r, DECEMBER 4,1957

TH-- MICHIGAN DAILY

PAGE NT


Variety of New Records Ready for Christmas

certo for vacuum cleaners, floor
polisher, and orchestra, and a tuba
arrangement of one of the Chopin
Mazurkas.,
Beethoven Concertos
Rubinstein has recorded the
Beethoven five piano concertos for
RCA. His work is magnificent, but
the orchestral1backing sometimes.
misses the ideal. Still, one could
hardly go wrong with any of these.
Pianists will appreciate receiving
any of the Schnabel performances
of Beethoven piano sonatas, which
are about all released by now.
The bizarre group of modern
music collectors probably already
have Bartok string quartets, but
maybe they missed the Columbia
album filled with Berg and Schon-
berg's violin concertos. '
Certainly they will go wild-eyed
over the new Columbia album of
some three records containing all
the works of the German com-
poser Webern.
Christmas music is available for
those who want it. An unusual and
well-recorded "Ceremony of Car-
ols" by Britten is on London. This
collection of songs - arranged for
boys choir and (harp has a curious
charm which is retained upon re-
peated hearings.
The inevitable "Messiah" of
Handel is offered by both London
and Westminster in the original
orchestration.
For a change, a new recording
of Berlioz' "L'Enfance du Christ"
is just out. This composition is
traditionally played in France at
Christmas time, much as the
"Messiah" is played here.

Angel has released a collection
of chamber music in its so-called
"library series," any of which
should fascinate more sedate lis-
teners. Especially recommended is
an album of early Italian string
quartets.
Haydn Recordings
The Angel recording of Haydn's
symphonies 86 and 92 by the Scar-
latti Orchestra is unequaled in my
memory, both in - pereformances
and sound. This, together with
Levy's playing of four difficult
Haydn piano sonatas for Unicorn
(URLP 1036) will brighten the
Christmas of, any Haydn lovers
lurking in the bushes,
The counter-tenor Alfred Deller
has sung a set of early songs,
ranging from Shakespeare to tav-
ern songs- and madrigals, which is
out on Vanguard records. Jolly
good for English students.
Strictly Sound
In case there is an engineer
about who already has worn out
his recordings of locomotives, jet

planes, stock car races, and can-
non, let him rejoice with a new
stereophonic tape of the eruption
of Mount Vesuvius. Then let his
neighbors rejoice when his equip-
ment is demolished by the second
shock.
But seriously, a Cook record
humorously titled "The Incom-
pleat High Fidelytie" is filled with
an odd collection of sounds, which
will brighten any party.
Somewhere in this list is the re-
cording to thrill, surprise, and
gladden any collector. Anyone who
has them all probably needs some
books.
Christmas
Supplement
Section 2'


-Daily-David Arnold
RECORDS-Christmas gift problems can be solved by giving one of the many recently released re-
cordings or by adding one of the past masterpieces to a classical collection. Included in holiday
purchases could be Ravel's "Daphnis & Chloe" by the Boston Symphony, "Rosenkavalier" by von
Karajan or Handel' swell-known "Messiah."

bea
gifted
giver...witl7
Give her Oo
and she'll think you'v
direct line to Santa's woi
Their heavenly fashion and o
comfort are just w
wants for Chr
1j~
I--
PINK,
LIGHT BLUE
$195
CAMPUS BOOT]
504 SOUTH STATE

By DAVID KESSEL
With the onset of this Christmas
season, the problem of phonograph
record gifts is with us once more.
What with dozens of new re-
cordings released each month, it is
not difficult to see why a reason-
ably uninformed individual would
be more or less at the mercy of
a salesman when attempting to
choose a record to give to some-
one.
Yet, this is not necessary. The
potential record-giver can avoid
this problem by reading carefuly
this essay, when he will be instead
at the mercy of the writer. This
may be considered an improve-
ment in situation by some.
Recently Released
Of course, attention is first given
to recently released recordings. But
it should be at least mentioned
that there exist some exceptional
discs from past years which would
make most any serious dollector
happy, if he doesn't have them
already.
The serious collector, needless
to say, is presumed to be a gather-
er if the so-called "classical" mu-
sic. Mantovani lovers can be easily
satisfied with a bottle of syrup to
pour on their old records in case
the gloss should wear.
But for these serious collectors
who, for reasons of finance, ignor-
ance, or misinformation, have fail-
ed to accumulate some of the past
masterpieces, one. might consider

t
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w,

brightening their Christmas with
any ofthe following:
Ravel's "Daphnis & Chloe" by
the Boston symphony, "Rite of
Spring" by Monteux (either ver-
sion), "Boris Godunov," on RCA,
de Falla's Spanish opera "La Vida
Breve" also on RCA records, or any
of the Toscanini performances of
Verdi or Puccini opera.
These recordings have all been
out for some time, and perhaps a
detailed description is unnecessary.'
Suffice it to say that they all re-
present high points of one sort
or another.
Opera Recorded
Among the recordings out just
in time for the eager Christmas
.buyer is a top-level production of
"Rosenkavalier" by von Karajan
on Angel. If you can afford this,
.it will doubtless gladden the heart
of almost any opera loyer. The
competing version of London is
unmistakably good, but this one
is perfect. So are the Mozart opera
sets just released by Decca.
For those who have heard the
ubiqitious Tchaikovsky symphonies
everlastingly, new performances;
on Decca by the Ldningrad phil-
harmonic are welcome diversions.
This huge and well organized
group plays the fourth, fifth, and
sixth symphonies in a grand man-I
ner, free from so much emotional
cluttering which marks many do-
mestic versions.
A hilarious spoof on serious

music is the Angel "Hoffnung Fes-
tival." The Punch cartoonist Hoff-
nung assembled an instrumental
group before a fun-loving audience
and has pulled off some grand
satires on music, including a col-
losal "Surprise symphony," a con-

LIGHT- IN WEIGHT

mphies,
e got a
rkshop!
owdown
hat she
istmas.
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ACK, RED
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Will This Year's Christmas

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<.y____

What's going to be the Great
Christmas Song THIS year-
Everyone is familiar with the
recent cycle of little-child mew-
lings, begun by Jimmy Boyd, whose
late, unlamented baby-voice
changed just after (worse luck) he
ejected "I Saw Mommy Kissing
Santa Claus."
Compete with Children
Two other types of "popular"
Christmas' songs have attempted
to compete with the children, al-
though they, have not gained any
notable success.
The first of these is best exem-
plified by Eartha Kitt's come-
hither "Santa Baby"-the hit of
its year. However; the vogue of the
sgng-type was severely limited by
two factors: the uniqueness of Miss
Kitt's style, which renders imita-
tion both difficult and obvious,.
and the utter failure of a re-issue

the next year, with the

lyrics

It

brought up-to-date.
Sentimental songs are another
potential source of Christmas hits.
However, the inscrutable popular-
record-buying public has shown a
heavy sales resistance to this sort
of thing.
Public Forgets
Nat Cole produced a mushy little
affair, entitled "The Little Boy
That Santa Claus Forgot," a few
years back. Thepublic forgot him,
too-it never got off the ground.
Nevertheless, the enduring popu-
larity of 'White Christmas" and
the like makes it appear that the
sentimental song has great stay-
ing power, and may be the com-
ing thing.
But it won't come this year. For
1957, Santa will ride a Sputnik to
a golden record or two, at great
expense to the nation's sanity.

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