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posed so that ii could be played under a single, basically unaltered pulse. despite several changes of meier. Al ihe poini where Woglinde reveals ihe formula for making a ring from ihe gold (‘Wur ner der Minne Macht versagi," ihe renuncia-lion of love molive). ihe measure broad-ens 10 four beais from ihe prevaleni ihree, bul Wagner gives a tempo cqua-tion specifying ihat the pulse should re-main the same. Here and ai later recur-rences of this materiał. Janowski slows the pulse, and in ihe coniext of his very straight, uninflected trealmeni of ihe scene. ihe effeci is to underline some-thingthat Wagner has already put in ital-ics. In a morę fluid conception of the scene, such as FurtwSngleris, a certain broadening here does not seem excessive emphasis—and of course Furtwangler inflects his tempos gradually. so that for all their variety (and all the variety of character he elicits within a single tempo), there is no discontinuity. Clearly, this scene is meant to flow like the river Rhine itself—in fact, the way that it continues the impulse of the Prel-ude through several diflferent kinds of materiał is an achievement as much scenie as musical in effect. (Unsuspecied by Wagner is the fact that this makes the scene particularly effective in an "invis-ible" medium such as recordings.)

Indeed. whatever reservations one may have about Solti's performance of Rheingold (and it has always seemed to me the most successful part of his cycle). the appropriatcness of the special audio eflects the lale John Culshaw devised as equivalents for the theatrical “magie** that Wagner so cherished is hard to deny; here (as not always later in Solti’s cycle). they are used with musical and dramatic discretion. Nothing com-parable is attempted in the new set-no sonie equivalent of the Tarnhelm. no

auditory sensation for Donnefs ham-

merstroke. Like the anvils of Nibelheim,

Recitals and

SUTHERLAND, HORNE, PAVA-ROTTI: Live from Lincoln Center.

Joan Sutherland. soprano*: Marilyn Home. mezzo-soprano*: Luciano Pavarotti. tenor*: New York City Opera Orchestra. Richard Bonynge. cond. (Ray Minshull. prod.J London LDR 72009. $25.96 (digital recording: two dises). Tapc: LDR5 72009. S25.96 (two cassettes). |Recorded in concert. March I98I.J

VERDI: Lrnani: Solingo. errantc. mi-sero.*ⁿ BF.LLINI: Norma: Adalgisa! (Alma. costanza.)... Io fui cosi ... Ah! si. fa core*^ł: Ma di*. l'amato giovane ... Oh. non tremarc . . . Oh! di qual sei tu vittima*^M. PUCCINI: La Bohćme: Che gelida manina.¹ PON-CH1F.LLI: La Gioconda: Ecco la barca ...

that hammer is bright and tinkly, hardly up to the scalę of the orchestral writing that surrounds it.

But before pursuing the recorded sound. let me revert briefly to the performance. for I have not mentioned the orchestra, which is both central and verv good. The excellence of the Dresden Staatskapelle is as unobtrusive as it is certain: a few minor flaws do not so much mar as cali attention to the con-sistently high level of the playing: the trumpet goes sharp at the end of the maidens’ celebration of the Rhinegold. and now and then the horns give us a taste of the Eastem vibrato that, sińce the war. has crept this side of the Oder-Neisse linę.

The digital recording does the or-chestra-and Wagner—few favors, how-evcr; once again. we have a tight. dry. hard sound with verv little eflective reso-

nance and therefore verv little sense of space around it. The clarity of certain de-tails in the lower registers is at first strik-ing—e.g.. the contrabass pizzicatos that herald Alberich’s first appearance. or the giants’ galumphing musie with its pilch clashes between brass and kettledrums— but on checking I found them to be per-fectly audible on older versions as well. Of the conservative (non-Culshaw) style of sound to which this set evidentlv as-pires. the Karajan recording strikes me as a morę attractive example. w ith a real sheen on the strings and a decidedly morę natural ambience.

Eurodisc furnishes a handsome booklet. with reproducticns of striking Jugendstil illustrations by Frań z Stassen. a couple of essays (useful. if a bit stifRy translated). and a libretto with Lionel Salters sound translation. familiar from the DG and Philips cycles.

With the Boulez set just around the comer. any recommendation would be premature. Stay tuned to this station for furtherbulletins. d.h.

Miscellany

Quest*ultimo bacio***: Deh! non turbare eon ree paure ... Ma dimmi come. angelo mio ... Laggii: nellc nebbic remote^ł*. VFRPI: I Mas-nadicri: PalPinfamc banchetto io m’involai ... Tu del mio Carlo.* ROSSINI: La Donna de! laso: Mura felici.* VERD1: Otello: Gia

nełla notte densa.** II Trovatorc: Act IV. Scene 2**¹ (with Jake Gardner. baritone). BELL INI: Beatrice di Tenda: Angiol di pace.*^ł|

If you take these performances individ-ually. they sound mostly all right. if not especially distinguished. All three sing-ers are in representative current shape, which means that the flutter in Suther-lands voice inereases as pilch and vol-(Continued on page 92)

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I * * I * * I I * ^ł *

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