New Records

Wagner: Excerpts from Tristan und Isolde (Helen Traubel and the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, Artur Rodzinski conducting; Columbia, 10 sides). Rodzinski's men, going full blast, are outshouted by the queen of the Met's Wagnerian hive. Performance: good.

Beethoven: Sonata No. 7 in C Minor (Yehudi Menuhin, violin; Hephzibah Menuhin, piano; Victor, 8 sides). The first 5,000 of these albums were erroneously labeled Sonata No. 2; red-faced Victor is now trying to correct its wrong red labels. Under either label it is the Seventh, and an agile brother & sister act. Performance: excellent.

Samuel Barber: Symphony No. I (New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter conducting; Columbia, 4 sides). Arid, intellectualized modern music. Performance: good.

Bach: Concerto in D Minor for two violins and orchestra (Adolf Busch Chamber Players; Columbia, 4 sides). The music to which Ballet Russe dances its new Concerto Barocco. Performance: competent but not exciting.

History of Jazz: The "Solid" South (Capitol Records, 10 sides). Vol. I of a new firm's ambitious four-part survey of American jazz. With the exception of Leadbelly, whose piano, guitar and vocalizing are invulnerable, the rest is mostly men of the '40s trying to play the way the jazzmen did in the '20s. Performance: fair.

Kostelanetz Conducts (Andre Kostelanetz and Orchestra; Columbia, 8 sides). Music's gingerbread man fancies up St. Louis Blues, Stormy Weather and others. Performance: fair.

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