Companies’ favourites — reissues worth another play

Press, 11 May 1981, Page 14

Companies’ favourites — reissues worth another play

Classiadrecords review

ALLAN FRANCIS

WAGNER CHORUSES FROM BAYREUTH. Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Wilhem Pitz on DG Resonance label 2535 18(1.

Every recording company has its own particular, favourite child; RCA obviously keep James Galway in velvet, Decca trots but Ashkenazy at the drop of a baton;’ while Philips is justly proud of its top conductor, Bernard Haitink. Deutsche Grammophon love its opera choruses, particularly those from the Mecca of opera choruses, Bayreuth.

' This time, they've dug pretty deep and gone back to the 1958 vintage classic recordings from the resident conductor and harking back to the fine soloists. Elisabeth Schartel and Josef Greindl, bass. Neither are often heard outside of Bayreuth and scarcely at all today, but with tracks from Flying Dutchman. Parsifal. Mastersingers, Tannhauser and Twilight of the Gods, the listener has a chance to

make some interesting comparisons. I miss the richness and the quality which was the hallmark of DG in those days, a quality I might add is not always guaranteed in their latest pressings. Just too many clicks, hisses and bumps and the "tbppiness” in their recording technique now doesn't always fire. Greindl is your typical George London type' bass from Bayreuth; and Elisabeth Schartel. likewise, is a true Wagnerian mezzo — obviously even in the four lines she has to sing in the whole record. The spirited chorus could only come from the legitimate theatre. Tempting the helmsman to leave his post in such a manner would be irresistible, while the contrasting lyricism in Parsifal is beautifully balanced. In between those two extremes are choruses of many and varying characters, which must attract those who appreciate quality. Thev certainly don't sound their A . age.

EMPEROR WALTZ — Overtures. polkas. Waltzes from Johann Strauss senior and junior. Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ferenc Fricsay on DG Resonance 2535 134.

The highlight of this potpourri of Strauss melodies of fairly standard type selection. is the conductor, Ferenc Fricsay. He was. without doubt, one of the top conductors of his time and one who had that extra magical power of lending sparkle to whatever he touched; and this recording is a fair sample of his work.

If you can stand another Blue Danube or another trip through the Vienna Woods then this is the one to have. It's another golden oldie, at the right price and well worth having for the noble qualities the conductor extracted from the music.

A GERMAN REQUIEM. BRAHMS. Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Sir Georg Solti. Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano. Bernd Weikl, baritone. World Records release from Decca D 135 D2.

There is a name for people who read the last page of a book first, but I can t remember what it is; just as I'm sure there is a word for those who leap over to track five Of a two-record set before playing in correct

order -- and I don't want to know what that one is.

It was almost impossible to wait for four whole movements to pass in the Brahms Requiem before finding out just how well Kiri managed the difficult “Ihr habt nun Traurigkeif passage and I stand guilty as sin of picking out the cherry from the cake.

Did she get that spinetingling quality from her solo? And does she match Elisabeth Schwarzkopf? I had to find out these things first.

In a very slow-moving version of the Requiem, Solti gets a magisterial sound from the work, one which is dangerously close to becoming stodgy, and stodginess in Brahms is unthinkable.

Klemperer got a vital element out of his recording, with Fischer-Dieskau being more convincing in the baritone role than Weikl in the Solti.

As for the sopranos. Kiri's performance is superb. Her tone is warm and her translation is especially moving. M. Schwarzkopf is equally competent, though her tone is somewhat cooler. Perhaps parochialism affects the judgement but I find Kiri's account more than satisfying. The filler on side four is the St Anthony Variations, as against ihe Tragic Overture and Alto. Rhapsody by Klemperer. The choice is up

to the buyer here, hut the sound of the Decca is better, j Despite Solti's uncharac- ■ teristically slow pace he does underline the noble solemnity of the main work in fine style. FLUTE AND GUITAR.! Christian Larde. flute. Turi-i bio Santos, guitar playing! pieces by Ibert, Villa-Lobos,' Ginastera, Pepusch and anon., on World Records WR 3568 J from Erato. i These two instruments make perfect companions for each other, one seeming to complement the other so perfectly. An ancient partnership. in this case dating from the earliest piece. Greensleeves up to Ibert’s Entracte. Most of the pieces are new to the catalogue, with th® obvious exception beings Greensleeves. An interestin® sonata from Handel is also*! played, with the flute playing; very much in the back-1 ground. t All are very much in the! romantic vein, which makes J for pleasant listening, if not I particularly profound . f