ile 11 - worldradiohistory.com€¦ · 1- pi 5114 ess amt -3 loudspeaker january 1975 $1.00 08398...

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Ile 11 opera on

IOnkyo TX -560

stereo receiver

41111111k:

0lestRepo

Pc

Ilher CR-134cassette deck

1.000 oa

1- PI 5114

ESS AMT -3loudspeaker

JANUARY 1975 $1.0008398

Sennheiser

MKE-2002 binauralmike system

Soviet

Accuphase P-300

amplifier

Audionics T1-90loudspeaker kit

B&0 Beogram4002 turntable

Sequerra IFM tuner

Toshiba PT -490cassette deck

phase distortion, plus substantially betterstability with four double tuned phaselinear ceramic filters and four monolithicIC's in the IF section.6 -stage limitersThe IF section includes 6 -stage limitercircuits. Used in conjunction withdifferential amplifiers in monolithic IC's,noise interference is completely elimin -ated with a signal to noise ratio of 75dB.Exclusive Phase Lock Loop (PLL) ICcircuitry in the TX -9100 multiplex sectionDeveloped and used for the first time byPioneer, the Phase Lock Loop (PLL)circuit is actually an electronicservomechanism. It maintains continuousand precise phasing between the pilotsignal and the subcarrier, supplyingoptimum channel separation. Completelydrift free, no alignment is ever required.

The PLL cannot be affected byhumidity or temperature since there are nocoils or capacitors to be detuned. Thisprovides complete stability and reliability.New pulse noise suppressor in the TX -9100operates with computer controlThis circuit operates automatically whenit is switched on. It effectively blocksradiated noise from airplane and autoignition systems, neon and traffic lights,etc. It does not interfere with frequencyresponse and stereo separation. Whetherthe signal is weak or strong, this automatic'brain' decides when the PNS gate circuitis to operate.Unique muting controlA 2 -position variable muting control useselectronic switching as well as reed relayswitching. This eliminates interstationnoise and the popping noise oftuning and detuning.

Complete command with a wide varietyof controlsWhether it's for AM, FM or headset outputlevels, Pioneer provides greater operatingprecision with three independentlyoperated output level controls. A headsetmay be used without a following poweramplifier. Precision tuning is achievedwith the aid of signal strength and tuningmeters.

AM section highlights IC'sThe entire AM section, following the frontend, is a unitized IC. A monolithic ICreplaces 84 individual components plus aceramic filter. By using a differential ampcircuit and a balanced mixing circuit,there are better spurious characteristicsand special AGC amplification.Great specs for great performance

TX -9100 TX -8100 TX -7100

1.8uV 1.9uv80dB 60dB

1dB 1dB70dB 70dB

100dB 85dB40dB 40dB

FM Sensitivity (IHF) 1.5uVSelectivity 90dBCapture Ratio 1dBS/N Ratio 75dBImage Rejection 110dBStereo Separation 40dBDistortion (THD)

Mono 0.2%Stereo 0.3%

Spurious Response 110dB

0.2% 0.2%0.4% 0.4%

100dB 100dB

The Amplifiers: SA -9100,SA -8100, SA -7100Two separate power supplies utilize30,000 uF total capacitanceYou read it right. The power supply inthe SA -9100 uses a total capacitance of30,000 uF. 15,000 uF each for the balancedpositive and negative power supplies. Thiscompletely eclipses anything nowavailable in integrated amplifiers. Thissuper high capacitance results in anabsolutely pure DC voltage supply. There'sconstant DC voltage regulation regardless

Two 15,000uF power supplieseclipse anything now available

in integrated amplifiers.of line voltage changes and signal input.Even at extremely low frequencies there'sstable power output, excellent transientresponse and minimum distortion - only0.1% at any frequency between20-20,000Hz for 60 watts output perchannel.

These positive and negative powersupplies provide absolute stability in allstages, even in the equalizer amp andproceeding to the control and poweramps. Therefore, the signal lines becomezero potential to completely eliminate theusual (and annoying) click noise ofoperating controls and switches.

Stability is increased even further bythe differential amplifier used in the firststages of the equalizer and controlamplifiers (also the power amp.) 100% DCnegative feedback supplies excellentstability and transient response; it alsoeliminates distortion. To further increase

Interior view. SA -9100

The time has come tocompletely re-evaluatethe standard you nowuse to judge highfidelity performance.With this new line of tuners and amplifiers,Pioneer presents many ingeniousinnovations in circuitry that are being usedfor the first time. However, thisexclusiveness is only secondary. Whileeach new circuit can be consideredrevolutionary by itself, what is even moreimportant is that their combinedcapabilities achieve precision andperformance heretofore unattainable.

The Tuners: TX -9100,TX -8130, TX -7100FM front end - an engineering triumphThe height of sophistication, tie TX -9100'sstabilized, drift -free front end replacesprinted circuit boards with completelymetallized construction. The same used inhigh precision communications equipment.

Employing three dual gate MOS FET'sand a buffer circuit in the local oscillator,

there's exceptionally high cain withextremely low ncise. -VI) tuned IR= stageswit!. a 5 -gang variable It ning capacitorcontribute to the highas- select vily (90dB)and astonishing FM simiti vity 11.5uV).The exclusive use o' a heavy gLuge diecast aluminum housinc assures uncannystability.IF section - the epitcme ofathanced researchIn tie pursuit of exceLence, sigiificant newIF section technology was developed. Theresult is optimum sel3c ivi:y wih minimum

TX9100 interior view.Chrome plated Welded front end

housing and multiplex section.Exclusive heavy gauge die cast aluminum

housing assures uncanny stability.

HIGH FIDELITY:"... Theperformance of the SA -9100is so exceptional and themany extras in the way ofswitching options, and soon. so eminently useful,that we find it the mostexciting piece of audiohardware we've yet testedfrom this company."

STEREO REVIEW: "... TheTX -9100 unequivocallyoutperforms anything wehave tested up to this time."

NIT TEST REPORTS

"...unequivocallyoutperforms anything

we have testedup to this time."

Complete reprints available upon request.

HI -Fl STEREO BUYERS'GUIDE: "(The SA -9100) is apowerhouse of sound level,performance and features.Works like something thechief engineer had builtfor his own use."

"The Pioneer TX -9100AM/FM stereo tuner offersnotably excellent perform-ance and sound quality."

.--44ce,

AUDIO: "You can't buybetter audible performancethan is achievable withPioneer's new TX -9100(AM -FM stereo tuner) atany price."

STEREO REVIEW: "This(SA -9100) is an essentiallydistortionless, bug -free,and powerful amplifier withexceptional flexibility ...A highly complex array ofelectronic circuitry hasbeen packaged into aconsumer product ofrelatively modest pricewithout a trace of 'haywire'or slipshod assembly. Italmost seems a pity to hideinternal workmanship."

stabilization, special electronic regulatorcircuits are used. Transient response isalso improved with a superb dampingfactor of 70.The unique equalizer amplifierTo make certain that extraneous signalsdo not interfere with the input signal, theequalizer amp is totally enclosed andsealed to shield it against leakage.

There's also extra assurance ofprecision with special low noise metalfilm resistors and styrol capacitors. Bothare manufactured under continuouscomputer control to highest laboratorytest equipment tolerances: -±1% forresistors; ±2% for capacitors. Until nowsuch precision has been unheard of inhi-fi equipment. Deviation from the idealRIAA curve is only ±0.2dB.

Since a direct -coupled SEPPcomplementary circuit is used in theequalizer amplifier, virtually any dynamicphono cartridge can be accommodatedwithout overloading or distortion. Forexample, with 2.5 mV sensitivity, theoverload at 1 KHz is an unbelievable250mV, and 1200mV at 10KHz!

Twin stepped tone controls.

The power amplifierTo sustain the ultra sophistication of theequalizer and control amp sections, thepower amp has a direct -coupled purecomplementary SEPP circuit, doabledifferential amplifiers and two constantcurrent loads. The combined effect is theachievement of wide power frequencyrange and excellent transient response.100% negative DC feedback issupplemented by 66dB dynamic legativefeedback for minimum distortion andabsolute stability. The pre and poweramps can be used independently with aseparation switch.Exclusive direct -coupling in all stagesUntil now direct -coupling has been usedonly with the power amplifier. Pioneertakes it a dramatic step further in theSA -9100 and SA -8100. Direct -coupling inall stages from the equalizer amp to thecontrol amp to the power amp. Moreeffective? Absolutely. It achieves thefinest transient response, wider dynamicrange, THD and IM distortion of only0.04% (1 watt). It's an incredibleachievement.

Main Control Curves(Sub set at Flat)

Sub Control Curves(Main set at Flat)

F

Excellent frequency response curves from100% negative DC feedback buffer amp & twin tone controls.

The control amplifier: Twin stepped tonecontrols custom tailor your listening.Now you can make the most critical bassand treble adjustments with supreme ease.In fact, there are 5,929 tonal combinationsto suit your listening room acoustics andto compare or compensate for componentfrequency response.

On the SA -9100 and SA -8100 fourtone controls (two for bass, two for treble)make 2dB (2.5dB with SA -8100) stepadjustments for the entire audio spectrum.Working together with the tone controls isa buffer amplifier with 100% negative DCfeedback. The main bass control governs- 10 dB at 100 Hz; the sub -bass, ± 6dB at50 Hz. The main treble control governs±10 dB at 10KHz and the sub -treble,± 6dB at 20 KHz. This, plus the tonedefeat control (described in the nextparagraph) makes the SA -9100 the mostexciting -to -use amplifier that has everpowered any hi-fi system.

New tone defeat switchBecause of the extremely wide variety(5,929) of frequency adjustments madepossible by the twin tone controls, thetone defeat switch adds extra flexibility.Adjusting the tone controls to yoursatisfaction, you can flip the tone defeatswitch. Bass and treble responsesinstantly become flat. When it is switchedoff you return to the original tone controlsettings.

Level set, volumeand loudnesscontour controlsadjust to listeningpreferenceThree controlsworking togetheradjust to any degreeof loudness. Thelevel set control isthe primary volumecontrol. Its maximumloudness settingis OdB.

Successive settingsof -15dB and -30dBresult in lower gain.Once the desiredvolume is obtained,the volume controlis used for 'ineadjustments withinthe given

range. While the loudness contour boostsbass and treble it may also be used

addit onal convenience. A separate fliptype 'ever control for instant switchingbetween the more widely used tuner andphono 1 and any other single programsource. Incidentally, both switches areshielded to protect the input againstundesirable extraneous signal pickups.

Two-way tape duplicating and monitoringThere are two separate flip type switcheson the front panel of the SA9100 fortape -to -tape duplicating and monitoring.Two tape decks can be connected forrecording, playback and duplicating ineithe- direction, with simultaneousmonitoring.

Level controls for phono 2, aux 2In order to match the level of variousinputs, individual level controls areprovided for phono 2 and aux 2.

Speaker B controlThis special control helps in the use of twopairs of speaker systems of differentefficiencies. There is no sacrifice ofdamping or distortion when switching fromohe pair to the other.

Impedance selector for phono 2An easy -to -use switch allows you toemploy any phono cartridge input(25K, 50K, 100K ohms).

Two -position high & low filtersThe low filter switch on the SA -9100 andSA -8.00 has subsonic (below 8Hz) and30Hz positions. The high filter switch has12KHz and 8KHz positions.

Maximum versatility in program sourcesSA -9100 SA -8100 SA -7100

inputsTape monitor-S/N 2-90dB 2-90dB 2-90dBPhono-S/N 2-80dB 2-80dB 2-80dBAuxiliary-S/N 2-90dB 2-90dB 2-90dBMicrophone-S/N 2-70dB 2-70dB 1-70dBTuner-S/N 1-90dB 1-90dB 1-90dBOutputsSpeakers 3 2 2

Headsets 1 1 1

Tape Rec. 2 2 2

with the level set control. The Consistent power for every requirementmore advanced the positionof the level set control, thelower the effective range ofthe loudness contour.The original and positivespeaker protector circuitSince the sigral is feddirectly to the speakersbecause of direct -coupling, an automaticelectronic trigger relay system isincorporated into the power amplifier.This protects the speakers againstdamage from DC leakage which can alsocause distortion. It also prevents shortcircuits in the power transistors.Maximum convenience for programsource selectionWhile there is a multiple function rotaryswitch for microphone, phono 2 and twoauxiliaries. Pioneer has included an

SA -9100SA -8100SA -7100

Convenient program sourceselection switch 8 control lever.

()PIONEER"when you want something better

RMS powerboth chanlelsdr yen20-20KHz60+60 watts40+40 watts20+20 watts

RMS (4.1 8 ohm RMS @ 4 ohmsboth channels single channeldriven @ 1KHz driven @ 1KHz

65+65 watts44+44 watts22+22 watts

100+100 watts60+60 watts36-36 watts

This new lineup of Pioneer tuners andampli'iers is unquestionably the mostadvanced available today. Yet despitethis overwhelming sophistication, they'resensibly priced.

See your Pioneer dealer. He'll showyou how this series of fine instrumentscan outperform any units in their pricerange. All prices include walnut cabinets.SA -9130-$449.95; SA -8100-$349.95;SA -7130-$249.95TX -9100-$349.95; TX -8100-$249.95;TX -7100-$199.95While not discussed here, Pioneer is alsointroducing the SA -5200 stereo amplifierand the TX -6200 stereo tuner for highquality hi-fi on a low budget. Only $139.95each, with walnut cabinet.

U S. Pioneer Electronics Corp.,75 Oxford Drive, Moonachie,New Jersey 07074

West: 13300 S. Estrella, Los Angeles90248 I Midwest: 1500 Greenleaf, ElkDrove Village, III. 60007 I Canada: S. H.Parker Co.

CIRCLE 48 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

e

Dynaphase 60

OnE of Hes dElightfulnEcEssitiEs:StErE0 HEadphonEs ofStanton quality...

. . . and that goes for Stanton's four -channel headphones, too. The Dynaphase Sixty -FiveFour -C which, incidentally, with the simple flip of a switch permits you to enjoy perfectconventional stereo.

The whole gamut of Stanton headphones-each one of them-is designed as a speakersystem for the head.

For instance, the Stanton Dynaphase 60 has an advanced two-way speaker system, andit is skillfully designed to fit your head comfortably. Its two-way dynamic reproductionsystem is mounted with a separate woofer and tweeter. A special crossover network pre-cisely channels the highs and lows into each ear-you are there like you never were before.

Then, there is the Stanton Dynaphase 50 which features a wide range dynamic stereoheadphone system with controls in each earpiece for ba'ancing the stereo channels.

Next is the Stanton Dynaphase 40. Its unique wide -range dynamic reproduction systemis correctly acoustically mounted to precisely channel the highs and lows into each ear.

Finally, there is our new Open Audio Dynaphase 28. A new fight -weight concept inpersonal listening. This brand new Stanton headphone is a feather -fight model that givesno sense of isolation from your surroundings, yet the sound is pure and perfect.

Stanton quality is a very special quality-in headphones, too. One of them will suityour life style and your needs perfectly.

For further information. write: Stanton Magnetics. Inc. Terminal Drive. Plainview. N.Y. 11803.CIRCLE 1 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

Open AL:cho Dynaphase 28

sraNTon

2 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE

January 1975VOL 25 NO 1

music and musiciansRobert C. Marsh, Edward Greenfield

CHICAGO GOES QUAD; VERDI'S ROBBERS 20Behind the scenes in Chicago and London

Leonard Marcus WNCN, WEFM, WGKA, WONO, AND YOU 32

Conrad L. Osborne RUSSIAN OPERA-PART II 37Concluding a discography with works from Rimsky to Shostakovich

audio and videoTOO HOT TO HANDLE 26

NEWS AND VIEWS 28Ortofon speakers ... Pioneer who?

EQUIPMENT IN THE NEWS 30

EQUIPMENT REPORTS 49Sequerra Model 1 tuner .. . Toshiba Model PT -490 cassette

deck . Sennheiser Model MKE-2002 binaural recordingsystem . Accuphase Model P-300 amplifier ... Onkyo

Model TX -560 receiver . Uher CR-134 portable cassettedeck ... Audionics Model TL -90 speaker kit .. ESS

Model AMT -3 speaker system .. Beogram 4002turntable Revox Model A-700 open -reel tape deck

record reviewsConrad L. Osborne WAR AND PEACE

Prokofiev's problematic opera is Columbia's first Melodiya re ease

Abram Chipman BERNSTEIN MASTERS THE RESURRECTIONHis LSO remake of Mahler's symphony cha lenges the best

Andrew Porter VERDI'S KING FOR A DAYHis second opera turns out to be an unjustly neglected drama

CLASSICALThe complete Sylvia at last . A Caballe/Domingo Boherne

LIGHTER SIDEJonathan and Darlene Edwards . John Sebastian . Labelle

JAZZBuck Clayton and Buddy Tate .. . Stan Kenton

R. D. Darrell THE TAPE DECKA chapel of your own .. Mozart concertos

67

71

73

74

102

106

110

etc.LETTERS 10

Where is Mona Paulee? . . . More on Schoenberg

PRODUCT INFORMATION 18An "at-home" shopping service 77

ADVERTISING INDEX 76

HUGHFIDIEly1

Classics on FM.See page 32.

A repertory opera? See page 67.

4:15

'ow f iderrty is publaked monthly by ABC Insure Magazines Inc , sadder. ofAmerican Broadcasting Companies. Inc 1330 Avenue ol the Americas New Y wkN' 10019 Copyright C 1974 by ABC In ore Alegazrnes nc a subadtery olPortman Broadcatiirg Companies Inc The Nesrgn and corners are Ada metered

by copyright and mono not be reproduced in any manner Second class postage paid at New YetNew York and at addrtmaal made/ Owes Authorized es second class mail by Oa Post 011aeDepartment. Ottawa and for paymert of potaige in cash Yearly subscrrption mUSA Pasta's'sand Canada $7 05 tr. Pan American Union 09 95 elsewhere $9 95 Sirgle copies $1 00 Indezmi 'nReader, Code o Periodrcar 1 rtmeture

Comma aid tan maws or Nigh Pagerty aM NO Adele/ rid UMW* Unix., en aee4hA. onmcnkeile Irma toraesny Illwratilma Apo Al1101, 11whIgea 4106 Ilwrotwar COON11111, .1 Ikeamaga/rows 11973 lorwanll n onzahre throw. MN 1 14.4111mm Photo Deawera. OM lama oldhad lacester. Ph. 44691

Change of address notices and undelivered copies (form .:579) should oe

sent to High Fidelity, Subscription Department, 1 Sound /venue, Marion,0. 43302. Please state both old and new addresses wren requestingchange. Editorial correspondence should be addressed to the Editor,High FidelitY, Great Barrington, Mass. 01230.

4

From the makers of Marantz...

Superscope HiFidelity Products.

You don't have to spend a lot of moneyto get your money's worth.

Perhaps you're not ready to make the com-mitment to high-priced stereo equipment. Ormaybe you need a good second system. Thenlook into the modestly -priced Superscope line ofreceivers, components, tape decks, tape playersand speaker systems.

Superscope products are designed and engi-neered by the same people who bring youworld-famous Marantz stereo. And they'rebacked by the same, strong, 3 -year guarantee*that stands behind Marantz. So with Superscope

stereo you're getting quality at very modest prices.Your nearest Superscope dealer has a full line ofequipment starting as low as $89.95 * * You'll findhim in the Yellow Pages.

Superscope - until you're ready to step upto Marantz.

SUPERSCOPEListen to us.


Superscope. Inc. guarantees the original registered owner that all parts are free from operating defects for one year, two years or three years from ourchase date depend-ing upon product purchased Product is repaired or replaced free of charge provided you bought it in the U.S.A. from an authorized dealer. Naturally theserial numbercannot be altered or removed. 'Manufacturer's suggested retail price at dealer's option. (01974 Superscope, Inc., 8150 Vineland Ave., Dept. H. Sun Valley, Calif. 91352.In Europe: Superscope Europe, S.A.. Brussels, Belgium. In Canada: Superscope Canada, Ltd. Ontario. Prices and modeis subject to change without notice. Consult theYellow Pages for your nearest Superscope dealer. Send for free catalog.

The Dual 1229Q. Why many musiclovers will settle for nothing less.

""1:411111111111111ft

AID---11111MMINIMmium

united audio

Many serious music lovers are not satisfiedunless every component in their system is the veryfinest in its class, with cost secondary. The 1229Q,Dual's highest -priced multi -play turntable, is one ofthese "no compromise" components.

The 1229Q is a full-sized turntable with atwelve -inch dynamically balanced platter thatweighs a full seven pounds. Its massive platter isdriven by Dual's powerful Continuous -Pole/synchronous motor.

The 8-3/4" tonearm is mounted in a truegyroscopic gimbal that centers and balances itwithin both axes of movement. All four tonearmpivots turn on identical low -friction bearingspermitting flawless tracking at as low as 0.25gram. And since a turntable of the 1229Q's calibreis used most frequently in the single -play mode,the tonearm is designed to track at precisely thecorrect angle in that mode. With the exclusiveMode Selector, tracking angle can be instantlyadjusted for correct tracking at mid stack in themulti -play mode.

Low capacitance tonearm leads and ananti -skating system with separate calibrations forconical, elliptical and CD -4 styli, make the 1229Qcompatible with any stereo and four -channelcartridge available or likely to be available in theforeseeable future. Other features include acalibrated illuminated strobe with adjustableviewing angle, and cueing damped up as well asdown to prevent bounce.

The 1229Q is too new for test reports to haveappeared, but reports on its immediatepredecessor, the Dual 1229, indicate why it wasthe largest selling quality turntable ever made.Stereo Review called its rumble measurements"among the best we have yet made on aturntable:' High Fidelity said, "It takes one stepfurther the progressive improvements that havemade top Dual models among the most popularturntables in component systems for the betterpart of a decade, to judge by readers' letters:'

Stereo 8 HiFi Times' noted, "I unhesitatinglyrecommend it to anyone looking for the bestpossible record playing equipment:' And PopularElectronics rated it "the equal of any combinationof record playing components known to us:'

Of course, not everyone can afford the1229Q's price: $259.95. But every Dual turntable,starting with the 1225 at $129.95, provides thesame high quality materials, carefully finishedparts and meticulous quality control that have longearned Dual its reputation for reliability.

Thus which Dual you select is not terriblyimportant. Your choice can be made in terms of thelevel of refinement you require. And if, like manymusic lovers, you require every refinement it ispossible to have in a multi -play turntable, chancesare you too will choose the Dual 1229Q.

United Audio Products120 So. Columbus Ave., Mt. Vernon, N.Y. 10553Exclusive U.S.Distribution Agency for Dual

Dual

LEONARD MARCUSEditor

NORMAN EISENBERGExecutive Editor

WAYNE ARMENTROUTManaging Editor

KENNETH FURIEMusic Editor

ROBERT LONGAudio -Video Editor

SHIRLEY FLEMINGEditor, Musical America Section

REBECCA ABBOTTCopy Editor

VIOLA MATSONAssistant Editor

ROY LINDSTROMArt Director

ROBERT MADDOCKSAssociate Art Director

MORGAN AMESROYAL S. BROWNR. D. DARRELLPETER G. DAVISHENRY EDWARDSALFRED FRANKENSTEINHARRIS GOLDSMITHDAVID HAMILTONDALE HARRISMIKE JAHNPAUL HENRY LANGGENE LEESROBERT C. MARSHH. C. ROBBINS LANDONContributing Editors

MILTON GORBULEWSenior Circulation Director

STANLEY BINDERCirculation Director

CLAIRE N EDDINGSAssociate Publisher andDirector of Advertising Sales

WARREN B. SYERPublisher

Cover: Roy Lindstrom

ADVERTISINGMain Office: Claire N Eddings The Publishing HouseGreat Barrington. Mass 01230 Telephone 413-528-1300New York: ABC Leisure Magazines. Inc 130 E 59th St15th floor. New York. N Y 10022 Telephone 212-581-7777 Seymour Resnick. Eastern Adv MgrNew England: The Publishing House. Great Barrington.Mass 01230 Telephone 413-528-1300 Ross TurnerLos Angeles: ABC Leisure Magazines. Inc . ABC Enter-tainment Center. 2040 Avenue of the Stars. Suite 270.Century City. Calif 90067 Telephone 213-553-5648Andrew Spanberger. West Coast Advertising Manager.Chicago: ABC Leisure Magazines. Inc . 2011 SpringRoad. Oak Brook. III. 60521 Telephone: 312-323-9070Leonard Levine. Midwest Advertising Manager.Tokyo: Japan Advertising Communications. Inc . NewGinza Bldg . 7-3-13 Ginza. Chuo-ku. Tokyo 104. JapanTelephone (03) 571-8748 Shigeru Kobayashi. president

Leonard Marcus' editorial appears onpage 32 this month.

THE

SOUND VAULT

Every UD cassette gives youstainless steel guidepins to keep your

recorcfngs secure.Tough steel pins form port of the

internal security system inside every UDcassette.

They make sure your UD taperuns smooth and winds even. ;Ordinarycassettes hove plastic posts that conwear out and cause wow and flutter.)

These steel pins are another reason

your Ultra Dynamic cassette capturesthe very best sounds (blot high and low)your equipment can produce.

Use Maxell Ultra Dynamic cassettesand you'll always play it safe.

Moxell Corporation of America,Moonachie, New Jersey 07074. Also avail-able in Canada. maxell.

For professional recordingsat home.


4-CIRCLE 17 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 7

The technical virtuosityof our stereo components hasto extend your sense of sound

designed into eacha very sophisticated purpose:to its fullest potential.

In other words, we'll do a number on your ears.

AKAI.You'll hear more from us.

Why not getall the musicyou paid for?

You've built your music library witha critical ear and a good amountof money.Have you considered that yourpresent amplifier might be short-changing your listening with ele-ments of distortion and hum ornoise?You're entitled to pure unadulter-ated music ... the original. Noth-ing more, nothing less.And this is the whole idea of theCrown DC -300 A."Like lifting a curtain" was howone Crown owner described hisexperience.

Why not get an amplifier that givesyou all the music in your collec-tion, but no more than that!

Make this simple comparison:(1) Listen with a critical ear to

your favorite recording athome; then

(2) Listen to that same recordingwith a DC -300 A at your Crowndealer.

We rest our case on your ears!

Power output: 150 watts/channelmin. RMS into 8 ohms stereo. 300watts min. RMS into 16 ohms mono,over a bandwidth of 0-20,000 Hz, ata rated distortion of 0.05%. Inter -modulation distortion less than0.05%, 0.01 watt to rated output,into 8 ohms stereo, 16 ohms mono.

Is Crown crazy?

To guarantee parts andlabor, and pay for round-trip shipping for three fullyears. (We'll even send youa shipping carton if youdidn't save yours.) Thattakes nerve ... and faith inyour product!

At Crown, reliability is a wayof life. Long life ... with you.

crownLui-tEn LisTEninG BECOMES An RRT.

CIRCLE 9 ON READED-SERVICE CARD

letters

Mona Paulee and Other Matters

Regarding George Murphy's October letter.Mona Paulee can be heard to good advantagein the original -cast album of Frank Loesser'sThe Most Happy Fella. The anonymous linernotes (from 1956) contain this brief biogra phy:

As Tony's discontented sister Marie. MonaPaulee gives still another in a long line ofdistinguished performances. Miss Paulee isone of the most luminous alumni of theMetropolitan Opera Company, with whichshe made her debut in 1942 as Gianetta inL'Elisir d'amore. Born in Edmonton. Can-ada. Miss Paulee began her career invaudeville, moving upward into light operaand oratorios and appearances with theSan Francisco Opera Company. In 1941,she won the Metropolitan Auditions of theAir, which led to her debut the followingseason. Among her greatest successes wereparts in Cavalleria rusticana. Mignon. Aida,and Rigoletto. She has been a soloist onmany radio programs. Most recently shewent to Europe to appear in the world pre-miere of Monteverdi's Orfeo in the newversion by Paul Hindemith. who con-ducted. She is especially noted for her Eu-ropean performances of Carmen.

Although Miss Paulee is heard in only one se-lection on the potted Most Happy Fellarecording, Columbia Special Products hasrecently reissued its complete three -discrecording of the show.

Fred R. SerdinakTempe. Ariz.

A few days after reading Mr. Murphy's letter Iwas browsing through records at my wife'sparents' house and stumbled across an albumentitled "Songs by Romberg and Gershwin,"sung by none other than Mona Paulee. Shesings three songs from Romberg's New Moonand Gershwin's "Somebody Loves Me." Thereverse side consists of light classics. Therecord appeared on the Paris International la-bel, as Vol. 6 in the Music Appreciation Li-brary. The jacket features notes by SigmundSpaeth. and I would guess that the record waspurchased in a supermarket as part of one ofthe multirecord music -appreciation sets thatwere so popular a few years back. I don'tknow if the recordings had appeared some-where else previously, and there is no date onthe album jacket.

Now I'm curious. What did happen toMona Paulee?

Eric W. JohnsonWest Haven, Conn.

The last we heard of Ms. Paulee was when sheappeared as Bloody Mary in South Pacific atthe Berkshire Theater Festival in Stockbridge,Mass., in the early Sixties. Perhaps some readerhas details of her subsequent career?

To George Murphy's question whether any ofthe old-time programs such as Firestone. Bell,etc., were recorded, the answer is yes.

Back in 1940-44, I built an acetate -discrecording system using a Rek-o-Kut turntable

Mona PauleeWinning the Met Auditions in 1941;

and then what?

and RC -20 brush cutter and my own carriage.The quality was and still is as good as the thenpressed discs of the day. This machine is stilloperable, except that I converted it to 33Y3rpm.

I have recorded selections of those pro-grams featuring Ezio Pinza, Lily Pons, Rich-ard Crooks, Rose Bampton. Oscar Levant,Igor Gorin, and my favorite, Jean Dickenson,and many others. By the way, does anyoneknow what happened to Jean Dickenson?

I wonder if anyone else has had a similarhobby and recorded programs such as these. Ifanyone cares to communicate with me, I

would welcome it.Henry Moro -Lin26 Weaver Pl.Hanover, N.J. 07936

You may be interested in knowing that TheFirestone Tire & Rubber Company made acontribution of all existing tapes, recordings,musical arrangements, and kinescopes of"TheVoice of Firestone" to the New England Con-servatory of Music in Boston. They are housedin a section of that institution's headquartersnamed the Idabelle Firestone Music Library.

The collection by no means includes all ofthe programs. but it does have quite a number.

Bernard W. FrazierDirector of Public RelationsThe Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.Akron. 0.

Gershwin (continued)

In your November "Letters" column, I was in-terested in the one headed "Gershwin'sGershwin." By now reader Lenius must knowthat the newly released Vox Box of Gershwin's"serious" music for orchestra contains an ex-cellent performance of Catfish Row by Leon -

10 CIRCLE 6 ON READER -SERVICE CARD -60

BENEATH THE SURFACE OF EVERY BIC TURNTABLEBEATS THE HEART OFA SIMPLE MACHINE.

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Before you buy any turntable, regardless of price, findout all there is to know about the BIC Programmed Turn-tables. We'll send more information if you write to BritishIndustries, Dept. 1B, Westbury, L.I., N.Y., 11590. Or betteryet, see your audio dealer.

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and Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony-abetter performance than the previous one bythe Utah Symphony.

I agree with him on the acoustic version ofthe Rhapsody in Blue. I have been at RCA foryears to reissue it. but to no avail.

The "Jasbo Brown Piano Music" was avail-able years ago in a Victor album titled "TheSerious Gershwin," admirably played byMorton Gould. More recently it was includedin William Bolcom's Nonesuch piano collec-tion of Gershwiniana. but the performance isnot in the same league with Gould's (most ofMr. Bolcom's playing I find most un-Gersh-winesque).

The "improvements" with which Gershwinmusic has been afflicted over the years must belaid to his greedy publishers. Just why this hasbeen done remains a mystery to me. sinceGershwin performed the works so often dur-ing his lifetime and did not find it necessary to"improve" anything once all was worked outat rehearsals. The depredations done to theconcerto, the Second Rhapsody. the Variationson "I Got Rhythm" are inexcusable and irre-sponsible-but. alas, typical.

Mr. Lenius might very well look into a finetwo -piano album by Veri and Jamanis onConnoisseur Society to better hear whatGershwin had in mind when he conceivedsuch works as the Second Rhapsody, the Vari-ations, and the Cuban Overture (all in Gersh-win's own arrangements).

While I did supply the liner notes for theVox and Connoisseur Society albums. I hadnothing to do with the selection of artists ortheir interpretations and feel that my judg-ments are reasonably objective.

Edward JablonskiNew York, N.Y.

David Hamilton's admirable July Gershwinarticle did not, to my surprise, mention oneword about a very fine, sadly neglected opus,Song of the Flame.

In the very late '20s. Warner Brothers (I be-lieve) made what must have been one of thefirst color films of a musical, of this fine work.Hopefully there must still be a soundtrack inHollywood's archives. If we could hear it,there would be a notable added advantage:hearing the voice of the late distinguishedAmerican soprano Alice Gentle, who nevermade a record although she sang at La Scala,the Metropolitan. and Chicago opera com-panies. For her many radio programs she usedas her theme song "You May Wander Away"from the Gershwin film.

George L. IVyklicekSan Francisco. Calif.

Schoenberg Addenda

Regarding David Hamilton's generally fineSchoenberg discography [September], one canindeed hope to hear-if never actually hear-the complete Genesis Suite. It was recorded onlong -deleted Capitol P 8125 by-as Stravinskyput it-"the brilliant company of the WernerJanssen Symphony" of Los Angeles.

Admittedly, the Suite is a freak, but an in-teresting one. Shilkret may have been primar-ily a film composer; he sounds like a good one.Tedesco was not primarily a film composer,but in "Noah's Ark" he sounds like a bad one.Tansman was a musician held in high regardby Schoenberg himself; his "Adam and Eve,"with its chirping froggy forest mimicry. is atleast very evocative illustrative writing. Mil -

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4-CIRCLE 28 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 15

haud's "Cain and Abel," while character-istically concise, is suitably dramatic, and theechoes of Bach in Toch's "Covenant" are anappropriate finale.

Unfortunately, however, the milieu of Hol-lywood pervades most of the Genesis Suite,creating tension with those sections that werenot written with some imaginary film scene inmind. Only Schoenberg's "Prelude" andStravinsky's "Babel" seem to have been con-ceived as works that could stand apart fromthe Suite in the concert hall. In these twoworks, mere pictorial backdrop is supplantedby something more abstract and, like their ba-sic religiosity, more permanent.

Philip KlineClassical Music Director. WKCR-FMNew York. N.Y.

Unless "a pot of paint (were) flung in the pub-lic's face" with more profusion than probabil-ity would suggest or evidence confirm, CharlesRosen's suggestion ]"The ControversialSchoenberg," September] that the phrasearose in connection with the works of Matisse.

Who-Stokowski?

In the footnote to R. D. Darrell's No-vember feature review "The Hyphen-ated Stokowski" (p. 91), the Rheingoldsymphonic synthesis is attributed-through no fault of the author-to"Bach-Stokowski." That undoubtedlysurprises Mr. Stokowski as much as itwould have surprised Messrs. Bachand Wagner.

Derain, and Vlaminck at the Salond'Automne exhibition of 1906 is somewhatwide of the mark.

(As a matter of fact, it would seem that suchphrase -making began earlier, in 1905. when aroom containing Rousseau's Hungry Lion to-gether with works of the above and other"shocking" colorists was christened the cageaux fauves (wild beasts' cage) after a jeeringarticle by the critic Louis Vauxcelles (RogerShattuck, The Banquet Years). There are ad-mittedly other versions of the origin of theterm Les Fauves, such as that the same criticwalked into a room containing a conventionalstatuette of a cupid, surrounded by the boldlycolorful paintings in question. and remarked,"Aha, Donatello among les fauves!")

If the "now famous words: 'a pot of paintflung in the public's face' " were indeed usedin the following year of 1906. it was by some-one singularly lacking in originality. For in1878 James McNeill Whistler brought a libelsuit against the critic John Ruskin, who inFlors Clavigera, 1877. had denounced thepainter's Nocturne in Black and Gold: TheFalling Rocket, a stunning study of fireworksover the London resort Cremorne Gardens, as"a pot of paint flung in the public face" (En-cyclopedia Brittanica, eleventh edition).

A long trial ensued (at one point of whichthe painting was brought in evidence inadvert-ently upside down-demonstrating as well theantiquity of this favorite canard). The issuewas not entirely an aesthetic one: The paintingwas on sale at the Grosvenor Gallery for twohundred guineas, a price that the influentialRuskin viewed as exorbitant-a view with ob-vious implications for Whistler's career. Con-trmersy raged long afterward out of court

with, of course, Whistler's more free and for-ward -looking aesthetic ultimately winning.

He also won in court: He was awarded onefarthing damages.

L E. ShafferNew York, N.Y.

I was just showing a friend your admirableSchoenberg articles, and particularly LeonardMarcus' concise introduction to the section,and my friend pointed out an incredible thing.Where Marcus explains the basics of thetwelve-tone system-er, that is. method-hestarts with the usual crazy twelve-tone tune,but by the time he puts it through its paces,with the final backward upside-down version.It turns into Mozart's G minor Symphony!

Carl FreedmanLondon, England

High Fidelity, January 1975, Vol. 25. No 1. Pub-lished monthly by ABC Leisure Magazines, Inc.. asubsidiary of American Broadcasting Companies. Inc.

High Fidelity/Musics! America. Edition publishedmonthly Member Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Ednorlal correspondence should be addressed to TheEditor. High Fidelity, Great Barrington, Mass 01230Editorial contributions will be welcomed. Payment forarticles accepted will be arranged prior to publication.Unsolicited manuscripts should be accompanied byreturn postage

Subscriptions should be addressed to High Fidelity,1 Sound Ave.. Marion, Ohio 43302 Subscription rates.High Fidelity. Musical America. In the U S A and itsPossessions, 1 year $16. elsewhere, 1 year $17National and other editions published monthly In theU.S A and its Possessions. 1 year $7.95.Subscriptionrates for all other countries available on request.

Change 01 address notices and undelivered copies(Form 3579) should be addressed to High Fidelity. Sub-scription Fulfillment Dept . 1 Sound Ave.. Marion. Ohio43302

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JANUARY 1975 19

Conductor James Levine and producer Thomas Z. Shepard built a relationship of mutualconfidence and respect during the Chicago Symphony's first CD -4 recording sessions.

Chicago Goes Quadwith Levine and RCA

CHICAGO

The distinction of issuing the first four -channel recordings by the Chicago Sym-phony will go to RCA early in 1975. theresult of sessions last July when ThomasZ. Shepard, new boss of Red Sealrecording, joined James Levine, musicdirector of the Ravinia Festival, to tapethe Mahler Fourth Symphony in sixteentracks of what proved in playback to befairly wild and wonderful sound.

The irony was that Sir Georg Solti,wintertime boss of the ensemble, hadwanted to do a new Mahler Fourth forDecca/London, feeling that his earlieraccount (with the Amsterdam Concert-gebouw) no longer represented his viewsof the music and really did not fit withthe more recent material in his completeedition. London thought the older discwas still prime Solti, and it stayed.

Levine's Mahler Fourth (planned asthe beginning of a cycle, with various or-chestras) is his own, resembling the Soltiof neither past nor present. although likemuch of Levine's work it shows traces ofhis mentor, George Szell. Judith Blegen,who had sung the finale recently withLevine, appeared briefly at the first ses-

sion, the epitome of cool profes-sionalism, sang like an angel. and foundher job was over before she really gotfully into her stride.

In his second summer at Ravinia, Le-vine had developed an easy workingrelationship with the orchestra in whichhe knew what everyone could be ex-pected to do and, without difficulty, drewon the full available resources. Shepard.who was mixing some two dozen micro-phones into the sixteen channels on hisI5-ips, two-inch master tape, was work-ing close to the orchestra, minimizing thehighly reverberant quality of MedinahTemple and spotlighting the virtuosity ofthe first chairs.

Old Ties Retained. I his was his initialChicago session, but the orchestra's free-lance recording policy has brought it be-fore RCA microphones regularly in thefifteen years since, with Fritz Reiner atthe helm, it was a mainstay of the RCAcatalogue. Indeed the orchestra's first se-rious multichannel recording was doneat Medinah for RCA in 1968 with Leo-pold Stokowski as guest conductor.There was a not inappropriate note ofpoetic justice that Shepard should take itfrom there.

Because of Miss Blegen's commit-ments, the finale was recorded first-noproblem, since the work was completelyready and had been played at a Raviniaconcert only a few days earlier. About anhour went to moving microphones andfussing with balances, and there was aproblem with the harp, since its mikecovered the area in which the instrumentstood rather than the space it occupiedwhen tipped back into playing position.After that the finale was quickly com-mitted to tape in alternate versions (all ofthem, I thought, good enough to re-lease), and Levine began methodicallythrough the purely instrumental portionsof the score.

I have seldom seen a recording sessionmore relaxed, in the sense not that any-thing sloppy was permitted (au con-traire!), but that all parties knew theirjob and were supremely competent to doit well.

Especially significant was the Shep-ard -Levine relationship, which reflectedfundamental confidence in and respectfor one another. Solti never leaves a ses-' sion without hearing a mixed mastertape, while Levine departed on the sec-ond day after hearing only approximatetwo- and four -channel mixdowns of theavailable material. Shepard would do thefinal mixing later in the year in a studiosituation where he could play and replayand blend and reblend until he had it alljust right, and Levine knew that if he wasnot happy with the results, they would becorrected until he was happy. The thingto do in the sessions was to get the basicmaterials of a great record on those six-teen tracks.

The Real "Chicago Sound"? Even therough mix sounded tremendous, and thisserved to excite the musicianship andpride of the orchestra members, whowere playing their hearts out for poster-ity because every playback convincedthem that the warmth and glory of theChicago Symphony were really comingthrough. The bright, assertive sound ofsome recent Chicago Symphony record-ings has been a subject of some commentamong members of the orchestra, whocan respect the effect but do not alwaysfind it a mirror of the manner in whichthey believe they play. This time thelegacy of Frederick Stock (whose thirty-seven -season record in Chicago wasrecently broken by Eugene Ormandy inPhiladelphia), the strong lingeringReiner tradition, as well as the Solti-ismsthat have crept into their musical speech.all were there on tape.

For Levine the sixteen channels werean invitation to probe deeply into Mah-ler's miraculous counterpoint, to bringout all the wry comments and felicities ofdetail that can be found among the mov-ing voices. He had made a special studyof contrasting dynamics. which pro -


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The undistorted truthbehind the Avid

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responseproblem

just aboutknocked.But youcan't stopthere.

Yousee, if thedriversaren't

dampedjust right,

the dividingnetwork candegrade thetransient

response ofthe speaker, even if you've

achieved a super flat frequencyresponse. The result is a ringingresponse. Transient distortion.Poor imagery.

There's still more.Because even the best designed

dividing network in the world canbe a real washout when it comes tointermodulation and harmonic dis-tortion, if the components you usearen't up to snuff.

For instance, in a lot of speak-

ers you'll find dividingnetworks using non-linear components likeiron core coils. Great

for the manufacturerbecause they're cheaper. Not

so great for you because ofthe distortion they can create.

Especially at higher power levels.Avid uses only ideal, linear

components such as air core coilsin its dividing networks. Moreexpensive, of course, but they'redistortion free.

The point is,we're a companythat is totallyand unequivo-cally committedto just onething. The designand constructionof the clearest, bestsounding speaker sys-tems in their price range.

And that's not just so muchadvertisingese. It's for real. But,it's for you to decide. So here'swhat we'd like you to do.

Go to your Avid dealer. A -B anAvid with any other similarlypriced speaker. Then pass judge-ment. We think we know what theverdict is going to be.

CORPORATION10 'imps Lane. East Providence. R I 02914Distributed in Canada byKa iron Electronics, Montreal, Quebec

duced an exchange with Shepard when aclarinet kept up its asides. Groucho-style, in an otherwise rather quiet pas-sage. Wasn't the player really too loud?Was it really to he Corte against piano?

Levine was prepared to defend the ef-fect. He thought it a strong one. trueMahler irony. Moreover, he went on."It's that way in all the editions! It's whatthe old boy wanted.- Shepard asked fornothing more: the clarinet went un-squelched.

When You combine this feeling for de-tail with a firm grasp of the larger dimen-sions of a work. splendid things are pos-sible. Shepard may well have achievedhere for CD -4 the kind of landmarkrecording he made earlier in SQ with theBoulez /New York Philharmonic disc ofthe BartOk Concerto tar Orchestra.

RmaRi C. MARSH

LONDON

Verdi's Robbers Under Wraps

Screens on all sides: first screens to keepthe journalists out (Montserrat ('ahalledoesn't like visitors): then screens todamp down the reverberation at one stu-dio: screens too to liven up the acousticof another. The Caballe sessions fromwhich every prying eye was excluded.mine among them were of Verdi's /Alavnadieri. the latest of Philips' early -Verdi recordings.

As in the earlier offerings of / Lom-bardi. Attila. and Giant() di re, no. theconductor was Lambert() Gardelli. thistime working with the New Philhar-monia instead of the Royal Philhar-monic. M me. Caballe arrived a day lateand departed a day early which playedhavoc with preliminary recordingschedules hut producer Erik Smith is amaster tactician, and the results were adelight to everyone. Mme. Caballe. tem-peramental in her way, is still a greatprofessional. She made up for the short-ness of her stay by her willingness to co-operate over every re -take required.

In any case the music charmed every-one. This was the opera the eleventh inthe Verdi canon that was written forLondon. and, though the libretto. basedon Schiller's first play. Die Kihther, is asnonsensical as ever vou could imagine.the actual score is a delight.

The screens I mentioned were used tocut down the lively reverberation ofBrent Town Hall. the regular recordinghaunt of the Philips team. They wereplaced right across the center of the hall,virtually reducing it by half. Ironically.after that one of the special effects re-quired in Act III was for extra rever-beration. when the hero. Carlo, finds hisfather. the aged Count Massimiliano.immured in a tower in the forest. The en -

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gineers had a fine time surrounding Rug-gero Raimondi (Massimiliano) with aneat acoustic box, a sort of echo chamberthat made him sound aptly sepulchral.

Carlo Bergonzi was singing the role ofCarlo (the fourth principal in the castbeing baritone Piero Cappuccilli), andhis contribution to I Masnadieri markedonly the start of a sequence of sessionsfor Philips. As a major project, he isrecording all the tenor arias from theVerdi operas, and the results will ulti-mately appear on three full LPs. Againthe New Philharmonia accompanies,this time with Nello Santi conducting.

Concertos by Perahia. Raimondi's boxadded to Philips' problems of coordina-tion, but that was as nothing to the extraproblems when the CBS studios in cen-tral London (Whitmore Street) wereused for Murray Perahia's first concertorecording. With Neville Marriner andthe Academy of St. Martin's (on this oc-casion thirty-eight strong), he recordedthe two numbered Mendelssohn pianoconcertos. Admittedly the studio, whichis used mainly for pop sessions, had ear-lier seen a Scott Joplin project recordedwith no fewer than seventy-five playerssqueezed in, but this Mendelssohn wascounted an even greater challenge byproducer Andrew Kazdin and his engi-neers. But in the end, with screens strate-gically placed between sections, he gotthe results he wanted, even if the playersfound it hard not being able to see andhear each other normally.

A Timely Siege. As I mentioned last time,the EMI summer opera schedule in-cluded two Rossini operas with BeverlySills, now an exclusive EMI artist.

The rarity was The Siege of Corinth.and the recording sessions could hardlyhave been more aptly timed. The trou-bles in Cyprus were headline news everyday, and here was an opera that has Tur-kish armies fighting Greek armies inearnest. Someone suggested that itwould be good publicity to point out thecoincidence to the press. "Not on yourlife," said producer John Mordler."Some idiot might toss in a bomb."

Not that any fanatic would easily findthe EMI hideout in Tooting Graveney,the church where a fair proportion ofEMI recordings are made. The first timeI went there, it had my cab driver puz-zling for half an hour while we droveround and round.

As it proved, the main hazards of thisSiege were delicate ones of ornamenta-tion, on which conductor Thomas Schip-pers had strong views. Luckily he hadkeen professionals working with him-not only Sills, but tenor Harry Theyard,Shirley Verrett, and Justino Diaz. Natu-rally the recording, with the LondonSymphony, is geared to the projectedMet production. EDWARD GREENFIELD


DID YOU KNOW THAT WHERE YOU LIVEMAKES A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR RECORDS?

Too humid, too dry, too dusty are justtoo much for records to perform the waythey were intended. And when you addthe variables of the condition of records,types of recording equipment, styli,cartridges, and so on, you soon realizethere's no single record care device thatcan be all things to all records. No matterwhat anyone tells you.

That's why Watts - and Wattsalone - has a complete selection ofrecord care products. You simplyselect the Watts record care equip-ment that fits your specific situationto keep your new records new andrevitalize the old ones.

Unlike the johnny-come-lately com-panies with one or two "do -it -all" recordcare products, Watts really works.Each Watts device was developed tosolve a particular record care problem.Then they were introduced to the public

It Really Works!

!'t*It

only atter exhaustive research andtesting in broadcasting andrecording studios.

For the life of your records andstylus, insist on Watts record careequipment and kits. They're available at

dealers and record counterseverywhere.

Elpa Marketing Industries, Inc.East: New Hyde Park, N.Y. 11040West: 7301 E. Evans Rd., Scottsdale,Ariz. 85260 / Canada: Smyth SoundEquipment Ltd.

JANUARY 1975 25

Which record cleaner do you give the edgeto-Discwasher or the Watts Dust Bug?-Kevin Finn, Brooklyn, N.Y.They don't do the same thing. The DustBug rides on the record while it is playingand does an excellent job of removingloose dust. The Discwasher is used (beforeand/or after the record is played) to applyan antistatic solvent and then remove bothit and any foreign matter loosened by thesolvent. It therefore is more effective onsuch things as finger marks, but of coursewon't remove any dust that alights whilethe record is playing. So the Discwasher iscomparable not to Watts's Dust Bug, but toWatts's Preener; and of these two-thePreener and the Discwasher-it's hard topick the better. Both are far superior tomost cleaning devices and, once you learnto use them correctly (which isn't hard), willdo a fine job. We do like the Discwasher'sstyling, however, since its handle includesa cubbyhole for storage of the fluid bottle,keeping everything together in one place.

I plan to purchase either the Pickering[XV-15] 750E or 1200E cartridge. The1200E will cost me only about S10 more.Which model is better?-Mario A. Monte-leone, Staten Island, N.Y.They're very similar. The higher "DCF"number Pickering has assigned to themore expensive cartridge indicates greatercompliance and ability to track high groovevelocities at low tracking forces, but Pick-ering's own recommendations of turntableand arm models appropriate for the twostylus assemblies (the XV-15 cartridgebody is essentially identical) confirm thatthey are just about interchangeable. Sodoes our own experience with this series. Ifyou're using a manual player with a finearm, the 1200E might be marginally better;if it's a changer with a mechanical trip forthe changing mechanism, it might be a hairsafer to stay with the slightly less compliant750E stylus.

Now that the Scott digital FM tuner is avail-able once again as the T -33S, I wonderhow you people think it compares with theHeath model. Both seem to be excellentperformers, but I'm wondering whichmakes better use of the convenience as-pect of digital tuning.-Norman Golding,Cohoes, N.Y.Heath offers more flexibility in its range offront -panel controls, but we find the choicein tuning itself to be a tossup about whichyou'll have to make up your own mind.Heath has unidirectional scan with variablescan rate; Scott has bidirectional scan (abig convenience advantage over unidi-rectional), but the scan rate is fixed. TheHeath scan will stop at any station or anystereo station; the Scott will stop at sta-

too hotto handle

tions, stereo stations, or empty channels,depending on how it is set. The Heath hasthree slots for prepunched cards, withpushbutton selection for each; the Scotthas only one card slot. The Heath has akeyboard selector, which the Scott doesn't.In use we find that the scan mode is mostefficient on the Scott for all but a few favor-ite stations, for which you can make cards.We find ourselves setting up the Heath withcards for our three top -favorite stations andusing the keyboard to locate others. TheHeath's nonreversing scan mode is lessversatile and less convenient for most pur-poses than either its own keyboard or theScott's scan, in our opinion.

Would it be advisable to hook a Dolby unitin conjunction with a DBX [noise -reduc-tion] unit? For excessively noisy recordsurfaces and especially hissy tapes, wouldthere be any benefit from re-recording it anumber of times with Dolby encoding anddecoding in each step?-James T. Blake,APO, San Francisco.We'll say it again: Dolby is not the slightesthelp in removing noise that already is in anUnprocessed signal. In fact each Dolby re-recording will add some more noise. (If youmust re-record anyway, and start out withDolby processing, you have less noise tobegin with and hence can "afford" the in-crease better. But don't decode and re -en-code for each copy; if you make"straight"-and therefore encoded-copies of the encoded original and decodeonly for final playback, your noise accumu-lation should be at minimum.)

Now about using both Dolby and DBX.Theoretically any of these "closed -loop"systems (ANRS is another) can be used to-gether as long as you sequence the equip-ment correctly. If, for example, you applyDBX compression first and then Dolby en-coding, the Dolby decoding must comeahead of the DBX expansion in playback. (Ifyou want to use one of these closed -loopsystems in tandem with an open-endedone-say, Burwen or DNL-the open-ended one should be applied "outside" theclosed loop: that is, before encoding orcompression, or after decoding or expan-sion.) The chances of undesirable audibleside effects-for example "breathing" or"pumping"-are increased, however, asyou add more noise -reduction circuitry;and the returns diminish as you achieve dy-namic ranges beyond the requirements ofthe job at hand.

I have a Panasonic Series 44 CD -4 compo-nent system (Model 5070). I had someproblems with the cartridge and wanted toreplace it with a new CD -4 magnetic one,but the Panasonic service center says I

can replace it only with another Panasonic

cartridge. The dealer never explained tome that the unit had the semiconductortype of cartridge. I think this really is a

breach of confidence on the part of Pana-sonic and the dealer. Is there anything I

can do?-Alain Berrebi, Miami Beach, Fla.First, let's set the record straight. The basicproblem is not the semiconductor cartridgeitself, but that the Model 5070 is not whatwe would call a "component system." We'dcall it a compact. And the want of flexibilityis a price that one regularly must pay inbuying compact products, though theirdollar cost may be quite low. In this in-stance the cost (under $450 list) was keptlow partly by the use of the semiconductorcartridge, which requires a bias supply butno conventional preamp. That's why theunit won't work with the magnetic car-tridge, which needs preamplification.Frankly we doubt that misrepresentation(we assume that's what you mean by a"breach of confidence") literally was in-volved; the word "component" is subject toa good deal of popular abuse, as your letterdemonstrates. One should not expect anentire quadriphonic system (includingrecord changer, FM, AM, and four speak-ers), built to normal component standards,at that price.

We don't know of any phono preamp de-signed to handle the CD -4 carrier as well asthe audio. You could use an outboard CD -4demodulator (which will include preampcircuitry, of course) feeding into the tape -monitor inputs, since the unit appears tohave no aux. This will result in a relativelyexpensive add-on to an otherwise inexpen-sive system; the only practical alternativewould appear to be the sale of the 5070 andthe investment of the proceeds in real corn-ponentry.

A friend from California has LWE "elec-tronic suspension" loudspeakers-largefloor models that sound surprisingly good.Nobody here seems to know anythingabout the manufacturers. Who are they?-Ed Johnson, Chevy Chase, Md.The company (based in Texas) went out ofthe speaker business before we could testthe product. It has just come back in, butwithout the large model you speak of, andits products are being offered through C/MLaboratories, 327 Connecticut Ave., Nor-walk, Conn. 06854.

I think a fellow has to read between thelines to find out whether you really enjoyedtesting a certain piece of equipment ornot.-Bernard J. Van Dyke, Lewiston,Idaho.Should a report express personal emotionor explain performance results? We try tobe rather circumspect about our feelings-and with good reason. Sometimes equip-ment that is a joy to test is not all that goodat satisfying the needs of most home users,and undue enthusiasm might make a unitseem better than it is. Conversely, mostbudget equipment simply isn't as much funto test as the more glamorous products wedeal with, but readers on limited budgetswould have a right to resent it if we didn'tapproach these products on their own mer-its. We try to reserve our enthusiasm for theequipment that earns it through perform-ance and value rather than through theamount of enjoyment we had in testing it.

26 CIRCLE 39 ON READER -SERVICE CARD -÷

The Non -Giant Economy Size.We also utilize only the finest

and most advanced of provedcomponentry: Dual gate MOSFET's and phase lock loopcircuitry, the latest integratedcircuitry and Solid -StateFM IF Ceramic Filtering devices.Equally important, we've elimi-nated the gimmickry and gadgetsthat add nothing to the equip-ment except a potential formalfunction.

Unlike so many of our giantcompetition, Sherwood doesn'tmake a full line of audio equip-ment. No radios. No tape decks.No headphones. No turntables.Versatility may never be ourclaim to fame.

But the limited scope of ouroutput does have benefits. Wecan concentrate on refiningeach of our products, engineer-ing them for maximumperformance.

A case in point is the S7310.It has minimum RMS poweroutput (a 0.5% total harmonicdistortion, both channelsdriven, of 38 wattsper channel 8 ohms,20-20,000 Hz. Whichmeans that this receiveroutpowers all otherunits in its price range.With exceptionalselectivity andsensitivity ratings.

In short, if you look atreceivers that do as much asSherwood's S7310, they prob-ably cost more than $369.95. Or,if they cost the same, do less.

Which only proves that, inhi -fidelity manufacturing, goodtnings come from smallpackagers.

Sherwood Electronic Laboratories4300 N. CaliforniaChicago, Illinois 60618

Sherwood.The word is getting around.

news andviews

Ortofon Holds

a Press ConferenceEveryone was expecting to glimpse a new Ortofon CD -4cartridge when the company held its latest press partylast fall at the Danish consulate in New York. But, blessour Danish pastries, we were treated to three newspeakers and low -end (for Ortofon) cartridges.

In answer to the question, "What, another speakermanufacturer?", Ortofon says, "Yes-because we be-lieve we have something really different." The speakersare Models 225, 335, and 445. The first digit stands forthe number of drivers in the system, the second two in-dicate the internal volume of the system in liters. Pricesare $139, $199, and $350 respectively, with the least ex-pensive model due for introduction before this issue ap-pears and the other two by the first of the year.

The 445 uses two dissimilar 8 -inch woofers, whichcover different low -frequency ranges and cross over atdifferent points. This is said to avoid boominess. Allmodels employ what Ortofon calls DML (Dynamic Mag-netic Linearity), purported to speed rise time of thespeaker cones and reduce phase shift and distortion.

The speakers are clean looking with flat, thin, plainblack foam grilles and fine polished wood. And to us, atthis initial demo (hardly an acid test of sound quality),they sounded somewhat like they look: clean and pol-ished, visceral enough to be authoritative but notenough to be vulgar. All three units have an adjustable(up and down) midrange control.

The phono cartridge-the VMS-20E-was the step-child of the demonstration, losing its glamor when the70 -watt tubed amp used in the demo gasped its last andfizzled into silence. The new cartridge, which will sell for$65, was designed to track at 1 gram in "less demand-ing" tone arms, such as those in the better changers,according to Ortofon. And it uses the variable magneticshunt principle originally embodied in the company's M -15E Super (see HF test reports, April 1973). The prin-ciple also has been applied to two cartridges at evenlower prices: The F -15E (elliptical, $50) and the F-15(spherical, $40) are listed for a tracking -force range at1 to 2 grams and hence are tailored for arms that are"even less demanding."

Film Scores on Disc:Another SourceInterest in preserving the work of film -score composersseems to be growing all the time. Last fall we learned ofthe formation (by John Steven Lasher) of yet anotherrecord company devoted primarily to the subject:Entr'Acte Recording Society, Inc. (P.O. Box 2319, Chi-

cago, III. 60690). Its first offering, Bernard Herrmann'sscore for Sisters, should be available by the time youread this.

We understand that Entr'Acte will try not to duplicatethe work of the Collection of Film Music (founded by El-mer Bernstein, who wrote the well -received treatise onfilm scores for our July 1972 issue), another specialist inthe field but by no means the only other company with asignificant film -score catalogue. Membership inEntr'Acte will cost $5.00 per year and include four is-sues of a newsletter called "Click -Track." The disc of-ferings will have cover art and liner notes and will bepressed on the best material Entr'Acte can obtain. Mu-sic on the discs is expected to include scores of the"acknowledged masters" (Reizsa, Waxman, Antheil,Young, et al.), both in new releases and in somereissues of past deletions by other labels, plus (whereaccess to original masters can be obtained) the filmwork of relatively neglected contemporary composerslike Toch, Castelnuovo, Honegger, Axt, and Webb, towhom the cinematic medium is not a major preoccupa-tion.


Identity CrisisAmong the Pioneers

U.S. Pioneer, the American distributor of Pioneer com-ponents, seems to have found itself imprisoned by thetyranny of the alphaoet. People tend to look under P (forthe brand name) rather than U (for the company). Add-ing to the confusion is the fact that U.S. Pioneer's par-ent company, Pioneer of Japan, has another Pioneer inthis country to handle its mass -market equipment: Pio-neer of America.

So U.S. Pioneer, though its corporate name is un-changed, is trying to solve its identity problem by callingitself Pioneer High Fidelity.

Tannoy Joins Harman

The acquisition of the Tannoy Group, British -basedloudspeaker manufacturers, by Harman International(parent company of Harman-Kardon and JBL)-ru-mored for some months-finally became a reality lastfall. The formal announcement says some $750,000was paid for outright ownership of Tannoy, which is ex-pected to retain its present identity and managementwithin the Harman group, much as Harman-Kardon andJBL have.

Harman-Tannoy's first public appearance came atthe New York High Fidelity Music Show in October andpresented some surprises. There were changes in theloudspeaker line, but the attention -getters were in newproduct areas: headphones and turntables. The head-set, an electrostatic, is called the Micromonitor TMX-1and will sell for $129. Four turntables were introduced:the belt -drive TM -22 ($168) and TM -33 ($198) and thedirect -drive TM-44DD ($267) and TM-55DD ($327).


Introducingthe KLH Research X

Classic Four Loudspeaker.If you think

that's a lot of numbers,wait'll you hear the number

it does on your ears!

KLH loudspeakers usually need very little introduction.But the Classic Four is so radically different that it maytake a little explaining. For one thing, it incorporates ahigh frequency dispersion concept that not only givesmusic a new dimension but also gives you greaterfreedom as a listener. What we've done is build two tweetersinto the Classic Four in a mathematically calculated andmeticulously tested configuration. The angle of the tweeterscreates incredibly wide dispersion so that you hear perfecthigh frequency sound no matter where you sit in the listeningroom. In addition, this amazingly accurate means of sounddispersion allows you greater flexibility in the placement of thespeakers. But most important, it brings o new life and airinessto your recorded music. Each instrument is perfectly definedand recognizable- regardless if you're sitting on axis or not.

The Classic Four has a typical KLH mid -range- ultrasmooth and silky. And, of course, KLH has always had areputation for getting an inordinate amount of bottom out ofmodest sized loudspeakers. But the Classic Four's bass

response is clearly a step beyond anything you'd everexpect from a bookshelf type speaker. It's new lowresonance, long throw piston -action 12" woofercreates a sound that is so accurate and full of life that it

simply defies easy description.The Classic Four is at selected KLH dealers now. It comes

with a removable gri:le cover in a choice of two decoratorcolors. It costs $170. And if vou think that's a big number,wait'lI you hear the number it does on your ears!

The Classic Four. Another innovative product from KLHResearchX-o new era it audio.

For more information, write to KLH Research &Development Corp., 3C Cross St., Cambridge, Mass. 02139.

!H11,1)11.1r1c)(1))!1.31)111111111111.111111111111*KLH Research & Development Corp.

JANUARY 1975


29

equipment in thenews

New amp crowns Crown line

Latest in the series of blockbuster power amplifiers from Crown In-ternational is the M-600, rated at less than 0.05% harmonic or inter -modulation distortion from DC (0 Hz) to 20 kHz for 600 watts perchannel into 8 -ohm loads or 1,000 into 4 ohms. Protective circuitrysimilar to that in the Crown DC -300A allows the amp to be used-ormisused-safely with virtually any type of load. Normal output is 70volts unbalanced; a plug-in converter allows two M -600s to be used(as an M-2000) in a balanced 140 -volt configuration for an incredible2,000 watts continuous power (or 3.2 kilowatts music power!) perchannel into 8 ohms. A plug-in input circuit board can be tailored forpreamp, equalization, servo feedback, or similar purposes depend-ing on the amp's end use. The M-600 costs $1,495.


Hitachi turntable a "complete" CD -4 add-onIn its two -speed (33 and 45) PS -14 turntable ensemble Hitachi com-bines a high -spec hysteresis belt -drive turntable, a full -adjustmentarm, a base with hinged dust cover, a magnetic pickup with Shibatastylus capable of reproducing CD -4 Quadradiscs, a CD -4 demodula-tor-preamp, and outputs for either high-level feeds (of stereo orquad) or low-level feeds to a phono preamp (of stereo or matrixedquad only). Thus, contained in one unit are all the needed elementsfor adding the CD -4 capability to quad systems, as well as playing allother current types of discs. The cartridge shell is removable (youcan interchange pickups if you have extra shells); the single -playturntable offers automated cueing and arm return. The PS -14 sellsfor $349.95.


r

Magnavox adds new receiversThe Model 1570 stereo receiver, shown here, is among the MX -

series models added to Magnavox's current component line. It israted for 35 watts per channel (at 0.5% THD, full bandwidth, into 8ohms) and features a speaker -matrix switch to simulate quad by us-ing the remote speakers at the back of the main listening room. Thetuner section has, among other things, a meter that is switchable toread either signal strength or center tuning and what Magnavoxcalls ASNC, a circuit that automatically reduces high -end separationon weak stereo stations to cancel noise. The 1570 sells for $399.95.


A Swedish beachhead in CaliforniaIn 1970 we made mention of an interesting Swedish company, So -nab, which was offering "omnidirectional" speakers designed byengineer Stig Carlsson. Now the company has established a U.S.subsidiary (Sonab Electronics Corp., 1185 Chess Dr., Foster City,Calif. 94404) for distribution in selected American markets. Illus-trated are the 0A-12 (left background, $199 each), using Carlsson's"ortho acoustic" principle, and two bass -reflex systems: the OA -14(right background, $269 each) and the OD -11 (foreground, $139each).


Cosmetic update for speaker systemsRepublic Systems Corp. (9160 S. Green St., Chicago, Ill. 60620) isoffering kits that will dress existing speaker systems in the latestsculptured -foam fashion. The acoustically transparent flexible ure-thane foam, which comes in panels measuring 15 by 8 or 14 by 24inches, can be cut with regular household shears to fit your speak-ers, replacing the original grille material and held in place by Velcrofastenings. Initially the foam is available in black, with parallel "flut-ing" (the material held by the model), but Republic hopes to addother options. Expected retail price of a pair of panels is about $5 inthe 8 -inch width, about $12 for the larger sheet.


30 H ion Flom Y MAGAZINE

He listens to itwith AR speakers

A lot of celebrated musicians pay ARspeaker systems the finest complimentpossible: they use them at home.

Karl Bohm, who conducts the mostdistinguished orchestras all over theworld, has AR speakers at home.Conductors Seiji Ozawa and Herbert vonKarajan, and baritone DietrichFischer-Dieskau listen with AR speakers.So do jazz trumpeter Miles Davis andsinger Judy Collins.

Many musicians would seem to agreewith the AR philosophy of accurate -asopposed to "pleasant"- sound reproduction.After all, the aim of a speaker system is togive you the music and let you forgetthe speakers.

Try it soon. There's a five-year guaranteethat your AR speakers will perform aswell as Karl Bohm's.

Karl Bohm chose the AR -3a: S295

The AR -7: almost as good: S75

Acoustic Research

US office:10 American DriveNorwood, Massachusetts 02062

International office:High Street, Houghton Regis,Bedfordshire, England

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JANUARY 1975

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31

WNCN,WEFM,WGKA,

WONO, andYou

The call letters in the above head, for radio stations.mostly FM. from New York City. Chicago, Atlanta, andSyracuse respectively, tell a story of great import to theclassical music radio listener. It is a story of the unsus-pected power that that listener has-when he chooses touse it.

Several years ago Robert Strauss, now chairman ofthe Democratic National Committee, bought WGKA-AM and FM in Atlanta with the intention of changing itsformat from classical to wallpaper. A few good -musiclovers got together and, calling themselves the CitizensCommittee to Preserve the Voice of the Arts in Atlanta.began to defend the classics from the broadcaster-and.eventually, from the Federal Communications Commis-sion itself, which traditionally held the entertainmentformat question irrelevant in approving licenses ortransfers. Still, when the committee forced the newowner to face an expensive (up to $50,000) and time-consuming (perhaps two years) FCC hearing. Strausssold the stations to GCC Communications. In the end,both Strauss and GCC contributed enough money to thelocal noncommercial classical FM station to enable it toupgrade its equipment and augment its signal-so thatWGKA-FM could have a better rationale for droppingthe classics; which it did-but at. least WGKA-AM hadto remain classical.

By the end of 1970, Syracuse classical station WONOwas lugging a debt, accumulated over a seven-year pe-riod, of $67,000. Since its annual gross was only $35,000,something drastic had to be done. That something was,in 1971, a sale to a Bruce Houston. When word gotaround that Houston intended to drop WONO's classi-cal programming (and his last name, also the name of hiscompany, gave rise to rumors that a bunch of Texanswere invading the New York town intending to demolishits cultural airwaves), a citizens committee, Friends ofWONO, sprang up in Syracuse to oppose the sale. Natu-rally, the FCC ruled against the committee, but a Courtof Appeals decision actually enjoined the commission toreconsider the community's interest. The sale did not gothrough. Friends of WONO proved to be real friends,raising $35,000 within a week; it continues to raise about$20,000 per year, enough to allow the station graduallyto pay off its debt and show a modest profit. WONO istoday partly owned by WCRB, a Boston station com-mitted to classical music.

Last October 5, New York City's only full-time classi-cal station, WNCN, was planning to switch to a rock for-

mat, dramatically timed to coincide with the city's HighFidelity Show. New equipment had been purchased. theold staff exiled (except for four $15,000 -per -year an-nouncers, as well as four part-timers, all of whom wereprotected by a union contract), and a new staff hired.About seven hours before the scheduled change, an in-junction stayed its execution. Again, a citizens com-mittee (the WNCN Listener's Guild) had arisen to res-cue Beethoven. Actually two committees, one inConnecticut, where the station also has loyal listeners.Some still insist three, since William F. Buckley Jr.,chairman of the board of Starr Broadcasting, whichowns WNCN, organized a "Save WNCN" campaignthat in effect siphoned off over half a million dollarsworth of an aroused public's pledges, to be given to anystation that would please take those expensive classical -sounding announcers, as well as WNCN's record libraryand cultural commitment, off Starr's hands. And onemight as well include a fourth committee, for it was aCitizens Committee to Save WEFM whose activities inChicago brought about a decision last October 4-by theU.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia-which could eventually be the salvation of many Ameri-can classics -loving radio fans.

It was a scenario worthy to feature Hollywood's cav-alry, for on October 3 the FCC had (naturally) turneddown the Listener's Guild's application for a stay, andWNCN was to change both its call letters and format thefirst minute of October 5. The Court of Appeals was thecavalry; it granted the stay late in the afternoon of Octo-ber 4, asking the Guild and the FCC to submit memo-randa showing how that day's WEFM decision related tothe WNCN case. What was that startling WEFM deci-sion?

For years Zenith Radio Corporation had run Chi-cago's WEFM-FM as an avowed money -losing classicalstation. A few years ago Zenith sold the station, subjectof course to any unforeseen contingencies, to-are youready?-GCC Communications, the same buyer as in theAtlanta case. It was no secret that the classics would bescrapped. Chicago, after all, had perhaps the country'smost successful classical station, WFMT*. There was, of

A sale of WFMT itself was kiboshed by a citizens committee. In 1970. ownerBernard Jacobs became disabled by multiple sclerosis and put the station onthe market for $1.1 million. When he sold it to the Chicago Tribune/WGNcombine, a Citizens Committee to Save WFMT sprang up. Although during itstwo years of operating WFMT. WGN not only showed every intention ofmaintaining the classical station's independence (and employees), never pres-suring its personnel to modify the format, but also gave it new studios, the com-mittee remained suspicious of the combine's corporate image. Faced with anFCC hearing on the committee's charges of too much concentration of control


course, no question but that the FCC would approve thesale. But there was an unforeseen contingency, the citi-zens committee. In order to ease its way. GCC again do-nated funds to a struggling classical competitor, this timeWNIB, to allow it to upgrade its equipment and signal.And the sale did slide through the FCC and a three -judge panel of the Court of Appeals. Then came the fullCourt of Appeals' shocker:

We think it axiomatic that preservation of a formatthat would otherwise disappear, although economic-ally and technically viable and preferred by a signifi-cant number of listeners. is generally in the public in-terest.

In other words, the court held that the FCC could nolonger automatically exclude a consideration of formatwhen making its decisions. And since classical music isamong the rarest formats on the air, it would seem asthough a broadcaster would from now on have to scalean especially high wall if he wanted to toss it out of thecity. (The latest word is that the FCC is planning an ap-peal to the Supreme Court.)

WNCN's story still remains a mystery in early Novem-ber, and as I write this it is raising the biggest hullabalooin New York since the demise of the nickel subway ride.For years WNCN was the New York outlet of the lateConcert Network. It was then sold to L.W. Frohlich, anadvertising man who made it part of a National ScienceNetwork. WNCN was that network's only classical sta-tion, the others being two rockers in California and amiddle-of-the-roader in Chicago. Although in thosedays few FM stations of any sort were able to make aprofit, WNCN was apparently in better financial shapethan the other Science Network stations, for you couldhardly ever find its station manager in New York; he al-ways seemed to be away, putting out fires at the otherstations. And if old rumors are correct, most of the net-work's managerial expenses were borne by WNCN sothat the other stations' finances wouldn't look worse thanthey were.

When Frohlich died, the National Science Networkput WNCN on the market. Price: $2 million. When youconsider that two New York AM stations. WINS andWMGM, had recently been sold for $10.5 millionapiece, that the New York Times was asking at least $8million for its classical music radio operation, WQXR-AM and WQXR-FM. and that the asking price for anFM channel in New York at the time was some $3 mil-lion, this looked like quite a bargain.

To lighten the load even further, the seller was readyto loan half the purchase price to the buyer-and mightthere not be a bank around somewhere that would beprepared to loan the other half to a substantial pur-chaser? Who, in other words, would like to enter theNew York market at a one-third discount, no moneydown? Peter and Michael Starr did, even if it meantcoming in, at least temporarily, saddled with a classicalstation. Declaring a continuity of format, Starr Broad-casting-armed with a $1 million loan from the Chem-ical Bank in New Orleans-bought WNCN in 1973. In

of Chicago's media, the Tribune "gave" WFMT (along with about SI millionworth of debt on the loan it got to purchase the station from Jacobs) to the Chi-cago Educational Television Association, in whose cuddling hands the stationremains today.

order to secure the loan, Starr assured the bank in Octo-ber 1972 that they would change "the present classicalformat featuring obscure and new releases" to a "top 100classical format featuring thematic programs which willallow more time for advertising." Incidentally, two yearslater the Starr brothers would sign an affidavit attestingthat "no discussions were held at that time [spring of19721 among the three mentioned top management per-sonnel [Buckley and the two Starrs1 of a possible (letalone a probable or a definite) change in format in thefuture, nor was any change then contemplated by any ofthe three."

Alan Rich, former HF reviewer and now New Yorkmagazine critic, charged in the latter publication thatStarr had planned to kill WNCN's classical program-ming altogether even as it was buying the station. Chair-man Bill, in the same magazine, denied it eloquently.(My own information is that there were high-level con-tingency discussions, not necessarily including the Bach -loving Buckley, even before the sale.) Starr brought insome crack salesmen, either to try to make the stationprofitable or, as some have charged. to give the appear-ance they were trying. At any rate, reports have it thatthese salesmen couldn't stand to listen to the music theirstation was broadcasting. Under analogous circum-stances, I know I wouldn't buy a can of tuna fish.

At 11:00 in the morning of November 7 WNCN in-terrupted Mozart's Requiem to play Chuck Berry's RollOver Beethoven, and became the rock station WQIV.The Listener's Guild vowed to continue its fight.

But in Atlanta WGKA-AM is still broadcasting theclassics. In Syracuse so is WONO. And in Chicago, WEFM-FM has been programming classical music under a courtstay for years. In each case the broadcaster tried to dis-card the classics. But in each case a few aroused listenersfound that with enough noise they could drown out theinterference threatening a good -music signal. The qual-ity of an audience's taste has come to be as important asthe size of a businessman's profit in determining whatstays on the air. Keep that in mind, music lover, if a simi-lar situation ever arises in your community. You've gotmore power than you may think.

And if you should ever want to buy a classical stationyourself, please do it for love. Go make your fortunesomeplace else. There already are enough sharks inthese waters. And look out for those dolphins.

Next month we will pay particular attention to the taperecording scene. There have been articles in many publi-cations comparing the various tape formats, but nowthere is a possible new format in the offing. We will coverthem all in OPEN -REEL, CASSETTE, CARTRIDGE,OR BASF? For those of you who would like to makebetter use of our lab test reports in all current tape for-mats, there will be a piece on HOW TO INTERPRETOUR TAPE RECORDER TESTS. And just in case youthought that the Dolby system was the panacea for allyour tape problems. we will discuss THE DOLBYPROBLEM.

/47aAti-44.,

JANUARY 1975

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Rassietera

Rimsky, Rachmaninoff,Prokofiev, and Shostakovich

A Bolshoi production of Tsar Saltan, one of Flimsky's operas that is incomprehensibly neglected in the West

Concluding a two-part discography that began last month with Glinka to Tchaikovsky

NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV(1844-1908)

The Maid of Pskov (1872)

The date here is somewhat deceptive, forRimsky revised his first opera twice, andthe second revision, completed in 1893.is what we hear on this recording. Healso wrote a prologue, first performed in1898 with the second revision and laterseparately as a vehicle for Chaliapin: ithas not been recorded.

The piece concerns the entrance intoPskov of Ivan the Terrible after his cap-ture of Novgorod. and his discoverythere of his daughter Olga by the Boya-rina Vera Sheloga. Pskov is therebysaved the usual fate at the hands ofIvan's guard (the Oprichniks again, anasty lot), but Olga's love for Tucha, ayoung freeman who will not submit tothe tsar, leads to tragedy.

The music has only hints of the exoti-cism of much later Rimsky, but there isin it an attempt to write scenes of per-sonal drama of a more realistic sort thatis in itself interesting, and at times ithints at harmonic directions the com-poser never really followed. In the earlyportions it is not very successful: after araucous overture, the dialogue scenesconstantly fall into conventional pat-terns, and the only strong section is abell -and -bonfire crowd scene, whichmust be rousing in the theater. With theentrance of Ivan about halfway through.the writing becomes more personal andintense, and the final interview betweenIvan and Olga is an excellent scene. Nota great work, but if one considers that itis a first effort. revised or not, it comes uppretty strong.

The Bolshoi performance. on RussianMelodiya 019333/8 (mono, three discs).is splendid. A soprano otherwise un-known to me. Shumilova, gives an ex-traordinary performance as Olga: shehas a slightly sharp but well -equalizedlyric voice with a free, spinning upperrange. and sings with sincerity and pas-

sion. The Ivan is Pirogov, an altogethersuperior performance-the voice is pow-erful and beautiful, the technique so-phisticated. the interpretation of vitalityand stature. Nelepp also does his bestwork here; the writing is not very subtle,and he just sings out strongly. A sturdydramatic baritone. Shchegolkov, takesthe other major role, and, as is usuallythe case on these older Bolshoi record-ings. the character roles are very effec-tively assumed.

Good orchestral and choral work, un-der Sakharov, and the sound is decent,though the soloists are often very close.and Nelepp picks up hints of distortionhere and there.

May Night (1878)

Tnis is the first of two operas Rimskydrew from Gogol's collection of folktalesset in the Ukrainian village of Dikanka. Ithas a simple. not to say simple-minded.argument about innocent young lovers.lecherous and ridiculous elders and offi-cials, and the obligatory water nymphs.Auleast these water nymphs surface only

JANUARY 1975 37

once a year. in the spring, like certaintoads. Sopranos, of course.

Fortunately, Rimsky does not over -blow the material, though in the first acthe overextends it a trifle. He makes ex-tensive and apposite use of Ukrainianfolk melodies, gives a couple of melt-ingly lovely serenades to his young tenorhero, and makes genuinely amusing car-icatures out of the opposition. No usepretending May Night is grand or impor-tant, but it is good-hearted, cheerful, andpretty.

The Bolshoi performance on MK05404/9 (mono, three discs) is delightful.There is exquisite orchestral playing un-der Nebolsin, and Lemeshev is at hisbest as Levko, which means lyric tenor-izing of real polish and ample strength.Borisenko has a rich, solid mezzo soundfor the ingenue lead (a nice change fromthe simper), soprano customary in suchroles), and Sergei Krasovsky is a nimble.black -toned Elder. In the tenor buffopart of the Distiller. Shevtsov is actuallyfunny-revolutionary. The sound is fulland warm, the best I've heard from MK.Several cuts are made in the last act; oth-erwise the performance is complete.

The Snow Maiden (1881)

This is the opera with which Rimsky isgenerally considered to have come intohis own; Ostrovsky's drama about thebeautiful but frigid daughter of FairySpring and Father Frost. who discovershuman love and brings the sun-god Ya-rilo back to the frozen kingdom of Ber-endey but must sacrifice her life to do so,was Rimsky's first plunge into the pan-theistic lore that was to produce his bestmusic.

It is a touching legend. and there ismuch of beauty and value in the score.But Rimsky's editorial self-disciplineand compositional shrewdness were in-sufficiently developed; there is too muchunnecessary material, and too many ofthe sections are far overextended. Thelast act is lovely throughout and gloriousat the close, and along the way there aremany sections that, taken individually,are very winning. But they are separatedby too many patches of perfunctory reci-tative and songs and choruses aboutnothing much-one's interest rises andfalls as matters creep along over ten LPsides. The lengthy woodland prologue isdull and foolish, twitting and mooningendlessly about the sprigs and birdies,and has put me in a foul mood for therest every time I have heard it. A good,full disc of excerpts would be a welcomeaddition to the catalogue.

There have been two recordings, aBolshoi performance (MK 217E. mono,five discs) and a Belgrade production(London XLLA 45, mono, five discs; likethe Belgrade Life for the Tsar, this hasbeen reissued recently on English

Decca's Ace of Diamonds label-GOS642/5, stereo, four discs). As is usual withcompetitive issues in these series, theBolshoi is the better performance. Themajor difference is simply one of musicalgrasp-the Bolshoi ensemble and soloistsare almost without exception on firmerground rhythmically and in terms ofshaping and coloring their music, andMoscow's Svetlanov is assuredly a moreincisive conductor than Belgrade's Ba-ranovich.

Among the soloists, the Bolshoi SnowMaiden and Tsar Berendey (Firsova andKozlovsky) are clearly superior to theirBelgrade counterparts (Jankovich andAndrashevich) in these important parts.The other principals (mezzos Borisenkoand Avdeyeva, soprano Vishnevskaya,baritone Galkin, and bass Krivchenyafor MK; mezzos Tzveych and Miladi-novich, soprano Heybalova. baritonePopovich, and bass Changalovich forLondon) are more evenly matched froma vocal viewpoint, and in one or twocases it is possible to prefer the Londonsingers.

Both recordings are complete-in fact.at one or two spots more inclusive thanthe Bessel vocal score. London's soundand surfaces are markedly better, an im-portant point for this work, and it shouldbe noted that nothing about the per-formance is catastrophic; for collectorsinterested in the work and unable to lo-cate the MK, or for whom the sound isreally crucial, it is an acceptable alterna-tive.

Christmas Eve (1895)

This opera is taken from the same Gogolstory set by Tchaikovsky in Cherivichki.It far surpasses Tchaikovsky's work andis a magical little piece.

I say "little." because the tale of theUkrainian blacksmith who loves the dis-dainful village beauty, and with the aidof a devil fetches for her a coveted pair ofslippers from the tsaritsa herself, is verymuch on the human scale. But thoughthe picture of village life and the folk -character portraits are affectionately andwittily drawn, there is nothing little inRimsky's treatment of the fantasy ele-ments. Where Tchaikovsky provides acouple of mild interludes for the black-smith's supernatural flights to and fromSt. Petersburg, Rimsky (as might be ex-pected) creates dances of witches anddevils, ballets of the heavenly bodies,pageants of pagan deities, and airbornevisions of the earth, and his music is en-chanting.

At the same time, the scale of the storyrequires him to write more tightly thanhe did in some of his yawning legendaryepics, so his scenario and score are con-cise, with no extraneous scenes or char-acters, no dead patches in the writing.His orchestral imagination had reached

its full development here, and themelodies were flowing freely (even apartfrom the Ukrainian folk material that heagain employs, though sparingly). I can-not imagine anyone resisting this opera.

It is a shame that the recording (Ultra -phone ULP 144/6, mono, three discs) isnot of better technical quality; onewould love to hear the full color anddepth of the score, and this 1948 MoscowRadio presentation does not give us that.The sound can be tolerated, though, andthe performance is first-rate. True, theOksana (N. Shpiller) has a case of theSlavic Spintos, and the Vakula. SlavicHeroic Tarkhov, possesses about thekeenest top B and C ever honed. But theformer is a careful and expressive musi-cian, and the latter has a basically strongand attractive voice; more to the point,everyone in the cast performs with realelan-they all mean it, they all have clearideas about the music and the characters,and they are all well cast in terms of theirvocal types (something that is becomingrare). Golovanov leads an exuberantperformance. with strong supportingwork from contralto Kulagina, tenorsPontryagin and Shevtsov, bassesKrasovsky and Tyutyunnik-indeed ev-erybody.

Division of Records and Statistics:With the low C interpolated at one pointby Krasovsky and the high C sharp sungby Shpiller in the last scene (and Trak-hov takes high options at every opportu-nity). the voices on this recording coverfour octaves plus a semitone with legiti-mate singing tone. This mark could betied by a Zauberfrote in which theSarastro interpolates a low E at the endof "In diesen heil'gen Hal/en" while theQueen of the Night sings her second ariain key and on pitch (to high F); but I donot believe this is the case on any com-plete recording. The feat could be sur-pacsi-cl only if the Sarastro went to the lowC at the end of the first verse in "0 Isisand Osiris"-we would then have fouroctaves and a fourth. This is obviously amuch -to -be -hoped -for achievement; asa preliminary, we must eliminate thejoyless modern race of moldy -mindedopera conductors. Write to this address ifyou wish to participate.

Sadko (1896)

This is a gorgeous, exhilarating score,and one that exudes theatrical imagina-tion throughout. And it is not only thesensuality and mysticism of the pan-theistic elements that inspired the com-poser, though certainly the lulling musicof the Lake Ilmen scene and the charm-ing fantasies of the undersea kingdomare Rimsky at his aquatic best. The Nov-gorod scenes are, in their way, equallyfine, with their bracing choruses andaffectionately satirical songs and dancesfor merchants, abbots, and other buf-


foons. Rimsky responded to both sidesof this beautiful quasi -historical legend,which celebrates at once the estab-lishment of Russia as a political and eco-nomic power in the time of Novgorodthe Great and her Christianizing, histori-cally at an earlier period.

This is also another work in which thelure of the water nymph makes its ap-pearance-in this case a voracious salt-water type named Volkhova, who easilypulls Sadko under from his ill-advisedposition on a plank in the middle of theocean. This theme, too, is most vividlyportrayed in the music, and altogetherSadko is a fascinating piece.

There are two recordings. one by theBolshoi under Nikolai Golovanov (UI-traphone ULP 127/30, mono, four discs)and the other by unnamed soloists withthe Zagreb Opera under Mladen Bash-ich (Artia ALS 500/4, rechanneled, fourdiscs).

The Bolshoi performance has someweaknesses but is manifestly the supe-rior of the two, starting with outstandingorchestral and choral work in a readingof great spirit and color. The importantsupporting roles are all well taken,headed by a Sea Tsar of pulverizingresonance from Sergei Krasovsky. TheVolkhova, Elisaveta Shumskaya, hassome edginess in the middle range but aclear and pretty top, and she's a real mu-sician who gives phrases their swing andshape. The two mezzos, Davydova andAntonova, are much less precise and notvery pleasurable. The Sadko is Nelepp;he is an excellent artist who does every-thing called for by the score, and well,but unfortunately with a nondescript vo-cal quality in restrained music of thissort. Best of all is a brilliant Guest Scene,in which Reizen, Kozlovsky, and Lisi-tsian stand up and sit down in successionto sing the stuffing out of the mag-nificently descriptive songs of the Va-rangian, Hindu, and Venetian guests-afeast for lovers of fine singing.

The Zagreb performance has an excel-lent mezzo as Nezhata, the minstrel,preferable to Antonova, but the othersingers are all less effective than theirBolshoi counterparts, sometimes disas-trously so. The orchestral and choral ex-ecution is also mediocre, and the sound,labeled stereo, is muddy; Ultraphone's,though mono and not entirely free fromdistortion, is far fuller and more vivid.Both recordings offer a substantiallycomplete version, with only minor inter-nal cuts.

Mozart and Sailed (1897)

This little one -act piece explores the mo-tives and emotions of Salieri with respectto his fancied poisoning of Mozart. It is.taken from the same trio of Pushkinscene sequences that provided Dar-gomizhsky with his libretto for Stone

Guest (q.v. in the December issue). Rim -sky orchestrated the latter, and in thispiece attempted to create an austeredrama of character along the older com-poser's model. Mozart and Salieri is thusintriguingly uncharacteristic of its com-poser, and. while it is not memorablepurely as music, considered as a theaterpiece it does represent an opportunityfor imaginative singing actors.

Of the two complete performances,one (Olympic 9106, rechanneled, onedisc) is recently re-released and gener-ally available, the other (Colosseum10420, mono, one disc) long withdrawnand hard to find. In another illustrationof Osborne's First Law ("The quality ofthe performance stands in inverse ratioto the accessibility of the record"), theColosseum performance is the better byseveral times over-sung in Russian bytwo fine performers, bass Mark Reizenand Slavic Lyric Ivan Kozlovsky, withroom left over for some Reizen encores.Despite muddy sound, this renditionmakes a strong case for the work.

Olympic's is in no way competitive ex-cept in the conducting (Leibowitz) andsound-poorish rechanneling, but betterthan the same company's The Marriage.The singers are Jacques Linsolas (pleas-ant, tremolo -ridden baritone, bland in-terpretation) and Jean Mollien (heavy,inelegant tenor). Both enunciate well inthe wrong language, French; neither canhold a candle to his Russian oppositenumber.

Actually, it is the hair-raising perform-ance of Salieri's three monologues byChaliapin (on EMI RLS 710, a two -discChaliapin set with much other fascinat-ing material), recorded live thirty yearsafter he sang the opera's premiere in1898, that brings this imaginary Salieribefore us, a murderous yet pitiable ap-parition. Stanislaysky ranked Chaliapinwith Tommaso Salvini as the greatest ac-tor of his experience. The aural evidenceof that is here for the listening.

The Tsar's Bride (1898)

Ivan's back, and Rimsky's got him. Ac-tually, Terrible stays off-stage in this one,while' a particularly ill -intentionedOprichnik named Gryasnoi, his jiltedmistress Lyubasha, and two childhoodsweethearts gum up one another's lives,but you know he's there, and somehowit's really his fault.

Not to blame for the opera, though,which is unquestionably the worst of theRimsky pieces on records; one tired -sounding number follows another, andsome of it is truly terrible. Rimsky wastrying to go the way of the Romantic his-torical grand opera, and I doubt hemeant a note of it. There's one side'sworth of Tsar's Bride on a Rimsky pot-pourri disc (Melodiya/Angel SR 40052,stereo), including most of the score's bet-

ter moments, and that's my recommen-dation.

The performance, fatiguingly com-plete on Melodiya/Angel SRCL 4122(stereo, three discs), is adequate. Themistress is the one role with some realopportunities, and Arkhipova makes themost of them in a commanding, rock -solid performance, for which she re-ceives generous sympathy in the matterof note values from her conductor, FuatMansurov. But her best scene is also onSR 40052. Vishnevskaya is also on thisset, sounding artful but frayed. BassYevgeny Nesterenko has a big, flowingvoice of fine quality; the others are suf-ficient, though in a couple of cases barelySO.

The Tale of the Tsar Saltan (1900)

Tsar Saltan is a grand entertainment,awash in seductive color, rich in fantasy,spiced with caricature and satire thatnever loses its affectionate tone. Bielsky'slibretto is clever and stage -wise, andRimsky's score has hardly a weak patch.It is a large-scale piece, not lightly under-taken, but its neglect by major Westerncompanies is incomprehensible.

The opera is based on Pushkin's set-ting of a Russian folktale, wherein theimpulsive and childlike tsar selects abride, Cinderella -like, from among threesisters, thus incurring the envy of the.other two and the evil old Babarikha.Saltan is tricked into peevishly orderinghis bride and their infant son (whogrows, rather frighteningly, before oureyes) set to sea in a cask; but of coursethey are conveyed to the enchanted isleof Buyan, where the now -grown princefrees the inhabitants, assumes rule, dis-covers and marries the (also enchanted)Swan Queen, and eventually restores hisparents' union. Miraculous events occuren mute, among them the prince's visitto Saltan's court in the guise of a bum-blebee (he stings the three nasties and isofficially banished from the court), to themusic of you -know -what.

As usual with Rimsky, the instrumen-tal writing and the pictorial interludesare magnificent. But as is not always thecase, the vocal writing is also strong, andthe characters assume real dimension inthe music. Both Saltan and his wife havefine arias, and the prince has a good one,followed by the most exuberant loveduet in all Russian opera. The final sceneand the interlude that precedes it arestunning, and the opening -out of themusic toward this finale has a feeling ofcelebrative uplift that almost deservescomparison with Act III of Die Meister-singer.

As with Sadko, there is a Bolshoirecording (MK 206C, mono, three discs)and a Zagreb recording (Artia ALS-502,rechanneled, three discs); again as withSadko, the Bolshoi edition is to be pre -

JANUARY 1975 39

ferred by an almost prohibitive margin.Nebolsin is the conductor, and thechorus and orchestra are at their splen-did best-if only the recording did themfull justice! (This is 1959 mono, not bad,but certainly less than the score de-serves.) Petrov is marvelous as the Tsar,and Ivanovsky, in fresher voice than forColumbia's Boris, sings sturdily and mu-sically as the young prince. Smolenskayais in representative form as Militrissa,authoritative and stylish, but sometimesedgy and scoopy, too. Oleinichenko, theSwan Queen, also has a hard glint to hertone but copes well enough. Good sup-porting work from Mark Reshetin, fromShumilova (as one of the wicked sisters,her fine upper range popping out of theensembles), and from all three sailors inthe bumblebee scene.

The Zagreb offering is very weak inthe supporting parts. The Saltan is a per-fectly decent singer, and the sopranoscan be borne, though the tenor hardly so.But the performance as a whole is such asad -sack affair, so limp and colorless,and the recording so tubby, that it cannotbe said to represent the music at all.

The Invisible City of Kitezh (1904)

This is an extremely ambitious work, inwhich Rimsky made a final attempt toarrive at a synthesis of symbolic leg-endary elements, characters embodyingcertain statements about the nature ofgood and evil, and Eastern Chris-tian orthodoxy. In Bielsky's libretto, thebeautiful maiden Fevronia lives a her-metic life in the depths of the forest,where she is discovered by Prince Vsevo-lod, who takes her for a wife and intro-duces her to the human community inthe village of Little Kitezh. But Little Ki-tezh is razed by the Tartars, who alsothreaten the city of Great Kitezh.Through the prayerful intercession ofFevronia, the city is rendered invisiblebehind a golden mist, thus saving it fromattack, and then is transformed intonothing less than the Heavenly City it-self, eternal and paradisaical but acces-sible only to those who are purifiedthrough love.

Fevronia, whose unity with Natureand belief in a divine presence in allthings clearly represent Rimsky's path tosalvation, is balanced by the character ofGrishka Kuterma, a drunken scoffer ab-sorbed in divers negativities. Grishka isthe other major character (not theprince, who is a catalytic cipher), thedark side of the dualism, and bears arather striking resemblance to one ofGraham Greene's degenerate damned.At the end, he is of course barred fromthe Heavenly Kitezh, where Fevronia'ssweet immanentist doctrine somehowenters into a compatible union withchurch ritual-a marriage made possible,

In The Golden Cockerel, here in a Metropolitan production, Rimsky's caustic depiction ofKing Dodon's legendary realm got the composer into political trouble in tsarist Russia.

I fear, only by 'Rimsky's wishful imagi-nation.

There is some marvelous music in thescore. The opening scene in the forest isreminiscent of the Snow Maiden pro-logue but far superior musically. The lifeof Little Kitezh, the interludes of battleand miraculous transformation, and thefinal transition to the Heavenly City areall very persuasively pictured, and thecharacter of Grishka, a unique figure inRimsky's operas, is strongly written.

For me, though, even the best of thisfalls a bit short of the equivalent mo-ments of Tsar Saltan. Further, some ofthe other material is really quite weak.The Tartars are rather palely presented,but more importantly Fevronia herself isnot memorable in the music-she singsbeautifully in the opening scene but thenhas nowhere to go, and her scenes withGrishka are dominated by the latter.And when Rimsky finally reaches Heav-enly Kitezh, he doesn't know what to dowith it: The transitional music is impres-sive, but the final scene comes to acurious standstill-the peace that passethall understanding, perhaps, but it doesn'tquite jell.

The performance (MK 209D, mono,four discs) is solid, with a good orchestraland choral underpinning (U.S.S.R. Ra-dio) under the excellent Nebolsin. Themost memorable piece of work is Tar-khov's Grishka. Here is an example of aonetime leading romantic tenor turnedto a character role (though an extendedone) and making something special of it.The voice, with its upper range now toopinched and straight to serve well inleading roles, is still strong and still a

singing instrument, so that his use of dis-torted colors and inflections carries thesense of an artist making expressivechoices and carrying them out techni-cally, rather than that of a secondary tal-ent making the most or limitations. It isalso instructive to have the admirableprecedent.

The Fevronia, Rozhdestvenskaya, is aleading Slavic Spinto, a good musicianwith a substantial voice but without thenatural allure that would make us be-lieve in Fevronia. Petrov, in superbform, has only limited opportunities asthe elder prince but makes the most ofthem; as the younger prince, Ivanovskyis satisfactory in what we must call a"nothing" part. Among the supportingroles, there is noteworthy work by the so-prano Melnikova and the basses Dobrinand Troitsky. The sound, on my olderMK pressings, is free from serious dis-tortion and reasonably just to the voices,but only halfway there with respect tothe orchestral and choral reproduction.

The Golden Cockerel (1907)

Rimsky's final opera is also his only oneto take on anything approaching reper-tory status in the West. This relative pop-ularity is understandable, but is relatednot so much to its superiority (Saltan,Christmas Eve, and Sadko are of at leastcomparable quality) as to its tempera-ment and outlook.

Once again, Rimsky and the verygifted Bielsky give us a legendarykingdom, playfully and exoticallypresented-the realm of King Dodon,whose chief care of state is finding suf-


ficient tranquility on the internationalscene to allow perpetual sleep and sweetdreams at court, and whose downfallcomes through his assumption that ev-erything, including the power over lifeand death and the attentions of theyoung and beautiful Shemakhan Queen,is his by right and without any regard forprice to be paid. This is Rimsky's famil-iar world of fantasy turned rather bitterand thrown in the face of his audience:The stupid and egotistical king and thecollection of moronic relatives and ad-visers who make up his court are poison-ously, not affectionately, drawn, and theallegory of a slumbering kingdom at-tended by a heedless, harebrained aris-tocracy cannot possibly have been loston pre-Revolutionary Russians. (Forthe only time in his life, Rimsky was inserious political hot water over thepiece.)

On the other hand, The People aregiven equally hard treatment, beingshown as obsequious puppets who read-ily assent to their misery, then cheer likeinfants at the preening and parading ofthose who oppress them. "If this is theway it is, we must deserve it," they sing,and even when the king is dead they cando nothing but weep for the dear, lostsafety of the old order.

It is the sort of work that audiences canlike only so long as they are sure it is notabout them, which no doubt explainswhy directors surgically remove its boneand drain its blood, leaving us with anoverblown children's pageant withsinuous, tinkly music. Beneath the dis-guise, the piece shows through faintly-concise, modern, one might even sayalienated.

The score, of course. is expert and de-lightful. The Hymn to the Sun and themarch merit their currency, but thewhole piece is cleverly and economicallydone, with such elements as the Astrolo-ger and the Cockerel perfectly caught ina few bars each, and Dodon nicely "for-mulated on a pin." If there is a weakness,it is in the problem posed by the verylong and crucial scene between Dodonand the queen, well written but depend-ent upon two really sophisticated per-formers.

One performance is available, mosteasily on Westminster Gold (WGSO8241, stereo, three discs) but possiblyalso on Ultraphone ULP 108/10 (mono,three discs). It's a reasonably good one,ten to twelve years old, with Moscow Ra-dio forces snappily conducted by AlexeiKovalyov, but from the vocal standpointit is among the less appealing of the Rus-sian issues. Korolyov is a good singingactor for the role of Dodon but not morethan acceptable vocally. The Shema-khan Queen is K. Kadinskaya, who hasthe wide compass of the part in her voicebut in an acidulous timbre that has littlesensuality or relaxation to it-the Hymn

is just batted out, efficient and four-square. She is most effective when thequeen emerges in her Ishtar guise, beau-tiful but vengeful, in the last act. Thetenor Pishchayev hurdles the strato-spheric role of the Astrologer successfully,with the rather weird feigned -voicesound intended. Kleshcheva is a suf-ficient Amelfa, the others acceptable in-terpretively, without doing much in theway of pleasurable singing.

The Westminster is in true stereo, anddecent at that, with good surfaces; thisplus the presence on Side 6 of a well -played suite from Kitezh, far better re-corded than the complete edition, con-stitute points of superiority over the Ul-traphone, which is in somewhat edgymono sound. However, Westminsterprovides no accompanying materialwhatever, whereas Ultraphone offersvery detailed synoptical notes, with ex-amples. This, or a libretto, is quite neces-sary: The Pushkin, a short verse tale, isnot an adequate scenario for the opera.

SERGE! RACHMANINOFF(1873-1943)

The Covetous Knight (1905)

Rachmaninoff's setting of this play com-pletes the operatic treatments accordedPushkin's little trilogy of scene se-quences. But whereas Dargomizhskyhad used The Stone Guest to explore hisaustere theory of vocal declamation andRimsky had taken Mozart and Salieri asthe occasion for an exercise in a compo-sitional manner, Rachmaninoff simplybent the Pushkin to his characteristicfull-blown style.

The play is a little parable about, first,the passing of the torch, and, second, giv-ing and withholding. A young knight,Albert, eager to continue his life of idlejousting and other pursuits befitting aman of his station, has run out of money.His father, the Baron, has an enormousamount of it, which he is not about to seediminished. After failing in an attemptto browbeat a loan from a Jewishmoney -lender and rejecting, too in-dignantly, an offer of poison from thissame tradesman, Albert and his fatherconfront each other before the Duke;their vehemence leads to a duel chal-lenge, and Albert's acceptance thereof istoo much for the old man, who dies onthe spot. These events are set off midwayby what is really the centerpiece of theopera, a long monologue of the Baron inhis treasure cellar. "

This monologue (once recorded forColumbia by Siepi, incidentally) is anoteworthy piece of writing. The text de-

tails the qualities of the Baron's obses-sion: He invests the treasure with his fan-tasies of magical transcendence, of worldpower; he sees the history of human an-guish and greed in each gold piece; hethrills to the gold's sensual qualities; hetrembles at the threat of intrusion on thisall -consuming inner realm. Though he ismade glamorous and regnant for dra-matic purposes, he is essentially like theserious baseball fans, record collectors,and other dangerous obsessive/compul-sives of our daily existence.

Rachmaninofl's music for this is fasci-nating-his big orchestra growls andmoans and slurps and, in the climacticmoments of gloating, attains a sweepand power that is exultant, yet still sti-fling. The vocal declamation is effec-tively set and affords tremendous oppor-tunities for an outstanding singing -actor.This role was originally intended forChaliapin, and it must be one of themore poignant regrets of operatic re-cording history that he did not performand record this scene.

Elsewhere, the writing is strong andeffective, but a bit more predictable andgeneralized and sometimes hyperbolic-the role of Albert is so persistently highand loud that one begins to suspect sub-stitution of easy effect (easy for the com-poser that is, not for the performer) formusical thought; and the orchestrasometimes stands on its head just for thehell of it. But the brevity of the piece(barely over an hour) prevents theseflaws from becoming really oppressive.Each character has a single quality, asingle action, that is pursued directly tothe end, and Rachmaninoff does notviolate this essential dramatic economy.The piece leaves a tangy aftertaste.

The recording is by the Moscow RadioOrchestra under Rozhdestvensky (Melo-diya/Angel SRBL-4121, stereo, twodiscs, with a fine Svetlanov performanceof Isle of the Dead on Side 4). The or-chestral performance is first-class. In thekey role of the Baron is Boris Dobrin, bythis time a veteran bass -baritone whohas only recently been recording leadingroles He is a resourceful performer witha decided dramatic flair. His voice is agood one, too, though when put to thissort of test reveals less than total techni-cal command-the basic timbre is rathernondescript, despite his intelligent var-ying of it, and his intonation is less thanexact (he tends to surround pitches).Still, his performance communicates.

A hairy -sounding Slavic Heroic tenor,Lev Kuznetsov, is the Albert. This is asplendid voice, dark and baritonal in themiddle and ringing with a proclamatoryclang on the top, though with the usualsense of pressure and drive native to thetechnical setup. One would like to hearhim in music that demands more varietyof color and dynamic and less persis-tence of high tessitura. Wagner?

JANUARY 1975 41

Prokofiev's satiric and admirable Love for Three Oranges sprang from an early -twentieth-century try at restoring the commedia dell'arte. Above, a New York City Opera productiol.

Alexei Usmanov is fine in the part ofthe money -lender, and Sergei Yako-venko is an energetic Duke, thoughagain on the imprecise and gracelessside. The recording is good but in a sav-age way-a cushion of distance from thesoloists and from the midrange instru-ments (especially the brass) would nothave been amiss.

SERGE PROKOFIEV(1891-1953)

The Gambler (1917)

Prokofiev's first performed opera, re-worked in 1927-28, is by no means a com-plete success, but its best pages are fasci-nating, its theatrical audacity is exciting,and surely it does not deserve the shortshrift accorded it by even the composer'sbiographers and other commentators.

The work is taken from Dostoevsky'snovella of the same title, which is cast inthe form of extracts from the diary of ayoung uchitel, or tutor, named Alexei.He is attached to the family and entour-age of a wealthy retired general, campedfor the season at the German gamblingspa of Roulettenburg. The general is infinancial straits, and he and his house-hold await with held breath the sup-posedly imminent death of the old,chair -ridden grandmother whose for-tune will keep the social ship afloat.Among the hangers-on are a fake French

marquis. a mysterious and taciturn Eng-lishman named Mr. Astley, and a beau-tiful young Parisian adventuress,Blanche. The general wishes to marryBlanche, who calculates before she steps.The marquis has an interest in the younglady of the household, the enigmatic Po-lina, and has the general by the fiscalthroat. All depends on the early demiseof the babulenka.

The latter, however, shows up at Rou-lettenburg, where she manages to losemost of the family wealth in a single dayat the casino, leading to the disintegra-tion of just about everything. But thestory's central character is Alexei, who isa variation on the familiar European Ro-mantic outsider of high intelligence butlow degree, with that intriguing com-pound of cynical wit and fatalism, theunresolvable conflict between philo-sophical distance and envious rage, thatoften characterize such figures. He sug-gests ancestorship to Mann's FelixKrull-a Felix Krull who has not yetmastered amoral detachment. He lovesPolina, who treats him with scorn and,almost, hate, for very interesting andsubtle reasons too complex to explorehere. He also has a growing passion forgambling; the insane inequality of rou-lette seems to him an accurate reflectionof life. as well as a way of transcending it.

These passions intersect when, afterthe family's ruin, he wins an enormoussum to enable Polina to buy off the mar-quis. But she hysterically rejects themoney, after seeming to accept it andspending the night with Alexei, and theopera ends here. (In Dostoevsky, Alexeisquanders the winnings during a surreal

three weeks with Blanche in Paris, thenlater finds through Mr. Astley that he lostPolina, in effect, by finally surrenderingto the cynicism and fatalism symbolizedby his gambling obsession.)

Prokofiev was absorbed, first, by thefevered, haunted atmosphere engen-dered by the life -thrown -to -chance mo-tif and, second, by the network of emo-tional cross-purposes of the Alexei/Polina relationship. And he doesbrilliantly by these aspects of the piece.The climactic sequence-the mad,dreamlike gambling -house scene fol-lowed by the final crushing interview be-tween Alexei and Polina-has a trulygripping intensity and is like nothing elsein opera, with an ingenious use of dry,rattling, nails -across -slate colors in theorchestra and a marvelous restlessness ofrhythm that is vividly pictorial withoutbecoming literal. Earlier, there are twoother scenes between Alexei and Polinathat are also very strong-it is amazinghow close Prokofiev came to these twodifficult characters and their complicatedfailure with each other.

Unfortunately, the way must be pavedfor all this with the elaborate setting anddevelopment of the story. There aremany characters, and, since Dostoevskywas a genius, each of them has a precisefunction and the development necessaryto that function, impossible to fully re-create operatically. Further, in the storythey are all seen through Alexei's eyes-an important device in the definition ofhis character-whereas on the stage theyare treated objectively, and we lose animportant level.

Prokofiev tries valiantly to renderthese people, to keep their conversa-tional attitudes and the progression oftheir lives before us. But they live onlyfitfully in the music; there just isn't muchreason for most of their talk to be sung.Naturally, a composer of Prokofiev's so-phistication finds many apt and inter-esting moments along the way, but onthe whole the first half of the opera israther slow going, at least on records. Inthe theater, expert people could prob-ably keep it alive until the work begins toexert its hold in Act III.

The performance on Russian Melo-diya C 0697/702 (stereo, three discs) of-fers no outstanding singing but a consis-tent ensemble effort from a group ofexperienced character singers, all ap-propriately cast. -The Alexei, VladimirMakhov, has a strong but not ingratiat-ing Slavic Heroic voice, which he placescompletely at the disposal of his role inan impressive dramatic re-creation.Nina Polyakova (Polina), with a flutterymiddleweight soprano, is also extremelyclear and strong from an interpretiveviewpoint. Both these artists render eventhe extravagant emotional states of thefinal scenes without exaggeration or


forcing. Gennady Troitsky has some finemoments as the blithering general (espe-cially his final collapse), and though An-tonova does not quite bring off the roleof the babulenka it is not much herfault-as a piece of writing, this characteris the one real failure of the group.

There is uniformly good work from asupporting cast that includes such regu-lars as Boris Dobrin and A. Sokolov, andthe Moscow Radio forces are in solid, ifnot surpassing. form under Rozhdest-vensky. The sound is reasonably good,though a really top-notch piece of stereorecording would make more of the or-chestral writing and the spatial aspects ofthe gambling -house scene. The bookletwith the Russian pressings offers no li-bretto, no synopsis-only an essay thatspeaks of Alexei as a "noble young man"and mourns that "cupidity has claimedanother victim." Not too helpful; let'shope for a domestic release.

Love for Three Oranges (1919)

With this luminescent pasticcio Proko-fiev set two compositional records: 1)

Largest number of operas by a Russiancomposer to be written in New York andpremiered in Chicago (one); 2) largestnumber of operas by a Russian com-poser dealing with neither Ivan the Ter-rible nor water nymphs (three).

Prokofiev took his libretto from a playby Carlo Gozzi at the suggestion ofVsevolod Meyerhold, the great actor/di-rector/producer/theorist who rankswith, and counterbalances, Stanislayskyin the remarkable twentieth-century his-tory of the Russian stage. Meyerhold wasat the time much occupied with the sce-narios and techniques of the commediadell'arte and especially with Gozzi's ef-forts to restore and purify it; the journalsporadically published by Meyerholdand his associates even bore the titleLove for Three Oranges. This particularscenario also reflects strongly the Sara-cenic elements that were so influential inItalian poetry, literature, and theaterfrom their earliest development, notonly in its use of the prototypical com-media characters, but in very direct refer-ences to the game of cards, to the kabba-lah, and to various figures and devices ofmagic and witchery-all used here fortheir satirical and atmospheric potential.

And from this preposterous parody ofthe quest motif, in which an infantilehypochondriacal prince sets off, underthe curse of the Fata Morgana, to find hisgreat love imprisoned in an orange andfrees her from the kitchen guarded by anogre-ish cook (a female role designatedfor "hoarse bass"), Prokofiev fashioned amerciless libretto and score, in whichseveral levels of satire operate simulta-neously. The music is really admirable,professional in the best sense-inspired

solutions to a series of sophisticatedcompositional problems, acerbic andswinging. The use of its exhilarating andridiculous march as the radio theme forthe FBI in Peace and War's Lava soapplug was just the last twist of the satiricalknife, though in whose ribs it's hard totell (I hope S.P. got his royalties).

The performance heard on Melodiya/Angel (SRBL 4109, stereo, two discs) isbrilliant. The orchestral and choral per-formance (Moscow Radio, under Dzhe-mal Dalgat) is as close to perfect as suchthings get, and among the large castthere is not a single artist who does notsucceed in extracting the comedic con-tent of his or her role through legitimateoperatic means-shrewd use of tonecolor and dynamics, and precise verbalinflection within the musical context.Some are vocally more imposing thanothers, but they are all good-mostprominent are tenors Vladimir Makhov(the Prince) and Yuri Yelnikov (Truffal-dino); soprano Nina Polyakova (FataMorgans); mezzo Lyutsia Rashkovets(Clarissa); and basses Viktor Ribin-sky (King of Clubs), Boris Dobrin(Leandro), Gennady Troitsky (Celio),and Georgy Abramov (The Cook). Thesound is splendid, and the accom-panying booklet particularly good, withnotes by Karolynne Gee and translationby Valeria Vlazinskaya.

The Flaming Angel (1926)

This is a unique and intriguing opera,but one wonders if it could ever be madeto work. The libretto is drawn from a taleby Valero Bryusov, a writer of prose, po-etry, and criticism whose theories of the-atrical stylization strongly influenced theearly work of Meyerhold. The setting issixteenth -century Germany, and thecentral character is Renata, a womanwhose childhood visions of an angeliccompanion have turned into an all -con-suming sexual obsession; when her pu-bescent urge to physically possess her an-gel is expressed, the angel vanishes inflame and leaves her to a lifelong searchfor his fleshly manifestation.

Her hysteria attracts the attention ofthe knight Ruprecht, who in the bestcourtly tradition offers his assistance. Heis drawn into her obsession, even assist-ing her explorations into the black artsand risking the stake with a visit toAgrippa of Nettesheim (evidently thehistorical magician and alchemist HenryCornelius Agrippa). Ruprecht is gravelywounded in a duel with the man Renatainsists is her Flaming Angel and even-tually falls in with a pair of no-goodcompanions. Faust and Mephistopheles.while Renata ends in a convent where.after a wild scene of mass possession. sheis condemned to the stake by an Inquisi-tor.

Especially fascinating here is the un-mistakable influence of early psycho-analytic theory, which was to become allbut heretical in Soviet Russia. The clearidentification of Renata's religious hys-teria as basically sexual (and incestuous.at that) in nature and the clear statementthat the Flaming Angel is a projectedfantasy are such matters as are found inno other Russian opera. Interestingly, itis the woman's psychological state thatdominates the work; Ruprecht. the all-time Man Who Won't Take No for anAnswer, receives distinctly subsidiary at-tention. Bryusov, a cosmopolitan intel-lectual. obviously completed his storybefore 1920 (when Prokofiev beganwork on the opera). and there seems alikely connection to the earliest psycho-analytic literature-the collaborativestudy of female hysteria by Freud andBreuer.

How was all this to be represented onthe stage? The work places unbelievabledemands on the two central characters.who must carry the burden of everyscene except for the brief Faust/Meph-istopheles intrusion (and almost alwaystogether. in lengthy dialogues-Rup-recht's call on Agrippa and Renata's endat the convent are their only moments ofseparation). Prokofiev's attraction at thistime to dramatic treatments of Meyer -hold and Bryusov strongly suggests thathe was working toward some ideal ofstylized, antinaturalistic musical theatercontaining symbolist elements, whoseacting and production styles were neverrealized. He could go no farther in thisdirection, and when he next turned toopera after a long withdrawal it was withthe Socialist Realist script of SemronKotko.

The compositional challenge is almostself-defeating: We are plunged directlyinto the climax of one of Renata's fits.and we do not leave for a moment the fe-verish, delusionary world she creates.On-stage as in life, this sort of woman isvery trying to be around, and it asks agreat deal of an audience to put up withher. Ruprecht seems an awful chump.and one of the problems is that nothingsets for us the world in which such be-havior and attitudes can seem logical,even on their own weird terms. Rup-recht's obedience to the chivalric code isnot, I think, quite enough to make hischaracter work.

But the music has an obstinate integ-rity and draws us almost by force into avery ugly world, one which has its ownsound and insists on maintaining itsstructure and texture. The best of it, I

think, is the second act (especially theAgrippa scene and the interlude leadingto it) and the first scene of the third act,with the interlude that follows it. Thislast embraces some moving and fright-ening writing for Renata, as she de -

JANUARY 1975 43

scribes her rejection by her earthly angel,then orders Ruprecht to kill him. TheFaust/Mephistopheles episode isbrilliantly written in the composer's bestsardonic vein and is certainly a relief af-ter hours of R.&R. In the first act, the ex-pository dialogues are really too much tosustain, even for Prokofiev, and the fi-nale in the convent is relatively conven-tional.

It is an overeasy simplification to saythat as an opera, Flaming Angel makes afine Third Symphony. Yet there is sometruth to this. Ruprecht's theme, a goodone that is, however, made to serveover -many purposes in the opera, isgiven a compelling development in thesymphony, and the crashing, mesmericprogression associated with magic andspecifically with Agrippa carries an im-pact in the symphony it only approachesin the opera. Indeed the most powerfulmusic of The Flaming Angel is that of theinterludes, where much of the material isgiven virtually the same form it finds inthe symphony.

The recording of the opera (West-minster Gold WGSO 8173. stereo, threediscs) is a Radiodiffusion Francaise ef-fort of the late '50s, sung in French. Thisis too bad, not only for the missed valuesof the language, but because several ofthe roles are so precisely written for spe-cific Russian voice types whose soundone can, with a little effort, imagine. Weare lucky to have the piece at all, though,and so far as I know it has never beenproduced in Russian.

The French performance is a com-mitted one and thoroughly prepared,and its cast is solid. Any soprano who cansimply survive a few performances ofRenata qualifies for pension on thatground alone, and Jane Rhodes, hervoice still fresh and reasonably firm atthe time, does a fine piece of work. Thevocalism is not perfect and certainly notsafe, but she produces much good soundand really puts herself inside the nerve -fraying role. The Ruprecht is Xavier De-praz, the leading French bass -baritoneof those years. His voice is beautiful andsteady, his observance of musical andverbal text exemplary; a certain bland-ness and softness in his approach keepsthe character from making its strongeststatement.

The very lovely basso of Andre Ves-sieres is perfect for Faust but not quiteproclamatory enough for the Inquisitor,a part calling for a thunderous Russianblack bass. Jean Giraudeau, an accom-plished tenor, is a vivid Mephistoph-eles, and it is good to hear the fine IrmaKolassi in two mezzo supporting roles.The only serious weakness is the dry -sounding, pinched Agrippa of PaulFinel-this role, though short, should bein the hands of a first -line dramatictenor.

Shostakovich may not have intended a feminist tract in Katerina Ismailova (this produc-tion was staged in Wiesbaden), but the argument is there and makes it an opera for today.

Charles Bruck conducts with great vi-tality. The sound is a bit restricted andbarely recognizable as stereo, but ade-quate.

Semyon Kotko (1939)

Every important operawright is entitledto one unmitigated stinkeroo, and this isProkofiev's. He was under the gun at thetime, on the grounds that his music hadinsufficient and/or incorrect politicalcontent, so he wrote a piece with suffi-cient and correct political content, andthat's all.

When I first reviewed the work tenyears ago, I argued that its artistic pov-erty did not necessarily imply insincerity.Don't know how I could have been somisguided. The compositional energy,the theatrical imagination of his previ-ous works, are gone; the will to grapple isnot there. The following year, these wereto reappear suddenly in The Duenna; theyear before they resulted in AlexanderNevsky. Semyon is a factory slowdown-the hours are put in, the proper gesturesare made, but somehow the work doesn'tget 'done.

The opera is set in Ukraine in 1918,when the outbreak of civil combat led toRussia's disengagement from WorldWar I. It is about the nobility of Lenin-ism and the invariably Satanic motivesof all who oppose it, as well as the inher-ent generosity and lovability of jes' plainfolks in Ukraine. Like all propagandaart, it has to lie about people and aboutthe meanings of events, and it is to Pro-kofiev's credit that it lies so in-competently. The few passages of com-parative interest in this very long scoreare some brief traditional romantic/noc-turnal bits, plus scattered bars associatedwith the cartoon Germans or anti-Com-munist Ukrainians-still clichés, but atleast the tempo changes.

The performance (MK 214D, mono,

four discs) is almost beside the point. It'sU.S.S.R. State Radio under MikhailZhukov, and everyone has dutifullymemorized the damned thing. In the titlerole, tenor Nicolai Gres makes predomi-nantly strong and pleasing sounds, andendures like Prometheus. A sopranonamed Tamara Antipova is pleasant asSemyon's kid sister (phrase used advis-edly); bass Boris Dobrin does an effec-tive cameo as a blind bandura player(yep); and Nicolai Panchehin, a solid -sounding bass, seems to have some blus-tery fun as the native heavy. There are anumber of others involved. The sound isquite cramped for one or two of the con-certed passages but decent enough oth-erwise.

The Duenna (Betrothal in a Monastery)(1940)

Somehow, in 1940, Prokofiev turned toRestoration comedy of sexual and othermanners, to Sheridan of all playwrights,and created a sparkling lyric/romanticpiece. In a way The Duenna is a throw-back-a generational -warfare plot ofheavy -breathing young couples andmercenary senior citizens, full of charac-ter observation based largely on classstatus and mobility (the quixotic rem-nants of the courtly manner; theJourdainesque pretensions of fish mer-chants, etc.). It seems more of the line ofnineteenth-century Italian comic operathan anything else; the only twentieth-century equivalents I can think of are thecomedies of Wolf -Ferrari, a couple ofwhich are quite pleasing, though not asexpert as this piece.

Compositionally, too, The Duenna ismore conservative, more comfortablylyrical, than Prokofiev's previous operas.Yet not a bar of it sounds tired or de-rivative. There is no hint of imitativenessin the delightful melodic invention, andProkofiev's knack for locating the key to


a comic character in the music retains itssting-he has simply adapted it to thevery different style of the drama. Thecharacters are an intriguing and enter-taining bunch, and there isn't a weakscene-altogether it is a completely suc-cessful work of its sort.

The recorded performance (Ultra -phone ULP 153/5, mono, three discs) isby the Stanislaysky/Nemirovich-Dan-chenko Musical Theater of Moscow, acompany that performs in a small andslightly shabby theater a few blocks upthe Pushkinskaya from the Bolshoi.Right up through his Paris days,Stanislaysky was fascinated by the theat-rical challenges posed by operatic form,and the company named for him and hisassociate attempts to carry forward thespirit of his explorations in this field. Isaw a hilarious (and quite well -sung)Coil fan tulle there, in which no one "ac-ted funny"-the characters were taken atfull value, and the situations carried for-ward with that grave concentration thatmarks all good comic acting. Though themusical values were weighted differentlythan in Western performances and thesecco recitative rendered as spoken dia-logue (so well that one was hardly con-scious of the changes between singingand speaking), the content of that funny.savage work was better conveyed than Ihave ever otherwise seen.

The same values are apparent in therecording of The Duenna. I can think offew impersonations on record that are ascomplete as the Don Jerome of the char-acter tenor N. Korshunov-it is at onceoutlandish and entirely believable-orthe Mendoza of the bass E. Bulavin, whoalso sings with strength and beauty. Agood contralto, T. Yanko, is exact andeconomical as the Duenna-we can hearprecisely what the character is doing andhow, and she never punches us or exag-gerates. The cast is large, and there is atrue ensemble feeling; even the smallestroles are definite parts of the theatricalexperience.

I should add that the singing is reallyexcellent in all the lyric roles: The mezzoIsakova (Clara) and the tenor Mish-chevski (Antonio) are especially enjoy-able, but the soprano Kaevchenko andthe baritone Krutov are nearly as good.

K. Abdullayev leads a lively, well -exe-cuted orchestral and choral perform-ance, and the sound is surprisingly good.

War and Peace (1942)

War and Peace is discussed this month inMr. Osborne's feature review of the Co-lumbia/Melodiya recording.

The Story of a Real Man (1948)

Prokoriev's last opera dates from theyear of his confessional letter to the

Union of Soviet Composers. Its perform-ance history makes things clear enough:a production mounted at the Kirov, witha front-line cast, was given a single "pri-vate showing" in 1948, after which thework was not heard from again until1960, when a cut and revised edition wasbrought forth at the Bolshoi.

At first glance one is afraid of anotherSemyon. but this is a far stronger work.Taken from a story by Boris Polev, itdeals with the real -life Soviet aviatorAlexei Maresyev. Shot down behindGerman lines in the desperate days of1942, he makes his way back throughmany miles of frozen forest, crawlingsome of the distance due to frostbite.Found nearly dead by some villagers, heundergoes double amputation but, in-spired by the example of an old first -gen-eration Bolshevik commissar, undergoesa grueling rehabilitation program andflies again in battle.

The piece is designed as a series ofshort scenes, some hardly more than vi-gnettes, obviously intended for a cin-ematic production technique. It pro-gresses in straightforward narrative fash-ion except for some flashback momentsduring Alexei's delirium and a couple ofscenes involving his girlfriend Olga, whois seen only through Alexei's imagina-tion until the final scene. It is a pity thatthe last third or so of the opera does notsustain the level of the rest-Alexei's or-deal is more persuasive than his recov-ery. The early scenes in the forest aregripping, full of good, tough declama-tion and touching lyric moments.Alexei's discovery by the children of theburned -out village, the chorus of farmersas they pull him by sled, and the trio ofthe peasant family that shelters him,constitute a profoundly moving se-quence. The level remains high throughscenes in the hospital ward and solar-ium-very difficult stuff to set, but Proko-fiev succeeds in creating the comrade-ship of the wounded, Alexei's bitterness,and the importance of three interestingsupporting characters: the commissar,the attending doctor, and the nightnurse. The nurse's song in the darkenedhospital and the death of the commissarare especially good, and could easilyhave been embarrassing in less experthands.

The better things get for Alexei, themore perfunctory the setting becomes:His final letter to Olga is not very inter-esting musically, and the scene where, toprove his airworthiness, Alexei forceshimself to waltz and rhumba at a dance,is disappointing-if well acted, it wouldstill work on-stage, but we do not hearmuch of either his pain or his success inthe music. The ending, with the ex-change of congratulations, the salute toSoviet virtue that makes it all possible,and the predictable love duet, is just

what one expects in the final reel of aWorld War II movie, with music more orless to match. But even these sequencesretain some animation and feeling, andby this time one is very much on thework's side.

The recording (Ultraphone ULP 147/9 mono, three discs) is taken from theBolshoi production, with just a couple ofcast changes from the original staging.This means it is also based on the revisededition; there are many deleted sections,some of which appear interesting, and atthe least have a function in filling out thework dramatically.

The performance is a strong one. TheAlexei is Yevgeny Kibkalo, a smoothlyric baritone and a sensitive artist-hiswork is excellent until the very last scene,when the heroic final duet challengeshim vocally and wins. The Olga, G.Deomidova, contributes a vigorouswobble to this same duet, but there isfine supporting work from the bassesReshetin (the doctor) and Eizen (thecommissar), the mezzo Leonova (thenurse), and the tenor Maslennikov (Ku-kushkin, a flier). And there is a fine en-semble feel: Gyorgy Shulpin, VeraSmirnova, and Gyorgy Pankov do care-ful, capable work in quite short roles,and even the two children are well cast(speaking parts: V. Kurguzov and A.Suzanov). Mark Ermler leads a tight,well -played performance, and the soundis above average for time and source.The sixth side of this set offers some ex-cerpts from Rimsky's Mlada, in the sameperformance of which more extendedextracts are available on Melodiya/An-gel SR 40012.

DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH(1906- )

Katerina Ismailova (1934)

I should think that perhaps this opera'stime has come, not merely because itsmusical idiom now seems quite comfort-able and traditional, but because it issurely the most powerful operatic state-ment of the theme of women's oppres-sion by a male -dominated society. In factit is perhaps the only such statement, inthe sense that it deals sympatheticallynot simply with the individual predica-ments of female characters in personalsituations, but specifically with the trapsset for women, as such, by a male world,as such.

The libretto by A. Preis and Shosta-kovich is taken from a story by NikolaiLeskov, and in its original form the op-era bore Leskov's title, Lady Macbeth of

JANUARY 1975 45

the Mzensk District. Katerina is the wifeof a well-to-do merchant and landownernamed Zinovy Borisovich. The latter is aninny and, it is strongly implied, a sexualdud. Zinovy's elderly father, BorisTimofeyevich, is the real personal forceabout the estate, and the entire meaningof Boris' life is the direct exercise ofpower, particularly in the close circum-scription of Katerina's life during Zi-novy's absence. His only glimmer of em-pathy with Katerina is his own sexualimpulse, which he justifies as pity for herlanguishment.

Here he loses out, however, for, in anepisode remarkably like several in D. H.Lawrence, Katerina has succumbed to arush of passion for a powerful new hiredhand, Sergei. In a brutal scene, Boris per-sonally whips Sergei before the assem-bled population of the estate. Katerinathereupon murders Boris by feeding himpoisoned mushrooms, and when Zinovyreturns to find Katerina and Sergei bed-ded down his murder becomes necessarytoo. The crime is, literally, smelled out(Zinovy's corpse rotting away in the cel-lar storeroom) on the day when Kate-rina, now true mistress of the estate, ismarrying Sergei. The two end as convictsin Siberia, where Sergei forsakes Kate-rina for a tough young peasant convictnamed Sonyetka. Katerina commits a fi-nal murder, pushing Sonyetka into theriver and then leaping after her.

It will be seen that many Macbeth par-allels have been retained, with the male/female roles more or less reversed. LikeMacbeth, Katerina stands to gain powerthrough a series of murders; but againlike Macbeth (and this is much more ex-plicit with Katerina), she really does thisto free herself from oppression and se-cure the approval and love of her chosenmate. But she finds herself equally en-slaved to (rather than by) Sergei, andthen he abandons her-not via madnessand death, like Lady Macbeth, but bysimply selecting a new sex partner. As inMacbeth, the ghost of the chief victimappears to the murderer; and the deedbecomes public at a festive banquet.

But the relation of these characters totheir society is a crucial consideration inKaterina Ismailova. The work arguesKaterina's case with a frank bias; hers isthe only character explored, and, whileall the characters are to a degreepresented as social victims, hers is theonly one exonerated. Through severalstriking monologues, we are made to feelacutely the tyranny she endures, thewaste of her faculties (so clearly superiorto her husbands'), the neglect of hersexuality. We also see the conflict in herfeelings toward Sergei: Their physicalcontact begins with a wrestling match;she wants him but must, for her self-im-age, resist, so that she is taken almost byforce, which she must then resent; and fi-nally, because she feels she is notallowed to express a sexual urge for its

own sake, she builds a romantic relation-ship to him that is clearly one-sided.

Sergei is simply the total opportunist.He evidently studs from farm to farm,having been fired from his previous jobfor services rendered the mistress of thatestate. He will say what is necessary toget past Katerina's token defense, securein the supposition that she craves hisovert, physical maleness. He will evenmarry her and play the attendant gamesto rise above his born position. But whenthings go bad he will leave her for some-one who strikes a sexual bargain free andclear.

It is doubtful that Shostakovich reallyintended a feminist tract; the class aspectno doubt figured more strongly in histhinking. One can certainly suppose thatSergei's character is in part a response tohis own servitude, or that the male work-ers who viciously bait a subsidiary fe-male character, Aksinya, do so from themisery of their conditions. But one mustassume this-they are given no such ex-tenuation in the libretto or score. Sim-ilarly, while both Sergei and Katerinawind up among the wretched convicts ofthe final act, he is left with a relative free-dom and an acceptance by that society;Katerina has neither.

Class commentary remains, however,and it is a perplexing dimension of thework, for it leads to a sharp stylistic di-vergence in the music. Shostakovichsought to satirize the "bourgeois" ele-ments of his subject, and this led him toan almost Expressionistic handling ofthem. This is most obvious in the scene atthe police station, where the ritual state-ments of the cops could be out of TheAdding Machine; the entire scene is a bit-ter caricature, and a well -written one. Itclashes luridly with the realistic assump-tions of Katerina's music or of the wholelast act, theatrically as well as musically.In the New York City Opera productiona decade back, the scene was omitted,but this does not solve (in fact, onlyleaves more puzzling) the presence ofthe same tone at points throughout thefirst three acts.

Much of the time, this attitude cropsup in the orchestral interludes, which arewithout exception brilliantly written.Sergei carrying Zinovy's body to the cel-lar, with Katerina lighting the way,brings us a march that S. Shlifstein (inthe record album's liner notes) terms"uneasy"-yes, but "merry" is just as ap-propriate. The discovery of Zinovy'sbody by a ragged old man in search of adrink sends him scuttling off to the copsto a rowdy, full -out scherzo. Or the feel-ings will be intermixed, as with the firstentrance of Boris Timofeyevich, when asteady drumbeat sets the heavy, monoto-nous menace of his meaning to Katerinawhile quirky little figures from the bas-soon offer a broad hint of ridicule. It is asif Shostakovich set out to tell everythingfrom Katerina's viewpoint by setting her

realistically developed character in ablackly out -of -kilter world, got a bit car-ried away with both kinds of writing, andcouldn't quite decide where one shouldend and the other begin. It would be in-teresting to compare Katerina with thepiece as it existed before Soviet criticsgrew indignant about its moral stance.

Yet so much of the writing is mar-velous. The composer's orchestral vir-tuosity is in evidence all the way, andthough the composition frequently be-speaks symphonic textures and forms itis also magnificently theatrical. Thecharacters and situations are constantlypresent in the music, and the vocal writ-ing shows a splendid sensitivity to the ca-pacities of the instrument. Katerina'swriting is no doubt the most completesuccess, but Boris Timofeyevich is aglowering and not entirely one-dimen-sional figure, and the composer finds aspecific tone and movement for eachscene. The final act, with its picture ofprisoners and guards moving miserablyand endlessly through Siberia to no dis-cernible destination, recalls in its bleakpower some of the epic pages of nine-teenth-century Russian opera.

Despite its problems of style, this op-era, with its strong and biting libretto, itsvariegated and inventive score, shouldnot continue a more or less neglected ex-istence in the West.

The recorded performance (Melo-diya/ Angel SRCL 4100, stereo, threediscs, no longer available domestically)is by the Stanislaysky/Nemirovich-Danchenko company under GennadyProvatorov and is forceful. It is true, asBernard Jacobson complained in re-viewing the Angel release in 1967, thatsome musical niceties go by the board,but I feel this is of small moment in aperformance of such dramatic convic-tion and vitality. The actual orchestralexecution, in fact, is astoundingly good,considering that this is the pit orchestraof Moscow's "second" theater. The so-prano of Eleonora Andreyeva is at timesa bit heavy in its handling, a bit impre-cise in its intonation, but she copes sol-idly with her demanding part and cre-ates a recognizable dramatic figure.Eduard Bulavin, the Boris, is a potentbass -baritone and a precise, unexag-gerated actor. The Sergei is GennadyYefimov, essentially a character tenorhere aspiring to a Slavic Heroic role; hedoes an admirable job, but there areplaces where more vocal substance andcolor would be welcome. The bassGyorgy Dudarev sings movingly as theOld Convict in the last act, and Vyaches-lav Radzievsky is an appropriate, if notvocally ravishing, Zinovy. There is color-ful work in the many important support-ing roles, headed by mezzo Nina Isakova(Sonyetka) and tenor Lev Yeliseyev(Ragged Peasant Fellow). The recordingand accompanying booklet are superb.


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How to improve a classicThe Heathkit AR -1500 set new standards for stereo performance

when it was introduced in 1971. So, in designing the AR -1500A, weset out with two goals in mind: first, to make our best receiver evenbetter and second, to make it even easier to build than before.

The "inside" storyTo start with, the FM tuner ranks as one of the

finest in the industry, with its 4 -ganged FET front-end; sensitivity under 1.8 µV; two computer -designed 5 -pole LC filters delivering over 90dB selectivity; a 1.5 dB capture ratio. It allmeans you'll hear more FM stations, lessnoise and practically no interference.

Our new phase lock loop multiplexdemodulator maintains excellentseparation at all frequencies, not just1000 Hz so FM stereo will soundeven better. And the new multiplexsection requires only one simple adjustment.

Even the AM rates hi-fi status-with two dual -gateMOSFETS, one J-FET and a 12 -pole LC filter. And we improvedthe Automatic Gain Control to keep AM signals rock steady.

The amplifier is so good we had a hard time improving it - 80watts per channel into 8 ohms at less than 0.25% total harmonicdistortion from 20 to 20,000 Hz and less than 0.1% intermodulationdistortion. So we refined it by adding an impedance -sensing deviceto the protective circuitry. It prevents falsetriggering at low frequencies, which meansdeep, solid bass with less noise.

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And since you built it, you canservice it. The meter and swing -out circuit boards make it easyto keep your AR -1500A inpeak operating conditionyear after year.

Without a doubt theAR -1500A is one of theworld's finest stereoreceivers. It ought to be -it's been painstakingly designedto be handcrafted by you. It just goesto prove what people have always said,"if you want it done right, do it yourself."Kit AR -1500A, less cabinet, 53 lbs., mailable 399.95*ARA-1500-1, walnut veneer case (as shown), 8 lbs., mailable 24.95*

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A81500A SPECIFICATIONS - ANAEMIC' - POWER OUTPUT: 80 WATTS RMS PER CHANNEL INTO IIOHMS AT LESS THAN 0.25% TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION FROM 2020,000 NZ. Frequency eeeeeeeeIt watt level): 1 la 9 Hz to 80 kHz Intermadwation Distortion: Less than 0.1% with 60 wattsoutput. Damping Factor: Greater than 60 Channel Separation: Phono, 55 08. FM SECTION (Mowphonic): Sensitivity: 1.8 J.V. Selectivity: 90 08.' Image Rejection: 100 dB' IF Rejection: 100 013.Capture Ratio: 1 5 dB.' Harmonic Distortion: 0.5% or less Intormisclulation Distortion: 0.1% Or less.'(St eeeee genial: Channel Separation: 40 08 or greater at rnidfrequencies. 35 013 at 50 Hz; 25 dB at 10kHz. 20 08 at 15 kHz AM SECTION. Sensitivity: 50 rV with external input; 300 ja per meter with rarbatef input Selectivity: 20 08 at 10 kHz, 60 08 at 20 kHz. Image Rejection: 70 08 at 600 kHz, 5008 at 1400 kHz. IF Rejection: 70 08 at 100 kHz Dimensions: Overall - 181/4" W a 51/4" 0 a 131/4" D.Rated IHF (Institute of High Fidelity) Standards.

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47

TDK" ED: BESTFREQUENCY RESPONSE.FOR AN EXTRA BUCK.

+5 DB

0 DBco0zLu

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- 10 DB

TDK

.......... '''" ..... ........ A

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10000

TDK El) tape was shown to have the bestfrequency response of four leading cassette tapes testedrecently by an independent laboratory. The other threewere large -selling popular competitors, retailing for abouta dollar less than TDK ED. As you can see, their outputtended to fall off noticeably in the high frequencies.

Even a slight loss of high -frequency reproductioncan make a difference in clarity and detail to adiscriminating ear. That quality of life that music shouldhave just won't be there- the sheen on the violin note,the glitter on the cymbal finale.

Conclusion? If you're serious about the sound ofmusic, try aTDK ED tape next time. It offers you that qualityof lifelike brilliance youmight otherwise have to buy a TDKticket to hear. And we thinkthat's worth an extra buck.

Wait till you hearwhat you've been missing.

20000


THE CONSUMER'S GUIDE new equipmentTO HIGH FIDELITY EQUIPMENT reports

Sennheiser's Astonishing

Binaural Recording System

The Equipment: Sennheiser Model MKE-2002, a binau-ral recording system comprising dual stethoscopic con-denser mikes, power supply, dummy head, and cases.Dimensions (carrying case): 9% by 93% by 14%, inches.Price: $329.95. Warranty: one year parts and labor,shipping paid one way. Manufacturer: Sennheiser Elec-tronic, W. Germany; U.S. distributor: Sennheiser Elec-tronic Corp. (N.Y.), 10 W. 37th St., New York, N.Y.10018.

Comment: We were intrigued when Sennheiser an-nounced its binaural system (see "News and Views,"November 1974), but oh when we started to listen! Itscapabilities, as outlined below and in our separate re-

with the Uher CR-134, areamong the most astonishing phenomena we have expe-rienced in high fidelity in years.

But first let's make sure we all understand the differ-ence between "stereo" and "binaural." Both are multi-channel sound reproduction systems. Stereo engineersits two (or more) channels for reproduction via loud-speakers and may employ a wide variety of mikingtechniques to this end. Binaural recordings use twochannels only (because we have only two ears-the ex-pression applies here, which it does not to stereo) cap-turing the sounds as nearly as possible the way theywould be by the two ears of an actual listener at an ac-tual event; these sounds are then reproduced via head-phones to reinsert the sounds into the hearing chain, soto speak, at a close approximation of the point fromwhich they were extracted.

Traditionally, mikes for binaural work have beenmounted inside a dummy head (having approximatelythe shape and acoustic properties of the average hu-man head) with the mike membranes mounted at ear-drum position. Sennheiser uses a stethoscopic mount-ing to hold the condenser elements just outside the earcanal-either a live wearer's or that of the supplied plas-tic dummy head. The power supply for the condenserelements is built into a box about the size of a pack ofcigarettes that is permanently attached to the mike cordat an appropriate distance from the stethoscope to al-

low stowage in a jacket breast pocket or shirt pocket. Itis powered by a 9 -volt transistor battery (not supplied)and has an on/off switch and a momentary -on battery -check switch that lights a small green pilot if the voltageis sufficient for use. The mike cable on our sample wasterminated in a DIN plug that would require an adapterfor the mike inputs for most recordersmarket. Sennheiser will supply appropriate connectorson special order

Sennheiser also supplied us with a small demo discthat purports to show how good the company's "Open -Aire" headphones are, but it was of interest to us pri-marily because it was made with the binaural system.Now binaural recordings should make acceptablestereo listening, of course; so before trying headphoneswe played the record via speakers. It was not partic-ularly impressive. The sound quality is not exceptionallyclear (whether due to some wear or to occasional over-load in the original tape, we couldn't tell), and of courseall attempts to reproduce the sensation of soundsources behind us-entirely possible in binaural repro-duction-were sketchy to say the least. But the effectwas acceptable as stereo.

Then we tried conventional headphones with an ear -cup seal designed for maximum rejection of ambientroom noise. The effect improved dramatically. Soundplacements-right to left, front to back, near to far, evenup to down-appeared more unequivocal, rather like lis-tening to those in particularly fine quadriphonic (read,"four -channel stereo") reproduction. This is, of course,the claim of binauralism: that every nuance of aural sen-sation is reproduced, not merely simulated or hinted at,as it must be when loudspeakers and standard mikingsare used. But, astonishingly, the quality of the recording

REPORT POLICYEquipment reports are based on laboratory measurements and controlled listening Wits Unless otnenvise noted. test data and measurementsare obtained by CBS Laboratories, Stamford. Connecticut, a division of Columba Broadcasting System. Inc , one of the nation's leadingresearch organizations The choice of equipment to be tested rests with the editors of HIGH FIDELITY. Manufacturers are not permitted to readreports in advance of publication and no report, or portion thereof. may be reproduced for any purpose or in any form without written per-mission of the publisher All reports should be construed as applying to the specific samples tested, neither HIGH FIDELITY nor CBS Laboratoriesassumes responsibility for product performance or quality

JANUARY 1975 49

seemed to have improved. Specifically, extraneousnoise and distortion often were perceived as being inthe headphones. rather than the sound; when we con-centrated on the sound field itself, the extraneous prop-erties could be ignored the way one ignores smudgeson one's sunglasses when looking at distant objects.

Then we switched to a headset of the open-air typethat provides very little seal against ambient noise. Theverisimilitude was uncanny. Some sounds seemed une-quivocally to be in the room-presumably because onecan hear room sounds and therefore attribute partic-ularly realistic ones to the room, rather than the record-ing. Spatial ambiences and three-dimensional place-ments were reproduced with an exactitude that defieseven the best of quadriphony. (Sennheiser has a namefor this property: "triaxial" sound, meaning that all axesof three-dimensional space are reproduced.)

When we used the microphone-whether "worn" bya staff member or by the dummy head-we had notrouble creating tapes that, reproduced on iow am-bience -seal headsets, delivered the same startling real-ism. Even in recording on non -Dolby cassettes the qual-ity is, subjectively. superb; the hiss is entirely audible-but at the headphones rather than within the "space" ofthe sound reproduced. The listener "tunes it out" whenthe recorded content takes over.

The dummy head is held in the carrying case by asingle bolt. When the head is removed it can be boltedonto the outside of the case, which will hold it at approx-

imately normal sitting height with the case placed on achair. The microphone and power supply assembly hasits own case that fits inside the carrying case along withthe head. This way you can take the whole system withyou or just the microphone and power supply. Since themicrophone elements are held in place in your ears bysmall bosses on the outside of the condenser elements,they can become uncomfortable when worn for long pe-riods; and it is easier to get extraneous noise pickup(the mike cable rubbing against clothing, for example)when wearing the microphone yourself, though themike is surprisingly insensitive to this sort of thing. (Acable clip, normally supplied by Sennheiser, wasomitted from our test sample: it should be an additionalhelp.) So except where it is of utmost importance thatyou travel light or that the recording setup remain in-conspicuous, we'd suggest you plan to take the dummyhead along.

Quad recording is problematical, at best, for thehome recordist. It also is expensive (requiring a four -channel recorder and a minimum of four mikes-to saynothing of mixers and quad headphones for monitor-ing). Binaural recording has been expensive too, untilnow. That for a mere $330 the home recordist can maketapes that will in a sense outdo conventional quad at itsown game is a fact so exciting that we expect the MKE-2002 will be sold out for some time to come. In our opin-ion the system is fully worth waiting for


HOW THE SENNHEISER AND THE UHER

Obviously the potential of the CR-134 and the MKE-2002, reviewed in this issue, for tandem use in cap-turing a candid record of sounds -as -they -exist is unique.We have used them at a live music session (BuddahRecords artist Michael Wendroff at the New York HighFidelity Music Show) and can imagine endless projectsthrough which they might gladden the hearts of avidrecordists. (One word of caution: Get permission beforebeginning to tape any public event.)

We had planned to include recordings made at theBarrington Fair (a sort of local county fair) and the OldRhinebeck Aerodrome (which puts on a show with realand copied First -World -War military planes) in New YorkState, but the short supply of MKE-2002s delayed ar-rival of our test sample until it was too late. Our experi-ence with the Uher's mono mike at those events gaveus a basis for comparison, however, and further con-vinced us how much we had missed by not having theSennheiser.

We recorded the Wendroff group both with andwithout the dummy head, and both with and without theALC feature of the Uher. In this entire recording thesense of space and place is extremely convincing, theaction of the ALC circuit being virtually undetectable.Using the dummy head prevented friction noises whenthe recordist moved (which weren't severe even whenthe recordist "wore" the mike) and kept his own oc-casional mutterings from being reproduced "inside thelistener's head" on playback. The head also allowed himto go onstage to assist with a balky PA mike withoutmissing a beat in his own tape.

The binaural sound allows the listener to hear

WORKED TOGETHER

"through" audience noises and concentrate on the mu-sic in a way that the mono recording at the Aerodrome,for example, prevented. Whispered comments from be-hind the recordist at the Wendroff session reproduce(amusingly) behind the listener; children behind therecordist at the Aerodrome (maddeningly) dominateparts of the tape. And the Uher's ALC action is veryaudible at explosions in the war scenes, though thelikely (and less desirable) alternative would have beensevere distortion at each concussion until the recordisthad determined what levels to expect and how to pre-dict each detonation.

The want of binauralism in the horse race and mid-way recordings at the Barrington Fair was particularlyfrustrating. Though the Uher managed a very goodaccount of the sounds as sounds, a good deal of theirexcitement is lost when they are compressed into asingle channel. And in terms of pure sound, the care-fully designed Sennheiser elements are audibly superiorto the Uher's mike, which is engineered for conven-ience, rather than acoustic perfection.

You may feel a little strange, at first, walking aroundwith mikes in your ears: but the dummy, while easieron the recordist, is far more conspicuous. Wearing theSennheiser and carrying the Uher, our recordist lookedto the casual observer as though he were listening toa portable stereo radio. And the recordings he cameback with convinced us that there are plenty of fascinat-ing new worlds out there just waiting to be capturedby a recordist with this sort of equipment and a littleimagination.

Go get 'em, tigers!


Uher's Mighty Mini PortableCassette Deck

The Equipment: Uher CR-134, a battery -portable stereocassette deck with automatic bidirectional playbackand built-in mono condenser microphone, with simu-lated leather carrying case. Dimensions (less carryingcase): 71/4 by 21/4 inches (control panel), 7V8 inches deepplus controls and connections. Price: $378; Z-215 ni-cad battery, $31.65, Z-135 AC converter, $38.85; F-112remote control, $16.70. Warranty: six months on parts(other than battery), ninety days on labor. Manufac-turer: Uher Werke Munchen, W. Germany; U.S. distribu-tor: Uher of America, Inc., 621 S. Hindry Ave., Ingle-wood, Calif. 90301.

Comment: Let's say it right off the bat: Never have weseen such capabilities crammed into so small a tapeunit. It is battery -portable (using either six "C" cells orUher's Z-215 rechargeable nickel -cadmium battery), orit can be powered from the Z-135 AC converter. (TheCR-134 is delivered without power source.) The AC unitcan be used in two ways. It has the same dimensions asthe nicad pack and slips interchangeably into the CR-134's battery compartment (whose door has an open-ing for the AC cord); if the nicad pack is in the compart-ment, the AC converter can be used externally with ashort interconnect cable (supplied) so that it both pow-ers the recorder and recharges the nicad. The nicadpack will go from dead to full charge in about twelvehours; when we used it to record for over two hours at aclip without recharging, it showed no sign of flagging.The AC converter can be left plugged in without dam-age when the nicad is fully charged.

The built-in condenser microphone-mounted on thecontrol panel between the record/playback level con-trol and the meter-produces surprisingly good sound.With the cassette deck slung over a shoulder we wereable to record all sorts of conversations and naturalsounds with convincing mono fidelity; you need an ex-ternal mike or line source for stereo recording. There isa DIN plug below the level control for appropriately ter-minated dynamic mikes and a "radio / phono- DIN inputconnector at the side of the unit. Also at the side are anaccessory jack for the optional F-112 remote control(start/stop and tape -travel direction) unit, a jack for anaccessory monitor speaker, and a level control for thatspeaker. We preferred to use the built-in speaker formonitoring (or for checking the recording, if it was madelive).

At the back (or bottom, with the case slung over ashoulder) are the connector for the AC converter andone (covered by a snap -off cap) that can be used to

power the unit from an automobile battery and deliverits sound to the car racio (assuming the radio has beenequipped with an appropriate mating connector). Uherof America is planning to make available a bracket forautomobile mounting of the CR-134.

All these features are accessible through openings inthe carrying case. The main operating controls are cov-ered by a flap that can be snapped off and reversed, al-lowing free access to the entire panel. Its meter is calkbra:ed both in dB (for recording) and in volts (as abattery check during playback). It is of the type thatuses a rotating drum showing through a slot as a redline with a "beveled" tip. A meter reading at the centerof this bevel will give close to a 0 -VU indication for DIN 0VU; the tip of the bevel will read about V2 dB higher forthe same signal level.

Next to it is a four-way switch: off /forward play (orrecording)/ reverse play/pause. Immediately below theswitch is a two-way fast -wind switch, and beside it asmall meter that indicates the direction of tape travel inplayback or recording. Below the meter are on/off but-tons for the built-in speaker (which cuts out automati-cally during recording), the built-in mike, and an auto-matic level -control ci-cuit, plus a recording interlockbutton. The interlock can be engaged only with the deckturned off (to prevent accidental recording) and is re-leased either by turning it off once again or by switchingto a fast -wind mode. With the recording interlock buttonin, the on/off button cannot be switched to reverse(side -2) tape travel. Al the right are the tape slot (whichhas a spring -loaded door or flap), a three -digit counter,and an eject button.

You begin by inserting a cassette, with "side 1" up,end -first into the cassette slot. Then you push down alatch just below the cassette to lower it to operating po-sition, where the record / play head contacts the tapeopposite the pressure pad. This is a four -track head; thetwo elements for the reverse (side 2) direction of tapetravel are used only in playback. The erase head, whichfits into the small opening just beyond that for therecord/play head is, of course, engineered only for theforward tape direction. The large openings at the endsof the cassette are used for pinch rollers; that on thenear end of the cassette engages for the forward direc-tion of travel, while that on the far end is used for re-verse. Both capstans run continuously as long as theunit is turned on, driven by a single, electronically con-trolled DC motor.

When the tape comes to the end of the first side in therecord mode, the pinch roller releases, but the unit oth-erwise remains on. If it is in the playback mode, it auto-matically will reverse its travel direction at either end ofthe tape. It does not turn off automatically when fast -wound to the end. The counter "counts" upward in theforward direction, downward in reverse. Since you can'tsee the cassette window while the tape is in the unit, thecounter (and the direction indicator) must be relied onfor information about tape motion and use. (A sugges-tion: Before you go out to do any live recording, "meas-ure" your cassettes on the counter, starting at 000.Then you will know when the tape is about to run out.)

CBS Labs made all its measurements with the ACpower supply and-following Uher's recommendation-with Maxell UD tape. The lab also checked S/N with thebattery supply (some AC supplies contribute sig-niticantly to hum) but found it only marginally better.You'll see that the measurements compare well withhome cassette decks; the big difference is that mosthome decks today use Dolby noise reduction. Hiss is

JANUARY 1975 51

DIN PLAYBACK RESPONSE(0 dB -20 VU)

+5

co

0

_5Left channel: +1, 31/2 dB, 31.5 Hz to 8 kHz

Right channel: +3N, -21/2 dB, 31.5 Hz to 10 kHzCA

g, +5RECORD/PLAYBACK RESPONSE

-20 YU)

c` 0_______ ------- --------

-5 ; Left channel: +I/4, -3 dB, 31 Hz to 10.5 kHzRight channel: r 3 dB, 27Hz to 11.5 kHz

CR.134 (1)

20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K

FREQUENCY IN HZ

5.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

c" 0.7

HARMONIC DISTORTION CURVES(at -10 V1.)

--------------- -------

Left channel: -.2.7%, 50 Hz to 5 kHz

Right channel: <2.8% 50 Hz to 5 kHz

CR 134 (2;

20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20KFREQUENCY IN HZ

entirely audible in cassettes made on the CR-134, justas one would expect, though the sound is otherwise ex-cellent when played back on a high -quality system-ei-ther directly from the CR-134 itself or via a home deck.

The Uher's strongest point, however, remains its ex-treme portability. It is no more bulky than a pair of fieldglasses, and we used it successfully (see accom-panying "project" report) at outdoor events with littletrouble from wind noise (in the recording) or fatigue (inthe recordist). We must admit that we would cheerfullyhave given up the monitor speaker in favor of a Dolbycircuit board. (A look inside the unit will quickly con-vince you that something must go if anything is to be

Uher CR-134 Additional Data

Speed accuracy 0.6% fast at 105, 120, and 127 VAC

Wow and flutter playback: 0.10%record/play: 0.14%

Rewind time (C-60 cassette) 115 sec.

Fast -forward time (same cassette) 115 sec.

S/N ratio (re 0 VU)playbackrecord/play

L ch: 46'/2 dBL ch: 46 dB

R ch: 48 dBR ch: 48 dB

Erasure (333 Az at normal level) 70 dB

Crosstalk (at 333 Hz)record left, play rightrecord right. play left

Sensitivity (re DIN 0 VU)mike input L ch: 0.19 mV"radio" L ch: 3.6 mV"phono" L ch: 118 mV

20 dB20 dB

R ch: 0.19 mVR ch: 3.6 mVR ch: 118 mV

Meter action (re DIN 0 VU)close to exact (see text)

Total harmonic distortion (at -10 VU)L ch <2.7%, 50 Hz to 5 kHzR ch <2.8%, 50 Hz to 5 kHz

IM distortion (record/play, -10 VU)L ch: 7.0% R ch: 9.0%

Maximum output (re DIN 0 VU)"phono" output L ch: 0.60 V R ch: 0.56 V

added.) Perhaps those who need monitoring would bejust as happy with an accessory battery -powered head-phone system or tt-e accessory speaker for which a jackalready is supplied. Be that as it may, we had a ball usingthe CR-134 and came away from the experience withsome tapes that only it could, as a practical matter, getfor us.


Accuphase: A Welcome New Name in Superamps

The Equipment: Accuphase Model P-300, a basicpower amplifier, in metal case. Dimensions: 171/2 by 6inches (front panel); 14 inches deep plus allowance forcontrols and connections. Price: $750; accessory wal-nut case, Model AWC-1, $45. Manufacturer: KensonicLaboratory, Inc., Japan; U.S. distributor: Teac Corp. ofAmerica, 7733 Telegraph Rd., Montebello, Calif. 90640.

Comment: Kensonic Laboratories (founded by the Ka-suga brothers, who also founded the Trio Electronicsthat makes KenwoDd products) is a relatively new com-pany that is just making its entry into this country viaTeac marketing. We were anxious to test its productsnot only because the specs are extremely impressiveand the equipment equally handsome, but becauseTeac guarantees tne specs for five years! This means,Teac tells us, that should you find (say, via an "amplifierclinic" at a local dealer) your amp is not meeting itsspecs in any way within the first five years of ownershipthe company will undertake to see that it does. Thoughwe've heard of guaranteed specs before, we've neverhad them put before us in such unequivocal and liberalterms.

Teac adds that, though the P-300 and the companionC-200 preamp can be used separately, each is so goodit can be heard at its best only with the help of the other.Now this sounded to us like puffery the first timearound. We have tried them together, however, and will

HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE

comment on this in more detail when we review the C-200 next month. For the time being, suffice it to say thatboth are superb units and that they are well suited toeach other.

The front panel of the P-300 has a pair of meters con-trolled by four pushbutton switches. One turns off themeters, the others adjust their 0 -dB indications for fullpower (actual 0 dB, or 150 watts), -10 dB (15 watts), or-20 dB (1.5 watts). The speaker -selector switch nearbyhas positions for off (for headphone listening, for ex-ample), "main," remote 1, remote 2, main plus remote 1,and remote front -this last referring to output jacks hid-den at the bottom of the front panel. The amp's output isshut off automatically when you switch to connectionsthat have no load. Below the meter pushbuttons arelevel controls for each channel: below the speaker se-lector is a power -limiting switch with positions for 100,50, and 25% of full power. The intent of the latter is toprevent accidental speaker damage. While the labfound the calibration to be less exact than the percent-age numbers on the panel imply, greater precisionwould have netted no greater utility, in our opinion.

When the black strip at the bottom of the front panel ispressed it flips down to expose additional features. Ofthese, only the main on/off switch is accessible with thesub -panel closed. To the right of this switch is a stereoheadphone jack that is live in any speaker -selector po-sition. Next come four jacks (hot and ground for eachchannel) that accept banana plugs and are live only inthe "remote front" position of the speaker selector.

Next is a "band-pass filter." When it is turned on, theoutput of the amp is sharply filtered below 17 Hz andabove 24 kHz. We found it useful in controlling subsonicrumble (appreciable more as slow "pumping" in ourspeakers' woofer cones than as sonic degradation) insome discs, but we also felt that it occasionally seemed

50 HZ .

-5

Square -wave response

POWER OUTPUT DATA

CHANNELS INDIVIDUALLY

Left at clipping: 190.1 watts for 0.035% THD

Left at 0.1% TO 198 wattsRight at clipping 1960 watts for 007% THD

Right at 0.1% THD: 199 watts

CHANNELS SIMULTANEOUSLY


Right at clipping: 1663 watts for al% THD

POWER BANDWIDTH

For 0.5% T110: below 10 Hz to 68 kHz

For 0.1% THO: below 10 Hz to 41 kHz

FREQUENCY RESPONSE(1 watt output)

P-300 (1)

Bandwidth filter oft: +0, -1 dB, 10 Hz to 100 kHz s

Band.vidth filter on: +0, -3 dB, 18 Hz to 25 kHz \10 20 100

236

188

150

118

94

75

1K 10K 20K 100K

FREQUENCY IN HZ

to reduce slightly the perceived quantity of very deepbass -which could actually be due to "doubling" ofsubsonic rumble frequencies by the speakers, ratherthan to reduction of actual bass frequencies in the sig-nal itself. The manual recommends that the filter be lefton for normal use to protect speakers. At the right are apair of pin jacks for input signals and a switch that se-lects either these inputs or the normal ones on the backpanel.

The back panel itself has, in addition, an AC voltageselector, an AC input socket (accepting a removablecord, supplied), an unswitched AC conveniencesocket, and the speaker connections for three stereopairs (main, remote 1, and remote 2). The speaker ter-minals are the type in which a pair of metal plates arepressed together by a (Philips -head) screw and accepteither bared leads or spade lugs. They strike us as agood choice in a high-powered amp since they makepositive, large -area connection with the leads with littleor no chance for inadvertent shorting between leads orbetween a hot lead and the chassis. But if there's anydanger of tension on the speaker leads, the connec-

1.0

0.7

0.5

0.3

02

01

0.07

,L2 0.05

0.03

0.02

0.01

C.1

0.07

0.05

1- 0.03

12 0.02

8-2 0.01

HARMONIC DISTORTION CURVES

15b WATTS OUTPUT

left channel: 0.84%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

Righ. channel: ::0.068%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

75 WATTS OUTPUT

Left channel: -.0059%. 20 Hz to 20 kHzHigh! channel! < 0.040%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

P300 (2A)

1.5 WATTS OUTPUT

Le't channel: ,-0.069%, 20 Hz to 20 kHzRight channel ,-.0.055%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

P-300 (28)

20 50 100 230 500 1K 2K

FREQUENCY IN HZ

5K 10K 20K

Accuphase P-300 Amplifier Additional Data

Damping factor 76

Input characteristics (for 150 watts output)Sensitivity

1.0 V1.0

rear -panelfront -panel

IM distortion8 -ohm load4 -ohm load

16 -ohm load

<0.063% to 177.2 watts<0.098% to 127.6 watts<0.48%to 266.4 watts<0.060% to 106.9 watts

S /NI ratio102 dB102 dB

JANUARY 1975 53

tions should be tightened very firmly to prevent loosen-ing and possible shorting of the stripped ends.

All this is superb in both sound and operation. Eventhe meter calibration is extremely accurate-within '/2dB of marked values in the right channel and within 1/4dB at the left. The meter lights flash, incidentally, if theprotective circuitry is activated (for instance, by a shortat the output) to warn of the condition. Harmonic distor-tion is extremely low: At 150 watts it runs about one -tenth that of a typical receiver at its (generally far lower)rated power. Since the S/1\1 ratio measures 102 dB the

amplifier can be run even at background -music levelswithout worry about audible noise. The front -panel in-put and output connections add materially to the unit'sconvenience when it is used to check out other equip-ment in your system.

Structural and cosmetic design both strike us as ex-cellently thought-out, and the finish and operation ofthe parts are exemplary. In short, the P-300 looks (andsounds) to us like a winner.


HOW MANY CHANNELS ARE DRIVEN?

As regular readers know, we like to stick with any testprocedure we have been using so that our report onProduct X will be as closely comparable as possible tothat on competing Product Y. And one feature of ouramplifier reports has remained constant for years: Allmeasurements, except where specifically indicated tothe contrary, have been made with one channel driven.

We might have preferred to do otherwise, all thingsbeing equal. When you listen to stereo you obviouslyuse both channels of amplification. But until recentlynot all manufacturers have written specs on this basis,and advertised power ratings generally have been basedon single -channel specs. Where advertising was basedon "music power" ratings, a spec for continuous powerusually was available, but not necessarily one that alsowas made with both channels driven and for a full -fre-quency distortion rating. Hence, in order to allow thereader some way of relating the data as measured atCBS Labs with that offered by the manufacturer, we feltwe had to stick with the one -channel -driven scheme-though we always have given clipping characteristicsfor amplifiers with all channels driven as well.

The advent of quadriphonic equipment added to inter-pretive problems, of course, in particular because wegenerally found bigger discrepancies between one -channel measurements and four -channel measure-ments than between their two -channel counterparts.But the recent Federal Trade Commission ruling on howpower and distortion may be specified (see "News andViews," October 1974) has changed the picture mate-rially. Now all manufacturers must specify with all chan-nels driven and relate distortion ratings directly topower ratings.

This gives us new freedom to measure more charac-teristics with all channels driven, without risking readerconfusion over differences between our lab data and themanufacturers' specs. Beginning with this issue, we willshow harmonic distortion as measured with all (both,for stereo) channels driven, and we will base "ratedpower" references on manufacturers' specs for contin-uous output into 8 ohms with all channels driven at orbelow rated harmonic distortion over the full frequencyband (normally 20 Hz to 20 kHz). Should the manufac-turer specify in other terms (and often in the past the labhas had to assume its own reference power output be-cause the amplifier under test was not specified in quitethe "standard" way), we will use an output figure thatseems reasonably to approximate the standard-thoughwe expect the FTC rule will make this increasingly rare.

Basic output readings will be given as they alwayshave been: with individual channels driven to clipping,with individual channels driven to rated distortion, andwith all channels driven simultaneously to the clipping

point in the tested channel. These measurements all aremade at 1 kHz with an 8 -ohm resistive load. They can, ofcourse, be compared directly to similar measurementsin past issues. Intermoduiation measurements, too, willcontinue to be made with one channel driven.

And power -bandwidth measurements will remain thesame-allowing comparison in terms of power, distor-tion, and frequency between current reports and thoseprepared before the present change. We will continue toshow power bandwidth at both rated distortion and0.5% THD (when the amp is not already rated at this fig-ure) and carry curves down to the -3 -dB points, whenthey occur within the plotted range of 10 Hz to 100 kHz.The FTC, unlike the old IHF power -amp spec that de-fined power bandwidth, does not recognize the -3 -dB(half -power) points; to approximate the FTC powerbandwidth from our data, look for the points at whichthe rated -distortion curve crosses the 0 -dB (full ratedpower) line. The power -bandwidth curve, therefore, rep-resents the best -case maximum power capability of theamp with respect to frequency and without exceedingrated distortion.

The harmonic -distortion curves no longer show thismaximum capability but show what might be called theworst -case distortion since in normal program materialthe demands seldom are at maximum in all channels si-multaneously. The present curves cannot be compareddirectly to those published in the past, of course. Agiven amplifier, if it were tested both ways, presumablywould have similar -looking curves with both systems,but the reference power levels at which the data aretaken would be slightly smaller for the all -channelscurves than for the one -channel curves. That is, whenmeasuring with only one channel driven we generallywere working from a somewhat less conservatively de-rived power spec than we are now that the FTC rule hasgone into effect.

This change in the way power is specified also in-fluences our sensitivity and S, N ratio measurements.Say an amplifier that used to be rated at 50 watts perchannel (driven individually) now is rated under FTCrules at 40 watts per channel (driven simultaneously)-afairly large spread. Our former reference level wouldhave been 50 watts; our present one is 40 watts, thoughof course the amplifier is unchanged in either gain ornoise. Since the rating has dropped by 1 dB, the S/N ra-tio (the difference in dB between rated power and meas-ured noise) will too. And the sensitivity rating willchange commensurately because less input will beneeded to drive the amp at 40 watts than to drive it at50. Thus, if the S/N were 60 dB and the sensitivity 200mV for the 50 -watt rating, they would be 59 dB andabout 175 mV for the 40 -watt rating. These differencesare not great, to be sure; but for intelligent comparisonof current reports with older ones you should be awareof the differences.


ESS Improves a

Fascinating Speaker System

The Equipment: ESS Model AMT -3, a floor -standingloudspeaker system with "air -motion transformer"tweeter, in wood case. Dimensions: 15% by 391/4 inches(front); 151/4 inches deep. Price: $435. Warranty: life-time, for original owner, on air -motion transformer; fiveyears parts and labor on remainder. Manufacturer:ESS, Inc., 9613 Oates Dr., Sacramento, Calif. 95827.

Comment: The Heil air -motion transformer is among themost interesting new ideas in high fidelity in many years.By now its operating principles have been so widely dis-cussed that we will only sketch them in here.

A pleated diaphragm is suspended in a strong mag-netic field. A conductor running along the flat surfacesof the pleats serves as the equivalent of a voice coil in aconventional dynamic driver; but instead of moving thediaphragm forward and back, as in a cone speaker, theaudio current running through the conductor alter-nately squeezes the pleats together and forces themapart. This design, among other things, dispenses withthose elements in conventional dynamic drivers that re-quire the most precision for good speaker design. It maybe partly for this reason that an unusual clarity andtransparency often is noted in the sound the AMTtweeter produces.

The bass in this model, as in the AMT -1 (HF test re-ports, June 1973), is provided by conventional drivers.The AMT -1 had a single woofer in a port -loaded enclo-sure, and we found the bass distinctly less impressivethan the remainder of the frequency range -handled bythe Heil driver. The AMT -3 has beefed up the bass dra-matically. It uses a pair of 10 -inch woofers (again in aport -loaded enclosure, but of much larger size), a 6 -inch midrange driver (actually handling upper bass andlower midrange), and the Heil tweeter. ESS calls the de-sign the "Rock Monitor" not because it is better suited

to rock than to other music (we found it equally good forany music we fed to it), but because its enhanced dy-namic range makes it better suited to the levels associ-ated with rock than earlier models in the AMT serieswere. In big symphonic music we find the added capa-bilities of the AMT -3 a welcome improvement. And evenin chamber music the deeper, cleaner bass adds mate-rially to reproduction quality.

In listening tests we found that its range reachesdown to about 30 Hz with very little doubling; with an os-cillator source set at lower frequencies there is verylittle audible output (most speakers will continue to de-liver audible, spurious harmonics even when the inputfrequency is so low that the fundamental no longer canbe heard). Response is unusually flat all the way up tothe limit of normal hearing. Since the air -motion trans-former is a bipolar radiator (it produces equal but oppo-site wave fronts at front and back) it essentially deliverssound in a figure -eight pattern; at most frequencies,and in normal listening rooms, the "null" spots at theside cannot be heard at all (due partially to room rever-beration), though they can be spotted in careful listen-ing with input signals above 10 kHz. Essentially, how-ever, the system may be considered as a quasi -omnidirectional radiator. (Note the close match of thethree curves in the response graph.)

The air -motion transformer is mounted at the top ofthe unit in a compartment that is open toward the sides,through large "ports' cut in the enclosure wall, and tofront, top, and back through the grille strip that runs upthe front surface, over the top, and part way down theback. The midrange drivers and woofers are mounted

100

90

50

RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS(1 watt input)

AVERAGE OMNIDIRECTIONAL RESPONSE( --31/2 dB, 50 Hz to 20 kHz, re 821/2 dB)

AVERAGE FRONT HEMISPHERIC RESPONSE

ON -AXIS RESPONSE AMT 3

20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K

FREQUENCY IN HZ

ESS AMT -3 Harmonic Distortion*

OutputLevel(dB)

Frequency80 Hz 300 Hz

% 2nd % 3rd % 2nd % 3rd

70 0.18 0.24 0.23 0.1875 0.16 0.19 0.17 0.1380 0.16 0.16 0.14 0.1285 0.24 0.16 0.12 0.1490 0.43 0.16 0.12 0.1895 0.91 0.16 0.13 0.19

100 1.9 0.32 0.14 0.23105 3.6 0.90 0.23 0.23107.9 0.42 0.23

'Distortion data are taken on all tested speakers until distortion exceeds the10% level or the speaker produces the spurious output known as buzzing.whichever occurs first.

JANUARY 1975 55

Inwar nn tha front ciirfara Cln tha hark ara tha tarminal sive distortion. In this last test, an output level of almostposts (accepting bared wires or large spade lugs, andcolor -coded for polarity) and a three-way balance con-trol: "bright/normal/soft." This control alters outputabove 1 kHz, having maximum effect (about 2 dB of at-tenuation between steps) uniformly across the rangefrom 2 kHz up. The lab measured the unit at "normal,"and we preferred it at this setting in most rooms and withmost program material. The difference is, in any case,fairly subtle.

ESS rates the impedance as "4 ohms minimum." CBSLabs measured it at 6 ohms nominal-which, as it turnsout, also is the minimum impedance measured at anyfrequency in our test sample. The bass rise (at about 70Hz) does not exceed 8 ohms; above the rating point theimpedance value creeps gradually upward, risingsomewhat above 8 ohms beyond 1 kHz. Over-all, it is

one of the flattest impedance curves we have everseen.

The AMT -3 proved to be slightly more efficient thanthe AMT -1. The earlier model required 6 watts to pro-duce the standard 94 dB (at 1 meter on axis); the newerone needed only 4.68 watts. This translates to about 11/2dB less input-or roughly 25% less power-to pro-duce the same sonic level with the AMT -3. At the sametime the newer model displayed its excellent dynamicrange by accepting up to 100 watts (at 300 Hz) ofsteady-state signals and 300 watts average (or 600watts peak, the limit of the test amplifier) without exces-

116 dB (at 1 mete) was reached. Amplifier power wouldnot appear to be critical; anything from, say, 15 to 100watts per channel should be appropriate, depending onthe maximum sound levels you want, as long as the sig-nal is of high enough quality to do justice to the AMT -3.

All in all, then, this is an extremely fine speaker-andan exciting one. Since testing the AMT -1 we have hadplenty of opportunity to "live with" the Heil tweeter, andwe continue to be impressed by its unique clarity andlimpidity of sound. Not that it makes its presence felt inany positive way. On the contrary, the index of its qualityis that one so seldom is conscious of it; one hears themusic rather than the speaker. The sound of the AMT -3is effortless, well balanced, and very neutral.

Since the tweeter is bipolar, the precise qualities of itssound and the stereo imaging that a pair of themcreates are somewhat more sensitive to placement inthe listening room than with typical bookshelf systems,which radiate much less high -frequency energy towardthe back. Generally speaking we have found that theAMT -3's ability to create a sense of depth and "air" inthe sound image can be inhibited by placing them tooclose to a wall. But unless you experiment with place-ment it may not occur to you that an improvement couldbe made. These are excellent speakers in any case;with careful placement and fine program material theyare exceptional.


A Truly "Professional" Recorder from Revox

The Equipment: Revox Model A-700, a three -speed (15,7'/2, 334 ips) half-track or quarter -track stereo open -reeltape deck accepting reels to 101/2 inches, in metal case.Dimensions: 19 (wide) by 18 inches; 61/2 inches deepplus allowance for feet and connecting cables (back),controls, etc. (top); 7 -inch reels overhang at top, 10'/2 -inch reels at both top and side. Price: $1,800. Warranty:minimum one year parts and labor on everything exceptlamps and fuses; five years on all other parts exceptheads and capstan roller. Manufacturer: Willi Studer,Switzerland; U.S. distributor: Revox Corp., 155 MichaelDr., Syosset, N.Y. 11791.

Comment: If you're into the NAB -reel machines thatlong have epitomized glamor in high fidelity and in thelast few years have grown even more popular, there aretwo features that probably will strike you as soon as youthread up a tape on the A-700: the lack of a reel -sizeswitch and the unusual design of the idlers and tensionarms. In themselves these are not particularly importantfeatures, but their handling in the A-700 is indicative ofthe very special qualities of the design as a whole.

The reel -size switch is not used (though the deck willhandle everything from NAB reels down to those with11/2 -inch hubs), because the motional and tape -tensionlogic system in the unit adjusts itself automatically,partly by way of the double tension arms and oversizerubber -surfaced idlers. This system, together with thethree motors (a servocontrolled capstan motor with acrystal speed reference, plus separate reel motors) itcontrols, allows ad-lib intermixing of reel sizes withinthe design range.

-NMI

1111

a, NM

The controls also allow an unusual range of mechani-cal functions, input modes, and mixing functions. Themain transport functions are selected by means of il-luminated pushbuttons just below (or in front of, with thedeck horizontal) the transport itself. In the first group onthe left there are the main AC power switch, a momen-tary "repeat" button, an "auto" switch, recording se-lectors for left and right channels, and a momentary"pause." The repeat will switch the transport to rewindas long as you keep it pressed in; when you release itthe transport automatically switches into play. Wefound the feature extremely useful in picking up cues orin checking particular spots (say, a splice of dubiousquality) on the tape. The automatic function works onlyin conjunction with clear transparent leader, spliced

Sh HIGH Finn ITV M AGA7INIF

into the tape. During recording or playback, the unit willrun normally until a photocell system in the head assem-bly encounters the clear leader. If the automatic func-tion is turned off, the transport stops at this point; in theautomatic mode the transport begins rewind and re-verts to recording or playback when it encounters clearleader earlier in the tape. Though this is an interestingidea, we judged it considerably less useful for the pur-poses to which our readers generally put a recorder.The pause is not like that on typical home machines; itproduces the same effect as pressing the stop button,except that playback (or recording) will recommence assoon as pressure is removed from the pause button.

In the next group of controls are buttons for rewind,fast wind, play (actually play/record), stop, and record-ing interlock. The interlock button, like those for select-ing the channels to record on, glows red in use: The re-maining buttons (except for AC, repeat, pause, andcounter -reset) all glow white when they're pressed in. Inthe last group are a button for resetting the counter andthree for tape speeds: 33/4, 7Y7, and 15 ips. The counterreads directly in minutes and seconds (at 71/2 ips; atother speeds the readings must be doubled or halved)and is driven by the right-hand tape idler. This is the firsttrue -reading counter on any deck we have tested (ex-cept for 8 -track cartridge equipment), and we found the"real" numbers a big help by contrast to the arbitrary(and non -time -related) indications of conventionalcounters. The speed buttons are particularly fascinat-ing. They allow you to change speed without stoppingthe transport (actual speed change and equalizationswitching are managed electronically), and their pilotlamps will not come on until the transport has reachedthe correct speed. Similar memory and self -evaluatinglogic circuits govern other functions so that, for ex-ample, you can press "play" while the deck is in a fast -

+50

-J

ET +5

El3 0cg

-5

+5

-5

NAB PLAYBACK RESPONSE

15 IPS

Left channel: +1/2, -3 dB, 50 Hz to 15 kHzRight channel: +3/4, -3 dB, 50 Hz to 15 kHz

71/2 IPS

Left channel: +23/4, -1 dB, 50 Hz to 15 kHz

Right channel: +254, -'In dB, 50 Hz to 15 kHzA.700 (1)

20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K

FREQUENCY IN HZ

RECORD/PLAYBACK RESPONSE(0 d8 = -10 VU)

15 IPS

Left channel: +1%, -I/4 dB. 20 Hz to 20 kHzRight channel: +2, -3/4 dB. 20 Hz to 20 kHz

cs +5

--------------0 rz 754 IPS_5F Left channel: +1/2, -3 dB, 21.5 Hz to 17.5 khz

zRight channel: +1, -3 dB, 20.5 Hz to 18.5 kHz+5

03% IPS

Left channel: +1/2. -3 dB, 23 Hz to 14.5 kHzRight channel: +1. -3 dB, 22.5 H2 to 17 kHz

A700 (2)

20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K

FREQUENCY IN HZ

wind mode; the stop button will light up, and as soon asthe tape has actually stopped, the transport will switchitself into play.

The metering is via a single, double -needled, double -scaled vertical meter. This arrangement, in our opinion,has a big advantage over separate meters in the twochannels because levels are easier to follow in bothchannels at once. Two red pilot lights in the meter faceindicate instantaneous overload conditions for the twochannels.

To the lett of the meter system is a master recording -level slider. At the center of the same panel are two left -and -right pairs of input -level sliders, flanked by an inputselector for each pair. That for the left ("input 1") pairhas positions for low -impedance mikes, high -imped-ance mikes, phono, "radio," and "aux" (line 1). That forthe right ("input" 2) pair has the same two mike posi-tions plus others for echo/multiplay, "aux" (line 2), andoff. Below each selector is a pair of phone jacks for mikeinputs; impedance matching of these inputs is selectedat the switch. The phono input is for a magnetic car-tridge and includes ar RIAA-compensated preamp. Themt Itiplay /echo position is used like the sound -on -sound and tape -echo switches on home equipment.

Revox A-700 Additional Data

Speed accuracy15 ips 0 46% slow at 105, 120, & 127 VAC71/2 ips 0 50% slow at 105, 120, & 127 VAC3% ips 0 57% slow at 105, 120, & 127 VAC

Wow and flutter (ANSI weighted)15 ips playback: 0.02%

record/play: 0.02%71/2 ips payback: 0.02%

record /play: 0.02%33/. ips playback: 0.03%

record i play: 0.03%

Rewind time, 7 -in., 1,800 -ft. reel

Fast -forward time, same reel

S/N ratio (re NAB 0 VU)playback L ch: 60 dBrecord/play L ch: 53 dB

Erasure (400 Hz at normal level)

Crosstalk (at 400 Hz)record left, play rightrecord right, play left

Sensitivity (re NAB 0 VU)line inputs L chmike inputs (hi -Z) L chmike inputs (lo -Z) L chphono input L ch

13 mV0.62 mV0.05 mV0.7 mV

87 sec.

87 sec.


74 db

51 dB501/2 dB

R ch: 13 mVR ch: 0.62 mVR ch: 0.05 mVR ch: 0.7 mV

Meter action (re NAB 0 VU)L ch: 3% dB low R ch: 33/4 dB low

Total harmonic distortion (at -10 VU)15 ips <1.0%, 50 Hz to 10 kHz71/2 ips <1.0%, 50 Hz to 10 kHz33/4 ips <1.6%, 50 Hz to 10 kHz

IM distortion (record/play, -10 VU)15 ips L ch: 1.1%71/2 ips L ch: 1.5%33/4 ips L ch: 2.5%

Maximum output (line, 0 VU)L ch: 0.53 V

R ch: 1.3%R ch: 1.8%R ch: 3.0%

R ch: 0.57 V

JANUARY 1975 57

The four-in/two-out mixing system therefore has aspectacular range of capabilities.

Next, to the right, is a group of four rotary switches.That at the upper left selects playback mode (stereo, leftonly, right only, and left -plus -right mono). Below it is aninput/tape monitor switch. At the upper right is astepped treble control (affecting headphone andpower -amp outputs only), and below it is a similar basscontrol. And below the four knobs are two stereo head-phone jacks. One automatically switches off the power -amp output on the back panel; the other does not. At theextreme right are a pair of sliders that control the outputto headphone and power -amp connections only.

The back panel has pin -jack pairs for aux (line) 1 and2 inputs, magnetic phono input, and line A and B out-puts. The A output bypasses the front -panel modeswitch; B does not. In addition, there are two DIN -typesockets. One is the usual "radio" record/ play socket;the other is designed for direct output to the Revox A-722 power amplifier (not supplied)-the "power amp"output specified earlier. There are on the back panelother features that relate to accessories not supplied(and not tested by us) but that can make the A-700materially more welcome to users interested in specialapplications: a socket for an external capstan speedcontrol (with a range of 21/2 to 211/2 ips, according toRevox), one for remote control of a slide projector (us-ing a special sync head not included in our test sample),and a remote -control unit for tape -drive functions them-selves.

It goes almost without saying that the A -700's manyfunctions and modes work magnificently. The logic issuperbly worked out; it never wastes a second, yet itnever threatens damage to the tape nor results in illogi-cal function sequencing even in the hands of the mostinsouciant of operators. Though we tried to find flaws inthe way Revox had worked out which of its controlswould override which of their fellows, we were unable todo so. (We did have one minor misadventure, however,when we didn't lock down one reel securely; as a resultone reel motor was turning though the reel was not,"misinforming" the logic about tape motion. But nodamage was done, and in horizontal operation gravitywill prevent even this from happening by keeping thereel firmly in place.)

Generally speaking, the performance is equally su-perb. Note the particularly fine record/ play responsecurves and the extremely low distortion. Also excep-tional are the wow -and -flutter figures, which (unlikethose for almost every other recorder we've tested) areas low in record/play as in playback only-and ex-tremely low by any standards.

In some measurements-all made with Scotch 207tape, the type for which the A -700s delivered in thiscountry are optimized-the fine measurements may beattributed in part to the half-track head configuration ofour test sample. Rule -of -thumb guidelines would indi-cate that S/N figures might be as much as 3 dB poorerwith quarter -track heads, for example. But in practicethe S/N ratios achieved should be better than those (53to 60 dB) shown under "Additional Data," because wealways measure "worst case" conditions, with the in-puts at maximum. In using the A-700 we never found itnecessary to advance them more than about half waywith typical ancillary equipment.

One measurement did take us somewhat aback,though in the normal run of equipment it would not becounted a fault: the speed accuracy, which is not withinRevox's ±0.1% spec. At approximately 0.5% slow thespeed accuracy is well within normal consumer require-ments. Had we been testing the unit for broadcast use,however, we would have asked Revox to supply us withanother sample, or to adjust the one we had for moreaccurate performance, since an hour program re-corded on it would be about 20 seconds off whenplayed on a studio machine adjusted for absolute accu-racy-critical, perhaps, when you're on the air buthardly a real problem in the home.

The sound produced by the A-700 is excellent. At 33/.ips it is just short of the widest possible range and justtinged with hiss. At 15 ips the sound is totally free andopen. To the ear the difference between 7'/2 and 15 canbe established only by A /B comparisons, using superbinput signals and first-rate ancillary equipment. Andwhen this sort of sound quality is coupled with the ut-terly unsurpassed tape -handling qualities and multipur-pose input mixing of the A-700, we are talking aboutequipment that, for all its interest to home recordists, istruly in the professional class.


The Sequerra 1: Quite Probably the World's Greatest Tuner

The Equipment: Sequerra Model 1, a digital -readout FMtuner with multipurpose oscilloscope and built-in Dolbynoise reduction, in metal case. Dimensions: 16 by 53/.inches (front panel); 123/4 inches deep, plus allowancefor controls and connections. Price: $2,500 (without"panoramic" RF tuning -band display, $2,000); woodcase, $125 in walnut, $150 in Brazilian rosewood. War-ranty: five years parts and labor (scope and incandes-cent lamps, 1 year), shipping paid one way. Manufac-turer: The Sequerra Co., Inc., 71-07 Woodside Ave.,Woodside, N.Y. 11377.

Comment: By now we assume that everyone knowsabout the Sequerra 1, often characterized as "theworld's most expensive FM tuner." It also is an ex-

tremely fine one. Though there are some available func-tions (punched -card or pushbutton tuning, for example)that the Model 1 does not include and an occasionalperformance measurement (ultimate signal-to-noise isone) that we may have seen bettered in past lab meas-urements, the functional design is so encompassingand the over-all performance so superlative that the Se-querra can, with justice, be called "best." It certainly isa superb achievement.

First, a word about the kind of digital tuning that is in-volved. The tuning circuits themselves are conven-tional; it is the readout of the tuned frequency that isdigital. Unlike "true digital" tuners (those that will tuneonly to synthesized, discrete frequencies), the Se-querra can be mistuned. The advantage of the digital


readout is that it shows frequency unequivocally andaccurately to 0.1 megahertz and is to that extent farmore accurate than the normal dial -and -pointer ar-rangement in distinguishing, say, between a station at101.5 mHz and one on the adjacent channel at 101.7 (italso will read the in-between point at 101.6); but it canbe tuned to 101.53, for example, slightly off the 101.5frequency. The Sequerra relies on its oscilloscope formore precise centering; a "true digital" design relies onits frequency synthesis.

The scope dominates the front panel. Beside it are thefrequency readout, a lighting "stereo pilot" indicator,and the tuning knob. At the sides are two banks of push-buttons and indicator lamps. The first four at the upperleft are interlocked and control the scope display:"panoramic," tuning, "tuner vector," and "ext[ernal]vector." Then comes a push -push switch for separa-tion: maximum hi -blend. At the bottom is a Dolby on/offswitch. On the right are three interlocked muting but-tons: off, interstation, interstereo. (The latter, of course,mutes the output except when a stereo pilot is sensed.)The bottom three are again of the push -push type:mode (automatic/mono), panel illumination (normal/dim), and AC power (on /off).

Of the oscilloscope modes, the "vector" displayshould be the most familiar. Amplitudes of output sig-nals are represented by the distance toward the outeredges of the display panel from the center of the scope;mono signals appear as a vertical line running straightup from the center, while stereo signals fill the top quad-rant of the scope-the left and right 45 -degree lines thatdefine this quadrant represent left -only and right -onlysignals respectively. When outputs from a quad systemare connected to four pin jacks provided at the back,these 45 -degree lines represent the two front channels,while those running downward from the center repre-sent those at the back. The vector display thus can beused to check relative amplitudes and placements inany signal source: quad, stereo, or mono.

The "tuning" display also should be familiar. A per-fectly tuned station shows as a horizontal line centeredin the scope, which displays three lighted vertical grat-icules (calibration marks). The center one representsthe frequency to which the Model 1 is tuned, and thedisplay should be symmetrical about it. Thcse to theright and left indicate maximum modulation, and the dis-

play should not go beyond them if both the station'stransmitter and the tuner are being used correctly. Hori-zontal cross hairs along the center graticule calibrate itfor signal strength. Where multipath distortion inter-feres with the tuned signal, the display will be wiggly,rather than a straight horizontal line. Thus this one dis-play mode gives you much more detailed informationabout tuning and the quality of the RF signal to which itis tuned than you can get from the familiar meter pair.

The "panorama" display does still more. It too is cali-brated vertically in terms of signal strength, but its grat-icule has vertical lines that represent alternate -channelspacing, and the display itself embraces more than 1.6MHz of the RF spectrum (showing five alternate chan-nels or nine adjacent ones) centered on the tuned fre-quency. Each receivable station within this range ap-pears as a " peak"-" purple mountain majesties," so tospeak, rising above the "fruited plain" of noise at thebottom of the scope. The shape of the peaks can beused to tell which stations are broadcasting a stereosubcarrier and which have an SCA subcarrier. Wheread;acent channels interfere with each other, the displaycan be used as a gauge of antenna positioning to min-imize the interference. (And if you've never before seenthis sort of display, we guarantee you'll be fascinated byit.)

On the back panel are two pairs of stereo pin jacksthat carry output signals. that for normal use has fixed

0

E -10

c,cr -20

15-30Nc, -40

= -50

-60

1.4 tiV (mono)

3.0 irV (stereo)

FM SENSITIVITY & QUIETING CHARACTERISTCS

MONO SENSiTiViTY STEREO SENSITIVITY

(for 30 dB glinting) (for 30 dB quieting)

1.4 mV at 90 MHz 3.0 oV at 90 MHz

1.4 IN at 98 MHz 3.0 uV at 98 MHz

1.5 µV at 106 MHz 3.0 IN at 106 MHz

Sequerra 1 (1)

1 10 100 1K

RF INPUT IN MICROVOLTS10K 100K

JANUARY 1975 59

Sequerra Model 1 Additional Data

Capture ratio

Alternate -channel selectivity

S/N ratio

THD80 Hz1 kHz10 kHz

IM distortion

19 -kHz pilot

38 -kHz subcarrier

Mono0.07%0.10%0.20%

Frequency responsemonoL chR ch

Channel separation

1 dB

94 dB

67 dB

L ch0.13%0.11%0 89%

015%

-62 dB

-68 dB

R ch0.12%0.11%0.78%

+ Y., -1 dB. 20 Hz to 15 kHz+ 1/2, -1 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz+ 1/2, -1% dB. 20 Hz to 15 kHz

>421/2 dB, 20 Hz to 3 3 kHz-33 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz

gain; the second pair, for high -impedance inputs, has asmall screwdriver level control. So do the four pin -jackinputs for the external vector display. There also is a de-tector output (for a discrete -quad adapter if and when abroadcast method is approved) and a jack marked "25microsecond Dolby." In early samples, you must inserta shorting plug into this jack to convert the non -Dolbystandard de -emphasis (75 microseconds) to the newDolby standard; later samples have the change-whichaffects only the Dolby mode, of course-already madeinternally. Future production will omit the jack.

In addition the back panel has an array of screwdrivercontrols for adjusting calibration of the scope and itsvarious modes and for setting muting threshold. Thereis a terminal strip (appropriate for bared leads or small

A Tangent -Tracking

B&O Turntable With a

Mind of Its OwnThe Equipment: Beogram 4002, a two -speed (331/3 and45) automated single -play turntable with radial -trackingarm and MMC-6000 pickup cartridge, in wood case withhinged dust cover. Dimensions: 191/4 by 15 inches(case); 4 inches deep with cover closed, about 17inches of vertical clearance with cover fully open. Price:$650. Warranty: one year parts and labor, shipping paidone way. Manufacturer: Bang & Olufsen, Denmark; U.S.distributor: Bang & Olufsen of America, Inc., 2271 De-von Ave., Elk Grove Village, III. 60007.

spade lugs) for 300 -ohm or 75 -ohm antenna connec-tions. And there is a multi -pin jack marked "accessory"that is designed for a remote -control unit. It should beon the market (at about $150) by the time you read this,according to Sequerra, and will have six pushbuttonssimilar to those on the front panel: five for preselectedstations and one for manual (non -remote) tuning.

Sequerra provides a checkout sheet for each tuner.CBS Labs' data for our test sample match the checkoutvery closely indeed. This is particularly surprising sincea tuner of this quality puts a premium on the test equip-ment used; it is touch and go whether the unit under testwill prove better than the test setup. The lab had todouble check many of the measurements to be sure thatit wasn't simply measuring the limitations of its ownequipment.

In particular, the stereo quieting, separation, and dis-tortion figures of the tuner are spectacular. Stereo per-formance is almost as good as mono, and the mono it-self is superb. Since a tuner of this caliber defies itscritics to be peevish if they can, we might note that ourtest sample doesn't live up to the specs that preceded(by many months) the actual equipment; but we can'treally fault the performance for being merely excellentin these respects. For example, advance data sug-gested that alternate -channel selectivity would be in theneighborhood of 140 dB! The 94 dB that the lab actuallywas able to measure falls far short of this, though it isamong the best we've ever encountered. And we mightnote that the tuning is subject to some drift during thefirst half-hour or so after it is turned on-though anychange in tuned frequency is so dramatized by thescope (in the tuning mode, which the manual recom-mends for most accurate tuning) that you can see (andcorrect) the drift long before you can hear any signaldegradation.

So, peevish though we may try to be, we must con-cede that the Sequerra Model 1 is not only unique, but asuperb tuner.


IIMI111111

bU IGH YIDELITY MAGAZINE

Comment: In terms of sophisticated design-both cos-metic and mechanical-this is not only a unique turn-table, but deserves to be considered as the most im-pressive we have ever tested. If you're interested in anautomatic turntable (not a changer), this is by all oddsthe most fascinating we have worked with.

Its basic element is a two -speed electronically con-trolled drive motor, belt coupled to a heavy (4 pounds,10 ounces) aluminum platter with radial rubber "fins" or"spokes" that support the disc. The platter bearings aremounted on the same independently suspendedsubassembly (which is unusually insensitive to externalshock) as the arm -drive system, which has its own mo-tor. For cueing, this motor can be manually or automati-cally controlled; during record play, it acts as a servosystem, turning the lead -screw assembly that advancesthe arm in response to minute (less than 1 degree, saysB&O) arm displacements.

The arm itself is of the radial tracking or true tangenttype and is specifically designed for the MMC-6000 car-tridge (see test report, December 1974). It is a "CD -4"pickup-meaning that it will play mono, stereo, or ma-trixed quad discs, or CD -4 Quadradiscs. At this writing,B&O America is readying (for about $150) a plug-in CD -4 demodulator circuit board for the 4002 (which is soldin Europe with the board as the Beogram 6000).

A setscrew in the assembly at the arm's fulcrum ad-justs vertical tracking force, which reads on a small dialvisible through a window in the assembly; there is no an-tiskating adjustment, of course, because radial armsdevelop no skating force. A second "arm" parallel tothe tone arm and about an inch ahead of it contains aphotoelectric system that not only is part of the servo forarm positioning during play, but "reads" the surface be-neath it to determine where the edge of the record is-or, indeed, whether there's a record on the platter.

The control panel is unique. It is fabricated out of asingle piece of spring metal, slitted so that each individ-ual control section can be pressed to activate a switchbelow it as it bends slightly downward. Normally youneed use only the sections along the front: on, advance,cue, backup, and off. If you press "on," the 4002 willturn itself on and the tone arm will move to the lead-ingroove of the record and commence play. At the lead -out groove the arm will rise, the arm assembly will returnto its rest position, and the 4002 will shut itself off. If youtire of the record before it's over, press "off" and the4002 will raise its arm and complete the shutoff cycle. Ittakes about two seconds for the arm to find the lead-ingroove of a 12 -inch LP, about six seconds from leadoutto shutoff. That's all there is to it unless you're lookingfor a specific passage in the middle of the disc side.

The advance and backup sections of the controlpanel move the arm slowly toward or away from thespindle, and do so only as long as you continue to pressthem. Very accurate positioning can be accomplishedby a series of quick touches. (Note that the arm cannotbe moved manually-only via the controls.) If t'e recordhas been playing when you touch these sections, thearm -up cueing is automatic and the cueing sectionmust be pressed to lower the arm and recommence playonce you have located the correct spot on the disc. Forfaster cueing you can use the "on" section (for ad-vance) or the "off" section (to back up), and you can gofrom one of these modes to another in any sequence.Once pressed, the fast -cue modes will continue to drivethe arm until you press another section of the controlpanel or until the arm runs out of space. If it is runningtoward the spindle, it will reverse and move toward the

off position; if it already is moving away from the spindle,it likewise will continue toward the off position; once thesensor is beyond the edge of the record the arm nolonger can be lowered.

We found this the one point on which we could "fool"the logic of the system. If you put a small (less than 12 -inch) disc on the platter and begin play, then raise thearm and back it off until the stylus is beyond the recordedge but the sensor isn't, the pickup can be lowered tothe record -support firs with the cueing switch. So it ispossible to damage the stylus, but in normal practice weconsider it highly unlikely.

But what about turntable speed? The automationtakes care of that, too, for all normal purposes. Whenyou press "on," a little dial above the 33 -rpm section ofthe control panel lights up. It is calibrated from -3% to+ 3% in 1% increments and has a small wheel for ad-

justment. It works with the servocontrol system, whichaccording to B&O is more accurate than any strobe sys-tem. The unit, therefore, has no strobe. If the advancingtore arm finds no disc until it reaches the 7 -inch diame-ter the 33 dial will go dark and that above the 45 -rpmsection will light up-ir.dicating that turntable speed hasswitched automatically. If you have a 7 -inch LP or anoversize 45, you can override the automatic speed se-lection with the manual portions of the control panel. Anadapter for the large -hole 45s is provided, incidentally.

the 4002 seems to have a mind of its own, its design-ers most certainly do have. The entire design is ex-ceedingly well thought through, and of course its cos-metics are spectacular. It is astonishing to find somuch-two motors, a vibration -trapping suspensionsystem, logic circuitry, space for CD -4 circuitry, and soon-contained in such a shallow base: barely 2 inchesfrom tabletop to control panel.

Performance also is excellent in terms of lab meas-urements. No measurable error could be found in theexact -speed calibrations of the unit at any line voltageused in our tests. The fast and slow settings on thesedials, measured at extreme rotations (though not pre-cisely at the 3% calibrations in each case) are + 3,-31/2% for 33 rpm and + 31/2, -4% for 45. Flutter is ex-tremely low at 0.025% average (0.05% maximum), andso is rumble at -64 dB (ARLL). No arm friction could bemeasured, and since the tripping system at the end ofthe disc does not depend on arm motion as such it addsno drag either. Stylus -force calibrations (in half gramsfrom 0.0 to 1.5) all measured 0.1 gram high-a negligiblediscrepancy.

The lab measurement of arm resonance showed a 10 -dB rise at about 12.5 Hz. Apparently, the frequency isfairly optimum for avoiding both audible -range effectsand warp -tracking problems, and, despite what seemsto be a fairly high amplitude at that frequency, we en-countered no problems-either in tracking or listeningto warped discs.

This, then, is an exciting piece of record -playing gear:elegant, silky -smooth, and thoroughly competent. Andit is delivered equipped with a fine cartridge, as lastmonth's report documented. Old-timers, used to hook-ing a finger under the grip on the pickup head and deftlydrcpping the stylus into the first groove by hand, mayfind the 4002's ultramechanized approach Orwellian atfirst (though they should find that their records pick upfewer gouges in the long run), but we doubt that eventhose who are most opposed to automation could holdout long against this turntable's charms once they'vetried it.


JANUARY 1975 61

Audionics'

Speaker "Kit"

for the Real

Do-It-Yourselfer

The Equipment: Audionics Model TL -90 kit, containingdrivers, crossover and miscellaneous hardware parts,acoustic "stuffing," and plans for floor -standing trans-mission -line enclosure. Price: $180. Warranty: one yearreplacement on defective components. Manufacturer:Audionics, Inc., 10035 N.E. Sandy Blvd., Portland, Ore.97220.

Comment: This unit is called a "kit" for want of a betterword. Unlike the more familiar kits, which generally giveyou either a prefinished enclosure (one now is availablefor the TL -90 -see below) or precut parts ready to as-semble, this one gives you only plans and notes on con-struction. You must decide on the cosmetic treatmentand even enclosure configuration yourself -and supplythe necessary materials for the enclosure.

Audionics offers information on two enclosure types,both of them with transmission -line loading of thewoofer. The taller -and somewhat simpler to con-struct -was chosen by our kit -builder. Its transmissionline begins at the bottom of the woofer chamber and"folds" upward to emerge at the back top. A lowboy de-sign has a second fold in the transmission line, so thatits mouth is at the bottom of the enclosure. Neithershould pose severe problems to the reasonably accom-plished woodworker equipped with a radial -arm orbench saw; but they should not be attempted by thehammer -and -nails duffer if an acoustically and cosmet-ically satisfactory system is to result. As in any speakerenclosure, joints must be solid -and therefore accu-rately fitted -for correct performance.

Audionics also supplies acoustic "stuffing" material,

100

90

c:.°3

z 80

g 70W

60

50

RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS(1 watt input)

- , \1-121('

AVERAGE OMNIDIRECTIONAL RESPONSE14-31/2dB, 42 Hz to 16 kHz. re 81 dEDAVERAGE FRONT HEMISPHERIC RESPONSE

ON -AXIS RESPONSE

20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K

FREQUENCY IN HZ

11.90 kit

10K 20K 'Distortion data are taken on all tested speakers until distortion exceeds the10% level or the speaker produces the spurious output known as buzzing,whichever occurs first.

a prewired crossover board, and the necessary parts tocomplete the electrical portion of the system. Thecrossover has been changed somewhat since our sam-ples were shipped, and the design now has spring clipsfor the amplifier leads. (Ours have screw terminals thatcould permit shorting of the leads, so we are glad tolearn of the change.)

Obviously, the way that the product tests out in the labwill to some extent depend on the skill of the construc-tor. We only can report, therefore, on how our samplescame out, though we would not expect major differ-ences in other competently constructed samples.

CBS Labs' measurements, plus our listening tests,show our speakers to have quite flat response, with thefairly high sensitivity and tight (rather than boomy) bassassociated with transmission -line systems. It deliversthe standard sensitivity (or efficiency) test level (94 dBat 1 meter) for only 2.1 watts' input. It accepts steady-state input signals up to about 35 watts without exceed-ing distortion limits; a 300 -Hz tone at this level will blowthe fusing (supplied). Pulse power to 150 watts (aver-age, or 300 watts peak), the limit of the test amplifier,can be fed in without excessive distortion. In the steady-state test, levels of above 100 dB were reached; pulsetests ran to 1121/2 dB. Thus good dynamic range can beachieved even with fairly modest amplifier power -say,up to 30 watts per channel.

Audionics rates the system at an impedance of 7.5ohms. Though our samples dropped to this value at theextreme top of the audible range, the rating point (justabove the bass -resonance rise), as measured at thelab, was 12 ohms at about 80 Hz. The impedance curveis fairly flat. It drops to 8 ohms at 5 kHz and then risesagain before dropping at the top end. We would have noqualms about paralleling it with other speakers, workingfrom a transistor amplifier, on the basis of the data.

Pulse tests, particularly at 3 kHz, showed some evi-dence of ringing, but it is not severe. (Audionics claimsan improvement in this respect with the new crossover.)The sound is very good; by contrast to many Americansystems (the kit is based on a design by Radford of Eng-land, whose drivers and crossover are used in the sys-tem) the bass is a little reticent, though some listenersexpress admiration for its "lack of boominess." The de-sign admittedly aims for tight, clean bass, rather thanmaximum "bass sensation." Consequently, some lis-teners prefer the sound with loudness compensation inthe system driving the speakers while others do not.(We should point out that bass -resonance properties ofthe system can be tailored to some extent by the way inwhich the constructor installs the acoustic wadding.)

The sound is quite smooth at the top, but here too a

Audionics TL -90 Harmonic Distortion*

OutputLevel(dB)

Frequency80 Hz 300 Hz

% 2nd % 3rd % 2nd % 3rd

70 0.24 0.24 0.20 0.4575 0.33 0.20 0.20 0.5280 0.60 0.25 0.20 0.6585 1.2 0.30 0.20 0.6590 2.5 0.25 0.75 0.5595 5.5 1.2 2.3 0.26

100 4.1 0.45


distinction must be drawn between "typical" Europeanand American design objectives. The wide dispersionthat so many American systems strive for is not univer-sally considered a virtue in Britain. The extreme highs(above 10 kHz) are not as broadly dispersed in the Au-dionics system as they are in some American systemswe've tested, though, as it happens, the same tweeter isused in some systems manufactured here. It does pro-vide extended highs, a good spread even by Americanstandards, and firm stereo image.

All told, we are pleased with the sound of the TL -90s;in addition they have the virtue of a considerable savingwith respect to their finished counterparts, which cost$449 apiece. Our constructor spent about $30 on woodand grille cloth and needed five and a half hours to com-plete a pair of the speakers. So the total price (exclusive

of time, glue, miscellaneous hardware, finishing mate-rials, and electricity for his power tools) of the pair wassome $390-as opposed to $898 for the finished units.Furthermore, he had the opportunity to tailor the stylingto his own needs. The kit therefore offers both a chal-lenge (to the home constructor) and an opportunity (tothe music lover).

If you want the opportunity without the challenge (andaren't looking for a custom cabinetry job), Audionicshas just added a second kit that includes prefinishedcabinetry at $340 (shipping included). The standard fin-ish is a rosewood pressure laminate. Teak and black fin-ishes also are avai'able on special order-at no in-crease in price, but requiring extra waiting time. So nowyou can buy the TL -90 in three stages of completeness.


An Auto -Reverse Cassette Deck from Toshiba

The Equipment: Toshiba Model PT -490, a stereo cas-sette deck with Dolby noise reduction and automatic re-verse in both recording and playback, in wood case. Di-mensions: 163/4 by 111/4 inches (wood base); 51/2 inchesminimum vertical clearance for cassette -well cover,ventilation. Price: $349.95 (PT -470, similar but withoutauto -reverse feature, $249.90). Warranty: one yearparts and labor, shipping paid one way. Manufacturer:Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd., Japan; U.S. distribu-tor: Toshiba America, Inc., 280 Park Ave., New York,N.Y. 10017.

Comment: This report establishes two "firsts" in ourtesting program: the first auto -reverse home cassettedeck we've measured, and the first product of any de-scription from Toshiba-a company perhaps bestknown for its mass -market wares, but the producer of acomponent line as well.

There is a tilted blackout control panel at the backwith lighting direction indicators at the left, Dolby andrecording indicators near the center, and recording me-ters at the right. At the left of the main panel is the cas-sette well with buttons for the usual functions (plus re-versing) in front of it. They allow the user to go directlyfrom play into either fast -wind and back without pushing"stop" but not directly from one fast wind mode to theother. The stop button also controls eject; if the trans-port is running, a push on this button will stop it but noteject the cassette, which requires that the deck alreadybe stopped-a nicely thought-out prevention for unin-tentional eject in start -stop work. The entire system re-turns automatically to "stop" at the end of the tape inany transport mode, unless an automatic -reverse modeis triggered, of course.

The automatic reverse is controlled by a three -posi-tion mode switch to the right of the transport buttons.The "nonreverse" position allows manual selection oftransport direction (using the "reverse" button) in ei-ther recording or playback. The "reverse" positioncauses the deck to change automatically from forward(tape moving toward the right) to reverse (tape movingleft) in either recording or playback at the end of thetape. In the "repeat" position the deck will reverse atboth ends in playback; in recording it still will stop at theend of the second cassette side.

Next to the mode selector is a tape selector: "nor-mal" i"hi-fi" "chrome." Toshiba recommended TDKtypes D, SD, and KR, respectively, for these settings,and lab tests were made accordingly. At the extremeright front are switches for Dolby action and AC power.Behind them are a pair of sliders to control recordinglevel, while behind the two three -position knobs aresimilar sliders to control playback level. Unlike mostcassette decks, the PT -490 does not control sourceoutput during recording via the playback sliders; onlythe recording -level controls do that.

We found the fixed source -feed level via the PT -490higher than input levels unless we cut recording levelsback to peak at roughly -10 VU. Because of this "mis-match" we prefer the more common system using anoutput (not just playback) level control for the returnfeed to the stereo system, though the point obviously isnot a major one for most users.

There is a turns counter at the back of the top plate. Atthe bottom right corner of the base are a stereo head-phone jack and mono phone jacks for left and right mikeinputs. The latter disconnect the line feed when themixes are plugged in. The line input and output connec-tions are on the back of the unit: both pin -jack pairs anda DIN connector. There are no user -accessible Dolbyadjustments.

JANUARY 1975 63

The most newsworthy feature of the deck is, ofcourse, the automatic reversing. Toshiba achieves it byusing a four -track record/play head in the central (nor-mal) position, aligned with the cassette's pressure pad.This is flanked by two erase heads (one for forward and

+50

-5

+5co 0

z -5(./,`"

+5

0

-5

+50

-5

DIN PLAYBACK RESPONSE(0 dB 44 -20 VU)

=z--=

Left channel: +21/2, -11/2 dB, 31.5 Hz to 10 kHz

Right channel: +2'4, -1 dB, 31.5 Hz to 10 kHz

RECORD/PLAYBACK RESPONSE(0 dB -20 V1.0

CHROME TAPE, DOLBY OFF

Left channel: +31/2, -5 dB, 24 Hz to 10 kHzRight channel: +21/2, -5 dB, 23 Hz to 12.5 kHz

TDK SD TAPE, DOLBY OFF

Left channel: +23/4, -5 dB, 25 Hz to 11 kHz (- -L ch. rev.)Right channel: +2, -5 dB. 24 Hz to 13 kHz (- - - R. ch. rev.)

TDK SD TAPE, DOLBY ON

Left channel: +3, -5 dB, 28 Hz to 10 kHzRight channel: +21/2, -5 dB, 26 Hz to 11 kHz

PT 490 (I)

20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K

FREQUENCY IN HZ

Toshiba PT -490 Additional Data

5K 10K 20K

Speed accuracy 0.7% slow at 105, 120, and 127 VAC

Wow and flutter playback: 0.09%record/play: 0.12%

Rewind time (C-60 cassette)

Fast -forward time (same cassette)

S /NI ratio (re 0 VU, Dolby off)playback L ch: 55 dBrecord/play L ch: 47 dB

Erasure (333 Hz at normal level)

Crosstalk (at 333 Hz)record lett, play rightrecord right, play lett

Sensitivity (re DIN 0 VU)line input L ch: 88 mVmike input L ch: 0.26 mV

128 sec.

128 sec.


65 dB

40 dB42 dB

R ch: 88 mVR ch: 0.26 mV

Meter action (re DIN 0 VU)L ch: 1/2 dB low R ch 1/2 dB low

Total harmonic distortion (at -10 VU)L ch <2.0%, 50 Hz to 5 kHzR ch <2.0%, 50 Hz to 5 kHz

IM distortion (record/play, -10 VU)L ch: 6.0% R ch: 6.5%

Maximum output (re DIN 0 VU)L ch: 1.2 V R ch: 1.2 V

one for reverse) that fit into the smaller openings be-tween the record/play head opening and those nor-mally used for the erase head (on one side) and thepinch roller (on the other). The transport uses both ofthese latter openings for capstan pinch rollers; whichone engages depends on the direction of tape travel.

The system works very well indeed, though truly in-stantaneous reverse is possible only in playback. Inrecording, the manual reverse button is locked; youmust stop the tape before it will operate. With leaderlesscassettes, the turnaround time in automatic reverse isabout three seconds; leader in the tape increases the"missed" time during automatic -reverse recording, ofcourse. So while a C-120 cassette will, for example, al-low two uninterrupted hours of unattended recordingon the PT -490, there will be a noticeable break at theend of the first side.

Mechanically the PT -490 is no more complex than itsnonreversing counterpart except for the extra pinchroller; there are no shifting heads or flipping cassettemount. This simplicity of design strikes us as all to thegood. Unlike the more complicated convenience de-signs (including 8 -track decks with their shifting heads),the PT -490 would not appear to be particularly prone toazimuth alignment problems or to tape -to -head contactchanges with reversed tape feed. Response measure-ments confirm, in fact, that record/ play behavior in thetwo directions is virtually identical-unlike that of somemechanically eleborate reversing decks we've tested inthe past. And, of course, the simpler the design, the lessthere is to go wrong in any respect.

By checking the prices at the beginning of this reportyou'll see that the reversing feature adds $100 to theprice of a $250 Dolby deck. The extra costs are duelargely to the extra switching and wiring, it would ap-pear. Basically, then, this is a moderate -priced Dolbydeck with a particularly efficient reversing systemadded and with no corners cut in the basic design.

That basic design represents good value, in our opin-ion, though a comparison with the measurements forthe "better" (nonreversing) Dolby decks we've testedat, say, about $350 naturally will turn up better perform-ance-particularly obvious in record/play responsecurves, where all the lab's measurements of the PT -490show a gradual rolloff in the treble and an ultimate toplimit a few kHz below that of a typical $350 deck. The re-sult is slightly bass -heavy but particularly hiss -freesound whose balance can, to some extent, be restoredby a gentle treble touchup. It certainly is not out of linefor a $250 deck.

One word about the meters. The lab's measurementsshow those in our test sample to be set for a 0 VU 1/2 dBabove DIN standard. Common practice today is to setthem for a 0 -VU indication at Dolby reference level(about 2 dB below DIN 0 VU) or even lower to allowgreater headroom for peaks. The Toshiba's meteringtherefore offers little if any headroom, and we'd suggestthat you set levels more conservatively with it than youwould with most decks.

That leaves us with one outstanding question: Is theautomatic -reverse feature worth $100? Judging fromreader correspondence, we think it will be to manyusers, particularly when the reversing is accomplishedby so sane a design. For once we can say without equiv-ocation that we see no negative side effects to the inclu-sion of the reversing feature-it adds much to the con-venience of the unit without discernibly subtractinganything in performance, reliability, or versatility.



Onkyo's "Totally Engineered" TX -560 Receiver

The Equipment: Onkyo Model TX -560, a stereo FM/AMreceiver in wood case finished in wood -grain vinyl. Di-mensions: 181/2 by 51/2 inches (front panel, inclJding al-lowance for feet); 131/2 inches deep plus allowance forcontrols, connections, etc. Price: $449.95. Warranty:three years on parts, two years on labor; shipping paidone way. Manufacturer: Onkyo Corp., Japan; U.S. dis-tributor: Onkyo Sales Section, Mitsubishi InternationalCorp., 25-19 43rd Ave., Long Island City, N.Y. 1 1 101.

Comment: Onkyo's phrase "totally engineered" appar-ently refers to the integration within this receiver of anumber of features -direct -coupled differential ampli-fier, phase -linear FM IF circuitry, ceramic AM filters,negative -feedback tone controls, thermal overload pro-tection, exceptionally smooth tuning control, "tran-sient killer" to prevent "pops" in the speakers when theunit is turned on and off, and so on -that Onkyo engi-neers believe important in a modern,ceiver. But a stereo receiver is more than electrical en-gineering, of course; and this one is a handsome,sanely designed piece of music -reproduction equip-ment.

The faceplate is finished in a bronzy anodizing withwell laid -out cream -color lettering. The wide tuning diallights up green with a red pointer tip; only the meters inuse (signal -strength for AM and for FM and center -tun-ing for FM) also light up green. The tuning knob to theright of the dial has a particularly attractive feel; forquick retuning, a single sharp twirl can drive the pointerall the way from one end of the dial to the other due to itssilky bearings and heavy flywheel action.

The remaining front -panel features are lined up belowthe dial. Next to the headphone jack (which is live at alltimes) at the extreme left is the AC /speaker switch, withpositions for AC off, speakers off, any of three stereopairs of speakers, and the first of these pairs plus eitherof the other two. Next are the bass and treble controls,each with friction -clutched elements for the two chan-nels. The volume control near the center of the panelhas a flange element for balance. Then come a series ofpushbuttons for high and low filters, loudness. mono/stereo mode, tape monitors 1 and 2, and FM muting. A

10 K HZ

Square -wave response

0

M -10

cz 2-0toc,

.o -30

.2 -40

-50

,-- -60

\ir. 2.5 p1I (mono)

'- 12 pM (stereo)

FM SENSITIVITY & QUIETING CHARACTERISTICS

STEREO FM THRESHOLD

12 µV at 90 MHz (for 34 dB quieting)

12 IN at 98 MHz (for 351/2 dB quieting)

12 pV at 106 MHz (for 46 dB quieting)

MONO FM SENSITIVITY

(for 30 dB quieting)

2.9 pV at 90 MHz

2.5 pV at 98 MHz

2.8 pV at 106 MHz

--------------

10 100 1K

RE INPUT IN MICROVOLTS

POWER OUTPUT DATA

CHANNELS INDIVIDUALLY


Left at 0.2% THD: 60.5 watts

Right at clipping: 50.0 watts for 0.039% THD

Right at 0.2% THD: 60.5 watts

CHANNELS SIMULTANEOUSLY


Right at clipping: 42.3 watts for 0.053% THD

POWER BANDWIDTH

TX 560 (I)

10K 100K

0c4

+2+1

0

-1-2-3

+50

-5

53

43

34

27

21.5

For 0.i% THD: below 10 Hz to above 100 kHz \to 33 kHzFor 02% THD. below 10 Hz

FREQUENCY RESPONSE0 watt output)

-2,1 dB, below 10 Hz to 30 kHz

TX -560 (3)

10 20 100 IK 10K 20K 100K

FREQUENCY IN HZ

1.0INTERMODULATION CURVES

0.7

0.5

0.3

2 0.2

rgti

0.07

0.05-

1-1:. 0.03 8 -ohm load: <0.13%, below 0.1 to 56.9 watts

4 -ohm load: <0.13%, below 0.4 to 78.8 watts0.02

16 -ohm load: <0.11%, below 0.1 to 31.9 watts

0.01

1 2 5 10 20 50 100 200 500 1K

OUTPUT IN WATTS

JANUARY 1975 65

2.0

1.0

0.7

0.5

0.30.2

t 0.10.07

HARMONIC DISTORTION CURVES

43 WATTS OUTPUT

Left channel: .0.53%, 40 Hz to 20 kHz

Right channel: -.0.61%, 40 Hz to 20 kHz

21.5 WATTS OUTPUT

Left channel <0.181%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

Right channel: <0.150%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

0.05

0.03

0.02

0.5

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.07

,V 0.05

0.03

0.02

0.01

-----------

TX 560 (4A)

0.43 WATTS OUTPUT

Left channel: <0.18%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

Right channel: <0.15%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

TX.560 (48)

20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K

FREQUENCY IN HZ

Onkyo TX -560 Receiver Additional Data

Capture ratio

Tuner Section

2 dB

Alternate -channel selectivity 74 dB

S/N ratio

THD80 Hz1 kHz10 kHz

IM distortion

19 -kHz pilot

38 -kHz subcarrier

Mono0.49%0 18%1.1%

Frequency responsemonoL chR ch

020%

-48 dB

-68 dB

66 dB

L ch0.82%0.22%5.3%

R ch0 76%0.22%4.9%

+ 11/2, -3 dB, 30 Hz to 15 kHz+ Y., -3 dB, 20 Hz to 13 kHz+ 0, -3 dB. 20 Hz to 13 5 kHz

Channel separation >38 dB, 120 Hz to 2.6 kHz>28 dB, 31 Hz to 9.5 kHz

Amplifier Section

Damping factor 46

Input characteristics (for 43 watts output)Sensitivity S/N ratio

phono 2.8 mV 71'/2 dBmike 3.6 mV 68 dBaux 190 mV 891/2 dBtape 1 228 mV 871/2 dBtape 2 228 mV 84 dB

RIAA equalization accuracy+'/2, -21/2 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

(mono) phone -jack mike input is between the last push-button and the selector control (AM /FM /FM auto/phono /aux/ mike).

There are the usual pin jacks for signal leads on theback panel, plus a DIN input/output connector as an al-ternate to the tape -1 pin jacks. There is a knurledgrounding post near the phono inputs. The antennaconnections (also a series of knurled binding posts)provide for external AM (long-wire), "local" 300 -ohmFM, regular external 300 -ohm FM, and 75 -ohm coaxialFM leads. The "local" connection is recommended inusing the supplied twinlead dipole where strong localstations overload the front end when it is connected tothe regular 300 -ohm posts. There are heavy-duty bind-ing posts, suitable for bared leads or large spade lugs,for the outputs to three stereo pairs of speakers. TwoAC convenience outlets, one of which is switched bythe front -panel AC/speaker knob, are provided.

"Totally engineered" might be taken to mean that ev-erything in the TX -560 works well together, which itdoes. The dual tape monitors allow flexibility in thechoice of ancillary equipment, as well as dubbing fromtape 1 to tape 2; the mike input allows you to record livevia the receiver (in mono of course, and without mixing);the amplifier section has low distortion and amplepower for two typical stereo pairs of speakers; the FMsection has excellent quieting -particularly in stereo-and exceptionally smooth behavior both mechanicallyand in terms of freedom from tuning transients. For allthis, the unit does not literally confirm its publishedspecifications in a number of respects. The lab data areconsistent with the specifications, however (better insome respects, not as good in others), and at no pointwould we consider the differences really significant interms of listening quality.

The 30 -dB "minimum usable" sensitivity figure, forexample, proved to be 2.5 microvolts in our test sample,whereas Onkyo gives 1.8 microvolts as the spec. Thissounds like a major difference, but since the tuner sec-tion exceeds 50 dB of quieting (in mono) for all inputsabove 7.5 microvolts the actual performance of the FMsection in terms of quality listening is, in this respect, ac-tually better than many a receiver testing out at 1.8 mi-crovolts or less. Likewise many receivers never achieve50 dB of quieting at all in stereo, while the Onkyo doesso for most input strengths in the normal operatingrange. Other measurements for this section are good orexcellent.

Onkyo rates the amplifier section at an ambitious0.2% harmonic distortion. At 43 watts per channel, thepower rating with both channels driven is just above theclipping point of our test sample as shown in the power -

output data; the result is that harmonic distortion risesabove the rating point at the frequency extremes. Note,however, that it is above 0.5% (a more common ratingpoint) only in the very deep bass. And it typically is in theneighborhood of 0.03% at half -power output -a figurethat can be bettered by mighty few receivers. Again, theother measurements for the amplifier section confirmOnkyo's specs in aggregate, if not in all specifics, andrepresent good to excellent performance.

What does it all add up to? A receiver that offers solidperformance and functions, without flamboyance.Though we generally look askance at such advertisingterms as "totally engineered," the phrase does seem tohave real meaning when applied to the TX -560, whichconsistently puts its performance and design prioritiesin rational order to deliver quality and flexibility whiledispensing with the frills that add more to cost than tousefulness.



lthe newreleases

Guests whirl to Prokofiev's dance music in Scene 2 of War and Peace as staged by the Bolshoi Opera in Moscow.

by Conrad L. Osborne

War and Peace: A Repertory Candidate?The Bolshoi recording of Prokofiev's huge, problematic

opera highlights Columbia's first Melodiya release.

PROKOFIEV'S War and Peace is one of the two operaswritten since 1940 that seem to stand a chance at old-fashioned international repertory status (the other beingPeter Grimes). It first came to American attention in the1950s, when a severely abridged television productionwas offered by NBC, followed by MGM's release of arecording, also extensively cut, that featured Belgradesoloists with Viennese choral and orchestral forces. Nowthe work has received its first American stage production(by the Boston Opera last spring), and this month finallybrings domestic release of Melodiya's Bolshoi recording,excerpts of which have been available on Angel SR40053 since 1969. (The complete set circulated herebriefly in mono on MK 218D.)

Prokofiev had in mind a War and Peace before theoutbreak of World War II but got at the composition it-self in 1941, under extraordinary personal circum-

stances. With Nazi armies striking toward Moscow viaSmolensk (just as Napoleon's had done in 1812), a num-ber of prominent Soviet artists were removed from thecapital to the Caucasus. Prokofiev was among them. Be-hind him in Moscow remained his wife and children;with him to the Caucasus went Mira Mendelson, theyoung poet who had already collaborated on the librettoof The Duenna and who was to become his second wife.

The composer evidently worked well, for the first ver-sion of War and Peace was completed in less than a year.Sensibly, it focused on a portrayal of the more importantpersonal relationships shown by Tolstoi, in particularthat betweeh Natasha and Prince Andrei. The Sovietcultural authorities, however, wanted a heavier empha-sis on patriotic monumentality, and this meant beefingup several of the War scenes, chiefly to further glorify thefigure of Marshal Kutuzov and underline the invincibil-

JANUARY 1975 67

ity of the Russian people. When a stage production wasfinally projected for the Leningrad Maly (in 1946, Sam-uel Samosud conducting), Prokofiev added two entirescenes, one each for the War and Peace segments, whichwere to be performed on separate evenings. This madethirteen scenes in all, several of them much expandedfrom their original forms. But in the event, only eightwere mounted at Leningrad, and, though the composercontinued to tinker with the work until his death, henever saw it produced in anything close, to completeform. The score published by the Soviet State PublishingHouse (distributed in this country by BeIwin-Mills)apparently reproduces all the sections the composereventually wished included; the Bolshoi production pre-serves the complete scene structure but makes cutswithin several of the scenes, almost all in the second(War) volume.

Prokofiev set himself quite a problem: Obviously,there can be no such thing as an adequate stage presenta-tion of the novel. The composer elected to pursue Andreiand Natasha from the time of their meeting. We are al-ready in Part 3 of Book II of the Tolstoi, and most of themajor characters are well along in their development. Iffrom this point one decides to build an opera primarilyaround Natasha and Andrei and the necessary "support"scenes and figures, one has to concede that a great deal ofimportant material will be left to the imaginations orprior knowledge of the viewers. This is less a question ofplot than of character: who Andrei and Natasha are, whatpeople and happenings have brought them to their read-iness for each other, what it is in each of them that willnot allow fulfillment of their love. In Tolstoi, it is not somuch Andrei and Natasha as it is the Bolkonskys and theRostovs; it is largely through such characters as the elderBolkonsky, the Princess Maria, and Lise (on Andrei'sside), and Count Rostov, Sonya, Nikolai, and Boris Dru-betskoy (on Natasha's) that we understand the opera'scentral relationship. Four of these seven charactersmake brief appearances in Prokofiev; two are left out al-together, and the last (Andrei's wife, the "little Prin-cess") is dead before the curtain rises.

Prokofiev counted on some familiarity with the novel,on the license granted to the "tableau" structure familiarfrom many earlier Russian operas, and on the power ofhis music and of live performers to suggest instanta-neously so much that could not be told. These are rea-sonably fair assumptions. They still leave two seriousquestions: How is the framework of the war sections tobe limited and made stageworthy, and what aboutPierre?

Battle scenes are next to impossible to present on-stage within the operatic conventions. The carnage itselfcannot be convincingly shown, so one is left with be-hind -the -scenes business-commanders issuing orders,orderlies dashing in and out, observers observing-and itall tends to fall flat. The easiest solution is an interlude oroverture (Verdi grew so desperate he wrote a fugue), butProkofiev does not go that route. He actually shows uscouncils of war, preparations for battle, the burning ofMoscow, Napoleon gnashing his teeth.

As for Pierre, here is the central character of the novelout somewhere on the periphery of things, with a charac-ter almost impossible to embody musically. He has littleto do with the happenings selected for the opera, butregrettably he does have a little; he cannot be excised al-

together. So one has the choice of leaving him a virtuallyanonymous cog in the plot, whose name had just as wellbe Sam or Max, or writing him in more completely byway of explanation.

The opera does founder somewhat on these diffi-culties, but this fact should be considered in the contextof much that is powerful and beautiful. Andrei and Na-tasha are exquisitely written, from their opening utter-ances in the rustling spring evening at 'the Rostov estatethrough the aching reconciliation duet of Andrei'sdelirium. (And that is where Prokofiev leaves them,without any final statement or "death scene.") Prokofievhas found an especially expressive chromatic love themefor Natasha, tender and passionate but mournful, too,which he brings back very touchingly when the disasterof her infatuation with Anatole has struck. And Anatoleis another highly successful musical character, elegantlyinsinuating in his plea to Natasha, wonderfully arrogantin his argument with Dolokhov over the intended elope-ment (this entire scene is strong, building to a fine, wildclimax as Anatole and the coachman Balaga launch outthrough the storm).

Also excellent is the encounter between Natasha andMaria Ahrosimova, after the elopement plot has beenfoiled, built around a triplet figure in thirds that isimplacably repeated-we feel Natasha 'being broken.The big ballroom scene (Scene 2, one of the two addedfor the 1946 production) contains excellent dance music(waltzes that are much more than incidental, offeringnice commentary on the social atmosphere and cleverharmonic suggestions that something is quite wrong be-neath the surface) and affords a needed opportunity forestablishing the characters of the older Rostov and theCountess Helene. In fact, it is hard to imagine how Scene7 (in Pierre's study, involving Helene and others fromthe "French" side of society) could work at all withoutthe earlier one, and the composer evidently took a littlestaccato figure from the introduction to Scene 7 to fash-ion Helen's most characteristic utterances in Scene 2, sothat it comes to represent the empty frivolity of hercircle.

When the opera moves into the war scenes, the writingbecomes more uneven. The quality has its ups anddowns, and the style its ins and outs. I think we wouldsense this problem even if we did not know the opera'scompositional history. It sounds as if Prokofiev origi-nally intended a series of short tough scenes in a rapidsuccession, depending for their cumulative effect partlyon their punchy brevity and partly on a type of scenic re-alization akin to the nineteenth-century "living picture"or "magic lantern" concept, in which history seems tomaterialize within the proscenium frame, like a three-di-mensional reproduction of a famous oil painting (say,Washington Crossing the Delaware). It suddenly beginsto move, then is gone. The pictures are fixed and tightlybound, as in a stereopticon, and do not flow into eachother in the more cinematic fashion Prokofiev later em-ployed in Story of a Real Man.

Strongly highlighted in this sequence would be thescene between Natasha and the fatally wounded Andreiand the parallel tableaux built around the figures of Na-poleon and Kutuzov, both of whom apostrophize Mos-cow from their opposed points of view.

The necessity for strengthening the patriotic elementin these scenes and introducing more choral writing re -


suited not merely in more music, but in a predominanceof music of a certain sort-tuneful, simple, uplifting-that lends quite a different tone to the proceedings andradically alters the relative importance of happeningsand characters. This is not necessarily all to the bad;some of the choral writing is good of its sort, and thecomposer's biggest patriotic tune, though it soundsrather treacly in the mputh of Kutuzov in his aria, be-comes inspiring from the throats of a full mixed chorus.The Soviet Committee on the Arts was probably right(for whatever reasons) in feeling that the war scenesneeded some strengthening to hold their own with thepeace scenes.

But the clash of styles, and the sense that one elementis intruding on another, is hard to deal with. More thanonce Prokofiev's pungent little operatic scene comes toan unprepared halt, and the Soviet cantata takes over.Even if they are equally good (and, in fact, parts of thecantata are better than parts of the opera), both cannotbe organic. Napoleon is weakened in proportion and,strangely enough, so is Kutuzov; though Prokofievadded the scene of the war council at Fili to show Kutu-zov dominating the situation with the other generals, thisconversation is the weakest scene in the whole work and,musically speaking, passes unnoticed. Finally, Pierre,who was clearly intended io emerge as a key character inthe latter portion of the work, is unable to do so-Proko-fiev never really located him in his music, and he standsno chance against the massive choral episodes and scenicspectacles.

All the same, there are fine moments in the secondhalf of the opera, even aside from the Andrei/Natashascene. Kutuzov's first entrance has a true nobility, espe-cially in its orchestral introduction, and the mournful in-terlude, with oboe solo, that follows his aria is memo-rable. The entire Napoleon scene is great fun-burstsfrom the snare drum, angry splutterings in the brass, avivid accented figure for muted solo trumpet, and somefine, aggressive declamation for the emperor himself.The conflagration scene in Moscow captures some of thechaotic terror and pathos of its subject, and by introduc-ing the character of Platon Karatayev gives Pierre one ofhis few chances to show something of himself. Both thisscene and the one that follows (on the Smolensk road)seem divided in two, opening with a grim picture of suf-fering but concluding with a chorus of determination ortriumph, in the case of the conflagration scene quite or-dinary. The scene on the road shows the retreat of theFrench and their prisoners (Pierre and Platon amongthem) in a raging blizzard, the murder of Platon. the res-cue of the prisoners by Denisov and his partisans, and fi-nally the arrival of Kutuzov with the aforementionedchoral ode based on the theme of his aria. This worksbetter; the evocation of the snowstorm is graphic, andthe final chorus carries what we might call the weight ofits simplicity.

The less successful sections of Part 2 are a couple ofthe choral segments where Prokofiev drops his work tostraighten up and salute; most of the writing for Pierre,who just flounders around in the music (when unem-phatic conversation is repeatedly carried up to A and Bflat, where it keeps marching along without any strongfeeling beneath it, you know the composer's stuck); andthe war council scene, which is really nowhere musically,though happily short.

I doubt that War and Peace is quite a great opera,though exposure to some live productions is necessarybefore making up one's mind about a stage piece. Butthere isn't any doubt that it is an important work thatcontains much heartfelt, superbly crafted writing andthat it should be staged by every company that has theresources and takes itself seriously from an artistic view-point.

Without intending any detraction from it. I cannot re-sist a wistful glance over the shoulder at the operatic Pro-kofiev that seemed to be developing in the teens andtwenties of the century. For although three of his lastfour operas have definite strengths and merits and canlegitimately be viewed as more workable than The Gam-bler or The Flaming Angel (though not Love of Three Or-anges, which remains his most complete operatic state-ment). they never quite show the musical or theatricalambition, the intellectual and emotional individualityand integrity, of those earlier pieces. Hearing them injuxtaposition, I cannot escape the feeling that at somelevel he stopped reaching after the things that most fasci-nated and excited him, and began writing-usually well,nearly always with great skill-in areas that did not fullychallenge him or stir the farthest reaches of his imagina-tion. In 1917, Dostoevsky's Alexti and the gamblinghouse; in 1919, acid Gozzi/Meyerhold satire; in 1926,the obsessed Renata. In 1942, Marshal Kutuzov with asong about Moscow.

The Columbia/Melodiya recording of the Bolshoiproduction easily displaces the old MGM release, longunavailable in any case. The latter had some capableleading artists in Radmilla Bokacevic (Natasha), Du-shan Popovich (Andrei), Biserka Cvejic (Sonya), andDrago Startz (Anatole), but with the possible exceptionof Popovich none is as good as his Bolshoi counterpart,and the general ensemble level is far lower, as is the stateof the engineering. Beyond that, it is brutally cut: twoscenes gone entirely (7 and 12-Pierre's study and theMoscow fire), a couple of others gravely disfigured, andstill others shortened less drastically; altogether, forty toforty-five minutes' less music than is on the new set.

Of some scholarly interest, perhaps, is MGM's inclu-sion of the overture in place of the choral epigraph-thesecond and first numbers, respectively, in the score. Nei-ther is really distinguished music, but the epigraph ismore imposing and theatrical. Its words (drawn directlyfrom Tolstoi, like nearly all of the libretto) begin withthe opening of Chapter 2, Part 3, Book III-"The forcesof a dozen European nations burst into Russia"-and thepiece might seem more logically placed at the head ofPart 2 of the opera. But its position in place of the over-ture does set a background of menace to the "peace"scenes that immediately follow.

To detail all the cuts in the Bolshoi performancewould be tiresome, and some of them are puzzlinglybrief (for eight or ten bars, why bother?). But we shouldtake note of the more substantial ones, all in Part 2: twocuts totaling about nine pages in Scene 8 involving thechorus, Vassilissa, Andrei, and Matveyev, thus eliminat-ing the last role altogether (part of this is included on theMGM recording); a three -page monologue for Pierre inScene 8; part of Kutuzov's opening address with choralreplies and some lines for an adjutant, still in Scene 8;the latter section of Kutuzov's aria in Scene 10 (wherethe orchestral postlude noted above also becomes a prel-

JANUARY 1975 69

ude, being transposed with the aria); large chunks fromthe opening section of Scene 11 (the Moscow fire); fivepages for Pierre and the chorus later in the same sceneand three pages for chorus near the end of the scene; andthree substantial cuts in the last scene including somepages for Pierre, for Kutuzov, for orchestral description,and for repetition and development of the final chorus.Without having timed anything out, I would estimate thetotal of these excisions at a half-hour.

No judgment about cuts is justified unless one hasreally heard or closely studied a piece both ways andallowed the difference in total impact to sink in-it is notjust a matter of which pages may be weaker than certainothers. Pierre's writing, for example, may not be success-ful, but he is in the opera, and it may well be more im-portant to afford him his place in the dramatic schemethan to save a few minutes. We have the examples ofother problem pieces worked over by their composers(e.g., La Forza del destino and Don Carlos), and I thinkexperience with such works has shown us that they areusually further weakened, rather than "tightened," byelimination of even the obviously weaker sections. I sus-pect that a few of the choral cuts in War and Peace arewell judged, and in production I would be happy to seethe war council scene disposed of, with Kutuzov's ariaplaced somewhere else. But I am not at all sure of manyof the other excisions and could not be certain that eventhose sections that seem to contribute nothing do not infact bolster the opera's effect. It would in particular be anadvantage to have the music available on a recording.

The performance is extremely impressive, especiallywith respect to the depth of its casting. In fact, the twounmistakably great vocalists in it appear in relativelybrief roles-IrMa Arkhipova as Helene, Pavel Lisitsianas Napoleon-and,while neither role affords big singingopportunities, both benefit enormously from perform-ances of such stature. Some roles that are hardly morethan bits are accorded major voices-Viktor Nechipailoas Balaga, Artur Eizen as the French officer Ramballe-while others have the advantage of exact and colorfulcharacter work (Georgy Shulpin doubling Barclay andPlaton, Alexander Vedernikov in the few lines allottedthe old Prince Bolkonsky). And as is often the case onBolshoi recordings, there are also veteran leading singersin some of the smallest roles-Nikolai Shchegolkov isIlya Rostov, Yevgeny Belov is Metivier. The list is toolong to acknowledge; not a single role is really inade-quately done.

Among the leading artists, there are two who are satis-factory from every point of view-Galina Vishnevskayaas Natasha and Alexei Maslennikov as Anatole. Natashais a part that suits Vishnevskaya both vocally and tem-peramentally. She is wholly into this very young andlovable woman, projecting both her rapture and her de-spair with a wonderful spontaneity. Her lovely lyric so-prano is in good shape, too, with some shimmeringfloated A flats in the first scene, and no problems in deal-ing with the more expansive moments. Maslennikov,with his superb intonation, keen rhythmic observance,finely developed dramatic sense, and attractive lyrictenor, is perfect as Anatole; the scene between these twocould stand as a model of operatic interpretation.

The Andrei is Yevgeny Kibkalo, an experienced lyricbaritone with an attractive voice and great musicality.One sometimes wants a greater color span and more

thrust in his singing-the role is written very high and,while he has ways of managing everything gracefully,the more dramatic moments (as in his battlefield mono-logue) need more tonal core and juice to make a full ef-fect. It would also be good to hear a front -rank singingbass as Kutuzov-Alexei Krivchenya, a fine artist, is es-sentially a character singer. He is in fresher voice herethan on the more recent Khovanshchina set, and nodoubt is an excellent Kutuzov in the theater, but his tonetends to dryness and constriction just when one wants itto open out.

Vladimir Petrov, a typical Slavic Heroic tenor with asolid middle and a squeezed top, certainly doesn't makemuch effect with Pierre, though he's clearly a perfectlycompetent musician. The writing is plain graceless, and Ican't imagine anyone making much of it. The list of im-portant singers is completed by two mezzos-ValentinaKlepatskaya, who sings very prettily as Sonya, and Yev-genia Verbitskaya, who sings nastily but to apposite ef-fect as Maria Ahrosimova.

The orchestral playing and choral singing are first-rate. The conducting of Melik-Pashayev is solid, but Iconfess to finding it also a bit tame. The weightier sec-tions make a big impact, but some of the lighter ones (thelilting dances of the early scenes, the military flourishesof the later ones) could use more rhythmic bounce andaccent, sharper pointing of dotted figures and staccatos.It is a conservative reading, at points a bit limp, and thework needs all the spark it can legitimately be given.There is also a fairly general habit of cheating sustainednote values. I'm sure it's a controlled decision, not justsloppiness (the chorus turns halves into quarters so oftento allow for comfortable breath that this must be re-garded as a regular feature of its phrasing); but exceptfor one or two instances where Vishnevskaya makes atelling verbal point, Prokofiev's ideas on the subject doseem worth a try.

The sound (I have heard the English pressings only) isreasonably good stereo. The orchestra comes off verywell, but the massed choral sound doesn't have quite thesolidity one would hope for. The soloists are very wellrecorded except for an unfortunate sequence in theopening scene, where Vishnevskaya sings a gorgeoussolo through all sorts of extra reverberation, apparentlybecause Natasha is at a second -story window while An-drei is down in the yard. Would people truly rather hearthe echo than the soprano?

PROKOFIEV: War and Peace, Op. 91.Natasha Rostova

Galina Vishnevskaya (s)Mme. Peronskaya

Nadezhda Kossitsyna (s)Dunyasha Margarita Miglay (s)Sonya Valentina Klepatskaya (ms)Helene Bezukhova Irina Arkhipova (ms)Maria Ahrosimova

Yevgenia Verbitskaya (ms)Maria Bolkonskaya Kira Leonova (ms)Matryosha Yelena Gribova (a)Kuzminichna Valertina Petrova (a)Pierre Bezukhov Vladimir Petrov (t)Anatole Kuragin Alexei Maslennikov (t)General Barclay; Platon Karatayev

Georgy Shulpin (t)M. de Beausset; Host of the Ball

\Maly Vlassov (t)Lt. Bonnet Nikolai Zakharov (1)Gerard Nikolai Timchanko (t)

Andrei Bolkonsky Yevgeny Kibkalo (b)Napoleon Pavel Lisitsian (b)Denisov Boris Shapenko (b)Gen. Rayevsky; French Officer

Vladimir Valaitis (b)Gavrila Leonid Ktitorov (bs-b)Metivier Yevgeny Belov (bs-b)Marshal Berthier Mark Reshetin (bs-b)Marshal Kutuzov Alexei Krivchenya (bs)Ilya Rostov Nikolai Shchegolkov (bs)Dolokhov Georgy Pankov (bs)Nikolai Bolkonsky

Alexander Vedernikov (bs)Balaga Viktor Nechipailo (bs)Gen. Benigsen Leonid Masslov (bs)Gen. Yermolov Yuri Gallen (bs)Capt. Ramballe Artur Eizen (bs)Jacquot Ivan Sipayev (bs)Marshal Devout Alexei Gueleva (bs)

Bolshoi Theater Chorus and Orchestra, Alexander Melik-Pashayev, cond. CoLumBIA/MELoon,A M4 33111, $27.98(four discs, automatic sequence).


Bernstein's Wise andMasterful Resurrection

His LSO remake challengesthe best competition, while thereissued Scherchen alternately

fascinates and exasperates.

by Abram Chipman

IN PURELY SENSUOUS appeal, the Resurrection is ar-guably Mahler's most beautiful symphony. Given its in-terpretive and technical problems, it seems proper to de-clare at the outset that there is no "best" recording. Butboth recent issues-Leonard Bernstein's second com-plete recording (his third go at the finale) and the re-issued Scherchen-have a place in the discography.

Different though they are, the Bernstein and Scher-chen Resurrections have two striking similarities. First,both-especially in the opening Totenfeier (funeral serv-ice) movement-rely on a scaled -down dynamic levelthat, in combination with close, dry miking and a slow,firm beat, conveys a sense of rapt concentration and In-nigkeit not found in any of the eight or so rival editions.Second, both avoid the awkward side break at No. 21(1972 Budapest edition) that usually interrupts the fi-nale; both begin Side 4 at No. 29, a logical place just be-fore the off-stage horn calls start.

The differences will be clear as we go through the sym-phony, movement by movement.

First Movement. Bernstein has apparently taken toheart many of the criticisms of his 1964 New York Phil-harmonic recording and corrected many of its flaws.Without leveling off the stark dramatic contrasts of thishighly elaborate piece, he has managed a more secureand stable pulse with fewer arbitrary changes. Gone arethe mannered slowdowns at bars 215 and 433, for ex-ample. There is surer control over ensemble and moreapt use of dynamic swells (cf. bar 439, where the oboes'and trumpets' hairpin fortissimos are quite chilling!).Bernstein was always responsive to romantic nuance,and both renditions give full value to such details as theglissandos at bar 375. One notes that Solti, also with theLSO, couldn't, or wouldn't demand the same from thisstring section, although his London recording is still myfavorite in managing such structurally essential gearchanges as that between Nos. 20 and 21.

The one tempo trap that nobody seems to avoid iswhere, beginning at No. 6, Mahler demands that the mu-sic become ever more slow or restful over 60-70 bars.Most conductors ignore this. Bernstein holds back gener-ously at first, then seems to sneak back to a faster pulse sohe can observe the next explicit broadening. Scherchentakes all risks and suffers all consequences. He simplylets the music run down as much as it's supposed to, tothe point that he and his (underrehearsed?) orchestracannot sustain rhythm or ensemble.

A function more of carelessness than conscientious-

ness in the Westminster production is the failure of thetimpani, shortly before No. 16, to differentiate fortefrom piano in successive playings of the same motif, andthe prevalence of fermatas, whether marked or not, atevery pause (bad tape editing?). Ai stated before, though,Scherchen does bring a sense of deep and profounddesolation to this music through his spacious reading(sloiker than Bernstein or Walter and much broader thanAbravanelor the Klemperer/Vox).

SecondMovement. In this intimate Landler, my noteshave nothing but praise for Scherchen. His players havethe slightly rough, country -band sound that worksnicely. There is good phrasing, careful observance ofsuch tempo marks as nicht eilen at No. 3, and perfect bal-ance among winds, harp, and pizzicato strings at bar 222.In short, the nostalgic music is executed in a mannerboth delicate and deliberate-like Klemperer/Angel,but with even more parodistic flavor. Walter's warmth isinfectious and sweet, but like much else in the 1957recording there is little played below a mezzo -forte.

And Bernstein? Where everything in the old recordingis exaggerated, graceless, and ponderous, everything inthe new one is firm, taut, and well played. He corrects theobvious error of ignoring the rest at No. 8, though I feelthe gehalten four measures after No. 14 is still overdone.Worth mentioning apropos of the current Columbia re-lease is the close miking of the woodwinds, which allowsall sorts of detail to emerge. Delightful indeed.

Third Movement. Consistent with his penchant forgnarled irony, Scherchen is incredibly lugubrious in thisscherzo on the Wunderhorn song about St. Anthony'ssermon to the fishes. Winds and col legno string passagesare crisp and clear. However, the conductor's aversion tosentiment ruins the trio section at No. 12, where the brisktempo and the first trumpet's wooden and timid solomake the music anything but sehr getragen and gesang-you!. In this very passage, I've always thought the NewYork Philharmonic (even more than the Concertgebouwfor Haitink on Philips 802 884/5) was right in its ele-ment, both for Walter and for Bernstein.

The scherzo, as a matter of fact, is the one movementof Bernstein's flawed 1964 Philharmonic recording withwhich I had no real complaints. As it happens, this is theonly part of the remake I find less successful than itspredecessor, mainly because the first trumpet hasn'tenough jazz or Jewishness in his soul. In other respects,the LSO does play the movement well, certainly moreidiomatically than for Solti (though such comparisons

JANUARY 1975 71

are admittedly risky when dealing with the shifting per-sonnel of the London orchestras).

One other big complaint, this time of nearly all the setson the market: At bar 79, Mahler introduces a strikinginstance of the violin antiphony with which this sym-phony, like most of his scores, abounds. To hear the firstsand seconds conversing indistinguishably in the leftchannel makes me wonder rather bitterly why we arefussing with quad when nearly twenty years of stereohasn't yet gotten orchestras to reorient their seating planto take advantage of that medium. Fortunately the vio-lins are divided laterally by both Klemperer/Angel andKubelik (DG 2707 043).

Fourth Movement. "Urlicht" is an exact transplantfrom Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Admirers of Wyn Mor-ris' superb recording of that cycle (Angel S 36380) haveprobably regretted the omission of "Urlicht," since hismezzo was Janet Baker, who could be expected to sing itbeautifully. Well, here she is at last-singing it beau-tifully, as it happens, though somewhat distantly re-corded. Among the singers who have recorded the songas part of the symphony, only Maureen Forrester (withWalter) is in her league. As to Bernstein's 1964 soloist(Jennie Tourel) or Scherchen's (Lucretia West), the lesssaid the better.

Finale. When we get to the choral setting of Klop-stock's Resurrection Ode, there are three Bernstein ver-sions to contend with, for the finale was part of his "Ha-tikvah on Mt. Scopus" disc, probably the only Mahlerrecording sung in Hebrew. The Israeli document (for it isan occasion piece rather than a seriously competing per-formance as such) is fast, loose, and casual in its bal-ances, though Netania Davrath's pleasing soprano andthe very marked slowdown for the Dies Irae in the lowbrass (No. 10) are high spots. (And Tourel was in betterform than for the earlier New York fiasco.)

All three finales have some "Lenny" trademarks,namely the anticipated zuriickhaltend before bar 547and the tenors' and basses' staccato phrasing at No. 42.Between the two complete editions I find little variancein over-all conception. Bernstein organizes the vaststructure well in terms of juxtaposing tempos and build-ing climaxes.

The new set is simply better in execution. Where theNew York rendition was sloppy (especially the lowstrings), the London one is alert and energetic. Wherethe production team of a decade ago took few painsabout placement of the off-stage brass, the new issue iscareful with both distance and antiphony (as was alsotrue of the Decca/ London crew for Solti). Where theNew York set suffered from Tourel's wobble and hoarse-ness-though Lee Venora was excellent-both Baker andSheila Armstrong are here beyond cavil. So too are theEdinburgh Festival Chorus and the LSO, particularlythe brass, though I can't resist again pointing an accusingfinger at the first trumpet, whose important melodic linegets submerged under the woodwind lines at bar 496.Nor is the organ nearly strong enough at the end for mytaste. (I am told that Bernstein himself found it too loudand had it mixed down.) Vanguard's Utah recordingtakes top honors in that department, by the way.

Scherchen's finale (and the reissue at hand manages toomit any credit of the Vienna Akadamiechor) is an exas-perating mixture of sheer genius with either perversity orineptness. Five measures after No. 3, for example, theoboe triplets are played very staccato, though marked

simply non legato. The pacing and dynamic buildup toNo. 10 are masterly, followed by a series of flagrantlywrong tempo decisions, culminating in a hectic andrhythmically confused reading of the so-called "deadmarch" from No. 14 on. (At a fast tempo, Abravanel isthrillingly rock -steady here, while the Klemperer/Angeltakes it at a startlingly measured pace that may be"wrong" but is devastating in its impact!) Back on West-minster Gold, instances of horrendous brass playingabound, and the off-stage trumpets at No. 22 are a mess.The entry of the chorus (No. 31) is imposing indeed, butjust before the fermata at No. 36, the tenors get ahead ofthe basses. Tempos are adroitly managed again in thepenultimate pages, which come off with vast breadth andmajesty, and lots of sonorous bell ringing.

The true devotee of the Resurrection will probablywant several editions. Clearly one can eliminate theanonymous rechanneled performance in Everest's Mah-ler box and the mono Klemperer/Vox. The Ormandy(RCA LSC 7066) is scandalously unidiomatic in over-allfeeling, with only Evelyn Mandac's soprano solo a sav-ing grace. The Kubelik, despite the incidental virtuesnoted, is disturbingly understated and unremarkablyplayed and sung. Haitink, with more than respectableforces at his disposal, seems cool and detached in his atti-tude toward the work, though he surely attends betterthan most to minute nuances of articulation, bowing,texture, and the like.

There are so many things I like about Klemperer'sstereo recording that, despite the flaws of Angel's discpressings, I must still recommend it as the foremostchallenger among the older full -price sets above evenSolti, whose considerable virtues have been mentioned.Of the bargain -price alternatives, there remains Walter'sstraightforward "rightness" and melting warmth withoutaffectation, even if the aging recording doesn't highlightany particular aspect of the scoring. Abravanel too is agood buy, not as massive as some (either in pacing or inweight of ensemble) but musical, competently executed,and with the richest and cleanest sonics. The Scherchenis for specialized tastes only, but it is fascinating.

Bernstein, perhaps the major contributor to the Mah-ler boom in this generation, has shown his capacity togrow as an artist, both in technical refinement and inmore subtle interpretive wisdom. Deryck Cooke hascalled his 1964 Resurrection "monstrous." Maybe so. Buthis current view and execution of the symphony can alsobe described in one word: masterly.

MAHLER: Symphony No. 2, in C minor (Resurrection). SheilaArmstrong, soprano; Janet Baker, mezzo; Edinburgh FestivalChorus; London Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein,cond. [John McClure, prod.] COLUMBIA M2 32681, $13.98 (twodiscs, automatic sequence). Tape: .*3M2A 32681, $15.98;

M2T 32681, $15.98. Quadriphonic: M20 32681, $15.98(two SQ-encoded discs); QMA 32681, $15.98 (two Q-8 car-tridges).

MAHLER: Symphony No. 2, in C minor (Resurrection).Mimi Coertse, soprano; Lucretia West, mezzo; ViennaAcademy Chorus; Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Her-mann Scherchen, cond. WESTMINSTER GOLD WGS8262-2, $6.98 (two discs, automatic sequence) [fromWESTMINSTER WST 206, 1958].

Comparisons:Sills, Kopleff, Abravanel / Utah Sym. Van. C 10003/4Vonore, Tourel, Bei n stemiN.Y. Phil. col. M2S 695Schwarzkopf, Rossl-Maidan, Klemperer/Philharmonia Ang. SB 3634Harper, Watts. Solti/ London Sym. Lon. CSA 2217Cundari, Forrester, Walter/N.Y. Phil. Odys. Y2 30848

IR

72HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE

Verdi's Irresistible King for a Day

Philips dusts off his second opera and turns LID an uftustlyneglected work of vitality and charn.

by Andrew Porter

LAST YEAR, WITH a group of eager young Verdiani ascompanions, I embarked on a stagione lirica domestica ofVerdi on record. Although the purpose was principallydidactic, pleasure inevitably kept breaking in-and of allthe early operas unfamiliar to most of the group, UnGiorno di regno was deemed the most delightful discov-ery.

Performance, of course, played a part in promptingthese reactions. A dud version of Ernani produced graveundervaluation of that work on the part of those whohad never been stirred by it in the theater, whereasGiorno was done in that sparkling version prepared ini-tially by Radiotelevisione Italiana for broadcast duringthe 1951 Verdi year, issued subsequently on disc byCetra, and still available (now in fake stereo) as an Ever-est reissue. It is an irresistibly merry and sharply charac-terized performance by an excellent cast, led by LinaPagliughi, and an excellent conductor in Alfredo Simo-netto.

In later life-after Aida but before Otello and Fal-staff-Verdi was incensed by the publication of a remarkof Rossini, to the effect that Verdi was incapable ofcomic opera. Giulio Ricordi, in whose magazine the of-fending sentence had appeared. hastened to placate thecomposer, assuring him that no one who knew Fra Meli-tone in La Forza del destino could possibly take Rossini'sopinion seriously. Yet despite Melitone (and with Fal-staff far in the future), it must have seemed that Verdi,unlike his predecessors and contemporaries, had reso-lutely turned his back on comic opera ever since his firstessay in the vein (and second opera), Un Giorno di regno,had failed to please.

The comedy was composed at a time of bereavementand personal distress. Its premiere, at La Scala in 1840,was a disaster-the piece was withdrawn after a singleperformance. Twenty years later, the memory of thathostile reception still rankled. "It is certainly a bad op-era, although many others no better have been toleratedand perhaps even greeted with applause"; Verdi's ownjudgment has tended to stand, and later commentators-though not later audiences-have not been nearly enthu-siastic enough, I think, about the vitality, melodic force,and charm of the opera.

Unlike Julian Budden (in that indispensable compan-ion to Verdi listening, The Operas of Verdi, published byPraeger). I do not find that "the level of invention fluc-tuates disconcertingly from one number to the next."The score, as Francis Toye rightly remarked, recalls Ros-sini and Donizetti; then he added. "without the grace ofthe one or the exuberant sparkle of the other." Had Toyeheard the Cetra/ Everest performance. his opinion might

have been less qualified. Erik Smith. the producer of thenew Philips version, hits the mark in his introductionwhen he says: "The opera surely deserves a place notquite level with, but somewhere near, L'Elisir d'amoreand Don Pasquale. What Verdi's work lacks in grace be-side Donizetti's it makes up in energy." It is astonishingthat King for a Day, to give the piece its natural Englishtitle, is not more often done.

The alternative Italian title, assigned at its second pro-duction (at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice in 1845-and, incidentally, a success), is 11 finto (or "feigned")Stanislao. The libretto concerns a dashing young officer.Belfiore, who, to allow King Stanislaus of Poland to re-turn incognito to his country to reclaim his throne, mustpretend to be that monarch. In the course of his "day ofreign," he contrives two matches, that of Giulietta to theyoung Edoardo (the tenor)-which involves outwittingthe two buffos, Giulietta'sand his own to the Marchioness of Poggio.

The libretto, by Felice Romani, had already been setby Adalbert Gyrowetz for La Scala in 1818; but in an un-commonly interesting program note with the new set.Martin Sokol reveals that the 1818 libretto was muckedabout with, and spoiled. in Verdi's version. Certainly thesparkle is mainly in the music, not in the plot.

At that date, Verdi could not have known that he wasnot to spend his career writing operas both comic and se-rious. as his predecessors had done. He showed himself

Fiorenza Cossotto, Jessye Norman, Vincenzo Sardinero, andJose Carreras tape Verdi's rarely heard Un Giorno di regno.

JANUARY 1975 73

an adept in displaying all the skills and in fashioning allthe traditional numbers-the introduzione of the openingchorus with inset movements for principals, the roman-tic arias, the buffo duets, and the ensemble finale-of thegenre. It seems plain enough when we listen to the sec-ond of the buffo duets that Un Giorno di regno made amark on Donizetti (who was in Milan at the time, pre-paring the Italian premiere of La Filk du regiment) thatremained when, a few years later, he composed "Cheti,cheti" in Don Pasquale.

The new Philips set is unconventionally and ambi-tiously cast. In the brief synopsis, I deliberately avoidedassigning registers to the two ladies. The Marchioness isofficially dubbed prima donna soprano and Giuliettaprima donna mezzo-soprano, but on this recording amezzo sings the former and a soprano the other. Theswitching can be justified; there is, in fact, not much dif-ference of range.

The Marchioness runs from the A below the staff tothe B above it, and Pagliughi (but not Fiorenza Cos -sotto) extends this to the high D. If I prefer Pagliughi'ssprightliness as the spirited young widow and find herunmatched in the singing of limpid, tender strains, this isnot to deny Cossotto's energy, ability, and excellenttone; the Act II aria, in particular, is delicately done, andCossotto resists any temptation to bang down on the mu-sic or boom it.

So does Jessye Norman. Recently, doing Mahler'sRuckert songs in Carnegie Hall, Miss Norman soundedlike the Erda of one's dreams, tremendous and majestic.Here, she floats the line of her cavatina with soft graceand trips nimbly through some tongue -twister teasing ofEdoardo in the last of the three duets that form the bulkof Act II. But all the same there is something cautiousand uncharacterized about her performance.

classicalreviewed by

ROYAL S. BROWN

ABRAM CHIPMAN

R. D. DARRELL

PETER G. DAVIS

SHIRLEY FLEMING

ALFRED FRANKENSTEIN

KENNETH FURIE

CLIFFORD F. GILMORE

HARRIS GOLDSMITH

DAVID HAMILTONDALE S. HARRIS

PHILIP HARTPAUL HENRY LANG

ROBERT LONG

ROBERT C. MARSH

ROBERT P. MORGAN

ANDREW PORTER

H. C. ROBBINS LANDONJOHN ROCKWELL

SUSAN THIEMANN SOMMER

And not only hers. If by now my preference for theolder set has become obvious, that is because the newone lacks any whiff of the theater, of glance and gestureconjured up by the delivery of the music. Neither theconductor, deft and dapper though Lamberto Gardelliis, nor the cast shows much affinity for the buffo style.Neither in grace nor in spirit is Jose Carreras in the sameworld as Cetra's Juan Oncina. The tenor aria soundsslightly dull in the new version, bewitching in the old;Carreras moves through it in a heavy, clumsy way. WhenRenato Capecchi's Belfiore makes his entrance as themock monarch, one sees him; Ingvar Wixell sounds thenotes with little of his wit or panache (and not alwaysquite precisely). Similarly in the buffo duets, where SestoBruscantini and Cristiano Dalamangas are far funnierand more pointed than Wladimiro Ganzarolli and Vin-cenzo Sardinero. It is partly a matter of using the wordsand largely a matter of inflecting the musical phrasesmore freely, more merrily, than Gardelli has encouragedhis cast to do.

All the same, the Philips must plainly be the choice ofthose who insist on a good, modern, stereo recording.The sound is clean and bright; the Royal Philharmonic'splaying is colorful and well balanced. And, taking sixsides against Cetra/Everest's four, it is uncut (in the ear-lier set, several repeats are omitted).

VERDI: Un Giorno di regno. GiulienadiKelbar Jessye Norman (s)Cavalier° di Belfiore Ingvar Wixell (b) Edoardo di Sanval Jose Carreras (t)Baron Kelbar Wladimiro Ganzarolli (bs) La Rocca Vincenzo Sardinero (b)Marchese del Pogg,o Count Ivrea Ricardo Cassinelli (t)

Forenza Cossotto (ms) Delmonte William Elvin (t)

Ambrosian Singers; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, LambertoGardelli, cond. [Erik Smith, prod.] PHILIPS 6703 055, $23.94(three discs, manual sequence).Comparison:Capecchi, Pagliughi Oncina, Simonettoi RAI En. S 456 2

BACH: Mass in B minor, S. 232. GundulaJanowitz, soprano; Christa Ludwig, mezzo;Peter Schreier, tenor; Robert Kerns, bari-tone; Karl Ridderbusch, bass; Vienna Sing-verein; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Her-bert von Karajan, cond. [Hans Weber, prod.]DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2709 049, $23.94(three discs, manual sequence).Comparisons:Richter / Munich Bach Orch. Arch. 2710 001Harnoncourt /Vienna Concentus Musicus Tel. SKH 20

Two completely unrelated performancescoexist within this new B minor Mass. One isso good that, from anyone but Karajan, theother would be incredible.

If you start at the beginning of Side 3 (the"Domine Deus"), you will hear singing-Gun-dula Janowitz and Peter Schreier-and play-ing that are ravishing and pure in tone, crisp andanimated in rhythm. But if instead you startwith a side that begins chorally, you will findyourself awash in a sea of crooning muck.

So it goes throughout. Every choral numberdrones on interminably. Tempos are fre-quently unsteady, instrumental ensemble un-sure. Wind solos-even a single flute-sud-denly scream through the ooze like someweird creature in a B (minor?) horror film.

Yet each solo or duo returns us to a per-formance of expressiveness and vitality. Thesmall orchestra is precise and spirited; left -right division of violins produces some niceantiphonal effects. The numerous instrumen-tal solos are exhilarating or affecting, as ap-

propriate. The soloists sing well, thoughChrista Ludwig is uneven, frequently (as inthe "Laudamus le") sounding tremulous.Janowitz' pure, focused soprano is generallyat its best in Bach. Schreier's musicianship isall to the good; his thinness of tone is almostturned to advantage. Robert Kerns contrib-utes a lovely "Et in Spiritum sanctum," andKarl Ridderbusch's "Quoniam to solus sanc-tus" (or "zolus zanctus") demonstrates onceagain that his handsome bass suits Bach aswell as Wagner.

I certainly won't part with this recording,though I suspect I'll have to tape the noncho-ral parts to eliminate the intrusions. But the Bminor Mass without chorus? The Sanctus, ofcourse, is a total loss. I wish there were a reallyrecommendable alternative, but the Mass isthe weakest link in both Harnoncourt's andRichter's traversals of the four big Bach choralworks. Harnoncourt's trivializes the music,even though he hadn't yet adopted his stac-cato -with -leaden -downbeats phrasing style.Richter's choral work has some of the diffuse-ness of Karajan's and his solo singing and ac-companying are less distinguished, but it's asolid set, faute de mieux. A new Richterrecording, perhaps?

Two more recordings are on the way, fromMichel Corboz (Victrola) and Johannes So-mary (Vanguard). My fingers are crossed. K.F.

BACH: Partite for Solo Violin, No. 2-SeeFranck: Sonata for Violin and Piano.


BART6K: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra,No. 2. Itzhak Perlman, violin; London Sym-phony Orchestra, Andre Previn, cond. [SuviRaj Grubb, prod.] ANGEL. S 37014, $6.98.

It isn't hard for a soloist to catch the listener'sear with his first entrance in this work. A dark,slashing attack will do, or a seductive tonewith the right stress on the parlando rubato. Itis a tribute to Perlman's interpretive wisdomthat the opening phrases-indeed, much of thelarge first movement-is tossed off rather air-ily. He warms up slowly until, by the finale(often disjointed and anticlimactic in otherhands), all caution is abandoned and the pyro-technics are scarcely less than riveting. Note.for example, how the Israeli fiddler can gam-bol around the double -octave span of meas-ures 157-160 with no awkward breakups inthe legato and with continuous purity ofrhythmic line and intonation. But don't bemisled: The "beauty" here in no way violatesthe essentially savage passion of Bart6k's in-spiration.

In Previn, the young soloist has a collabora-tor who is of one mind with him. The readingis unerringly perceptive about the composer'sintricate contouring of cumulative tension andrepose, and the LSO follows him with exem-plary precision and sonority (e.g.. the Frenchhorns, both crisp and lustrous). The balanceobtained by Previn and the EMI team allowsnot only percussion detail, but also the spot-lighted woodwind figurations with which thescore abounds, to sound properly. An occa-sional blurred line (cf. the harp at bar 100 inthe first movement) can be forgiven when suchoft -obscured subtleties as the many glissandosin brass, percussion, and low strings nosethrough the texture with bracing effect.Previn's ability to convey the dotted rhythmsin winds and strings between bars 360 and 365of that section could almost suggest true Mag-yar blood in his veins, and I like too Perlman'sstaunch pointing of the accents even in suchan otherwise preoccupying passage as thesixty -fourth -note leggerissimo variation of theslow movement. The one major flaw of this in-terpretation (and I can think of none thatdoesn't likewise suffer) is the lack of any at-tempt to meet liana's published timings forthe outside movements-which might, I sus-pect. require superhumanly fast speeds.

There is no question but that this new issueis in the very top echelons for the concerto.Clearly, that category must exclude the grossand blustery Stern/Bernstein (Columbia MS6002); the basically stiff Silverstein/Leinsdorf(RCA LSC 2852); the temperamentally feebleand technically labored Lautenbacher/Springer (Turnabout TV -S 34480) and Ko-vacs/ Lukacs (SLPX 11350. in Qualiton'scomplete documentation of the composer'soutput).

I have no trouble preferring the Angel re-lease reviewed here to that label's earlier entry(S 36360). which documents a Menuhin nolonger the master of the piece's virtuoso chal-lenges in this, his fourth recording of it. Fortu-nately, the previous Menuhin/Dorati, withthe Minneapolis Symphony. was a taut and vi-brant, as well as flexible. interpretation, andI'm glad to see it back on Mercury's GoldenImports series (SRI 75002).

The too relaxed but very suave and civilizedSzeryng/Haitink (Philips 6500021) has an at-tractive coupling in the two Rhapsodies andboasts the clarity and bloom of Concertge-bouw acoustics. But the Concertgebouw also

Wilhelm Furtwangler-a bogus collection of Beethoven?

sounds to fine advantage, despite 1939 sound,in the world -premiere performance ofSzekely/Mengelberg (Qualiton LPX 11573),which has more than just documentary inter-est to recommend it.

My ultimate favorite, alongside the new-comer, is Andre Gertler's lyrical and probingstatement, superbly partnered (and in a veryclear recording) by Anted and the Czech Phil-harmonic I formerly available on Crossroads22 26 0012, in a two -disc set of all the music forviolin and orchestra by Bartok-currently ac-cessible to the hardy importer on SupraphonSUAST 50696). The Perlman/Previn reading.though, is as elemental as the black earth andthus will win many collectors' loyalties. A.C.

BEETHOVEN: Symphonies (9). Various or-chestras, Wilhelm Furtwangler, cond. OLYM-PIC 8120 / 7, $34.86 (severi discs, mono) [re-corded 1943-52].

It has come to my attention that EverestRecords have published a set of Beethovensymphonies conducted by Wilhelm Furt-wangler. I wish to state publicly herewiththat of the nine symphonies present in theset. Nos. I. 3. 5. 6. and 9 come from unau-thorized tape copies of performances con-ducted in Europe, that Nos. 4 and 7 are iden-tical with similar performances on Vox/Turnabout, that No. 8 is identical with theUnicorn/ EMI / Electrola issue -from 1948with the Stockholm Philharmonic -and thatNo. 2 is a counterfeit. There does not exist arecording of Beethoven's Second Symphonywith Furtwangler. He performed it too sel-dom, and one alleged wartime recording hasbeen shown to be fake! To my knowledgeEverest Records has not obtained permis-sion from the owners of the original record-ings, nor permission from Vox or Unicorn.regarding publishing of this material.Though the issuing of pirated. stolen. orfake recordings clouds the reputation ofWilhelm Furtwangler. I am certain that mu-sic lovers will understand that these record-ings do not necessarily represent the true artof Wilhelm Furtwangler.

Elisabeth FurtwanglerClarens.Sv.itzerland

Frau Elisabeth Furtwangler's statement con-stitutes an admirable introduction to the latest

mystery package offered by Everest's new"Olympic Series," a purported collection ofall nine Beethoven symphonies conducted byWilhelm Furtwangler. The exterior of thehingeless album box offers no clue to the prov-enance of these recordings, merely a stock bi-ography of the conductor. Inside, on the la-bels, we find the names of orchestras-exceptin the case of Symphony No. 2-but nothingmore about when, where, and how the record-ings came about.

By means of simultaneous synchronizedplayback comparisons within my own collec-tion, I have been able to verify the origin offive symphonies, and thus to amplify (andslightly correct) the information in FrauFurtwangler's statement, as follows:

No. I: Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orches-tra. concert performance. July 13, 1950.

No. 4: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, June27/30. 1943. Actually, only the last two move-ments of this recording are identical with thestudio performance on Turnabout TV 4344;the first two stem from a similar (and contem-poraneous) live performance with audiencenoise. This composite version comes fromRussian Melodiya D 09083/4. and has notpreviously been issued in America (earlierVox, DG, and Heliodor issues were all identi-cal to the Turnabout).

No. 7: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Oc-t( oer 31/November 3. 1943; the same per-formance found on Turnabout TV -S 34509.

No. 8: Stockholm Concert Society Orches-tra (Everest calls it the "Swedish National Or-chestra"), November 13, 1948; the same per-formance issued in Europe on Electrola C 05393533.

No. 9: Hjordis Schymberg. soprano; Lisa

Explanation of symbolsClassical:

IBII HI

IR I

BudgetHistoricalReissue

Recorded tape:Open Reel

0.. 8 -Track Cartridget Cassette

JANUARY 1975 75

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Tunell, alto: Gosta Backelin. tenor: SigurdBjorling, baritone; Stockholm ConcertSociety Orchestra and Musikaliska SallskapetChorus. December 8. 1943. The final move-ment of this performance has circulated inAmerica on a private disc, coupled with anapparently spurious version of the EighthSymphony.

Everest credits the Third. Fifth, and SixthSymphonies to the "RAI-Rome Orchestra."Although I don't have the apposite tapes forcomparison, it seems reasonable to assumethat they stem from two concerts in Rome onJanuary 10 (Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6) and 19(Eroica), 1952. They are entirely characteristicperformances. rather acceptably recorded.

That leaves the Second Symphony. aboutwhich Frau Furtwangler is quite unequivocal:"a counterfeit." Since she is in close collabora-tion with Henning Smidth Olsen, the indefati-gable Furtwangler discographer (a secondedition of his valuable work is available for$3.50 from Moe's Books. 2484 Telegraph Ave-nue, Berkeley. California). we may take this tobe an authoritative pronouncement: if a tapeof any of Furtwangler's infrequent perform-ances of the Second Symphony had turned up.these two people would know about it. In anycase. Everest's reticence about naming the or-chestra involved is certainly not conducive toconfidence. nor is the performance itself, acuriously unstable affair, with awkward gearchanges. Furtwangler famously made pal-pable tempo modifications within movements.but rarely left the listener in doubt about hisintentions at such points, whereas Olympic'sconductor seems not to be sure what he plansto do. Too. the slow introduction to the firstmovement is uncharacteristically hasty. hardlyruminating on the profounder modulationsasone would expect Furtwangler to have done.

So much for the issue of authenticity. Whatabout quality? Well, collectors of under-ground tapes and owners of the Turnabout is-sues will know what to expect in the way ofsound. while collectors familiar with other Ev-erest productions will know better than tocredit the little note on the box about how"our engineers spent literally hundreds ofhours tediously splicing, editing and adjustingto eliminate 'pops' and distortions." Perhapsthey did, but they failed to eliminate some in-correct pitching, a good deal of pronouncedwow and flutter, or several bad pitch sags. orto restore a missing measure (at the beginningof the Seventh's finale), and they pressed therecords on inferior material.

In other words, this is no bargain, and cer-tainly not a good introduction to Furtwang-ler's way with Beethoven-the studio versionsof Symphonies Nos. 3. 5. and 7 (Seraphim IC6018) and the Bayreuth performance of theNinth (Seraphim IB 6068) fill that bill muchmore satisfactorily.

On the other hand, the omnivorous Fun -wangler student will find things of interesthere, such as the strikingly broad. heavily ac-cented reading of the Fifth Symphony. whichreaches climaxes of awesome intensity in thefinal movement. (All but the Second andNinth Symphonies have also appeared onsingle discs.) One hates to encourage this sortof piracy, however, and if you have a goodtape contact he can almost certainly locatethese performances for you in better sound.without lining the pockets of the shoddy op-portunists at Everest. D.H.

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No 5, in C minor,Op. 67, Prometheus Overture, Op. 43.Andre Previn, cond. [Christopher Bishop,prod.] ANGEL S 36927, $6.98.

The sound on this disc is right for the Fifth:sleek, bright, massive, velvety. The orchestralchoirs are nicely defined, giving due play toboth the lyrical and the militaristic elements inthe music.

But Previn. I am afraid, is a babe in thewoods in this literature. He is a rather goodconductor, and his Prometheus Overture issuitably crisp and mercurial once the lethar-gically played opening chords are out of theway. In the symphony he is. I suspect. tryingtoo hard to be different. But to transform thefiery opening Allegro con brio into a tranquilLarghetto is not just different, it is nonsensical.Even Klemperer-celebrated for pedanticsnail's -pace tempos-got done with this move-ment nearly two minutes sooner than Previn.The later movements are somewhat more rea-sonably paced-and entirely too reasonabletemperamentally.

Previn, incidentally, prolongs the agony bytaking the repeat in the finale. H.G.

BaAMM$: Trios for Violin, Cello, and Piano:No. 1 , in B, Op. 8; No. 2, in C, Op. 87; No. 3,in C minor, Op. 101. SCHUMANN: Trio forViolin, Cello, and Piano, No. 1, in D minor,Op. 63. Henryk Szeryng, violin; Pierre Four-nier, cello; Artur Rubinstein, piano. [Max Wil-cox, prod.] RCA RED SEAL ARL 3-0138,$20.98 (three discs, automatic sequence).

EIJOSEPH SZIOETI: Chamber Works.Joseph Szigeti, violin; various otherperformers. BRUNO WALTER SOCIETYWAS 714, $14 (two discs, mono;Bruno Walter Society, Box 921,Berkeley, Calif. 94701).

mums: Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano. No. 2. in C. Op.87 (with Pablo Casals. Myra Hess). SCHUMANN: Trio forViolin, Cello. and Piano, No. 1, in D minor, Op. 63 (withRudolf von Tobel, Mieczyslaw Horszowski) ScHusawr:Sonatina No. 1, in D, D. 384 (with Andor Foldes, piano);Sonata in A. D. 574 (Duo) (with Myra Hess, piano); Rondoin B minor, D. 895 (Rondo &Nan() (with Carlo Bussotti,piano): Fantasy in C, D. 934 (with Joseph Levine, piano),

Spontaneity is the operative word in these ex-ceptional performances.

The RCA set was taped in a few days of in-spired interaction. Descriptions of Brahms'skeyboard work depict him as the supreme ob-jectivist, and Rubinstein today might be sim-ilarly described. His playing here has plenty ofheart. a dominating enthusiasm, and a com-pletely uncluttered clarity of conception. He isnot an "intellectual." but his musical intelli-gence is nonetheless a superior and governingone. His projection of over-all architectureand unfaltering forward direction remind me.surprisingly, of that supreme musical scientist.Artur Schnabel. There is predictably plenty ofrich weight in the playing. but there is also afine -spun urgency that keeps the juicy sonor-ities from stagnating. These interpretations.while idiomatically Brahmsian, rise tar abovethe norm through their detachment and aris-tocratic reserve.

The feeling of driving momentum is firmlyestablished in the very opening bars of Op. 8.taken a bit faster than usual-truly allegro conbrio. If the opening sonata -allegro movementstend toward briskness, the scherzos are rather


slower. more militaristic than usual. It is not amatter of tempo alone, but also of Rubin -stein's long-standing philosophy of quiet play-ing. While his very ample "stage whisper"may rob the most elfin writing of its dynamicrange. there are compensating advantages:The contrapuntal felicities are robustly clari-fied. and the firm rhythmic delineation makesthe music sound. for once, like ech Brahmsinstead of ersal: Mendelssohn.

If I have concentrated on Rubinstein. I

mean no disparagement of his two superlativecolleagues. They play marvelously well.matching their illustrious elder partner phrasefor phrase. Still, it is good-especially after theviolin -dominated Stem/Rose/Istomin Brahmstrios (Columbia M2S 760)-to hear the bal-ance of power rightfully restored to the piano.

I am not quite so enthusiastic about theSzeryng/ Fournier/Rubinstein Schumann Dminor. Theirs is. to be sure, a suave, beautiful -sounding. wholesome interpretation. Butsurely there is more to this tortured, twistedmasterpiece. The tempos are broad, a bit toodownbeat -laden, the architecture once againclear, but the result is too comfortable and un-neurotic -the same sort of complaint I hadwith the 1952 Schneider/Casals/Horszowskiperformance (in Columbia M5X 32768).

The over-all achievement of this set remainsextraordinary, and the reproduction is brightand well-balanced. I wish, though. that RCAhad pressed the album in manual rather thanautomatic sequence. The Brahms Op. 8 andSchumann would each have had a separatedisc, a much more sensible arrangement.

Complementing the RCA package is theBruno Walter Society's two -disc anthology ofJoseph Szigeti performances from the lateForties and early Fifties (the Schubert D ma-jor Sonatina with Andor Foldes may be a littleearlier-no dates are given), most of which arereissued from early Columbia mono LPs. (TheSchumann trio is an air check issued here forthe first time.)

All of these recordings find Szigeti past hisprime technically. but his musicianship con-tinued to grow to the end. For instance, in theSchumann D minor Trio with Horszowski andCasals disciple Rudolf von Tobel, the violintone often has an excruciating wobble (exacer-bated by the unfortunate equalization of thispresumably homemade tape-with a drastictreble cut, the sound is actually pretty fair).The interpretation, however, is well-nighideal. Szigeti's idea of the work is one ofpoignant intensity, even desperation. His fer-vor was evidently contagious. Can this gal-vanic pianist be the same Horszowski whoplayed so soberly with Schneider and Casals?Here the tempos are all faster, the conceptionalmost unbearably overpowering. This is eas-ily the greatest recorded performance of thisproblematical work since the ancient Thi-baud/Casals/Cortot.

The Brahms Op. 87 Trio with Casals andDame Myra Hess is another great inter-pretation, although once again an extremelycontroversial one. Szigeti and Casals weresuch individualists that smooth ensemble wasautomatically out of the question. (Hess triesher best to bind things together.) Szigeti'swork is admittedly tremulous; Casals oftengoes his own way in unison passages; somerhythmic interplay is lost due to the prevailinglaxity and introspection. Indeed, HIGHFIDELITY'S Paul Affelder called this a "frankly

BOSTONOZAWA

BERLIOZ"Ozawa's Berlioz has scale,vividness and a vitalitywhich, coupled with some ofthe BSO's most resplendentplaying, made this perform-ance compelling...theclimax of the evening (was)Edith Mathis' emotion -packed, artfully shapedsinging of 'D'amour l'ardenteflamme' abetted by Ozawa'ssensitive accompaniment:'

-Patriot Ledger,October 11, 1973

Now a New Release on DG:BERLIOZ: La Damnationde Faust, with Edith Mathis,Stuart Burrows, DonaldMcIrtyre, Thomas Paul, theTanglewood Festival Chorusand the Boston SymphonyOrchestra, Seiji Ozawaconcucting. 2709 048

JANUARY 1975


79

suffers the dual liability of a mediocre pianistand a Szigeti far below his best form. TheRondo brillant, while a bit scrambled in exe-cution. has effective moments: Bussotti ac-companies sympathetically.

The restored sound is good on all of thesedubbings. H.G.

B

poor performance." likening the effect to thatof hotel musicians casually playing dinnermusic. I understand what he disliked aboutthe playing. but I must emphasize that heoverreacted: This is sublimely inspired musi-cianship. and while one gets more idea of theover-all strength of the piece from Szeryng/Fournier/Rubinstein. Szigeti and friendsprobe even further into the music's eloquentexpressive possibilities. Nobody has giventhe trio section of the third movement com-parable breadth of vision.

The Schubert Duo Sonata gets a fluent.pointed treatment from Szigeti and Hess. withthe violinist in relatively good tonal estate. Theearlier D major Sonatina is exquisitely wellplayed violinisticallv and is marvelously -suc-cinct. The Fantasy Schuhert's Kreut:ee So-nata and horribly difficult for both players --

CHOPIN: Preludes (24), Op. 28; Prel-udes: in C sharp minor, Op. 45; in Aflat, Op. posth. Ruth Slenczynska, pi-ano. MUSICAL HERITAGE MHS 1841,$3.50 (Musical Heritage Society, 1991Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10023).

CHOPIN: Preludes (24), Op. 28. Carol Ro-senberger, piano. [Katja Andy and JohnWright, prod.] DELos DEL 15311, $6.98.BOLET AT CARNEGIE HALL. Jorge Bolet, pi -

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ano. RCA RED SEAL ARL 2-0512, $13.98 (twodiscs).BACN-BUSONI: Chaconne. Ctsopm: Preludes (24). Op. 28.MOSZKOWSKC La Jongleuse. Op. 52. No. 4. RUBINSTEIN:Etude in C. Op. 23, No. 2 (Staccato). J. STRAUSS-SCHULZ-EVLER: Arabesques on "The Beautiful Blue Danube " J.STRAUSS-TAUSIG: Man lebt nur einmal: Nachtfalter. WAG-NER-Um: Tannhauser: Overture.

Of this most recent harvest of Chopin'sprofound and diversified Op. 28 miniatures.only the Slenczynska (her second traversal-she recorded them for American Decca in theearly Sixties) is competitive.

Miss Slenczynska is a big technician. and ifher pianism tends toward brittle mono -chromaticism. she displays far more tempera-ment and tonal diversity here than I haveheard previously. She benefits enormouslyfrom spaciously impactive reproduction ofwhat appears to be a stunning instrument. Bestof all. her interpretations-while highly idio-syncratic at times-have a taut, almost un-bearable poignance and intensity. The MHSdisc has the additional advantage of includingthe two later preludes Chopin composed. Op.45 is a magnificent piece that obviously in-spired both Brahms (e.g.. his first capriccio.the F sharp minor. Op. 76. No. I) and Rach-maninoff (in a more generalized way). The Aflat, however, is an etudelike affair of no greatconsequence. though its charm is undeniable.

No Chopin performance could survive thesound inflicted on poor Miss Rosenberger.This music above all relies on lightness. color.airy separation-all dismally expunged fromDelos' cramped acoustics. The cascading lefthand becomes clumpy and unattractive insuch one-dimensional sonics. and many inter-pretive details that might have seemed impres-sively willful in decent sound emerge asparodies of their intended effect. There aresome good moments (an impressively angularNo. 18. a funeral -march No. 20). and Miss Ro-senberger is often a competent technician andan attractively earnest musician. But her vir-tuosity is not of the transcendent order to dofull justice to some of these cruelly taxingpieces.

Nobody could impugn Jorge Bolet's digitalability, and Carnegie Hall is certainly one ofthe world's great concert halls acoustically.Nevertheless, the Cuban -American virtuososeems to have been struggling against an ugly,unresponsive piano on the occasion of thisrecital, mostly taped live last February 25.Color is limited, and fortes have a vindictive,petulant impact. Some of the celebrated pow-erhouse preludes (Nos. 16 and 24 come tomind) are delivered in a sizzling manner. Un-fortunately. though. many of the other prel-udes give Bolet time to "interpret." which hedoes in contrived, vulgar fashion. On thewhole. these preludes are the least effectivething on his recital program.

The Bach-Busoni Chaconne is done withimpressive rhetoric (though I happen to findMme. de Larrocha's recent London versionboth more individualistic and more subtlymolded). The encore pieces by Moszkowskiand Anton Rubinstein are very effectivelynegotiated.

In regard to the Schulz-Evler Blue Danubeparaphrase. I must differ with Harold C.Schonberg, whose concert review RCA re-prints with the assertion that Bolet's perform-ance was "worthy to stand alongside the fa-mous Lhevinne recording." Bolet plays a lotof notes. to be sure, but he commmands nei-ther Lhevinne's quasi -orchestral rhythmicsimplicity nor anything like that master's tonal


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Half a dozen recordings of selectionsfrom Sylvia were listed in Schwann- Iprior to this new London release, butno complete performance. There ac-tually has never been an absolutely un-cut version on disc until now. The long -deleted Mercury album by Fistoulariand the London Symphony Orchestraomitted the "pas des esclaves" and the"raise" from Act Ill. Richard Bonyngerightly includes every note of Delibesscore:

Sylvia is one of the masterpieces ofballet music and deserves to be takenwhole. Not only does it exemplify thebest qualities of nineteenth-centuryFrench music for the theater-charm ofmelody, rhythmic variety, and finenessof orchestration-it also has a sweepand variety that carries the eveningfrom the sylvan opening to the grandfinale, in which Diana. having beenvouchsafed a vision of her own futurelove for Endymion, blesses the unionof the shepherd Amyntas and thenymph Sylvia.

Though the ballet is made up of sep-arate numbers-waltzes, galops,marches, a scherzo, a pastorale, and soforth-Delibes has conceived the workas a dramatic entity. Each act is con-structed so that the progression of inci-dents leads effectively to a climax, andthe score is given over-all coherence bythe use of the motifs, both for charac-teis and for situations. The scene -set-ting is particularly felicitous. The prel-ude. with its majestic initialannouncement followed by a ravishingseries of horn calls against tremolandostrings and delicate woodwind color-ation. takes us immediately into themythic, enchanted world of the forest.an evocation worthy to rank with Ber-lioz' "Royal Hunt and Storm."

Few of Delibes' numbers fall belowthis level. The finale of Act II is weak.

A Ballet

Masterpiece:

Complete at Last

by Dale Harris

and some of the music-the "raiselente." for example-has been wornthreadbare by popularity. But Sylvia iswonderfully effective stage music. Thesolo devised by Sir Frederick Ashton tothe Act 111 "pizzicato" in his versionfor the Royal Ballet was a demonstra-tion of Delibes' theatrical sense. Ash -ton's masterly choreography, by usingthe overfamiliar music for the ends ofexpressive movement, in effect re-newed it.

Tchaikovsky immediately recog-nized the quality of Delibes' achieve-ment. and the older composer's in-fluence can be felt in both Nutcrackerand The Sleeping Beauty. But in hisballets Tchaikovsky avoided what hascome to seem Delibes' one major the-atrical error: Because of the over-emphasis on female dancing at theParis Opera in the second half of thenineteenth century. there is neither asolo for the hero nor a pas de deux forthe lovers. To supply this want. Ashtonused music from Delibes' share in LaSource. On the present occasion.Bonynge does not, of course, go be-yond the original score, but after thisSylvia I can only hope he goes on torecord La Source-the sections by Min-kus as well as those by Delibes.

Bonynge is a superb conductor ofnineteenth-century ballet music. Hehas an instinctive understanding of theappropriate style: color, weight, and,above all, rhythm. The New Philhar-monia plays beautifully for him. Therecording is first-rate. Included in thealbum is a very good historical essay byIvor Guest.

DELIBES: Sylvia (complete ballet).New Philharmonia Orchestra, RichardBonynge, cond. [Michael Woolcock,prod.] LONDON CSA 2236, $13.96(two discs, automatic sequence).

resources. Similarly the two Strauss-Tausigwaltzes and the Wagner -Liszt TannhauserOverture: Bolet plays honorably. but he is toowrapped up in the clichés of piano -playing tobe able to suggest the larger -than -life re-sources of a symphony orchestra (surely. theraison d'être of such arrangements, as Rach-maninoff demonstrated amply in his record-ing of Man le& nur einmal). Too often the so-lidity and logic of the music disappear whileBolet indulges himself for no discernible rea-son.

Bolet does give the Schulz -Eyler Arabesquesin an unexpurgated text. (The Lhevinne RCArecording. now on Victrola VIC 1544. cuts theintroductory passage-which is. however. in-cluded in his piano -roll version. miraculouslyrestored by Argo.) H.G.

CORELU: Concerti grossi (12), Op. 6. Acad-emy of St. Martin -in -the -Fields, Neville Marri-ner, cond. [Michael Bremner, prod.] ARGOZRG 773/5, $20.94 (three discs, manual se-quence).

Long known mainly for his pioneering worksfor solo violin. Corelli first won discographicrepresentation for his larger -scaled concertigrossi with the Op. 6. No. 8. Christmas Con-certo. so-called for its subtitle Faun per la nonedi Natale. which is primarily applicable to thelast movement. a Pastorale ad libitum. But thefirst integral recording of Op. 6 didn't appearuntil February 1953. when Dean Eckertsen'scomplete Vox set was released in commemo-ration of the composer's three -hundredthbirthday. That was a remarkably tine achieve-ment for its time. and, although the number ofplayers used now seems unduly large. the

still sounds surprisinglyeffective (as I discovered when 1 unearthed myown long -treasured album for comparisonwith the new one).

Corelli has been consistently fortunate.since the late Max Goberman's Library of Re-corded Masterpieces gave us. around 1962.fine stereo versions of all twelve concertos(now available in a 1967 Odyssey reissue).And Marriner does even better. thanks in partto having made trial runs of Nos. I and 7 forOiseau-Lyre. and in larger part to exploitingthe most recent musicological and tech-nological advances.

This new set has been -recorded (1973-74.engineer Stanley Goodall) at St. John's inSmith Square. London. by an expert string en-semble confined in four of the concertos to asingle player to a part. The performing editionused is Christopher Hogwood-s. based on thefirst printed sources of 1714 and 1715. The ver-satile Hogwood also plays the harpsichordand organ continuo parts (a few others aregiven to theorbo or bassoon) and triples asleaflet annotator. In the latter role he arguesfor the present relatively sparse use of ex-temporised embellishments and for the free-dom exercised in the choice of continuo in-struments and the number of players to a part.

Much more convincingly persuasit e thanany verbal arguments. though. are the actualresults Marriner achieves. The playing hardlycould he more deftly lilting. but what makes itexceptional is its potent radiation of the per-sonal relish everyone concerned ohs iously hasfor the music itself. Together with the sheerloveliness of the transparent recording. this in-fectious relish endows ('orelli's only seem-ingly orthodox baroque idioms with much of


the imaginative sweep, lift. and exhilarationmore often accredited to Handelian master-pieces in this genre. R.D.D.

FENNELLY: Evanescences. HIBBARD: Quar-tet for Strings. Members of the Da CapoChamber Players and electronic tape (in theFennelly); Stradivari Quartet (in the Hibbard).[David Hancock and Lowell Cross, prod.]COMPOSERS RECORDINGS SD 322, $6.95.

Both works recorded here typify a rather se-vere. intellectually oriented style that avoidslinear continuity and instead concentrates, invarying degrees. on cellular patterns of pitch.rhythm. interval (neither harmony nor themeis particularly relevant here), and instrumen-tation, generally predefined along rigidthough independently established lines butvaried from cell to cell with a great amount offreedom.

In Brian Fennelly's Evanescences (1969).for instance, electronic sounds are often skill-fully overlapped and/or intertwined with livemusic (played by a violin, cello, alto flute, andclarinet) so that the transitions from mediumto medium are not immediately perceived. Inthis way. Fennelly creates the illusion of al-most infinitely extending the live -instrumenttimbres. which, by the composer's own admis-sion, were of prime concern. while at the sametime greatly multiplying the basic sound mate-rial deployed at diverse points.

The second of the three movements offersan amazingly fast, complex. and intricate ban-ter of pointillistic tone bursts, broken here andthere by a rather pastorale double trill first in-troduced by the live instruments and then sub-tly picked up by the electronic sounds. All thisis greatly enhanced by a perfectly conceivedstereo directionality. beautifully clear re-corded sound (better for the live performancesthan for the taped music, as is often the case inrecordings such as this), and apparently excel-lent performances by the soloists. (I have notseen the score.)

William Hibbard's string quartet (1971) hasperhaps less immediate appeal because theausterity of its basic idiom is not relieved bythe variety afforded by the electronic medium.Yet repeated hearings have led me to feel thatthis subdued, understated, and often rhapso-dic work makes an even more profound state-ment than the Fennelly Evanescences (whichlikewise demands, by the way. more than onelistening).

Where Fennelly stresses timbre. Hibbardconcentrates on interval relationships (in par-ticular a D -G -sharp tritone in the openingand closing sections) that tend to repeat them-selves sometimes in an almost hypnotic fash-ion. Even if the listener does not have a strongsense of pitch. what is felt perhaps moststrongly is the presence of certain simple notesand certain intervals in diverse contexts. Andthus, in an almost complete reversal of tradi-tional Western practices. Hibbard is able toconclude his quartet in a strikingly convincingmanner by introducing. as the final note, a Bthat the listener suddenly realizes has beenprepared for by its strong lack of importancethroughout.

Again, judging without benefit of a score orprevious acquaintance with the work. I havethe impression that the Stradivari Quartet per-forms the Hibbard with enormous convictionand feeling, which is not easy in a work whose

emotional meaning is as structured as it appar-ently is here. Furthermore, the string soundhas been reproduced about as well as I haveever heard it.

Recordings such as this are certainly ofvalue. affording the opportunity for multiplehearings of music that a single performancecannot begin to communicate, at least not atthis point in history'. I only wish companiessuch as CR1 could somehow offer the optionof purchasing scores with the disc. as is doneby at least one group. Donemus, which is toDutch contemporary music what CR1 is to theAmerican scene. R.S.B.

BH

FRANCK: Sonata for Violin and Piano,in A. BACH: Partita for Solo Violin,No. 2, in D minor, S. 1004. JaschaHeifetz, violin; Artur Rubinstein, piano(in the Franck). SERAPHIM 60230,$3.98 (mono) [from 78 -rpm originals,recorded 1935 (Bach) and 1937(Franck)].

One side of this reissue is a celebrated classic:the other side represents one of the most ob-scure chapters ofJascha Heifetz' recording ca-reer.

The Franck sonata, of course, was a famous78 set issued by both HMV and RCA: it waslater available on an RCA LP transfer ( LVT1007). coupled with the Heifetz/ArpadSandor version of the Richard Strauss sonata.The Bach partita. though. is not (pace RoryGuy's misleading annotations) taken from thefamous RCA integral set of all six Bach unac-companied sonatas and partitas: rather it isone of two such Bach recordings Heifetz madein 1935, originally issued only in Japan. (A pi-rate disc of both works appeared a few yearsago.)

The Franck performance is a beauty. Itmust have been a revelation when it was new.and it remains a revelation today. Heifetz andRubinstein turn in a remarkably lean. trim.impassioned reading-gleaming and centeredin sound. with none of the usual wan porta-mentos. It is an athletic reading but never aself-indulgent one, and even in places wherethe text has been spiffed up a hit (e.g.. Heifetzadds a downward figuration at the very end ofthe fourth movement to complement the key-board's upward one) a basic cogency is alwayspresent. There is still plenty of life in the re-production. and the balance is incrediblygood. In the stormy second movement. bothinstrumentalists flail away to their hearts' con-tent without ever getting in each other's way.A noble rendition.

What is one to say about Heifetz' way withBach? Nobody makes violin playing and mu-sic -making seem as effortless as he does. Alas.he also nearly convinced me that the partita isa dull piece. not worth playing! It is as-tonishingly suave in tone and pure of intona-tion, but rhythmically so symmetrical as to bewithout stress or inner comprehension. Un-doubtedly. my reservations were intensified byhearing this D minor Partita concurrently withRococo's reissue of Joseph Szigeti's peerless1931 recording of the A minor Sonata. On theother hand, this 1935 performance is a gooddeal better than Heifetz' own later effort:Though still too detached. it is never ruthlessand impatient as the later recording some-times is: nor does the beautifully lustrousrecording (remarkable for its time) have any

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of the hard. scratchy "brilliance" of the RCA.Don't fail to acquire this disc. The Franck

alone is worth the modest asking price. N.G.

HUBBARD: Quartet for Strings-See Fennelly:Evanescences.

MAHLER: Symphony No. 2.. For a feature re-view, see page 71

Mown': Quartets for Strings. Quartetto Ital-ian°. PHILIPS 6500 644 and 6500 645, $7.98each.6500 644: Quartets: No. 9, in A, K. 169: No. 10, in C. K.170; No. 11. in E flat, K. 171; No. 12, in B flat, K 1726500 645: Quartet No. 13, m D minor, K. 173 Diver-timentos: in D, K. 136; in B flat, K. 137; in F, K. 138. Adagioand Fugue. in C minor, K. 546.

Except for the late Adagio and Fugue. allthese works are from 1772 73. by which timethe precocious teenaged Mozart had touredEurope. with a particularly strong Italian in-fluence. The quartets (K. 169 173) reveal amusical sophistication. a sense of lOrm. a flairfor drama that anticipate his greatest worksfor the orchestra and the theater. (Mozart issurmised to have encountered the HaydnOpp. 17 and 20 quartets before writing his sixbeginning with K. 168.) I particularly suggest ahearing of the K. 171 quartet. with its remark-able adagio introduction. as all the proofneeded that this is not immature music.

The three Salzburg divertimentos are oftenheard from string orchestras. but they provejust as effective in quartet Ibrm. And as theseperformances show, for sheer elegance alone.they are Mozartean milestones. Except for the

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great K. 546 Adagio and Fugue-one of themasterpieces of Mozart's Vienna years(1788)-this is not especially profound music.But there are introspective moments through-out, especially in the slow movements, and thecontent of the quartets is remarkably varied.In no sense are these works written to formula.

The Quartetto Italiano continues to bring usdiscs that rival. or surpass. all previous re-corded versions of this music. It is consistentlyremarkable how this group plays: the light,animated quality it brings to the music. its ex-ceptional sense of rhythm and phrase. and thesheer beauty of the finely blended sound ofthe four instruments-a beauty that does not.however, stand in the way of clarity when acontrapuntal passage makes precise definitionof line advisable. R.C.M.

PENDERECKI: Kosmogonia; De natura so-noris No. 2; Anaklasis; Fluorescences. Ste-fano Woytowicz, soprano; Kazimierz Puste-lak, tenor; Bernard Ladysz, bass (all inKosmogonia); Warsaw National Philhar-monic Chorus (in Kosmogonia) and Sym-phony Orchestra, Andrzej Markowski, cond.PHILIPS 6500 683, $7.98.

It is beyond me why anyone would troublehimself with mind-expanding drugs whenmind-expanding music of this sort is cheaper.safer, more readily available, more easily con-trolled. and legal as well. I used this record asone of the tests for a room designed for re-viewing quad records in a new apartment.Heard from four speakers. so that the musicsimply appears to encapsulate you. the effectof both Kosmogonia and De natura sonoris No.2 is simply indescribable. This highly abstractartistic construction in tone reveals an inven-tive mind of the highest skill.

Kosmogonia (1970) is cosmos music, a songfor the nebulae. quite unlike anything exceptearly Penderecki and. more distantly. thework of some other European innovators. Theperformance is spectacular. and the recordingmatches it. It simply has to be heard.

The three orchestral pieces are all endlesslyfascinating, but the most recent. De natura so-noris No. 2 (1971). is the strongest. both in itsideas and in its scoring. Because of this. Side 1of this Philips disc ought to get a lot of actionthis whiter-especially. I hope, in college dor-mitories from Southern Cal to Cambridge.

This is wild, wonderful music, filled withthe sounds of our times. It is profoundly excit-ing. genuinely and deeply moving. You take itfrom there. R.C.M.

PROKOFIEV: War and Peace. For a featurereview, see page 67

PUCCINI: La Boheme.Rudolf°MimiMarcelloMusettaCoiSneSchaunardBenoitAlcinclotoParpignolCustoms OfficialSergeant

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Wandsworth School Boys' Choir; John AlldisChoir; London Philharmonic Orchestra,Georg Solti, cond. [Richard Mohr, prod.]RCA RED SEAL ARL 2-0371, $13.98 (two

84



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S-37042 If you've enjoyedRodrigo's magnificent guitarconcerto, wait until you hearthis. The composer himselfarranged it for Zabaleta's harp.

ALBINONI: ADAGIOMendelsohn: ScherzoHandel: Minuet

I Pastoral SymphonyMozart March in D a Simon Rids

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S-37044 Ten short orchestralpieces highlighted by thesensuous Adagio. It's analbum you'll love to give andlove to own!

S-37061 We think Rimsky-Korsakov would have applaudedRostropovich's version of hismasterpiece. Not everybodyagrees. What do you think?

The Orchestral Musicof Debussy Album 1

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S-37064 The first in a seriesof 3 volumes. All 5 selectionshere were originally written forsolo piano. Orchestrally, theyare made even more beautiful.

ZARTSINFONIAMO CONCEFTTANTE

IN E FLATVIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 2

DAVID OISTRAKHIGOR CASTRAKH

SERON SHILHARIAOINC ORCHESTRA

_

S-36892 David Oistrakh isviolinist, violist and conductorin this Mozart program.Two of his last recordings,and possibly his finest.

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If this new recording of Puccini's youthfulmasterpiece did nothing else. it would serve todemonstrate afresh the technical mastery ofSir Georg Solti. Under his direction the Lon-don Philharmonic Orchestra excels itself. Thebrilliance of its playing in the first scene of ActI is exhilarating. So is the precision with whichSolti handles all the diverse elements of ActII. The ebullience he gives to Schaunard's en-trance in Act IV is like a burst of sunshine.

Were La Boheme simply a matter of highspirits. Solti would he ideal. Unfortunately.the opera is steeped in feeling. The convivial-ity of Acts I and II and of the opening of ActIV only serves to emphasize the sadness thatpervades the entire work. Faced with Pucci-nian emotionality. Solti is at a loss. He can givehimself wholeheartedly to the irrepressibleBohemians but not to the young. doomedlovers.

In this opera he shares with Herbert vonKarajan (London OSA 1299) a curious inabil-ity to commit himself unstintingly to tender-ness. As soon as Mimi arrives at Rodolfo'sdoor. Solti becomes self-conscious, laboring atthe sentiment and draining it of life. His re-sponse to the sudden upsurge of feeling thatwe hear as Mimi returns for her key ("Oh!sventata! sventata!") is to hold the music incheck. like a solicitous nurse trying to calm afeverish patient. He dawdles apprehensivelyover Mimi's farewell in Act III. and by imped-ing the music's natural flow he keeps the quar-tet as phlegmatic as possible. Those who lovethis score on account of its emotional gener-osity will find themselves fobbed off with goodtaste instead.

the disadvantages of Solti's conducting arecompounded by Montserrat Caballe. whoseMimi is chilling in its impersonality and un-spontaneousness. Caballe's uneven vocalism.the way she alternates sometimes exquisitepianissimos with big blowsy tone, is less dis-turbing than her calculating manner-thoughthere is. of course. a direct relationship be-tween her technical and interpretive limita-tions. Because of her inability to vocalize com-fortably except at low dynamic levels. sheattempts to convert everything she sings into arhapsodic murmur. The result is frequently todistort the intentions of composer and libret-tist. Instead of opening herself up to Rodolfoin "Mi chiamano Mimi." she is withdrawn andintrospective. Caballe picks her way cau-tiously through the music like someone tryingto follow an overgrown path. At the aria'smost expansive moment. "Ma quando vier; losge/o"-marked con molta anima-she com-municates little but wariness. One waits invain for full -hearted directness of utterance.To her "Lei m'iniende?" one feels that the an-swer should be "Not very well."

By comparison. Placido Domingo is warmand impetuous. though. sad to say. this is notone of his most assured performances.Throughout the opera. and especially in "Chegelida manina." he sounds tired. tending tosubstitute aspirates for legato. Nor does hereally seize hold of the character in any verypersonal way.

As Marcello. Sherrill Milnes is uningratiat-ing. His blustery manner implies more in theway of vocal resources than he commandsthese days. Ruggero Raimondi is a smoothColline. however. and. if Judith Blegen missesthe glitter of a true -born Musetta. she singswith musicality and charm.

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To joir the Nakamichi Revolution, see yourNakamichi dealer now. Or for more informationwrite: Nakamichi Research (U.S.A.) Inc.,220 Westbury Avenue, Carle Place, N.Y. 11514.In California: "101 Colorado Avenue, SantaMonica 90404.

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The performance abilities of the MK 4exceed normal broadcast specifications forhum (-80 dB), rumble (-60 dB), wow &flutter (less than 0.1%). The unit is anintegrated turntable with a sleek yet strongpick-up arm , (Type SAU2) which wasexpressly designed to complement and com-plete the sound quality excellence of theMK 4. The damped hydraulic lifting andlowering device insures maximum protectionto both stylus and record, while the BiasCompensator (an integral part of the arm)corrects for any possible "skating" effect.The MK 4 also features a 16 -pole hysteresissynchronous motor.

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Among currently available Bohemes, thatconducted by Sir Thomas Beecham (Sera-phim I B 6000, mono) still seems to me unex-celled, being well sung. touching, and a bar-gain to boot. D.S.H.

In quad: The handling of the four -channelsound mirrors the performance. in that it hasconsiderable charms but seems all too tenta-tive at some key moments. The positive qual-ity of the quad is best appreciated by switchinghack and forth between CD -4 and stereo. Instereo the space collapses and the sound seemsrelatively dull and shallow. Life and excite-ment return immediately with full quad repro-duction.

Often the orchestra simply is there, with noparticular spatial locus. The effect suggeststhat of listening "through" the orchestra to thestage from, say. a fifth -row seat in the operahouse. This might be admirable if it were con-sistent. But the brass at many points, and thechorus at some, emerge from behind you. de-stroying one sense of placement without estab-lishing a clear alternative or suggesting anyvery cogent reasons for the flexibility of ap-proach.

One all too often is aware of the engineeringas just that. The harp -dominated "fire music"when Rodolfo throws his manuscript into theflames in Act I. for example. suddenly Likes ona life of its own at the left front, though noother illustrative writing in the scene is sim-ilarly treated. And when Mimi and Rodolfoexit at the end of the act. one feels they don'twalk out. but are pushed by a fader on thecontrol panel. Over-all, the quadriphonicsmust be reckoned as a success marred by ob-vious crudities. R.L.

SCHUBERT: Quartets for Strings: No.12, in C minor, D. 703 (Quartettsatz);No. 13, in A minor, D. 804; No. 14, inD minor, D. 810 (Death and theMaiden); No. 15, in G, D. 887. NewHungarian Quartet. Vox SVBX 601,$10.95 (three discs, manual se-quence).

SCHUBERT: Quartet for Strings, No. 14, in Dminor, D. 810 (Death and the Maiden). MO-ZART: Adagio and Fugue, in C minor, K.546. Cleveland Quartet. [Max Wilcox, prod.]RCA RED SEAL ARL 1-0483, $6.98

SCHUBERT: Quartet for Strings, No.14, in D minor, D. 810 (Death and theMaiden). Busch Quartet. DACAPO C047 01374, $5.98 (mono) [from HMV/Victor 78 -rpm originals, recorded1936].

The world of Schubert's last quIrtets is a do-main as distinct and as moving as that ofBeethoven's "late" ones-almost unremittingin emotional intensity and spiritual probing.an altogether beautiful, thought -provoking.and unsettling experience. It seems commer-cially a "natural" to issue a boxed set of theseworks by a single ensemble, and the NewHungarian fills a gap in this respect. This is, ifmemory serves. the first such set released heresince the complete Schubert quartets/quintetsby the Endres Quartet came out in three VoxBoxes quite a few years ago.

Taking the set as a whole, the New Hun-garian Quartet meets the challenge. In certaininstances-the Death and the Maiden, princi-pally-it is edged out, I think, by some of the

'B

H

competition. But in general the New Hun-garian performances make a strong case: Theyare intelligent, alive, and cohesive both in en-semble sound and in sense of structure.

It is refreshing to find that a relatively unher-alded group can make so substantial a contri-bution (and at a bargain price) in this bedrockliterature. The ensemble is in residence atOberlin and comes by its name from the factthat the violist. Denes Koromzay, was afounder of the original Hungarian Quartet.(There are family ties within the group: Firstviolinist Andor Toth is the father of thetwenty -four -year -old cellist.)

Comparisons with other quartets in thesame literature tend to place the New Hun-garian in a middle-of-the-road position-nei-ther markedly personal nor markedly slick. InNo. 13. for example. the Guarneri (RCA LSC3285) is slower and somewhat more deliberatein the first movement, emphasizing certainpoints of arrival in the score by means of morepronounced ritards: the New Hungarianmakes less of such arrivals and seems intent ongetting on with business. A less highly evolvedconcept, you might argue, but it works per-fectly well within the framework the ensemblecreates. Nor does this imply that the NewHungarian is short on dramatic sense: Theenormous contrasts Schubert imbedded in allthese scores are fully faced up to-the hair-raising five -measure crescendo from pp to jithat opens the Quartettsatz, for example. blowsup like a storm over the horizon, and thestriking dichotomy between lyricism and fe-rocity throughout the work is fully revealed.

Only in Death and the Maiden (first and lastmovements) does it seem tome that the NewHungarian falls prey to a certain static moodand fails to create the kind of impetusachieved (in different ways) by both theCleveland and the Busch quartets.

The Cleveland Quartet might stand as theprototype of the young. modern, American -made ensemble. It is full of muscle, militancy,grit, and drive, all projected by means of a tre-mendous virtuosity-the sort of style so longassociated with the Juilliard Quartet, whoseown recording of Death and the Maiden (RCALSC 2378) has much in common with this one.The Cleveland rendition is incisive, the ac-cents snapped out with a vengeance, the scoreexplored for everything it has to offer. The cre-scendo at the start of the second variation ofthe Andante con moto, for instance, is playedfor all it is worth; the Busch. performing in aquieter and less high -geared era, makes less ofit.

The Cleveland is very much of our time: Itleaves no stone unturned in'Schubert's pages:its dynamics are remarkably elastic, its zest ina movement like the scherzo is overt andinescapable. It sets a kind of current standardfor playing of perception and high polish.(One complaint: One of the Cleveland playersis a heavy breather, and the noise intrudesquite seriously.)

The Busch recording, made in 1936, pro-vides a significant counterbalance, a remem-brance of things past when technical accom-plishment was less spectacular (and less takenfor granted) and when performers seemed toapproach their scores in a more philosophicalmanner, letting the music flow rather thandriving it forward with calculated impetus.The quality of flow is predominant with theBusch. which maintains a lower profile thaneither of the modern groups. Accents are less

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emphatic and. in the case of the scherzo. themood much lighter: the marked liquidity ofline characterizes each of the other threemovements and is enhanced by the fact thatAdolf Busch employs a bit more portamentothan is common with most fiddlers today.

In this recording (whose surface noise is no-ticeable but not really a bother). the first violinis sometimes thinnish and tenuous in itsprominent solo spots. but this does not preventmoments of gorgeous sonority-in the coda ofthe second movement. among other places.The cello contributes its share to sonic health.for its dark. amber tone in the second vari-ation of the same movement shows just whatAdolls brother Hermann was capable of.Anybody interested in the great quartet en-sembles %% ill want to have this disc. S.F.

SCHUMANN: Trio for Violin, Cello, and Pi-ano. No 1-See Brahms: Trios.

TALUS: Sacred Works. Cantores in Ecclesia,Michael Howard, cond. OISEAU-LYRE SOL337. $6.98.Mass Salve intemerata": Jesu salvator seculi: Nunc di-mittis: Salve nos Domine: Salve Regina: Sancte Deus.

The sixteenth century was a turbulent time forchurchmen in England. Beginning withHenry's break with Rome in 1534 and the es-tablishment of the Anglican Church. thecountry was plunged into a state of religiousand political upheaval that lasted well into thenext century. Thomas Tallis was born a Cath-olic in 1505. trained as a Catholic church mu-sician, served both Catholics and Protestantsthroughout these troubled times, and died.still a Catholic. in 1585.

Tanis seems to have launched his career atthe Waltham Abbey of Austin canons in Es-sex, which suffered dissolution under HenryVIII in 1540. Almost immediately he became aGentleman of the Chapel Royal. where he re-mained until his death. While serving underHenry and Edward VI he wrote music for thenew English liturgy. During Mary's brief reign1553--58) the country became Catholic once

more. and Tallis could again write Latin mu-sic. With Elizabeth's ascendency in 1558 Eng-land became finally and irrevocably Protes-tant, but her tolerance. even active support. ofCatholic enterprises helped greatly to cool thefires of antagonism between the two groups. atleast for a while.

Tallis and Byrd were both beneficiaries ofher policy of bringing important. respectedCatholics into the service of the Protestantthrone and church. For instance. Elizabethgranted Tallis and Byrd jointly in 1575 a spe-cial twentv-one-year monopoly for the print-ing of music. The immediate result of this li-cense was the publication of a book of thirty-four Latin motets. the Cantiones .saerae. towhich each man had contributed seventeenworks (it was the seventeenth year of Eliza-beth's reign).

Michael Howard's Cantores in Ecclesiaproduced an excellent recording of the com-plete set of thirty-four motets a few years ago(Oiseau-Lure SOL 311/3): on this disc, titled"Tallis at Waltham Abbey." they turn their at-tention to a few of Tallis' early Latin works. allcomposed for his singers at Waltham Abbeyprior to its dissolution.

Side I is devoted to one of Tanis' two poly --phonic settings of the Mass ordinary. "Suiteintemerata." based on the tenor of his motet of

the same name. It is set for five voices through-out. and, like many early Tudor Masses, omitsthe entire Kyrie and parts of the Credo text.The custom was to sing a plainsong Kyriewhen a polyphonic setting was missing. andHoward's singers begin with the Kyrie trope"Orbis factor" according to Sarum use (whichdiffers slightly from the Continental formfound in the Liber usualis).

Side 2 contains shorter pieces, performed asthey were under Tallis' direction at WalthamAbbey. The hymn "Jesu salvator seettli" andthe canticle "Nunc dimittis" were sung duringthe Office of Compline, and in both cases Tal-lis has provided polyphonic settings for onlythe even -numbered verses. The odd -num-bered verses, as well as the antiphon associ-ated with the "Nunc dimittis." "Saha nos Do -mine." are sung in Sarum plainsong. These arefollowed by a Sarum plainsong setting of theMarian antiphon "Salve Regina." with threeadded tropes. The side closes with one of Tal-lis' finest pieces. a subjective, very expressive.and quite beautiful Jesus anthem. "SancteDeus. -

Howard's performances here, as on his ear-lier recording of the Cantiones .cacrae. are at-tractive in every respect. Tallis' music is fre-quently severely objective. but Howard warmsthings up with more than a touch of Roman-ticism: He's not afraid of rubatos or broad dy-namic contrasts or highly expressive singing.Still, his singers (female sopranos. male altos.tenors and basses) sing with purity of tone anddiction and extreme clarity. In the Mass, thebasses remain quite low throughout (even af-ter an upward transposition of one wholetone) and come through rather weakly, butotherwise the internal balance is generallygood.

The organization of this disc places Tanis'music in an authentic perspective that is bothinteresting and musically very satisfying. Itcomes. furthermore, with some well -writtenexplanatory notes by Howard and a leafletwith full texts and translations. C.F.G.

VERDI: Un Giorno di regno. For a feature re-view, see page 73.

VERDI: Otello.DesdenionaEmiliaOtelloJagoCassioRodengoLodovicoMontanoA Herald

Walla Freni (s)Stetania MalagO (ms)

Jon Vickers (1)Peter Glossop (b)

Aldo Bottion (1)Michel Senechal (t)Jose van Dam (bs)

Mario Machi (bs)Hans Helm (t)

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More than a decade ago. Herbert von Kara-jan. running a dead heat with Tullio Serafin.gave us the first too -complete recording ofVerdi's Otello, by virtue of including the balletmusic written for the Paris premiere-esti-mable music. hut palpably destructive of thethird act's mounting tension. Now the incon-stant Mr. K. offers the first incomplete record-ing of Otello in the LP era- -no ballet musicthis time, but two cuts elsewhere that a state-ment in the libretto booklet blandly describesas "minor": "part of the children's chorus inAct Two and part of the extended ensemble inAct Three." These. we are told. "correspond


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to the actual stage production in the [Salzburg]Grosse Festspielhaus." a film of which hasbeen made. using the new recording as itssoundtrack.

There is little precedent for cutting Ore/lo.although the old Sabajno recording on 78s didabridge the Willow Song. apparently in ordernot to run beyond one record side. The 1938Met production. conducted by Ettore Pan izza.took a shorter cut in the third -act ensemblethan does Karajan. but even this was restoredby 1948. when Fritz Busch was in charge of theopera: to the best of my knowledge. the com-pany has not since abridged the score. Basi-cally. then. Karajan's procedure is new and hisown responsibility: no explanation is offered.other than the fact that he makes these cuts inhis "world-famous Salzburg performances."Because I fear that the fame of the perform-ances and of the conductor may lead somepurchasers of the set to accept the validity ofmonkeying around with Verdi's score. I

should like to examine just what these "mi-nor" cuts entail.

The first one is just plain clumsy. To skip thesecond and third strains of the choral episodein Act II (i.e.. those in which the boys chorusand the basses, respectively. carry the tunes).Karajan has to recompose Verdi's little modu-lation so that from E major it will now lead to0 sharp minor instead of to A major. The timesaved by this awkward rewrite job is trivial.the purpose of the omission unfathomable.

Time can hardly have been the reason be-hind the other, much more disastrous exci-sion, either. The entire third -act ensemble.from Desdemona's lament (",4 terra! si, net

tango'") to Otello's interruption ("Fug-gite!"), comprises but ninety-six measures.lasting (at Verdi's metronome markings)about five and a half minutes. Karajan skipsfrom Jago's "Una parola" to the choral "Quelviso santo": thirty-four measures. or slightlymore than two minutes time hardly worthsaving in the context of the entire opera. yetamounting to more than a third of this particu-lar. crucial episode.

In terms of plot, we lose two important ex-changes: between Jago and Otello, duringwhich the farmer undertakes to have Cassiodispatched to the nether regions. and betweenJago and Roderigo. who is commissioned todo the dirty deed. Without this information.the audience can hardly grasp the significanceof Emilia's tidings. near the end of the last act.that Cassio has killed Roderigo (especiallysince the Angel libretto drops the lines alto-gether). And. although it might he argued thatthese discussions, carried on in counterpointto general expressions of sympathy for the dis-traught Desdemona. are often lost in actualperformance. that is no excuse for omittingthem: it is the conductor's (and the recordingproducer's) job to make them audible-as wassuccessfully done. even without the benefit ofmodem multichannel recording. as far back asthe Toscanini recording of 1948.

But there are considerations of musicalstructure as well. The ensemble begins withDesdemona's solo, soon moving to a slightlyfaster tempo and introducing the material thatwill serve as a kind of "refrain": the tune thatenters at "E un d sub mio sorriso" and its vari-ant at "Quel sob sereno e vivido." The first ofthese returns briefly after the secondary char-acters commiserate, and leads to the Jago-Otello and Jago-Roderigo episodes alreadymentioned, between which the commiserationand refrain are heard again, while a falling

triplet figure (derived from Desdemona's ini-tial material) is extensively developed in theorchestra during the two conversations. Now,at a faster tempo. Desdemona's opening mate-rial is restated by the entire ensemble ("Quelviso sano'"). leading to the refrain. and a fur-ther stretto on the falling triplet figure leads toa grand climax on the variant refrain. Kara-jan's omission reduces the material at themain tempo (the pill animato of the refrain'sfirst appearance) by more than a half, severelyforeshortening the foundation from which thetempo takes off to build the climax. Further-more. the falling triplet of the final stretto nowcomes to us virtually out of the blue, ratherthan as a development of material already in-troduced and developed.

The moral of all this is simple: Tamperingwith masterpieces is a risky business. If thesetwo minutes of music could have been pain-lessly banished, leaving no loose ends, thenOtello would have to have been a much lesserwork than it is. In fact, they are more than justtwo minutes of music, for they fulfill an unar-guable dramatic function, and they relate inmultifarious ways to the music around them.Even Wagner's greatest works, which are ar-guably "too long" in some sense, cannot reallybe improved by cutting any more than theSistine Ceiling would be "better" if somebodyrepainted it to remove the disparities of scaleand design that developed as Michelangeloworked his way through the various episodes.And when it comes to cutting Ote/to, surelyone of the few operas about which it can besaid that they contain not a single superfluousnote, we are dealing with an impulse of the ilkthat would put a mustache on the Mona Lisa.On fundamental artistic grounds. this record-ing should be boycotted.

Still, you probably want to know what sortof a performance it contains. I find it muchlike other recent Karajan operatic recordings,executed with much finesse but very littlerhythmic force and continuity. Tonal polish isfrequently sought at the expense of character-ization: in the opening storm, after the choralline "poi si spegne, pill funesta," Verdi marksthe horns "like a lament." but the phraseemerges as if from the noblest of Beethoven'sadagios. Limp upbeats abound (e.g.. the cho-ral refrain to the Brindisi). and pauses in themusic all too often become dead spaces (e.g..that just before Desdemona's "Quando nar-rani" in the love duet). All the accuracy andmasterful balancing is admirable, and wouldcertainly embellish a performance with realimpetus-but precision does not of itself gen-erate rhythmic force.

Expectably. the most absorbing perform-ance among the principals is that of Jon Vick-ers a more subtly involved portrayal than hisearlier one in the Serafin RCA set (of whichonly highlights are now available domes-tically). Less expectably. his effectiveness hereis not really comparable to that of his stageperformances: without the imposing physicalpresence and the tangible. terrifying energy.we are more conscious of vocal compromises.musical inaccuracies. At his best. Vickers'probing mind and lively declamation give riseto memorable readings: After his last -act en-try. the first lines to Desdemona ("Dicestequesta sera le vostre preci?") are of a chillinggentleness. overt menace only creeping intothe tone later. But I wish he had been morecareful with rhythms phrasings, and the like;great peformances on records have to rely en-tirely on such musical resources.


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Mirella Freni is not. I think, really a Desde-mona, despite some touching details: the voicesimply hasn't the guts for the part, it can't ex-pand to the necessary radiant climaxes, as Re-nata Tebaldi still could in Karajan's earlierrecording of the opera. Peter Glossop gives usan uneven Jago, the tone coming loose fromthe pitches when under stress. He has clout.which is useful, but it isn't always exercised inthe most appropriate places. The prime vocalperformance of the set is Jose van Dam'sLodovico. which almost compensates for thestrangulated Cassio of Aldo Bottion.

The orchestra is. with the reservations al-ready expressed. a thing at which to marvel:Details such as the pizzicato chord afterOtello's "Hai to creduto Desdemona infida?" inthe last act are of Toscaninian precision andclarity -if only some of Toscanini's irresistible

continuity had accompanied them! The re-corded sound has less sheer impact than Lon-don's engineers achieved in Vienna back in1961, but is still very good. barring a miscalcu-lation in that second -act chorus (the one withthe cut), which is so distant throughout thatthe melodic line is often virtually inaudible.and Desdemona's (clearly audible) repetitionof the soprano tune becomes the first time weever hear it clearly. On the other hand, theOtello-Cassio-Jago trio in Act Ill is imagina-tively staged and balanced, clearly distin-guishing the eaves -dropping Otello from thedialogue of the other two.

Where does this leave the Otello picture?Well, the incomparable Toscanini perform-ance is still very much around (RCA LM 6107.mono), and the stereo choice, now that Serafinhas disappeared from the listings, hangs be -

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tween Karajan/Vienna (London OSA 1324)and a rbi ro I I i (Angel SCL 3742) -the firstflawed by that blasted ballet music and by aneutral Jago. the second decidedly uneven ifoften compelling. I don't know what anybodyat RCA is thinking about, but the best Otelloperformance I have ever heard in the theaterwas conducted by James Levine. with Kiri TeKanawa as Desdemona-but perhaps weshould hold our horses until 1978. when Vick-ers will presumably be able to record the titlerole again? D.H.

VIVALDI: II Cimento dell'armonia e dell'in-venzione, Op. 8: Nos. 5-12. English Cham-ber Orchestra, Pinchas Zukerman, violin andcond. [Paul Myers, prod.] COLUMBIA M 32693and M 32840, $6.98 each. Tape: 40._ MA

32693 and MA 32840, $7.98 each; 41. MT32693 and MT 32840, $7.98 each. Quadri-phonic: MO 32693 and MT 32840 (SQ-en-coded discs), $7.98 each; MAO 32693 andMAO 32840 (0-8 cartridges), $7.98 each.

VIVALDI: The Four Seasons, Op. 8,Nos. 1-4. NHK String Ensemble,Yoshio Unno, violin and cond.ODYSSEY Y 32884, $3.49.

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At last count there were twenty-two versionsof The Four Seasons in Schwann. And what ofthe remaining eight concertos of 11 Cimentodell'armonia e dell'invenzione? Exactly oneversion. provided by the indomitable PinchasZukerman at the helm of the English Cham-ber Orchestra. (The Musical Heritage cata-logue lists another complete traversal. a rathersoupy version by the Solisti Veneti.)

The popularity of The Four Seasons is easyto understand, for among the rest of the Op. 8concertos only a few are as spectacularly ap-pealing. Only two have titles -obviously theprogrammatic Vivaldi speaks to us with specialvividness -and of these The Tempest (No. 5)can match in excitement and dazzle anythingto be found in the Seasons. But other highpoints emerge: The only movement markedcantabile ( in No. 6) is one of those particularlybeautiful Vivaldian slow movements: theLargo of No. 8. with its violin/cello dialogue.shows the master at his finest: the contrapun-tal niceties of No. I I are immediately striking.No. 10 ( The Hunt). too, works up to some pic-torial fury at the close.

In considering Zukerman's rendering ofThe Four Seasons [July 1973] I found his workrather contrived for my taste -a very self -aware and virtuosic approach to the music.which frequently emphasized aspects of thescore that were never intended to be broughtforth so glaringly. Oddly enough. in the re-maining concertos he seems less prone towardthis attitude. True, there is tremendous zip anddazzle in No. 5. with a hint of the "just watchme" spirit. and in other spots as well the vir-tuoso that lies so close under the Zukermansurface intrudes too noticeably: The bounc-ing -bow double stops in the third movementof No. 7 seem to me to be in questionablestyle. and the fast figuration in the third move-ment of No. 10 is bent more on reaching itsdestination than on giving pleasure along theway. But for the most part the soloist keeps arestraining hold on himself, and the listener isfree to think about Vivaldi rather than aboutthe performer. Exciting work. and welcome in

94



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rounding out this opus.The new version of the Seasons by Yoshio

Unno is beautifully handled-clean, precise.poised, crystalline in tone, vital in rhythmicimpetus. Its approach is low-key compared toZukerman's or Szeryng's; solos are less highlywrought than either of those, and balancesmore objective (the pacing bass line in theslow movement of No. 2, for instance, is notbrought forward nearly so strongly as in thetwo older versions). Unno's is the kind of Sea-sons one can live with for a long time. S.F.

WAGNER: Duets. Birgit Nilsson, soprano;Helge Brilioth, tenor; Orchestra of the RoyalOpera House, Covent Garden, Leif Seger-stam, cond. PHILIPS 6500 661, $7.98.Parsifal: Dies alias. hab' ich nun getraumt? ... to end of

Act II (with Norman Bailey. baritone). Die WalkUre:Schlifst du. Gast? ... to end of Act I.

The signs of vocal deterioration that havemarked Birgit Nilsson's performances in theopera house for about a year now are sadlyevident on this recording. Though there isnothing like the intermittent yet real sense oftonal disintegration that undermined her Gen-

terdammerung Briinnhilde at the Met last sea-son (when Nilsson was put at an extra disad-vantage by a nasty fall during rehearsals) orher Elektra at the Paris Opera this past June,nevertheless what one hears on her new recitalis hardly cause for rejoicing.

Even in Nilsson's best days. Kundry-a roleI believe the soprano has not sung on stage-would doubtless have lain rather low for her.It is doubtful, too, whether the voluptuous se -

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ductiveness of Act II could ever have elicitedfrom her the appropriate kind of sensual al-lure. The gleaming sound of Nilsson's voice inits prime was never intended by nature forsuch silken dalliance.

In this performance of the long central duetbetween Kundry and Parsifal she comes intoher own only when, at the scene's climax, thevoice has a chance to ring out. Elsewhere she isas much confined by the intimacy of the musicas of the situation. Because she no longerseems to command the right kind of vocal se-curity for soft music, she gives the impressionof singing to herself rather than engaging incolloquy, especially as the ends of severalphrases (notably at the beginning of the duet)are not properly supported by the breath.

Sieglinde, a part that Nilsson has not sungfor several years. is also a little low for her and,though she sounds less constricted than shedoes with Kundry, she never gives the musicits necessary flush of ecstasy. In her singinghere there is no sense of abandonment or pas-sion.

It would, in any case, be necessary for Nils-son to achieve this on her own, since she getslittle help from either tenor or conductor.Helge Brilioth, who in the Parsifal excerpt isrefreshingly secure of voice, if not character-ization, sounds quite out of place in the broadlyricism of Walkare, especially at the end ofthe act, where in order to get through the mu-sic he resorts to a tonally unattractive croon.

Of Leif Segerstam. I can only say that he isthe weakest of these participants. There aresome speedy moments to be heard-like theopening bars of the Walkfire excerpt-butmost of this music is not only very slow, it isperformed with a deadly combination of tor-por and rhythmic slackness.

All things considered, the Covent GardenOrchestra plays very well. Norman Bailey, theSadler's Wells' celebrated Wotan and HansSachs. makes a gruff -sounding Klingsor. Textsand translations. D.S.H.

recitalsand miscellanyEUGENE FODOR: Violin Recital. Eugene Fo-dor, violin; Jonathan Feldman, piano. [JohnPfeiffer, prod.] RCA RED SEAL ARL 1-0735,$6.98.PAGANO.: Caprices, Op. 1: No. 17, in E fiat; No. 24. in Aminor. POOKONEV: The Love for Three Oranges: March.TCHAMOVSKY: Verse -Scherzo, Op. 34; Serenade melan-colique, in B flat minor, Op. 26. WONIAWSKI: Polonaisebrillante No. 1, in D, Op. 4; Scherzo-Tarantelle, Op. 16.Vomit: Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 27. No. 3.

A prizewinner's first disc has to show us HowHe Did It, and that is what this recording does,at least up to a point.

But first, a word from the consumer. EugeneFodor shared second place with a young Rus-sian woman in the 1974 Tchaikovsky competi-tion (no first prize was given) and has comehome to fame, fortune, and this debut recordwith its brilliant red banner reading: "FirstWestern World Top Prize Winner of theTchaikovsky Violin Competition." Now itseems to me that the time has come for a littlediscussion of semantics: Is second prize thetop prize? If so, what is first prize? (Super topprize?) If first prize is not awarded, does it sim-ply not exist? (And yet is not the very existenceof a second prize predicated on the assump-tion that there is something higher?) If the

96

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concept of first prize does exist, as a symbol ofthe top category. can second also be top? Andfinally, if someone shares a prize, is he the win-ner or is he a co -winner? Any shopper thesedays has learned to be suspicious of toothpastelabels; it is too bad that supersell in the musicbusiness must force us to be suspicious ofjacket labels too. The intent to mislead is hardto prove, but I doubt that Bristol-Myers wouldcare to go to court over ambiguities similar tothe ones suggested above.

All of which is no reflection on twenty -four-year -old Fodor himself. How He Did It ispretty clear, insofar as technical display is con-cerned, for he has the virtuoso's flair to an al-most exaggerated degree.

The emphasis in the Wieniawski Polonaisebrillante is very much on the brillante, wherean intense vibrato, a gutsy, into -the -stringtone, and mercurial, flash -fire dynamics keepthe melodic line in a constant state of flux. TheScherzo-Tarantelle displays all these qualitiesand one other-the ability to warm up a soar-ing lyric passage with real romantic fervor.Fodor's tone is robust and abounding in redcorpuscles even at the top, and when he comesto a piece like Tchaikovsky's Serenade melon-colique he can create a sound impressivelydark -hued and deep-rooted. He is also wise inthe use of vibrato, for he can let up on the ten-sion applied in the Polonaise and adjust to themore contained demands of Ysaye's solo so-nata-where, incidentally, the double -stoppedpassages are all marvelously clean and in tuneand the dynamics retain the extremely elasticcontours that are a marked feature of Fodor'sstyle. The Paganini Caprices fail to convey theultimate rhythmic inevitability that someother players achieve, but everything on thefingerboard is brilliantly in place.

If I were pressed for one word to qualify Fo-dor's approach at this stage of his career, theword would be "hyperactive." He is out towring every ounce of potential from theseshowpieces and make no bones about it. It is agood and youthful attitude, and, if he decidesto draw back a bit in time to come, there willnever be any doubt about the richness of histechnical resources. Let's hear him now indeeper musical waters.

Jonathan Feldman provides strong supporthere and isn't afraid to come forth when calledupon. S.F.

IN DULCI JUSILO. Hamburg Monteverdi Choir,Jurgen Jurgens, cond. TELEFUNKEN SAWT9419, $6.98.

If you still need something Christmasy for theholiday season-a gift, perhaps, or somethingdifferent for your own household-you mightwell consider this disc. Although the jacketsubtitle reads "Christmas Music of the15th -18th Centuries," the selection and thestyle are almost all representative of early Ger-man baroque. This is a particularly nice holi-day sound, plenty of direct tunefulness setwith enough contrapuntal imagination tosparkle decoratively.

Records of Christmas music usually have toappeal to a wide variety of tastes if they are tobe played at family gatherings, and an attrac-tive feature of this disc is that so many of thetunes will be familiar while the settings are apleasant relief from what one hears in theshopping centers from October through De-cember. For example. "In dulci jubilo" showsup in three versions. of which my favorite is anexquisite little cantata by Buxtehude for threevoices accompanied by lacy garlands of paral-lel thirds played on two violins. "Joseph lieberJoseph mein" is the homey lullaby version ofthe Latin hymn "Resonet in laudibus," whichmay be heard in settings by Lasso and Bod-enschatz as well as simultaneously with "Induki jubilo" in Palminger's ingenious quodli-bet.

Other easily recognizable carols are "VomHimmel hoch" and Praetorius' perennial fa-vorite, "Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen." Choirsingers may also be familiar with the Vulpiusand the other Praetorius works, which havefound their way into many parish repertoiresduring the past decade or so. Mixed in withthese is some more slightly exotic fare: a gaySpanish villancico. a lively French noel. a con-templative fifteenth -century motet.

The singing of the Hamburg MonteverdiChoir is very lovely-cheerful, warm, and ex-pressive-and in the best of the GermanChristmas tradition, which has contributed somuch to our own. The voices and the instru-mental ensemble that sometimes accompaniesthem are well enough reproduced to soundwell on new speakers or whatever other equip-ment Santa may have brought.

Texts, but no notes or translations, are in-cluded. S.T.S.

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de l'amour. Medawar Herodiade: Dors. 6 cite perverse.Le Jongleur de Notre Dame: La legende de la sauge.

: Les Huguenots: Pitt, pan. Totowa: Le Caid:Je comprends que la belle aime le militaire.

There are people who say they prefer hearingVerdi's Don Carlos not in the original lan-guage, but in Italian translation. I refer themto Vanni Marcoux's recording of King Philip'sair; ask them if "Son coeur m'est ferme" doesnot fit the music better than "Quel cor chiuso ea me" (in the translation, "-so e a" must all beslid through on one note of a triplet); whetherthe simplicity of "Voici le four" does not con-jure up the bleak grayness of dawn, andPhilip's weary despair, far more effectivelythan the full, fat sound of "Gia spunto e it di"?And sometimes they agree. (If they don't, along list is ready of places where the trans-lation spoils the sounds, the rhythms, and eventhe sense.)

Joseph Rouleau's first solo recital discstrikes a timely blow for Verdi in the original.After Philip's air comes Procida's from LesVepres siciliennes. Eugenio Caimi's old trans-lation, as used at the Metropolitan and in theRCA recording, may have been made underVerdi's supervision, but it was planned not tooffend the susceptibilities of mid-century cen-sors. The climaxes of Procida's recitative andof his cabaletta are on the word "liberte"-adangerous word at the time and thereforequenched in the translation.

In this recital, Rouleau, a Canadian bass fa-miliar on British and French stages, essays therepertory of the great basses chantantes-De-rivis, Obin, Levasseur: in phonograph history.Pol Plancon, Edouard de Reszke, MarcelJournet -who inspired the composers of theirday to noble, majestic strains and, since theywere virtuosos trained in coloratura, to bright,merry pieces as well. Their successors-andsuccessors to the comparable bass -baritones.Vanni Marcoux and Lucien Fugere-have notbeen numerous.

Much of what Rouleau does is impressive.At its best, his tone has a fine, smooth "body,"rich and firm without effusiveness or spread-ing, and his phrases have the right long,smooth span. This is heard most consistentlyin the two Massenet airs, particularly in Pha-nuel's powerful apostrophe to the stars inHerodiade.

But the voice is not always at its best; quiteoften it becomes clouded, hooded, furry,rusty, unfocused. None of the epithets is quiteright, but the cluster -sense should be clear.And when that happens his performancessound undervitalized. Procida then lacks thethrust for his patriotic cabaletta, "Saint amourqui m'entraine" (omitted in the Metropolitanrevival); Mephistopheles sings a lugubriousserenade; Ambroise Thomas' Drum Majorneeds a swifter, more chipper bounce fromnote to note.

The recital is well worth hearing. In places itis first-rate, but not consistently so.

John Matheson, an enthusiast for Frenchopera and a very fine conductor of it (as can beheard on pirate tapes of the BBC's Ur -Carlos),provides an athletic, eloquent orchestral con-tribution. Only in the "Legende de la sauge"would I question his style-and Rouleau's.The handling of the dramatic passages is toohectic. Fugere, the original Boniface, kept ev-erything within the framework of the fat oldmonk telling this story to the little juggler.

The recording is large and comfortable.London provides texts and translations. A.P.

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JANUARY 1975


101

John Sebastian (below)-relief from chaos.Bonnie Raitt (right)-maybe her most successful album.

Labella (opposite page below)-a shot at supergroup status.Tom Rush-a masterpiece at last.

the lighter sidereviewed by

MORGAN AMES

ROYAL S. BROWN

R.D. DARRELL

HENRY EDWARDS

KENNETH FURIE

DALE HARRIS

MIKE JAHN

JOHN ROCKWELL

JOHN S. WILSON

JOHN SEBASTIAN: Tarzana Kid. JohnSebastian, vocals, guitars, six -stringbanjo, percussion, harmonica, andautoharp; Pointer Sisters, backgroundvocals; strings arranged by DavidPaich. Friends Again; Wild WoodFlower; Sportin' Life; seven more.[Erik Jacobsen and John Sebastian,prod.] REPRISE MS 2187, $6.98. Tape:

L 82187, $7.97; si L 52187,$7.97.

John Sebastian still looks twenty-two, as hedid eight or nine years ago when he gave us theLovin' Spoonful. He was a relief from chaosthen, and he's a relief now.

Sebastian does everything quietly and well,from singing to mouth -harp playing to writingsongs ("Summer in the City," "Daydream,""Nashville Cats," not included). He's been atit long enough to have done it all wrong longago, but who remembers or cares?

This album is full of terrific songs comfort-ably presented: "Friends Again" and "Face ofAppalachia" by Sebastian, the traditional"Wild About My Lovin'" and "Wild WoodFlower." Jimmy Cliff and Guilly Bright's fa-mous "Sitting in Limbo" never had an easiertime than it does here, seesawing gently.

We all love Elton John, but, if you need tocalm down, give yourself John Sebastian, theTarzana Kid. M.A.

RONNY WHYTE AND TRAVIS HUDSON: It'sSmooth, It's Smart. It's Rodgers, It's Hart!Ronny Whyte and Travis Hudson, vocals andpiano, celeste, tenor kazoo, and alto kazoo;bass, percussion, flute, and alto flute accom-paniment. I Feel at Home with You; You'reNearer; Nothing but You; I'll Tell the Man inthe Street; eleven more. [Bill Borden, prod.]MONMOUTH -EVERGREEN MES 7069, $6.98.

Ronny Whyte and Travis Hudson are pur-veyors of the Supper Club style-i.e.. with the

r

backing of piano and percussion (and someoccasional help from flutes, kazoos, and bass)they sing old show tunes in an intimate, know-ing fashion. On the whole, they do it very well.Both are smooth and versatile, and Whytehandles the piano with a lot of rhythmic skill.

For all that, they aren't quite individualenough to overcome the inherent dangers ofthis particular style. The most serious, I wouldsay, is loss of musical vitality. A breezy songlike "You Always Love the Same Girl," de-signed to be propelled enthusiastically acrossthe footlights, is reduced to miniature dimen-sions, its melodic and verbal vitality sapped bya tempo too slow, a rhythm too drawlly, andarticulation too soulful. Broadway composersof the '20s and '30s knew their material de-pended on propulsive energy. Even when thesongs lament the absence of love, they usuallydo so without self-pity, a choice example ofthis being "Where's That Rainbow?". But assung here the number, after a lively verse, isfar too lugubrious and solemn.

The best things on this disc are animatedrhythm songs like "The Girl Friend" and"Sing." The one real bust is "Atlantic Blues."which, because it was originally recorded inEngland by Phyllis Dare, Travis Hudson electsto sing in a camp. mock -British accent, thus ef-fectively ruining one of Rodgers' most appeal-ing tunes.

But the team does deal straightforwardlywith some fine, neglected numbers. "YouHave Cast Your Shadow on the Sea" (fromThe Boys from Syracuse) is not one of these-italways sounds to me like a dry run for thosehokey Hammerstein hits that were to comefrom Rodgers' pen-but anyone who doesn'tknow "This Is My Night to Howl" and "Noth-ing but You" is in fora treat. D.H.

BONNIE RAITT: Streetlights. BonnieRaitt, vocals and guitar; Jerry Rago-voy, Larry Wilcox, LeRoy Pendarvis,and David Matthews, arr. Angel fromMontgomery; Ain't Nobody Home;Got You on My Mind; seven more.[Jerry Ragovoy, prod.] WARNER BROS.BS 2818, $6.98. Tape: "9221_ 82818,$7.97; L 52818, $7.97.

I heard somewhere that Bonnie Raitt wasn'ttoo crazy about her newest album because itwas produced slick. to sell. If by chance thatrumor is true. then I disagree strongly. What"Streetlights" is is together, professional. andgorgeous. The album before this (Warners1953) was the opposite-loose and dull.

I have been a serious fan of Bonnie Raittsince the first song I ever heard her sing (araunchy old blues, as I recall). Even when hervoice sounds tired and used up. as it doesthroughout this set, she is thoroughly at homewithin the music. a natural singer in the samesense as Gordon Lightfoot. The music seemsto flow out unguarded, unembellished. The il-lusion of effortlessness in singing is irresistiblefor me. Ms. Raitt's taste is as pleasing as herother instincts.

Explanation of symbols

exceptional recording

Recorded tape:Open Reel8 -Track CartridgeI Cassette


It is true that this album is a bit of a depar-ture. Ms. Raitt is known to like the blues ofBessie Smith's era as well as that time's raw in-nocence.

"Streetlights" is not in that mold. Brilliantlyproduced by Jerry Ragovoy (who also didmost of the rhythm arranging and wrote oneof the best songs). the material is all contem-porary. descendants of the early blues Ms.Raitt loves so much. Perhaps that is why shesings it all with such easy presence. such own-ership. Several cuts ("Ain't Nobody Home.""What Is Success") might well be played onblack radio stations such as KDAY in Los An-geles if Ms. Raitt were black, but some wallsnever break down. Like Janis Joplin. she iseasy in that musical culture.

Ms. Rain's version of Joni Mitchell's "ThatSong About the Midway" (with Ms. Raitt andDavid Spinozza on guitars, rhythm arrange-ment by Ragovoy) is purely perfect. "What IsSuccess" by Allen Toussaint is another of thebest tracks. New York rhythm players such asdrummer Steve Gadd and percussionist RalphMacDonald add to the sweetness.

I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes Bon-nie Raitt's most successful album. Contrary tocynics and sour-grapers, people's best work isoften their most popular work. When I finishreviewing this month, this is the album thatwill stay on the turntable. M.A.

LABELLE: Nightbirds. Patti La Belle,Sarah Dash. and Nona Hendryx. vo-cals, keyboards. rhythm. horns. and

reeds accompaniment. Lady Marma-lade: Somebody Somewhere: Are YouLonely?: seven more. [AllenToussaint, arr. and prod.] Epic KE33075, $5.98. Tape: EA 33075,$6.98.

Labelle. formerly Patti La Belle and the Blue -belles, is a soul trio of high-powered raucouswomen whose ferocious approach has won fa-vor with blacks, who have adored the groupsince its debut in the early 1960s. and with theNew York City's white glitter/gay crowd. whoclaimed Labelle as their own after it played anumber of gay nightclubs.

The trio has marked time on a total of fivedifferent labels during its checkered career.No disc has ever successfully captured its fren-zied in -person vocal histrionics. Finally, withLabelle's debut on the Epic label, we have arecording that pulsates with the savagery andderring-do that makes the Labelle experiencean enthralling one. "Nightbirds" was ar-ranged and produced by New Orleans' AllenToussaint. who has liberally sprinkled the hotgumbo sound all over this disc, and the resultis felicitous. Especially enjoyable is "LadyMarmalade." with its most explicit andnaughty French lyric.

Now Labelle finally has a shot at becominga nationally known supergroup. These singershave worked long and hard for this break: onehopes that "Nightbirds" takes flight. H.E.

PORTSMOUTH SINFONIA: Plays the Popular

Classics. Portsmouth Sinfonia, John Farley,cond. Excerpts from works by Grieg,Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Rossini, Richardand Johann Strauss, Bach, Bizet, and Hoist(all ar. Portsmouth Sinfonia). (Brian Eno,prod.) COLUMBIA KC 33049, $5.98.

The rape-or violation, if you prefer-of .theclassics by the pop world doesn't normally ex-cite my moral indignation. Moogification, forexample. at worst trivializes the music. Butthis grotesque offering is the product of an ag-gressive philistinism that I find alarming.

The liner notes arouse mild curiosity: an or-chestra of "about fifty." many apparently rankamateurs. "able to approach the task of music -making without previously acquired solutionsand without a too firm concept of what is andwhat is not musically possible." There is muchsimilar mumbo jumbo. "Legend has it thatBeethoven, among other composers. enjoyedperformances of his music by enthusiastic mu-sic -makers who may well have possessed asimilar range of abilities to those of the mem-bers of the Sinfonia."

That Beethoven knew, expected. and ap-proved of amateur performances is fact, notlegend. We know, however, how con-temptuous he was of perforniers with a "rangeof abilities" a good deal higher than those ofour Portsmouth friends.

Until one hears the thing. one is mildlycurious. It takes about two or three seconds tosatisfy that curiosity. If the Sinfonia indeedcontains any. players "of concert standard."they are working even harder than the othersto sabotage the results. Playing of such calcu-lated putridness does not come accidentally."In every respect the Sinfonia plays to thesame rules as the London Philharmonic-theonly difference is the sound." Sure, and I'mClaudio Monteverdi-the only difference isthat I'm not.

After a couple of cuts (or as much of each asone is willing to endure), one realizes thatthese English marauders aren't "playing" themusic, they're ridiculing it. Now even the leastof the composers axed herein can take care ofhimself (or at least the music can). What dis-turbs me is the assumption by everyone con-cerned with this record that spitting on yourbetters is a heavy trip. Yes, Beethoven will sur-vive even worse than this; it just doesn't painta very pretty picture of those of us who perform, sell, and-heaven forbid-buy this dis-grace.

As long as there is vinyl for the likes of this.you won't convince me there's any shortage.

K.F.

Tom RUSH: Ladies Love Outlaws.Tom Rush, guitar and vocals; vocaland instrumental accompaniment.Ladies Love Outlaws; Maggie; Des-perados Waiting for the Train; Claimon Me; Black Magic Gun; No Regrets;four more. [Mark Spector, prod.] CO-LUMBIA KC 33054, $5.98. Tape: 40!.: CA33054, $6.98; 01 CT 33054, $6.98.

Tom Rush has finally produced his master-piece. After a decade of being simply one ofthe greatest. most sensitive young folksingersin America. Rush has channeled his talentsinto a recording that satisfies totally. From up -tempo folk-rock songs to quiet ballads, hisdeep. very expressive voice shines through aperfectly constructed instrumental backup.

JANUARY 1975 103

As usual, Rush is best on the ballads. "Mag-gie" and "No Regrets" are simply breath-taking. "Black Magic Gun," a well -thought-out country ballad, captures the sense of ironythat eludes most folksingers. Of the fastersongs, "Claim on Me" is best.

Both Rush and producer Spector are to becongratulated. This is the sort of achievementfolk -music devotees don't mind waiting a dec-ade to hear. M.J.

theater and filmCITIZEN KANE: Classic Film Scores ofBernard Herrmann. National Philhar-monic Orchestra, Charles Gerhardt,cond. [George Korngold, prod.] RCARED SEAL ARL 1-0707, $6.98. Tape:WARS 1-0707, $7.95; M ARK 1-0707, $7.95. Quadriphonic: ARO 1-0707 (Quadradisc), $7.95.

On Dangerous Ground; Citizen Kane (with Kiri Te Ka-nawa, soprano); Beneath the Twelve -Mile Reef; Hang-over Square (with Joaquin Achucarro, piano); WhiteWitch Doctor.

In addition to the excitement, gloom, exuber-ance, terror, and other moods generated bythe five highly diversified Herrmann scores re-corded here, and in addition to the marvel-ously expansive, rich sonics and stereo effect(note the opening of White Witch Doctor). Imust say that a great deal of my enthusiasmfor the music on this disc is inspired byCharles Gerhardt's almost unbelievably in-tense and exhilarating interpretations. Verysimply, these are some of the most captivatingperformances of film music I have ever heard.

The very first band on the disc-the chasesequence from Nicholas Ray's On DangerousGround-is enough to leave you exhausted. Ina galop rhythm played at an incredible paceby Gerhardt and his forces and quite typical ofHerrmann's style, the composer mobilizeseight horns and employs any number of noveleffects, including a near quotation from theopening bars of the finale of Beethoven'sNinth. It is one of the most high -tensionedmusical backgrounds he has written.

As for Herrmann's music for the Wellesmasterpiece. Citizen Kane, we have finallybeen given excerpts from this pioneering scorethat present a true idea of what the film feelslike, which cannot be said for the flashy WellesRaises Kane suite previously recorded. It isimpossible to imagine a more nearly perfecttonal accompaniment for the Atlantis atmos-phere that opens Citizen Kane than the oth-erworldly "Xanadu" music recorded here.(And the transition to the "Snow Picture" se-quence is one of the most chilling I know of, aperfect example of the way in which a scoreliterally leads the audience emotionally.) Thequick theme and variations of the "BreakfastMontage"-a rare instance in which the filmwas edited to follow the music rather than viceversa-is included, along with the famous Sa-lammbo aria. 'In the latter, of course, therecording makes no effort to duplicate thefiasco undergone by Kane's second wife in themovie; but New Zealand -born Kiri Te Ka-nawa, in spite of the lovely, rather reedy qual-ity of her voice, does strain a bit, which is per-haps as it should be!

Herrmann's tonal accompaniment for R. D.Webb's Beneath the Twelve -Mile Reef (1953)simply exudes the breadth and expanse of the

Some while ago. 1 wrote a columnabout the elaborate and hilarious put-on that grew into the mystique of Jona-than and Darlene Edwards. For thosewho missed it, a brief recap:

Composer and arranger PaulWeston and his wife, singer Jo Staf-ford, invented the duo. Jonathan beingthe worst cocktail pianist who everlived, Darlene being a singer of com-parable talent. Jonathan skips beatsand even whole measures: he playsmajor for minor chords and vice versa.and plays some chords that defy defini-tion. His technique can best be de-scribed as crumbly. Miss Stafford. atthe height of her career, was alwaysnoted for her eerily perfect intonation.Darlene is noted for her eerily imper-fect intonation. (Actually, half the funof the joke is admiring the skill withwhich Miss Stafford weaves in and outof the pitch.)

Mr. and Mrs. Weston acquired therights to one of the albums-"Jonathanand Darlene Edwards in Paris"-andmarketed it themselves by mail. The re-sponse was astonishing. But then, soare Jonathan and Darlene.

Now, they've acquired rights to thefirst of the albums-this one. I must sayit is the best, which is to say the worst.Which is to say the funniest. Still one of

The Return of Jonathan and Darleneby Gene Lees

the best gags in the world is to slip oneof these records on the phonographwhen you have a roomful of guests andwatch their faces as they wonder ifyou've lost your marbles and actuallylike Darlene Edwards. Me, I'm madabout her!

Which leads us into the deeper di-mension of this remarkable couple.The Westons speak of Jonathan andDarlene in the third person; very soonyou find yourself doing the same, as ifthese two musical disasters actually ex-isted. And they do. Darlene Edwardslives. So does Jonathan. and like Bird,he has a host of imitaters. Recently Iheard a pianist in Bloomfield Hills.Michigan, who plays exactly like Jona-than. I could hardly eat my dinner forlaughing.

Not only does Darlene sing bothsharp and flat and screw up the time.She also has appalling taste in lyrics,and her mere selection of a tune is avirtual guarantee of its pretentiousidiocy, such as: "You're deep, just likea chasm./You've no enthusiasm./You're tired/and uninspired-You'reblasé." Equally preposterous is the sec-ond -chorus lyric of "Autumn in NewYork," to which she does what canonly be called justice in this album. Itmay never have occurred to Miss Staf-ford. but Darlene is an act of musiccriticism at the highest level.

The record industry being what it is,you can get this album only by mail:it's worth every funny penny of theprice.

JONATHAN AND DARLENE EDWARDS:The Original Piano Artistry of. Dar-lene Edwards, vocals; Jonathan Ed-wards, piano. It Might As Well BeSpring; Dizzy Fingers; Three Coins inthe Fountain; nine more. CORINTHIAN104, $5.95 (Corinthian Records, 6290Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Calif.90028).

Cinemascope medium and multitrack record-ing, of which this eminently forgettable filmwas one of the first vehicles. As is his wont, hehas taken one of the standard cliches of tonepainting (everybody knows the depths of thesea have always sounded like a harp) and, byexpanding the device beyond its natural limits(here by deploying nine harps), comes up witha resonant fluidity unlike anything else youwill hear coming from behind the screen.(Herrmann is one of the rare film composersto entirely orchestrate his own works, whichperhaps explains part of his success in the me-dium; for certainly one of the strongest ele-ments of the Herrmann sound is the instru-mental color, whether in the constantly usedlow woodwinds or in special effects such as thenine harps.)

Hangover Square, a rather Rachmaninoff-ish "Concerto Macabre" for Piano and Or-chestra around which director John Brahm

constructed a masterful film about a psy-chotic, homicidal composer/pianist, receives adashing. highly dramatic performance fromJoaquin Achucarro, with Gerhardt and theNational Philharmonic beautifully stressingthe almost aching tragedy especially promi-nent in the orchestral accompaniment. WhiteWitch Doctor, composed for Henry Hath-away's 1953 film, is not usually mentioned indiscussions of Herrmann's film music. Yet fewof his scores contain as much atmosphere andinstrumental invention. And if the openingtheme, with its pentatonic melody patterns,seems incongruously jazzy, a cut such as "Pet-ticoat Dance," which works with much thesame material but in a more subdued context,beautifully evokes the mystery of the junglesetting.

Another word about the recorded sound: Itis difficult for me continually to find new su-perlatives to describe the outstanding repro -

104 CIRCLE 45 ON READER -SERVICE CARD -P.

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duction obtained for this series by producerGeorge Korngold. But after comparing thisdisc with the recent London Phase -4 release ofHerrmann's "Fantasy Music" (SP 44207, re-viewed in October 1974), I realize that the ad-ditional depth distinguishing the RCA seriescomes from the visceral reaction it affords. In-stead of just hearing the music, the listenerfeels the presence of sound as he would in aconcert hall.

At any rate, what with Phase -4 and RCA, acomplete picture of Herrmann's immeas-urably important contribution to the art offilm scoring is beginning to develop. Chris-topher Palmer's rather uninspiring programbooklet accompanying the Citizen Kane discmentions that Herrmann's Hitchcock and Truf-faut collaborations remain to be mined. Ofcourse, Phase -4 has given us the Hitchcock al-bum (SP 44126) and a brilliant Fahrenheit 45/(SP 44207), although the way Gerhardt con-ducts Herrmann here, I wouldn't mind himdoing a remake of Psycho. But at the veryleast, I would hope that someone would inter-vene in the silly Hitchcock -Herrmann antago-nism that nobody admits (publicly) is thereand would produce a complete version of theindispensable North by Northwest score.which might be coupled with, say, The Ghostand Mrs. Muir and The Bride Wore Black. Arecording of an important recent Herrmannscore-for Brian de Palma's Hitchcock tribute,Sisters-is, by the way, forthcoming from thenew Entr'acte Recording Society (53 WestBurton Place, Chicago, Illinois 60610). R.S.B.

jazzWILLIS JACKSON: West Africa. WillisJackson, tenor saxophone; MickeyTucker, electric piano and organ; TedDunbar, guitar; Bob Cranshaw,Fender bass; Freddie Waits, drums;Richard Landrum and Sonny Morgan,percussion. Fungii Mama; The HeadTune; Don't Misunderstand; threemore. [Don Schlitten, prod.] MUSE5036, $6.98. Tape: 8T 5036, $6.98.

In his liner notes for this album, Peter Keep -news presents an impassioned case for WillisJackson as an artist who has suffered fromcritical neglect. Certainly this disc shows Jack-son as a major mainstream tenor saxophonist.But this also happens to be one of the mostthoughtful and intelligent presentations Jack-son has had on record, and he is given a muchbetter chance to show what he can do than hehas usually had in the past.

With a superb rhythm section-Bob Cran-shaw is a particular tower of strength on bass,and Freddie Waits's drumming is consistentlyhelpful-and with a program that is focusedprimarily on lively West Indian or calypsonianpieces (including one called "West Africa"that seems to have deeper roots in the Carib-bean than in the West African idiom) and arich vein of ballads, Jackson shows a strongrelationship to some of the most vital saxo-phonists of the middle years of jazz. On thebright and bouncy "West Africa," for ex-ample, his playing is full of the lilting lifts andquirksome little jabs that have been character-istic of the tenor men from the Southwest.There are strong traces of Buddy Tate andsuggestions of the excited drive of Illinois Jac-quet. And when he turns to his ballads, no-tably "Don't Misunderstand" and "I Love

You, Yes I Do," there is a soft, furry warmthto his tone that suggests Ben Webster or DonByas.

With all this, Jackson is basically his ownman, and it is good to find that beneath therhythm-and-blues honk and squawk, intowhich he has often been locked in the past,there is such a firmly rooted saxophonist. Thisbreed is dying out, and it's good news thatJackson is around to keep it going a littlelonger. J.S.W.

BUCK CLAYTON AND BUDDY TATE:Buck and Buddy. Buck Clayton,trumpet; Buddy Tate, tenor saxo-phone and clarinet; Sir CharlesThompson, piano; Gene Ramey, bass;Mousie Alexander and Gus Johnson,drums. High Life; When a WomanLoves a Man; Thou Swell; ten more.[Esmond Edwards, prod.] PRESTIGE P24040, $7.98 (two discs).

There is a timeless quality about these record-ings, made in 1960 and 1961 by two of themainstays of the Count Basie band in its earlystages in the late Thirties. When they madethis set, more than twenty years had passedsince they were playing together with Basie,yet their performances are as much a part of theBasie syndrome as they were originally. Andlistening to them now, thirty-five years afterthe Basie experience. they are not the least bitdated or any less filled with excitement andcolor.

A third element in giving these perform-ances their vitality is the presence of SirCharles Thompson on piano. He is not, in anysense, Basie. He has his own swinging stylethat does not relate at all to the Count's spare,pointed fingering, but he is a strong voice ofthe period, a part of the world of Buck andBuddy and Basie.

These are lovely, lasting records that saymore about what jazz really is than almost anyof the discs that have been put out in the yearssince these performances were recorded. It isthe work of polished, disciplined, intelligentmusicians who have found their own way ofdoing things and do it superbly. These are jazzperformances in a style that has survived forover forty years without dating, and one sus-pects it is a style that will still be completely vi-able after another forty years-provided thereis anyone around then to listen to jazz or any-thing else. J.S.W.

STAN KENTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA:Plays Chicago. John Harner, DaveZeagler, Mike Barrowman, Mike Snu-stead, and Kevin Jordan, trumpets;Dick Shearer, Lloyd Spoon, BrettStamps, and Bill Hartman, trombones;Tony Campise, Rich Condit, GregSmith, Dick Wilkie, and Roy Reynold,saxophones; Stan Kenton, piano;Mike Wallace, tuba; Mike Ross, bass;Peter Erskine, drums; Ramon Lopez,percussion. Mother; Alone; First Child;five more. CREATIVE WORLD 1072,$6.50 (Creative World Records, Box35216, Los Angeles, Calif. 90035).

A fascinating cycle of influences is at work onthis disc. Chicago and Blood, Sweat, & Tears,despite their professedly innovative combina-tion of rock with jazz horns, were to a great ex-tent offshoots of Stan Kenton's orchestra, at


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least in the way their horns were used. Kentonapparently recognizes his own handiworkwhen he hears it, for with words of approvalfor the brand of rock played by these twogroups, as opposed to other styles of rock. hehas built this album around material from thebooks of Chicago and Blood. Sweat. & Tears.

As arranged by Bob Curnow, this is the bestmaterial the Kenton band has had in a longtime. Supplemented by two originals by Cur -now, it provides the band with bases for usingits brass power. its bass depth. and its explo-sive young soloists that are far more varied, re-warding. and less stereotyped than materialwritten specifically for tne Kenton band hasoften turned out to be in recent years.

The fact that the material had its roots in theKenton image, was siphoned through tworock -with -horns bands, and now has beenreshaped to the actuality of Kenton makes onewonder who is doing what to whom. But wheneveryone comes out ahead, who's to worryabout such details? J.S.W.

in briefJIMMY CLIFF: Struggling Man. ISLAND SW9343, $6.98. Tape 40. 8XW 9343, $7.98.This collection of reggae compositions is

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FOUR TOPS: Anthology. MOTOWN M9 809,$9.98 ~ e discs). Tape: .1,!: M 809T,$11.98 M 809C, $11.98.The all -singing. all -dancing Four Tops were ajoy during their Motown days. This repack-aging salutes the infectious music made by thequartet just a few years back. H.E.

RUPERT HOLMES: Widescreen. EPIC KE32864, $5.98. Tape: et EA 32864, $6.98.This attempt to create a long-playing movie ismelodious, clever. and oflbeat. Holmes is acreative lad, and he. is able to translate hiscreativity into striking musical terms. H.E.

CROSBY, STILLS, NASH, & YOUNG: SO Far.ATLANTIC SD 18100, $6.98. Tape: !: L818100, $7.97; 41 L5 18100, $7.97.Warning! Caution! This is all old. previouslyreleased music in a new package, though At-lantic nowhere indicates this, at least on mycopy. Unfair and sneaky packaging. Also aburn for those who might suppose that CSNYhave tried something new. As for the music, Iloved it then and I love it now. M.A.

SPOOKY TOOTH: The Mirror. ISLAND ILPS9292, $6.98.This re-formed English band offers exhilarat-ing heavy metal rock sparked by GaryWright's wailing vocals. "The Mirror" alsopresents a record -jacket design by the brilliantRuby Mazur, who designed the RollingStones' logo. Mazur has created an eerie, sur-real collage. featuring among other thingssome bizarre insects-thoroughly memorablealbum art. H.E.

JOHNNY NASH: Celebrate Life. EPIC KE32828, $5.98. Tape: IP, EA 32828, $6.98.The enchanting high-pitched voice of JohnnyNash is as lilting as ever. This soul star had ahuge hit last year with "I Can See ClearlyNow." "Celebrate Life" demonstrates thatNash deserves another super-biggie. H.E.

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7A Aylesbury RoodTimonium,Md. 21093 301,252-6880

JANUARY 1975


109

the tapedeck BY R D DARRELL

One's Private Home Chapel. For cen-turies one of the exclusive privileges ofhigh rank or great wealth was having aprivate chapel built into or adjoiningone's own castle or mansion. Morerecently, monophonic recording gave ev-eryone a hole -in -the -wall approach toany cathedral or concert hall, and stereotook us right into at least the rear rows ofseats. Today quadriphony can miracu-lously expand our own listening roomsnot only to accommodate cathedral, con-cert hall, or chapel music -making, but toenvelop us in their spatial ambiences.

It is just such atmosphere evocation,allied with a unique example of irresist-ibly moving church music, that makesthe first quadriphonic recording of theFaure Requiem an ineffably moreprofound-yet also more private andpersonal-experience than this endear-ing work ever has been before, evenwhen performed by better-known andmore highly skilled singers and playersthan those led by Kazuo Yamada in Co-lumbia MAQ 32883, Dolby -B Q-8 car-tridge, $7.98. To be sure, soprano KyokoIto is vocally charming despite some un-steadiness, baritone Norio Ohga is noblyeloquent, and the Tokyo MetropolitanChoir and Symphony Orchestra are per-suasively earnest as well as competent.There is no sense of exoticism. Theenunciation is scarcely more unintelli-gible than it might be by most Occiden-tal singers. And if Yamada's reading at-tempts no Gallic subtleties, it isconsistently free from interpretive man-nerisms.

Of course, old-time chapels weren'trestricted to devotional functions: Theypermitted non -holy -day secular music -making of suitable kinds, especially bychamber ensembles or by resident or vis-iting organists. So it's not inappropriateto follow our private chapel audition ofthe Requiem with one of E. PowerBiggs's Bach recitals, Vol. 6 of his "BachFavorites" series. Here he ranges fromthe relatively familiar First and FifthTrio Sonatas, S. 525 and 529, to solo -or-gan transcriptions of concertos by PrinceJohann Ernst, S. 592, and Vivaldi, S. 593.Both Biggs's interpretive approaches andhis Flentrop organ's tonal qualities areby now familiar enough to make com-ment superfluous, but what does warrantemphasis is the exhilarating effect of(again unexaggerated) quadriphony'senhancement of the inherent buoyancyof the breezy trio sonatas. Even the den-ser textures and more ceremonial natureof the two concertos are extraordinarilylightened and brightened without de-tracting from their distinctive grandeur

(Columbia MAQ 32791, Dolby -B Q-8cartridge, $7.98; also MT 32791, Dolby -B cassette, and' MA 32791, 8 -track car-tridge, $7.98 each).

Mozartean Epistles from the Philip-sians. For many Mozarteans, the veryquintessence of their idol's personality isoften evoked less intimately in his su-preme masterpieces than in such lessambitious but even more frankly revela-tory works as his pieces d'occasion. Andthose of us who have a very special lovefor the wind -instrument concertos inparticular have been delighted recentlywith the well-nigh wholly admirablePhilips disc series starring outstandingBritish soloists with Neville Marriner'sAcademy of St. Martin -in -the -Fields en-semble. The first of these to reach tape(the four Horn Concertos with AlanCivil, Philips 7300 199, cassette) hasn'tyet come to me, but I'm pleased tolearn-from the new little Philips musi-cassette catalogue mentioned anticipa-torily here last November-that it is oneof the over fifty earlier releases nowmade available in Dolby -B noise -reduc-tion processings. Meanwhile, I have rel-ished hearing (and obsessively rehear-ing) a pair of concertos differentlycoupled than in the disc series: the rela-tively early, blithe and lightweight K.299 Concerto for Flute and Harp withthe late, incomparably poignant K. 622Clarinet Concerto (Philips 7300 301,Dolby -B cassette, $7.95).

A 1970 cassette taping of the littledouble concerto (by Zoller and Zaba-leta, conducted by Marzendorfer forDeutsche Grammophon) was so deftlyplayed and recorded that it has seemed awell-nigh definitive edition-that is untilnow, when Claude Monteux, OsianEllis, and Marriner are just as, if notmore, successful artistically, while thePhilips engineers provide even lovelierand more gleamingly transparent re-corded sonics. In the clarinet concerto,the poetically eloquent 1960 London/Ampex reel version with Gervase de Pe-yer and Peter Maag always will remainquite incomparable, but Jack Brymerand Marriner bring distinctively individ-ual delicacy and verve to the present per-formance, and it benefits from therecording advances of recent years toachieve a sonic superiority, especially inbuoyancy and vividness.

Bouquets with Brickbats. My capsuledescriptive adjective for Ormandy's andthe Philadelphians' latest, second -in -stereo, Tchaikovsky Fourth Symphonyis "honesty." It's an honestly straight-forward, almost literal, reading withlittle if any of the usual supposedlyTchaikovskian emotionalism, and it hasbeen given still more dramatically im-pressive, gloriously honest recordingwith exceptional (even for these days)

auditorium -authentic sonorities-thoseof truly brazen brass and golden horns inparticular (RCA Red Seal ARK 1-0665,cassette, and ARS 1-0665, 8 -track car-tridge, $7.95 each).

Not least of the virtues is the artistichonesty of the cassette editing, with theside break coming at the end of the nine-teen -minute first movement, which al-lows the remaining three movements torun uninterrupted on the twenty -six -minutes -long Side B. Apparently my oldantagonist, the RCA tape editor who in-sisted on Solomonic-even side splits re-gardless of the musical barbarism theymight involve, is either gone for good orhis butchery scissors have been per-manently taken away!

But just as an indignant Ignatz used toconceal on occasion the brickbats aboutto be flung at Krazy Kat (in George Her-riman's memorable comic strip of manyyears ago), my above bouquet of rosesfor Ormandy and RCA Records is im-mediately followed by the heaviestbrickbat I can heave at their atrocity pro-gram, "Spectacular Choruses" (RCARed Seal ARK 1-0580, cassette, andARS 1-0580, 8 -track cartridge, $7.95each). All the amplification in the worldcan't make Robert Page's little Phila-delphia Orchestra Chorus a fit collabora-tor for the orchestra itself; the robustrecording alone can't achieve genuineover-all sonic weight and impact; butwhat really drives me to Ignatzian furyare the utterly tasteless disarrangementsused. Even if you normally can tolerate amélange of Elgar, Sibelius, with theExodus theme and jingoistic pieces ofvarious nationalities, suffer the pre-tentious inflations here at yourown risk.

Duo-Deci-Digital Dexterity. I don't knowwhen I've heard more effective cause -pleadings for music specifically writtenor transcribed for twenty fingers (two pi-anos or four hands on one piano) thanthose advanced with magisterial convic-tion by the Contiguglia twins, Richardand John, in their Bart6k and Liszt pro-grams: Connoisseur/Advent E 1012 andE 1027, respectively. Dolby -B cassettes,$6.95 each. The former couples a batchof fourteen Mikrokosmos miniatures(those written originally or later ar-ranged for two pianos by the composerhimself) with Bartok's fascinating 1941two -piano rescoring of his Op. 4 Orches-tral Suite of 1907. The latter representsLiszt's bravura operatic fantasias at theirbest: on Mozart's Don Giovanni, Bellini'sNorma and Sonnambula, and the Circas-sian March from Glinka's Russian andLudmila. Not only admirably played,these all boast such impressively bigringing sonorities that surely only the ex-tended frequency and dynamic ranges ofAdvent's deluxe musicassette processingcould capture them as triumphantly asthey are captured here.


a

The fire started on the first floor......worked its way to the second floor where my Marantz2270 was, and finally engulfed the third floor. Thefloors collapsed and fell into the basement where theMarantz remained buried in debris and water until Marchwhen the wrecking company came.

While the men were lifting the debris into trucks Inoticed a piece of equipment I thought could be theMarantz. I asked the man to drop the load, and thereceiver fell 20 feet to the ground.

Out of sheer curiosity, I brought the damagedreceiver up to my apartment and after attaching a newline cord to it, I plugged it in. All the blue lightsturned on. I connected a headphone and the FM playedperfectly. I then tested it with my tape deck, andfinally the turntable and speakers. They all playedperfectly, too.

Unretouched photograph.

wktc../ _176

Francisco Espina*Newport, Rhode Island

NS 17 orious =IN It L.

Mr. Espina's Marantz 2270 receiver still meetsfactory specifications. We design all Marantzequipment to perform under extreme conditionsfor unmatched reliability year after year afteryear. Like the new Marantz 2275 - even betterthan its incredible predecessor. See the com-plete line of Marantz receivers, components andspeaker systems at your Marantz dealer. He'sin the Yellow Pages.

Marantz. Almost indestructible.

riN

M4EilitliNign.MMM2KeWe sound better.

Mr. Espina's notarized statement is on file with the Marantz Company. Marantz Co.. Inc. guarantees the original registered owner that all parts are free from operating defectsfor three years from purchase date except tubes which are guaranteed for 90 days. Products are repaired or replaced free of charge during this period provided you bought them inthe U.S.A. from an authorized dealer. Naturally the serial number cannot be altered or removed. 1974 Marar tz Co., Inc.. a subsidiary of Superscope, Inc., P.O. Box 99D, SunValley, Calif. 91352. In Europe: Superscope Europe, S.A., Brussels, Belgium. Available in Canada. Prices and models subject to change without notice. Send for freecatalog.


This is ,an we%mitt to, aoe

But perfectlyThe engineering of high-fidelity turntables is a technical

and controversial subject.But the concept of a perfect turntable is perfectly simple.Since a perfect turntable is what we at Garrard have been

striving to make, we'd like to communicate this concept to you asunequivocally as possible. Then all the claims and counterclaimsyou hear will fall into place.

Think of it this way:A phonograph record doesn't know and doesn't care what

kind of mechanism isspinning it,

as long as it'sspinning properly. If your handcould turn it at exactly 331,3 RPM, withoutthe slightest fluctuations in speed, and keepit moving in the horizontal plane only,without the slightest jiggling or vibra-tions up-and-down or sideways, youcould expect perfect reproduction.

Similarly, a phonocartridge has no idea what'sholding it in the groove,as long as it's properly held.If your other hand wereholding it, correctly aligned,with the right amount ofdownward force and with-out resisting its movementacross the record, it wouldperform faultlessly.

That's really allthere is to it.

The basic point is that thet urntable and tonearm have exceedinglysimple and purely mechanical functions, just likea chemist's analytical balance or a gyroscope. That'swhy turntable manufacturing is, above all, a matterof precision and integrity, with the emphasis onperfect operation rather than hi-fi pizzazz orfeatures for features sake. .4

Of course, theoreticalperfection in an actual mechanical

device is an unrealizable ideal. But eventhough 100% is impossible, there's a big difference between99.9% and 98%.

It's in this most fundamental sense, we feel, thatGarrard turntables are in a class by themselves.

For example, in the case of the Zero 100c changer andthe Zero 100SB single -play automatic, tracking error has beenreduced to a virtually unmeasurable quantity (in effect, zero)by the geometry of the tonearm design. Rumble, wow and

flutter figures are also coming ever closer to theoreticalperfection in these and other top Garrard models. (The

Zero 100c and the Zero 100SB are both priced at $209.95.)To a less spectacular degree, the lower -priced

models, from $49.95 up, also come quite close to thetheoretical ideal because of this emphasis on

fundamentals.Remember: all we want is to make your

record revolve perfectly and to position your phonocartridge perfectly.

And we'realmost there.

For yourfree copy ofThe GarrardGuide, a 16 -pagefun -color referencebooklet, write to Garrard,Dept. G.1, 100 CommercialStreet, Plainview, N.'t 1180i.

Ihvolon of Pk ..r, ( ,11,111114, Pr dot t.


ile 11 - worldradiohistory.com€¦ · 1- pi 5114 ess amt -3 loudspeaker january 1975 $1.00 08398...

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