OPHONE Incorporating CASSETTES & CARTRIDGES

September 1 985 Vol. 63 NO.7 48

CONTEN17SINDEXTOREVIEWS-over200recordsreviewedincludingthreeCompact

Disc versions of Mahler's Fifth, a new Prokofiev Symphony No.2 from the acclaimed combination of Neeme Jarvi and the SNO and a Schubert String Quintet from ASV. Max Harrison reviews three versions of Liszt's B minor Sonata and Stanley Sadie we lcomes an 'orig ina l' Cosi fan tutte ... ........ 306 NEW RELEASES . ........ .... .306 CORRESPONDENCE-in'clud ing a query on Otto Klemperer's mono recordings of Beethoven symphonies. ..

.308.418

NEWS & VIEWS-Andrew Keener on The Magic of Drottningholm, Stephen

Johnson talking to Oliver Knussen and some thoughts on performing Haydn with 'original' forces from Derek Solomons.. ..... .... 309 BOOKSHELF- Michael Oliver, Brian Rust and John Borwick review some recent publ ica t ions-among them the huge Baker's biographical dictionary of musicians.. ..32 7 FEATURE- Vladimir Ashkenazy talks to Robert Layton about his dual career as piani st and conductor.

... 328

RECORD DISTRIBUTOR DIRECTORY-where to get all tho se imported labels ..

. ... .441

REVIEWS

AUDIO

Orchestral

333 Sounds in Retrospect . ....... .426

Chamber .

Instrumental ..

Choral and Song

Opera.

368

.... 365 Audio in Britain Part Three ... ..... 430

380 Summer CES John Gilbert

395 reports from Ch icago . . .... ...... 431

Brief Revi-ews .

Nights at the Round Table

Classicall Pops .

Easy Listening.

Stage & Screen ..

Jazz ..

...... ........ 409 British Hi-Fi on a budget

...419

NO.3 No budget! .

.... .420 Equipment Reviews :

.. 432

..... .420 Shure Ultra 500 Cartridge .... .435

.. ..... 423 Akai CD-A7 CD Player ..... .... .437

Brass & Military . . . . . . . . . .. . , . ..... 423 Audio News ..

Spoken Word .

..... .423

Cassette Commentary .......... ..... 424 New Products ...

. ..... 438

... .439

FRONT COVER

This month's cover feature s Vladimir Ashkenazy whose new record as conductor (Richard Strauss 's f in He/den/eben) is reviewed inside by Edward Greenfield . Max Harrison reviews Volume 12 of Ashkenazy's Chopin series on page 372 . (Photo: Christian Steiner).

NEXT MONTH

The cover will feat.ure Jessye Norman, who talks to Michael Oliver. October sees this year's Gramophone Record Awards-the best records of 1984/85, with one disc nominated Record Of The Year. The October 1985 issue will be published on Wednesday October 2nd .

Publi she d by General Gramophone Publications Ltd , 177 /9, Kenton Road. Harrow, Middlesex HA3 OHA. Teleph on e 01 - 907 4476 .

Publisher & Edit or. ANTH ONY POLLARD; Deputy Publi sher & Advert i seme nt Dire ctor. BARRY IRVING: Editorial Manager. CHRISTOPHER POLLARD; Consultant to the Editorial Department. QUITA CHAVEZ; Audi o Edit or. JOHN BaRWICK: Audio Consu l tant. JOHN GILBERT; Advertisement Co,ordinator & Art Editor, DERMOT JONES; Circulation Manager. STEPHEN PRESCOTT; Subscription Manager. VA LER IE W ARBURTON.

GRAMOPHONE is publish ed on the Wednesday nearest to the 7st of each mon th and is available from all newsagents and bookstalls. Annual subscripti ons: see page 447: US air speeded rate $33 ·20. second class postage paid New York. US mailing agents: Expediters of the Printed Word Ltd.. 575 Madison Avenue. New York. NY 70022. Printed in Engla nd by Watmoughs Limited. Idle, Bradford: and London. Whilst every effort has been made 10 ensure the accuracy of sta tements within th is magazine. we cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. or for matters ariSing from c lerical or printers' errors. or an advertiser not completing his contract. I t is requested that all letters 10 the Editor requiring a personal reply should be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. Subscribers. both at home and abroad. are requested to advise change of address deta ils to our Subscrip tion Department at least five weeks prior to the change becoming effective. ISSN 007 7,3 1OX cD General Gramophone Publications Ltd ,-7985