Richard Strauss's house

[Dancing Divertimentian]

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!

Thanks for sharing that! This sense of "an orchestra outdoing itself" is exactly what comes across in Bychkov's recording, too. I can only imagine it live!

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Cross-posted from 'Purchases' thread -

Just bought:



Apparently, a pretty rare disc as it's OOP. Got a pretty decent price on it considering lack of availability. This particular ballet is seldom performed and me, being the sucker I am for ballet music, I had to have this recording.

Does anyone know this ballet? It seems to not get recorded or even recognized very much for whatever reason. I listened to the audio samples via Amazon and they sounded quite nice. Of course, you can't tell much from the little time they give you listen to samples.

Edit: I went to NML and listened to the free 15 minute preview of this recording and it sounded freakin' fantastic! Top-drawer Strauss? Maybe!

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A little background information on Schlagobers:

Schlagobers (literally, "Whipped Cream") is a ballet in two acts that Strauss began in 1921 and completed in 1922. It was first performed on 9 May 1924 at the Vienna State Opera during a Strauss Festival that commemorated the composer's sixtieth birthday. Despite the joyful occasion and the good intentions behind it, Schlagobers was poorly received and has not become part of the repertoire. In the 1940s interest in filming the ballet emerged, but this project was not pursued further. Instead, Strauss derived a suite from the score in the mid-1940s to preserve the best music from the ballet. (The suite was neither performed nor published in the composer's lifetime.)

The reception of Schlagobers may be tied to its subject matter, which deals more with Viennese culture. It may be argued that this rather narrow focus prevented a more general reception of the work. At the same time, the impulse behind the ballet is dangerously close to that of Peter Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, which already had a firm place in the repertoire. An extremely inspired score would have been necessary to displace the Nutcracker in the 1920s, let alone in the succeeding decades.

In context, though, Schlagobers points up the connection between Strauss and Vienna. By the time he wrote this ballet, Strauss had a strong relationship with the city. Vienna is the setting of Der Rosenkavalier, albeit at the time of Empress Maria Theresa; furthermore, several of his other operas were successfully premiered in Vienna. In October 1919, Strauss become joint director of the Vienna Opera and moved there in December of that year. In composing Schlagobers, Strauss paid tribute to the city and culture that had become an important part of his life. If the ballet was not on par with the opera Der Rosenkavalier, it nevertheless succeeded in other, more subtle ways.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

[listener]

I have two other recordings, on LP (of course, I'm a senior) Lyrichord LLP LLST 741, Erich Kloss conducting the Frankenland State S.O. and on cd Denon CO-73 414 the Tokyo Metopolitan S.O,, Hiroshi Wakasugi cond.   not right at hand but think it had lots of track or index numbers so you could follow along with the notes and keep up with the 'plot'.   It reminds me of the Bourgeois Gentilhomme music.
Do look also for Josephslegende (op.63) which would be great to see, rather like Respighi's Belkis, Queen of Sheba for big orchestra orientalism. 
And while I'm here, a plug for the op.66 song cycle Krämerspiegel which shows Strauss with a real sense of humour, and one which DGG refused to print the words for one of the songs on a LP jacket because 'it wasn't very nice' (my paraphrase). 

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I have two other recordings, on LP (of course, I'm a senior) Lyrichord LLP LLST 741, Erich Kloss conducting the Frankenland State S.O. and on cd Denon CO-73 414 the Tokyo Metopolitan S.O,, Hiroshi Wakasugi cond.   not right at hand but think it had lots of track or index numbers so you could follow along with the notes and keep up with the 'plot'.   It reminds me of the Bourgeois Gentilhomme music.
Do look also for Josephslegende (op.63) which would be great to see, rather like Respighi's Belkis, Queen of Sheba for big orchestra orientalism. 
And while I'm here, a plug for the op.66 song cycle Krämerspiegel which shows Strauss with a real sense of humour, and one which DGG refused to print the words for one of the songs on a LP jacket because 'it wasn't very nice' (my paraphrase).

Very cool, listener. Of course, I've heard, and own, Josephslegende, but it's been awhile since I've given it listen. I actually have Sinopoli's recording included in the Decca box I have coming, so I might wait and listen to that performance before I dig back into the Jarvi and Fischer performances I own.

BTW, Respighi's Belkis is FANTASTIC! Love that War Dance movement.

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Favorite performance of Four Last Songs anyone? I really like Gundula Janowitz with HvK/Berliners.

[TheGSMoeller]

Favorite performance of Four Last Songs anyone? I really like Gundula Janowitz with HvK/Berliners.

many good ones available, but favorite goes to  Jessye Norman and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, conducted by Kurt Masur


http://www.youtube.com/v/envQ-ZqGQu8

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many good ones available, but favorite goes to  Jessye Norman and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, conducted by Kurt Masur


http://www.youtube.com/v/envQ-ZqGQu8

This Norman/Masur performance is pretty cheap actually.

[ritter]

This Norman/Masur performance is pretty cheap actually.

Cheap in terms of price, or cheap in another meaning??? I think its close to sublime 

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Cheap in terms of price, or cheap in another meaning??? I think its close to sublime 

Price of course. Don't think I could ever call a Jessye Norman performance cheap as in sleazy or whatever.

FYI, I bought that Norman/Masur recording of Four Last Songs. Thanks for the rec, Greg.

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BTW, I have to tip my hat towards Dancing Divertimentian. Bychkov's Ein Heldenleben may be one of the finest I've heard. Next up will be his Metamorphosen, which I'm sure will be equally impressive.

[ritter]

Price of course. Don't think I could ever call a Jessye Norman performance cheap as in sleazy or whatever.

Confusión clarified, then!  Hope you enjoy this wonderful rendition...glorious! 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Bringing this over from the WAYLT thread:

Didn't you also highly recommend the Bychkov Elektra as well? I've already put this on my Christmas wishlist. Cheers!

Yes, sure did. It's similar in conception to his Heldenleben. Should satisfy. One thing that's for sure to satisfy is the sonics. Richly and deeply recorded.

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Confusión clarified, then!  Hope you enjoy this wonderful rendition...glorious!

Thanks, ritter.

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Bringing this over from the WAYLT thread:

Yes, sure did. It's similar in conception to his Heldenleben. Should satisfy. One thing that's for sure to satisfy is the sonics. Richly and deeply recorded.

If this is the case, then I'm all onboard the Bychkov Straussian Express! Choo, choo!

[Dancing Divertimentian]

If this is the case, then I'm all onboard the Bychkov Straussian Express! Choo, choo!

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I received this BBC Magazine January 2014 featuring Strauss today:



The magazine came with the accompanying CD:



Also sprach Zarathustra
Tod und Verklarung

Jac van Steen, Kazushi Ono - conductors
BBC National Orchestra of Wales

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Here's a question:

I already own Kempe's Strauss orchestral set (EMI) in the OOP green box but I see that the new Kempe set reissued through Warner Classics has been remastered. Is there a significant improvement over the remasters compared to the older set?

[NLK1971]

Here's a question:

I already own Kempe's Strauss orchestral set (EMI) in the OOP green box but I see that the new Kempe set reissued through Warner Classics has been remastered. Is there a significant improvement over the remasters compared to the older set?

According to Mr. Hurwitz:

This reissue also claims to have been "newly remastered from the original source tapes." That claim is believable. The sonics, always very good, are indeed more vividly present than previously, if only marginally so. For comparison I include excerpts from the opening of Don Juan in the EMI Masters series and the present (Warner Classics) edition. The differences, even in an mp3, are detectable, though not huge (sound clips). Those who want these performances in their best CD incarnations yet might want to consider springing for this set. However, if you already own it in one of its many prior incarnations, and you are perfectly happy, then there is no special urgency to upgrade.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=1064157

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According to Mr. Hurwitz:http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=1064157

Thanks. Decisions, decisions....