Records: 5 Of Stravinsky

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30856, 15 September 1965, Page 9

Records: 5 Of Stravinsky

STRAVINSKY conducts his Choral Music Zvezdolikl (1911); Anthem, "The dove descending breaks the air” (1962); Chorale Variations "Von Himmel hoch da komm* ich her” (1956; Babel (1944); A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer (1961). Igor Stravinsky conducting C.B.C. Symphony Orchestra and the Festival Singers of Toronto. C.B.S. stereo SBR. 475-083 (12in, 42s 6d), also mono. STRAVINSKY conducts his Ballet Music—Jeu de Cartes (1939) The Cleveland Orchestra. Tchaikovsky’s Bluebird Pas de Deux, arr. small orchestra (1941) the Columbia Symphony Orchestra. Scenes de Ballet (1944) The C.B.C. Symphony Orchestra. C.B.S. stereo 58R.475-084 (12in, 42s 6d), also mono. STRAVINSKY conducts Favourite Short Pieces— Greeting Prelude (1955); Dumbarton Oaks Concerto in E Hat for 15 players (1938). Columbia Symphony Orchestra. Eight Instrumental Preludes for 15 players (192021); Four Etudes (1917); Circus Polka (1944); Suites Nos. 1 and 2 (from Eight Easy Pieces), (1915). C.B.C. Symphony Orchestra. C.B.S. Stereo 58R.475-082 (12in, 42s Cd), also mono. STRAVINSKY: Symphony in Three Movements (1945). Sir Eugene Goosseno conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. Ebony Concerto (1945). Woody Herman and his orchestra. Record Society stereo 5RZ.6127 (12in. 30s), also mono STRAVINSKY: Oedipus Rex (1927). Ronald Dowd (t), Oedipus; Raimund Herincx (b) Creon and Messenger; Harold Blackburn (bs), Tiresias; Patricia Johnson (c) Jocasta; Alberto Reme dios (t), Shepherd; Sir Ralph Richardson (speaker); Sadler’s Wells Men’s Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted br . Colin Davis. World Record Club stereo 5RZ.6125 (12in, 30s), also mono. Text and- translation supplied. Three of the five new Stravinsky recordings are of shorter works conducted by the composer. Of the trio the choral disc contains the more ■ianifirant wnrlrs

The Chorale Variations on the Christmas hymn “Von Himmel hoch” are fascinatingly yet respectfully transcribed Bach, the changes into Stravinsky’s “staccatto” style being few enough for Robert Craft to describe them on the sleeve. There are moments when all Stravinsky touches recede and one seems to hear pure Bach. “Zvezdoliki” lasts little more than four minutes, but says a lot in an unusual way, starting with how to pronounce the title, which is variously rendered “King of the Stars” and “Starry-faced.” The more recent “A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer” is serialistic in style and its sections are concerned with faith (from St. Paul), hope (about the martyred St. Stephen) and charity (from Thomas Dekker). The writing is economical and tricky, something of a musical tightrope, but the Canadian performers never falter. Completing the disc is the T. S. Eliot anthem and “Babel” a brief busy cantata about the tower business. These are performances of the highest quality and the stereo recording seems to set a new standard. Apart from the “Dumbarton Oaks” Concerto, an influential piece and a very interesting piece because of its brilliant economical scoring, and the Suites, the third disc containing 17 short pieces is mainly an assortment from Uncle Igor’s funbag. The most delightful discovery is the singing (or playing) telegram for orchestra called “Greetings Prelude.” He says it is “a 50-second primer of canonic writing for very young kiddies and critics,” and it is no less than “Happy Birthday” in an engaging guise. A bit more obvious is the “Circus Polka” written for an ele-

phant ballet. Playing and recording would be hard to fault. BALLET MUSIC Some might prefer the ballet music, which is in its way a bit more melodic. “A Card Game”—a ballet in three poker deals—opens with a great flourish and its lyrical sound and flashes of humour make nonsense of the composer’s reference to it as “brittle and heartless music.” The description fits better his arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s “Bluebird” pas de deux from “The Nutcracker” for small orchestra which is undereloquent. “Scenes de ballet” is the subject of a delightful ; anecdote. The short work was commissioned by Billy Rose, ' who was rather bewildered by the result and ended up cutting it and using the piano score. After the Philadelphia preview he wired Stravinsky: YOUR MUSIC GREAT SUCCESS ; STOP COULD BE SENSATIONAL SUCCESS IF YOU WOULD AUTHORISE ROBERT RUSSELL • BENNETT RETOUCH ORCHESTRATION STOP BENNETT OCHESTRATES EVEN THE WORKS OF ' COLE PORTER. Stravinsky replied: SATISFIED WITH GREAT SUCCESS. STAGE WORK “Oedipus Rex,” one of Stra- : vinsky’s greatest stage works, : in an opera-oratorio with text by Jean Cocteau. A speaker 1 tells what is coming up in the i local language—English on ’ the record and French on 1 the supplied text and ’ the action is sung in Latin. The speaker is a criticised device but because the Oedipus story is a familiar one he does not give much away and 1 the pause in the ritual is wel- i come in a performance like 1 Colin Davis’s hectic and < highly dramatic reading. Sir <

Ralph Richardson however cannot resist the romantic temptation to relish his phrases. But that should not stop any one from acquiring this very fine performance. The stereo recording is good. The last disc couples works written in 1945. The powerful Symphony in Three Movements gives hints of the composer’s turning from neoclassicism to serialism while the Ebony Concerto, which is not really a concerto, gives a Stravinskian spareness to the sound of big-band jazz. Although Stravinsky’s own recording of the symphony makes the points with greater clarity and urgency, Goossens’s reading is tonally and rhythmically warmer in approach and in its way just as persuasive. The concerto played by Woody Herman, who ordered it, and his colleagues and the good stereo recording make the disc very attractive. There is a saying among musicians which goes like this: One Russian is an anarchist; two Russians are a chess game; three Russians are a revolution; four Russians are the Budapest String Quartet. This group of Rus-sian-born players with a Hungarian name turns up in Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, on CBS mono only BR. 475-038 (12in, 42s 6d). It is a very enticing sample from the quartet’s third series of recordings of the Beethoven quartets. But what a pity to have to add that this series was done for stereo. An actor is not a stone to be kicked around or a receptacle for a director to fill with his own ego, but a candle to be lighted with creative fire.—Stanislavsky.