Richard Strauss's house

[TheGSMoeller]

Any fans of his early works? Violin Sonata, Cello Sonata, Violin Concerto, 1st Horn Concerto anyone? He dismissed them himself, but I think he shouldn't have. They are the first-rate second-rate masterpieces of a first-rate second-rate composer. 

I like them, but I wouldn't necessarily say that if you love other works from Strauss then you'll love these. They are early, but I still hear enough hints of his future self infused in this music. The Cello Sonata seems the least recognizable of the bunch, with the Horn Concerto sounding as if it were written closer to the 2nd which was many decades later.

To whoever suggested the Sinopoli Josephs Legende (I'm thinking Greg and Jens, perhaps others), hearty thanks. I think this has become my favorite Strauss score.

I forgot just how powerful this ending is. Chill-inducing to say the least.

[TheGSMoeller]

I am going to a talk with live examples on Electra today. It's a regular thing at a friend's church, the UMich opera department does it.

How was it, Ken?

[The new erato]

How was it, Ken?

He's probably still in shock.

[Brahmsian]

Any fans of his early works? Violin Sonata, Cello Sonata, Violin Concerto, 1st Horn Concerto anyone? He dismissed them himself, but I think he shouldn't have. They are the first-rate second-rate masterpieces of a first-rate second-rate composer. 

Haven't heard the two early sonatas, but love the concertos you mentioned, especially the Violin Concerto.  It is a marvelous concerto, for 'early Strauss'.

[Brahmsian]

He's probably still in shock.

...at how fantastic it was!! 

[Jo498]

Don't really remember much about the Violin concerto and first horn concerto, I probably listened not more than once (Kempe Box). But the Violin sonata is a very remarkable and passionate piece and another favorite early work is the Burleske for piano with timpani and orchestra.

[Ken B]

How was it, Ken?

It was not bad. It was an hour long talk. Explained the plot.
I had the group wrong, it's the Michigan Opera Theater. They are doing Elektra in a few weeks with Christine Goerke. She wasn't there but they played a couple recorded excerpts with her. Then two singers with pianist did a couple of numbers from other upcoming shows. The soprano was very good indeed. Q&A.

http://www.michiganopera.org/2014-2015-season/opera/elektra

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Any fans of his early works? Violin Sonata, Cello Sonata, Violin Concerto, 1st Horn Concerto anyone? He dismissed them himself, but I think he shouldn't have. They are the first-rate second-rate masterpieces of a first-rate second-rate composer. 

YES!  Especially considering how young he was when he composed those. I have similar fondness towards Sibelius's early(and most of that he ever wrote) chamber music works which also show remarkable craftmanship from such a young composer.

[Mirror Image]

Time to recap some Strauss purchases I made over the past few days:







And there's more to come I'm sure. Anyway, are you any of you familiar with these recordings? Of course, I already own a lot of Karajan's Strauss (both on DG, EMI, and that one Decca recording), but there were several performances in that box that I don't own (Horn Concerto No. 2 and Oboe Concerto). I see that many people loved the Honeck recording with Pittsburgh SO here. I'm not sure about the Brilliant chamber set, but it will fill in a gap that's for sure. I know, and love, his Violin Sonata however, but I'm not too familiar with much of his chamber music. The Decca box set was a no-brainer as Blomstedt's performances are highly praised here and abroad.

[Lisztianwagner]

Time to recap some Strauss purchases I made over the past few days:

*fiercely pounds the table*

[Moonfish]

Are these Karajan recordings mostly from the 80s?

[Lisztianwagner]

Are these Karajan recordings mostly from the 80s?

They are indeed; Salome's Dance and the Horn Concerto are from the 70s, while the Oboe Concerto is from the 60s.

[TheGSMoeller]

Time to recap some Strauss purchases I made over the past few days:

And there's more to come I'm sure. Anyway, are you any of you familiar with these recordings? Of course, I already own a lot of Karajan's Strauss (both on DG, EMI, and that one Decca recording), but there were several performances in that box that I don't own (Horn Concerto No. 2 and Oboe Concerto). I see that many people loved the Honeck recording with Pittsburgh SO here. I'm not sure about the Brilliant chamber set, but it will fill in a gap that's for sure. I know, and love, his Violin Sonata however, but I'm not too familiar with much of his chamber music. The Decca box set was a no-brainer as Blomstedt's performances are highly praised here and abroad.

Reiner and Blomstedt are fantastic buys! I'm not always sold on all of Karajan's Strauss recordings, especially the Alpine which probably puts me in the minority, but he's good most of the time.
It was Brian that went ecstatic over the Honeck/Pitts disc, and he was right. Sonically spectacular.

[Mirror Image]

*fiercely pounds the table*

Somehow I knew you would pound the table, Ilaria.

[Mirror Image]

Reiner and Blomstedt are fantastic buys! I'm not always sold on all of Karajan's Strauss recordings, especially the Alpine which probably puts me in the minority, but he's good most of the time.

It was Brian that went ecstatic over the Honeck/Pitts disc, and he was right. Sonically spectacular.

I already own two recordings from the Reiner set and, yes, his Strauss is fantastic. Blomstedt I had only heard one performance from and I believe it was Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks and I recall enjoying it a good deal. Unfortunately, Blomstedt's Till Eulenspiegel isn't in this Decca box but everything else he conducted of Strauss' for the label is. This looks like the only misstep in this set.

[Lisztianwagner]

Somehow I knew you would pound the table, Ilaria.

Yeah. Though I think that set doesn't include all the most beautiful Karajan's performances; the WP recordings of Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel and especially Also sprach Zarathustra are much better in my opinion.

[TheGSMoeller]

Yeah. Though I think that set doesn't include all the most beautiful Karajan's performances; the WP recordings of Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel and especially Also sprach Zarathustra are much better in my opinion.

Did Karajan record Metamorphosen twice? I own the performance that's coupled with Four Last Songs. That's a great recording, of both works.

[Lisztianwagner]

Did Karajan record Metamorphosen twice? I own the performance that's coupled with Four Last Songs. That's a great recording, of both works.

Yes, I'm not sure, but the version coupled with Four Last Songs should be from the 60s; another one was recorded in the 80s.

[Mirror Image]

Yeah. Though I think that set doesn't include all the most beautiful Karajan's performances; the WP recordings of Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel and especially Also sprach Zarathustra are much better in my opinion.

Where these the ones on Decca? If yes, then I already own this recording.

[Lisztianwagner]

Where these the ones on Decca? If yes, then I already own this recording.

Precisely the Decca recording.