldieu: Concerto for Harp and Orchestra, in C
Nicanor Zabaleta, harp; Radio-Symphony
Orchestra of Berlin, Ernest Märzendorfer,
cond.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON LPM 18618.
LP. $5.98.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
138118. SD. $6.98.
SLPM
The Rodrigo Harp Concerto is very much
akin to that same composer's Concierto de
Aranjuez for guitar. It is lively, communicative music with a decidedly gypsy idiom
influencing its rhythmic, harmonic, and
melodic content. This is an expert piece of
writing designed for easy listening, and its
relative accessibility is, to my mind, a distinct asset.
The piece by François Boieldieu (17751834) is a classical concerto that never seems
to get under way. The writing sounds utterly
faded with its uninspiring and monotonous
tonic -dominant, tutti -solo interjections, and
episodic quasi -cadenza display of emptiness.
This is precisely the sterile kind of conventionality that Mozart so subtly lampooned
in his Musical Joke.
Both performances are expert, and the
recording is splendid, with a shade more
presence and definition in the stereo. H.G.
Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes and Die
mit Tränen säen are sung by the Windsbacher
Knabenchor conducted by Hans Thamm.
The boys' voices here have character and a
musical quality; they do not sound, as some
boy sopranos and altos do, like something
mechanically produced as an experiment,
without overtones. Ich bin ein rechter Weinstock and Das ist je gewisslich wahr (a memorial piece for Johann Hermann Schein) are
sung by the Westfälische Kantorei, accompanied by a small organ and a couple of
gambas and directed by Wilhelm Ehmann.
Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt and Ich weiss,
dass mein Erlöser lebt are, like the first two,
sung a cappella, by the Heinrich- Schütz
Kreis (Bethel) led by Adalbert Schütz,
presumably no relation to the composer.
This last pair of performances are rather routine, but the other four, and particularly the
first two, are good, as is the recording. N.B.
STRAUSS, RICHARD: Ariadne auf
Naxos
Leonie Rvsanek (s), Prima Donna and
Ariadne; Roberta Peters (s), Zerbinetta;
Sena Jurinac (s), The Composer; Mimi
Coertse (s), Naiad; Liselotte Maikl (s),
Echo; Hilde Rössl- Majdan (c), Dryad;
Jan Peerce (t), The Tenor and Bacchus;
Murray Dickie (t), The Dancing Master and
Brighella; Kurt Equiluz (t), Officer and
Scaramuccio; Walter Berry (b), Music
Master and Harlequin; Harald Pröglhöf (bs),
Wig Maker; Ljubomir Pantscheff (bs), Footman; Gunter Adam (bs), Truffaldino. Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf,
cond.
RCA VICTOR
LD 6152. Three LP.
98.
RONNY GRAHAM
Take 'rive
SCHUBERT: Quintet for Piano and
Strings, in A, Op. 114 ( "Trout "}
tHaydn: Andante con variazioni, in F
minor
Jörg Demus, piano; Schubert Quartet (in
the Schubert).
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON LPEM 19206.
LP.
$4.98.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
136038. SD. $5.98.
SLPEM
This sweet -toned, sensitive performance of
the popular Trout Quintet is spoiled by the
defects of its engineering. To begin with, the
piano overbalances the strings in both mono
and stereo, while the double bass is almost
inaudible. Even stranger, though, is the
stereo distribution, which has the piano on
the left and strings on the right, thereby
creating a few uncalled-for antiphonal effects
that no amount of right -channel boosting
will alter. With the piano moved over to
center, one can properly appreciate Demus'
perceptive account of the Haydn variations.
For normally distributed, fine -grained readings of the Quintet, I recommend Hephzibah
Menuhin and the Amadeus Quartet on
Angel or Frank Glazer and the Fine Arts
P.A.
Quartet on ConcertDisc.
SCHUETZ: Geistliche Chormusik: Motets
Various choirs and conductors.
10 -inch
CANTATE CAN 1109L.
$4.98.
FIVE: Julius Monk's revue with
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FLUTE DUETS: Julius Baker, Jean -Pierre
LP.
Six lovely pieces from the collection of
twenty -nine sacred choral works published
by Schütz in 1648 are offered here in performances by three different groups. Die
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CIRCLE 119 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
DECEMBER 1960
1340 Conn. Ave., N.W.
Washington 6, D.C.
postpaid, free catalog
Y
RCA VICTOR LDS 6152.
$20.98.
Three SD.
The question that every collector will want
answered before he invests in a new Ariadne
is, "How does it stack up with the old Angel
version ?" My own response is that this new
release in RCA Victor's Soria series stacks up
very well, being thoroughly competitive at
all points, and somewhat superior at one or
two. This is not said lightly, for the Angel
production constitutes one of the finest all round operatic packages ever placed on
sale. Mmes. Schwarzkopf, Seefried, and
Streich were well cast and at the peak of
their form, and Von Karajan's dual penchant
for clarity of detail and lushness of sound was
turned to excellent account in this score.
sembles. In addition to these important
assets, the production boasts one great leading performance -that of Sena Jurinac as
The Composer. Her cool, strong voice is just
right for the role, and she understands and
projects every nuance. The impassioned
passage in praise of music and the outburst
at the end of Act I are among the recording's
finest moments; Jurinac's singing here
eclipses even the fine work that Seefried did
for Angel.
In the other major roles, I think that
Angel must still be given an edge, though it is
Ariadne itself, of course, is a masterwork.
The general spirit is of much importance,
and Victor has secured an orchestra, conductor, and supporting cast who know their
Strauss. The Vienna Philharmonic sounds
rich and soft in ensemble, and its players
render the numerous exposed passages for
soli or small groups with affection and precision. Leinsdorf is at his best here, and for my
taste not at all inferior to Von Karajan. The
secondary roles are all taken by singers
steeped in the tradition, and are all very
much on the plus side; especially engaging
are Walter Berry and Murray Dickie in
dual singing roles, and Kurt Preger in the
spoken part of the Major Domo. The trio of
nymphs is first -rate, and all the comprimari
work well together in the complex en-
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sometimes slight. Rysanek pours out the
high -lying phrases gloriously, and for sheer
vocal power surpasses Schwarzkopf. However, there is about her work a somewhat
thick, almost lumpish quality that falls
short of Schwarzkopf's aristocratic classicism; her Ariadne sounds a bit matronly. In
the theatre, no doubt, this impression is dispelled. Roberta Peters is not a Viennese
soubrette, either by training or by the nature of her peculiar vocal quality. It is surprising, though, how close she comes to it in
many passages. Were it not for an occasional
neutral prefix ( "ge -" becoming "guh -,"
etc.), her German would sound completely
idiomatic, at least to non -German listeners,
and she has studied thoroughly matters of
attack and phrasing, so that it all sounds
quite natural. Not as natural, though, as the
remarkable Zerbinetta of Rita Streich, and
the latter soprano is also more at ease at the
extreme heights of "So war es mit Pagliazzo."
Peerce, though rather tight and nasal, is in
better vocal condition here than I should
have guessed possible from his recent Metropolitan appearances, and as usual he is admirable in matters of style and musicianship.
There is little to choose between him and
Rudolf Schock, the Bacchus on the Angel
set.
It remains to say only that Victor's engineering is of gratifyingly high quality. The
climaxes are clean and full, and little orchestral and vocal details beautifully isolated.
Stereo is used to excellent advantage, particularly for distance effects, without making
the performance too busy. The Soria -designed booklet is attractive and informative.
On balance, I should say that Angel retains
a small advantage in performance, Victor
in sonics. You pays your money and you
takes your choice.
C.L.O.
STRAUSS, RICHARD: Sonatina in F, for
Sixteen Winds; Serenade in E flat, for
Thirteen Winds; Suite, Op. 4: Gavotte,
for Thirteen Winds
Boston Wind Ensemble, Eric Simon, cond.
BOSTON B 406. LP. $4.98.
There
is a persistent myth, largely fostered
by British critics who let their nationalism
get in the way, that in the final decades of
his life Strauss was written out as a composer.
One of several proofs to the contrary is this
Sonatina, dating from his eightieth year.
That was 1943, and Strauss, resident in Germany, was ostensibly a representative of
Nazi kultur. The sins of Strauss the man I
leave to Heaven. The music played here has
all the felicity of Bach rewritten by the
composer of Till Eulenspiegel, and anyone
who finds Nazism in that is blind to the
significance of Hitler's ideology. Strauss, the
old opportunist, was never more thoroughly
CIRCLE 47 ON READER- SERVICE CARI'
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
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himself, and the mind the listener finds at
work is one formed during the second greatest era in Central European music. The score
is one you will be the richer for knowing,
particularly in the excellent performance by
this group of Boston Symphony instru-
mentalists.
Rounding out the second side are two
examples of the young Strauss. The Serenade, a product of his seventeenth year, is
a rather lightweight piece except that we
observe him on his way to goals which,
with hindsight, we know he achieved
triumphantly. As a foil to the retrospective
Sonatina, it is a perfect choice.
The recorded sound of these wind groups
is remarkably clear, and the presence is
R.C.M.
unsurpassed even without stereo.
STRAVINSKY: Concerto for Piano and
Wind Instruments
tJanácek: Concertino for Piano and Wind
Instruments
tHonegger: Concertino for Piano and
rather boomy and lacking in overtones.
(On my review copy, there was also quite a
bit of surface noise.) To my mind, Artia
would do better to process its Russian tapes
in this country. The price of $5.98 for sonic
quality of this kind will probably deter all
but the most ardent Russophile.
Richter's performance here is a bit over deliberate and heavy for my taste, but it has
great lyricism and sweep and the orchestral
support is excellent. I prefer the pianist's
other version with the Czech Philharmonic
on Artia's bargain- priced Parliament label.
I recommend that you sample the copy you
intend to purchase, however, as many people have commented on the careless processing of that record. If you can find a clean
copy (mine sounds fine; much superior to
this Russian version), the Parliament disc
H.G.
is an outstanding bargain.
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Fantasia on a
Theme by Talfis; Fantasia on "Green-
MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition
PROKOFIEV: Sonata No. 7, Richter
Incredible Bargains
sleeves"; Folk Song Suite
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Sir Adrian
Boult, cond.
WESTMINSTER XWN 18928. LP. $4.98.
WESTMINSTER WST 1411. SD. $5.98.
This disc offers Vaughan Williams' most
popular short pieces in a superb recording by
the world's foremost interpreter of that
master's orchestral music. The profoundly
beautiful Fantasia on a Theme by Tallis
lends itself especially well to stereophonic
recording because it was stereophonically
conceived to begin with: a large string orchestra is played off against a small string
orchestra and both against a solo quartet.
The stereo version brings out these antiph-
Orchestra
Walter Klien, piano; Pro Musica Orchestra
(Vienna), Heinrich Hollreiser, cond.
Vox PL 10840. LP. $4.98.
Vox STPL 510840. SD. $5.95.
The soloist's name appears once as Klein
(on the back of the jacket) but five times as
Klien (on the labels of the records and on the
front of the jacket), and so the unusual
spelling seems to have greater authority.
Whether Klein or Klien, he plays very well;
he understands the objective, highly rhythmical, grandly sonorous Stravinsky especially well, although a work of this kind
ought to have a more incisive recording than
it has been given here.
On the reverse side are the two short
pieces by 1anOek and Honegger. The former
is a work of no great substance or interest.
The latter is also a work of no great substance but of enormous interest because of
the charm with which its flimsy material is
handled. It is of the very essence of the
Twenties, when George Gershwin was writing pieces about Paris and the Parisians were
writing pieces about George Gershwin.
The performance of the Honegger is excellent. Whether or not the performance of
the Ianá ek is equally excellent I do not
know, never having heard this work before.
The sound of the side on which the concertinos are recorded seems to be better than
A.F.
that holding the Stravinsky.
TCHAIKOV SKY: Concerto for Piano and
Orchestra, No. 1, in B flat minor, Op. 23
Sviatoslav Richter, piano; Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Eugene Mravinsky,
cond.
MK -ARTIA 1501. LP. $5.98.
This is the first Soviet- manufactured disc
to reach me, and for that reason alone
it is newsworthy. The Russian -made MK
product is a heavyweight, old -style LP,
distributed here in a sedate white folder
furnished Artia. All in all, the record impresses me as being sturdily processed, but in
no way comparable to our best modern
pressings in technical finesse. The sound is
roughly equivalent to our first LPs of the
late Forties: eminently listenable, but
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony
Symphony
Orchestra,
4, USSR
No.
ALP 154
State
Ivanov
ALP 155
BACH: Violin Concerto No. 1, David Oistrakh; MOZART:
Sinfonia Concertante, K. 364, David Oistrakh, Rudolf
ALP 165
Barshai, Moscow Chamber Orchestra
ZARA DOLUKHANOVA
(mezzo-soprano)
A
Program of
ALP 169
Arias and Songs
SMETANA: The Bartered Bride, Prague National
Theatre, Chalabala, (3 record set)
SUGGESTED LIST PRICE
FOR FURTHER
ALPO
82C
/L
ONLY $1.98
TCHAIKOVSKY: Swan Lake, Prague National Theatre
Orchestra, Skvor, (2 record set
PROKOFIEV:
Romeo
Piano
Ill(
I
O
DECEMBER 1960
PLP 112
PLP
Concerto
No.
2,
132"
Richter,
PLP 134
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 1, Piano Concerto
No. 2, Gilets, Leningrad Philharmonic, Sanderling,
PLP 138-2
$3.96)
(2 record set
-
622.98 STEREOPHONIC
38 WEST 48 ST., N. Y. 36, N. Y.
ARTIA RECORDS,
u\ Itl
- $3.96)
Juliet Suite, Czech
Leningrad Philharmonic, Underling
MONOPHONIC
$5.98 STEREOPHONIC
I
and
Philharmonic, Ancerl
RACHMANINOFF:
-64.98
INFORMATION, PLEASE WRITE
on PARLIAMENT
snIIUu- nF:R11t
I
1:\IIU
79
www.americanradiohistory.com
onies
with special richness and felicity. A.F.
V I V ALDI: I/ Cimento dell' armonia e dell'
in:'enzione, Op. 8
Virtuosi di Roma. Renato Fasano, cond.
ANGEL 361 IC. Three LP.
$14.94.
ANGEL S3611C.
Three SD.
$17.94.
The last eight concertos of Vivaldi's Op.
8 have been heavily overshadowed by the
famous Seasons, the first four in that collection, but they include some pieces that belong with his best. Three of these concertos
bear subtitles: No. 5 (The Storm at Sea),
No. 6 (Pleasure), and No. 10 (The Hunt).
But except for the indeed pleasurable
siciliano of No. 6, the other works are more
interesting musically. Nos. 7, 8. 11. and 12
all have lovely arialike slow movements in
which the solo instrument sings away, practically without embellishment, over a thin
accompaniment. The finale of No. 7 is noteworthy for its unusually elaborate sr)lo part,
with much double -stopping; that of No. 8
has a couple of pedal points held so long
that one takes a deep breath when the harmony finally changes. The structure of the
first movement of No. 11 is unusually developed, contrapuntally and formally.
There is nothing antiquarian in the approach of the Virtuosi to this music. They
are careful not to romanticize it, but at the
same time they play with a good deal of
color and variety. One might prefet slightly
different tempos here and there, but these
are excellent performances from every point
of view. Five of the ensemble's violinists
take turns as soloist (the solo parts of Nos. 9
12 are allotted to an oboe), and each of
them does a first -class job. The sound in
both versions is warm and believable, somewhat softer and rounder than that in the
Epic set.
N.B.
and
WAGNER: Orchestral Excerpts
Die Meistersinger: Prelude ; Prelude to Act III;
Dance of the Apprentices; Entry of the Meistersingers. Die Götterdämmerung: Siegfried's
Rhine Journey; Siegfried's Funeral Musk.
J
This is one of the select group of discs by
the Chicago Symphony that do complete
justice to the great ensemble Fritz Reiner
trained to his exacting specifications in the
seven seasons of 1953 -60. As this is written,
Reiner is on leave of absence because of illness, and the Meistersinger prelude has a
special impact because it is the work with
which he was to open the orchestra's
seventieth year in October.
Recorded in April 1959, these excerpts
document the Reiner sound with its ripest
vintage quality, bringing out the firm bass
line, the solid registration of the inner
voices, and the burnished brilliance of the
upper octaves. A Wagner specialist since
his youth, Reiner is able to convey the effect
of traditional performances while still pre ,erving individuality. The results -the nobility and warmth of the Meistersinger, the
dramatic climax as Siegfried goes forth to
the Rhine -are among the most impressive
Wagner extracts we possess.
In stereo the sound is actually deserving of
that overworked word "magnificent." One
truly hears a big orchestra, slightly scaled
down to living moot dimensions, but bona
fide and really there. The mono cannot hope
to match this, but it is a satisfactory disc in
terms of the limitations of a single channel.
Compare the two if you want to hear why
stereo deserves all the attention it gets.
help
v ourself!
,(0.46...)
THE SOUND OF
CHRISTMAS
THE THREE SUNS.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner,
cond.
RCA VtcroR LM 2441. LP. $4.98.
RCA N'ICTOR LSC 2441. SD. $5.98.
'
R.C.M.
WEBER: Der Freischütz
There's an
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Elisabeth Grümmer (s), Agathe; Lisa Otto
(s), Annchen; Rudolf Schock (t), Max;
Wilhelm Walter Dicks (b), Kilian; Hermann
Prey (b), Ottokar; Karl Kohn (bs), Kaspar;
Gottlob Frick (bs), The Hermit; Ernst
Wiemann (bs), Kuno. Chorus of the Berlin
Municipal Opera, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Joseph Keilberth, cond.
ELECTROLA
90956/58. Three
LP.
St 7.94.
ELECTROLA STE 90956/58. Three
S1). $20.94.
Irmgard Secfried (s), Agathe; Rita Streich
(s), Annchen; Richard Holm (t), Max; Paul
Kuen (t), Kilian; Eberhard Waechter (b),
Ottokar; Kurt Böhme (bs), Kaspar; Walter
Kreppel (bs), The Hermit; Albrecht Peter
(bs), Kuno. Chorus and Orchestra of the
Bavarian Radio, Eugen Jochum, cond.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
LPM 18639!40.
Two LP.
$11.96.
DEUTSCHE
é
138639/40.
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SLPM
Two SD.
feature review of these albums,
see
p. 60.
CIRCLE 124 ON IREsu)Fat- SERVICE CARD
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Kim Borg's discs provide persuasive evidence
that his New York appearances have not
represented him at his best. His voice, which
at the Metropolitan has sounded dry and
pushy, betrays only occasional constriction
in this recital; most of the time, it is warm
and easy -flowing. The second side of the
present recording is especially successful.
While these three Morike songs of Wolf (Der
Tambour, Zur Warnung, and Abschied) are
not the sort of material that every listener
will dote on, Borg brings a fine touch to
them -lightness without cuteness. Two
haunting Sibelius numbers are beautifully
sung, as are two by Yrjö Kilpinen, parallel
in structure and most delicate. Mussorgsky's
Little Star, Tell Me and By the Don a Garden
Flowers are given a fine, full tone and sensitive shading -and for a change, here is a
bass who does not make his Song of the
Flea into a patent imitation of Chaliapin's.
The first side is less consistent. Borg's
voice really does not have the variety of
color requisite to Der Erlkönig, though his
interpretation is conscientious, and the declamatory outbursts of Schubert's Prometheus
lead him into forcing. Beethoven's Wonne
der Wehmut, however, is excellent, and In
questa tomba oscura rewarding, despite Borg's
shying away from the effective low ending.
Werba's accompaniments are frequently on
the brittle side, and in Der Erlkönig, rather
ill- defined. The sound on both versions is of
C.L.O.
DGG's best.
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CIRCLE 89 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
I
II.Vl1.T1V Illì?111r1
rorbtrw
7TIF:IJtE
IH
('IiRIST
CHARLTON HESTON
reads from
THE LIFE AND THE PASSION
OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
According to the Gospels
with the
Robert DeCermier Duals
I. The Life 01 Christ
Il.
The Passion 2
-12"
boxed
VRS- 9080 /1 8 'VSO- 2080/1
Also available singly
JULIAN BREAM: Classical Guitar Recital
Julian Bream, guitar...
RCA
VICTOR LM 2448. LP. $4.98.
RCA VICTOR LSC 2448. SD. $5.98.
This recital is a revelation of the power of
the classical guitar as a vehicle for profound
utterance. There is superlative musical refinement and tonal sheen in Bream's treatment of the instrument, and fantastic variety
in his technical resources. In fact, in his
performance of the little Mateo Albéniz
Sonata (a work more typically Scarlattian
than the two included examples of that
master himself) there are such colorful shifts
of timbre that I suspect that the player has
replaced one of his gut strings with a more
brilliant -sounding steel one. This first side of
the record also contains music by Frescobaldi and Cimarosa. The overside is given to
distinguished contemporary music written
or transcribed for the guitar. Bream's own
transcription of the Ravel Pavane is something of a tour de force, and his performance
of the prodigiously difficult Lennox Berkeley
Sonata almost beggars description.
Stereo does not differ radically from the
JOURNEY TO THE SOURCE
To discover why Christmas has generated so much
wonderful music, we must go back to the simple
words of the first narrative. This Charlton Heston
does for us, as he movingly reads the Gospel story
of the Nativity, the Life of Christ and the Passion. We
can understand then the touching Christmas
songs that arose with the medieval village Mystery
plays, as the Deller Consort sings them, along with
the later beloved carols. In this folk tradition are the
Negro spirituals inspired by the Nativity, sung
with infinite tenderness by Odetta. And lit with the
splendor of Venice of the Doges are Gabrieli's
Hodie Christus natus est and Beata es, virgo Maria,
from his Symphoniae Sacrae for double choir
and brass.
VANGUARD
Send for Catalogue to: Vanguard Recording Society, Inc., 154 West 14 Street, N. Y.
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Carols at Christmastide
VRS 1062 8 'VSD 2078
THE
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CHRISTMAS SPIRITUALS
with guatar and string bass
VRS -9079 8 'VSO-2079
A
Gift for Lasting Joy
VIVALDI: LA CETRA, OP. 9,
Complete
Paul
Vienna
violin;
Makanowilrky,
Opera
State
Orch.,
Vladimir Golschmann, cond.
A
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Stereolab 'BGS 5033/5 $11.90
94 recordings for the connoisseur
CIR(:LE
DECEMBER 1960
ALFRED DELLER 8
Prices, Monaural 54.98
'Stereolab $5.95
Except special price records
listed above.
READER- SERVICE, CARI)
81
monophonic sound here. The latter, if anything, sounds a little rounder.
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In French art criticism, le style de Saint
Sulpice is a proverbial expression for all that
is tasteless and overblown in the work of
the nineteenth century. This record suggests
that the term need not be confined to the
visual arts. Clair W. Van Ausdall tells us in
his notes that the gallery organ at Saint Sulpice is the largest in Europe, and it
certainly sounds like it here; also like one of
the muddiest in the world. The disc is
given over to compositions by Dupré himself: Variations sur un Noêl, Carillon,
Cortège et Litanie, Lamento, and Final. All
seem to have been conceived with the
Saint -Sulpice organ in mind.
A.F.
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de alt Kea"
$79.95 Kit
$119.95 Wired
MARCEL DUPRE: "Marcel Dupri
Saint-Sulpice, Vol. II"
Marcel Dupré, organ.
MERCURY MG 50229. LP. $4.98.
.
Have You Ever
Really Heard Vivaldi's
CLAIRE DUX: Recital
Claire Dux, soprano; Hermann Jadlowker,
tenor (in the Aida duet), and Joseph Schwarz,
baritone (in duets from Rigoletto).
Rococo R25. LP. $5.95.
Claire Dux, the latest beneficiary of Rococo's enterprising salvage work, is a singer
known in America today only to true connoisseurs of vocal discs. Born in 1885, Dux
made her debut (as Pamina) in 1906 at
Cologne, where she quickly became a great
favorite. She moved on to the Berlin Royal
Opera and London's Covent Garden,
creating the Rosenkavalier Sophie for both
houses, and made extensive concert tours
through Northern Europe. Her only American appearances occurred in the 1921 -24
period, chiefly in Chicago, though she appeared in New York during the 1922 -23
season in Meistersinger and Martha. She accepted no opera engagements after 1925,
and retired from the recital stage in 1933.
Her voice was the kind of clear, soaring,
well -controlled soprano that is ideal for
Sophie. It was apparently of good size, for
her roles included Leonora in Trovatore,
Desdemona, and the Nozze Countess. She
was something of a Mozart specialist, and the
selections from La finta giardiniera and 11 re
pastore are most eloquently sung here. She is
also notably successful with the two Frei schütz arias, Reger's cradle song, and, from a
musical point of view, Yum -Yum's song from
The Mikado. She has some pitch trouble in
the Rigoletto duets, and in any event her contribution here is far overshadowed by the
characterization of the title role by Joseph
Schwarz. The sound of the voice tends to be
distant throughout the disc, but the surface
noise from the originals is not too overpowering, and the listening problems should
not stop the enthusiast. The knowledgeable
C.L.O.
notes arc by Leo Riemens.
STANLEY HUMMEL: "Piano Encores"
Stanley Hummel, piano.
ERSTA 1020. LP. $4.98.
Short pieces by Chopin, Liszt, Moskow'ski,
and others make up the repertoire on this
"Sheer listening joy!" _that's what
Leonard Bernstein calls the Library of
Recorded Masterpieces' exciting Vivaldi
recordings -and now the newly released
recording of "The Four Seasons" makes
available one of the most remarkable
albums in musical history.
With these brilliant and definitive performances by four different violin soloists with the
New York Sinfonietta under the direction of
Max Goberman you actually have before you
the scores, Vivaldi's descriptive sonnets, and
his "stage directions" and program notes translated into English -all at less than the scores
alone would cost! You hear the whole panorama of events in each season unfolding for
yyou ust as Vivaldi himself meant them to be
heard when he composed this music in the
early 1700s -you know when the dogs are
"baying" in Spring; notice the peasant's weeping in Summer; hear the "guns and hounds"
in Autumn; and almost see the ice "crack and
split" in Winter. And the recording also includes a full reading of Vivaldi's accompanying sonnets by Professor Luciano Rebay of
Columbia University.
"The Four Seasons" is the latest in the
remarkable Vivaldi records being made by
Library of Recorded Masterpieces and available only to members (not in stores) under a
truly unique plan. Write today for free prospectus to see how you too can enjoy "The
Four Seasons' and other LRM recordings.
Write to:
Library of Recorded Masterpieces,
Dept. HF-3, 150 West 82nd Street, New
York 24, N. Y.
CIRCLE 71 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
C A N TAT E
7eCUra3
Bach -Studio
Proudly announces 30 records with the
great vocal music of
JOHANN
S
B STAN
BACH
under the auspices of the Bach Institute, The new Bach Society, and the
Bach Archive of Germany
The first releases are:
Wer Eger den lieben Gott laesst walten
(BWV 93)
Sei Lob and Ehr dem boecbsten Gat
(BWV 117)
Soloists, ensemble of the Goettinger Stadtkantorei and Frankfurt Cantata Orchestra
(Doormaon)
CAN 1201 LP
Gott soll alkin mein Herze babel, (BWV 169)
Ich tasse dici, nicht, da segnest mich dean
(BWV 157)
Wolf-Matthaeus, Rotzsch, Kunz, ensemble
of Christ Church, Mainz (Hellmann)
CAN 1202 LP
Komm, Jew komm and Lobe; den Herren
Westfaelische Kantorei (Ehmann)
229,230)
Der Geist hilft unsrer Schwachheit age/ and
Fgeerchte dich nicht
(BWV 226, 228)
Kantorei Barmen -Gemarke (Kahlhoefer)
CAN 1203 LP
INQUIRE FOR SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES
AND FURTHER INFORMATION
SACRA -DISC MUSIC SOCIETY
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FOR THE 1I
WESTERN STATES ADDRESS
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OF THE WEST
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disc, on which the playing is reminiscent of
the nineteenth -century salon virtuosos.
Stanley Hummel "orchestrates" the music,
revealing inner voices and other niceties of
balance, and there is large -scaled architectural span to his conceptions. He is not a
musical purist, and some of the forms he
the
most
dishn
guished
tape recording achievement
of
the year
FERRODYNAMICS
presents a six album set
of significant chamber music
compositions from Purcell, Vivaldi
and the beginning of the Baroque
period through Beethoven and the beginning of Romanticism. DANIEL SAIDENBENG
directs leading chamber ensembles in these
important compositions, all of which are avail
able for the first time on tape.
.
creates differ from those indicated by the
composers. (There are, for example, harmonic amplifications, exaggerated rubatos,
and other old- fashioned pianistic eccentricities.) Fine technician though he is, Hummel
apparently lacks the requisite lightness of
touch for a truly complete rendition of Liszt's
Feux follets, but this -like everything else
on the record -sounds craftsmanly, articulate, and proportioned. The piano recording
is exemplary in depth and brilliance. H.G.
RECORDS SOUND BEST
nu
with
Bó
STEREODYNES
Choose either the Stereodyne II
(mounts in all standard arms) or
the slim. trim TA -12 arm -cartridge
combination for the most natural
sound from both stereo and mono
recordings.
NATHAN MILSTEIN: "Violin Masterpieces"
Mozart: Adagio in E, K. 261 ; Rondo in C,
K. 373. Beethoven: Romance No. 2, in F,
TA-I2
Op. 50. Wieniawski: Légende, Op. 17. Novácek: Perpetuum Mobile. Stravinsky: The
Firebird: Berceuse. Saint -Saëns: Introduction
and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28.
$49.95 nef
Nathan Milstein, violin; Concert Arts Orchestra, Walter Susskind, cond.
CAPITOL P 8528.
LP. $4.98.
CAPITOL SP 8528. SD. $5.98.
THE
ROYAL MUSIC OF
EUROPE
1001S Handel
Double Concerto No
for two Wind Choirs
and Orchestra
Vivaldi
Flute Concerto in D
Geminiani: Concerto Grosso in C Min
1002 -S Telemann
Don Quixote Suite
Handel
Two Arias for Wind Quintet
1003 -S Purcell
Suites Nos. I and 2 from
The Gordian Knot Untie()
Boyce
Symphony No 3
Telemann: Trio Sonata in C Major
1004.5 Bach:
Trio Sonata No I
Handel
Concerto A Quatre No I
Beethoven Quintet for Piano and
Winds. Opus 16.
'005 -S Mozart
Quartet in B Pat. K 458
Haydn
(The Hunt).
Quartet in 0 Major. Opus
76. No. 5
1006 -S Couperin, Chambonnieres. and Key
board Music of the French Court
track stereo tapes suggested
price $ 8.95 Der individual tape
4
i
$53 70 per set
THE SOUND OF
on 4 track
CHRISTMAS
- 1960
IGNACE JAN PADEREWSKI: Piano
Recital
I-
Pieces by Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt,
and Paderewski; Vol.
Pieces by Chopin,
Mendelssohn, Liszt, Paderewski, Paganini Liszt, Schubert, and Wagner.
Vol.
II-
stereo tape by
FERRODYNAMICS
The excitement of modern harmonics com-
bined with the sparkle of traditional a
cappella choir singing as the voices of
the ANNE PHILLIPS SINGEPS fill your
living room with the seasonal sonics
of NOEL NOEL CO 1225 -S $7.95
suggested list price.
the new name
in pre -recorded
4
This is a collection of short concert works,
all but two of them written originally for
violin and orchestra. The exceptions are the
Wieniawski Légende, anonymously transcribed from a work for violin and piano,
and the Firebird Berceuse, arranged by
Stravinsky himself for violin and piano, but
played here with a piano part adapted from
the orchestral score. Most of these selections
are simple and melodic, and Milstein plays
them simply, though with beautifully silken,
pure tone. When brilliant technique is
called for in the NováZek and Saint -Saëns
works, however, he delivers it with flashing
accuracy. In all this, Susskind and the orchestra support the violinist sympathetically. Capitol has set the soloist well apart
from the orchestra, quite close to the microphone, and while this does not impair the
over -all balance, it imparts a slight hollowness to the monophonic edition, a condition
which is rectified in the moderately distributed stereo version.
P.A.
track stereo tapes
FERRODYNAMICS corporation
'odi, new jersey
Ignace Jan Paderewski, piano.
DISTINGUISHED
103.
Two LP.
RECORDINGS
These recitals by Paderewski are the first
releases in a series of recordings that Sceptor
Music Company has processed from old
player -piano rolls. For the benefit of those
listeners unfamiliar with the mechanical
nature of this invention, here are a few specifics regarding its operation. The rolls here
transcribed were "recorded" in the early
'20s by means of little perforations in a strip
Continued on page 85
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DR 101/
$4.98 each.
$29.95
net
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True stereo: More than 22 db channel
separation effectively maintained throughout the audio spectrum, with accurate
balance and proper phase relationship.
Superior tracking: highest compliance,
low mass, plus exclusive symmetrical
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and lowest distortion.
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Hear and compare it at your
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Write for complete specifications
DYNACO, INC.
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Phila. 4, Pa.
CABLE ADDRESS: DYNACO, PHILA.
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ó`
Is there a "sound bug" on your Christmas list?
Think a minute. Isn't there someone on your list
who gets all excited when he discovers a record
with a new sound, new effects that show off his
stereo or hi-fi ? Everybody knows somebody who's
a sound bug And with the new developments in sound production, there's been a
rash of recordings that bat sound around
like a ping -pong ball. The trouble is, interest in most of these records burns out because they're just gimmicks. What makes
6-
!
talita.l:
Medallion Records unique is that they are second
to none in the startling new richness of sound
they achieve-and they achieve it through wonderful music that will make luscious listening for
many years ! Make a sound bug your friend
for life : give him Medallion Records in stereo, monaural and tape. Send for our latest
Medallion catalog. A product of Kapp Records, 136 East 57 Street, New York 22, N. Y
MEDALLION RECORDS
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(AHD
Ili(ai l:inrirn \(\(,\zi.i:
84
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of heavy paper. A playing mechanism attached to the reproducing piano runs the
strip past a series of air intakes, and a bellows
mechanism activates the instrument's keys.
The reproducing -piano was extremely popular from the turn of the century to the mid Twenties, but with the advent of electrical
recording its prestige as a serious musical
medium declined.
In contrast to phonographic reproduction,
it is possible to vary the speed of the playback mechanism without changing the musical pitch. Herein lies one of the chief shortcomings of this mode of reproduction. A
spokesman for the company issuing these
discs has assured me that they have scrupulously checked the speed of the playback and
have otherwise taken great pains in order
not to falsify these renditions. The records
themselves are splendidly processed, but
I am afraid that the archaic piano rolls
themselves preclude truly artistic musical
re- creations.
Paderewski, of course, lived in an era in
which all art forms were colored to a large
extent by a highly subjective approach and
rhetorical exaggeration. On a Camden record
(CAL 310, "The Art of Paderewski") issued
by RCA slightly over a year ago, one can
hear a representative cross section of the
pianist's usual repertoire. There are, to be
sure, some questionable details of rhythm,
style, and phrasing, but there are also a
delicate tonal fabric, a vital animation, and
above all a human utterance. The piano
sound per se is vastly superior on the present
set of discs, but the artist's performances
are disfigured here by halting, mechanical
hesitations and a curiously hollow tonal
plangency. These records, then, have a certain curio value, but to my mind they are
I I.G.
dubious as musical representations.
otherwise identified in any way. They are
S. 445 -447, 451, 452, 454, 460, 461, 466,
N.B.
469, 476, 493, 506, 514.
GERARD SOUZAY: "The World of
Song"
Gerard Souzay, baritone; Dalton Baldwin,
piano.
CAPITOL G 7224. LP. $4.98.
CAPITOL SG 7224. SD. $5.98.
As Souzay's voice darkens, it also acquires
more bite and, if records are any guide at all,
more volume. This is all to the good, for
while he can still do justice to the feathery
variety of song, he can now bring a fuller
tone and greater punch to such selections as
the La Barcheta or the Granadina he sings
here. While the majority of songs on this
disc are of considerable musical interest,
they have obviously been selected with an
eye towards demonstrating Souzay's grasp of
a remarkable span of languages and styles.
The singer rises to the occasion admirably,
and to American collectors one of the most
interesting aspects of the recital will be his
astoundingly authentic versions of two
American folk songs, The Nightingale and
I'm Goin' Away. The sound of the voice is
perhaps a bit too much with us on this
recording. Dalton Baldwin's accompaniC.L.O.
ments are all apt.
GALINA VISHNEVSKAYA: A Program
of Arias and Songs
Bellini: Norma: Casta diva. Beethoven:
SOLO MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE
Fidelio: Abscheulicher! Wo eilst du hin?
Verdi: La Forza del destino: Pace, pace, mio
Dio. Puccini: Manon Lescaut: Sola, perduta,
abbandonata. Boito: Mefistofele: L'altra
notte, in fondo al mare. Villa Lobos: Bachianas
Brasileiras No. S. Fauré: Après un rêve.
Debussy: Beau soir.
Buxtehude: Ich bin eine Blume zu Saron.
Bruhns: Mein Herz ist bereit. Neumark:
Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten; Schau,
mein allerliebster Gott. Bach: Songs from
Schemelli's "Musikalisches Gesangbuch."
Galina Vishnevskaya, soprano; Mstislav
Rostropovich, cello (in the Villa Lobos);
Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Boris Khaikin,
cond.
ARTIA ALP 157. LP. $4.98.
Various vocalists and instrumentalists.
CANTATE CAN 1112. LP. $5.95.
Perhaps Mme. Vishnevskaya's phenomenal
New York successes had led me to expect
rather too much from her; perhaps, too,
she is just one of those singers whose essential
qualities do not come over well on discs.
Certainly there are gratifying moments in
this recital. The soprano keeps a lovely line
moving through the Villa Lobos, floating
the high attacks beautifully and blending
well with the tone of her husband -cellist,
Mstislav Rostropovich. Throughout the
program, she displays a gleaming, well focused tone; the low voice is somewhat
detached, though she does not push it. She
has not quite got hold of the correct musical
approach to the Italian arias. In both the
"Casta diva" and the "L'altra notte ' she
tends to steer her voice from note to note
rather than treating turns or runs as entities,
she breaks them down into separate, carefully articulated components. The color
span is not wide, and the voice's caliber is
too light for a satisfying "Abscheulicher."
Her Fauré and Debussy songs are well done,
but are afflicted with an orchestral accompaniment and, like the Beethoven and
Boito arias, are sung in Russian. Accompaniments sag, and the sound is dull. C.L.O.
The Buxtehude, a cantata for bass, two
violins, and continuo to a text from the
Song of Songs, is sung by Hans -Olaf Hudemann, who employs with skill a voice of
attractive quality. In the Archive recording
of this work, however, Fischer -Dieskau
displays more musicality and greater variety
of color. Hudemann does justice to the
florid bass part of the "sacred concerto"
by Nikolaus Bruhns (1665- 1697). This
bright, affirmative piece has an elaborate
solo violin part, and the continuo is here
played on an organ. The two items by Georg
Neumark (1621 -1681) are strophic songs
with a prelude, interludes, and a postlude
played by recorders, violins, and continuo.
The pieces from Schemelli's Songbook,
which Bach seems to have had a hand in
arranging and some of which he may have
written, are for voice and continuo. They are
distributed here among four singers, of
whom Herta Flebbe, soprano, and Frauke
Haasemann, alto, perform especially pleasantly. The sound is good. No texts are supplied, and the Schemelli pieces are not
FOR "SOUND BUGS"
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Latest Medallion releases
in Percussive -Stereo
THE SOUND OF CHRISTMAS
Dick tly Palls
DECK THE HALLS: The Sound of
Christmas,
The Medallion Orchestra ii Chorus. The
joyful peal of bells; voices raised in simple carols; choristers inviting you to the
warmth of a candle- bright church; the
colorful strains of the village brass band.
MS 7512'
The Sound of HOLLYWOOD, The Medallion
Strings. Great themes from great movies
from the pictures you'll never stop
applauding.Themesfrom:The Sundowners
.
The
Alamo The Green Leaves of Summer
The World of Suzie
The Apartment
Midnight Lace
Never On Sunday
Wong
The Unforgiven Sons And Lovers Black
Orpheus
Place.
Spellbound
Picnic
A
Summer
MS
7513'
The Sound of LATIN BRASS,Tarragano and
his Orchestra. The pulsating excitement
of Latin America: sensuous rhythms; spar-
kling melodies; brilliantly colored orchesfeverish brass, soaring woodtration
winds, throbbing percussion. MS 7511'
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The Sound of
8
HANDS ON 4 PIANOS, The
Medallion Piano Quartet. From sonorous
chords to rippling arpeggios -and every
pianistic effect in between. The unusual
and inimitable sound of four great pianists each with 88 glorious keys of his
own on which to create excitement.
MS
PERCUSSIVE STRINGS,
7510'
Volume 2, Frank
Hunter and His Orchestra. High -flying
violins, mellow violas, throbbing cellos
a brilliant new chapter in The Sound of
Strings. Woven with infinite delicacy,
flamboyant contrasts and a harletuinade
MS 7509'
of sparkling colors.
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A MARCHING BAND (120
Cadence) Thundering drums, crashing
cymbals, blazing brass! A whole parade
of college and military marches! Includes:
Anchors
On Wisconsin
Roar Lion Roar
The Thunderer
76 Trombones
Aweigh
MS
7507'
Colonel Bogey and others.
The Sound of
A MINSTREL SHOW, MR.
The Medallion Minstrel
Men. All the nostalgia of the Good Old
so "live," you'll feel you're on
Days
a Mississippi stern -wheeler! Includes: Hot
Waiting
Time In The Old Town Tonight
For The Robert E. Lee When The Saints
Dixie and ethers.
Go Marching In
The Sound of
INTERLOCUTOR,
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MS
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AND
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TRACK
7
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CIRl.1.F.
DECEMBER 1960
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7506'
IN MONAURAL.
IPS STEREO TAPE
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Epic Records believes in the
exhilarating surprise of
music, those unique qualities
that renew classics, ignore
conventions. Listen to the
exquisite agility of
Arthur Grumiaux, the
soulful pulsation of
Herman Foster's jazz piano,
or the honky -tonk hilarity of
"Salvos from a Saloon."
This is the wonderful world
of music.. on Epic Records.
.
EPIC
CLASSICS...
II-
SCHERZOS NO. 1 IN B
CHOPIN: Volume
MINOR, NO. 4 IN E MAJOR; FANTASIE IN
F MINOR; MAZURKAS NO. 17 IN B FLAT
MINOR, NO. 51 IN A MINOR
Adam Harasiewicz, Pianist.
-
LC
3744 BC 1108*
TCHAIKOVSKY: VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D
MAJOR -Arthur Grumiaux, Violinist;
Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam,
Bernard Haitink, Conductor.
LC 3745z BC 1109*
JAZZ...
HAVE YOU HEARD HERMAN FOSTER
The strongly throbbing "soul" of jazz piano,
performed by master Herman Foster.
LA 16010 BA 17010*
BROADWAY...
ON THE TOWN WITH THE CLEVELAND POPS
-
Memorable dance sequences from Broadway's
most dazzling productions ( "Slaughter on
Tenth Avenue," "March of the Siamese
Children," several others) -Louis Lane,
Conductor.
LC 3743 BC 1107*
NOVELTY...
FROM BOWLING'S HALL OF FAME: JOE
WILMAN SHOWS YOU HOW TO BOWL YOUR
most comprehensive album of its
BEST
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kind, featuring step -by -step instructions.
LB 2700
SALVOS FROM A SALOON -Charlie Young and
his honky -tonk piano recall barroom spirits of
the musical kind.
LN
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INTERNATIONAL
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IRELAND, MY IRELAND -Eileen Donaghy,
a charming thrush whose lilting rapport with
the music of her country has made her
prominent throughout Europe, is soon to make
a long- awaited debut in America.
LF 18004
NOW AVAILABLE ON
FOUR-TRACK
STEREOPHONIC TAPE...
GOODIES BUT GASSERS -Lee Castle
and the
Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. EN 605
HITS FROM THE HILLS -Merrill Staton Choir.
EN 606
R. STRAUSS: TILL EULENSPIEGEL'S MERRY
PRANKS; DON JUAN; DEATH AND
TRANSFIGURATION -The Cleveland Orchestra,
George Szell, Conductor. EC 805
DVORAK SYMPHONY NO. 4 IN G MAJOR
The Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell,
Conductor. EC 806
Stereorama
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CIRCLE 46 ON READER- sI:It%ICF: (:.titi)
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JD'
1
POPULAR
THEATRE
FOLK
A Chansonnier
Who Does More Than Emote
"American Debut." Jacques
Brel, guitar; Orchestra.
Columbia WL 175, $4.98 (LP); WS 324, $5.98 (SD).
of popular song, European audiences
demand far more of a top artist than do their AmeriNTHE
can counterparts. To engulf himself in applause, our
Elvis need only bark out another chorus of Hound
Dawg; on a higher, cooler plane, Sinatra and Nat Cole
build their reputations upon someone else's melodies,
someone else's lyrics. But Continental usage exacts a
higher price for stardom: the candidate must create as
well as emote. By and large the best European singers
are more than capable of meeting the challenge. Charles
Trenet, for example, is the author as well as the finest
singer of the lovely La Mer; Domenico Modugno composed his own greatest hit, Volare; Edith Piaf contributed the lyrics to La Vie en rose; and Maurice
I
REALM
DECEMBER 1960
Chevalier did the same for his rollicking Place Pigalle.
A new and shining example of the singer -composer,
Belgian out of Brussels-has recently
Jacques Brel
burst upon the Paris firmament. His clever La Valse á
milk temps, currently enjoying an enormous vogue in
Europe, leads off a fine Columbia release that features
Brel singing a dozen of his own compositions. As a vocalist, Brel possesses all the necessary equipment -in
spades. His baritone is sure and resonant; his phrasing,
enunciation, and ability to etch an emotion are equally
superb.
Still, as with Trenet, Brel is first of all a poet: this collection of his songs echoes- incompletely, to be sure
the wry, melancholic virtuosity of Jacques Prevert.
-a
-
87
Consider this excerpt from Seul: "There are two of us,
my love, /And love sings and laughs, /But at the close of
day /In the bed of boredom /Each of us is alone again."
Again, in the best chansonnier tradition, the young
Belgian can also wield the lash of satire. His La Dame
patronesse, for instance, neatly eviscerates grand ladies
who dabble in charity: "To make a good charity worker,/
Knit everything a dirty goose -gray color, /So that on
Sundays at High Mass /You can recognize your own
cases." This is a fresh and formidable talent. Light
and shadow-but mostly shadow- flicker across his
melodies, and his cadenced French lyrics are a joy both
to the ear and to the intellect.
Translations, but no texts, grace the album sleeve,
and Columbia's engineers have acquitted themselves
nobly. Since Brel accompanies himself upon the guitar
in most selections, the stereo edition offers only limited
O.B.B.
advantages vis-à-vis its mono sibling.
Viennese Melody Styled by
Maestro Mantovani
"Operetta Memories." Mantovani and His Orchestra.
London LL 3181, $3.98 (LP); PS 202, $4.98 (SD).
OCONDUCTOR OR ARRANGER Of light popular music
a bigger stir with the public than
N has ever raised
the Italian -born English maestro who calls himself
Mantovani. He has made a formidable number of recordings, tackling everything from ballet and opera to the
music of Herbert, Romberg, and Friml, and being
damned or praised with equal vehemence for his arrangements and orchestral stylings.
In the early days of LP, Mantovani made a recording
of Strauss waltzes which I remember as being something
slightly less than echt Viennese in style and which for
me was not a happy augury for this new issue of "Operetta Memories," particularly since all the selections
here are the work of Viennese operetta composers. To
my great delight I discovered that Mantovani has
considerably curbed his former annoying excesses (especially in the matter of those cascading strings), added
a strong brass section which gives the orchestra a better
balance, and paid attention to the appropriate style.
In my opinion he has produced his finest album to date.
If these performances do not have all the lilt that
Viennese orchestras convey, they have more Schaum
than the Germans usually manage and less than the
French whip up in their determination to make the
music sound like the work of Offenbach or Lecocq.
The arrangements are on the elaborate side, but not
excessively so. (I question, however, some of the instrumentation: much use is made of the accordion, and
while this is acceptable in the reprise of the famous waltz
from The Merry Widow, it is less so in Kalman's Komm
Zigany where it quite fails to create either the tonal
color or aural excitement of the cymbalom.) Except
for the excessively slow tempo adopted for Oscar Straus's
waltz My Hero from The Chocolate Soldier, the waltzes
and there are a goodly number -go with a nice swing.
In the bigger fantasias the Mantovani orchestra is seldom
less than superb, although personally I reserve my highest praise for the wonderfully delicate performances of
Lehár's Serenade from Frasquita and the charming number Oh Maiden, My Maiden from the same composer's
-
Frederika.
I confess to being quite puzzled by one item in the
program, for unless I am greatly mistaken what Mantovani calls The Gypsy Baron Waltz (subtitled Your Eyes
Shine in My Own) is nothing more than an adaptation of
Josef Strauss's Music of the Spheres waltz. I have seen a
good many productions of The Gypsy Baron, and have,
on occasion, heard other Strauss items interpolated, but
never this one by Josef. I might mention too, that in a
number of instances the selections are rather mislead-
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
88
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ingly listed, both The Gypsy Princess Waltz and The
Count of Luxembourg Waltz turning out to be potpourris
of a number of songs from each operetta.
The album itself is a most handsome presentation,
complete with pictures of the conductor and reasonably
good liner notes. The latter's references to the London
productions, London casts, and English librettists will
mean very little to American readers, however.
On both versions the London sound is nothing short
of miraculous, but interestingly enough for different
reasons. The mono edition carries the typical London
bloom, a rich, warm, resonant sound that calls for little
if any correction. The violin tone is crisp but not edgy,
the brass sonorous but never strident, and a reasonable
and happy balance exists throughout. On the stereo
Musical Sense
version I found that some treble roll -off was necessary
to keep the violins from becoming uncomfortably keen
and that a slight boosting of the bass added considerably
to the over -all sound. The really impressive quality of
this version, though, is the tremendous spaciousness of
the sound, which seems literally to envelop the listener.
The entire orchestral sound is so beautifully melded
that it is only by very concentrated listening that one
can pinpoint the position of any instrument. Brass are
left of center and well to the rear, strings evenly split
on either side, the accordion right and up front, with
bells and celeste also right but fairly well back. An excellent test band is the excerpt from Frederika on which
practically every instrument of the orchestra is at work.
J.F.I.
from Spectacular Sounds
"Latin Percussion." David Carroll and His
Orchestra.
lfercury PPS 2000, $4.98 (LP); PPS 6000, $5.98 (SD).
that the present vogue for exaggeratedly stereoistic "provocative /persuasive" percussion- dominated spectaculars should have been launched
by one of the smaller, experimental- minded recording
companies than that the major labels should trail so
far behind in the bandwagon rush to match Command
Records' pace -setting best sellers. Yet despite the greater
resources and experience of the big companies and
despite the fact that many of them had earlier produced
such triumphs of transient -response technology as RCA
S
LESS SURPRISING
Victor's Dick Schory Percussion -Ensemble series, most
of their current attempts to capitalize on the new vogue
have been ineffectual.
Hence there is special interest in the debut disc of a
not extravagantly named "Perfect Presence Sound"
series with which Mercury establishes itself as the first
of the majors to break this jinx. The general format is
imitative, with the now obligatory double -folder album
and detailed personnel and technical notes (augmented
DECEMBER 1960
here by uncommonly precise descriptions of the multiple
mike placements), and the program materials themselves
are conventional enough in the choice of brightly colored,
antiphonally arranged Latin- American dances and pop
standards in Latin stylings. But where Carroll's scorings
and performances are outstanding is in their expressive
pertinency, their tastefulness, restraint, and variety;
and the present ultrabrilliant technology is distinctive
in achieving not only gleaming transparency but also
an almost palpably solid and vital sonic authenticity.
Carroll's eighteen -man band (of earlier "Let's Dance"
fame) is smaller than most of those mustered especially
for spectaculars and it depends less exclusively on offbeat
percussive effects, but it plays with more relaxed and
resilient rapport, blending and differentiating its coloristic resources with more imaginative sensibility and zest.
For once even an accordion and Hammond organ are
employed with discretion and point, and there are extremely effective contrasts between big shouting -brass
89
passages and those for lyrical woodwinds, or between
the hard clatter of bongos and xylophone and the crisp
pulse of maracas or the liquid flow of marimba. Even the
novel stunt of having a string bass fingered by one player
while another taps the strings with drumsticks is exploited with genuine musical appeal.
As always, the recorded sound qualities themselves,
here almost as lucid and substantial in monophony as
they are in stereo, can be no more than vaguely suggested
verbally: it is only in direct listening that one can fully
"Ferrante and Teicher Themes from Broadway Shows." Arthur Ferrante and Louis
Teicher, pianos. ABC Paramount ABC
336, $3.98 (LP); ABCS 336, $4.98 (SD).
Ferrante and Teicher, high priests of piano
gadgetry, have discarded their usual (or
unusual) additional musical accouterments
of thumb tacks, paper, rubber, wood, and
metal and settled down to playing their
instruments straight. Frankly, I prefer
them in this role. The gimmicks were fun,
in a way, but they tended to obscure the
fact that this is one of the best two -piano
teams in the country. Dressed up in neat
twin -piano arrangements of the pair's own
devising, here are ten songs from Broadway
shows, plus two original compositions, Broadway After Dark and Curtain Going Up. As
composers, the team have caught the aura
of excitement that pervades the theatrical
scene; and as pianists, they brilliantly project
it. I have not heard the stereo issue, but the
mono has notably fine piano sound. J.F.I.
"Songs of Two Rebellions." Ewan MacColl; Peggy Seeger, guitar and banjo.
Folkways FW 8756, $5.95 (LP).
The tides of Scottish patriotism came to
flood in 1745 when Bonnie Prince Charlie
sailed back from French exile to lead the
clans in a reckless, near- successful revolt
against English power. But after their first
spectacular victories, the outnumbered and
outgunned Scots fell back before the hammer blows of the English. Out of this lost
cause came a cluster of folk ballads second
to none in our language. Folkways here
presents a full selection of them, including
the original Charlie Is My Darling-a far
better ballad than Charles Stuart ever was
a prince. The stark, granitic voice of Ewan
MacColl, softened by Peggy Seeger's velvety string accompaniments, is the perfect
vehicle for these lays of "old, forgotten, far off things and battles long ago." Somewhat
muffled sound is offset by a splendid booklet
containing notes, texts, and glossaries.
O.B.B.
"Bongos, Flutes, Guitars." Los Admiradores. Command RS 33812, $4.98 (LP);
RS 812 SD, $5.98 (SD).
Despite the title, flutes and guitars play a
relatively minor role here, but this virtuosic
realize their vivid presence, cleanly defined contours,
and dramatic vitality. You must hear for yourself what
Carroll, his sidemen, and Mercury's engineers do here,
both in jaunty fast pieces (Heartaches and Everything's
Coming Up Roses rhumbas, By Heck cha -cha, etc.) and
in atmospheric slow rhumbas (The Breeze and I, Bésame
Mucho, and Incertidumbre), to appreciate just how
profitably they all have taken to heart the injunction of
the leader's namesake -"Take care of the sense, and the
sounds will take care of themselves!"
R.D.D.
seven -man group proves how skillfully
Latin- American drums can be played at
their best and Command's engineers demonstrate how good these can sound in fabulously clean and authentic recording. And
there are more than percussive merits here
too: Stanley Webb confirms one's earlier
impressions of an uncommonly lyrical and
versatile soloist (on the alto flute and various
reed instruments), and except for occasional
touches of overfanciness Lew Davies' arrangements are delightfully imaginative. All
are fascinatingly scored and superbly recorded-in mono scarcely less impressively
than in stereo.
R.D.D.
1....
sounded examples, either as models or for
play -along support, prove anew what surprisingly expressive resources are commanded by the humble, but so convenient
and versatile, mouth organ.
R.D.D.
"Songs of the Olympic Years 1896 -1960."
Olympic Festival Orchestra, Jon Kern,
cond. 20th Century Fox 3042, $3.98 (LP).
For this ingenious musical marathon, someone has had the happy idea of unearthing
fourteen songs popular with the citizens of
those towns which have played host to the
Olympic Games since their revival in 1896.
If, as might be expected, the program is
something of a hodgepodge of international
music, it is seldom dull. One surprising aspect
of this collection is the sturdiness of the older
numbers. The Athenian hit of 1896, Olympiaki
Panigyris, may have vanished, but Je Cherche
après Titine (1900) and Mon Homme (1924)
are still great Parisian favorites, Cohan's
Give My Regards to Broadway (1904) is now
something of an American classic, and The
Swedish Sailor (1912) may be heard today in
the provincial music halls of England under
its Anglicized title of All the Nice Girls Love a
Sailor. The athletic feats of Jesse Owens at
Berlin in 1936 may, at the time, have overshadowed Peter Kreuder's Sag' Beim Abschied Leise Servus, but it's still a German
favorite. I think it would have been better
to have presented these songs in the musical
style of their day instead of in modern dance
tempos, but the performances have tremendous élan and the recorded sound is exceptionally brilliant.
J.F.I.
"Dancing Alone Together." Ray Anthony
and His Orchestra. Capitol T 1420, $3.98
(LP); ST 1420, $4.98 (SD).
Capitol, which already has two of the most
luxuriant -sounding pop orchestras in the
groups headed by Jackie Gleason and Paul
Weston, makes it a threesome with the rcorganized Ray Anthony band. The brassiness
and heavy, insistent beat of earlier Anthony
orchestras have all but vanished, to be replaced by a rich, mellow orchestral sound that
comes from a greatly augmented string section in which the cellos are accorded special
prominence. Against this glowing orchestral
fabric, even the Anthony trumpet solos
seem much less strident than of old, and the
dreamy tempo adopted for this program of
sultry serenades enhances their intimate
overtones. The stereo sound is some of the
finest I have yet heard from Capitol. J. F. I.
"Anyone Can Play the Harmonica." Alan
Schackner. Epic 5LN 3730, $5.98 (LP).
This is one of the best "instruction" discs
I have ever encountered, particularly enticing in that it includes an actual instrument
(an imported Hohner "Marine Band" ten hole, twenty -note blow- and -draw harmonica) as well as a twelve -page booklet of directions and music. Years ago I was converted to
the joys of harmonica playing through participation in a little ensemble in which I laboriously tooted a rather different blow -only
type of bass instrument. I never dared
tackle a melody harmonica then, but I certainly would have if I had had so patient
and explicit an instructor as Alan Schackner
proves to be in the present recording. His
-j
"Conversations with the Guitar." Laurindo
Almeida, guitar; Salli Terri, mezzo. Capitol P 8532, $4.98 (LP); SP 8532, $5.98
(SD).
Anyone who has already explored the enchanted musical ground of Laurindo Almeida's and Salli Terri's "For My True
Love" will need no second invitation to run,
not walk, to his dealer for this delightful
sequel. The disciplined poignance of Almeida's guitar dominates a haunting program that ranges from a Spanish cradle song
to works of Debussy and Villa Lobos. Miss
Terri's rich mezzo embroiders the uniformly
Continued on page 92
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
90
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DECEMBER 1960
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91
striking lyrics, and a flute, clarinet, and viola
interweave with the guitar to create fascinating effects that lie somewhere between
chamber music and a cuadro flamenco.
While the mono edition is faultless, the separation and depth of stereo add a new
dimension of verisimilitude.
O.B.B.
Here The
"An Enchanted Evening on Broadway."
To JUDGE from the small number of new
Christmas recordings which have come
my way this season, record companies intend
to give the entire Yuletide disc business a
New Look. In previous years the sheer
quantity of new Christmas releases simply
created an embarrassment -and not always
of riches -for a bewildered public. There
will be no such profusion of new records this
year. The emphasis, rather, will be on the
proven best -selling Christmas discs already
to the catalogues.
Of new issues sent me for review, Angel
is represented with "Christmas Carols,"
sung by the Temple Church Choir of
London (Angel 35834). Most of the selections are familiar enough (although not
always in these settings), but some will be
quite new to many listeners. A special delight is the charming Basque carol Gabriel's
Message, with its almost Sullivanesque lilt.
The choral work is in the proper English
church tradition, a little on the staid side.
The men choristers are in good voice, but
the boy members of the choir are disappointing, and Robin Lough's solo in Three Kings
is very weak. The recorded sound is good,
although there appears to have been little
effort made to exploit the full possibilities
of stereo in the two -channel version.
In "Joy to the World" (Columbia CL
1528) Earl Wrightson joins Andre Kostelanetz, his orchestra and chorus, in a mixed
concert of vocal and orchestral Christmas
music. This is a very attractive disc, thanks
to the excellence of the vocal work of
Wrightson and the chorus in the carols (all
old favorites) and to Kostelanetz's sure
handling of the various short orchestral
pieces. The latter include Victor Herbert's
March of the Toys and Toyland, Anderson's
Sleigh Ride, and Waldteufel's Skaters' Waltz
in an orchestral transcription by Toscanini.
Also from Columbia comes "Carols for
Christmas" (Columbia ML 5565) featuring
Eileen Farrell, with orchestra and chorus
under the direction of Luther Henderson.
Miss Farrell has not been particularly adventurous here, except for Snow in the
Street and Song of the Crib confining herself
to fourteen of the most popular Christmas
carols. She makes a most beautiful sound
throughout the program, but I had the impression that she was being rather restrained
and careful in many of these performances.
Very fine backing from the Henderson -led
orchestra and chorus, and superb sound.
RCA Victor's sole contribution to the
Christmas scene this year is "The Sound of
Children at Christmas" (RCA Victor LPM
2254) which features Hugo and Luigi with
Their Children's Chorus. There is tremendous youthful spontaneity and enthusiasm
in the work of this group of youngsters, and
V
they are, very clearly, an extremely well drilled chorus. Traditional carols alternate
with popular Christmas songs in a neatly
arranged program, well recorded.
Capitol has come up with a sing -along
Christmas disc in "Sing the Songs of Christmas" (Capitol STAO 1443). Here Guy
Lombardo leads his Royal Canadians and
one hundred children from St. Patrick's
Parish in Stoneham, Mass., in a community
sing of Yuletide favorites. Carols take up
one side of the record with Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer, Here Comes Santa Claus,
and similar popular seasonal songs on the
overside. The singing is robust, uninhibited,
and obviously quite unrehearsed, and it is
these qualities, plus good spirits, that produce a fine little record.
The only organ recording of Christmas
music this year comes from Virgil Fox at
the organ of the Riverside Church in New
York. On "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing"
(Capitol P 8531) the organist gives virtuosic
performances of some really excellent music.
Particularly felicitous are his versions of the
four sections of Jean Langlais's La Nativité,
Greensleeves, and O Sanctissima, the latter
with its use of harp, celeste, and carillon
being particularly outstanding.
In "The Last Month of the Year"
(Capitol ST 1446) The Kingston Trio has
abandoned its usual commercial high jinks
to present, in excellent style, the most
unusual collection of Christmas songs I have
encountered this year. Carols or songs from
Puerto Rico, England, the Orient, Israel,
and our own country, some never before
recorded, have been collected and arranged
by the Trio and are sung with devotion and
a rare awareness of their beauty. It is a pity
that Capitol could not have given this
beautiful disc a more attractive sleeve than
the strictly commercial cover provided.
Because it appeared here only a few days
before Christmas 1959, the magnificent
London stereo record "A Festival of Lessons
and Carols" (London OS 25119) went
almost unnoticed. Attention is drawn to it
now as the most remarkable example of
choral singing of Christmas music available
on records. Nowhere will you find anything
to match the ethereal beauty of the boys'
voices heard on this disc, nor the wondrous
sound compounded by the entire male
choir of King's College Chapel, Cambridge.
Just as spectacular is London's stereo sound,
which, starting with the far -off sound of
voices in the processional hymn Once in
Royal David's City and ending with the
joyful strains of Hark, the Herald Angels
Sing, presents the entire atmosphere of the
traditional religious service in amazingly
realistic sound of remarkable dimensions.
JOHN F.INDCOx
-
Earl Wrightson; Orchestra, Norman
Paris, cond. Columbia CL 1519, $3.98
(LP); CS 8319, $4.98 (SD).
Much of the enchantment of this particular
evening can be attributed to Earl Wright son's willingness to explore the substrata of
musical show scores, and unearth a number
of golden musical nuggets. If the inclusion
of Some Enchanted Evening is an understandable concession to the title of the record,
the remainder of his program is certainly
on the unconventional side. It includes such
fine, but often neglected, songs as Weill's
Lost in the Stars, Arlen's Right as the Rain,
and two Arthur Schwartz beauties
There Is Someone Lovelier Than You and I'll
Buy You a Star. The Loewe songs from My
Fair Lady are passed over in favor of They
Call the Wind Maria and I Still See Elisa,
both from Paint Your Wagon. The choice of
Our Language of Love from Irma La Douce
is the most interesting obeisance to the current Broadway scene. All these songs are
ideally suited to the singer's virile baritone
voice, and it is his stimulating performances
that create the additional enchantment.
-If
J.F.I.
1
"Sound Off!: Marches of Sousa." Eastman
Wind Ensemble, Frederick Fennell, cond.
Mercury MG 50264, 54.98 (LP).
Third in what is now promised to be a complete series of Sousa marches, this disc repeats
the executant and technological successes
of the earlier releases. Programmatically, it is
perhaps even more stimulating in that it includes such less familiar pieces as the swirling
Gallant Seventh, cheerful Solid Men to the
Front, and a very early (1879), quite Straus sian, Our Flirtations. My only criticisms are
that a rather dull -toned chime is used in
The Liberty Bell and the highs are so ultra brilliantly recorded that they seem almost
glassily hard. In every other respect, however, this is a disc no Sousa -or Fennelladmirer can afford to miss. Although I
haven't yet heard the stereo version, I find
it hard to imagine that it can be very much
more dramatically broadspread than the
present LP.
R.D.D.
"Songs of Sunny Italy." Frank Chacksfield
and His Orchestra. Richmond B 20080,
$1.98 (LP); S 30080, $2.98 (SD).
Skillfully mingling a few traditional Italian
airs (O Sole Mio, Ciribiribin, Funiculi Funicula) with some recent popular canzones
( Volare, Come Prima, Ciao Ciao Bambino),
Signor Chacksfield has concocted a most
enticing olla podrida. All the warmth and
gaiety of these delightful numbers is brilliantly realized in the idiomatic arrangements and the decidedly lush orchestral
performances. There is an additional and
compelling asset in the very excellent sound.
J.F.I.
"Miriam Makeba." Miriam Makeba; BelaLfonte Folk Singers; Perry Lopez, guitar.
RCA Victor LPM 2267, $3.98 (LP).
When you lift your pickup from the final
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
92
www.americanradiohistory.com
groove of this outstanding record, you are
likely to pause and ponder about Miriam
Makeba, a Xosa tribeswoman who managed
to elude South Africa's apartheid. She is a
singer of superb artistry, but her left- handed
attempts to cater to American audiences on
this disc draw no water: an essay into calypso
is merely precious, and her House of the
Rising Sun is ill -advised. But when she sings
of Africa she will stir something deep inside
you. I was particularly moved by the complex ironies of Retreat Song and the lament
Olilili, which makes the sharply focused
O.B.B.
impact of classical tragedy.
IBongos Plus Brass." Hugo Montenegro
and His Orchestra. Time S 2014, $5.98
(SD).
Unimpressed by Montenegro's previous
string-dominated arrangements and performances, I was quite unprepared for the
bold ingenuities he brings here to a rollicking Hall of the Mountain King and the
bouncing Cottontail and Taking the "A"
Train. He depends more than Command's
Lew Davies on unusual effects, but the best
of these are uncommonly interesting: the
tuned steel drums in Heat Wave, the whistle like combination of celesta and Harmon muted trumpets in The Peanut Vendor, and
the nervously eccentric buzzimba in Lover.
Both his twenty -man brass section, featuring a fine French horn choir and tuba
player, and his seven -man percussion group,
six of them engaging in an energetic bongo
battle in Limehouse Blues, are ultracleanly
and brilliantly recorded throughout, if in a
rather dryer acoustical ambience than I
R.D.D.
prefer.
"Wild Is Love." Nat King Cole; Nelson
Riddle and His Orchestra. Capitol WAK
1392, $5.98 (LP); SWAK 1392, $6.98
(SD).
In his jacket notes, Cole seems to suggest
that the idea behind this narrated -sung
scena is an original one. Perhaps he has
forgotten the recording Judy Garland made
(The Letter) along the same lines and for the
same company about two years ago, and he
may have overlooked Manhattan Tower,
which, though more impersonal in content,
was similar in conception. A less versatile
and experienced singer than Cole would have
had rough going with this material, which is
outstanding neither lyrically nor melodically. But with his splendid performances
of the ballads, torch songs, blues, and uptempo numbers written for him and with
wonderful support from the Nelson Riddle
band, Cole succeeds in making this all
sound far more interesting than it actually
is. Capitol has given this presentation the
de luxe treatment, a twenty -four page,
double -fold brochure with stunning color
photographs illustrating the various episodes
of the recorded love tale. It is being sold
at a bargain -price for a limited time only.
J.F.I.
"The Icelandic Singers." Sigurdur Thor
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CIRCLE 87 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
DECEMBER 1960
93
repertory is in the American -European vein
and their virile, disciplined delivery reflects
the great tradition of Continental choruses.
Sigurdur Thordarson displays taste and control as he guides his two -score men through
a program running from Icelandic folk
songs through a solemn Kyrie, an Italian
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If you listen
"Irma La Douce."
ROS AT THE OPERA
Edmundo Ros and His Orchestra. Toreador Song (Carmen);
The Quartet (Rigolettol; Intermezzo (Covallerio Rusticonol; Coro Nome (Rigoletto), Flower Song (Faust);
Drinking Song (La Troviatal; others.
PS 157
to the critics...
you'll listen to
HOLLYWOOD ALMANAC
Fronk Chacksfleld and HIs Orchestra. The Continental;
Lullaby Of Broadway; The Way You Look Tonight; Sweet
Leitani; Thanks For The Memory; Over The Rainbow;
When You Wish
Paris; others.
Upon A Star;
The
Lost
Time
I
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(2 records) PSA 3201
MORE ROS ON BROADWAY
(Latin American Tempos for Dancing). Edmundo Ros and
His Orchestra. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top; I've
Grown Accustomed To Her Face; Cent Magnifique; This
Nearly Was Mine; I've Got The Sun In The Morning. Just
In Time; How Are Things In Glocca Morro?; Carousel
Woltz; Wish You Were Here; You're Just In Love; If
Loved You; Shall We Dance?
PS 173
STEREO
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OPERETTA MEMORIES
Mantovani and His Orchestra.
"Die Fledermous" Overture;
Waltzes from "Gypsy Love," "The Merry Widow" and
"The Gypsy Princess ..; My Hero from
The Chocolate
Soldier "; Your Eyes Shine In My Own from The Gypsy
Baron'', others.
PS 202
FRIML AND ROMBERG IN CUBAN MOONLIGHT
Stanley Block, Piano, with Latin American Rhythms.
Friml: Sympathy; Love Everlasting; Indian Love Call; Rose
Marie; Gionnino Mitt; Donkey Serenade. Romberg: Romance; Wanting You; One Kiss; Lover, Come Back To
Me; Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise Serenade (from
"The Student Prince ").
PS 191
IN CONCERT
Ted Heath and His Music. Wailin' Boot; Bag's Groove;
Doodlin'; Exactly Like Your Baby Blue; Perdido; Woody&
You; Round About Midnight. BEAULIEU FESTIVAL SUITE:
Hunting Scene; Vintage Veterans; Beaulieu Abbey; Montagu Manner.
PS 187
TED HEATH
pat id Hall.
Record Editor,
Irving Kolodin,
Music Editor,
Stereo
4VDON
Saturday Review
POPULAR SUGGESTIONS
ffss
RECORDS
THE AMERICAN SCENE
Mantovani and His Orchestra. The Music of Stephen
Foster: My Old Kentucky Home; Comptown Races: I
Dream 01 Jeanie; Old Folks At Home; Ring De Banjo:
Beautiful Dreamer. The Music of 19th Century Americo:
Home On The Range; GrondloIher's Clock; Turkey In The
Straw; Yellow Rose Of Texas; Goodnight, Irene; Just
A- Wearyin' For You.
Royal Netherlands Navy. Epic LN 3736,
$3.98 (LP).
A maverick release if there ever was one.
This fine Dutch ensemble seems to have
hired itself out to American entrepreneurs
to provide the mostly first (and probably
only) recordings of arrangements and originals by Glenn Osser, Bernard Green, Philip
J. Lang, and Frank Cofield. Some of these
are obviously radio and TV potboilers (like
Green's U. S. Steel Suite and Osser's Studio
One); Lang's Sea Suite sounds like a novelty
piece with comic effects for high school
band use; still others must be leftover
scraps from an arranger's notebook. But if
the materials themselves are overfancy, the
Netherlanders' straight -faced performances
are extraordinarily good and recorded with
such notable brilliance and naturalness that
the conics are outstanding in mono and must
be even more impressive in a simultaneously
released stereo edition which has not yet
reached me. In view of the music he has to
cope with, however, I'm not at all surprised
that the Marine Band's conductor prefers to
remain anonymous.
R.D.D.
full frequency stereophonic sound
Write for free complete catalog.
Dept. DS, 539 W. 25th St., N.Y.C.
PS 182
Jo Basile, His Accordion
and Orchestra. Audio Fidelity AFSD
5949, $6.95 (SD).
Pending the arrival of the original cast
recording of Broadway's newest musical hit,
Irma La Douce, this orchestra recording of
Marguerite Monnot's haunting score can be
confidently recommended. The Jo Basile
accordion and bal musette orchestra are perfect interpreters of this characteristically
low -life Parisian music, and their unpretentious performances succeed in capturing its
wry, mocking flavor superbly. Audio Fidelity has given these artful performances an
exciting stereo sound, and for those who
prefer not to be bothered with lyrics, this
recording should prove a rare treat.
J.F.I.
"Girl in
a Hot Steam Bath." Jean Carroll.
Columbia CL 1511, $3.98 (LP); CS 8311,
$4.98 (SD).
Genuinely funny comediennes are rare, but
Miss Carroll merits a place in this (WAC)
corporal's guard. A skilled monologist who
apparently enjoys her material as much as
her audience does, she focuses upon the
foibles of her sex -and their domestic machinations-with a wit more gentle than devastating. Her humor is a bit parochial
knowledge of New York and its folkways
being assumed -but outlanders will quickly
savvy the patter attending the purchase of a
mink coat (wholesale), a night out with
hubby, and life in the suburbs. Miss Carroll's chief charm lies in her wholly feminine,
wholly "un- sick" point of view. For women,
this recording will be an old home week of
inside humor; for men, a chuckle -laden
glimpse into the mysteries of distaff psychology.
O.B.B.
-a
CIRCLE 74 ON READER- SERVICE CARD
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
94
www.americanradiohistory.com
"Walk, Don't Run." The Ventures. Dolton BLP 2003, $3.98 (LP); BST 8003,
$4.98 (SD).
Here is the real McCoy in rock 'n' roll,
though it's served up without the usual
vocalizations. The Ventures are an ensemble
of three (obviously electronic) guitars
backed up by a drummer who seems scarcely
needed since this kind of guitar playing
not more than
and close miking has all
enough of-the percussive elements one
could want. Much listening to these heavy
slapping, clunking, throbbing, and whining
string qualities is likely to be intolerable to
any but tough adolescent ears; yet when the
boys get out of their plodding rut to infuse
their country -style materials with genuine
gusto (as they do in the title song, a vibrant
Trespassing, and a very odd Caravan),
LNo
they can be lots of fun. Even more amazingly, if only momentarily, they prove
themselves capable of an eloquently nosR.D.D.
talgic poetry in Sleep Walk.
-if
40V
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64,01Aoltzt.e<. a4
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"Lyrics for Lovers." Dirk Bogarde; Eric
Rogers Orchestra. London LL 3187,
$3.98 (LP).
Sarah Bernhardt is said to have been able to
make her recital of the alphabet a moving
experience, and in the old days many an
eye was moistened when Belle Baker merely
spoke the words of My Yiddishe Momma.
Dirk Bogarde's spoken recital of the lyrics
of a dozen well -known songs against the
quietly played background of their melodies
won't produce quite that effect, but you will
probably experience a pleasant, warm glow
as his beautifully modulated voice, clear
diction, and unerring sense of projection
give these familiar lyrics a quite unexpected
beauty. Bogarde creates a whole series of
moods in the course of his program; the
intimacy of The Way You Look Tonight,
the despair of Can't We Be Friends, the recollection of These Foolish Things are merely
J.F.I.
three of its fascinating highlights.
"Moshi- Moshi." Bob Kojima and His Orchestra. ABC Paramount ABC 328, 13.98
V (LP).
The expression "moshi-moshi," contrary to
the album notes, occupies a curious niche in
Japanese usage-one that is a regretful comment upon the widely recognized fallibility
of the Japanese telephone system. In a
Japanese telephone conversation, the nontalker repeats "moshi-moshi" at intervals;
when the "moshi- moshis" stop, the talker
knows that -once again-he has been cut off.
No one is likely to cut off the strains of
Bob Kojima's happy blend of traditional
Nipponese tonalities and jazz techniques,
however. Beneath his baton, trumpet and
samisen weave a delightful spell. The songs
are all prime Japanese favorites, and old
Occupation hands will especially welcome the
lovely Nangoku Tosa. Fine sound. O.B.B.
"Scandinavian Dances." Henry Hansen and
His Orchestra. Vox VX 26220, $3.98 (LP).
Why dances from the frozen Northland
should reflect unadulterated sunshine and
gaiety must remain a Freudian paradox, but
Henry Hansen and his merry Vikings will
strike a responsive chord in anyone's breast
-and feet -with this effervescent recital.
Polkas, waltzes, mazurkas succeed each other
in a cascade of golden rhythms framed in
O.B.B.
clean, sharp sound.
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CIRCLE 60 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
DECEMBER 1960
95
"The Breeze and I." (The Music of Le-
4
A SPECTACULAR
NEW IDEA
IN STEREO
must hear it... to believe it!
You
DOUBLE
RANK
EXPOSURES
MANNY ALBAM AND HIS STEREORCHESTRA
12 GREAT CONTRAPUNTAL*
RENDITIONS
(2 compatible melodies played simultaneously)
Jersey Bounce
I Found A
Million Dollar Baby
Undecided This Can't
Take The
Craay Rhythm
Be Lore
"A" Train Exactly Like
You
lada It's A Wonderful World
Blue Moon Mountain Greenery
Opus
Sweet Sue Honeysuckle Rose
I Let A
Song Go Oul of My Heart
Don I Oct Around Much Anymore
You're Daring Me Crecy
Moten Swing
Perdido You Can Depend On Me
1
monophonic or stereophonic
TOP RANK
complete record
gift catalog
SPECIAL
DECEMBER
CHRISTMAS
ISSUE
NOW AT YOUR
RECORD DEALERS!
addition to all the regular features, the
December issue of the Schwann Record
Catalog contains a special section with a
full listing of Christmas music. Listing over
25,000 stereo and monaural records,
In
"gift" catalog to shop for
every music lover on your list!
Schwann is the
schwann
O N G
O R
P
D
L
"On the Accordion." Myron Floren, ac-
"Jealousy." Percy Faith and His Orchestra.
Columbia CL 1501, $3.98 (LP); Colum-
cordion. Brunswick BL 54053, $3.98
(LP).
Expert and breezy performances, by the
country's outstanding accordionist, of a gay
collection of rollicking polkas, bustling
schottisches, and pleasant, easy-tempoed
waltzes. Floren never tries to turn the program into a virtuoso's field day, but treats
this basically simple folk music with commendable good taste and unlimited gusto.
Old American favorites share the program
with music from Sweden and Germany,
making this an international potpourri that
devotees of these most athletic of dance
forms will find irresistible.
J.F.I.
bia CS 8292, $4.98 (SD).
The individual and unstereotyped touches
that Percy Faith uses in his arrangements of
these standards give them a fresh appeal
and rescue them from the realm of the overfamiliar. In Temptation it is a touch of Liszt,
in Begin the Beguine a hint of Ravel; while a
suggestion of David Rose creeps into Dancing on the Ceiling- indications enough that
Faith avoids the usual arranging clichés.
Nine other numbers, all in distinctly personal Faith settings, fill out the program,
which is superbly performed under the arranger's direction. The SD has a more
capacious spread of sound than the LP.
J.F.I.
"Martin Denny's Exotic Sounds Visit
CIRCLE 69 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
R E C
(SD).
The Ros orchestra, with its steady and accurate beat, its clean and generally authentic
orchestrations, plus a musical tidiness that is
quite unique in this sort of music, is still the
finest dispenser of Latin -American dance
music on records. The new release is an admirable collection of sambas, rhumbas,
cha -cha -chas and pasodobles (does anyone
still dance a pasodoble in this country ?),
some taken from the South American catalogue, others composed by European musicians. But nowhere will you find the sort of
monstrosity that finds its way into so many
similar recordings. The London stereo sound,
which gives the band plenty of "air" but no
exaggerated separation, is quite faultless.
J.F.I.
TOP
RANZ
RECORDS
L
"Dancing with Ros." Edmundo Ros and
His Orchestra. London PS 205, $4.98
cuona.) Decca DL 8890, $3.98 (LP).
Where most conductors would have settled
for a dozen of the innumerable Lecuona
works that are familiar and popular in this
country, D'Artega has been more adventurous. He has devised a skillfully balanced
program of the Cuban composer's music,
pitting some of the songs that acquired Hit
Parade status (Malagueña, La Comparsa,
Say "Si Si," and The Breeze and t) against a
number of short and relatively unknown
pieces by the composer. The outcome is a
fresh and appetizing serving of Latin- American music that is melodically attractive,
rhythmically varied, and consistently pleasing. Discreet but idiomatic arrangements
and vivid performances make this an entirely
pleasurable disc.
J.F.I.
A
Y
C A T A
N G
I
L
O G
Broadway." The Martin Denny Group.
Liberty LRP 3163, $3.98 (LP); LST 7163,
$4.98 (SD).
Although Broadway is half a world away
from Martin Denny's customary beat, he
makes the transition from the romantic atmosphere of Polynesia to the often tawdry
environs of the Great White Way with
complete success. Inevitably his traveling
companions are the bird calls and strange
aboriginal sounds which are his trade -mark.
For this program they have been used with
more finesse than formerly, which is all to
the good, for some of the numbers need little
in the way of additional sound adornment.
On the other hand, the bird calls introduced
in The Sound of Music heighten the effectiveness of the song, just as the primitive
sounds used in Digga Digga Doo turn it into
a genuinely exciting listening experience.
Liberty's technicians have lavished the best
possible sound on this disc.
J.F.I.
"Scandinavian Shuffle." The Swe- Danes.
Warner Bros. R'S 1388, $4.98 (SD).
The Swe - Danes, two men and a girl from
Scandinavia, have carved out a notable
European reputation, and this album (their
American debut) shows why. They sing
most of their songs in a kind of international
scat that makes no linguistic demands -as
witness the title song for a beguiling example -yet casts a unique, lighthearted
spell. The trio brings a full measure of ingenuity and a fuller measure of talent to
their far -ranging program (among the titles
are Muskrat Ramble, Goofus, and No, Not
Yet). The result is a thoroughly ingratiating
disc. Warner Brothers' clear, cleanly split
stereo is as good as you will hear from a
turntable.
O.B.B.
"Provocative Piano." Dick Hyman and His
Orchestra. Command
RS
33811, $4.98
(LP); Command RS 811 SD, $5.98 (SD).
"Provocative Piano" is the latest in the
series of alliteratively titled sonic stunners
issued by Command. It is designed as a show
case for the talented Dick Hyman, a pianist
who is completely at ease in numbers as far
apart as Near You or Miserlou, and Chopin's
Nocturne in E flat or Polonaise in A flat. The
illusion of depth and breadth in positioning
the stereo version, with the
piano front and center, the orchestra slightly
to the rear and on either side. The fine mono
version, which boasts excellent, if rather one dimensional, sound is completely eclipsed by
its dazzling stereo brother.
J.F.I.
is well realized in
L
"Romantica." Los Españoles Orchestra and
Chorus. Everest SDBR 1098, $3.98 (SD).
brilliantly engineered recording -deep,
balanced, transparent -featuring a first -rate
program of Spanish and Latin favorites
(Granada, Malagueña, Ay Cosita Linda, etc.)
sung and played by an array of first -rate
artists. However, the notes -which quote
copiously from sources as varied and irrelevant as Ortega y Gasset and Holiday
Magazine-tell us precisely nothing of the
album's contents. For all practical purposes,
Los Españoles remain Los An6nimos, and
you will search in vain for texts or translations. Even though you may need a ouija
board for guidance, audition this fine recording: you won't regret it.
O.B.B.
A
"Two Pianos and Twenty Voices." Ensemble and Chorus, Lew Davies, cond.
Command RS 33813, $4.98 (LP); RS 813
SD, $5.98 (SD).
CIRCLE 91 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
96
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
More lushly romanticized and heavily echo chambered than Command's other spectaculars, this is less likely to appeal as
strongly to sound fanciers, although it well
may find an avid mood music market. If the
arrangements were all as good as that ot
Adiós Querido, or even those of Sleepy Lagoon and How Deep Is the Ocean, I could
recommend it more enthusiastically, but
elsewhere the blown -up pianos and rhythm
section plug along much too heavily and the
wordless vocalizations get mighty tiresome,
to my ears at least. Except for the loss ot
antiphonal effects, the LP is just as impressively recorded as the stereo disc, but it
has been processed at a considerably higher
R.D.D.
modulation level.
ì
COURSES FOR
FOR YOU:
New (julrlcny to Languages
"The Girls and
Boys on Broadway." Billy
Mav and His Orchestra. Capitol T 1418,
$3.98 (LP); ST 1418, $4.98 (SD).
The May band does its very best to infuse a
little life into a collection of songs from
Broadway musicals, but its efforts are neither
consistently successful nor even interesting.
As long as it confines its attention to such
basically fine songs as Heart, Guys and Dolls,
or 'Till There Was You all is well, for the
May arrangements are unusual and the performances have drive and excitement. But
the pace drags appreciably when the band
battles with no fewer than six tired -sounding
songs from the score of the 1959 revue The
Girls Against the Boys, a little affair that
vanished from sight almost before anyone
could say Castelnuovo Tedesco. If any evidence were needed to explain why this show
J.F.I.
flopped, it's all here.
L
Arlington Station, Baltimore
1110
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17
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RICHMOND
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or those discriminating classical LI' collectors who wish to economize
without compromise
New Release
Beethoven: PIANO CONCERTO No. 3
Wilhelm Backhaus -Vierurs Philharmonic
Orchestra -Karl Bohm
B 19063
FAMOUS VON SUPPE OVERTURES
Sibelius: SYMPHONY No. 1
London Symphony Orchestra-A. Collins
B 19069
Tchaikovsky:
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY- Complete
Poet and Peasant; Pique Dame; Morning, Noon
and Night in Vienna; Light Cavalry. London
Philharmonic Orchestra -Georg Solti
Paris Conservatory Orchestra -A. Fistoulari
Tchaikovsky:
Wilhelm Backhaus- Vienna Philharmonic
B 19064
NUTCRACKER SUITES Nos.
1
and 2
Paris Conservatory Orchestra -A. Fistoulari
B 19065
VIENNA PHILHARMONIC
"NEW YEAR" CONCERT
Clemens Krauss -Great music of Johann and
Josef Strauss including such favorites as:
Main Lebenslauf 1st Lieb' und Lust; Pizzicato
Polka; Agyptischer Marsch
B 19066
Tchaikovsky: THE SWAN LAKE -Complete
London Symphony Orchestra -A. Fistoulari
(2 records) BA 42003
All
(2 records) BA 42001
Beethoven:
PIANO CONCERTO No. 5 "Emperor"
Orchestra -Clemens Krauss
B 19072
Moussorgsky -Ravel:
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION
Ravel: LA VALSE
L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and Paris
Conservatory- Orchestra conducted by Ernest
Ansermet
B 19073
Bach: COMPLETE
BRANDERBURG CONCERTOS, Nos.
1 -6
Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra -K. Munchinger
(2 records) BA 42002
the above records $1.98 each
Write for free complete catalog. Dept. DR. RICHMOND RECORDS, 140 W. 22nd St.,
CIRCLE
DECEMBER 1960
- -
Only Gateway, through conversation, helps you to develop the ability to understand as well as speak
the language. Each set contains 212" LP records, Conversation manual,
95 each
Phrase Index. Only
i;. Sp:inisli
9. Russian
7. French
FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY
Let's Sing Songs in
10. French
11. Spanish
Teaches the words and the music.
You sing the songs. 12" LP record.
Song book with
piano accompani$3.95 each
ment.
Cut along dotted lines, mark your
selections, send your check to
in Swingtime; a wordless soprano vocalist and
French horn choir also contribute effectively
to the charm of Lt's So Peaceful in the Country
and For You. Elsewhere, however, the
exotic elements seem only incongruously
superimposed upon run -of- the -mill big -band
scorings of pop tunes. The boldly stereoistic
recording might well have been exploited
R.D.D.
much more daringly.
QUL!TV
-
Famous IlleS L,; :; ,n s for Chi
di-en in use in over 75.000 homes
and many elementary schools.
Each set contains 210" LP records, Illuseach
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1. French
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2. Spanish
4. German 6. Hebrew
Orchestra and Chorus. Perfect PL 12034,
$1.98 (LP); PS 14034, $2.98 (SD).
If this program of international songs is any
criterion, rock 'n' roll is not the only American musical style to have infiltrated the
Parisian scene. Despite its title, which is
surely one of convenience, this is merely a
Gallic carbon copy of the orchestra and
wordless -choir presentation previously the
private property of Ray Conniff. The
French orchestra and singers have absorbed
the style so well that it would be difficult to
tell them from their American prototypes,
but I think Conniff could surely have selected more attractive numbers than most
of those offered here. These recordings originate from a French Philips disc, and the
sound, both stereo and mono, is most agreeJ.F.I.
able.
L-
ALL..
FOR YOUR CHILDREN:
"Paris in Rhythm." Jean - Michel Riff, His
"Accent on Bamboo." Tak Shindo and His
Orchestra. Capitol ST 1433, $4.98 (SD).
As in his earlier "Brass and Bamboo" program, Shindo's otherwise conventional dance
band performances are spiced by the exotic
timbres of such characteristic Japanese instruments as a Gagaku drum, koto (thirteen string zither), mokkin (Japanese xylophone),
samisen (three- string guitar), and gong.
These add considerable piquancy to his
arrangement of "One Fine Day" from
Madama Butterfly and an original Festival
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CIRCLE 54 ON READER- SERVICE CARD
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
9ti
www.americanradiohistory.com
Bob Brookmeyer: "Portrait of the Artist."
Atlantic 1320, $4.98 (LP); S 1320, $5.98
(SD).
This recording is intended to reveal "the cornpleat Bob Brookmeyer " -trombonist, pianist, composer, and arranger. All four
aspects are interesting and original but,
except in his role as pianist, a lot of loose
ends are left dangling. Brookmeyer's unpretentious Blues Suite, which takes up one
side of the disc, shows an awareness of such
jazz fundamentals as early blues, early Ellington, and full -flower Morton, but the
arranging is rather thin except for the fourth
and final section. As performer, Brookmeyer spends most of his time in this number at the piano, playing in a simple and
highly effective style. The remainder of the
disc is made up of one Brookmeyer original
done in the hovering manner of Gil Evans
and three standards, all treated with originality. That these four selections do not
come off better than they do is not because
of a paucity of ideas but because of a glut of
ideas. Brookmeyer could also stand some
editing in his trombone passages: he seems
to have become so fond of grotesqueries
that they frequently become tedious.
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: "The
Nutcracker Suite." Columbia CL 1541,
$3.98 (LP).
Over the years it has been proved again and
again that far and away the best writer for
Duke Ellington's orchestra is the piano
player himself. The Ellington flair demands
certain qualities that, we learn on this disc,
are not present in the compositions of a newcomer to the Ellington orbit, P. I. Tchaikovsky. Why Ellington should devote himself to reorchestrating the Nutcracker Suite
is not readily apparent, although it's certainly his privilege to try it (oddly enough,
Shorty Rogers has also taken the same
privilege this month and, odder still, has had
more success with the project than Ellington). The Ellington touch is apparent only
fleetingly, and even then Sam Woodyard's
heavy-handed drumming often succeeds in
burying it. The only section really worthy
of Ellington is the Arabian Dance, the last
piece on the second side, when old P.I.
is hustled into the background and an honest
Ellington sound, piped up by Johnny
Hodges' alto saxophone, takes over. Otherwise the performances have the sound of
concentrated reading and the arrangements
pay too much awkward obeisance to the
originals.
Slide Hampton Octet: "Sister Salvation."
erratic but on Side B he settles down, turnAtlantic 1339, $4.98 (LP); S 1339, $5.98
ing out serenely lovely solos with a beautiful
(SD).
patina. Trombonist Vic Dickenson is also
Hampton's Octet has a brilliantly gleaming,
helpfully present, and the rhythm section
full -bodied sound that can lift a listener
(Tommy Flanagan, Wendell Marshall, Oak
out of his seat by the sheer force of its polJohnson) gives the soloists fine support and
ished decibels. It's a hard- driving, urgent
prods the ensembles to a sweeping urgency.
group with tremendously potent soloists in
Hampton, a lusty -voiced, lefthanded tromJimmy Heath Orchestra: "Really BIGI"
bonist; Freddie Hubbard, a seemingly uninRiverside 333, $4.98 (L); 1188, $5.98
hibited and unlimited trumpeter; and Jay
(SD).
Cameron, a gut -ripping baritone saxophonist
Heath, a tenor saxophonist, has put together
in the Gerry Mulligan vein. The only drawa ten -piece band with which he succeeds
back to this introductory disc is that the
(in most instances) in combining the fullness
pieces they play (or maybe it's the way they
of a big band with the flexibility and openplay them) are relatively uninteresting.
ness of a small group. He is an erratic soloist,
Hampton's A Little Night Music and Randy
however -sometimes soaring along in cornWeston's Hi -F/i provide promising foundapelling fashion, then turning bitingly shrill,
tions but the promise is dissipated, even I\."- then (on My Ideal) playing a surprisingly
Ellington's Just Squeeze Me being blown to
effective solo that is simultaneously tender
pieces. A more judicious use of the power
and wiry. His principal soloing assistant is the
in this group might produce more effective
practically infallible Clark Terry.
results.
Roland Hanna: "Easy to Love." Atco
33 121, $4.98 (LP).
Hanna has been playing competent piano
for several years but, according to Harold
Flartey's notes for this disc, he has not previously had an opportunity to play on his
own terms. His work with Dixieland groups,
with Benny Goodman, with Charlie Mingus,
and in a jazz version of a Broadway score
did not suggest the well -rounded, positive,
and perceptive pianist who shows up here.
On this recording he plays up- tempos both
with a firm, two -handed attack and in flowing one -note lines; he digs soundly into the
blues without using any of the cliches; he
can match Garner's romanticism on a ballad
without using a single Garner device; and
he even invades the supper club area with a
graceful, mulling interpretation of It Never
Entered My Mind. Altogether a varied program, played by Hanna with spirit and
originality and with strong support from
Ben Tucker, bass, and Roy Burnes, drums.
J
Coleman Hawkins All Stars: "Featuring
Joe Thomas and Vic Dickenson." Prestige/Swingville 2005, $4.98 (LP).
Aside from some top- drawer playing by
Hawkins, the primary point of interest in
this release is the opportunity it affords
to hear Joe Thomas, a onetime trumpeter
in Fletcher Henderson's band whose only
other recent appearance on records was a
none too satisfactory showing on an Atlantic
album. On one side of this disc he is again
DECEMBER 1960
John Lewis: "The Golden Striker." Atlantic 1334, $4.98 (LP); S 1334, $5.98
(SD).
Lewis has temporarily deserted the Modern
Jazz Quartet on this disc to lead a brass
ensemble (four French horns, four trumpets,
two trombones, tuba and rhythm section)
in a group of his own compositions. Four of
these pieces, the product of Lewis' continuing infatuation with commedia dell'arte, are
works which give him an opportunity to use
his brass with a pomp that is sometimes
somber, sometimes merry, and to allow his
piano to caper in and out among them. In
these charming sketches Lewis has mingled
the baroque qualities of the brass and his
essentially swinging jazz instinct (as both
composer and performer) with great skill.
The Golden Striker and Odds Against Tomorrow, both from film scores written by
Lewis, are also included in arrangements in
the vein of his commedia dell'arte sketches.
Although the instrumentation of this group
is not at all jazz- oriented, the performances
are colored by a jazz feeling and Lewis avoids
pretentiousness. His lithe and supple arrangements move readily into a swinging beat.
JGerry Mulligan: "The Genius of Gerry
Mulligan." Pacific Jazz PI 8, $4.98 (LP);
"The Concert Jazz Band," Verve 68388,
$5.98 (SD).
These two discs provide a reasonably good
summary of Mulligan's career to date as a
leader. The Pacific Jazz collection offers
99
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Lilo, France's most popular musical comedy
star was first acclaimed in America after her
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"Can-Can ". She is every American's idea of
what a French woman should be, but at the
same time, is said to be the only French
star that can be understood in English.
Among the French melodies that Lilo sings in
English in this album, are Mais Oui,
Mademoiselle from Paris, leVous Aime, My Man.
RM 303
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RM 308
RM 315
More Swinging Strings
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samples, some previously unissued, of Mulligan groups from 1952 to 1957, most of them
well chosen. It is an impressive display of the
consistent quality of the Mulligan groups
despite frequent changes in personnel.
The Verve recording introduces Mulligan's
new big band (thirteen pieces) which, on
the basis of some of the numbers in this set
alone, can already be rated with the major
big bands of jazz. The band is, in some ways,
an extension of Mulligan's quartets both
stylistically and in the way that it is sometimes trimmed down to form a setting for
Mulligan or his secondary soloist, Bob
Brookmeyer. He has also drawn to some extent on his quartet repertory (Bweebida
Bobbida and Broadway are included). The
high points here are three slow pieces
magnificently sensuous amble through Fats
Waller's Sweet and Slow, a charming orchestral adaptation of Django Reinhardt's
Manoir de Mes Rêves (now called Django's
Castle) and a superb solo performance by
Mulligan of My Funny Valentine (all the
more remarkable because this tune has been
virtually chewed to death). The faster
pieces are not as distinctive as these selections, but any band that can turn out three
such performances in the first two months
of its existence is obviously well on its way
to immortality.
-a
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Oliver Nelson: "Taking Care of Business."
New Jazz 8233, $4.98 (LP).
Nelson made a promising recording debut
as a tenor saxophonist on Meet Oliver Nelson
(New Jazz 8224). On this disc he plays both
tenor and alto and shows himself a distinctly
superior performer on both instruments.
He has a full -bodied, fresh tone, a style of
playing that is warmly lyrical at the gentler
tempos but firm and intense under more
rugged circumstances. Moreover, he builds
his solos with an ear for balance and structure
and he has the combination of imagination
and taste to play a full chorus unaccompanied (on All the Way) without indulging
in flashiness or gimmickry. Lem Winchester's
subsidiary role, on vibes, allows him to
show only brief flashes of his disciplined
attack, and Johnny "Hammond" Smith's
organ playing hinders more than helps
(fortunately it's relegated to the background
most of the time). Nelson, however, is a
striking new addition to the ranks of well grounded, expressive saxophonists.
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by the experts, this is your album -get it today.
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Portrait of a City
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PLP -2007 -From Dawn to Dreaming
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Luckey Roberts and Willie "The Lion"
Smith: "Luckey and the Lion." Good
Time Jazz 12035, $4.98 (LP); 10035,
$5.98 (SD).
Two of the last surviving giants of the
school of Harlem piano "ticklers," Luckey
Roberts (sixty -five when these recordings
were made almost three years ago) and Willie
the Lion (sixty -one then), may not have
quite their onetime fingering fluency and
creative flexibility, but their present performances give a reasonably good picture of
the grace and high spirits typical of the
style. Neither pianist has included his best known piece (Roberts' Ripples of the Nile
and Smith's Echoes of Spring), but they both
play pieces in a similar vein. Relatively
limited pianists, both men have difficulty
carrying a full LP side alone, but there are
charming sections here and there, especially
in Roberts' rhythmic Spanish Fandango.
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r
L-
Shorty Rogers: "The Saingin' Nutcracker."
RCA
LPM 2110, $3.98 (LP); LSM
2110, $4.98 (SD).
Although normally a far less gifted arranger
than Duke Ellington, Shorty Rogers' reorchestration of this Tchaikovsky score is
more imaginative than Ellington's simultaneously issued disc. He has supplemented
a standard big -band instrumentation with a
saxophone quintet, using it with great effectiveness as a piquantly swinging unit, and
he has been helped by some extremely good
(unidentified) soloists. All this does not mean
however, that the record as a whole is particularly enticing jazz; a jazz version of the
Nutcracker is akin to such treatments of
Broadway scores -some parts arc suitable
(i.c., the arranger can think of something
interesting to do with them) and some aren't.
There arc a lot of routine passages here along
with the spots of humor, the bright solos,
and the imaginatively orchestrated ensembles.
,Horace Silver Quintet :
'Horace- Scope."
Blue Note 4042, $4.98 (LP); "Silver's
Blue," Epic 16005, $3.98 (LP).
The remarkable, brassy fury that the current
Silver Quintet has raised to a fascinating
level of artistry roars through the Blue
Note album in a skillfully orchestrated
torrent. The Quintet is at its peak on this
disc, charging brilliantly through a mixture
of Silverisms both new (Strollin', Where You
At ?) and old (Horace -Scope, Nica's Dream,
Yeah!). This group's ability to overwhelm
the listener while still retaining complete
musical discipline is near incredible. By
comparison Epic's reissue of recordings made
by the Silver quintet as it was several years
ago is pale and uninspired.
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Swingville All Stars : "Rockin' in Rhythm."
Prestige /Swingville 2010, $4.98 (LP).
Of all the recent recordings designed to give
some of the forgotten jazzmen of the Thirties
and Forties an opportunity to be heard on
discs again, this is the most completely
satisfying. Here are tenor saxophonist Al
Scars, a solid rock with Duke Ellington in
the Forties and now relegated to rhythm
and blues groups; alto saxophonist Hilton
Jefferson, once featured with Fletcher Henderson and Cab Calloway and now a bank
messenger; and trumpeter Taft Jordan, a
noted alumnus of both the Ellington and
Chick \\'ebb bands who works mostly on
commercial recordings these days. Backing
them is a superb rhythm section (Don
Abney, Wendell Marshall, and Gus Johnson,
a great drummer also passed by too often
now) in six selections that hold together all
the way. Jefferson plays an impeccable solo
on Willow Weep for Me and shows the leaner,
guttier side of his horn on Things Ain't
What They Used To Be and New Carnegie
Blues. The latter also offers some of Sears's
wonderfully massive, assertive statements,
while Jordan's trumpet -clean, crisp, and
pungent -stabs brilliantly through all the
pieces and has a showcase of its own on
Tenderly. There could be no more vivid
illustration than the playing on this disc of
what jazz has lost during the past ten years
by shutting out such vital, seasoned musicians as these men.
JOHN S.
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102
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b Tape Deck
Reviewed by R.
The following reviews are of 4-track
7.5 -ips stereo tapes in normal reel form.
ANONYMOUS: The Play of Daniel
New York Pro Musica, Noah Greenberg,
dir.
DECCA ST7 9402. 41 min. $7.95.
v No
.
one who has attended one of the now
annual performances, at the Cloisters in
New York City, of this miraculously reconstructed twelfth- century musical drama will
need to be urged to renew his acquaintance
with its tenderly naive, fascinatingly varicolored, and heart -warming music. But since
it probably is unfamiliar to most tape collectors, I should stress here not so much the
historical significance of The Play of Daniel
as its immediate, disarming, and uniquely
piquant charms. Not the least of these, for
the audiophile in particular, is the variety of
unusual tone coloring provided by the
archaic instruments which establish the
work's distinctive timbre schemes in a quaint
little march at the very beginning and which
are heard throughout in accompaniments
and interludes: the portative organ, psaltery,
and minstrel's harp; straight trumpet, recorders, and miniature Highland bagpipes;
rebec and vieille; bell carillon and ancient
types of percussion, including finger cymbals,
Arabian jingles, and nakers -small Arabian
precursors of the kettledrums.
Although the unanimous acclaim that has
greeted the work, both in live performances
and the earlier disc version, has concentrated
largely on the superbly expressive and dramatic singing (especially by countertenor
Russell Oberlin, tenor Charles Bressler as
Daniel, baritone Gordon Myers as Darius,
and a small chorus of boys and men), it well
may be the gleaming aureole of delicate
instrumental color which most enhances the
prevailing monodic vocalism and the touching story itself. At any rate, it is vital to the
sonic magic of the present magnificently
authentic, transparent, and pure stereo recording and to a quite incomparable musicaldramatic experience. Even more cleanly
processed and channel -differentiated than the
stereo disc edition, this tape lacks only the
latter's elaborate booklet, but at least a
12 -page leaflet giving the original Latin text
with an English translation is provided here.
a - BEETHOVEN: Quintet for Piano and
Winds, in E flat, Op. 16
tMozart: Quintet for Piano and Winds, in
E flat, K. 452
Frank Glazer, piano; Members of the New
York Woodwind Quintet.
CONCERTAPES
4T 5009. 44 min.
$8.95.
DECEMBER 1960
D. DARRELL
BEETHOVEN: Septet for Strings and
Winds, in E flat, Op. 20
Members of the Fine Arts Quartet and New
York Woodwind Quintet.
CONCERTAPES
4T 4007. 39 min.
$7.95.
All three works are tape "firsts" and particularly welcome as additions to the still
scanty reel repertory of standard-and
immediately appealing-chamber music.
Each of them is admirably played in clear,
bright stereo recording which makes the
most of the delectable timbre combinations
and contrasts. If the reading of the Mozart
Quintet strikes me as the least notable here,
that is only because there have been several
more ideally sensitive earlier interpretations
(few of them available in stereo and none
on tape, however). Glazer's straightforward ness is better suited, I think, to the Beethoven Quintet (which I much prefer in this
original form to the composer's second version for piano and strings.IIn any case, the
excellent wind players, as well as the ever
admirable Fine Arts string players, are at
their best in the Septet, a work which too
often can seem overlong and a bit dull, but
which assumes vivacity and graciousness
when it is performed and recorded with the
gusto and skill it is given in such abundance
here.
BIZET: Symphony in C
tGounod: Symphony No. i, in D
New York City Ballet Orchestra, Robert
Irving, cond.
KAPP LT 49001. 49 min. $7.95.
Bizet's delightful little symphony, which has
become so deservedly popular since its rediscovery some twenty -five years ago, may
have been formed with more precision and
polish in earlier recordings, but aside from
the balletic grace and zest of Irving's reading, the present version has the incomparable advantage of stereo's sonic airiness (well nigh essential to music as buoyant as this).
The present presentation also has the attractions of a coupling which not only enables
us to hear a long forgotten symphony by
the composer of Faust, but also has special
historical interest as the model which Bizet
quite deliberately imitated in his own stu-
dent essay.
BRAHMS: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, in D, Op. 77
tTchaikovsky: Concerto for Violin and
Orchestra, in D, Op. 35
Erica Morini, violin; Philharmonic Symphony of London, Artur Rodzinski, cond.
WESTMINSTER
70 min.
WTP
125 (twin- pack).
$11.95.
A welcome reminder both of early stereo
triumphs (which in their expensive original
2 -track tapings could have found only a
limited audience) and the heart -warming
grace of Miss Morini's romantic treatment
of two all too familiar showpieces. On rehearing, the impassioned gypsy fervor which
I once thought most distinctive seems less
marked -or perhaps it's just that the sheer
poetry of the Morini - Rodzinski performances now can be better appreciated for its
true worth. At any rate, I cannot recommend
them too highly to others who may share my
own pleasure in their almost chamberlike
approach. And not the least of the delights
here are the gleaming transparencies and
quite unfaded piquant coloring of the sonics
themselves.
KABALEVSKY: The Comedians, Op. 26
fKhachaturian: Gayne: Ballet Smite
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Vladimir
Golschmann, cond.
VANGUARD
VTC 1619.
37 min.
$7.95.
The insistent Gayne excerpts (seven of which
are included here) have been done more
forcefully and brilliantly elsewhere, but
Golschmann's less intense but more zestful
readings make even the Sabre Dance more
tolerable than usual, while his piquant
Lullaby, Dances of the Rose Maidens and
Young Kurds, and Lesginka reveal unexpected poetry and humor. Yet as in the earlier stereo disc release of this coupling, I
again find that it is Kabalevsky's buoyant
Comedians which is the prime attraction
here: delightful alike for its lilting music
and the crystalline purity of stereo recording which on tape sounds even more authentic and boasts even more subtle channel
differentiations than in the SD edition.
RAVEL: Ma Mère l'oye
f Debussy: Trois Nocturnes
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest
Ansermet, cond.
LONDON LCL 80011. 45 min. $7.95.
Ansermet's Mother Goose suite differs from
most recordings of the orchestral version
of the fairy -tale music originally composed
for piano duet in that it includes the introductory Prélude et Danse du Rouet which
Ravel added for a ballet production of the
work. This is a somewhat languid if tenderly
expressive reading, but it is enchantingly
colored and luminously recorded -as are
the Trois Nocturnes. But in the latter the
103
the present tone poem almost as hypnotically as Koussevitzky used to, while of course
its shimmering intricate score is ideally
stereogenic. (The coupled suite on Azerbaijan folk tunes, written in a sophomoric
imitation of Khachaturian and IppolitovIvanov, is best disregarded entirely.) There
are only two minor shortcomings in this
otherwise admirable performance and recording: bravely as the Houston first trumpeter copes with his fiendishly difficult solos,
he never achieves Georges Mager's blazing
plangency in the unforgettable Bostonian
performances; and while the percussion section in general is flawlessly recorded here,
with the celesta decorations even markedly
spotlighted, the cymbals (in both their
delicate pianissimo and shattering fortissimo
somewhat studied. Beautiful as the sonics are
Jhere, I miss the profounder sense of mystery
and drama with which Monteux endows this
music.
SCRIABIN: Poème d'extase, op. 54
fAmirov: Caucasian Dances
Houston Symphony Orchestra, Leopold
Stokowski, cond.
EVEREST
33 min.
T4 3032.
passages) are inexplicably missing, or at least
inaudible. Can this be a deliberate quirk of
has a soft spot for Scriabin and he plays
conductor's approach for once strikes me as
$7.95.
The fervored mysticism of Scriabin has been
sternly adjudged non -U by today's taste
arbiters, but, while I can readily concur
intellectually in that verdict, my memory of
juvenile ecstasies protests against this mesmeric music's being entirely denied to young
listeners of today. Stokowski, too, obviously
the conductor himself?
STRAVINSKY: Pétrouchha
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Monteux, cond.
RCA VICTOR FTC 2007. 35 min.
$8.95.
With two great Pctrouchkas already available
in the 4 -track catalogue, a third would seem
superfluous if it were not so distinctively
different in approach from either the long admired one by Ansermet for London or the
more recent Goossens- Everest taping, or if
the present conductor were not the one most
closely associated with the work from the
time of its first performance in 1911.
Those who know the work only in concert
and non -Monteux recordings may be surprised at first by the leisureliness of this
reading, by its lack of flamboyance and
nervous intensity, and by the delicacy of
many details -all of which are characteristic of Monteux's essentially balletic approach to this music. Even more surprising
-and appealing-is his warmth and compassion, which transform the puppet's
fate from its usual stark or ironic tragedy
into an even more heart -wrenching human
comedy. Yet even if Monteux's interpretation were not completely hors de concours,
this version tops all others for its orchestral
playing (and Bernard Zigherá s realization
of the vital piano role) and is at least the
peer of the magnificent stereo recording in
the Goossens set.
TCHAIKOVSKY: Capriccio italien, Op.
45
tRimsky- Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol,
Op. 34
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Kiril
Kondrashin, cond.
RCA VICTOR FTC 2009. 31 min.
$8.95.
MY FAIR LADY
MUSIC BY
GET B
SOUND OF
N
Although it might be an exaggeration to
claim that these are complete rejuvenations
of two hackneyed warhorses, it is astonishing how different, how much fresher they
sound in Kondrashin's broadly paced and
spaced readings than in most American or
other non -Russian display performances.
Both pieces appear here as far more substantial and serious music than they are usually
considered nowadays, yet they have even
greater than usual dramatic power-thanks
in no small part to the splendid breadth and
weight of the present stereo recording. Tchaikovsky's Capriccio must rank as one of the
very best available, and if Rimskv's is not
quite as outstanding, it is only because the
present pickup orchestra (and Oscar Schumsky, the violin soloist) fall just short of supreme virtuosic authority.
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Music "(arr. Stokowski)
'Walla: El amor brujo
Shirley 'errett- Carter, mezzo (in the Falla);
Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski,
tape
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El amor brujo
is
CIRCLE 126 ON READER -SERVICE CARI)
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a boldly atmospheric performance, if not
one that matches the idiomatic authenticity
of the long withdrawn Argenta version, and
it is recorded in no less wide -range, widespread stereoism. But it is the Wagnerian
tone poem which reveals arranger- conductor,
orchestra, and engineers at their superlative
best. This is surely one of the tape catalogue's
masterpieces, having in this form more
cleanly differentiated channels and a better
spectrum balance than the stereo disc edition
provides. Happily, it can be relished too by
the dwindling number of pre -4 -track playback equipment owners, since Columbia has
simultaneously released it (without the Falla
coupling here) in a 2 -track reel, HMB 82.
expose some of the ironies of contemporary
mores. For all this, one can readily excuse the
"Best Damn Dance Band in the Land." Ira
Ironsides and His Ensemble. Warner
Bros. WST 1380, 30 min., $7.95.
The rowdy livery -stable jazz here is substantially more amusing than its determinedly comic hillbilly annotations, since the
eccentric little band, paced by its leader's
driving banjo, is indefatigably zestful in its
free - for -all romps through Down by the
Station, Little Brown Jug, l'd've Baked a Cake,
Mountain Greenery, Jingle Jangle Jingle, and
other raggy jeux d'esprit, all recorded with
extreme channel separation.
rather booming and noisy background onlocation recording, and even tolerate the
annoying brays of audience applause.
"Caramba!" Richard Hayman and
$6.95.
In stereo tape the sound of these powerful
big -band performances is even more dazzling
than on the excellently engineered LP. And
if Hayman's "Day of the Bullfight" program
has little of the authenticity of (say) Sabicas',
it is most ingeniously synthesized from Mexican folk music, Hollywood film score, and
light concert materials to make a maximally
popular appeal, not excluding-for optimum
contrast with the prevailing fieriness
interlude of hauntingly poetic atmosphere,
- Twilight on the Pampas.
"The Button -Down Mind of Bob Newhart." Warner Bros. WST 1379, 32 min.,
$7.95.
cry from the "sick" comedians, Newnot a "funny man" at all, but an
easygoing "straight" talker, who is content
to let his sophisticated and often genuinely
satirical as well as humorous material make !
its own points. His TV director's difficulties
with a Krushchev Landing Rehearsal and the
catastrophic saga of a Driving Instructor are
perhaps tops here, but his quaint notions of
how contemporary Madison Avenue "image makers," promotion men, etc., would have
dealt with Abe Lincoln, the Wright Brothers, and Abner Doubleday devastatingly
A far
hart
"Belafonte at Carnegie Hall." Orchestra,
4 Robert Corman, cond. RCA Victor FTC
6000, 96 min., $12.95.
Unlike the recent cartridge taping, this one
includes the complete concert originally
issued in a two -disc album. It sounds even
better, too, and conclusively supports the
general opinion that Belafonte, inspired by
a large and obviously enthusiastic audience,
here achieves his finest recorded representation.
His
Orchestra. Mercury STB 60103, 32 min.,
-an'
is
.
"Dutch Band Organ." HiFiTape 4T R 902,
25 min., $7.95.
rather short reel, but in both its full blooded stereoism and the blazingly big
sonics of its instrument (H. Mohlmann's
A
Continued on page 108
The Music of Christmas on Stereo Tapes
FOUR -TRACK TAPE'S coming
of age could
hardly be signalized more vividly than
by its current provision, for the first time,
of a substantial batch of seasonal specialities.
Yet to remind us that music on stereo tapes
has had a memorable past, it is not inappropriate that the finest of all the works now
at hand should be the 3 -track edition of the
Robert Shaw Chorale's still unparalleled
"Christmas Hymns and Carols," Vol. 1
(RCA Victor FTC 2026, 44 min., $8.95).
Previously issued, but only in part, in a
2 -track version of 1957, it now sounds better
than ever, not only for its unmannered and
fresh -voiced unaccompanied singing but for
the most floating and luminous of stereo
sonics.
More conventional in its choice of materials, medium (large chorus with orchestra),
and big auditorium conics is a taping of one
of the best of last year's stereo disc specials:
"The Spirit of Christmas" by the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir, conducted by Richard P.
Condie, with organists Alexander Schreiner
and Frank W. Asper (Columbia MQ 315,
51 min., $7.95; also available in a somewhat
shorter 2 -track version, GMB 87). Admirers
of the late Mario Lanza will be delighted by
one of the last, and best, of his recorded rformances, fervently if perhaps overcarefully
sung, and recorded with remarkably realistic
presence: "Lanza Sings Christmas Carols,"
with orchestra, organ, and chorus conducted
by Paul Baron (RCA Victor FTC 2025, 42
min., $8.95). His choice of program materials, too, is admirable, with but a single
regrettable exception, an overdramatized
and sentimentalized Guardian Angels. Even
more surprising in its complete avoidance of
ersatz repertory is the batch of thirteen
familiar carols and hymns in the "Christmas
Sing -Along with Mitch" (Columbia CQ
313, 36 min., $6.95; also available in a some-
what shorter 2 -track version, GCB 85). Yet
although Miller's sturdy little group sings
straightforwardly enough, mostly with unobtrusive harp, celesta, piano, or chimes accompaniments, it perhaps lacks the gusto of
other releases in this sing-along series.
As might be expected from their apparent
popularity in disc form, a considerable number of the tape seasonal specialities feature
dance band or novelty arrangements of familiar carols together with unabashed Tin
Pan Alley creations of the White Christmas
and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer genre.
The only one that comes close to surmounting my own prejudice against such concoctions, by the originality and ingenuity of its
scorings as well as by the ultraimpressive
stereo recording of its rich, if perhaps overcontrasted, performances, is the "Christmas
Joy" program by the Melachrino Strings,
Orchestra, and Organ (RCA Victor FTP
1032, 43 min., $7.95). Also outstanding
sonically, as well as in its assured symphonic
playing, is the Boston "Pops Christmas
Party" conducted by Arthur Fiedler (RCA
Victor FTC 2022, 40 min., $8.95). But here,
while the few serious works (a lovely Pantomime from Hansel and Gretel, vivacious
Mozart Sleigh Ride, and vibrant Dance of
the Sugar-Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker
Ballet) are wholly charming, the inflations
of Anderson's Christmas Festival medley,
Rudolph, White Christmas, etc. are much too
pretentious for my taste.
Still more frankly popularized and sentimentalized are the Ray Conniff Singers'
"Christmas with Conniff" (Columbia CQ
314, 31 min., $6.95; also available in full on
a 2 -track version, HCB 86); "Season's
Greetings from Perry Como," with the
Ray Charles Singers and Mitchell Ayres
JOrchestra (RCA Victor FTP 1030, 37 min.,
$7.95) and "A Christmas Sound Spectacu-
lar" (RCA Victor FTP
1029, 34
min.,
$7.95) which features John Klein playing
7
,
the Schulmerich Carillon Americana with
orchestra and chorus. In this last, however,
even I must admit that the pealing tintinnabulation of a fantastic variety of glittering
bell tones has been fabulously well recorded.
Other current releases which will be available in time for the holidays, but which I
haven't yet had the opportunity of hearing,
include: London LPM 70036/7, $6.95 each
(Mantovani's "Christmas Carols" and a
"Christmas Organ and Chimes" reel by
Charles Smart and J. Blades); Richmond
RPE 45014/5, $4.95 each (Frank Chacksfield's "Music for a Merry Christmas)" and
Cyril Stapleton's "Children's Christmas
Album "); Columbia CQ 312, $6.95 (Percy
Faith's "Music of Christmas "); and RCA
Victor FTP 1031, $7.95 (George Beverly
Shea's "Christmas Hymns").
But this list should not be concluded without special reference to the best under -thetree presents of all, those classics of pertinent
seasonal interest such as the complete Messiah
conducted by Scherchen (Westminster WTW
134, reviewed last August); Janigro's "Eighteenth-Century Concert," which includes
both the Corelli and Torelli Christmas Concertos (Vanguard VTC 1617, also reviewed
last August); and the complete Nutcracker
Ballet, now available not only in the Irving
New York City Ballet Orchestra performance (Kapp KT 45007, Feb. 1960), but also
in a 4 -track reissue of the famous Rodzinski
version (Westminster WTP 138), and in a
taping of Ansermet's brilliant reading (Lon '` don LSK 80027). And while its subject
scarcely relates to Christmas, the custom of
January productions of the great medieval
musical drama, The Play of Daniel, makes
that enchanting work (reviewed elsewhere in
this column) a timely gift.
105
DECEMBER 1960
www.americanradiohistory.com
u
'
%M.uI VW/ Intl
(:I/IZISI NI
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
106
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The sound of memory
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on tough, durable tapes of MYLAR"
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The Story: "The Night Before Christmas"
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The rare kind of evening you want to last for a lifetime.
And you can make it last when you record
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Test these exclusive advantages by
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made of "Mylar". Want to make a recording fan
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The Du Pont Co., Wilmington 98, Delaware.
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CIRCLE 40 ON READER -SERVICE CARD
DECEMBER 1960
107
www.americanradiohistory.com
"Pride of Amsterdam ") this is easily the
best of the mechanical organ documentaries.
The program itself ranges from Cuddle Up a
Little Closer and the Tennessee Waltz to
Under the Double Eagle and Du kannst nicht
treu sein, played throughout with a quite
unmechanical verve and even expressiveness,
a well- restrained use of the usual percussive
clatter, and piquant registrations.
quavery emotionalism of Fever or the more
restrained catchiness of The Girl Next Door
are the first attempts to master new styles.
There is nothing new, however, about the
ponderously lumbering and metallic accompaniments, or the uninhibited echo
chambering in the high -level strongly stereoistic recording here.
"Elvis Is Back!" Elvis Presley; The Jordanaires. RCA Victor FTP 1024, 32 min.,
"Lucky Pierre." Pierre Derives; Roger
Bourdin and His Orchestra. Monitor
MOTC 901, 41 min., $7.95.
$7.95.
Perhaps a bit shook up by his overseas army
tour, or uncertain about the latest trends in
the field he once dominated, Presley obviously finds it hard to recover his old gusto
except in a clattery Dirty, Dirty Feeling near
the end of this program. But perhaps the
Few light music programs have ever given
me as much delight as this authentically
Parisian import alternating lilting vocals by
the suavely engaging Derives with zestful
little -band performances by Bourdin. Their
sentiment never slops over into sentimentality, and even the brightly clean, markedly
two -channel recording is just right for this
stimulating, varied, and always distinctively
Gallic collection of songs and instrumentals.
"Memories Ad-Lib." Joe Williams and
Count Basie. Roulette RTC 513, 37 min.,
$7.95.
This is just what the title implies, and my
first regrets that the Count chose an electronic organ over his usual piano were
quickly forgotten as his relaxed soliloquies
and Williams' jaunty vocals brought fresh
life to such old favorites as Baby Won't You
Please Come Home, Sweet Sue, Dinah, etc.,
done to the light accompaniments of a Basie
rhythm section with occasional relaxed
trumpet solos by Harry Edison, and intimately recorded in completely natural
stereoism.
"The Million-Dollar Sound of the World's
Most Precious Violins," Vol. 2. Enoch
Light, cond. Command RS 4T 802, 35
min., $7.95.
As in Command's other debut tape releases,
the purity and openness of the master recording is revealed even more clearly, and
the soaring string choir sonorities captured
even more lusciously, than in the earlier
stereo disc edition. I still regret, however,
that the elaborate but none too imaginative
arrangements allot all the best solo passages
to wind instruments and that none of the
celebrated violinists (and instruments) is
given an identifiable chance to be heard
individually. But at their best (as In the Still
of the Night, Temptation, and The Breeze and
I) the prevailing suavity of these lavish
scores is animated by a crisply pulsing bongo
beat.
"Persuasive Percussion," Vol. 2. Terry
Snyder and the All Stars. Command
RS4T 808, 32 min., $7.95.
Although this is as yet the only one of the
All Tandberg units feature
t'/e
Tandberg Series
IPS
6
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The breathtaking performance and
brilliant versatility of this remarkable
instrument can be matched only by
pride of ownership. From every aspect
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separate heads for record, playback.
erase. (.00052" recording head gap;
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Self-demagnetizing circuit; Pabst Hysteresis motor.
4 track stereo or monaural record;
built -in remote control.
Sound-on -Sound simultaneous record
and playback.
andberg
"The professional's speed of the future."
Stereo Tape Deck
it is the stereo tape deck demanded by
the critical user for incorporation into
existing Hi -Fi systems. Review the
major features. Hear, see, try it. The
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Direct monitor from signal source or
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High and low level input; wide range
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Silent pause, start -stop, control; push
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Digital counter; dual pulsating recording level indicator.
Remote control switch available.
OF AMERICA, INC.. 8 THIRD AVENUE, PELHAM. NEW YORK
sensationally successful P. & P. P. series I
have heard on tape, I have no hesitation in
commending all four (including also RS4T
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were bowled over by the stereo disc versions
and to those who felt, as I did, that the
discs' brilliant sonics verged at times on a
glassy hardness. The present taping is much
sweeter and yet every bit as brilliant! Processed at a much more reasonable modulation
level, even more cleanly channel-differentiated, and warmer acoustically, this edition
does better justice to the phenomenal performances and recordings here.
"Three Penny Opera and Porgy and Bess
Selections." Heinz Hotter and His Orchestra; Percy Blake and His Orchestra.
SMS Tandberg S 36, 43 min., $7.95.
The Gershwin selections are spiritedly and
broadly, if somewhat pretentiously and unidiomatically, played by Blake's presumably
British (surely not American) quasi -symphonic orchestra. But the real distinction of
this tape lies in Hotter's pungent evocations
Rof Kurt Weill's Dreigroschenoper. Not since
the ancient Polydor 78s of some thirty years
ago have I heard this sardonic music performed, in instrumental form, in such authentic fashion-and now the transparency
of stereo enables us to hear far more of that
singularly sophisticated-naive score than we
ever were able to hear before.
CIRCLE 108 ON READER- SERVICE CARD
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1-
L00K FOR THE SEAL OF SAFETY'
ON EVERY
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RADIO CORPORATION, 37 -10 36th STREET, LONG ISLAND CITY 1, NEW YORK
(:IRCLF:
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ON It1(4I)F:R-SERV7CF.
C41iI)
DECEMBER 1960
www.americanradiohistory.com
THE A.E.S.
U
A MIRACLE IN SOUND
After two years of research and development a speaker system we can
unconditionally guarantee to be the finest bookshelf unit you have ever
heard, REGARDLESS OF PRICE, or your money back.
Over 2500 test systems are now in use in private homes in the Ohio and
Michigan area. The acceptance has been unbelievable. Never before a
sound so realistic to so many people in so many different homes These
are the facts that enable A.E.S. to make this bold offer.
!
PNEUMATIC LOADING
ANTI INTER -MODULATION DISTORTION CONE REINFORCEMENTS
3"
DOUBLE
WOUND VOICE COIL
3/4"
MATERIAL
- 12,000
-7
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ACOUSTICALLY TRANSPARENT GRILL CLOTH
R" HIGH COMPLIANCE WOOFER,
ALMOST 1/4'
CONE
DISPLACEMENT
GAUSS
ORDER BLANK
WOOD CONSTRUCTION
Ph"
CONE
SILICONE TREATED EDGE
TERMINAL STRIP TO AMPLIFIER
ORLON ACOUSTIC DAMPENING
HARDENED TWEETER DIFFUSION
r
REINFORCED
ENCLOSURE
A.E.S., Inc.
SIZE:
deep.
24" wide, 12" high,
Response: 19- 21,000
3338 Payne Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio
91/2"
Gentlemen please ship
GIGOLOS.
understand these units are guaranteed and it
for a full refund of sales price, $15.00 each.
CPS
I
operate at maximum
efficiency with amplifiers from 8 to
75 watts.
In limited quantity, and for a Hmited time only, $15.00 complete,
plus shipping.
I
am not satisfied
I
may return
This unit will
CIRCLE
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Enclosed find check
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PRODUCT RESEARCH
& DEVELOPMENT
COMPANY
CONSUMER PRODUCT
REPORT
A new product recently
introduced is the subject
versy that prompted
of much controversy.
It has bee n this
the Product Research
contro& Development
tests and report.
Company to make
the f allowing
REPORT SUBJECT:
A.
E.
S.
Description:
GIGOLO
ism
Bookshelf type speaker
Gigolo among the few
Size, 24" wide,
true bookshelf
12" h¡
high,
h, and 9
keem Cabinet
deep. Which places
weight is 25 lbs. Visual
the
inspection showed
h
heavy and
care in assembly,
expertly sanded and
reinforced.
with tightly
ready for finishing.
The grill material
tral in color and acceptable
and back. Cabinet
is of the plastic,
was
in style. Our first
acoustically transparent
sound reproduction
impression was that
type,
only, with little regard
YPer neuthe manufacturer's
for furniture finish
efforts were directed
kits on the market
will help rectify this
to
or style. But, some
situation. The wood
of the do-it-yourself
and differs from the
product
P oduct used throughout
usual plywood
P Y oo
the cabinet is of
construction. The
in our opinion will
completely sealed
anew type
not only do a better
enclosure is filled
job of dampening
bility of glass particles
with spun orlon,
than fiberglass but
finding their way to
also
the
ducing unit is an
the possieight inch high compliance speaker voice coil. A real first-Good
thinking A.E.S. -The
silicon treated woofer,
voice coil. This speaker
reproP
with an exceptionally
is also equipped
9 pped with a hardened
long-throw double
high frequency reproducing
conehrow
Listenin
1
' '
9 T est. This was the most
enlightening part
and power handling
of
our
test.
To exploit the
capacity we went to
manufacturer's claim
found it had sufficient
the extreme of
of efficiency
using9 a six transistor
power to drive the
radio as a sound
A.E.S.
so remarkable
source. We
is that the balance
listening
What makes this
of this tesf9wasióompleted
amplifier
by
model 272 -88 watt
The manufacturer's
stereo
claim of frequency
response from 19
of response only. But
cps. to 21 KC
the test indicated
cannot
that
be
a disputed from
this was not a flat
that in group listening
the standpoint
reproduction. However,
tests the Gigolo
was repeatedly
we would
that in to over $200.00,
ing
out
from
toe
other bookshelf speakelrsranngi
the liveliest and a y picked
sidering price) may
ranging
be somewhat explained
performance. These
to have the most
by
unusual reactions
the facto that athetl
midrange presence
(can(conGigolo seemed to be
of the units tested.
the m
more efficient and
Summary: Without
a
Gigolo. But, at a selling doubt there are available speaker
systems with specifications
price of fifteen
dollars
Cleveland 14, Ohio,
better than the A.E.S.
is, in our opinion,
the best value
In conclusion
ever offered tto the
Payne Avenue,
it is the opinion
audio
3338
of our marketing analyst
dio market.
present sellingg price
that
the
of fifteen dollars
manufacturer's
t
(5 15.00). Look for
of
Gigolo exceeds the
a price increase
in the very
y near future.
PRD.
Reprinted with the permission of Product Research
I:IIi1:LF:
DECEMBER 1960
B
Development Company. A.E.S., Inc., 3338 Payne Ave.
o.V READER -SERVICE CARD
10
Cleveland
14,
Ohn,
listen to the FICO Hour, WABC-FM, N. Y. 95.5 MC, Mon.-Fri., 7:15 -8 PM.
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0.5% at 100W; harmonic distortion less than 1%
from 20-20,000 cps within 1 db of 100W. Kit
$99.50. Wired $139.50.
HF87 70 -Watt Stereo Power Amplifier. Dual 35W
power amplifiers identical circuit -wise to the
superb HF89, differing only in rating of the output transformers. IM distortion 1% at 70W;
harmonic distortion less than 1% from 20- 20.000
cps within 1 db of 70W. Kit $74.95. Wired $114.95.
HF86 28 -Watt Stereo Power Amp. Flawless reproduction at modest price. Kit $43.95. Wired $74.95.
-
FM Tuner HFT90: Prewired, prealigned, temperature- compensated "front end" is drift -free. Pre -
wired exclusive precision eye- tronica traveling
tuning indicator. Sensitivity: 1.5 uv for 20 db
quieting; 2.5 uy for 30 db quieting, full limiting
from 25 try. IF bandwidth 260 kc at 6 db points.
Both cathode follower & FM- multiplex stereo
outputs, prevent obsolescence. Very low distortion. "One of the best buys in high fidelity kits."
AUDIOCRAFT. Kit $39.95'. Wired $65.95'.
Cover $3.95. 'Less cover, F.E.T. incl.
AM Tuner HFT94: Matches HFT 90. Selects "hi -fi"
wide (20 -9000 cps @ -3 db) or weak -station
narrow (20 -5000 cps @ -3 db) bandpass. Tuned
RF stage for high selectivity & sensitivity. Precision eye- tronicw tuning. "One of the best
available." -HI -Fl SYSTEMS. Kit $39.95. Wired
$65.95. Incl. cover & F.E.T.
FM /AM Tuner HFT92 combines renowned EICO
HFT90 FM Tuner with excellent AM tuning facilities. Kit $59.95. Wired $94.95. Incl. cover &
-
F.E.T.
AF4 Economy
r.,
121/2" x 101/z ". Unfinished birch. Kit
24"
$47.50. Wired $56.50. Walnut or mahogany. Kit
$59.50. Wired $69.50.
HFS1 Bookshelf Speaker System complete with
factory -built cabinet. Jensen 8" woofer, matching Jensen compression- driver exponential horn
tweeter. Smooth clean bass; crisp extended
highs. 70- 12.000 cps range. 8 ohrris. HWD: 23"
x 11" x 9 ". Kit $39.95. Wired $47.95
HFS2 Omni -Directional Speaker System (not illus.)
HWD: 36" x 151/4" x 111/2". "Fine for stereo"
MODERN HI -Fl. Completely factory-Duilt. Mahogany or walnut $139.95. Blond $144.55.
New Stereo /Mono Automatic Changer /Player: Jam proof 4- speed, all record sizes, automatic changer
and auto /manual player. New extremely smooth,
low distortion moisture -proof crystal cartridge
designed integrally with tonearm to eliminate
mid -range resonances. Constant 41/2 grams stylus
force is optimum to prevent groove flutter distortion. No burn, turntable attractions, acoustic
feedback, center -hole enlargement. Only 101/2' x
13". 1007S: 0.7 mil, 3 mil sapphire, $49.75.
Incl. F.E.T. and "Magnadaptor."
tShown in optional Furniture Wood Cabinet
WE71: Unfinished Birch, $9.95; Walnut or
HWD:
x
-
Stereo Integrated Amplifier provides clean 4W per channel or 8W total output.
Kit $38.95. Wired $64.95. Incl. cover & F.E.T.
HF12 Mono Integrated Amplifier (not illus.): Complete "front end" facilities & true hi -fi perform
Mahogany, $13.95.
ance. 12W continuous, 25W peak. Kit $34.95.
ttShown in optional Furniture Wood Cabinet
Wired $57.95. Incl. cover.
WE70: Unfinished Birch, $8.95; Walnut or
HFS3 3 -Way Speaker System Semi -Kit complete
$12.50.
Mahogany,
with factory -built 1" veneered plywood (4 sides)
cabinet. Bellows-suspension, full -inch excursion
12" woofer (22 cps res.) 8" mid -range speaker
HF-12
EICO, 33 -00 N. Blvd., L.I.C. 1, N. Y.
with high internal damping cone for smooth reShow me how to SAVE 50% on easy -to -build
sponse, 31/2" cone tweeter. 21/4 cu. ft. ducted top -quality Hi -Fi. Send FREE catalog, Stereo Hi-Fi
port enclosure. System 0 of 1/2 for smoothest
Guide plus name of neighborhood EICO dealer
frequency & best transient response. 32- 14,000
impedance.
cps clean, useful response. 16 ohms
Name
HWD: 261á" x 13Th" x 145/8". Unfinished birch.
Kit $72.50. Wired $84.50. Walnut or mahogany.
Address
Kit $87.50. Wired $99.50.
City
Zone
State
HFS5 2 -Way Speaker System Semi -Kit complete
veneered plywood (4 sides)
with factory -built
New! 36 -page Guidebook to Stereo
cabinet. Bellows- suspension, s/e" excursion. 8"
woofer (45 cps. res.), & 31/2" cone tweeter. 11/2"
and Mono Hi Fi
Send 25¢ to
cu. ft. ducted -port enclosure. System 0 of 1/2 for
smoothest freq. & best transient resp. 45-14,000
cover handling and pofstage.
cps clean, useful resp. 16 ohms.
EXPORT: Roburn Agencies, Inc., 431 Greenwich Si., New York 13, N.Y.
ICE
Utlr
COO :1.1; 43 ON III hill
/"
...
;
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
112
www.americanradiohistory.com
High Fidelity
Newsfronts
'
Pedigreed Pickups. Shure and Pickering
(there may be others) go about as far as
they can in publishing detailed and accurate cartridge specs. Both have de luxe
cartridge models, each packaged with
individual specifications. Before the unit
is shipped, tests exactly determine compliance, channel separation, output, frequency response, etc. If the output is
stated to be 8.0 millivolts per channel,
you can be sure that 8.0 millivolts is
precisely what the cartridge you bought
will deliver, although the next one off the
assembly line may put out a fraction
more or a fraction less.
Confidence Builder. sIclntosh reports on
happenings at the maintenance clinic
they sponsored at the New York High
Fidelity Music Show early this fall.
Visitors were invited to bring their
equipment for a service inspection by
IcIntosh experts. Many (almost three
hundred) did so. The oldest piece of
equipment tested dated back seven years.
Curiously, few units needed service.
Owners of the equipment, when asked
what the trouble was, explained that they
"just wanted it checked." It turned out
that fewer than ten per cent actually
needed any kind of service. We asked the
McIntosh people why they had sponsored the clinic since they must have
realized that this would be the case.
"We want the public to know that
high -fidelity component manufacturers
stand behind their products," was the
answer. "This helps to build confidence
in the entire industry."
1
Now Hear This! A musician friend,
new to stereo but an old hand at Bach
and Handel, introduced us to a new
listening experience the other night.
Walking into her living room, we were
surprised to find the speaker pair (Wharfedale 60s) facing each other in the middle of the floor only eighteen inches
apart. Between them was a row of sot-.
cushions. Why? Our friend smiled mysteriously, turned on the system (Handel's
Messiah poured forth), and invited us to
stretch out on the floor, head between
the speakers. We complied and found the
effect to be startling. It was unlike being
in the concert hall; it was more like
actually being among the chorus. Sopranos to the left, tenors to the right.
We're a baritone, more or less, and
couldn't help raising our voice in a rousing chorus of "For unto us a child is
born." Wonderful!
Such a demonstration may seem extreme, but the next time someone
doubts stereo's efficacy, try it on them.
Of course, you could use earphones. But
the demonstration wouldn't be quite as
unusual or quite as much fun.
Catalogue Time. The big electronics
mail -order firms, like Lafayette and
Allied, have their 1961 catalogues off
the press. If you haven't received your
copies, send for them. Regular readers of
these "wish books" know they have a
lot of value, not only as shopping guides,
but as reference works for tools and small
parts.
Skating Distortion. If you've noticed
distortion in the right stereo channel, the
trouble, according to Fairchild engineers,
may be due to rotational friction that
tends to move the tone arm toward the
by RALPH
FRF.AA5
center of a disc. This "skating" action
creates uneven pressure on the right
wall of a record groove and the pressure
can cause some distortion in highly
modulated passages, Fairchild explains.
All of the above prefaces the firm's answer to the problem, their Model 500
tone arm with an "anti- skating" feature.
They don't say what to blame if distortion is in the left channel, but you'd
better look somewhere other than the
tone arm.
New Automator. While it won't extend
the frequency range of a high -fidelity
system, we still can't wait to try Rek -OKut's remote -controlled tone arm. The
device is a button at the end of a cable
which attaches under the turntable base.
A press of the button can start the turntable, lower the arm into the lead groove,
return the arm to the rest any time
during the playing of a record or return
it at the end of the record, and stop the
turntable when the arm has returned to
rest. This "semi -automator" costs $29.95
and takes the high fidelitarian as close
as he will get to operating his system
from an arm chair -short of buying a
good record changer.
FM in
a
Suitcase. Another new product
we look forward to using (after first
building it) is the H. H. Scott LT -10 FM
Scott LT-to tuner kit.
DECEMBER 1960
tuner. It represents Scott's entry into
the kit field -and an impressive debut
it is. We say this for the unique way in
which the kit is packaged. It comes in a
cardboard suitcase that opens into a kit
builder's worktable, ideal for anyone
whose home work space is limited. The
"suitcase" can be folded when work stops
and stowed away until the kit builder
feels like working on the unit again.
The assembly, by the way, shouldn't
take long since Scott has done a lot of the
work. All wires are precut, prestripped,
pretinned, and color -coded. The front
end is preassembled and prealigned.
Terminal strips, tube sockets, and jacks
are mounted on the chassis at the factory.
The kit is priced at $89.95.
113
www.americanradiohistory.com
C
The new and
excitingly different
MEDALLION XII
3 -way speaker system
featuring the exclusive
"Select -a- Style "*
snap -on grilles
Three outstanding loudspeaker components
produce the incomparably smooth and
musically rich performance of the Medallion
virtually linear from 28- 22,000 cps!
XII
Its special 12' high compliance woofer, newly
developed 8' mid -range and fabulous Sphericon Super Tweeter are all skillfully integrated
within its precisely matched cabinet. Network controls for both mid -range and treble
assure perfect tonal balance whatever the
acoustics of your room. Amplifier requirements? A modest 10 clean watts achieves
ample output.
Your choice of Medallion XII styling includes Contemporary, Italian Provincial,
Swedish Modern, Colonial (left to right in
all
photo above) and French Provincial
made possible through the unique concept of
"Select -a- Style" snap -on grilles. Each grille is
authentically interpreted, meticulously crafted
and carefully hand -rubbed to glowing fine furniture finishes. Simply "Select -a-Style" to
match your decor and snap it on! The Medallion is only 24 "x 17' x121/2" deep, and you'll
find it equally handsome as highboy or lowboy, whether directly on the floor, or on its
matching base.
It is available in walnut, oiled walnut, fruit wood, mahogany and unfinished. Net prices:
System only, $139.95. Grilles: Contemporary,
$9.95; Traditional, $19.95. Base: $14.95.
(Even less unfinished.)
*Trademark
...
YOU GET BOTH
WITH
UNIVERSITY'S
ULTRA-COMPACT
HIGH COMPLIANCE
SPEAKER SYSTEMS
...
Above: 8" Mock RRL-8
low: 12' Mor:el RRL-.2
CIRCLE
The decor - styled
Models RRL -8
and RRL -12
3- speaker systems
The phenomenal bass response achieved by
both these bookshelf systems results from
their special high compliance woofers and the
precisely matched acoustic coupler used to
increase their total radiation resistance.
Among the important benefits is a reduction
in extreme cone excursion -only 1/4 that of
the older, fully sealed boxes -that virtually
eliminates distortion and significantly lowers
power demands on the amplifier.
In the RRL -8, dual direct radiator tweeters
produce evenly dispersed treble to 20,000 cps.
The RRL -12 employs an exclusive 31r4' direct
radiator for smooth upper mid- range, with
the Sphericon Super Tweeter radiating the
highs out to 40,000 cps!
For complete flexibility of placement, both
RRL models are finished on all four sides.
And as an added feature, the grilles are easily
removable to permit a change of fabric whenever desired.
Both are available in mahogany, walnut,
oiled walnut, limed oak and unfinished. Model
RRL -8 is 221/4" x 121/4" x 1054" deep. Net
prices from $95.50 unfinished. Model RRL 12 is 25" x 155/8" x 121/2' deep. Net prices
from $114.95 unfinished.
See and hear these and other magnificent
University speaker systems at your dealer's
now. Ask him for our new catalog, or write
Desk P -12, University Loudspeakers, Inc.,
White Plains, N.Y.
ip
u
UNIVERSITY./
A Division of Ling -Temco Electronics, Inc.
113 ON RE %DER- SERVICE 1:41111
IIu:11 FIDELITY NIAGAZIXE
114
www.americanradiohistory.com
How To Improve Your TV's Audio
by Charles Sinclair
Ammo QUALITY is the electronic poor
relation in TV. Nearly all table model
TV sets have an audio system that's
little better than what you'd find in the
cheapest portable phonos of several
years ago, and many console TV sets
aren't much better.
No push -pull audio here; just a one tube "sound output" tube following the
detector, an inexpensive output transformer, and a low -price, small -size
speaker that often blares distorted sound
at a 90- degree angle from the viewer.
There are many reasons for this sad
state of TV audio affairs. For one, the
emphasis in TV set design has been on
picture quality rather than sound. For
another, manufacturers will tell you that
a low-priced audio system helps to keep
TV set costs down, since every dollar
spent by the manufacturer on the assembly line in improving TV sound will
cost the consumer, after the usual
distributor -dealer markups, about three
to four dollars on the set's price tag.
But members of the general public
who had never heard of high fidelity a
decade ago now have audio systems in
their homes
standard against which
to judge their TV sets. And, with a
bumper crop of "cultural" and entertainment music programs and special
telecasts planned by major networks in
the post-quiz- scandal program cleanup,
it's worthwhile to think of improving
your TV sound.
Where to begin? What do you do
with a schematic full of terms like
"Vertical Deflection Amplifier" and
"Noise Gate, Synchronization Separator "? How do you improve sound
quality without finding yourself holding
a pair of leads delivering 17,000 volts?
There are problems, but they can be
solved, if you'll keep several basic ideas
in mind:
1) The simplest way (although by no
means the least expensive) is to banish
your present TV set to the den or
kitchen, and buy a quality TV tuner
specifically designed to be fed into a
quality amplifier /speaker system. Sound
quality moves up immediately to the
level not far below that of radio tuner,
phono, tape, etc. in your present system.
2) If this is ruled out, you can make
improvements in your present set at no
-a
great cost and with a fair degree of
personal safety
you are careful, if
you have a schematic diagram of your
TV set, and if you know what you're
doing. (If not, better farm the job out
to a competent TV serviceman.)
3) You'll never get ultrafidelity with
an amplifier inside a TV set, so don't
try for it. You wouldn't like it even if
you could achieve it. There's a strong
15,750 -cps signal lurking in every TV
set, due to the horizontal scanning circuitry. And, there's a 60 -cps signal also
waiting, due to the vertical sweep frequency. So don't think of building new
amplifier circuitry within the set.
Now, let's get down to cases.
New speaker: the quickest improvement you can make in TV sound is to
replace the existing speaker in your set
with one that's the same size, power
rating, and impedance but with considerably more quality. This is a more
obvious move in console TV sets whose
-if
speakers are in a 5- 6 -8 -10 -inch class.
If your set is a table model, a striking
improvement can be made by simply
running the leads of the TV speaker out
to a quality 8 -inch speaker in a bookshelf baffle. The audio system won't
have changed within the set -but at
least the new speaker -with its superior
baffling-will reproduce the sounds fed
into it with greater clarity and accuracy.
Many TV sets sold today are portables,
and it's obviously defeating that function
of the set to tie it down to an external
speaker. In that case, a jack plug can be
mounted in the side of the set's cabinet
for unplugging the external speaker.
A refinement, possible in many TV
sets, is to replace the sound output
amplifier tube, or even all the tubes in
the set that involve sound circuitry,
with premium -grade exact replacements
(Mullard, Amperex, Telefunken, etc.),
if available. This may reduce such annoyances as hum, microphonics, and
stray noise, but will not, in itself, improve frequency response.
The addition of an external speaker
system for a TV set is the one most
usually recommended by technicians
and engineers for the average audiophile.
It's relatively easy, safe, quick, and economical to do. For those determined to
exercise greater mastery over TV sound,
a more elaborate operation is called for
-feeding TV sound into a spare input
on your amplifier or preamp and through
your audio system.
Generally speaking, the easiest (although not necessarily the best) way is
to tap the audio off the volume control,
following the detector stage and before
the output stage. There are three lugs
on the back of the volume control.
Make sure you are tapping the two lugs
where sound goes in, not out, of the
control. In other words, get the sound
from the detector, just before it enters
the volume control. Then, make sure
that the ground connections through the
shielded cable to the amplifier carry the
right arrangement of ground and "hot"
line as related to the circuit. Otherwise,
you may get hum.
One way of doing this is to run a
shielded cable from the "top" of the
volume control. Do not connect the
shield at this point, but let it "float"
of course, without touching the connection made by the cable's inner wire.
-
Continued on next page
POINT TO
TAP FOR TV
SOUND
SOUND
SIGNAL
FROM TV
DETECTOR
SHIELDED
T
AUDIO
(ABLE
PHONO
JACK
TO TV
SET
SOUND
OUTPUT
TV
VOLUME
CONTROL
GROUND
TO TV
CHASSIS
STAGE
The Easy Way: Tapping TV audio off at the volume control.
DECEMBER 1960
115
www.americanradiohistory.com
TV AUDIO
THRILLING SOUND IN STEREO!!!
Continued from preceding page
Then, ground the shield itself securely
to the TV chassis at any convenient spot
along the line. Terminate the cable in a
standard phono plug installed on the
rear cover of the TV set. The sound may
now be connected from this plug to an
external amplifier (sec diagram).
WARNING: You may get a lot more
than mere hum with such a tap under
special circumstances. Many portable
and table model sets today have a "hot"
chassis, which carries one side of the
power line. Depending on the design of
the set and the position of the line cord
A TRULY UNUSUAL STEREO GIFT
plug in the wall socket, the total line
the
are
perfect
Koss Stereophones
between parts of the
gift for a man who loves high fidelity voltage can exist
an object that's
and
set's
chassis
TV
and stereo sound. With these comyou tried to
instance,
for
grounded.
If,
fortable, fine quality Stereophones,
might result
hum
that
stray
rid
of
a
get
and
he'll get personalized listening
by running
TV
audio
into
from tapping
a sound as close to reality as
result
could be a
the
loop,
a
grounding
actually sitting in the Orchestra.
severe or even lethal shock to you and
considerable damage to expensive audio
At Leading Hi -Fi Shops
from Coast-to-Coast
equipment. The safest thing to do, in
such a case, is to "isolate" the hot TV
Inc.
set with an isolation transformer of the
2227 N. 31st Street
correct power rating (price: about $20
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
to $25). To be doubly safe, the master
TOO
EQUIPMENT
MONAURAL
TO
SOUNDS
power
plug of your audio system should
STEREOPHONES ADD WONDERFUL
be
fed through a second isolation
also
CARD
CIRCLE 66 ON REAIF:R- SERVICE
Koss
*KOSS
transformer. Consult the schematic of
your set and /or a competent serviceman to determine if the chassis of your
TV set is "hot." Most new TV sets are.
If in doubt, stay out!
There are more -and more elaborate
-ways of bringing the audio out of a
TV set (such as tapping before the bypass condenser at the volume control, or
with a vector socket under the detector
tube). In nearly all such cases a schematic
will have to be worked out for the set
in question by a good serviceman, since
TV circuitry varies widely among many
hundreds of models. Experimentation
with TV circuits is not for beginners.
However it's done, whether largescale or small -scale improvement, a step up in the audio quality of TV sets is
likely to be a worthwhile investment this
season.
This Christmas ...Give a
Genuine Walco Diamond Needle
The Gift of Lasting Listening Pleasure
A
Available at Better Dealers Everywhere
PRODUCT OF
WacoELECTRONICS
60
CIRCLE
118 ON
FRANKLIN
CO., INC.
EAST ORANGE, N. J.
READER -SERVICE CARD
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
116
www.americanradiohistory.com
C
a
General Index, 1960
Feature Articles Listed by Author
Restout, Denise. Mamusia: Vignettes of Wanda Iandowska. Oct.,
Broder, Nathan. Mozart Operas on Records. Nov., p. 56.
Brooks, Van Wyck. Hunekcr in Retrospect. Dec., p. 38.
Burstein, Herman. How To Explain Stereo to Your Friends.
Jan., p. 52.
Clancy, Russell. And a Cartridge in a Pear Tree (a custom installation). March, p. 50.
Conly, John M. Reflections on a Goodly Fellowship (Beethoven).
April. p. 34.
Crowhurst, Norman H. Big Bass from Small Boxes. Feb., p. 45.
Crowhurst, Norman li. Can Loudspeakers 13e Tested? April, p. 46.
Cudworth, Charles. Bless Thee! Thou Art Translated (opera
librettos). Nov., p. 53.
J
Darrell, R. D. The Jauntiest Maestro: Fiedler of the Pops. May,
p. 38.
P. 42.
Roddy, Joseph. Mr. Mahler in Manhattan. July, p. 30.
Roddy, Joseph. Steinways and Steinwayism. March, p. 42.
Salzman, Eric. From Composer to Magnetron to You. Aug., p. 40.
Saunders, Scott J. Mounting a Ceiling Speaker. July, p. 82.
Schuller, Gunther A. John Lewis on the Modern Jazz Beachhead.
Oct., p. 54.
Shelton, Robert. Folkways in Sound -or The Remarkable Enterprises of Mr. Moe Asch. June, p. 42.
Shelton, Robert. The Weavers. Dec., p. 48.
Silverberg, Robert. Music for People Marooned on Mars. Sept.,
p. 49.
Sinclair, Charles. How To Improve Your TV's Audio. Dec., p. 115.
Smith, Russell. A Fanfare for Piotr Ilyich (Tchaikovsky). March,
p
Downes, Edward. Karl Böhm: A Beginning Made Good. March,
p. 54.
Eisenberg, Norman. Do You Need a Phantom Channel? (3- channel
stereo). Aug., p. 36.
Eisenberg, Norman. Stereo Integration Steps Up. Oct., p. 51.
Fidelman, David. Amplifier Ratings -Fact and Fantasy. Sept.,
p. 47.
Fleming, Shirley. Getting the Twain To Meet (engineers and
artists). Oct., p. 14.
Fleming, Shirley. Grass -Roots Opera. June, p. 28.
Fleming, Shirley. Malcolm Frager- Prize -winning Pianist. Dec.,
48.
Stravinsky, Igor. Firebird's First Flight. June, p. 34.
Wagner, Alan. The Life and Death of Leonard Warren. June, p. 37.
Wagner, Alan. The New Golden Age of Opera. Jan., p. 55.
Weaver, William. Palermo's Foresighted Teatro Massimo. Nov.,
p. 10.
Weaver, William. The Pavilion of the Open Sky (Verdi). Jan., p. 42.
Wechsberg, Joseph. Inside La Scala. Nov., p. 46.
Wilson, John S. Is Jazz Too Respectable? May, p. 34.
Zide, Larry. Stereo Cartridges
I
lave Personalities. May, p. 41.
p. 24.
Fleming, Shirley. Maureen Forrester: A Contralto Without Compulsions. July, p. 12.
Fowler, Charles. Are You Cheating Yourself on Speakers? Sept.,
p. 40.
Fowler, Charles. A Mike or Two Around the !louse. Nov., p. 60.
Fowler, Charles. Mozart As You Motor. June, p. 40.
Freas, Ralph. The Change in Record Changers. July, p. 36.
Freas, Ralph. The Coming Break-Through in Tape. March, p. 46.
Frcas, Ralph. Towards Stereo Compatibility. June, p. 45.
Gelatt, Roland. Victoria of the Angels (De los Angeles). Sept., p. 36.
Gorman, Robert. The Sound of Ambiophonv. Dec., p. 42.
I
!art, Philip. The Lapidary of Agate Beach (Ernest Bloch). May,
p. 44.
11,Im, Everett. The Dwindling Racket (avant -garde music). Aug.,
p. 43.
Hughes, Patrick Cairns. Nobody Calls Him Willie Now (Sir
William Walton). Sept., p. 43.
I
lughes, Patrick Cairns. The Swan Who Could Laugh (Rossini).
July, p. 38.
Kupferberg, Herbert. All- Purpose Tenor (Nicolai Gedda). Aug.,
p. 45.
Kupferberg. Herbert. The Pick of '60 (outstanding record releases).
Dec., p. 45.
Kupferberg, I lerbert. They Opened Her Mouth with a Corkscrew
(Giulietta Simionato). Feb., p. 49.
Landon, H. C. Robbins. It All Began in Bonn (Beethoven). April,
p. 40.
Landon, H. C. Robbins. The Red Priest of Venice (Vivaldi).
Aug., p. 30.
Marsh, Robert C. The Beethoven Symphonies in Stereo. April,
p. 44.
Feature Articles Listed by Title
All- Purpose Tenor ( Nicolai Gedda). Aug., p. 45.
America Has Old Organs, Too (a picture spread). Aug., p. 38.
Amplifier Ratings -Fact and Fantasy. Sept., p. 47.
And a Cartridge in a Pear Tree (a custom installation). March, p. 50.
Are You Cheating Yourself on Speakers? Sept.. p. 40.
The Beethoven Symphonies in Stereo. Apr., p. 44.
Big Bass from Small Boxes. Feb., p. 45.
Bless Thee! Thou Art Translated (opera librettos). Nov.,
p. 53.
Can Loudspeakers Be Tested? April, p. 46.
The Change in Record Changers. July, p. 36.
The Coming Break-Through in Tape. March, p. 46.
Do You Need a Phantom Channel? (3- channel stereo). Aug., p, 36.
Dr. Reiner's Orchestra. Feb., p. 38.
The Dwindling Racket (avant -garde music). Aug., p. 43.
Egyptians in Vienna (Aida recorded
-a picture spread). Jan.,
p. 50.
Piotr Ilyich (Tchaikovsky). March, p. 48.
Firebird's First Flight. June, p. 34.
Die Fledermaus -Taped in Vienna (a picture spread). Nov., p. 58.
Folkways in Sound -or the Remarkable Adventures of Mr. Moe
A Fanfare for
Asch. June, p. 42.
From Composer to Magnetron to You. Aug., p. 40.
Getting the Twain To Meet (engineers and artists). Oct., p.
14.
Grass-Roots Opera. June, p. 28.
Ilow to Explain Stereo to Your Friends. Jan., p. 52.
How To Improve Your TV's Audio. Dec., p. 115.
Hunekcr in Retrospect. Dec., p. 38.
Inside La Scala. Nov., p. 46.
Is Jazz Too Respectable? May, p. 34.
It All Began in Bonn (Beethoven). April, p. 40.
Marsh, Robert C. Mahler on Microgroove. July, p. 34.
Marsh, Robert C. Music in the Midwest. Feb., p. 42.
Mayer, Martin. Dr. Reiner's Orchestra. Feb., p. 38.
Moor, Paul. Our Operatic Expatriates. Nov., p. 50.
The Jauntiest Maestro: Fiedler of the Pops. May, p. 38.
John Lewis on the Modern Jazz Beachhead. Oct., p. 54.
Osborne, Conrad L. Verdi on Microgroove. Jan., p. 46.
Pirie, Peter J. A Reprieve for Romanticism. Oct., p. 48.
Pirie, Peter J. Toscanini and Furtwängler-An Empire Divided.
April, p. 37.
Karl Böhm: A Beginning Made Good. March, p. 54.
The Lapidary of Agate Beach (Ernest Bloch). May, p. 44.
The Life and Death of Leonard Warren. June, p. 37.
DECEMBER 1960
117
www.americanradiohistory.com
ARTICLE INDEX
Continued from preceding page
Mahler on Microgroove. July. p. 34.
\I.11colm r.iper- Prize- winning Pianist. Dec., p. 24.
\I :uuusia: \ igncttcs of Wanda landowska. Oct., p. 42.
Maureen
Irestcr: A Contralto Without Compulsions. July, p. 12.
A Mike ur Two Around the !louse. Nov., p. 60.
Mounting a Ceiling Speaker. July, p. 82.
Mozart As You Motor. June, p. 40.
Mozart Operas on Records. Nov., p. 56.
Mr. Mahler in Manhattan. July, p. 30.
Music for People Marooned on Mars. Sept., p. 49.
Music in the Midwest. Feb., p. 42.
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Nobody Calls Ilim Willie Now (Sir William Walton). Sept., p. 43.
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Frank Sinatra: Only the Lonely ZW 1053
Nat King Cole: Lore is the Thing ZW 824
Kingston Trio: Here 11e Go Again ZT 1258
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George Shearing: Satin Brass
Guy Lombardo: Berlin by Lombardo Zr 1019
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Fred Waring: If 'cuing in Hi.Fi
Palermo's Foresighted Teatro Massimo. Nov., p. 10.
The Pavilion of the Open Sky (Verdi). Jan., p. 42.
The I'ick of '60 (outstanding record releases). Dec., p. 45.
The Red Priest of Venice (Vivaldi). Aug., p. 30.
Reflections on a Goodly Fellowship (Beethoven). April, p. 34.
A Reprieve for Romanticism. Oct., p. 48.
SIIOW MUSIC
The Sound of Ambiophony. Dec., p. 42.
Fiorello! (Original Broadway Cast) ZO 1321
The King & I (Kerr, soundtrack) ZW 740
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Carousel (MacRae, soundtrack)
Steinways and Steinwayism. March, p. 42.
Stereo Cartridges Have Personalities. May. p. 41.
Stereo Integration Steps Up. Oct., p. 51.
The Swan Who Could Laugh (Rossini). July, p. 38.
DRAGON. HOLLYWOOD BOWL
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Feb., p. 49.
Concertos Under the Stars
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Verdi on Microgroove. Jan., p. 46.
Victoria of the Angels (De los Angeles). Sept., p. 36.
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119
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TELEX
SUPERIORITY IN SOUND
Index of Equipment Reports, 1960
Equipment is stereo unless otherwise designated.
STOP
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AMPLIFIERS
Allied 60 -watt Knight -Kit
Grommcs 260A 60 -watt Mono
Ilarman- Kardon Citation II
60 -watt
Leak Stereo 50
Quad II
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MODEL
Dyna -Twin Headset,
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Dyna -Twin Headset,
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Dyna -Twin Headset,
2 standard phone plugs -stereo
Dyna -Twin Headset,
3- circuit plug-stereo
No.
HDP-1
.
.
.
.
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HDP-2
HDP -23
HDP -53
For more information and a demonstration, see your TELEX dealer. Or write
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TELE
1,
Minnesota,
Apr., p. 56
Jan., p. 114
Oct., p.
ARMS
Audio Empire 98
Bogen - Presto PA I
Dynaco B & O TA -12 Stcrcodyne
(arm and pickup)
Fairchild SA -I2
Grado Lab. Series
Monarch PA -100
SME 3009
Shure M232
Shure Sterco Studio Dynctic (integrated arm and cartridge)
Stromberg- Carlson PR -500 (arm
and turntable)
61
EICO AF-4
EMI Stereoscope 555
PACO SA -40
(Kit report, p. Ill.)
Sherw,xxl S- 5001)
Stromberg-Carbon ASR -8 -80
June, p. 48
Aug.,
Mar.,
Nov.,
Mar.,
Sept.,
Feb., p. 99
Heathkit TR -ID
(Kit report, p. 116.)
Norcico Continental 400
Sony 300 Sterecorder
Stuzzi "Magnette" 67113
Tandberg 5
Uher Universal
Viking 85ESQ Tape Deck
May, p.
TAPE ACCESSORIES
p.
p.
p.
p.
p.
51
112
64
115
55
Oct., p. 60
51
Apr., p. 50
May, p. 53
Feb.,
Mar.,
Feb.,
Sept.,
May,
p.
p.
p.
p.
101
115
98
58
p. 54
Aug., p. 47
Sept., p. 56
PREAMP CONTROL UNITS
Dvnakit l'AS -2
Grommcs 209
Hannan - Kardon Citation I
(Kit report, p. 11)6.)
Leak "l'oint One"
McIntosh C20
Quad 22
KLH6
Quad Electrostatic
Rolls A.E.8 -3h
Wharfedale '60
TAPE RECORDERS
Audio Empire 88
Jan., p. 115
Audiogersh 210 -D Stereotwin
July, p. 44
CBS Professional 55
May, p. 52
Dynaco Stercodync II
Aug., p. 51
ESL C-99
Aug., p. 50
Fairchild SM -I
Mar., p. 112
l'ickcring 380A
Apr., p. 51
Shure Stereo Studio Dvnetic (integrated cartridge and tone Feb., p. 99
arm)
Sonotone 8TÁ4
Feb., p. 104
CONTROL AMPLIFIERS
Itcll 6060
DcWald "Classic" N-2200
Apr.,
Aug.,
Dec.,
Mar.,
Mar., p. 114
June, p. 49
CARTRIDGES
CHANGERS
Garrard 210
Lesa CD2 /21
Altec Lansing Monterey Jr. (835A)
Audax CA -60
Audio -Tech ME -12
Jensen SS -200
May, p. 48
Feb., p. 103
Sept., p. 53
Jan., p. 114
Oct., p. 59
Oct., p. 61
p. 52
p. 48
p. 52
p. 113
Nov., p. 65
Nov., p. 70
Sept., p. 52
Ampex 970
Bell Stereo -Pak 402
Nov., p. 68
Mar., p. 118
Mar., p. 116
Jan.,
Dec.,
Mar.,
July,
Mar.,
Viking RI'-62C Tape Deck Amplifier
Webster Electric GLO -4 Tape
Record /Playback Preamp
p. 112
p. 54
p. 117
p. 45
p. 119
July, p.
41
July, p.
41
Aug., p. 53
TUNERS
Allied Knight -Kit 731 AM -FM
(Kit report, p. 127.)
Bell 6070 Carillon AM -FM
EICO IFT94 AM
Fisher FM -100
1
Heathkit FM -4 FM Kit
Karg C1' -2 FM
Madison Fielding 630 FM
Shcrwrxxl S -2200 FM -AM -MX
Stromberg- Carlson EM-443 FM
Oct., p. 63
June,
Feb.,
Dec.,
Apr.,
Dec.,
Aug.,
July,
June,
p. 47
p. 104
p. 56
p. 55
p. 53
p. 52
p. 43
p. 50
TURNTABLES
Bogen- Presto TT3
Pickering 800 Gyropoise Stereo-
June, p.
table
Rek -O -Kut N-3311
Stromberg -Carlson PR -500
Aug.. p. 49
Sept.. p. 51
May, p. 51
49
i
MISCELLANEOUS
Artizan 501 Speaker Enclosure Kit
Blaupunkt Auto Radio (AM -FM
Marine Band)
Heathkit SD -1 Phonograph Kit
(Complete .s.iem)
Help Fight
Apr., p.
101
Jan., p. 116
Feb., p.
100
TB
RECEIVERS
Bogen SRB20 AM -FM
H. H. Scott 399
Apr., p. 54
Dec., p. 51
SPEAKER SYSTEMS
Communications Accessories Division
Telex Park, St. Paul
Nov., p. 67
Feb., p. 102
CA -609
In Canada: Atlas Radio Corporation, Ltd., Toronto 19, Ontario
CIRCLE 109 ON READER-SI:KVICE CARD
Acoustic Research AR -2a
Acoustic Research AR -3
Altec Lansing Monterey (834A)
May, p. 49
Oct., p. 57
Apr., p. 52
120
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JIGII FIDELITY MAGAZINE
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DECEMBER 1960
121
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PURCHASING
THE WEAVERS
A HI -FI
Continued.from page 50
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was not
tween the two."
The Weavers' records began to sell like
wildfire. More than four million 78s were
sold by Decca in those early years. The group
acquired two managers, Pete Kameron and
Harold Leventhal. Leventhal is the Weavers' personal manager today and is considered
both a friend and the "fifth" Weaver. He
has been described as a mother 'possum with
seven breasts, with a folk singer hanging
Garrard Miracord
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only a folklorist and a
benevolently on the young
Jenkins, an arranger and
was a regular visitor to the
he facilitated the first
recording contract at Decca. "We remember," says Hays, "the cynical advice of a
recording company executive who said
'You've got to decide whether you want to
be good or commercial.' Our feeling and
Gordon's was that we should try to be good
and commercial, for we saw no barrier be-
W ollensak
FREE rt1 FI Cataloo
it
the Weavers are
poet who smiled
group. Gordon
orchestra leader,
Vanguard and
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TEC
Roberts
is brand new, fac-
America singing,
there."
But
from each.
The cross -country tours began: to large
municipal auditoriums, to such spots as
Ciro's in Hollywood and the Palmer House
in Chicago. The group even doubled between the Blue Angel and the Strand
Theatre in Manhattan at the same time.
The giant amusement wheel at Las Vegas
"was a big gamble," but the Weavers won
out there, too. It was an upward, upswinging
cycle of one triumph after the other, and
the popular -music industry began to feel
the impact of the Weavers' folk songs.
The spiral of success was not without its
difficulties, however. The grind of performances and travel meant hardships on
families and, as one Weaver puts it, "It's
as hard to keep a group together as it is a
marriage, but we weren't even sleeping
with each other." Then there were external
problems. The song -pluggers descended,
locustlike, on the hit group with what were
purportedly "folk songs," such as Don't Eier
Hit Your Mother on the /lead with a Hammer,
It Will Make a Bad Impression on lter
Mind." Well- meaning entrepreneurs were
taken aback when the Weavers refused to
sing their songs. The group turned down the
chance to make the first official recording
of the theme song from the filin High Noon,
for instance. Hays says now, "We had to say
no, it probably was the right song for its
purpose, but if we had sung it we would
not have sounded quite honest."
But the biggest assault on integrity was
to come from a completely extramusical
quarter. In the height of the McCarthy era
of the blunderbuss accusation and guilt by
association, the Weavers were to fall victim
to one of the most comprehensive blacklists
on record. In his book False Witness, Harvey
Matusow describes how the blacklist got
started: "Vie [ Matusow and other interested
parties] discussed my forthcoming role as
witness before the House committee... .
We discussed the careers of a well- known
quartet who, at the time, had the top selling phonograph record in the United
States. One of its members was listed in Red
Channels, but there was nothing that could
be pinned on the group specifically -they
could not be placed in the Communist
party. Having known all four of them, not
as Communists, but as friends, I triumphantly said, 'I know them, and they are Com-
munists.' "
Such attacks took effect in those hysterical
days. "All we wanted was to be judged on
what we did," Miss Gilbert recalls today
ruefully. But that was not to be; even
Mena, Mena was being branded as a subversive song. Cancellations of Weavers'
appearances mounted. Television, the most
vulnerable area, was first. Then some of the
posh clubs, and then the Ohio State Fair
at Columbus, after hiring the Weavers at
a fabulous fee, canceled the group's appearance there. Seeger says today, "I would be
willing to bet that every disc jockey in the
country got a letter to urge him to discontinue playing the Weavers' records."
The fact that the Weavers had sung at all
sorts of Rotary, Roman Catholic, and Boy
Scout benefits didn't cut much ice. The fact
that they were singing the very same songs
that had led to their early popularity didn't
matter. The steam -roller of anti- leftist feeling was rolling, and the Weavers were right
in its path. By the end of 1952, the group
decided to disband. Miss Gilbert moved to
the West Coast. The Decca contract was,
by mutual agreement, canceled, and in 1953,
Seeger began slowly to build up a following
along the college circuit as a solo performer.
The group was, for all intents and purposes,
a memory.
But by autumn of 1955, Harold Leventhal
felt the contribution the Weavers had made
was of such importance that he did a bit of
finagling. He rented Carnegie Hall for a
night in Christmas week, 1955, and informed
each of the by then far -flung Weavers that
the others had agreed to get together for a
reunion concert. After three weeks of rehearsals, the group bounded into a sold -out
Carnegie Hall. The air was charged as at few
concerts. The fans had returned in multitudes, and the group's electrical rapport
with its admirers was full reestablished.
Leventhal had the concert taped, and
soon tried to get recording companies, big
and small, to release the tape. Big and small
they said "no," or "wait." By the summer
of 1956, the tapes of the great Carnegie Hall
concert reached Vanguard Records, and
Maynard and Seymour Solomon said "yes."
It is a word many recording executives wish
they might have said, for the disc sales of the
reconstituted Weavers, before and after Erik
Darling joined the group, have gone into
the hundreds of thousands and are the hardy
perennials of folk music records. The
Weavers' tours continued, with turn -away
throngs at Boston's Symphony Hall and
New York's Carnegie Hall. The college
ON READER -SERVICE CARD
HIGA FIDELITY MAGAZINE
www.americanradiohistory.com
circuit eagerly turned out for them, and a
tour last summer of Israel (for forty -two
concerts) and the British Isles was well
received.
Today a new generation of Weavers fans
is coming up, and the group is pressed by
the driving energy and youthfulness of the
many fresh, buoyant singing trios and quartets emerging on the scene. The revival
the Weavers helped start is in full swing, and
a noticeable trend towards the performance
of more ethnic music is developing. The
Weavers' position of preeminence is one
they worked hard to attain; they now must
work even harder to retain it before an
increasingly critical audience. But if the
Weavers were not to sing another song or
make another record, their accomplishments
would stand out boldly on the face of popu-
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HUNEKER
Genoa, Illinois.
Continued from page 41
the finest was on Botticelli's "sweet, sick,
nervous music."
His best -liked books in Germany and
France were, Huneker remarked, his two
collections of short stories, Visionaries and
,lfelomaniacs, which were "not AngloSaxon or American fiction.... They belonged to what the Germans call Kulturnovellen." They derived more or less from
E. T. A. Hoffman but leaned a good deal
on Poe, and their characters and settings
were usually exotic, musicians and poets of
mixed blood, sometimes in German or
Austrian watering places. Fantastic, erotic,
esoteric, as Huneker said, they have names
like Baldur, Arved, Quell; and among these
"rebels of the moon" is the Russian mystic
and millionaire, the scientific pyrotechnist
of The Spiral Road. Huneker gave the name
of Arthur Schopenhauer Wyartz to the son
of an old Brook Farmer.
There came a time when he was "dead
sick of the decadents," dead sick of "the
entire crew of 'modernity' yowlers," sick of
"strange faces" and "foreign tongues," sick
of "cosmopolitanism," when he became, in
fact, a "rabid Yankee." But this was mainly
because of the war when the impressionable
Huneker, the "old practitioner in literary
and artistic poisons," said that his cosmopolitanism peeled off like dry paint as he
read President Wilson's proclamation. He
had the usual "bully time" even with
Theodore Roosevelt. But he remained the
unquiet soul he described in Steeplejack, who
voyaged from city to city, from country to
country, who never lost the Irishman's love
of highly colored phrases and for whom life
was never a Barmecide feast.
He was always young in temperament
and he was a critic with temperament -"an
optimist at bottom with a superficial coating
of pessimism which thaws near a piano, a
pretty girl, or a glass of Pilsner." But he
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SOLDER
'MIr;<o. 1, aeowd wdu
For inlet-mown. pleine
n
f
oll opoGcable federal Socur,cu;on.
rite Department
NULTICORE SALES DIVISION BRITISH INDUSTRIES CORP., Port Washington, N.Y.
CIRCLE
DECEMBER 1960
27 ON
READER -SERVICE C.5
U
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TRADER'S NI.1RtiETPL.ICE
PROFESSIONAL RECORDING TAPE. First Quality of prime
manufacturer. Full frequency response. Polished, lubricated. Money back guarantee. Acetate 1200', 1Vz mil,
4/5.00; 1800',
4/5.95; 1800',
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HUNEKER
Continued front preceding page
Sonic, 1212 North Park Road, Hollywood, Fla.
Acre%
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t
he place to btu', .asap,
441114
or
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for n:
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RARE 78's. Write Record -Lists, P.O. Box 2122, Riverside,
California.
HIGH FIDELITY, Music at Home, complete, make offer.
R. E. Worthy, 18 Spring Street, Williamstown, Mass.
DISCRIMINATING TASTE?
he's one of those hard -tosatisfy record collectors, give him a Recocards record
index. $12 (150 records); S20 (400 records). Send for
brochure, sample Record Index cards. Recocards (HZ),
503 Hyde Park Bank Building, 1525 Earl 53rd Street,
Chicago 15, Illinois.
CHRISTMAS COMFORT in 30 styles of sheepskin slippers,
double deerskin mots, etc. Money back guarantee. Free
catalog. Cottage Crafts Shop, Rutland, Vermont.
COMPONENTS, RECORDERS, Tapes. Send for wholesale
catalogue. Canton, 215 -A East 88th Street, New York 28,
N. Y.
HAVE YOU ANY RECORDS worth 5150.00? "Price Guide,
lists 7,500 numbers, values. $2.50, postpaid. American
Record Collectors Exchange, 825 Seventh Ave., New
York 19, N. Y. Attention: Julian Morton Moses.
HIGH FIDELITY, 1 -71, lacking 34 -36. F.O.B., $20.
Wilcox, 808 Elin Avenue, Norman, Oklahoma.
-Will solve your hi -fi problems on-thesoot. Acoustic, Audio, Radio engineer. Stereo designing.
Professional visits, day, evening. New York area, weekdays. William C. Bohn. 550 Fifth Ave., New York City.
Plaza 7 -8569.
S. C.
HI -FI DOCTOR
ALL AVAILABLE English LPs from stock or 6/8 weeks
delivery. Large stocks of French, German, Italian, etc.
LPs. Send for monthly lists of these and 78 rpm collectors'
items. Ross, Court 8 Co., 2098 Yonge St., Toronto 7, Ont.
Canada.
WRITE FOR QUOTATION on any Hi -Ei components. Sound
Reproduction, Inc., 34 New Street, Newark 2, N. J.
AUDIO ACCESSORIES -best prices -free literature. Audiotone Recording Services, P.O. Box 9, Port Washington,
N. Y.
-Excellent modern German instruments by Sperrhake. Beautiful ca'inetry, modTaylor,
8710
Garfield Street, Betherate prices. Robert S.
esda, Maryland.
HARPSICHORDS, CLAVICHORDS
AMPEX, 601's, 960's, 610 speaker, Fisher components.
Leica camera and projector. Excellent or unused. Scotch
recording tape. Biq reductions on all. List 25c. Foster
Gunnison, Jr., Suite 806, 600 Asylum Ave., Hartford,
Conn.
-7"
reels,
EXCELLENT QUALITY RECORDING TAPE
30.15000 cps guaranteed. 1230' Acetate, 3/3.90 -6/7.50;
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Mylar, 3/7.20-6/14.25. Plus 15c PP 8 Handling per reel.
Foto Sound, 88 Harbor Road, Port Washington, N. Y.
ALL MAKES HIGH FIDELITY speakers repaired. Ampr':le,
168 W. 23rd St., New York 11, N. Y. CHelseo 3.4812.
University Senor live sp_a'er system, mahogany, $10).1. Janowitch, 248 W. Market Street, Long
Beach, N. Y. GE 1 -0143.
FOR SALE:
SALE: 78 R.n.M. RECORDINGS, 1902 -1950. Many types,
Free lists. Collections bought. Mr. Ellie Hirschmann, P.O.
Box 155 (HF), Verona, N. J.
-55;
FM /AM
PRECISION RECEIVER ALIGNMENT- FM
-$9. HiFi equipment meticulously serviced. Kit problems
4
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solved. I. Pollack, Westbury, L. I., N. Y. ED
Mylar conducting tape for recorders
with automatic stop or reverse. Norelco, Tondberg, WolNEW METALLIZED
adhesive, non -abrasive, 1
mil. Quantity discounts. 'I." and 1/4" width. $1.25 per
roll. Postpaid, E L Products, Box 771 -C, Havertown, Pa.
lensak, DeJur, Uher, etc.
PS
HIGH FIDELITY, complete less .21, Best offer. Sol Siegle.
5680 Forward Ave., Pittsburgh 17, Po.
INDUCTORS FOR Crossover Networks. 118 types in stock.
Send for brochure. C 8 M Coils, 3016 Holmes Ave., N.W.,
Huntsville, Ala.
YOUR INQUIRES INVITED. Authorized distributors. Professional service. F. T. C. Brewer Co., 1714 N. Pace Blvd.,
Pensacola, Fla.
EUROPE 1961, BUDGET -WISE CIRCLE TOURS: Tenth
anniversary folders ready describing creatively planned group
programs visiting 12 -19 countries in 37 -56 days. Prices
with trans- Atlantic tourist steamship $1,160-$1,595. Air
passage optional. 36 departures. April- September. Dittman Tours. Northfield, Minn.
INCREASE CLARITY, Presence, Depth with the new Duo Phonic Inductor on stereo or mono. Send for he free facts
or order now $29.90. Money back Guarantee. The Audionics Co., 8 West Walnut Sheet, Metuchen, N. J.
AMPEX, CONCERTONE, Mognecord, Presto, Bogen, Tandberg, Pentron, Sherwood, Rek- O -Kut, Scott, Shure, Dyne kit, others. Trades. Boynton Studio, Dept. FH, 10 Pennsylvania Ave., Tuckahoe, N. Y.
receiving tubes or Hi -Fi components
send now for your giant free Zalytron Catalog No. 166featuring nationally known Zalytron first quality TV -Radio
tubes, Hi -Fi stereo systems, kits, parts, etc. All priced to
save you plenty -Why pay more? Zalytron Tube Corp.,
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BALLPOINT pens, 15 for $1.00. Write perfectly, retractable, metal pocket clip, send cash or money order. Arts
Unlimited, P.O. Box 531, Cooper Station, New York 3,
N. Y.
STEREO TAPES -over 1,500 different -all major
labels -free catalog. Stereo -Parti, 811 -D Centinela Ave.,
Inglewood 3, Calif.
INTERNATIONAL RECORD COMPANY Musical and Technical Coordinator available spring 1961 seeks responsible
position utilizing full qualifications. State details of position available in first reply. 49 Desmond Ave., Bronxville,
BEFORE YOU BUY
RENT
N. Y.
COMPONENTS -Best quotations -Sale items. Bayle Co.,
Box 131, Wantogh, N. Y.
OUT -OF -PRINT Long Playing Records, Send your "want list." Classical Record Shop, 825 Seventh Avenue, New
York 19, N. Y.
SELL -Grado
12" stereo arm, $18.00; Grado master
stereo cartridge, $30.00; Norelco Continental 400 stereo
recorder, $210.00. Jack Fleischer, 271 Cooper Place,
New Haven 15, Conn.
FOR SALE: HIGH FIDELITY,
DON'T BUY HI -FI components, kits, tape, tape recorders
until you get our low, low return mail quotes. "We guarantee not to be undersold." Wholesale catalog free. HiFidelity Center, 1797AC First Avenue, New York 28, N. Y.
1
-90, Best Ol :er.l. Janowitch,
248 W. Market St., Long Beach, N. Y. GE 1 -0143.
WRITE FOR LOW PRICES Hi -Fi stereo corn
ts. We
be undersold. Audionics Company, 790 North
try not to
Main Street, Providence, Rhode Island.
FOR SALE: Brook model 7
preamplifier, $60.00; Healhkil
electronic crossover, $20.00; HIGH FIDELITY, 1-48, best
offer. George Sarmiento, 35 -50 81st Street, Jackson
Heights 72, N. Y. DEfender 5 -6749.
Hi -Fi components, Sleep learning
equipment, tapes. Unusual values. Free Catalog. Dressner,
69 -02A, 174 St., Flushing 65, N. Y.
TAPE RECORDERS,
became, towards sixty, the Old Fogy who
figured in one of his last books- however,
he observed, "1 know it, and that marks the
difference between other old fogies and
myself." By nature a ìea- saver, he left his
"dear son," Mcnckcn, to do the attacking;
but, although he liked to face the rising
rather than the setting sun, he was not at
home in the arts of the postwar epoch. He
welcomed the writing of James Joyce but
he could not accept the r'ers libre of the
Twenties; and, with his motto "Write only
for the young: The old will not heed you,
being weary of the pother of life and art,"
the young artists did not appeal to him. "I
have to get off somewhere," Huneker said
in one of his letters, "and with the exception
of Matisse and Picasso and Epstein and
Augustus John I don't dote on the new
chaps." The Cubists did not interest him
he could not unravel their meanings.
"There are no tonalities, only blocks of raw
primary colors juxtaposed with the childlike
ingenuousness of Assyrian mural decorations
my sympathies have reached
their outermost verge," he said in The
Pathos of Distance; and he could not like
the "neo- Scythians who
throw across
their saddle bows the helpless diatonic and
chromatic scales.... I fear and dislike the
music of Arnold Schoenberg, the hardest
musical nut to crack of his generation, and
the shell is very bitter to the mouth." He
added, "If such music making is ever to
become accepted, then I long for Death the
Releaser."
It is true that Huneker eagerly studied
Schoenberg's compositions, for he was both
curious and conscientious; but he could not
live up to his own advice, "Enjoy the music
of your epoch, for there is no such thing as
music of the future." But, after all, his was
the great epoch that opened with Bach and
led through Brahms, the "bard chanting
humanity's woes and full -blooded aspirations"; and who ever enjoyed more the
great composers who lived then, as well as
the great novelists, poets, and painters?
"The twentieth-century man," he said,
"brings forth his works of art in sorrow. His
music shows it. It is sad, complicated, hysterical, and morbid "; and, with his cult of
great artists in every line. Huneker was
himself an archromantic.
It is true, he said that Mozart was the
greatest musician the world had known,
blither than Beethoven and more serene;
and, in his "Dream Barn" on Madison
Avenue, before he was exiled to Brooklyn,
he continued every morning to play Bach.
That room, on the tenth floor, was as big
as a cathedral-where arc such old -fashioned
apartments today? Bach, for Huneker, was
"the Alpha and Omega of music." But
Chopin was his god, and the sentimental
hero Liszt appealed to him much more than
Richard «'agner. Loving symphonic music,
he disliked grand opera as what he called, in
-
...
...
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
124
www.americanradiohistory.com
Ivory Apes and Peacocks, "a mishmash of
styles, compromises, and arrant ugliness ";
and elsewhere he said that "a Beethoven
string quartet holds more genuine music for
.
me than the entire works of Wagner.
The twentieth century will find Wagner
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cent and formidable engine, the Beethoven
symphonic method, to accompany a tinsel
tale of garbled Norse mythology with all
sorts of modern affectations and morbidities
introduced." I le had said in his Franz Liszt,
"Nothing stales like theatre music. The
Button-Molder awaits at the crossroads of
time all operatic music, even as he waited
for Peer Gynt."
There was little of the humanitarian in
this worshiper of great men, and no doubt he
was prejudiced against the "thrice brutal"
Zola and his "noisy inartistic novels." Ile
preferred Nietzsche to the nonresistant
Tolstoy, and, as an individualist, he was
drawn to Stendhal and to Ibsen, "in these
times of vapid socialistic theories." For the
rest, saying there were no modest authors,
he was himself genuinely humble, disliking
"my truly negligible work" and saying of
critics in general, " \ \'e arc only contemporaries of genius." At his worst, jerky and florid,
he could scribble a series of bad epigrams
followed by the phrase "I pause for breath ";
but, agile and humorous at his best, and
sometimes a beautiful writer, he was learned,
always alive, and certainly unique.
send for the 1961
411 /ED
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Address
ELECTRIC
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AMBIOPHONY
Continued from page 44
repetition vary with frequency as well as
amplitude, and that these variations correspond to the way sound actually behaves
in an auditorium. Other attempts to provide
a similar effect include time -delay devices
such as the "Stereo -Fax" developed by Gay -
lor Products and the "Duo- Phonic Inductor"
offered by the Audionics Co.
The important thing about a delay system
(assuming, to begin with, that it is designed
and built correctly and introduces no distortion of its own) is that it separates the reverberation signal. The acoustic effect then
depends in large measure upon what you do
with that separated signal. If you feed it
back to the stereo or mono speakers that
deliver the direct sound, you may achieve
little that has not already been done to a
considerable extent at the recording studio.
For a genuine "ambiophonic effect,"
therefore, one or more separate speakers
appear to be necessary -for enhancing mono
as well as stereo. They are part of the Holt,
and some of the packaged systems (Motorola,
for example) and can be added to practically
all others.
Continued on next page
IN THIS SPECIAL PACKAGE
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IN HIGH FIDELITY COMPONENTS
Prevent accidental
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CIRCLE
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READER-SERVICE CARD
DECEMBER 1960
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125
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AMBIOPHONY
Continued from preceding page
These extra, remote speakers may prove
to be the key to the kind of stereo reverberation an audiophile might want in his own
home. It is not yet clear how many may be
needed for genuine ambiophony, nor where
they should be placed. One conclusion that
has emerged from the Philips installations is
that the listener should not be able to locate
the reflection. Equally important, it should
never override the direct sound. To simulate
both the loudness and diffuseness of true
concert hall reverberation, therefore, may
require a large number of well- located "sur-
round" speakers.
This area of ambiophony still
is largely
unexplored, and many observers feel that
the bridge across it provided by present -day
reverb systems not only is incomplete but
somewhat shaky. Reverb is, presently, a
controversial subject, and many people feel
that a considerable gap separates theory
from practice. Its most severe critics point
out that a delay system (regardless of the
number of speakers employed) which introduces echo on playback cannot, by definition, reproduce the ambient acoustics of the
original hall or studio. What such a system
does, simply, is tap off part of the playback
signal, delay it for a split second, and then
reintroduce it together with the undelayed
CIRCLE 122 ON READER-SERVICE CARD
Something every
TAPE RECORDER OWNER
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"Mini - Mix'
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MIXES
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SOURCES
(I) Voice with record
portion of the signal.
While this technique may indeed give you
the feeling that the recording was made in a
larger hall, it does not necessarily give you
the sense that you are listening in that hall.
What's more, say the "anti- reverb" people,
excessive reverberation, combined with an
apparent rise in distortion and loss of bass
response sometimes attendant on an increase
of the "reverb effect," can give you quite
another kind of feeling: that the people who
made the recording didn't know their business. The same recording, without reverb,
may sound cleaner, albeit confined to a
"smaller total space." To promote such a
system as two steps beyond high fidelity
or radio. (2) 2 Mics in
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Instrument with back-
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Monophonic type permits mining up to 4
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ludicrous and misleading.
Finally, it has been charged that the reverb systems are offered to mask deficiencies
in relatively low quality stereo reproducing
equipment: cartridges that do not provide
has been called
adequate channel separation, amplifiers incapable of full response, speakers incorrectly
housed or located. In sum, say its critics,
there is no need for reverb when the stereo
system is truly high fidelity "all the way on
both channels."
These strong objections, hots-ever, do not
rule out the possible importance of ambiobut as a separately recorded sound track or
channel, in which the hall or studio is "recorded" as an entity, together with the
program played in it. As distinct from
present -day methods of incorporating a
sense of room acoustics in the recording, the
"ambio approach" would provide its own
channel for room effects. Again, all this is
largely speculative, with relatively few experiments yet conducted (or their results
published).
One relevant series of studies has been
published by John J. McKnight, of Ampex
Professional Products. McKnight's experiments suggest the use of ambio as an alternative, rather than an addition, to stereo-but
using two- channel playback facilities to handle the "basic" signal and the reverberation
signal. This approach is said to have certain
advantages for some types of music, as with
soloists or small ensembles where a feeling of
"space" may be wanted.
McKnight's reason for implying the de-
sirability of sometimes being able to choose
between stereo and ambio is obvious. Two channel equipment is now widely available.
Recording companies could easily use the
second channel to record either the regular
stereo signal, or the reverb signal ("space
information "), depending on which was
deemed more suitable to a given performance. And the listener could use his present
equipment to play either type of recording.
A more advanced possibility also may be
close at hand, which in effect combines
ambio and stereo. Some months ago CBS
Laboratories and the Minnesota Mining &
Manufacturing Co. showed their prototype
model of a three -track tape cartridge, the
third track of which might well be used for a
delayed and reverberated signal -the ambient acoustics of the hall or studio. Zenith
and Grundig are expected to produce the
first players for the new cartridge by mid 1961, but they're not talking about them.
CBS and 3M are equally tight -lipped. And
it must be remembered that three- channel
"stereo- ambio" will also necessitate a new
repertory of tapes.
In any case, imitation reverberation introduced at playback through various time delay devices is a commercial reality; professionally recorded reverberation (as a separate signal on a second or third track) is still
in the future. Which, if any, system will fulfill its promise of bridging the gap between
living room and concert hall remains to be
heard.
seen
-or
READER-SERVICE CARD
HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE
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ON
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for
Design
ADVERTISING INDEX
STEREO
the NEW
key,
No.
LAFAYETTE
"TRIHELIX "®
325°
only
2.00 Down
100)
110
CM'
0014
ST 0000R0
INtlOSEO
ISO
00
P. 50.0
00
10
70
100
00
200
000
I
u
10
50
100
10.. -.A.
E.
S., Inc.
Inc
111
1.... Acoustic Research, Inc
...9
122
3- ...Airex Radio Corp
4.- ..Allied Radio
125
5.... Angel Records
64
6.... Angel Records
65
127... -Argo Records
119
7.... Argos Products
123
8....Artia Records
79
9.... Arrow Electronics
127
11.... Audio Devices, Inc.
Inside Front Cover
12 ....Audio Dynamics
20
13.... Audio Empire
36
14 ....Audio Exchange
24
15.... Audio Exchange
127
16.... Audio Fidelity
58
54. - .Audio Fidelity
98
17.... Audio -Lingual Inst97
18.... Audio Unlimited
127
19.... Audio World
127
20.... Audion
127
2011
R000[NO7 MPS/
3-COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT SPEAKERS
WITH 3- SEPARATE VOICE COILS & MAGNETIC
STRUCTURES WITHIN A SINGLE COMPACT
10" UNIT
A major breakthrough in three way speaker
design . .
delivers a quality of performance from a bookshelf size enclosure that
equals the unmistakable feel, presence and
clarity of a 3-way speaker system. Woofer
.
utilizes a
Stiffener" achieving
section
revolutionary "Conical
a true piston action with
a phenomenally solid, well defined bass response. Eccentric mounting and baffling of
the midrange and tweeter completely eliminate interaction between speaker cones. For
stereo or monaural the SK -180 "Trihelix"
will provide unexcelled smooth distortion less performance. Response 30- 18,000 cps
3db. Impedance 8 -ohms. Power rating 20watts. Built in crossover network and brilliance control.
21.... Bell Sound Division
34, 35
22.... Bogen - Presto
29
23.... Book-of- The-Month Club
6
24.... Book -of-The -Month Club
7
25.... Bozak, R. T., Co
10
121.... Bozak, R. T., Co.
28
26.... British Industries Corp.
23
27.... British Industries Corp..... 123
28.... Burgess Battery Co122
29.... Capitol Records
69
30 ....Capitol Records
35
.... Commissioned
70
125
127
127
106, 107
82
83
112
46....Epic Records
- -testa- -tats---- - --- -Dept.
WL6 -2 P.O. Box
Jamaica 31, N. Y.
190
Please Send
;'
r
FREE
324-page
1961
SK180 " Trihelix" Speaker
SK180 with Eliptoflex Enclosure
-
Catalog
6113
Specify Finish
Enclosed
5
Name
Address
City
Zone
State
47.
... Fairchild
ment
86
Recording Equip-
3.. - . Ferrodynamics Corp.
19....Fisher Radio Corp.
50.... Fisher Radio Corp.
I2
18... Fisher Radio Corp.
-
5 1
.. - .Florman & Babb
78
83
13
15
17
Electric Corp.
125
5 3. .. Grado Laboratories, Inc....
74
126....Greentree Electronics Corp. 104
93
87....Grommes
55
.... Harman -Kardon,
Inc
56 ....Heath Co57 .... Heath Co58.... HiFi
59.... Hi- Fidelity Center
60....JansZen
61... Jensen Mfg. Co62 ....Karg Laboratories
63.... Kersting Mfg. Co.
64....Key Electronics
21
18
19
127
125
95
1
97
127
127
4
-
68.
Lafayette Radio
128
70.... Leslie Creations
127
71.... Library of Recorded Masterpieces
82
72....London Records
73.... London Records
74 ....London Records
68
75.... Marantz Co76.... McIntosh Laboratory, Inc
16
72
94
11
.. Medallion Records
. . Medallion Records
78. - .. Mercury Records
77
.
84
85
-
125..
71
79.... Minnesota
Mining & Manufacturing Co.
5
27....Multicore Solder Division.. 123
81.... Myer's Emco
127
60.... Neshaminy Electronic
82 ....Nuclear Products
Corp.. 95
100
83.... Panorama Records
100
84.. . Pickering & Co.
2
-
85. Pilot Radio
86. - . Pilot Radio
87. - .. Precision Electronics
Professional Directory
32
109
93
127
124....RCA Camden
88.
89.
90.
80
30
94
RCA Tape
RCA Victor Division
Radio Shack. ,
Rek -O -Kut
91.... Richmond Records
81
25
97
92. - .. Sacra-Disc
82
118
93.... Sargent -Rayment Co.
94 .... Schwann Catalog
96
95.... Scott, Herman Hosmer, Inc.. 30
96 ....Scott, Herman Hosmer, Inc.. 31
97... -Scott Laboratories, Inc
121
98....Seeco Records
100
99.... Sherwood Electronic Labs 101
100.. ..Shure Bros.
8
101.
.Sony Corp.
102 .... Sound Accessories
103....Sound Reproduction
104 .... Stromberg- Carlson
105
Stromberg- Carlson
14
127
127
26
27
102
126
106....Superscope,Inc.
107
Switchcraft, Inc.
108....Tandberg
109.... Telex, Inc.
110....Thorens
108
120
22
73
96
100
Time Records
69... -Top Rank Records
80.... Top Rank Records
Trader's Marketplace
111.
127
S2 -...General
127
116
Koss, Inc.
67.. . Lafayette Radio
Electronics . 127
44.... Electro -Sonic Laboratories. -.12
45. ... Electro -Voice
33
LAFAYETTE RADIO ELECTRONICS
66.
118
36....Decca Records
37.... Dexter Chemical
38 ....Dixie Hi -Fi
39. .. Dressner
40....Dupont "Mylar"
41....Dynaco,Inc
Page
65... - Kierulff Sound Corp
127
31....Carston Studios, Inc.
66
33- ...Columbia Records
32....Columbia Records
Inside Back Cover
63
34....Command Records
43....EICO
ta
No
E. S-,
42...- Dynaco,Inc
ELIPTOFLEX BOOKSHELF ENCLOSURE
WITH SK180 "TRIHELIX" SPEAKER
An ideal combination of speaker and enclosure for optimum 3 -way speaker performance. Finished on 4 -sides for vertical
or horizontal placement. Choice of Mahogany, Blonde, Walnut or Oiled Walnut.
key
-
BOX
lao
un
iê
20[00INO7 RESPONSI
2....A.
Page
110
124
112 .... UltrAudio Products
91
114....United Stereo Tapes
76
1 13. - .. United Stereo Tapes.Back Cover
115 -...University Loudspeakers, Inc.
114
116.... Vanguard Recording
Society,
Inc-
1
75
17.. - . Vanguard Recording Society,
81
Inc.
118.... Walco Electronics Co.
119.... Washington Records
120.... Westminster Records
26.... Wharfedale
122.... Wynn's Fine Arts
116
77
67
23
126
CIRCLE 68 ON READER SERVICE CARD
HIGII FIDELITY MAGAZINE
128
www.americanradiohistory.com
l
HOLIDAYS ARE
THE
SOUND
tram) 81
II
1111 4%
la IRi11S
MADE OF SONGS
MITCH MILLER is the ringleader
of a hugely popular new national
sport -Sing Along with Mitch. The
perfect holiday game is his Christmas Sing Along, a fetching album
that comes complete with printed
song- sheets for Singers -Along.
OF
CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS SING -ALONG WITH MITCH
/MITCH MILLER AND THE GANG
CL 1708 /CS 8027
COPLANp
THE HAPPY 13TH
BHIL THE k.'r
RODEO
EUGENE ORMANDY stirs THE
PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA and
vast vocal forces into a fever of
excitement with "Carmine Burana,"
a rousing modern setting of a medieval romp in 13th century Latin
verses.
LÉONARD.
9ERNST
CARL ORFF: CARMINA BURANA
M L 8498 /MS
6163
THE COWBOY
AND THE BALLET
NEW SOUND ON
BROADWAY "CAMELOT'
/
LERNER AND LOEWE, the magicians who conjured up "My Fair
Lady," cast an even lovelier spell
MITCH
trrnt row or
wa,Rs
Nota
rrru.u.rs.nw arwrs
all miraculously home for
Christmas.
happy added note: There are
other sounds of "Camelot" too.
Conductor -arranger PERCY FAITH
concocts an elegant instrumental
A
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:.
ifAl
MINELL
IRMA
LA pouCE
5875 /MS 8176
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COPLAND: RODEO /BILLY THE KID /ML
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Brisk as a prairie breeze is American composer Aaron Copland's
pair of ballets -"Rodeo "and "Billy
the Kid," coupled for the first time
in high- stepping performances by
LEONARD BERNSTEIN and the
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC.
i
MIER&THE
GAN
aw. TK
My to TM NostO
with their latest musical triumph,
"Camelot." This charmer is compounded of old English legend and
enchanted new melodies. The
Broadway cast recording brings it
WYE
"W'
KM
version of the acore. Pianist
ANDRE PREVIN and his trio frolic
through a witty jazz impression.
CAMELOT /ORIGINAL CAST RECORD -
ING/KOL 5820/KOS 2031
elle holly ANtI.LIle ivy
MATHIS ON BROADWAY
JOHNNY MATHIS explores the
starlit world of Broadway's
rhythms and ballads in
two -record set.
a
lavish
THE RHYTHMS AND BALLADS OF
BROADWAY /JOHNNY MATHIS /C2L 17
C2S
903
i
CRISP AND CONNIFF
CONNIFF, his chorus and
orchestra, make crisply invigorating holiday music, old and new.
RAY
a wayward
but good- hearted little Paris girl
and the heroine of Broadway's newest musical hit of the same name.
The show is a kind of French
"Guys and Dolls," brash but adorable, full of songs you find yourself humming for days on end.
Fresh off the Broadway stage in
an Original Cast recording.
CAST /OL 6590/08 2029
DUKE BLU NGTGN
f
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ùïw
ffhe
Dìp
iWSn,n
The fiery days of our young Republic are re- created in "THE AMER-
THE DUKE
MEETS TCHAIKOVSKY
Free -wheeling jazzman DUKE
ELLINGTON and his assisting officer Billy Strayhorn find a surprising colleague -Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The result of this beautiful
friendship is a rollicking new version of Tchaikovsky's classic, "The
Nutcracker Suite."
THE
NUTCRACKER
SUITE /DUKE
ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA CL
1541/CS 8341'
ICAN REVOLUTION," a living
history book. It's a 62 -page volume
and "Lp" with music, posters and
all manner of other 1776 calls -toarms - including the muffled but
moving sound of the Liberty Bell.
Also articles by historians Arthur
Schlesinger Sr., Marshall Davidson
and composer Richard Bales. Unexpected touches are poet Robert
Graves' evocation of the Loyalist
anti -Revolution point of view and
painter Larry Rivers' 20th century
impression of George Washington
crossing the Delaware.
THE REVOLUTION /LL1001 /LS 1002
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ti No. tr,
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THE SOUND OF
JOY AND DEVOTION
"The Holly and the Ivy" is the
sound of Christmas that Soars from
the huge but gentle- voiced MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR. This
album of seventeen carols is encased in a festive gold, red and
green jacket that's prettily ready
for giving.
THE HOLLY AND THE IVY /CHRISTMAS
CAROLS BY THE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR /ML 6892/MS 8182
SOUND OF REVOLUTION
71642040
The MORMON TABERNACLE 11101R
"IRMA LA DOUCE" is
IRMA LA DOUCE/ORIGINAL BROADWAY
CHRISTMAS WITH CONNIFF /CL 1390
CS 8185'
°'
ChMISTMAS CAROLS
EVERYBODY'S GIRL IRMA
yours
THE SOUND OF GENIUS
BRUNO WALTER, custodian of the
true Brahms tradition, shepherds
his four symphonies into the age
of stereo with a handsomely boxed
set of ennobling performances.
Accompanying the records is a
twelve -page retrospective picture biography, lovingly authored by
his daughter.
ORCHESTRAL MUSIC OF BRAHMS
COLUMBIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
M4L 252/M4S 918
www.americanradiohistory.com
on
COLUMBIA©
RECORDS
and a
merry Christmas
to you all!
.
"Cah,.W ".
Q
W,m net 'mid I
U. S.
A
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.._
C_1:1 );ONHJ
HNV21i
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83-114dW
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Any number ... any recording artist. With 30 recording companies making
more and more of their libraries available on 4 -track stereo tape you can
pick your favorite musical number, recording artist or type of music from
4- track's growing list right now! And, because of the long -lasting fidelity
of tape, it will always sound as good as the day you bought it. Your local
hi fi salon, music store or tape machine dealer has the full story on 4- track's
winning combination of quality -- variety -and economy. For catalog, write:
-
CLASSICAL
1024 Kifer
Rd., Sunnyvale, California, UNITED STEREO TAPES
MUSIC SOUNDS BEST ON TAPE
/and you can
www.americanradiohistory.com
prove
it to yourself... hear it

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