TO English Spring I was very grateful for James Goodfriend's remarks and recommendations about modern English composers (May) and thought that he might be interested in a recommendation of mine: William Alwyn. Lyrita has magnificently recorded Alwyn's five sym phonies (conducted by the composer himself with the London Philharmonic). The Third Symphony, a really stunning, beautiful, and original work, is available, along with two other discs by Alwyn, through the Musical Heritage Society. In addition, Mr. Alwyn's strange and haunting song cycle, Mirages, his subtle chamber music, and his Elizabethan Dances are well worth knowing. Unfortunately, his great film scores (Odd Man Out, for instance) have eclipsed Alwyn's other mu sic-music which is extraordinarily original and inventive, and, most of all, passionate and moving.
BRIAN MURPHY; Birmingham, Mich.
I was gratified to read James Goodfriend's column in the May issue about lesser-known English composers. So often in the musical world the truly talented people are less concerned about their press releases than the quality of the music they produce. One such man, Dr. Herbert Howells, was my composition professor at the Royal College of Music in London. He was decorated by the Queen with the C.B.E., a very special honor accorded to few individuals. Dr. Howells is a fascinating man whose music was shaped by his life's fortunes. He loved to share his reminiscences about George Gershwin ("a charming, friendly chap who lit up a room"), Elgar ("a rather frightening, unapproachable man"), and others such as Ravel, Bartok, Vaughan Williams, "Willy" Walton, and Hoist (a close personal friend). It is our good fortune that some Howells recordings are finally available in this country; they are a must-hear for the curious, quixotic music lover.
DAYLE RUGG; Franklin Square, N.Y.
Bidu
When I received the May issue of STEREO REVIEW, I was brought up short by seeing the name Bidu Sayao in William Livingstone's "The Opera File." The delightful Miss Sayao was perhaps my first great love among the many opera stars I have heard and seen over the years. I first heard her on a broadcast that memorable afternoon of February 13, 1937, when she sang Manor, at the Metropolitan. I had not quite turned seventeen and I was al ready hooked on the Met broadcasts, and I can remember the voice of Milton Cross telling us all about the petite Brazilian soprano who was making a most auspicious debut that afternoon.
The next week I bought my first re cording of Miss Sayao's voice, the two arias from Il Guarany. From then on I never missed an opportunity to hear her sing, and she is well represented in my record collection today. Thank you for those kind words on behalf of my early vocal love.
WILLIAMSCHARF; Louisville, Ohio
I enjoyed your article on Bida Sayao very much. It made me dig out what records I have of her and play a few numbers. In such a far out place as Billings, Montana, my chances of seeing many of the great singers of the Forties were limited, but I did see Miss Sayao in 1945 when I was able to spend a furlough of a couple of weeks in New York. I went to all the radio broadcasts I could get into, and I saw her as a guest on a James Melton show. I can even remember that she sang Estrellita and a Traviata duet with Melton. I've always felt lucky to have seen her that one time, and I also feel very fortunate that I am still able to hear her on records.
THOMAS H. HUGHES; Billings, Mon.
Pregnant Pause
This afternoon "Music to Get Pregnant By" (May) added just the right essence of mirth to what would otherwise have been a very banal solo lunch. Your graphic changes in the regular columns in this issue are also welcome and appreciated.
This is my first letter to you in over ten years. Let's keep growing together. It wouldn't be bad for either of us if I find some thing worth writing about every ten years for the next eighty years (that'll put me at 101). I'll do my part to keep the bargain.
RONALD J. GOMBACH; New York, N. Y.
The Mike Royko piece about rock music in the May issue was great. Our household still hasn't stopped laughing. There are chilling ramifications, however. I'm referring to what may turn out to be the most "dangerous" music of all: the German lied. I shudder to think of all the innocent college girls who not only listen to, but study (presumably un der the guidance of dirty old professors) such composers as Wolf, Schumann, Brahms, etc. And what about Wagner's music dramas? Tons of syncopation. Is that why he was such a rake, or was it the other way around?
DANA MATHEWSON Getzville, N. Y.
Joni
Your beautifully illustrated April cover captures the "innocence" of my favorite per former. However, the "J" in Joni and the "I" in Innocence look exactly the same in the copy on the upper left-hand corner of the picture. This form is correct in Latin but nevertheless STEREO REVIEW publishes in English! TIM DOWNS Chicago, Ill.
Yes-but then have you ever heard a Swede try to pronounce a "J"?
Noel Coppage's patterning of Joni Mitch ell on a biblical archetype-Joni as a modern Eve-was sheer genius (April). His tasteful and effective references to her song lyrics and his handling of the romanticism-realism balance in Ms. Mitchell's work with Joni as prairie girl transformed into a Los Angeles can yon lady resulted in a highly informative, thought-provoking essay.
GRALIN H. KNIGHT Elmira, N.Y.
Critics' Critic
For Noel Coppage, have done with 'your cloying syntax and concentrate on expressing your ideas. For Linda Frederick, concentrate on cloying syntax and have done with your ideas.
DARRYL HATTENHAUER Sacramento, Calif.
Got that, you two? Treemonisha
The jaunty Atlanta premiere of Scott Joplin's Treemonisha was orchestrated by T. J. Anderson, not by William Bolcom as Eric Salzman indicates in the May issue. (Mr. Bolcom later did the Wolf Trap Farm Park performances.) It was Mr. Anderson's version of Treemonisha that was first broadcast in this country by National Public .Radio. His orchestral work is represented on CRI, None such, and in the Black Composers Series on Columbia.
WILLIAM MYERS; Nashville, Tenn.
A few points in Eric Salzman's cogent re view of the first complete recording of Scott Joplin's Treemonisha (May) need clarification. In the late 1960's composer T. J. Ander son orchestrated Joplin's opera with editorial help from William Bolcom and aid from a Rockefeller Foundation grant. Anderson's orchestration was used when Treemonisha was performed at the Atlanta Symphony Hall on January 28 and 29, 1972. For the presentation of the opera at Wolf Trap Farm later that year William Bolcom was commissioned to make a new orchestration. Like the 1975 Houston Grand Opera production of Treemonisha, which was taken to Broadway and was re corded, the one in Atlanta had some "heavy guns." Robert Shaw conducted members of the Atlanta Symphony, and Katherine Dunham was the director and choreographer. The music department of Morehouse College and Atlanta University's Center for African and African-American Studies also participated.
Norman Lloyd of the Rockefeller Foundation, who set the Anderson orchestration of Treemonisha in motion, also played a pivotal role in launching Vera Brodsky Lawrence's important publication The Collected Works of Scott Joplin, which, though copyrighted in 1971, did not appear until 1972. The publication did not precede the Atlanta production.
The two were concurrent manifestations of the Joplin revival.
ROBERT KIMBALL New York, N.Y.
Advent's Trumpets
The April review of "A Festival of Trumpets" fails to mention the album's availability on Advent cassette D1039. I was first in formed of the Advent cassette catalog through STEREO REVIEW, so I expect you to keep up with their ever-expanding list and include them in your reviews as appropriate.
"A Festival of Trumpets" is outstanding on cassette.
HARRY R. MCKINLEY Southampton, Mass.
Davis' Gottschalk I felt prompted to purchase the Ivan Davis and both of the Leonard Pennario recordings after reading Robert Offergeld's Gottschalk review in the April issue. Mr. Davis' edifying and electrifying performances have my interest in Gottschalk, and, from what I have read, Louis Moreau himself may have played as well as Mr. Davis! Mr. Pennario's approach pales in comparison. In some numbers he is either trying to avoid any semblance of a "corny" interpretation or he is simply anxious to read through it and get on to the next number. The major drawback for Mr. Pennario, however, was the piano supplied by Capitol Records. It had a woody quality below mid-keyboard; close-in miking served only to emphasize this, and artificial reverb did not alleviate it. The result: audible intermodulation distortion. London Records, on the other hand, supplied Mr. Davis with a much better instrument and gave him the benefit of a concert-hall pickup.
Let's all hope Mr. Davis will offer more of his highly listenable interpretations, including some lesser-known Gottschalk works.
PHILIP C. ERHORN; Stony Brook, N.Y.
Music's Majesties
Aram Bakshian's piece on musical royalty in your May issue was very well assembled and presented, splendidly researched, and marvelously illustrated. I was surprised only that he did not include our present cello-playing Prince Charles. And didn't the Duke of Windsor, in his salad days, sit in on drums with jazz bands?
STEVEN CANNON London, England
Yes, indeed he did, and the performances, as far as we know, were mercifully not recorded.
And then, of course, there was former Prime Minister Edward Heath, who took a consider able ragging for his organ playing, the dowager Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii, who com posed Aloha Oe, and on and on. . .
-- I noticed a slight sin of omission in "The Music of Their Majesties" that you might like to correct. While it is true that the Vienna Concentus Musicus' recording of "Music at the Court of Leopold I" has been out of print as Bach Guild BGS-70690 for several years, the same recording has been available since last summer from the Musical Heritage Society as MHS 3154. It was released as part of a seven-disc set of Vienna Concentus Musicus recordings, most (if not all) of which were formerly on the . Amadeo/Vanguard-Bach Guild labels. The set also includes: "Baroque Music in Salzburg," formerly BG 652/BGS 70652 and now on MHS 3151 (works by Biber and Muffat); "Instrumental Music of the Year 1600," formerly BG 626 and now on MHS 3153 (works by Morley, Tomkins, Scheidt, G. Gabrieli, and others); and "Purcell: The Fantasias for Three to Seven Viols," formerly BG 676/BGS 70676 and now on MHS 3155.
ROBERT W. SCHIRMER; Stow, Ohio
-- I enjoyed the article on royal composers and would like to add two: Alfonso X, "The Wise," and Don Carlo Gesualdo di Venosa. Alfonso the Wise (1221-1284), the Spanish king of Castile and Leon, was the leader of music of his time and place. His Cantigas de Santa Maria has had a number of recordings and is at present available on Musical Heritage Society OR 302 and Vanguard 7175. Gesualdo (c. 1560-1613), a prince of Venosa, was a leader in Italian polyphony. His music is quite poetic and has a strangely modern sound. I recommend his Responsoria with the Prague Madrigalists directed by Miroslav Venhoda on Valois MB 785.
RONALD PATAKI Jersey City, N.J.
Bergonzi's Verdi
-- I thoroughly enjoy William Livingstone's column "The Opera File" and consider it a most welcome addition to STEREO REVIEW. I hope Mr. Livingstone will bring an unfortunate situation to the attention of his readers.
About a year and a half ago I learned that Car lo Bergonzi was recording all of Verdi's tenor arias on three discs for Philips Records. As an operaphile, a Verdi buff, and a great admirer of Bergonzi, I was delighted and eagerly awaited the release of the records. I think Bergonzi is the finest tenor in Italian opera to day, the best since Jussi Bjoerling, and three discs of Verdi tenor arias from Oberto to Falstaff is a most adventurous recording project.
To my dismay, the records were eventually released in Europe but never in the United States. I learned from Phonogram Limited in New York that one of the Bergonzi discs might be released here on Philips, but nothing has materialized. Bergonzi fans should write to Phonogram/Mercury, 110 West 57th Street, New York, N.Y. 10019, and perhaps the situation will be corrected.
THOMAS R. WILSON; Downers Grove, Ill.
Mr. Livingstone replies: No need to write. Thinking there would be insufficient demand for the Bergonzi set in the United States, Philips decided not to release it here, but numerous inquiries from collectors have already persuaded the company to change its mind; the album will come out here later this year.
Dandy Candide
-- The "Hot Platters" article (April) was somewhat remiss in the quadraphonic department, overlooking one of the very best recordings, the original-cast album of Candide (Columbia Q2S 32923). If you hear it in full-logic decoding, you are right in the middle of the play and all sense of listening to a reproduction vanishes. Columbia apparently forgot to use its high-pass filter, for there's some window-rattling bass when the volcano erupts. And, although Bernstein's Planets does have a fine sense of ambiance, it also has some of the rawest, harshest sounds I've ever heard from Columbia.
WILLIAM SOMMERWERCK; Baltimore, Md.
Reissue Request
In a recent issue you asked readers to submit the titles of musical works they would like to see issued or reissued on records. I would like to see Ferde Grofe's Mississippi Suite recorded. It's hard to believe there is no avail able recording of such a fine piece of music. I used to own a Mercury recording of the Mississippi Suite in the early Sixties and would enjoy having it reissued. And since Grofe was an American composer, it would be a nice idea to give him some recognition during our Bicentennial by recording some of his other compositions.
LADIMER J. YUNGER; San Diego, Calif.
Also see:
TECHNICAL TALK, JULIAN D. HIRSCH