New Records

Beethoven: Quartet No. 4, Op. 18

(the Paganini String Quartet; Victor, 6 sides). Robert Maas, onetime cellist with the famed Pro Arte Quartet, founded the crack Paganini Quartet three years ago. In this recording, the last one made before his death, he has left the most finished performance on records of Beethoven's passionate early quartet. Recording: excellent.

Gould: Spirituals for Orchestra (the Philharmonic-Symphony of New York, Artur Rodzinski conducting; Columbia, 6 sides). Composer Morton Gould, a master of syrupy orchestration, has sweetened this music (some of it his own) until it smacks more of cotton candy than hominy grits. Performance and recording: good.

Falla: Suite Populaire Espagnole (Isaac Stern, violin; Alexander Zakin, piano; Columbia, 3 sides). The six parts of this suite were originally written for voice and piano; in this transcription, Violinist Stern catches every flicker of flame arid fillip of flavor. Falla at his Spanish best. Recording: excellent.

Mozart: Symphony No. 40, K. 550 (the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Eugen Jochum conducting; Capitol-Telefunken, 6 sides). Because the Concertgebouw takes this Mozart masterpiece at a slightly slower pace, it does not have quite the flow or power of Fritz Reiner's recent recording for Columbia (TIME, Jan. 3). Recording: good.

Mozart: Sonata in B Flat, K. 454 (Georg Kulenkampff, violin; Georg Sold, piano; English Decca, 6 sides). A clean, forthright performance of a minor classic. Recording: excellent.

Reger: The BOecklin Suite (German Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague, Joseph Keilberth conducting; Capitol-Telefunken, 6 sides). Max Reger, Bavarian organist and composer, was something of a musical tornado in his time (1873-1916), notable for his free & easy ways with harmony and modulation. His more ponderous scores are seldom heard, but these four sonorous tone poems deserve to be. Performance and recording: good.

Shostakovich: Trio in E Minor (Dmitri Shostakovich, piano; David Oistrakh, violin; Milos Sadlo, cello; Mercury, 6 sides). Recorded at the Prague Music Festival three years ago, this album is more notable for its musicians than for its sometimes gay, sometimes depressing music. Recording: good.

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