NOVEMBERI977 Volume55 No.654

Publisher & Managing Editor

ANTHONY POLLARD ·

Editor

MALCOLM WALKER

Deputy Ed i tor ROGER HUGHES

Audio Editor JOHN BORWICK Audio Consultant

JOHN GILBERT

Advertisement Co-ordinator

DERMOT JONES Accounts Manager CHRISTINE FLEGG Circulation Manager

HELEN GRIMES Subscription Manager

LILIAN SHERER Deputy Publisher & Advertisement Director

BARRY IRVING

CONTRIBUTORS

NICHOLAS ANDERSON

FELIX APRAHAMIAN

DEI\IIS ARNOLD

MARY BERRY ALAN BLYTH WILLIAM A CHISLETI

JOAN CHISSELL

PETER FIELD ROGER FISKE CHARLES FOX ROBIN GOLDING EDWARD GREENFIELD

MAX HARRISON TREVOR HARVEY

NIGEL HUNTER ANDREW LAMB ROBERT LAYTON MALCOLM MACDONALD

WILLIAM MANN

IVAN MARCH ALUN MORGAN MICHAEL OLIVER RICHARD OSBORNE STEPHEN PLAISTOW

BRIAN RUST STANLEY SADIE LIONEL SALTER

ERIC SAMS JOHN STEANE JOHN WARRACK

STANLEY WEBB ARNOLD WHITIALL

Incorporating CASSETIES & CARTRIDGES

CONTENTS768769797803

Index to Reviews New Record and Cassette Releases A Quarterly Retrospect by Robert Layton The Gramophone Collection-No . 2: The popular operas of Verdi by

804

810 768 817 817 817 818

Alan Blyth Here and There with W. A. Chislett, Lewis Foreman, Sue Regan,

Robin Stringer and Malcolm Walker Maria Callas-a tr ibute by John Steane Deletions Obituaries Book Reviews Editorial Notes Correspondence

REVIEWS823Orchestral854ChamberMusic860Instrumental868ChoralandSong885Opera899NewCassettes909NightsattheRound Table 919 Easy Listening 929 Jazz

AUDIO930937938947

Commentary by John Borwick New Products Music off the Record by Clement Brown Hi-Fi in London-a report of two September shows by John Borwick Equipment Reviews:

959 965 966 974 977

Tandberg TR2055 stereo receiver by John Gilbert Empire 2000 and 2000E pickup cartridges by Geoffrey Horn Dynatron Norfolk (MCIOIOCR) music centre by John Borwick Audio Circles Audio Forum

FRONT COVER Ileana Cotrubas sings the t i t le role in the new DG recording of Verdi's La Traviata reviewed on page 894. She also takes part in recordings of Brahms's German Requiem, Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore and Handel's Rinaldo , reviewed on pages 868 and 885.

NEXT MONTH The Critics' Choice for 1977 Sounds in Retrospect-a panel review The Gramophone Collection-the Tchaikovsky symphonies New Record and Cassette Releases John Borwick surveys some new record accessories The December issue of GRAMOPHONE will be published on Wednesday December 7th GRAMOPHONE is published by General Gramophone Publications Limited 177-179 Kenton Road Harrow Middlesex HA3 OHA (telephone 01-907 4476) Trade Sales Counter 23-27 Tudor Street London EC4Y OHR (telephone 01-5839199) GRAMOPHONE is !>ublished on the First Wednesday of each month and is available from all newsagents and bookstalls. Annual subscri!>tions: see />oge 987: US air st>eeded rate 122. second class Postage !>aid New York. US mailing agents: Expediters of the Printed Word l td .. 527 Madison Avenue. New York. NY 10022. Printed in England. Whilst every effort has been mode to ensure the accuracY of s(otemen(S within chis mo~ozjne. we cannoe accept resPonsibility (or any errors or omissions. or for matters arising from clerical or Drinters' errors. or on advertiser not como/eting his contract. It is reauested thot 01/ leuers to the Editor requiring a oersonal ret>ly should be accomPanied by Q stambed addressed enve/ot>e. Subscribers. both at home and abroad. are reauested to advise change of address details to our Subscription Department at least five weeks orior to the chan£e becomin£ effective. @"Gramophone"-1977