Richard Strauss's house

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

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knight66

I remember someone describing  Schwarzkopf in the Four Last Songs as, 'Slush corner.' Some seem not to be able to disentangle the Romantic spirit from the superficial. Those songs may be affectionate and easy to listen to, but they are masterpieces of word painting and orchestration. Strauss did like the big wallow, but have a look at some of his late operas, tough nuts to crack and not crowd pleasers. Rosenkavalier is as superficial as Marriage of Figaro.

Schwarzkopf is sometimes accused of being arch. But I think that in the Karajan Rosenkavalier she makes the words really tell and shows the depth of regret at time passing for her. She keeps this in proportion and does not turn this into tragedy, but conveys a pragmatic woman coming to terms with ageing. She sings on the word, not oversinging, but moving it conversationally.

I have the disc you mention Moonfish, I find it typical of her art, thought through and musicianly, also magical, which is what raises much of her work above the level of being merely very good.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

TheGSMoeller

Repost from the Best of 2014 thread...

I have to add one more 2014 release that I just recently purchased.
I've been pretty stale on recent Zarathustra recordings, feels like it's been a while since I've heard a newer performace of the piece that really struck me. The Roth/Strauss series is turning out to be a good one, but this is the first truly great entry. A real fresh reading that seems to objectively focus on the overall pacing and connection of the various movements. I'm a huge admirer of Sinopoli's larger than life rendition with the heavy-sounding forces of the New York Phil, so I was surprised that Roth & Co. struck me so much. But in the struggle of composer vs. conductor it seems Roth is taking a back seat here allowing Strauss' score to do all the talking. I would also be inclined to call the orchestra's playing as flawless, effortlessly adjusting between the lighter and darker tones of the work.
Oh yeah, and an excellent Aus Italian is added. This disc now makes me anxious to hear their Alpine and Domestica, which are hopefully planned.

[asin]B00LHDG6GQ[/asin]

Jaakko Keskinen

Well since I started to listening to lieds by Brahms, I guess I could do the same with Strauss.  :)

Question: Wikipedia claims op. 49  songs were orchestrated 1918 but no matter how hard I try, the only lied from those eight I can find in orchestral form is Waldseligkeit, the no.1. Were the other 7 songs ever orchestrated at all?

Waldseligkeit shows remarkable Tristan influence, if you ask me. I guess he wasn't that personal in style with operas and lieder back in 1901 when he wrote Waldseligkeit. Not as personal as with tone poems at that point, anyway. I drool over this lied but I really would like to find no. 2 Im goldener fülle orchestrated (if it ever even was, damn you wikipedia).
"Javert, though frightful, had nothing ignoble about him. Probity, sincerity, candor, conviction, the sense of duty, are things which may become hideous when wrongly directed; but which, even when hideous, remain grand."

- Victor Hugo

Mirror Image

Any news from Strauss's house?

Mirror Image

Quote from: Alberich on November 29, 2014, 08:26:57 AM
Heard Metamorphosen and Tod und Verlkärung recently. Holy shit.

Anyone who accuses Strauss of being incapable of nothing but empty turgid orchestral bombing, with no sense of sophisticated, refine sounding music... should listen to Metamorphosen. The way you can see ghost of Beethoven at the background, yet sounding nothing like cheap imitation... And the music makes even greater impression when thinking about how utterly Germany was destroyed during composition of this piece. Certainly the head of state was guilty of monstrous crimes against humanity... but war is always devastating and suffering of many germans can be felt through this piece. This composition is so divinely humane. There is no other word for it. It is humane.

And so is Tod und Verklärung, even though it is very different from Metamorphosen, containing plenty of orchestral bombing, but I'd say every measure of it is fully justified and pure awesomeness. I'm sorry I sound like worshipping fanboy but I am so dumb-struck by these tremendous works. This just might be my favorite tone poem from Strauss, almost beating Alpine symphony and Heldenleben. Almost. Let's say it's a tie. Bit surprising how I, the great Romanticism lover, haven't earlier heard these two. Although Metamorphosen doesn't strike me as Romantic exactly. I still have many important compositions from Strauss unheard.

Metamorphosen, Tod und Verklärung, Ein Heldenleben, and Eine Alpensinfonie are all incredible works. I would have a difficult time choosing my favorite even though I'm inclined to give Ein Heldenleben the nod.

Moonfish

Quote from: Mirror Image on March 24, 2015, 05:05:20 PM
Any news from Strauss's house?

John,
I am quite in awe of Strauss' music at this point. Today I listened carefully to Tod und Verklärung [Kempe - below] and found myself drawn to its soundscape. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't sense these qualities in the music years back? I used to step back from Strauss' works. Amazing! Now he is one of the three composers I'm most interested in exploring in much greater depth.
Kempe really knows how to bring the Staatskapelle Dresden alive!

[asin] B00FJZQRR6[/asin]
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

Mirror Image

Quote from: Moonfish on March 24, 2015, 07:33:30 PM
John,
I am quite in awe of Strauss' music at this point. Today I listened carefully to Tod und Verklärung [Kempe - below] and found myself drawn to its soundscape. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't sense these qualities in the music years back? I used to step back from Strauss' works. Amazing! Now he is one of the three composers I'm most interested in exploring in much greater depth.
Kempe really knows how to bring the Staatskapelle Dresden alive!

[asin] B00FJZQRR6[/asin]

Kempe is certainly excellent in Strauss no question about it. I listened to his Eine Alpensinfonie and was blown away by it. I got the same thrill from this performance as I did HvK's on DG. I'm still making my way through the Kempe set and there are a few things in the set that I have no interest in like his arrangements of other composers' music, but the tone poems and concertante works definitely will be devoured over the next week. 8)

Jaakko Keskinen

Quote from: Mirror Image on March 24, 2015, 05:10:52 PM
Metamorphosen, Tod und Verklärung, Ein Heldenleben, and Eine Alpensinfonie are all incredible works. I would have a difficult time choosing my favorite even though I'm inclined to give Ein Heldenleben the nod.

Heldenleben was the first tone poem of his that I heard. Excellent composition to start with.  8)
"Javert, though frightful, had nothing ignoble about him. Probity, sincerity, candor, conviction, the sense of duty, are things which may become hideous when wrongly directed; but which, even when hideous, remain grand."

- Victor Hugo

Mirror Image

Quote from: Alberich on March 25, 2015, 01:28:46 AMHeldenleben was the first tone poem of his that I heard. Excellent composition to start with.  8)

Indeed. I think I started with Don Juan first or happened to have heard this one before any others. This has been a while back.

Moonfish

Picked up this set today with great anticipation. The Lieder realm is relatively new for me although Strauss' soundscape has become a fascinating and vivid realm to traverse.  I understand that this set brings forward numerous songs which previously have been very hard to access. It will certainly be an interesting journey.  Any specific lieder performances that are "required" in Strauss's House? Recommendations?

[asin] B00JRCQ2P4[/asin]
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

Jo498

Apart from the 4 last songs one of the most famous  ones (and admittedly the only one that really stuck in my brain from the two anthology discs or so I have) is "Morgen"
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Jaakko Keskinen

I recommend op. 49, particularly Waldseligkeit and In goldener fülle. The four last songs also without saying.
"Javert, though frightful, had nothing ignoble about him. Probity, sincerity, candor, conviction, the sense of duty, are things which may become hideous when wrongly directed; but which, even when hideous, remain grand."

- Victor Hugo

Hiker

I'm fond of Drei Lieder Op.29: No.1, Traum Durch die Dämmerung. The piano accompaniment is more to my taste than the orchestral version.

Moonfish

R Strauss: Tod und Verklärung           April, 1942

RCO/Mengelberg

A third session with this disc. Strauss' tone poem was actually enhanced by the darkness of the slightly muddy historical sound in the recording. Every time I listen to Strauss' tone poems I realize that I need to invest more time in his operas. Tod und Verklärung is such a beautiful composition. What kind of reputation does Mengelberg have with R Strauss? If this recording of the tone poem is an example of what Mengelberg can accomplish I would be eager to explore other recordings. Does anybody know if the Naxos issue below (bottom) is the same recording as the one in the RCO box I just listened to? Anyways, great music! Strauss!!!
               




Is this the same live recording of Tod und Verklärung from 1942?

[asin] B00005RT4W[/asin]
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé


Jaakko Keskinen

Quote from: Ken B on July 15, 2014, 08:42:22 AM
The one I really dislike but always have even when I was a Strauss head is Domestica.

I have never cared much for Domestica, either. Then again, haven't heard it too often...
"Javert, though frightful, had nothing ignoble about him. Probity, sincerity, candor, conviction, the sense of duty, are things which may become hideous when wrongly directed; but which, even when hideous, remain grand."

- Victor Hugo

Augustus

Quote from: Alberich on January 26, 2015, 03:07:29 AM
Question: Wikipedia claims op. 49  songs were orchestrated 1918 but no matter how hard I try, the only lied from those eight I can find in orchestral form is Waldseligkeit, the no.1. Were the other 7 songs ever orchestrated at all?

Waldseligkeit shows remarkable Tristan influence, if you ask me. I guess he wasn't that personal in style with operas and lieder back in 1901 when he wrote Waldseligkeit. Not as personal as with tone poems at that point, anyway. I drool over this lied but I really would like to find no. 2 Im goldener fülle orchestrated (if it ever even was, damn you wikipedia).

I'm pretty sure only Op.49.1 was orchestrated.  It is the only one of the set represented in the Nightingale 3-CD set of the complete orchestral songs.

Jaakko Keskinen

Fell in love with 2nd horn concerto. The first one was great, don't get me wrong, but the first two movements of the second are unbelievably beautiful.
"Javert, though frightful, had nothing ignoble about him. Probity, sincerity, candor, conviction, the sense of duty, are things which may become hideous when wrongly directed; but which, even when hideous, remain grand."

- Victor Hugo

Jaakko Keskinen

I think my favorite of the Four last songs has to be September. There is probably only one other composer I can think capable of writing so autumnal, gently smiling music, and that composer is Brahms. Not sure if Strauss would have been flattered by that remark.
"Javert, though frightful, had nothing ignoble about him. Probity, sincerity, candor, conviction, the sense of duty, are things which may become hideous when wrongly directed; but which, even when hideous, remain grand."

- Victor Hugo

(poco) Sforzando

Quote from: Alberich on September 23, 2015, 10:43:09 AM
I have never cared much for Domestica, either. Then again, haven't heard it too often...

I heard it live by the NY Philharmonic some years back, and thought it was a total mess. Better the wild Strauss than the domesticated.
"I don't know what sforzando means, though it clearly means something."