Richard Strauss's house

[Scarpia]

Yes definitely - just in Capriccio there's the wonderful Mondscheinmusik and the sextet overture, the verwandlung and Mondscheinmusik in Danae (i.e. the final scene, which is essentially orchestral with vocalise), The Zwischenspiel in Danae, both overtures in Ariadne. These are all amongst the most gorgeous things that Strauss wrote and no one who loves his orchestral music should be without them.

I've literally never heard of Danae.

An obscure work by Strauss that impressed me was Daphne, particularly some of the orchestral writing.

[rappy]

As an avid (rabid?) Straussian myself, I can see all too well his limitations and weaknesses and fully acknowledge that large swathes of his music are uninspired. Alpensinfonie for instance is a tawdry work for all its impressive effects and supposed grandness of spiritual message. There are passages of astonishing descriptive detail, let alone visceral power, and much is beautiful, but much is also humdrum, and as was so often the case with Strauss - if his heart wasn't completely in it, the result is perfectly and brilliantly executed banality.

I disagree here. I thought the same having heard it only with Karajan/BPO on CD. I would say: If the heart of the conducter isn't completely in it, the result sounds brilliantly banal. When I listened to Kempe/Dresden, I felt deep affection. The "grandness of spiritual message" you mentioned arrived.

In my opinion, his finest and most deeply moving orchestral works are: Don Juan, Don Quixote, Ein Heldenleben and Eine Alpensinfonie.

The sinfonia domestica has some beautiful moments, and I really love the first half of Tod & Verklärung. Till Eulenspiegel is a genuine composition, but I've heard in too often.  I think it's more discriptive than his later tone poems.

[Guido]

I've literally never heard of Danae.

An obscure work by Strauss that impressed me was Daphne, particularly some of the orchestral writing.

Sorry I corrected the post above - the verwandlung and Mondscheinmusik is Daphne, not Danae, or Die Liebe der Danae to give it its full title. It's Strauss' penultimate opera and contains hints of the late Straussian warmth - this element in its ascendancy - first heard in Daphne's final scene (and then first fully realised in Capriccio and then on to the other late works). Danae has got a very beautiful zwischenspiel and soprano aria (in Strauss? Never!) and the final scene is really very beautiful. It also contains some of the best writing for male voice that Strauss composed - in this and Capriccio he seems to have finally cracked it! It's a warm score, but like most of the other operas of the 1930s by Strauss its hardly top notch - lots of langours despite passing beauties. Still very enjoyable if you don't mind the second rate material.

[Mirror Image]

I disagree here. I thought the same having heard it only with Karajan/BPO on CD. I would say: If the heart of the conducter isn't completely in it, the result sounds brilliantly banal. When I listened to Kempe/Dresden, I felt deep affection. The "grandness of spiritual message" you mentioned arrived.

In my opinion, his finest and most deeply moving orchestral works are: Don Juan, Don Quixote, Ein Heldenleben and Eine Alpensinfonie.

The sinfonia domestica has some beautiful moments, and I really love the first half of Tod & Verklärung. Till Eulenspiegel is a genuine composition, but I've heard in too often.  I think it's more discriptive than his later tone poems.

As much as I like Karajan's (and Kempe's) performance of Alpine Symphony, my heart belongs to Jarvi's performance with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. A riveting performance from start to finish.


In fact, I prefer Jarvi's Strauss recordings to those of Karajan, Kempe, Zinman, Previn, Haitink, Sinopoli, etc. There's something about Neeme Jarvi and the RSNO that felt so right.

[Guido]

OK I will try Kempe - Karajan was in fact the version I had heard, though I have heard it in concert too a few times. I don't hate it by any means, but I get tired of the view that it stands at the top of his symphonic achievement.

[Mirror Image]

OK I will try Kempe - Karajan was in fact the version I had heard, though I have heard it in concert too a few times. I don't hate it by any means, but I get tired of the view that it stands at the top of his symphonic achievement.

It's not my favorite work by Strauss, but I do enjoy it. I'm much more into Don Juan, Metamorphosen, Oboe Concerto, both Horn Concertos, Four Last Songs, Ein Heldenleben, Tod und Verklarung, etc.

[Guido]

It's not my favorite work by Strauss, but I do enjoy it. I'm much more into Don Juan, Metamorphosen, Oboe Concerto, both Horn Concertos, Four Last Songs, Ein Heldenleben, Tod und Verklarung, etc.

Four Last Songs? If you like them, then maybe you should try some Strauss excerpts - the final scene from Capriccio which is very similar in style and just as staggeringly beautiful, the Marschallin's Monologue from Rosenkavalier, The duet from Arabella.

This CD in fact, which is probably my single most played CD of all time:

[Scarpia]

Sorry I corrected the post above - the verwandlung and Mondscheinmusik is Daphne, not Danae, or Die Liebe der Danae to give it its full title. It's Strauss' penultimate opera and contains hints of the late Straussian warmth - this element in its ascendancy - first heard in Daphne's final scene (and then first fully realised in Capriccio and then on to the other late works). Danae has got a very beautiful zwischenspiel and soprano aria (in Strauss? Never!) and the final scene is really very beautiful. It also contains some of the best writing for male voice that Strauss composed - in this and Capriccio he seems to have finally cracked it! It's a warm score, but like most of the other operas of the 1930s by Strauss its hardly top notch - lots of langours despite passing beauties. Still very enjoyable if you don't mind the second rate material.

Any comments on recordings of Die Liebe der Danae.  Not many choices I see, one on Telarc another on CPO....

[bhodges]

Four Last Songs? If you like them, then maybe you should try some Strauss excerpts - the final scene from Capriccio which is very similar in style and just as staggeringly beautiful, the Marschallin's Monologue from Rosenkavalier, The duet from Arabella.

This CD in fact, which is probably my single most played CD of all time:

That Fleming CD is spectacular; she, Bonney and Graham sound really glorious together.  And another vote for the final scene of Capriccio, one of Strauss's most inspired creations, and that monologue from Rosenkavalier.

--Bruce

[bhodges]

Just found a rave review for Christine Brewer's new Richard Strauss CD, here (with link to the CD at Arkiv).

--Bruce

[Guido]

Any comments on recordings of Die Liebe der Danae.  Not many choices I see, one on Telarc another on CPO....

I have Lauren Flanigan in the title role with Leon Botstein conducting the American Symphony Orchestra and Kupper/Krauss. Neither is a dream recording - Flanigan's singing is often lovely but can get rather unstable and wobbly when the music is taxing. The other version I haven't really listened to much but again Kupper doesn't seem to be an ideal interpeter - it's well enough sung, often beautiful, but there's a certain monotony to the expression I find which makes it a bit tiring to listen to after a while.

Haven't heard Zach/Windfuhr which is meant to be very good. And I think it's uncut.

All three are very expensive, and I'm not sure that this opera is so unmissable that it deserves the asking price... so unless you're loaded, wait until a cheap one comes along on amazon. It's not truly amongst Strausses finest operas whatever the rapturous reviews on Amazon may say, but it's nice if you're a Strauss fan and looking for something new.

[Guido]

Just found a rave review for Christine Brewer's new Richard Strauss CD, here (with link to the CD at Arkiv).

--Bruce

I can only see one line saying that "it may only be July, but the answer may be Yes". Where's the rest of it?

[bhodges]

It may be hard to see: click on the word "yes."  (The blog post title is "Is This The Recording of the Year?")

--Bruce

[jlaurson]

Considering that I HATE opera, I could careless how well he wrote for it.

Ah, yes... but you are calling me ignorant? Unbelievable.

[Guido]

That Fleming CD is spectacular; she, Bonney and Graham sound really glorious together.  And another vote for the final scene of Capriccio, one of Strauss's most inspired creations, and that monologue from Rosenkavalier.

--Bruce

Glad someone else loves this CD as much as I do - it's just staggeringly beautiful, and so intelligently sung by Fleming - such subtle nuances and insight whilst never losing the a sense of rapturous cantilena and line. The word ravishing was invented for singing and music like this. It's perhaps surprising that she hasn't been asked to record these three roles in full (as well as Ariadne?), or that even live versions don't exist of these, but I guess that this is a reflection of the state of the recording industry. All three of her protrayals of these roles are available on DVD however.

[knight66]

The singing is first rate; but the conducting is sluggish and indulgent.

Mike

[Sergeant Rock]

The singing is first rate; but the conducting is sluggish and indulgent.

Mike

Did someone say sluggish and indulgent? My kind of conducting    I'll have to order that CD (I love the Eschenbach/Fleming Vier letzte Lieder).

Sarge

[Guido]

Did someone say sluggish and indulgent? My kind of conducting    I'll have to order that CD (I love the Eschenbach/Fleming Vier letzte Lieder).

Sarge

You will not regret it.

Which bits in particular do you think are indulgent Mike? The Capriccio Final Scene is the best I've ever heard it. Quite aside from the singing, its so well paced, there's a real sense of symphonic architecture to it, and Strauss' wondrous scoring and orchestral touches are revealed in such detail and with such sensitivity. The way he pauses on that phrase just after the final words of the Major domo, just gets me every time - that sidewards glancing ironic smile that Strauss has magically (even miraculously) composed into the music at this point has never seemed warmer or more beautiful.

The Rosenkavalier Trio is very slow, but singers of this quality can sustain it I think. It's actually the portion of the CD I listen to least - which says something as to the beauty of the rest of it.

[knight66]

I think you got it....the Rosenkavalier trio is very slow. The singing is only half of it. The conducting has to ensure a pace that does not make the music disintigrate. I still have the disc; but was very disappointed that Eshenbach turns the music to mush.

I have Bohm Capriccio; again, I think the structure is taken care of, Eshenbach smooths the whole thing out. It becomes aural wallpaper.

But; if you like it, I am not interested in turning you off it, just of stating my own opinion.

Mike

[Guido]

I think you got it....the Rosenkavalier trio is very slow. The singing is only half of it. The conducting has to ensure a pace that does not make the music disintigrate. I still have the disc; but was very disappointed that Eshenbach turns the music to mush.

I have Bohm Capriccio; again, I think the structure is taken care of, Eshenbach smooths the whole thing out. It becomes aural wallpaper.

But; if you like it, I am not interested in turning you off it, just of stating my own opinion.

Mike

Yeah I can see that. I must hear the Bohm Capriccio again - I borrowed it from a library once and liked it very much, but didn't feel desperate enough to buy it when I still had the beloved Sawallisch recording.