Richard Strauss top 5 Tone Poems

[Sergeant Rock]

Reiner doesn't make the cut?

In Zarathustra? No, I hate that performance. There's a thread somewhere here where M damns it too    He and I agreed about Sinopoli's.

Sarge

[Brahmsian]

The only tone poem that I don't particularly enjoy is the Sinfonia Domestica.  However, maybe that is due to the performance, and not the work itself.  I have Kempe/SD.

If someone has suggestions for other performances of Domestica, please let me know.

[Scarpia]

In Zarathustra? No, I hate that performance. There's a thread somewhere here where M damns it too    He and I agreed about Sinopoli's.

Everybody's Zarathustra stinks, it's written that way (IMO).  The closest it gets to being good is Karajan/VPO.  I was thinking of Don Juan.

[Sergeant Rock]

Everybody's Zarathustra stinks, it's written that way (IMO).  The closest it gets to being good is Karajan/VPO.  I was thinking of Don Juan.

Don't know Reiner's Don.

Sarge

[MishaK]

The only tone poem that I don't particularly enjoy is the Sinfonia Domestica.  However, maybe that is due to the performance, and not the work itself.  I have Kempe/SD.

If someone has suggestions for other performances of Domestica, please let me know.

I think it's the work. Kempe does a fine enough job. The only other one I have is Karajan, who isn't any better at making the meaningless sound meaningful. I've heard it live a couple of times, too, and was not persuaded by it on any of those occasions.

[val]

I prefer Don Quixotte above all (Rostropovitch/Karajan).

Then Don Juan (Szell, Cleveland), Til Eulenspiegel (Ancerl, CPO), Also spracht Zarathrusta (Reiner, Chicago) and Ein Heldenleben (Karajan, BPO).

Metamorphosen is a masterpiece but not exactly a tone poem.

[laredo]

What is the point of selecting the top 5 tone poems of a composer who wrote 8 tone poems?

Touchè. So I change the topic: Order your favourite R. Strauss Tone poems.

[Guido]

I (half) agree with you, Guido - the Alpensinfonie seems to me to be in some respects more advanced and in its way equally moving.

Too much slag and dross in this one though, and though beautiful in parts it's not quite the epic conquest that it needs to be.

[Luke]

Agree with Guido about Don Quixote - that was a beautifully concise and accurate description of its virtues, I think, Guido - and I rate it higher than all the others too. Importantly, I think it's a more human/humane work than the others are, though the two other portrait pieces (Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegel) are IMO the other two finest of the pieces (perhaps that says something about me, perhaps it says something about Strauss - at his best dealing with character: no wonder he excelled in opera). Don Juan and Till have the advantage of concision and an electrifyingly tight form. But I like Quixote's ramblings more, and they go deeper, in me at least.

I don't get any pleasure from the Domestica, I enjoy Zarathustra for its opulence but it doesn't go any deeper than that for me. T+V is a very effective piece, I think, but its form doesn't really satisfy me. I admit to a sneaking affection for the opening movement or two of Aus Italien but no more than that. As for the Alpensinfonie - as Guido says, it has some amazing moments (IMO some of the more deeply-felt, most interesting moments in Strauss) and I think it is a somewhat deeper, more thoughtful piece than is often admitted. But nevertheless, it is undermined critically at some moments by inferior material - can never forget that someone once said about the music for 'The Summit': all that effort to get there and they are rewarded with a theme from Bruch's Violin Concerto. Which makes a good point even if it suggests that the Bruch is a worse work than it is...

[Sergeant Rock]

If someone has suggestions for other performances of Domestica, please let me know.

My favorites appear to be OOP but I love Maazel/Vienna on DG and Szell/Cleveland. Perhaps you can find reasonably priced used copies. I went looking for recommendations of more recent recordings (haven't bought a new Domestica in decades) and found this about Järvi and his Scottish lads and lassies:

"Imagine the X-ray clarity of Szell's recording, Kempe/Dresden's local color, and Sawallisch/Philadelphia's opulent tuttis all rolled into one and you've basically got Järvi." --ClassicsToday

I might get that one myself.

Sarge

[Scarpia]

My favorites appear to be OOP but I love Maazel/Vienna on DG and Szell/Cleveland. Perhaps you can find reasonably priced used copies. I went looking for recommendations of more recent recordings (haven't bought a new Domestica in decades) and found this about Järvi and his Scottish lads and lassies:

"Imagine the X-ray clarity of Szell's recording, Kempe/Dresden's local color, and Sawallisch/Philadelphia's opulent tuttis all rolled into one and you've basically got Järvi." --ClassicsToday

I might get that one myself.

I think that was one of the first 5 or so CDs I owned (but have it no longer).  I also remember an Abbado set of Strauss tone poems which in my recollection was dreadful in the extreme.

[Guido]

Agree with Guido about Don Quixote - that was a beautifully concise and accurate description of its virtues, I think, Guido - and I rate it higher than all the others too. Importantly, I think it's a more human/humane work than the others are, though the two other portrait pieces (Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegel) are IMO the other two finest of the pieces (perhaps that says something about me, perhaps it says something about Strauss - at his best dealing with character: no wonder he excelled in opera). Don Juan and Till have the advantage of concision and an electrifyingly tight form. But I like Quixote's ramblings more, and they go deeper, in me at least.

I don't get any pleasure from the Domestica, I enjoy Zarathustra for its opulence but it doesn't go any deeper than that for me. T+V is a very effective piece, I think, but its form doesn't really satisfy me. I admit to a sneaking affection for the opening movement or two of Aus Italien but no more than that. As for the Alpensinfonie - as Guido says, it has some amazing moments (IMO some of the more deeply-felt, most interesting moments in Strauss) and I think it is a somewhat deeper, more thoughtful piece than is often admitted. But nevertheless, it is undermined critically at some moments by inferior material - can never forget that someone once said about the music for 'The Summit': all that effort to get there and they are rewarded with a theme from Bruch's Violin Concerto. Which makes a good point even if it suggests that the Bruch is a worse work than it is...

Absolutely with regards to the portraits - the more detailed the characters and programme, the more there is for Strauss to paint in tones, thie skill in which he is course the supreme master in all of music (perhaps in itself not a great virtue - it just came naturally to him and what he did). Crucially though, it's the characters, the verses, and situations that he can identify with that produce the best music from him - and this is true from the beginning to the end of his long composing career. Don Quixote is indeed almost operatic in character and effect, and one already hear's the rumbling's of Salome in this (though in a jovial/sentimental translation).

[Daverz]

Zarathrustra is still my favorite.  I'm very fond of the Mehta/LAPO recording.

[RJR]

Reiner doesn't make the cut?

I agree with you, Scarpia. Where's Reiner?

[madaboutmahler]

I absolutely love Strauss' tone poems, they are some of my favourite pieces ever written! So, my favourite Strauss tone poems, in order! I also write my favourite performances of the works in brackets. 

1. Eine Alpensinfonie (Staatskappele Weimar/Wit on Naxos)
2. Ein Heldenleben (Berliner Philharmoniker/Rattle on EMI)
3. Tod Und Verklarung (Berliner Philharmoniker/Karajan on DG)
4. Don Juan (Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Solti)
5. Till Eulenspigel (Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra/Maazel)

What a genius Strauss was!
Daniel

[Lisztianwagner]

Richard Strauss was certainly a wonderful composers, his tone poem are absolutely outstanding, what masterpieces!!

My favourites:
1. Eine Alpensinfonie (Karajan/Berlin Phil on DG)
2. Ein Heldenleben (Karajan/Berlin Phil on DG)
3. Tod und Verklärung (Karajan/Berlin Phil on DG)
4. Don Quixote (Karajan/Berlin Phil on DG)
5. Don Juan (Solti/Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Ilaria

[madaboutmahler]

Richard Strauss was certainly a wonderful composers, his tone poem are absolutely outstanding, what masterpieces!!

My favourites:
1. Eine Alpensinfonie (Karajan/Berlin Phil on DG)
2. Ein Heldenleben (Karajan/Berlin Phil on DG)
3. Tod und Verklärung (Karajan/Berlin Phil on DG)
4. Don Quixote (Karajan/Berlin Phil on DG)
5. Don Juan (Solti/Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Ilaria

Glad to see we share a variety of favourite Strauss tone poems, Ilaria! Our top 3 are exactly the same!
Nice quote from Bernstein you have chosen as your "signature".

Daniel

[Lisztianwagner]

Glad to see we share a variety of favourite Strauss tone poems, Ilaria! Our top 3 are exactly the same!
Nice quote from Bernstein you have chosen as your "signature".

Daniel

That's right, we share the same top 3, except for the favourite recordings, I'm more turned to the Karajan 

Thanks, you chose a nice quote from Beethoven too, the complete phrase would be:"I despise a world which does not feel that music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy" 

Ilaria

[madaboutmahler]

That's right, we share the same top 3, except for the favourite recordings, I'm more turned to the Karajan 

Thanks, you chose a nice quote from Beethoven too, the complete phrase would be:"I despise a world which does not feel that music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy" 

Ilaria

Of course, Karajan would normally be my second option though. But for Tod und Verklarung, the power and passion is unbeatable in his recording.  Sometimes, I don't think the BPO were at their very best in Strauss recordings, for example Ein Heldenleben, but normally they were excellent.

You are correct about my quote!
Daniel