DECEMBER 1976 Vol. 54 No. 643

Publisher & Managing Editor

ANTHONY POLLARD

Editor

MALCOLM WALKER

Deputy Editor ROGER HUGHES

Audio Editor JOHN BORWICK Audio Consultant

JOHN GILBERT Advertisement Manager

BARRY IRVING

Asst Advertisement Manager

DERMOT JONES Accounts Manager CHRISTINE FLEGG Circulation Manager

HELEN GRIMES Subscription Manager

LILIAN SHERER

CONTRI BUTORS

FELIX APRAHAMIAN

DENIS ARNOLD

MARY BERRY ALAN BLYTH WILLIAM A CHISLETI

JOAN CHISSELL

PETER FIELD ROGER FISKE CHARLES FOX EDWARD GREENFIELD

MAX HARRISON TREVOR HARVEY

NIGEL HUNTER ANDREW LAMB ROBERT LAYTON WILLIAM MANN

IVAN MARCH MALCOLM MACDONALD

ALUN MORGAN

PETER MYERS RICHARD OSBORNE

MICHAEL OLIVER CHRISTOPHER PALMER

STEPHEN PLAISTOW

JOHN POSTGATE

BRIAN RUST STANLEY SADIE LIONEL SALTER

ER IC SAMS PETER SENSIER JOHN B STEANE JOHN WARRACK

STANLEY WEBB

Incorporating VOX-THE RADIO CRITIC-BROADCAST REVIEW

CONTENTS926IndextoReviews926EditorialNotes951TheCritics'Choice1976966Carols971HereandThere 978 Obituar y 978 Contributors' Notes 983 Book Rev iews 983. 984 Correspo ndence 984 . Deletion s

REVIEWS9891010101510271045105810651065106610711076 1080

Orchestral Chamber Music Instrumental Choral and Song Opera Gregorian Chant Spoken Word Docu mentary New Cassettes and Cartridges Nights at the Round Table Easy Li stening Jazz

AUDIO1083Sounds in Retrospect-A Panel Review 1084 New Products 1087 To japan with the FBA by john Gilbert 1087 Audio Fo r um

Equipment Reviews 1088 KEF Calinda loudspeaker 1091 Aiwa AD-6500 stereo cassette deck 1095 Empire 698111 turntable 1096 Empire 2000Z pickup cartridge 1096 New Acces sories for Xmas 1100 Aud io News

FRONT COVER The 1976 Critics' Choi ce appears on page 951 . In addition. W . A. Chislett's round - up of carol record s on page 966 this year comprises an overall survey of most of the Christmas reco rds curre ntly available .

NEXT MONTH A Q uarterl y Retrospect by John Steane Bernard Haitin k tal ks abou t Beethoven- his recording of the symphonies w ill be reviewed by Ri chard Osbo rn e Roge r Drisco ll test s the Chartwell PM400 loudspeaker T he January iss ue of GRAMOPHONE w ill be publ ished on Wednesday January 5th

GRAMOPHONE is published by General Gramophone Publications Limited 177-179 Kenton Road Harrow Middlesex HA3 OHA

GRAMOPHONE is o ublished on t he (i rst Wednesday or each m onrh and is available rrom 0/1 newsagents and bookstal/s. An nual scbscriO'ions : UK-£5· 90 : Overse as-£6·60 (US 5/4 ·00) . Second Class Pos tage Paid New York . NY. US ma iling agents Air & Sea Frei gh, In c .. 517 Madison Avenue (S ui 'e 111n. New York. NY 10012. Printed in England. Whilst every effort ha s been made to ensur e {he a ccuracy of statements within th is mo~ozine, we cannot accebt rest>onsibility (or a ny e rrO rs or om iss ions . or (or mo t ters ar js in2 (rom cferical or pr inters' errors . or an adver tiser not completing his contract . It is reauested th at 01/ lett ers to rhe Editor reau iring a oersonal reoly should be accompanied by a stomped addressed enveloOe. Subscribe rs . borh at home and abroad. Ofe reQuested (0 advise change of address details to our Subscr itJt jon Deborrmem at leas t five wee ks t>r ior to the change becom inr effecr ive . @ "Gramophone"'-1976