June Records

Some phonograph records are musical events. Each month TIME notes the noteworthy.

Symphonic, etc.

SIBELIUS: SYMPHONY No. 4, IN A MINOR: LEMMINKAINEN ZIEHT HEIMWARTS; INCIDENTAL MUSIC TO THE TEMPEST (London Philharmonic, Sir Thomas Beecham conducting; Victor: 14 sides). Volume 5 of the six-year-old Sibelius Society's definitive edition. The smoldering, cataclysmic Fourth Symphony is generally regarded as Sibelius' masterpiece, and Beecham's Londoners play it with devotion. Gaunt and enigmatic to those not familiar with Sibelius, it improves wonderfully with repeated hearings. The items that follow are lesser, lighter, more ingratiating. Neither is available as a separate recording.

CHARLES IVES: SIX SONGS (Mordecai Baumann, baritone, Albert Hirsch, pianist; New Music Quarterly Recordings, Bennington College, Bennington, Vt.). It has taken a generation for concertgoers to realize that shy, bristle-bearded New Englander Ives is no crackpot, but one of the pithiest, most individual, most authentically American of contemporary U. S. composers. The disc contains at least two top-notchers: Charlie Rutlage and Two Little Flowers.

PROKOFIEFF: CONCERTO No. 2 IN G MINOR (Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting, with Jascha Heifetz; Victor: 6 sides). Composer Prokofieff's expedition into the "deeper realms of music" (TIME, April 4) has turned up one of the finest contemporary concertos. Brilliantly performed.

SCHUMANN : CONCERTO IN D MINOR FOR VIOLIN AND ORCHESTRA (New York Philharmonic-Symphony, John Barbirolli conducting, with Yehudi Menuhin; Victor: 7 sides). The famed "lost" Schumann concerto confirms impressions of its U. S. premiere (TIME, Dec. 5). Its awkwardness causes even able Violinist Menuhin to wrestle.

BEETHOVEN: LEONORE OVERTURE No. 2 (London Symphony, Felix Weingartner conducting; Columbia: 4 sides). For his opera Fidelia, fastidious, hardworking Beethoven wrote four different overtures. Of these the first, in point of time, was the one now mislabeled Leonore No. 2. Overshadowed by the brilliant Leonore No. 3, to which it is inferior, Leonore No. 2 has long awaited recording.

DVORAK: QUARTET No. 6 IN F MAJOR (Roth String Quartet; Columbia: 6 sides). Czech-born Dvorak's U. S.-folk-music-inspired quartet well played by one of today's ranking chamber music ensembles.

PAGANINI-KREISLER: CONCERTO No. 1 IN D MAJOR FOR VIOLIN AND ORCHESTRA--FIRST MOVEMENT (Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting, with Fritz Kreisler; Victor: 4 sides). Performing his own version of the Paganini movement, which he premiered in Chicago two seasons ago, 63-year-old Kreisler proves himself still the world's most ingratiating fiddler.

AMERICAN SONG ALBUM (The Madrigal Singers, Lehman Engel conducting; Columbia: 8 sides). Contains such odd bits of early Americana as Lilly Dale, Lubly Fan Will You Cum Out Tonight and Cocaine Lil. Unfortunately, the singing is spotty.

Popular

THIS TIME IT'S REAL (Ella Fitzgerald; Decca). One of the best colored hot singers, on a representative disc.

ROYAL GARDEN BLUES (Bob Crosby; Decca). Able rhythm organization of musical antiquarians revives an old classic of the Chicago style.

THE MOON LOOKS DOWN AND LAUGHS (Billie Halliday; Vocalion). Another capable dusky diseuse, a little sultrier than Miss Fitzgerald (see above).

THE WEARING OF THE GREEN (Bunny Berigan; Victor). Novelty fox trot, featuring Mr. Berigan's excellent trumpet.

DON'T WAKE UP MY HEART (Benny Goodman; Victor). Goodman-of-the-month. A nice tune into the bargain.

LAUGHING BOY BLUES (The Charioteers; Vocalion). Very darktown, very cheerful.

JIM JAM STOMP (Joe Marsala; Vocalion). Few clarinetists out-tootle Mr. Marsala, the master of an unembroidered style.

SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT (Bing Crosby; Decca). With the Paul Taylor Choristers, Mr. Crosby looks over "Jerdon." Heady vocalizing, unequaled since his Swanee River.

LITTLE JOE FROM CHICAGO (Wingy Mannone; Bluebird). Unibrachial Mr. Mannone, whose name is also Joe but who comes from New Orleans, is an exciting primitive.

Scores from I Married An Angel, the summer's sole and sufficient Broadway musicomedy, are available on Brunswick and Liberty Music Shop (795 Madison Ave., Manhattan).

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