Richard Strauss's house

[kishnevi]

Have Chang, don't remember anything impressive from either the concerto or the sonata.

[TheGSMoeller]

Have Chang?

I do, thanks, Jeffrey. 

As much as I love Strauss and own way too many recordings of his works, I'm perfectly satisfied with owning only one version of the VC/VSonata and that's the Chang/Sawallisch.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

What are everyone's favorite performances of the tone poems?

Don Juan - Dohnanyi/Vienna Philharmonic
Death and Transfiguration - Dohnanyi/Vienna Philharmonic
Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks - Sawallisch/Philadelphia
Also sprach Zarathustra - Kempe/Dresden
Don Quixote - Kempe/Berlin Philharmonic
Ein Heldenleben - Bychkov/Köln
Symphonia Domestica - Sawallisch/Philadelphia
An Alpine Symphony - Blomstedt/San Francisco

I'd add:

Metamorphosis - either Bychkov/Köln or Dohnanyi/Vienna Philharmonic
Festive Prelude (for the roof-raising organ!) - Sawallisch/Philadelphia

[Dancing Divertimentian]

For the violin sonata Chung/Zimerman is good.

[Mirror Image]

For the violin sonata Chung/Zimerman is good.

Yep, this the one I have on the way. It's coupled with Respighi's Violin Sonata, which I've never heard before.

[Mirror Image]

Don Juan - Dohnanyi/Vienna Philharmonic
Death and Transfiguration - Dohnanyi/Vienna Philharmonic
Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks - Sawallisch/Philadelphia
Also sprach Zarathustra - Kempe/Dresden
Don Quixote - Kempe/Berlin Philharmonic
Ein Heldenleben - Bychkov/Köln
Symphonia Domestica - Sawallisch/Philadelphia
An Alpine Symphony - Blomstedt/San Francisco

I'd add:

Metamorphosis - either Bychkov/Köln or Dohnanyi/Vienna Philharmonic
Festive Prelude (for the roof-raising organ!) - Sawallisch/Philadelphia

Nice list, DD. Coincidently, on your recommendation, I picked up both two of the Bychkov recordings (Eine Alpensinfonie and Ein Heldenleben discs). Really looking forward to hearing what he does with Strauss. I'm generally a fan of his conducting. I watched him conduct a performance of Walton's 1st on YouTube that was quite something.

[Ken B]

I see we are all Canadian today. Class act DungeonMaster.

My avatar is the hero of the day, the Sergeant at Arms of the Commons, who shot the terrorist just yards from the caucus room.

[Mirror Image]

I see we are all Canadian today. Class act DungeonMaster.

My avatar is the hero of the day, the Sergeant at Arms of the Commons, who shot the terrorist just yards from the caucus room.

What does this have to do with Strauss, Ken?

[Ken B]

What does this have to do with Strauss, Ken?

Look beside the names John. Little flag.
Why not on this thread? Has to go somewhere?

[Mirror Image]

Look beside the names John. Little flag.
Why not on this thread? Has to go somewhere?

What are you talking about? Beside the names? What names?

Anyway, is the Strauss really the proper venue for discussing Canadian or any kind of news besides related to Strauss? That's really why 'The Diner' exists, isn't it?

[Ken B]

What are you talking about? Beside the names? What names?

Anyway, is the Strauss really the proper venue for discussing Canadian or any kind of news besides related to Strauss? That's really why 'The Diner' exists, isn't it?

I am not discussing the news. I am acknowledging the action of our host.

[Mirror Image]

I am not discussing the news. I am acknowledging the action of our host.

But why here and not 'The Diner' where it would make more sense for you to make the acknowledgement?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Nice list, DD. Coincidently, on your recommendation, I picked up both two of the Bychkov recordings (Eine Alpensinfonie and Ein Heldenleben discs). Really looking forward to hearing what he does with Strauss. I'm generally a fan of his conducting.

Bychkov has more of a modernist bent to his approach to Strauss. It's an approach I really enjoy. And it works very well in his Elektra, too.

I haven't heard his Alpine, though. And since Alpine is still a work I haven't yet managed to conquer (so to speak) I'll definitely be looking out for your comments once you've heard the Bychkov.

[TheGSMoeller]

Only listened to Disc 1, and snuck in the final 10 minutes because it's an amazing ending, of Sawallisch's Die Frau ohne Schatten on EMI...DD made a great rec, it's beautifully performed. I've read several times it lacks the power of Solti's, which was even used as a negative, and they're right. But Sawallisch and Co. create a more lyrical power, a smooth flowing river of sound rather than a large, crashing waterfall. Not saying either one is correct, but it's a great contrast to study, and there is definitely some clarity in the EMI that is lost in the Decca. Im excited to get to the rest of Sawallisch's Die Frau, the more I listen to this opera, the easier it is to call it Strauss' best.

Thanks, DD.

[Karl Henning]

Festive Prelude (for the roof-raising organ!) - Sawallisch/Philadelphia

Heard that live at Old South Church on Copley Square!  No recording can equal that 

[Mirror Image]

Bychkov has more of a modernist bent to his approach to Strauss. It's an approach I really enjoy. And it works very well in his Elektra, too.

I haven't heard his Alpine, though. And since Alpine is still a work I haven't yet managed to conquer (so to speak) I'll definitely be looking out for your comments once you've heard the Bychkov.

A more modernist bent in Strauss? I'm so there! Thanks, DD. I'll definitely post my thoughts on the Eine Alpensinfonie Bychkov disc once I've listened to it.

[ritter]

Bychkov has more of a modernist bent to his approach to Strauss. It's an approach I really enjoy. And it works very well in his Elektra, too.

We had the luck of having Bychkov do Elektra at Madrid's Teatro Real a couple of seasons ago (with Deborah Polaski in the title role, Rosalind Plowright as Clytemnestra and Ricarda Merbeth as Chrysothemis, directed by K.H. Gruber and with sets by Anselm Kiefer) and he was spectacular in it! The orchestra seemed transformed from being a competent pit band to a world-class ensemble, and Bychkov managed to set an excellent dramatic pace in this score, while not loosing sight of the orchestral detail. Very, very good!

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Only listened to Disc 1, and snuck in the final 10 minutes because it's an amazing ending, of Sawallisch's Die Frau ohne Schatten on EMI...DD made a great rec, it's beautifully performed. I've read several times it lacks the power of Solti's, which was even used as a negative, and they're right. But Sawallisch and Co. create a more lyrical power, a smooth flowing river of sound rather than a large, crashing waterfall. Not saying either one is correct, but it's a great contrast to study, and there is definitely some clarity in the EMI that is lost in the Decca. Im excited to get to the rest of Sawallisch's Die Frau, the more I listen to this opera, the easier it is to call it Strauss' best.

Thanks, DD.

Whew! Now I can exhale. And you're welcome, GS.

That's great to hear it's working out so far. Yeah, Schatten really is a work that can take two drastically different approaches, such as Solti and Sawallisch, and still come out crackling. 

And "lyrical power" hits it right on the head, too - both the work and Sawallisch's approach.   

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Heard that live at Old South Church on Copley Square!  No recording can equal that 

Beautiful church, Karl, inside and out. And what a venue to hear a roof-raising piece!

[Dancing Divertimentian]

A more modernist bent in Strauss? I'm so there! Thanks, DD. I'll definitely post my thoughts on the Eine Alpensinfonie Bychkov disc once I've listened to it.

Awesome!