RECORDS Fischer-Dieskau Sings Bach Arias

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29206, 17 May 1960, Page 11

RECORDS Fischer-Dieskau Sings Bach Arias

BACK: Cantata No. ISB (“D«r Frlede sle mlt dlr”). Arias from Cantatas Nos. S, 13, 73, IS7 and US. Dietrich necher-Diei-kan (harltene) with Karl Forster conducting St. Hedwig’s Cathedral Choir, Berlin, and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. H.M.V. mono MALP. 1703 (Uta).

A rise in the prevailing pitch of about a tone since Bach’s day has brought much of his music for the bass voice within the compass of most baritones—and at the same time created some fiendish difficulties for sopranos and tenors. Certainly the lower reaches of the arias recorded here hold no difficulties for FtecherDieskau, who is in his finest vocal form. His tone is steady and clearly focused, with none of the gruff explosiveness in the upper notes which sometimes mars his tinging. How unlike the average Bach cantata recording in which the bass arise are sung by a wobbler who inserts an H before every note in the divisions and la so preoccupied with not running out of breath that he does not bother about phrasing. Musically, Fischer-Dieskau is superb. His phrasing is deeply eapresaive and is united with rare conprebeneion of the text He has made no finer record than thia. The accompanying orchestra and choral work is splendid, the flute and oboe soloists in particular. The music is some of Bach’s finest, although perhaps the only number that will be familiar Is the aria “Es ist vollbrachit” from Cantata No. 159. Some collectors may know it in a soprano arrangement from an old Elisabeth Schumann record. The sound on the new disc is first-class.

WAGNKR: ‘‘Die Walkure”— The Bide of the Valkyries; Wotaa’a Farewell sad Magic Fire Music. Otto Edelmann (ban) with Georg Solti conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Decca mono CBPM. MS (Tin.). Two "bleeding chunks” of Wagner which are usually deprived of their vocal parts gain immensely from being complete in thia recording. Edelmann is a noble Wotan and Valkyries are a spirited octet Solti’s fiery conducting, the Vienna Philharmonic’s playing and Decca’s recording are all intensely thrilling.

GUIEG: Maao Concerto in A minor, os. IS. SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. M. Solomon (piano) with Herbert Menges conducting the nilhammia Orchestra. World Record Club mono tz 101 (12in).

Solomon does not attempt the grand manner in these two very popular eoncerti. He has something better to offer: mature and unaffected musicianship. He allows no pointe of detail to go unshaped and he brings a deeply poetic feeling to the music. The Schumann concerto, receives a particularly fine performance. About the Grieg, however, there

is room for doubt Those who, like Solomon, take a romantic view of the work—and moot do —will find his reading to their liking. Those who think that the composer intended a more alert rhythmical style will be less satisfied. For them Pennario’s version on Capitol, coupled with Dohnanyi's Variations on a Nursery Tune, will be more satisfying. The World Record Club disc is well recorded, with good balance between soloist and orchestra.

RICHARD STRAUSS: “De RoMnkavaller”—ltalian Singer’s aria; MarschaUin’s monologue; Marsehallin-Octavian duet; Presentation of the Silver Rose; Letter scene; Ochs’s waits scene; Walts scene; Trio; OctavtanSophlo duet and Finale. Loonie Rysanek, Elisabeth Grammar and Erika Koth (sopranos), Sleglinde Wagner (contralto), Josef Traxel (tenor) and Gustav Neidlinger (bass) with Wilhelm Schachter conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. World Record Club mono EZ.

IM2 (Uin). This record—the World Record Club's first special issue—fills a notable gap as it is the only one available of any substantial portions of the score of this fascinating opera, in which the Vienna of Maria Thereae is portrayed through the Viennese waits of a century later conceived in terms of the huge postWagner orchestra. It includes most of the beet-known scenes and comes complete with a hand-somely-printed booklet giving the German text of the excerpts interlined with a literal English translation, which is all the more welcome because it is particularly necessary for this opera. The performance is generally good. Neidlinger is a good Baron Ochs, spirited but avoiding coarseness, although Sieglinda Wagner, his

partner in the latter scene, ia rather colourless as Annina. As the Marechallin, Leonie Rysanek sings lightly and does not destroy the vocel line by making verbal pointe, but it is not a very deep characterisation and her tone is disturbingly nasal at times. She conveys the pathos of the woman who realises her youth is ending but not the resignation and dignity. As the young lovers. Octavian and Sophie, Elisabeth Grummer and Erika Koth are good. Grummer, a soprano instead of the usual mezzo Octavian, is suitably ardent and Koth, with a high clear voice very like Ema Berger’s, is most touching. The recording is good and the Berlin Philharmonic plays very well.

BEETHOVEN: Seven Bagatelles, op. 33; Eleven Bagatelles, op. 118; Six Bagatelles, op. 12S. Denis Matthews (piano). Top Rank mono 38.601 (IZin).

The fact that Beethoven called these little pieces Bagatelles should not cause anyone to dismiss them as inconsequential, for there is much characteristic Beethoven in them, bearing much the same relationship to his great symphonies and other large-scale works as a great painter’s drawings do to his big oils. Indeed, the op. 128 aet, which was conceived as a cycle, was written at the time Beethoven was writing the Choral Symphony and the Mlssa Solemnls. Denis Matthews, well-known as a Beethovenian. plays most beautifully, especially in the more reflective pieces. There is perhaps a slight lack of Are in some of the stormier bagatelles. The piano tone is recorded with admirable clarity and fullness, and anyone wanting a record of unhackneyed piano music should certainly try this one.