McPHEE. Tabuh-Tabuhan----Toccata for Orchestra.t SESSIONS. The Black Maskers—Suite. Eastman Rochester Symphony Orchestra conducted by Howard Hanson. Mercury Q MMA11145 : 0 AMS16093 (12 in., 28s. 8id. plus 10s. 3d. P.T.). The item marked t was previously available on Mercury mono MRL2515 (10/56).

Colin McPhee subtitles his Tabuh-Tabuhan a toccata, so perhaps one should not demand much musical content but just enjoy the orchestral virtuosity. Of that there is plenty here. The piece is based on Balinese rhythms and inspired by Balinese sounds, and very lively it is. All the same, as I said when I wrote about it before, attractive as these sounds are, they are not enough to sustain the composer through a threemovement work. A toccata, in fact, unless it has a far greater musical substance, would better be of a great deal less than symphonic length.

Take the opening—it is delightful; but it is soon evident that it can only be used as accompaniment to something else and when that something else comes, it proves to be of scant musical interest. I am afraid a further study of this work has not increased my opinion of it.

The reappearance of this recording is now differently coupled, this time with a suite from incidental music to 77te Black Maskers, a play by Andreyev, the music by Sessions. The play (I quote the sleeve note) "constitutes a terrifying symbolic study of the disintegration of the human spirit in the face of dark and all-powerful forces from the unknown"—you can perhaps guess the sort of music that results. It seems obstinately to remain incidental music, though divorced from its drama it now sounds like a ballet score and without the "programme" provided by the sleeve note it doesn't seem to me to stand very strongly on its own feet as music nor to hold the interest for the considerable time it lasts.

However, that is only my opinion, and since opinions on unfamiliar music can differ so much, you may find more musical satisfaction in this than I do.

Both works seem to be extremely well played and recorded. T.H.