Salute to Vienna: The Strauss/Gershwin Gala

Narrator Gregory Peck provides mellifluous commentary for this live performance of works celebrating the friendship of two countries and the artistic relationship of Johann Strauss, Jr. and George Gershwin, filmed in Vienna's Golden Hall of the Musikverein, and featuring numbers by Strauss, Gershwin, Lehar and Copeland. Alternating with orchestral pieces, sopranos Martina Serafin and Eva Lind, tenors Herbert Lippert and Paul Groves, and baritone George Lehner perform an enjoyable program of light fare with humor and verve, while Peter Guth of Vienna and John Morris Russell of the U.S. share the conducting honors. A notable addition is the first-time pairing of the Vienna Boys Choir with the Boys Choir of Harlem in a performance that brings down the house. On the minus side, the photography is uneven (well-chosen close-ups are mixed in with grainy and fuzzy long shots), and the sound is occasionally disappointing (the outstanding choral numbers are not given enough focus and tend to be lost against the orchestra). With these reservations in mind, this is still an appealing evening of music, overall, that is recommended for general collections. Aud: P. (J. Reed)