Richard Strauss recommendations please

[val]

My suggestion is:

Four last Songs:  Janowitz/Karajan or Schwarzkopf/Ackermann

Other Lieder Anthologies:  Souzay/Baldwin, Shirai/Holl

Orchestral music:
Don Juan:  BPO, Furtwängler (1947), VPO, Karajan (1960)

Till Eulenspiegel: VPO, Clemens Krauss (1951)

Also sprach Zarathustra: VPO/Karajan (1959)

Ein Heldenleben: Chicago/Reiner

Sinfonia Domestica:  VPO, Clemens Krauss (1952)

Don Quixotte: Rostropovitch/Karajan

Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme: VPO, Clemens Krauss (1953)

Metamorfosen:  BPO, Karajan

2 Horn Concertos: Dennis Brain/Sawallisch

Oboe Concerto: Lothar Koch/Karajan

[karlhenning]

Sure you can go wrong with Karajan.

What's your opinion on the Metamorphosen "Originals" reissue, M?

[Hector]

It's Kempe for me and an antidote to Karajan.

There is a truly great Todd und Verklarung and Sinfonia Domestica from Szell, a fine 'Aus Italien' from Muti, a 'Alpinesinfonie' with terrific attack from Welser-Most and a fine survey from Blomstedt which I find is very much in the Kempe mould.

Personally, I would not be without Beecham's or Barbirolli's 'Ein Heldenleben' but it is a favourite.

Avoid Solti's OTT performances and I found Reiner cold in comparison to the above but I know his Strauss is much admired so this is very much a personal view based on the years I had his RCA LPs in my collection.

[Gustav]

It's Kempe for me and an antidote to Karajan.

There is a truly great Todd und Verklarung and Sinfonia Domestica from Szell, a fine 'Aus Italien' from Muti, a 'Alpinesinfonie' with terrific attack from Welser-Most and a fine survey from Blomstedt which I find is very much in the Kempe mould.

agree

[MichaelRabin]

Anyone can comment on Szell's Don Juan and which mastering/version to get please?

[M forever]

What's your opinion on the Metamorphosen "Originals" reissue, M?

I haven't heard that release yet. Good as they are, I don't think Karajan's recordings of Metamorphosen are among the most desireable to have. He generally overemphasizes lushness and melody at the expense of balance and texture. HvK also typically used an enlarged ensemble, not just 23 string soloists.

[scarpia]

I haven't heard that release yet. Good as they are, I don't think Karajan's recordings of Metamorphosen are among the most desireable to have. He generally overemphasizes lushness and melody at the expense of balance and texture. HvK also typically used an enlarged ensemble, not just 23 string soloists.

I would characterize Karajan's early 70's Metamorphosen (currently available as an "Original") as much less appealing than his circa 1980 digital recording.  The older recording is less expressive, less transparent, and less pleasant in its timbre.  In addition to the greater transparency (vital in this dense string writing) the digital recording, has a warmer sound, an unusual feature, given that it was made in the early digital era.  The old recording as a "chalk on a blackboard" sound that I find unpleasant.

[Lilas Pastia]

The Kempe recordings are probably a good and cheap place to start, but it can't be counted to reveal all the facets of Strauss' glorious music - its harmonies, instrumentation, the humanity. It's like having a great, famous landscape, filmed/photographed from the best angle to spectacular effect. But there are many other possibilities.

Some odds and ends that offer a different and superb artistic POV to the music:

Metamorphosen and one of the wind serenades with Previn and the WP (Philips). Profoundly moving, suffused with regret and drama (no cheap emoting).

Ein Heldenleben under Böhm and the WP (DG), in fabulous sound: transparent and luminous, with a real narratice thread.

Alpensinfonie under either Haitink COA (Philips) or Mehta BP (Sony). Very different from each other, but equally beautiful. Simply perfect.

Don Quixote under Haitink COA and the wonderful Tibor de Machula as the cello protagonist. On LP it was paired with an awesomely played Don Juan. The only Quixote where fragility, ridicule and sadness can be heard in the music instead of the liner notes.

The overwhelimingly exciting Zarathustra of Steinberg and the BSO (DG).

I personally don't like Reiner CSO as much a s others here (have Zarathustra, Heldenleben, Sinfonia Domestica, Bourgeois gentilhomme suite). They don't give me the feeling that Strauss is a likable composer.

[Hector]

The Kempe recordings are probably a good and cheap place to start, but it can't be counted to reveal all the facets of Strauss' glorious music - its harmonies, instrumentation, the humanity. It's like having a great, famous landscape, filmed/photographed from the best angle to spectacular effect. But there are many other possibilities.

Some odds and ends that offer a different and superb artistic POV to the music:

Metamorphosen and one of the wind serenades with Previn and the WP (Philips). Profoundly moving, suffused with regret and drama (no cheap emoting).

Ein Heldenleben under Böhm and the WP (DG), in fabulous sound: transparent and luminous, with a real narratice thread.

Alpensinfonie under either Haitink COA (Philips) or Mehta BP (Sony). Very different from each other, but equally beautiful. Simply perfect.

Don Quixote under Haitink COA and the wonderful Tibor de Machula as the cello protagonist. On LP it was paired with an awesomely played Don Juan. The only Quixote where fragility, ridicule and sadness can be heard in the music instead of the liner notes.

The overwhelimingly exciting Zarathustra of Steinberg and the BSO (DG).

I personally don't like Reiner CSO as much a s others here (have Zarathustra, Heldenleben, Sinfonia Domestica, Bourgeois gentilhomme suite). They don't give me the feeling that Strauss is a likable composer.

Unfortunately, both Kempe and Karajan blow away your list of what I would term "second stringers." OK but not the best.

The Steinberg is a particularly unfortunate choice, sadly.

[Lilas Pastia]

A pity, indeed.

[M forever]

The Steinberg is a particularly unfortunate choice, sadly.

Why?

Unfortunately, both Kempe and Karajan blow away your list of what I would term "second stringers." OK but not the best.

I wouldn't say "blow away" and neither would I use the term "second stringers", but it is true that in this thread, like in most others, there is a tendency for people to name just a few recordings they happen to know and like - which is, of course, the main point of message exchanges - but without really knowing where these performances stand in the interpretive spectrum. Which is fairly wide when it comes to this composer, and because his orchestral works are so often performed and recorded, there are many very good recordings of his music. Most of the ones mentioned in this thread are definitely very good.

But, when it comes to prime recommendations, one should know a little bit more about what makes particular performances really "outstanding". In that case, the recommendation will have more weight and more value for those seeking it.

[Sean]

Hi haven't come across this before but listening to it right now it's obviously very fine, with blending, colour, contrast and excitement. It dates from the same year as Reiner's superb Verdi Requiem with Price & Bjorling I used to have on LP... Maybe a full review later.

[Sean]

Okay, my little post is in its right place now.

[Guido]

My favourite Strauss remains Don Quixote and the Four Last Songs. For Don Quixote the classic Rostropovich/Karajan has been recommended at least once already. This is a superb version which I recoemmend you get, but my own personal favourite is a live recording of Jacqueline DuPre's - her last before her illness stopped her being able to play. A superbly characterised Don Quixote, beautifully played and if the sound recording isn't quite the best you will forgive it for the warmth and brilliance on offer here. One of my desert island discs.

Bizzarely it is cheaper to buy this superb 4 CD boxed set containing the entire standard cello concerto repertoire recorded by DuPre than it is to buy the CD separately. This is a superb collection - the Schumann, Dvorak, Haydn C and Elgar are all amongst the bet versions available, and having the lovely Delius concerto in this superb reading is also a great bonus. And her reading of the short Silent Woods by Dvorak is without doubt the best available and one of the most moving things you'll ever hear.

http://www.amazon.com/Jacqueline-du-Pr%C3%A9-Concerto-Collection/dp/B00004RIU5/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1221487574&sr=8-2

[squarez]

His best lieder performances I've ever heard: Hermann Prey with W.Sawallish(p)

[zauberflöte]

If your drawn to Karajan in Strauss, as I am, I want to recommend his 1970s version of Death and Transfiguration over his 1980s digital remake, as good as the Metamorphosen coupling of the '80s version is.
The 1970s version can be found in several incarnations with other Strauss works on CD.
I find it much more thrilling, transcendentally beautiful, even spooky at times, than the 1980s version. The only drawback, and I consider it slight, is that the digital version has somewhat better sound, though the 70s version sounds just fine. But the performance of the 70s version is miles ahead of the digital remake. Same goes for his Zarathustra, by the way.
Also, although you already have the Four Last Songs, and in a nice interpretation, give a listen to Jessie Norman's version with Kurt Masur conducting his old Gewandhaus Orchestra. Her German is bit more guttural than it need be but the depth of vision in the interpretation is truly breathtaking. It's one of my favorite recordings of anything by anybody.
Then there are the operas, which are magnificent, but that's another discussion.

[adamdavid80]

Second the Haitink recommendation

--Bruce

Allrighty, that's two strong recommendations from two strong recommenders, gonna give this one a shot (have I mentioned I love this forum?)   

[M forever]

You won't be disappointed by the Haitink recordings, but you can definitely get better ones. Like the Kempe set. I wouldn't rely on recmmendations from people who don't even know that. Enjoy the truly authentic sound and playing style of Strauss' favorite orchestra. You derserve the best.

[adamdavid80]

You won't be disappointed by the Haitink recordings, but you can definitely get better ones. Like the Kempe set. I wouldn't rely on recmmendations from people who don't even know that. Enjoy the truly authentic sound and playing style of Strauss' favorite orchestra. You derserve the best.

Oy.  My wallets going to take a beating again.   

[M forever]

What Strauss recordings do you already have?