Classical Records

The Art of Aksel Schotz (Victor). Imported recordings of one of the world's most accomplished tenors, made during his golden years (1940s). Not only does the Dane's voice fall pleasantly on the ears, but his art makes every number--from Buxtehude to Mozart--sound as informal as a pop tune.

Bach for Percussion (New York Percussion Ensemble conducted by Harold Glick; Audio Fidelity). Four familiar Bach organ works rapped out on the numerous wood, skin and metal objects of a modern percussion department. The result has the effect of an X-ray photograph of a flower--barely recognizable, eerie and oddly fascinating.

Bartok: Mikrokosmos (Gyorgy Sandor, pianist; Columbia, 3 LPs). All of the 153 little pieces that Bartok intended for his son Peter. The music acquaints the player--or the listener--with technical problems of modern music, notably its twisty rhythms and its unpredictable counterpoint, and at the same time with a wide variety of musical expression. Performance: excellent.

Debussy (Marisa Regules, pianist; Esoteric). Argentine Pianist Regules applies her precise and prodigious technique to six works by the great impressionist and to the special problems posed by the little Siena pianoforte (TIME, Aug. 29). The result is something special. The sound is not quite so singing as Debussy intended, yet its harplike notes are not entirely out of character.

Russian Operatic Arias (Raphael Arie, basso; Paris Conservatory Orchestra conducted by Alberto Erede; London). One of the world's best bass voices, used as it should be, in some of the finest bass arias. Included: songs from Eugene Onegin, Prince Igor, Sadko, Boris Godunov.

Stravinsky: Mass (The Netherlands Chamber Choir and wind orchestra conducted by Felix de Nobel; Epic). A superb performance that takes some of the controversy out of this much discussed work. It is so securely played and sung, and so delicately balanced that the music emerges rich and even moving. Stravinsky is also represented by another fine performance, his 1914 opera Le Rossignol with Janine Micheau, and Jean Giraudeau, and forces of Radiodiffusion Franc,aise conducted by Andre Cluytens (Angel). The opening act, written before Stravinsky had emerged from the influence of Debussy, is ecstatic; Soprano Micheau's singing is always that way.

Vierne: Symphony No. 2 for Organ (Pierre Cochereau; London). Music by the late member of the French school of "symphonic" organists (he died at the console in 1937) founded by Cesar Frank. The music is pretentious and harmonically shifty but has a faded fascination. It is played on the wonderful organ that Vierne played for 37 years, in Notre Dame Cathedral ; its stops range from cheese-grater harshness to buttery smoothness.

Other noteworthy records: Nine Beethoven Symphonies, played by the NBC Symphony under Toscanini and popularly priced (Victor, 6 LPs); Puccini's Turandot, with Inge Borkh and Mario del Monaco and St. Cecilia Academy musicians under Alberto Erede (London, 3 LPs); Ravel's Complete Piano Works, played by Walter Gieseking (Angel, 3 LPs).

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