e" THE MICHIGAN DAILY ;P RART AKOVICHo SPURiTANL Vincenzo Belini with v Joan Sutherland, Margareta Elk- ins, Pierre Duval, Renato Capec- chi and Ezio Flagell. Richard Bonynge conducting the Chorus and Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. LONDON stereo OSA 1373, $17.98. ITS CHOICE of Bellini's "I Puritani" for its first operatic release of 1964, London Records has shown its awareness of cur- rent trends in "fashionable" taste. There are still a few leading crit- ics who deplore the recent re- turn to popular favor of the great "bel canto" operas; however, they are fighting a fruitless rear guard action. It is often said that our renewed interest in this "bel can- to" style is due to the great artis- try and compelling personality of Maria Callas. Among those who have followed her distinguished lead, none has been more "success- ful" than Joan Sutherland. Posses- sing but little of the Callas crea- tive musical artistry or personal magnetism, the Australian sopra- no is above all a vocalist. Now, for the third time, we can hear Miss Sutherland in the Callas rep- ertoire. Sutherland started well with an acceptable "Lucia di Lam- mermoor," followed by two not so successful performances in "Ri- goletto" and "La Sonnambula," and now we are confronted by her recorded performance of El- vira in Bellini's "I Puritani." There are two prevalent ap- proaches regarding opera and its interpretation. The most common belongs to that operatic "conno- seur" who prizes the voice, to the exclusion of either musicianship or faithfulness to the composer's intentions (i.e., the score). He will take exception to the lack of equal- ization of tone colour throughout the scale. Artistic and interpretive considerations do not rate very highly with this type of listener. Stentorian high notes are emo- tional events in themselves and often compensate for lack of mu- sicianship and dramatic credibil- ity. He will argue that voice is all important, although he fails to recognize that the composer is not merely a writer of tunes which serve as opportunities for personal virtuosity. The second approach to opera is concerned with operatic inter- pretation as a valid form of thea- tre expressed through musical means. The human voice must serve as a means to an end, and not be an end in itself pace Suther- land! Operatic composers, espe- cially those concerned with "bel canto," wrote for the voice in order that it would serve the com- poser in portraying human em- tions, e.g. grief, joy, etc. Bellini, who wrote most of his works with particular singers in mind, did so because they possessed not only the voices but also the intelligence to project his characters. Such indis- pensable requisites of musical ex- actness 'as perfect intonation and unexceptionable rhythmic sense are taken for granted. Vocal col- ouring, so important in Bellini, if used opportunely can be very ef- fective-a strident tone, if inton- ed exactly, can serve well to por- tray certain states of mind. Every operatic composer wrote with the intention that his characters should be dramatically valid. If he had desired to write vocal bravura pieces only, he would have writ- ten oratorios, concert arias, etc. One only need read letters that Bellini wrote to operatic impres- sarios to realize how much he had the dramatic aspects of his opera in mind. He was so con- cerned with the text that he re- cited the lines aloud before setting them to music. The great operatic composers are also great drama- tists because they aimed at realiz- ing drama through music, and no merely at composing pretty tunes. They wanted interpreters who were not merely good vocal acro- bats, but fine singing actors. It is exactly because interpreters of this caliber were, and are scarce that opera as an art form has under- gone a slow continuous decay. A case in point of this difficul- ty of operatic, and particularly "bel canto," singing is offered by the two recorded performances of Bellini's "I Puritani"-one on An- gel with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano and Tullio Serafin and the new one on London with Joan Sutherland, Pierre Duval, and Richard Bonynge conducting. Miss Sutherland's performance can be described as vocally spectacular. Much of the mannered, diction- less, rhythmically imprecise sing- ing so noticeable in her recorded performances of "Alcina," "Rigo- letto," "La Sonnambula," and "La Traviata" has been corrected; and yet she is hardly the paragon to make this music dramatically exciting. The text, under her lack- adaisical treatment, amounts to even less than it does when read. Good examples of this are El- vira's encounter with Giorgio in Act I and her reconciliation with Arturo in the final act. By permit- ting her tone to droop, she evi- dently intends us to understand that she is undergoing some emo- +o_ h,, +h h Aimce. ' n.m.m so vieni al tempio." Callas shows what a remarkable difference a change of inflection can bring about, emo- tionally and dramatically. Her treatment of the florid pass- ages, if less spectacular than Sutherland's, is interesting in it- self. Callas' aim is expression rather than empty-headed brilli- ance. The voice is always flexible, if not dazzling, on the rapid scales and arpeggios, while lyrical parts are sung in tones as melting as those of Ponselle. Her phrasing is a model that every singer should follow, but few do. Angel's record-' ing has the distinction of per- formances by Serafin and di Stef- ano; Serafin's baton guides the singers with great authority and insight through his beautiful score: compare the way he molds the in- troduction and accompaniment to "Qui la voce" and the way his opposite does it in the London set. Di Stefano's account of the stratospheric part of Arturo is thoroughly worthy of his col- leagues; his attention to such de- tails as phrasing, diction and ton- al gradation a r e admirable throughout. Duval in the London re- cording does not have as much experience, everything is sung at the same level - loud - and his tones become strained in the up- per reaches. Thanks to judicious transposition of the final duet "Vieni fra questa braccia" a half tone down, Di Stefano avoids this pitfall. Other singers in the Angel cast are less spectacular but alto- gether acceptable. Rolando Pan- erai is a good Ricardo, in fact bet- ter than his counterpart, Renato Capecchi. To its credit, London, on the other hand, can count Margret Elkins' superb rendition of the brief role of Enrichetta and Ezio Flagello's sonorous Sir Gior- gia. His Angel counterpart, Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, is too far past his vocal prime to be a top-rate Gior- gio. At best, the London recording of "I Puritani" is a good example of a performance which would satis- gy an opera lover of the first type; the Angel set could be con- sidered an excellent example of drama realized through music. What would have made the Lon- don recording memorable, would have been a conductor as know- ing as a Serafin or a Giulini. Such a conductor might have kept the "diva" under control. Her hus- band, Richard Bonynge, is not the man to curb her excesses; if any- thing, he may even encourage them. He is a devoted accompan- ist. "I Puritani," to be anything more than a piece for so-called "canary fanciers,"needs an intel- ligent, firm conductor and a so- prano who has more regard for the composer than to think his score merely a skeleton on which to hang her vocal pyrotechnics. We are informed in London's program notes that "most of the customary cuts have been restored and no keys have been transposed from the printed score." This is not quite true; there are still a number of cuts-a very extended section from the orchestral pre- lude comes to mind. There is also a transposition for the tenor in the final ensemble; he sings a D- flat rather than the F. The opera is closed by a short and brilliant cabaletta "which appears in the Palermo manuscript." This, inter- estingly enough, gives Miss Suth- erland a chance for final virtuo- sity. London has managed the stereo effects very nicely; perhaps thanks are due to Bellini for not including a ballroom scene or any other source of party noises. -C. Ranieri di Sorbello tics (Wagner and Bruckner). It l is interesting to observe Bruno n Walter's treatment of the music t within this area - music upon h which his wide-spread reputation i rests.e Regarding the Mozart and I Haydn albums, I find the tempos t appropriate, although some of the t allegros (fast movements) seem t a bit slower than I think is ideal. i But this is a very subjective con- sideration.g Walter's insight into the har- V monic make-up of the works and his feeling for the melodic linep are his most commendable attri-V butes. He knows just which notes to emphasize to make the per-V formance much more than just I ordinary. He makes the music n sound alive. Walter is able to con-c vey a well-shaped melodic linei of appropriate dramatic and emo-t tional proportion.n I am used to the Klemperert performances of these Mozart symphonies. In comparison, the Walter recording imparts a moreS "pesante" approach than the suaveness of the Klemperer. Neith- er is more accurate; choice of one above the other is simply a matter of personal preference. Walter's work with the Haydn symphonies, again, has a heavy- footed feeling about it. Although it may be more appropriate heref than in the Mozart, I think WalterP fails to communicate (to me att any rate) much of the subtle humor in Haydn which listenersj enjoy so much in this master'sa music. I prefer the polished tongue-in-cheekness of Beecham.c But my major criticism is withv the ritards and Viennese luft-d pauses (dramatic pauses) whiche Walter employs, mostly to empha- s i z e structural and cadencials points of 'importance. We knowi that Walter is very steeped in the romantic tradition of the Vien-o nese, but we do not know whethers Mozart and Haydn expected theser editorial additions to be inserted2 into their work. I personally thinkv the luftpauses in classical music stop the forward momentum of the music. But I am sure that therep are many who would agree withI Walter.- Walter does especially well with the slow, lyric movements of thesev symphonies; lyricism is closer tof his emotional expression.t I suppose I have taken the pes-t simistic approach to these twor classical discs. This is not meant to be discouraging, but to show points of disagreement. Which side the listener chooses is de- termined by his own taste within the bounds of musical-historical accuracy. Each side can be ar- gued intelligently I am sure. Wal- ter is the romanticist; I am the classicist. IN THE BEETHOVEN andI Schubert symphonies, we can ob- serve Walter's approach to the German transitional works be- tween the classic and romantic periods. On the whole I find them-especially the Beethoven- much more pleasing than those of the previous album. In the Bee- thoven the tempos are not rushed, as some prefer, but set a pace fast enough to be appropriate, and, at the same time, slow enough so that the music can be heard. At only one place, in the first movement, does Walter insert one of his editorial luftpauses for em- phasis. Again, I find this addition disturbing, but overlook it in light of the other virtues. Here, too, the harmonic high- lighting is a welcome change from the run-of-the-mill. His concept of the horizontal within the ver- tical accounts for this harmonic enlivening. The string sound is realistic; the brass is powerful, but not overpowering. As an added bonus gift, this a- bum includes a free disc of Wal- ter's rehearsal of the first and second movements of the Bee- thoven. I found this free gift as interesting and valuable as the finished performance. Walter's conception of the Schubert is very Schubertian. Of all the symphonies discussed here, the first movement of the Schu- bert has the longest tradition for ritards-in its first movement. But I must disagree with tradition. I prefer a more flowing perform- ance. For those who like the ri- tards, this record is 'ideal. For those who like their Schubert with a more classic orientation, I can only recommend another. At this point it is all a matter of taste. IT IS IN THE Bruckner that Bruno Walter comes into full bloom. His close identification of the late nineteenth century Ger- man music is obvious in this re- cording. Walter is not overtaken by the lushness of these scores. His in- terpretations are highly romantic, as they should be, and wallowy in sound; but the texture is always clear. Walter does not let melodic lines or important accompani- mental figures become obscured for the feeling of the gushy long line. Walter achieves both-not an easy trick. WA+. r'. plnLnr n sterumen- ritiq ues et the dynamic level become mo- notonous; he must never permit he tempos to drag; he must keep his players interested, loving the music they play-or they will be- come bored and so will their play- ng. Walter does none of these hings. Melodic lines, dynamics, empo, instrumental balance, and the players' interest all are here n the right amounts. Of these four albums, this one gives the performance I like best. Walter is in his element, and the results show it. The others are performed well if one agrees with Walter's interpretation. For those who don't, the fault is not with Walter's ability, but with his read- ing into the music that which is not there. To evaluate these re- cordings one must decide whether it is the tradition or the music that counts. The problem is how much liberty may a performer take. -Jeffrey K. Chase SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 4. Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Symphony Or- chestra. Columbia Monaural ML 5859, $4.98. Stereo MS 6459, $5.98. THIS RECORD poses the ques- tion of whether a fine per- formance of a banal work merits purchasing the record. I tend to think not. Eugene Ormandy does a fine job here with a symphony which appears to be an exercise in Shostakovichian cliches and or- chestration techniques. Shostako- K vich succeeds in both, but that does not mean that the music is especially good. I hear very much of his fifth symphony in this work. But it is perhaps more correct chronolog- ically speaking to say that much of this work is heard in the fifth symphony. "Shostakovich's Fifth" has had so much more play than any of the others, that it is the work which we usually hear first. I prefer his Fifth and, there- fore, really have little reason to hear this Fourth more than once. It does make for a good study in orchestration, however. For those Shostakovich fans who gobble up each precious note from the carefully guided pen of this contemporary Russian master, this "American recording pre- miere" is a good bet. It's sound is Columbianly realistic. -Jeffrey K. Chase University of Detroit CONCERT SERIES presents The New 'i CHRISTY Minstrels V CHRISTY g. na CHRISTY tCHRISTY M*instrels FRI., MAY 15 8:30, Memorial Bldg. $1.50, $2, $2.50 Mail Orders to: Minstrel $how, Memorial Bldg. Box Office, U. of Detroit, Detroit 21. Encl. check payable to U. of D. and self-ad- dressed, stamped envelope. Tickets at the Memorial Building Box Office ..S. ... ..... ...tS..*....vt. .........r... ..................... .,.............4... . .. 1.......... :..".......... J.r1M .4r{ 11 """"WV VC.:JV{ , I e I e I CE Starting Monday, Ma-y University hCOcIG a 11 Ip 1 mostly 2 5o to oO off yt: il.. 4>: 2. :} r 1:+ All Sales Final. No Mail and Phone Orders. NO C.O.Ds MOZART: Symphonies No. 38 and 40. The Columbia Symphony Or- chestra. Bruno Walter, conduct- ing. Columbia Monaural ML 5894, $4.98. Stereo MS 6494, $5.98. HAYDN: Symphonies No. 88 and 100 "Military." Columbia Sym- phony Orchestra. Bruno Walter, conducting. Columbia Monaural ML 5886, $4.98. Stereo MS 6486, $5.98. BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5. SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished." Columbia Sym- phony Orchestra. Bruno Walter, conducting. Columbia Monaural ML 5906, $4.98. Stereo MS 6506, $5.98. BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 7. Wag- ner Siegfried Idyll. Wagner Pre- lude to "[ohAnarin." Columbia The University Shop kS fif O"