Richard Strauss's house

Started by Bonehelm, March 24, 2008, 09:47:19 PM

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TheGSMoeller

#440
10 Days, 10 Works - of Richard Strauss

7. Duet-Concertino for Clarinet, Bassoon, Strings and Harp (1947)

If there is one piece of music composed by Strauss where the term magical could be used as the primary description, its with the Duet-Concertino. Another masterpiece composed late in the composer's life that has a strong focus on winds, Oboe Concerto and two Sonatinas being the others. There have been different stories or influences connected to this piece told by Strauss, but regardless of which one is true or even if there was a planned program, the Duet-Concertino sounds like a beautiful allegory of some sort of sublime tale of life or love. The conversations in this music between the Clarinet and Bassoon are playful and exuberant, as these two instruments make a great combo. And again, similar to the Sonatina for Winds, there is some obvious admiration for Mozart as Strauss produces an almost neoclassical tone with this piece.

And yes, I'm being truthful with my choice being Paavo Jarvi ("Peek-a-Boo, It's me, Paavo)". This is not only a fantastic performance of the Duet-Concertino, but it's a great disc all around with flawless playing form the German Chamber Philharmonic Bremen. This one easily makes a short list of "must-have" discs for Strauss fans.


Ken B

Quote from: ChamberNut on July 13, 2014, 07:03:47 AM
My local band.  Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, conducting by Alexander Mickelthwate.  :)
Heard them today do Brahms 1 and the Khatch VC with Ehnes. Impressive.
(For outside Ontario I mean  :laugh: >:D)

Dancing Divertimentian

#442
Ein Heldenleben is a work I absolutely love...for about four-and-a-half movements. The modernistic tendencies of the first four movements hit all the right buttons in me and I'm totally engrossed. The Battle is expertly crafted, and it's the one movement I'd most expect the schmaltz-o-meter to rocket off the charts. ;D But it doesn't. It's a genuine treat.

About midway through the Works of Peace - at about the point where the triangle chimes just a single time (which is a fantastic touch, btw!) - I feel the piece begins to deflate somewhat. Yes it's post-battle and a winding down of the Hero's life but I can't quite escape the feeling that as the Works of Peace progresses there's just a little too much emphasis on creating a persona of the Hero as a sort of "last great hope" type of guy - completely alone against the forces of strife. Which is ironic I suppose as that's just the type of spotlighting I'd expect in the Battle (which rocks).

Retirement comes and by now I get the sense the music is little more than padding, padding for the retiree, I suppose. ;D (Sorry). Then the final measures come which without question have been tailor-made to play up our Hero as best thing since sliced bread: gleaming music which sounds as if it's been plucked straight from Parsifal!! What an effect! Can't help but love it. Herr Strauss the enigma. 

(I will definitely keep trying on those last two movements. The work is worth it.)




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Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on July 13, 2014, 08:37:50 PM
Ein Heldenleben is a work I absolutely love...for about four-and-a-half movements. The modernistic tendencies of the first four movements hit all the right buttons in me and I'm totally engrossed. The Battle is expertly crafted, and it's the one movement I'd most expect the schmaltz-o-meter to rocket off the charts. ;D But it doesn't. It's a genuine treat.

About midway through the Works of Peace - at about the point where the triangle chimes just a single time (which is a fantastic touch, btw!) - I feel the piece begins to deflate somewhat. Yes it's post-battle and a winding down of the Hero's life but I can't quite escape the feeling that as the Works of Peace progresses there's just a little too much emphasis on creating a persona of the Hero as a sort of "last great hope" type of guy - completely alone against the forces of strife. Which is ironic I suppose as that's just the type of spotlighting I'd expect in the Battle (which rocks).

Retirement comes and by now I get the sense the music is little more than padding, padding for the retiree, I suppose. ;D (Sorry). Then the final measures come which without question have been tailor-made to play up our Hero as best thing since sliced bread: gleaming music which sounds as if it's been plucked straight from Parsifal!! What an effect! Can't help but love it. Herr Strauss the enigma. 

(I will definitely keep trying on those last two movements. The work is worth it.)


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Great comment, DD. The musical shifts that this piece takes are quite drastic at times, and being one continuous 45-minute makes it a challenge for the listener, I think you touched upon the most challenging part of Heldenleben so I do understand your observation.
Again with a Bychkov rec, I did notice though that this and his Elektra were on Spotify, will have to put them both of them in my list. And the Dohnanyi/Cleveland is a good one.  8)

Brahmsian

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on July 13, 2014, 07:39:49 PM
10 Days, 10 Works - of Richard Strauss

7. Duet-Concertino for Clarinet, Bassoon, Strings and Harp (1947)


It is a very moving piece.  In my favourite 10 as well.  :)

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: ChamberNut on July 14, 2014, 02:46:39 AM
It is a very moving piece.  In my favourite 10 as well.  :)

Good morning, Ray!


Brahmsian

Quote from: Ken B on July 13, 2014, 08:30:58 PM
Heard them today do Brahms 1 and the Khatch VC with Ehnes. Impressive.
(For outside Ontario I mean  :laugh: >:D)

Excellent, glad you enjoyed the performance Ken:)

Dancing Divertimentian

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on July 14, 2014, 01:28:54 AM
Great comment, DD. The musical shifts that this piece takes are quite drastic at times, and being one continuous 45-minute makes it a challenge for the listener, I think you touched upon the most challenging part of Heldenleben so I do understand your observation.
Again with a Bychkov rec, I did notice though that this and his Elektra were on Spotify, will have to put them both of them in my list. And the Dohnanyi/Cleveland is a good one.  8)

Thanks, GS. Yeah, I wouldn't miss the rest of the work for anything, last movement-and-a-half be hanged. Bychkov is more on the steely side compared to Dohnanyi, more modernist. But I love it.


Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

TheGSMoeller

10 days, 10 works continuing on later this evening, perhaps Ken should look away from this one  ::)

Ken B

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on July 14, 2014, 05:22:48 PM
10 days, 10 works continuing on later this evening, perhaps Ken should look away from this one  ::)
I can handle it. If I survived Sarge, Rap Fan Extraordinaire I can survive your weakness for bombast!  >:D
Anticipating Alpencereal, I liked it more when I was younger, but it really only has a couple moments, doesn't it? Even back when the tone poems were staples chez B I preferred D&T or ASZ. (Still do: shorter  :) )

I'm enjoying the series though.

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: Ken B on July 14, 2014, 05:52:39 PM
I can handle it. If I survived Sarge, Rap Fan Extraordinaire I can survive your weakness for bombast!  >:D
Anticipating Alpencereal, I liked it more when I was younger, but it really only has a couple moments, doesn't it? Even back when the tone poems were staples chez B I preferred D&T or ASZ. (Still do: shorter  :) )

I'm enjoying the series though.

Well thank you.  ;D

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: Ken B on July 14, 2014, 05:52:39 PM
Sarge, Rap Fan Extraordinaire

Wait!   :o I had to go back on this one, when was this revealed?   :o  ;D

TheGSMoeller

10 Days, 10 Works - of Richard Strauss

8. An Alpine Symphony (Eine Alpensinfonie), Op. 64 (1915)

I pulled this instrumentation list from Wikipedia...

-Woodwinds: 4 flutes (flutes 3 and 4 double piccolos), 3 oboes (oboe 3 doubles English horn), heckelphone, clarinet in E-flat, 2 clarinets in B-flat, bass clarinet (doubles clarinet in C), 4 bassoons (bassoon 4 doubles contrabassoon)
-Brass: 8 horns (horns 5–8 double Wagner tubas), 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 2 tubas, 12 offstage horns, 2 offstage trumpets, 2 offstage trombones
-Percussion: timpani (2 players), snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tam-tam, cowbells, wind machine, thunder machine, glockenspiel

"You're gonna need a bigger stage." - Richard Strauss, 1915 at the Berlin premiere

Ok, he didn't really say that, but he could've, that's a lot of musicians. My first orchestral tone poem was Quixote, the literal one, Heldenleben was next, the personal tale. Now a tone poem about climbing a mountain, a big one. Without knowing the story or title of this piece I would say that it would be difficult to guess the subject matter on a first listen, the music is deep, stirring, at times Romantic toned and other times scary as hell (enter thunder machine). There is definitely more involved here than just a hike up the Alpine, and to me it's a musical testament to an individual's will and resilience (while still climbing a mountain  ::)). Perhaps on the outside it appears to be a work of literal storytelling, but within its core there's a metaphorical substance that is easy to detect. Take the middle climax, The Summit, there are shades of Zarathustra at the beginning of this massive calling, even the trombones sound as if they are quoting the opening call of Zarathustra. How much impact does reaching the summit have on a person? And how much of it is a mental victory as compared to a physical one? I sense that according to Strauss, it's definitely both. Have a listen (and stick around for time 2:15 for some awesomeness on the ol'slide trombone and horns)...

http://www.youtube.com/v/xK7z2NhUrsQ

Alpensinfonie's final three movements, Sonnenuntergang (Sunset), Ausklang (Conclusion) and Nacht (Night) are reminiscent on the work's previous travels and offer a beautiful, lightened look back but ends on a mysterious note as Nacht arrives and gives the traveler a sense of the unknown of what's to come. It's one of Strauss' most majestic endings.

Two recordings have to be mentioned here, mainly because I have to pay homage to Blomstedt as he has been booted from the Bruckner 6th comparison. But seriously, similar to the Blomstedt/SFS disc of Heldenleben, they again deliver a full, authentic and detailed performance with a recorded sound by London that is astonishing. My other choice, and it's quickly becoming my top, is Frank Shipway and the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra's 2012 disc with spacious BIS sound. The great thing about Shipway/San Paulo SO's performance is that they play the hell out of this music. When it's brash it's still decisive and clear, and it's played with such heart and with a fervent intensity that you'll want to cheer at times. This is a disc that deserves an 11 on the volume dial.

   

Brahmsian

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on July 14, 2014, 09:18:37 PM
10 Days, 10 Works - of Richard Strauss

8. An Alpine Symphony (Eine Alpensinfonie), Op. 64 (1915)


*pounds the table*

:)  My favourite Strauss work!

Sergeant Rock

the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Karl Henning

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot


North Star

#458
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on July 14, 2014, 09:18:37 PM
10 Days, 10 Works - of Richard Strauss

8. An Alpine Symphony (Eine Alpensinfonie), Op. 64 (1915)
I listened to that Blomstedt recording on YT already last week, inspired by some earlier part of this series, and relistened to it today. A great piece, for sure. My appreciation of Strauss's music has grown immensely during the past week. :)
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on July 15, 2014, 03:58:34 AM
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,15426.msg801450.html#msg801450


Sarge

I grew up in NJ in the 80s and 90s, Rap was definitely a part my culture, I'm sure I could still recite a Slick Rick tune or two.