Problems of authentic Mozart

Press, 20 May 1987, Page 28

Problems of authentic Mozart

' MOZART: Plano Concertos * and 22 played by Malcolm Bilson, fortepiano, with the English Baroque Soloists. AR- . CHIV COMPACT DISC 418885-2. John Eliot Gardiner really tests his audience with these pieces. Listeners clamouring for complete authenticity have their wishes granted here; all sections use either copies of, or the actual instruments of the period. ; Malcolm Bilson’s fortepiano is a Walter, based on one owned by Mozart and held in the Salzburg Museum. Earlier recordings of Jorg Demus and Ralph Kirkpatrick using the fortepiano have not been entirely successful, and this recording ■ obviously has problems too. The chief deficiency is the failure of the soloist to match the vitality of the orchestra, with whom he is so closely bound. Malcolm Bilson’s previous Haydn recordings might have been slightly more successful than this Mozart — if only because :he had no competition on hand. One must commend the effort, though. Despite 'balance and other snags this is the best of the “authentic” versions so far.

BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonatas 2 and 4 played by Emil Gilels. DG COMPACT DISC 415 481-2 (DDD). These last performances by the highly rated Russian pianist are held to be “beyond criticism” — a view that tests credi- - bility. Gilels died in October "last year, a significant figure in the music world being lost His plans for f the entire sonata repertoire of Beethoven stopped short with this pair, but there is nothing - in his performance to sug- " gest any failing of powers. As expected, the sona■tas are played with the * utmost clarity and concentrated power, free of mannerisms, much after the style of Wilhelm Kempff. The coupling of two works of similar spirit ' and comparable burly energy might be questionable. A lightening of other emotions would have made this C.D. a balanced programme, a fitting reminder of a great pianist. MOZART: Symphonies 38 and 3* played by the A.S.M.F. conducted by Sir Neville Marriner. WORLD RECORD CLUB ,WI 18388 from E.MJ. EL27S3SB.

discs ALLAN FRANCIS

Those aspiring to the Harnoncourt high-quality versions of the Mozart symphonies will be tested by plain economics as displayed here. Marriner places the “Prague" on one side of an L.P., while the remainder of side two is occupied with “Symphony 39.” With Harnoncourt, the “Prague" takes an entire C.D., a disgraceful practice. With recordings of the quality of Tate or Marriner, the choice is obvious. One might ask, why another Marriner so soon after his 1980 versions of the same symphonies; a valid question, yet the latest issues are fuller, richer, more like Karajanversions of the same. With due respect to the ancient L.P.S of Bruno Walter, these Marriner recordings are perfectly acceptable, as are the latest Jochum or Tate with the ECO. BEETHOVEN: Symphony 7 and Egmont Overture played by the 1J5.0., conducted by Enrique Batiz. WORLD RECORD CLUB WR 18278 from ASV. Among the landslide of Beethoven symphonies being released on the market (no-one thinks in terms of single L.P.S any more), the sets of Furtwangler, Karajan and Walter, comes the conductor who seems, on the face of it, the least likely to succeed. This is Enrique Batiz, who succeeded so admirably with most of the Spanish repertoire and has since turned his attention to Beethoven. Of mixed Polish and Mexican descent, Batiz has aL ready produced fluent versions of Beethoven symphonies and this one marks another significant step of the journey. Many might pause before accepting any outside the hard core of conductors making a life work of Beethoven symphonies, yet this disc warrants serious consideration. EARL HINES TRIO. “Fatha”: 12 tracks in the C.B.S. I Love Jazz series. C.BA. LJ 23. Those who fondly remember Hines as the lofty father of jazz pianists — earlier than this 1964 recording — will doubtless wish to hold on to their first memories of this great artist after sampling this recording. These tracks represent the age of compromise, unfortunately. Gone are the giants of stride piano: here we have the watered-down tunes of post-jazz sincerity, with numbers such as “Frankie and Johnnie,” “Girl From Ipanema” and "Believe it Beloved.” In between is a meaningless hotchpotch of Goodman, Shaw and Donaldson tunes that are given the glossy treatment one associates with Peter Nero or Henry Mancini. The vocals don’t help much either. Commercial Hines will never match up with Ancient Hines. /