New Records

Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra (the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Eduard van Beinum conducting; English Decca, 10 sides). Fritz Reiner's performance of this great work for Columbia (TIME, Jan. 3) may hold the edge in fire and power; but the fine work of the Concertgebouw, and the spaciousness and detail of Decca's recording, make this the one to get.

Bruckner: Mass In E Minor (Hamburg State Opera Choir and Orchestra, Max Thurn conducting; Capitol-Telefun-ken, 10 sides). Capitol chose well for its first entry into the classical field; this beautiful Mass is the second of three Masses composed by Anton Bruckner (1824-96) and is one of his finest works. Performance: excellent; recording: fair.

Gounod: Faust (Georges Nore, tenor; Roger Rico, bass; Geori-Boue, soprano, and others; the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, Sir Thomas Beecham conducting; Victor, 32 sides). Faust, with its razzle-dazzle choruses and radiant arias, brought instant fame 90 years ago to French Composer Gounod; this performance adds to Beecham's. Recording: good.

Hindemith: Mathis der Maler (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Hindemith conducting; Capitol-Telefunken, 6 sides). Hindemith does not prove that composers are the best conductors of their own music, but this is still a notable performance of a fine work. Recording: good.

Prokofiev: Classical Symphony (L'Or-chestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire, Charles Munch conducting; English Decca, 4 sides). Conductor Muench often gallops through music that demands a more becoming pace; here, where they are not needed, he too often wears hobbles. Recording: excellent.

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 (the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Artur Rodzinski conducting; Victor, 8 sides). Mendelssohn's trip to Scotland was almost as happy musically as his tour to Italy, which produced Symphony No. 4; Rodzinski here gives the "Scotch" a good piping. Recording: fair.

Mozart: Concerto for Flute and Harp, K. 299 (Rene Le Roy, flute; Lily Laskine, harp; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham conducting; Victor, 6 sides). Not particularly a Mozart masterpiece, it is nicely performed by a master of Mozart. Recording: good.

Schumann: Symphony No. 4 (the Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell conducting; Columbia, 6 sides). One of Schumann's most listenable works. Conductor Szell's performance is fine, but it comes off records with a feeling of tightness.

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (the NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini conducting; Victor, 10 sides). The performance that Tchaikovsky fans have been waiting for. Recording (on Vinylite) : excellent.

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