Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 6, No. 6 (1932-03)

104 conducted—a little too powerfully perhaps, but still very ably—by Krauss and issued in three ten-inch discs. Scarcely less striking is the “London" symphony, conducted by John Barbirolli (two versions). In both of these works one will find a delicate lyricism in the slow movements, an originality and sweep in the others that ill accords with our conven- tionalized, notions of a decorous, childish garrulous Papa Haydn. Two other fine symphonies, as yet only available in acoustical versions, are the “Oxford ” and “Farewell," the only unre- corded works in the Polydor pioneer series of Haydn symphonies. Incidentally, they still sound pretty good when played on a modern electrical phonograph, for the modestly sized orchestras employed were surprisingly well recorded under the old process at its best. Most of the early symphonies are of course symphonies by courtesy only, like the “Toy” symphony, a delightful jeu d’esprit whose savor is still keen. The minuet was often omitted, either in the writing or the perfor- mance. Many are strictly overtures—of which, by the way, there is one recorded example. But many of the latter symphonies, particularly in the Salomon series, deserve concert and phonographic attention. I might name off-hand the lovely work in E flat (No. 10 of the Salomon series), “La Reine” with its quotation of a French arietta, “La Poule” with its unmistakable reference to the cluck- ing that figured in Rameau’s harpsichord piece of the same name, and the “Drum Roll” symphony (B. & H. No. 1). The only other important recorded orches- tral works are the Overture in D, conducted by Heger (already mentioned), the little Eighteenth Century Dance conducted by Sto- kowski, and the fine ‘cello concerto—a con- cert favorite of Casals—played by Suggia and conducted by Barbirolli. The vast Haydn literature of stage and church music is almost entirely neglected in concert as well as on records. We might look to Christschall or Music Sacra in Germany for a recording of some of the many masses, Stabat Mater, Te Deum, Seven Words of Christ, etc., but from whom may we ever expect the operas or the works for marion- ettes (Dido, Der Gotterrath, etc.) that stimulate one’s imagination from catalogue listing alone? The two great oratorios, The Creation and The Seasons, written after Hay- dn had returned from London and under the inspiration of Handel’s works which he had heard there, are performed often enough to warrant more ample phonographic attention than they have received todate. Several excerpts are available from the former, but only two from the latter. The Phonograph Monthly Review Most of the solo instrumental works are at best names in catalogues. Scarcely a ma- jority of the fifty-three piano sonatas are published, and that there is worthwhile music among them is attested by Kathleen Long’s records of the fine work in C minor, one of the many not included in my Augener edition of twenty-four sonatas. The Air and Variations in F minor, a work of very con- siderable stature, is played quite frequently in concert, but as yet there have been no re- cordings. Two other sonatas have been re- corded by Polydor, but although they are electrical, they have already been withdrawn. Considerable interest is attached to records of two lesser keyboard works, the sonata for harpsichord played by Violet Gordon Wood- house, and the minuet in E flat recorded from a performance on a Mozart piano of W90, giving an excellent idea for how Haydn s piano music sounded in his own day. The chamber works are better represented, but again one finds only a handful of well- known works among the seventy-seven quartets, sixty-eight trios, and twelve violin sonatas. Only one trio has been recorded, the work with the familiar Gypsy Rondo finale, but it has been done in masterly fashion by the incomparable Cortot-Thibaud-Casals combination. There are twelve recorded quartets, but of these three are available in their entirety only in acoustical versions. The early quartets are represented by the “Serenade,” Op. 3, No. 5, beautifully played by the Leners but unfortunately not recorded electrically. The other is known as the “Bird” quartet, Op. 33, No. 3, from its amus- ing use of bird songs and particularly the sprightly development of a cuckoo call in the finale. This, in the Roth Quartet’s per- formance, is a priceless legacy of the all too brief needle-cut recording activity of the Edi- son Company. . , The quartet in C, Op. 54, No. 2, is charac- teristic, but the adagio strikes a deeper note than most of the works of the same period. The Musical Art Quartet’s performance is not particularly polished, but it is enthusias- tic and spontaneous, an appropriately youth- ful reading of refreshingly youthful music. The six quartets in Op. 76 include the best examples of Haydn’s writing in this medium and fortunately each has been recorded at least once. Of the two versions of No. 1 I prefer that by the Budapest String Quartet, although the Poltroneiri version is better re- corded and occupies one less record side. El- man’s String Quartet does the second in ad- mirable fashion; also the variations on the Kaiser Hymn from the third, or “Emperor quartet. The only complete version is the acoustical one by the London String Quartet.