Word: lp
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Bloch: Israel Symphony (Vienna State Opera Orchestra and soloists of the Akademie Choir, Franz Litschauer conducting; Vanguard, 2 sides LP). An early work in Ernest Bloch's monumental "Jewish cycle" in a first recording. Its single movement falls into three large sections, contrasts richly contemplative and passionate moods. Voices add a songful quality to the finale. Performance and recording: good...
George London: Dramatic Scenes from Russian and French Operas (with the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, conducted by Kurt Adler and Jean Morel; Columbia, 2 sides LP). Up & coming George London uses his darkly magnificent bass-baritone to best advantage in the melodramatic scene from Prince Igor, sits rather heavily on the more lyrical ones. Other operas (all little known) from which London sings selections: Rubinstein's The Demon, Paladilhe's Patrie, Massenet's Don Quichotte...
...this month is the first album commemorating the roly-poly singer who died last December. Mildred Bailey (Decca, 2 sides LP) includes eight of her best-known songs, if not the best versions of all of them. Even so, Lover, Come Back to Me, More than You Know, and the song Hoagy Carmichael wrote for her, Rockin' Chair, are still outstanding. Recording: good...
Puccini: La Bohème (Licia Albanese, soprano; Jan Peerce, tenor; the NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini conducting; Victor, 4 sides LP). This recording of the Maestro's 1946 broadcast will make opera fans regretfully aware of how seldom they hear a first-rate performance of Bohème. Toscanini, who conducted the world premiere in 1896, gives it a rare force, clarity and subtlety. The singers are all in fine voice-including amateur Baritone Toscanini, whose hoarse old bawling can be clearly heard accompanying the principals in several passages. Recording: excellent. A new recording of Tosco, (Cetra-Soria...
Verdi: Otello (excerpts) (Ramon Vinay, tenor; Eleanor Steber, soprano; Frank Guarrera, baritone; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Fausto Cleva conducting; Columbia, 2 sides LP). This anthology includes the best duets and arias of Verdi's best opera. Vinay defends his title as the finest Moor of the day, and Steber makes a pure-voiced Desdemona; Guarrera is not malignant enough to do Iago full justice. Recording: excellent...