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Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 ("Pa-thétique") (All American Youth Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski; Columbia; 12 sides; $6.50). Conductor Stokowski makes Tchaikovsky's well-recorded heaves, sighs and tears sound like super de luxe movie music.
Strauss: Don Quixote (Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting, with Cellist Emanuel Feuermann; Victor; 10 sides; $5.50). In this tone-poem the Don is a cello, and the adventures are complete down to the last bleat (muted brass) of the sheep he fancies are an army. The Philadelphians and the soloist do a top-notch job.
Morton Gould: Foster Gallery (Boston "Pops" Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler conducting; Victor; 4 sides; $2.50). One of radio's bright boys, 27-year-old Composer Gould, gives Stephen Foster tunes a harmonic whirl, leaves Susanna and Jeanie with a light black eye. But good fun.
Beethoven: Quartet No. 14 in C Sharp Minor (Budapest String Quartet; Columbia; 10 sides; $5.50). Among Beethoven's last and loftiest musings, faultlessly recaptured by the Budapesters.
An Yves Tinayre Recital (Baritone Yves Tinayre, with the Dvonch string ensemble; Columbia; 8 sides; $4.50). Frenchman Tinayre, an eminent musicologist, makes troubadour songs and church airs a glowing tapestry.
Bizet: Symphony No. 1 In C Major (London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Walter Goehr; Victor; 7 sides; $4.50). A crisp, tuneful work by a then 17-year-old composer, with a hint of his later Carmen. It got its first U. S. performance only last October, here gets its first recording.
Bach: Piano Pieces (Pianist Grace Castagnetta; Victor; 8 sides) and The Life and Times of Johann Sebastian Bach (a book) by Hendrik Willem van Loon (Simon and Schuster). A new stunt in packaging: the two items, by a pair who have collaborated in other musico-literary ventures, sell for $5 boxed. Miss Castagnetta plays the music not too warmly. Mr. van Loon is probably the off-dashing-est of Bach's many biographers (best: Julius August Philipp Spitta, 19th Century German scholar; Dr. Albert Schweitzer, organist and missionary in Africa), illustrates the mighty J. S.'s life with his usual hen-tracky pen drawings.