GRAMOPHONE NOTES
AMONG the new recordings of the month my first personal choice goes to " Gigues " and " Rondes de Printemps " from Debussy's Images for Orchestra, played by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre Monteux (H.M.V. DB6182-3). In these compositions Debussy is at his finest as a master of musical impressionism, in which every form is clear and distinct in outline and tinting yet subtly related to every other, and the whole musical structure held together tightly in an infalpbje rhythm just as in a
masterpiece of landscape painting. This is earthly music but of the highest quality. So is Mozart's delightful Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A major, K 581, played by Reginald Kell (clarinet) and the Philharmonic String Quartet (Col. DX 8206-9), although I shall pronounce this as an efficient but not ideal performance.
Another welcome Debussy recording is the Prelude a l'Apres-midi d'un Faune, played by the National Symphony Orchestra under Sidney Beer (Decca K 1037). Decca also release a recording of "Fingal's Cave" overture, one of Mendelssohn's finest works, played by the National Symphony Orchestra under Dr. Heinz Ungar (K 112o); with these is another item sure of popularity, namely the "Dance of the Hours " ballet music played by the same orchestra under Anatole Fistoulari (K 1119), while for those who like to keep abreast of contemporary English music there is Benjamin Britten's "Introduction and Rondo alla burlesca" for two pianofortea played by Clifford Curzon and the composer (K 1117) and, by thC same composer and performers, the Mazurka Elegiaca (K 1118).
Popular as Mr. Ivor Novello's. music is in the theatre it does not often bear reproduction isolated from its mise-en-scene, so I can' only say that his " Love is My Reason " and "We'll gather lilacs' " both songs from Perchance to Dream, sung by Richard Tauber with orchestra, are not recommended by me to any truly critical ear, though they may please some. Something much more attractive in the way . of light music is " The Boston Two-Step " and " Progress Barn Dance," from the Old Time Dance Series (Col. DX 1191). These
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