JANUARY 1979 Vol. 56 l\lo. 668

Publisher & Managing Editor

ANTHONY POLLARD

Editor

MALCOLM WALKER

Assistant Ed i tor ALAN SAN DE RS

Aud io Ed i tor jOHI\.j BORWICK

Audio Consultant

JOHN GILBERT

Advertisement Co-ord i nator

DERMOT JONES

Subscription Manager

LILIAN SHERER

Deputy Publisher & Advertisement Director

BARRY IRVING

CONTRIBUTORS

~IICHOLAS ANDERSON

FELIX APRAHAMIAN

DENIS ARNOLD

MARY BERRY ALAN BLYTH WILLIAM A CHISLETT

JOAN CHISSELL MARTIN COOPER DAVID FALLOWS

ROGER FISKE ROBIN GOLDING EDWARD GREENFIELD

MAX HARRISON TREVOR HARVEY

ANDREW LAMB ROBERT LAYTON MALCOLM MACDONALD

WILLIAM MANN

IVAN MARCH MICHAEL OLIVER RICHARD OSBORNE STEPHEN P LA ! _~TOW

STA,,;L[ Y SADIE U(" f L ' iALTER

I Ii'J STEANE jO f-" NARRACK

S-, ;L EY WEBB ARNOLD WHITTALL

Incorporating CASSETTES & CARTRIDGES

CONTENTS1234 1235 1236 1236 1257 1261

1ndex to Reviews New Record and Cassette Releases Deletions Correspondence A Quarterly Retrospect by john Steane The Gramophone Collection-The Symphonies of Sibelius by Robert

1262

1272 1277

Layton Here and There with W. A. Chislett, Carolyn Nott, Robin Stringer and Malcolm Walker Book Reviews Obituaries

REVIEWS127812921305131013241330133113321337

Orchestral Chamber Music Instrumental Choral and Song Opera Spoken Word New Cassettes Nights at the Round Table jazz

There's a t ip for this year's "Critics Choice"

on page 1284

AUDIO1343Commentary by john Borwick

1344 Report from America by Harry E. Maynard

Equipment Reviews:

1347 1348 1348 1351 1352

B&W DM2jll loudspeaker by Geoffrey Horn Tocord Sound Cable by john Borwick Linn Sondek LPI2 turntable by Geoffrey Horn Satin M 117G pickup cartridge by John S. Wright New Products

FRONT COVER The distinguished British pianist, John Lill, has recorded the Brahms Piano Concerto No.1 with the Halle Orchestra conducted by James Loughran-this is reviewed on page 1278; in addition there is a profile of Enigma Records on page 1265

NEXT MONTH A Quarterly Retrospect by Robert Layton The Gramophone Collection-the orchestral music of Dvorak lIn interview with Riccardo Muti

Tile February 1979 issue of GRAMOPHONE will be published on Wednesday February 7th

GRAMOPHONE is published by General Gramophone Publications Limited 177-179 Kenton Road Harrow Middlesex HA3 CHA (telephone 01-907 4476) Trode Soles Counter 23-27 Tudor Street London EC4Y OHR (telephone 01-583 9199) GRAJv10PHONE is t>ublished on (he first Wednesday of each monrh and IS aV/1 Jf able from all neWSQgents and bookstalls. Annual subscriptions: see Dage J363: US air soeeded rore 123'50, second clos :;. DoS LOge paid New York. US mailing agents; Exoediters of the Primed Word Ltd .. 527 Madison Avenue. New York, NY IU( 2 ) , Printed in England. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy o( statements within this magazine. we c annot accetn resPonsibility for any errors or omissions. or (or matlers arising (rom clerical or printers' errors. or an adverriser not completin~ his contract. It is reauested that all letters to the Editor reauirin~ a bersonal refJ/y _should be accomfJanied by a stamped addressed envelope. Subscribers. both at home and abroad, are reauested to advise change of address details to our SubscriPtion Departmenc at least five weeks Orior to the change becoming effective. ISSN 0017-31 OX @"Gramoohone"-1979