(https://ximo.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/richard-strauss-1864-1949.jpg)
Time for another poll! Yes, another one. ::) ;D Anyway, let's have some fun! There are no stipulations for this poll.
My Top 5 (in no particular order):
Tod und Verklärung
Eine Alpensinfonie
Vier letzte Lieder
Metamorphosen
Elektra
Also sprach Zarathustra
Alpensinfonie
Duet-Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon and String Orchestra
Josephslegende
Vier letzte Lieder
No operas because that would take all five spots.
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on June 06, 2015, 07:35:09 AM
Also sprach Zarathustra
Alpensinfonie
Duet-Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon and String Orchestra
Josephslegende
Vier letzte Lieder
No operas because that would take all five spots.
Sarge
:) Nice list, Sarge. Of the ones you listed,
Duet-Concertino is the one I know the least, although I have heard it several times. Should refresh my memory of that work soon.
I'll try not to include too many Strauss' tone poems......
Eine Alpensinfonie
Tod und Verklärung
Also sprach Zarathustra
Der Rosenkavalier, Suite
Salomè
I'm a tone poem addict!
*********Eine Alpensinfonie ********
Also sprach Zarathustra
Vier letzte Lieder
Metamorphosen
Tod und Verklärung
Okay, I'll try to be varied in genres:
Tod und Verklärung
Die Liebe der Danae
Violin concerto
Op 49 lieder
Metamorphosen
Chose less obvious examples from opera and lieder. Old Strauss himself considered the act 3 of Danae among the best music he ever wrote. I am inclined to agree. Libretto is poor, although I do feel bad at ridiculing it, after reading how often Strauss mocked poor Gregor's literary skills, often hurting his feelings.
Eine Alpensinfonie
Vier letzte Lieder
Metamorphosen
Tod und Verklärung
Der Rosenkavalier [opera]
[Honourable mention for the oboe concerto and the 2 horn concertos]
Salome
Elektra
Don Quixote
Vier letzte Lieder
Deutsche Motette
Quote from: Moonfish on June 06, 2015, 12:35:18 PM
I'm a tone poem addict!
*********Eine Alpensinfonie ********
Scientists have debated for decades if the brontosaurus is real, or if it is really the same as the apatosaurus. Recent opinion is swinging back to bronto's side. But it is widely agreed that both these beasts pale in size next to the bloatasaurus. "It can take nearly an hour to lumber through the pit, filling a space the size of a large concert hall" said one expert, shuddering. "It's almost as oversized as the Gurresaurus."
Quote from: Ken B on June 06, 2015, 02:35:15 PM
Scientists have debated for decades if the brontosaurus is real, or if it is really the same as the apatosaurus. Recent opinion is swinging back to bronto's side. But it is widely agreed that both these beasts pale in size next to the bloatasaurus. "It can take nearly an hour to lumber through the pit, filling a space the size of a large concert hall" said one expert, shuddering. "It's almost as oversized as the Gurresaurus."
(http://thecreativecat.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/CatsDinosaurs.jpg)
Die Frau ohne Schatten
Elektra
Capriccio
Salome
Ariadne Auf Naxos
Don Juan
Burleske
Salome
4 letzte Lieder
Metamorphosen.
I am not a big fan, though, and can easily do without most of the big tone poems (except Don Juan and Till) and most of Rosenkavalier. I do not know the later operas, admittedly.
1st horn concerto
Till Eulenspiegel
Alpine Symphony
Parergon
Duet-Concertino
Top 5 tone poems (in no particular order):
Tod und Verklärung
Alpensinfonie
Also Sprach Zarathustra
Heldenleben
Till Eulenspiegel
top 4 operas (in no particular order):
Salome
Elektra
Danae
Rosenkavalier
top 2 lieder (in no particular order):
Vier letzte Lieder
op. 49
Top 2 chamber music works (in no particular order):
Violin sonata
String quartet
Top 2 other (in no particular order):
Violin concerto
Metamorphosen
However, I haven't heard nearly all of his works, so the list may change in the future.
Quote from: Alberich on June 07, 2015, 08:35:35 AM
Top 5 tone poems (in no particular order):
Tod und Verklärung
Alpensinfonie
Also Sprach Zarathustra
Heldenleben
Till Eulenspiegel
top 4 operas (in no particular order):
Salome
Elektra
Danae
Rosenkavalier
top 2 lieder (in no particular order):
Vier letzte Lieder
op. 49
Top 2 chamber music works (in no particular order):
Violin sonata
String quartet
Top 2 other (in no particular order):
Violin concerto
Metamorphosen
However, I haven't heard nearly all of his works, so the list may change in the future.
Hardly a Top 5 list, Alberich. :) Let's try to narrow it down to 5.
I did, in my first post.
Quote from: Alberich on June 08, 2015, 05:02:50 AM
I did, in my first post.
So you did. Nice list, BTW. 8)
Salome
Vier letzte Lieder
Death and Transfiguration
Ein Heldenleben
Capriccio
Four Last Songs
Metamorphosen
Death & Transfiguration
Two of the late concertos.
Late stuff mostly.
I suppose it's time for an update as it's been quite some time since I've posted in this thread.
In no particular order:
Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64
Vier Letzte Lieder, TrV 296
Hornkonzert Nr. 2 in E-flat major, TrV 283
Sechs Lieder, Op. 56
Eine Alpensinfonie
Salome
Don Quixote
Vier letzte Lieder
Ariadne auf Naxos (or Die Frau ohne Schatten, I can't decide)
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on May 25, 2021, 07:17:42 PM
Eine Alpensinfonie
Salome
Don Quixote
Vier letzte Lieder
Ariadne auf Naxos (or Die Frau ohne Schatten, I can't decide)
Nice list, Cesar. All are outstanding works. Here's perhaps a tough question for you, what is your favorite performance of
Vier Letzte Lieder?
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 25, 2021, 07:44:34 PM
Nice list, Cesar. All are outstanding works. Here's perhaps a tough question for you, what is your favorite performance of Vier Letzte Lieder?
I have in high esteem Norman/Masur (Philips) and Janowitz/Karajan (DG). I've seen that you have been listening to Schwarzkopf/Szell lately. Many consider it the performance to beat, so I really want to hear it soon.
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on May 25, 2021, 08:10:31 PM
I have in high esteem Norman/Masur (Philips) and Janowitz/Karajan (DG). I've seen that you have been listening to Schwarzkopf/Szell lately. Many consider it the performance to beat, so I really want to hear it soon.
I love the Janowitz/Karajan performance. The Norman/Masur is quite good, too, but is ultimately weighed down by Masur's plodding tempi, which aren't to my taste in this work. For me, there must be some kind of undercurrent of forward momentum happening in Strauss for it to jolt you in the right way. Yes, the Schwarzkopf/Szell is off-the-scale. A lot of people even prefer Schwarzkopf's earlier recording with Otto Ackermann, but it's in mono and it just doesn't have the kind of opulence it needs, so this is where her performance with Szell hits all the right spots. Szell's accompaniment also is decisive and completely in service to the music like Schwarzkopf's own performance. All the stars aligned marvelously during this performance. Some other
Vier Letzte Lieder performances I enjoy: Isokoski/Janowski and Studer/Sinopoli (<--- probably my second favorite performance after the Schwarzkopf/Szell).
I believe I haven't answered this poll yet. It isn't that easy: sometimes, my answer would be "none", as I only perceive emptiness and bombast in Strauss' music. On other occasions, though, I feel very close to the composer's oeuvre (go figure). Be that as it may, this would be my list (in chronological order of composition):
- Tod und Verklärung (the only one of his tone poems I really enjoy)
- Elektra
- Ariadne auf Naxos
- Daphne
- Vier letzte Lieder
So, it's clear that for me RS is mainly a vocal / operatic composer, and that I'm not really that attuned to his orchestral music.
Eine Alpensinfonie
Salome
Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks
Violin Concerto
Burleske
I use to enjoy Ein Heldenleben more in the past, but now I find it a bit of a bore (and too long!)
Quote from: ritter on May 26, 2021, 08:41:20 AM
I believe I haven't answered this poll yet. It isn't that easy: sometimes, my answer would be "none", as I only perceive emptiness and bombast in Strauss' music. On other occasions, though, I feel very close to the composer's oeuvre (go figure). Be that as it may, this would be my list (in chronological order of composition):
- Tod und Verklärung (the only one of his tone poems I really enjoy)
- Elektra
- Ariadne auf Naxos
- Daphne
- Vier letzte Lieder
So, it's clear that for me RS is mainly a vocal / operatic composer, and that I'm not really that attuned to his orchestral music.
A fine list, although our own views are quite different, which is understandable. I look at Strauss as someone who mastered orchestral composition first and then triumphed in operatic music, but this obviously couldn't have happened had his orchestration skills been fully formed. I think your view (or sometimes your view ;)) that his music is emptiness and bombast could be one that is leveled at many other composers, especially Bruckner, Wagner, Shostakovich, Mahler et. al. I think what is important is how the music affects us emotionally/intellectually. I've loved Strauss on first-listen and I can't really explain
why the music resonated so deeply with me, but he wasn't a composer that I had to
learn to love --- it was completely natural.
P.S. I could've picked
Elektra and
Daphne easily as I love both of these operas. I'm still getting to know
Ariadne auf Naxos.
Quote from: OrchestralNut on May 26, 2021, 08:49:53 AM
Eine Alpensinfonie
Salome
Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks
Violin Concerto
Burleske
I use to enjoy Ein Heldenleben more in the past, but now I find it a bit of a bore (and too long!)
I'm quite the opposite of you, I used to find
Ein Heldenleben too much of a good thing, but now I can listen to it with ease, but it's certainly not one of my favorite Strauss works and I actually prefer
Symphonia Domestica to
Ein Heldenleben. Interesting choice of the
Violin Concerto and
Burleske --- both are early works, but they do have some fine music within them.
Til Eulenspiegel is, of course, an utter delight.
Quote from: Wanderer on June 06, 2015, 02:07:57 PM
Salome
Elektra
Don Quixote
Vier letzte Lieder
Deutsche Motette
I'm keeping my initial five (a perfect list, if I say so; ) and am adding five more.
Eine Alpensinfonie
Die Frau ohne Schatten
Symphonia Domestica (& Parergon zur Symphonia Domestica)
Burleske
Also sprach ZarathustraGuilty pleasure option:
Festliches Präludium
4 Letzte Lieder
Burleske
Till Eulenspiegel
Metamorphosen
Salome
So hard!
Vier letzte Lieder - I mean, one of the greatest works by anybody.
Salome - Though it begins rather calmly, 90 minutes of increasing decay and horror.
Elektra - One year at the Met, I saw this four times. What a ride.
Eine Alpensinfonie - My first encounter was live, with von Karajan and Berlin at Carnegie in the late 1980s. Though others since have been marvelous, I will never forget that evening (which began with Stravinsky's Apollo).
Lieder - How can you choose? So I'm cheating and choosing "all of them." 8)
--Bruce
Quote from: Wanderer on May 26, 2021, 10:51:41 AM
I'm keeping my initial five (a perfect list, if I say so; ) and am adding five more.
Eine Alpensinfonie
Die Frau ohne Schatten
Symphonia Domestica (& Parergon zur Symphonia Domestica)
Burleske
Also sprach Zarathustra
Guilty pleasure option: Festliches Präludium
All fine works, Wanderer.
P. S. I'm not sure if you saw my Skalkottas purchases, but I can say that I'm enjoying
some of what I've heard, although I can only say that, so far, I haven't enjoyed the
Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra, but this work was orchestrated by someone else and I haven't heard it in its original incarnation yet. But, hopefully, in due course.
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 26, 2021, 09:43:35 AM
....
I'm still getting to know Ariadne auf Naxos.
Do let us know what your final verdict on
Ariadne is,
John. I
really like the piece (have seen it twice live); it's great fun, has some wonderful music, and a superb libretto. But the there's other opinions:
Stravinsky famously wrote "Ariadne makes me want to scream!". ;D
Quote from: ritter on May 26, 2021, 01:06:26 PM
Do let us know what your final verdict on Ariadne is, John. I really like the piece (have seen it twice live); it's great fun, has some wonderful music, and a superb libretto. But the there's other opinions: Stravinsky famously wrote "Ariadne makes me want to scream!". ;D
Oh, I love
Ariadne from first-listen, but I just need to get more familiar with the way its structured, the musical language, etc. It is written in a more Neoclassical style much like
Arabella or
Capriccio for example.
Quote from: Brewski on May 26, 2021, 12:58:51 PM
Vier letzte Lieder - I mean, one of the greatest works by anybody.
Agreed!
Vier letzte Lieder
Eine Alpensinfonie (what a smash live - just before the pandemic I got my parents up here to see it live and they were just knocked out by it)
Don Juan (sucker for French horns! Do not listen to any recording with fewer than eight!)
Oboe Concerto (first vote for this)
A year or two I might have said Burleske for #5, but I'm starting to get to know and I like Don Quixote quite a lot, and then there's the suite from Der Rosenkavalier, or that thing with the Nietzsche novel and the space odyssey. Or literally any of the other orchestral songs. Do not know the operas yet.
Let's say Zarathustra for #5.
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 26, 2021, 09:46:39 AM
I actually prefer Symphonia Domestica to Ein Heldenleben.
Agreed. Ein Heldenleben...woof, that's a difficult listen for me. At least Domestica has some humor on the way.
Quote from: Brian on May 26, 2021, 01:19:36 PM
Agreed!
Vier letzte Lieder
Eine Alpensinfonie (what a smash live - just before the pandemic I got my parents up here to see it live and they were just knocked out by it)
Don Juan (sucker for French horns! Do not listen to any recording with fewer than eight!)
Oboe Concerto (first vote for this)
A year or two I might have said Burleske for #5, but I'm starting to get to know and I like Don Quixote quite a lot, and then there's the suite from Der Rosenkavalier, or that thing with the Nietzsche novel and the space odyssey. Or literally any of the other orchestral songs. Do not know the operas yet.
Let's say Zarathustra for #5.
Agreed. Ein Heldenleben...woof, that's a difficult listen for me. At least Domestica has some humor on the way.
Some nice picks. 8) I love the
Oboekonzert, too and I was going to pick it, but the
Hornkonzert Nr. 2 took ahold of me recently. You should definitely get to know the operas, Brian. I loved Strauss before, but I love him even more now since I started exploring his operas, which started about 2-3 years ago. You mentioned the suite from
Der Rosenkavalier, but you've got to hear the whole opera --- I think you'll enjoy it. Yes,
Eine Alpensinfonie packs a punch, indeed. It was the first work I heard from Strauss and remains a favorite of mine to this day.
The works I come back to most often:
Don Quixote
Ein Heldenleben
Alpine Symphony
Also Sprach Zarathrustra
Don Juan and Till, of course.
I have an embarrassing number of recordings of these warhorses. I haven't really gotten into the operas. I was deeply impressed with Elektra, purely as music (Solti recording), but can't say it's a staple in my listening.
On the lighter side, I only recently discovered the two Sonatines, wind serenades in all but name:
Sonatine No.1, Aus der Werkstatt eines Invaliden (From the Workshop of an Invalid), for 16 wind instruments
Sonatine No.2, Fröhliche Werkstatt (Cheerful Workshop) for 16 Wind Instruments
There's a Hyperion "dyad" set with recordings of both works.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HOUnJCEXL.jpg)
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA66731/2
Quote from: Brewski on May 26, 2021, 12:58:51 PM
So hard!
Vier letzte Lieder - I mean, one of the greatest works by anybody.
Salome - Though it begins rather calmly, 90 minutes of increasing decay and horror.
Elektra - One year at the Met, I saw this four times. What a ride.
Eine Alpensinfonie - My first encounter was live, with von Karajan and Berlin at Carnegie in the late 1980s. Though others since have been marvelous, I will never forget that evening (which began with Stravinsky's Apollo).
Lieder - How can you choose? So I'm cheating and choosing "all of them." 8)
--Bruce
Great stuff, Bruce. All fine works including
all of the lieder. ;)
Quote from: Daverz on May 26, 2021, 06:38:10 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HOUnJCEXL.jpg)
A wonderful set indeed.
Choosing #1 is easy:
Elektra
Difficult after that:
Vier Letzte Lieder
Metamorphosen
Eine Alpensinfonie
Also Sprach Zarathustra
Honorable mention:
Festliches Praeludium! (Sort of Gebrauchsmusik before Hindemith)
https://www.youtube.com/v/QRf-_Ageks4
Quote from: Cato on May 28, 2021, 01:33:16 PM
Choosing #1 is easy:
Elektra
Difficult after that:
Vier Letzte Lieder
Metamorphosen
Eine Alpensinfonie
Also Sprach Zarathustra
Honorable mention:
Festliches Praeludium! (Sort of Gebrauchsmusik before Hindemith)
https://www.youtube.com/v/QRf-_Ageks4
No love for any of the other operas, Cato?
Der Rosenkavalier
Ariadne auf Naxos
Salome
then....? Will ponder a bit more....
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on May 29, 2021, 03:26:14 AM
Der Rosenkavalier
Ariadne auf Naxos
Salome
then....? Will ponder a bit more....
PD
All fine works, PD, but, yes, do continue to think about your list. :D
The works I have listened to most over the years -
Salome
Ein Heldenleben
Don Quixote
Also Sprach Zarathustra
Vier Letze Lieder
Quote from: Biffo on May 29, 2021, 06:09:33 AM
The works I have listened to most over the years -
Salome
Ein Heldenleben
Don Quixote
Also Sprach Zarathustra
Vier Letze Lieder
Very nice list. Do you own recordings of
Elektra,
Der Rosenkavalier,
Ariadne auf Naxos or
Daphne?
Quote from: Jaakko Keskinen on June 06, 2015, 01:47:09 PM
Okay, I'll try to be varied in genres:
Tod und Verklärung
Die Liebe der Danae
Violin concerto
Op 49 lieder
Metamorphosen
Chose less obvious examples from opera and lieder. Old Strauss himself considered the act 3 of Danae among the best music he ever wrote. I am inclined to agree. Libretto is poor, although I do feel bad at ridiculing it, after reading how often Strauss mocked poor Gregor's literary skills, often hurting his feelings.
An older post I know, but Strauss wasn't fond of Gregor at all and was only mean to him because he felt he had to 'settle' because Hugo von Hofmannsthal passed away, but also that further collaboration with Stefan Zweig during rise of the Nazi era made it impossible, so he was stuck with Gregor with whom Strauss met during the writing of
Daphne --- Zweig collaborated with Gregor on the libretto.
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 29, 2021, 06:11:38 AM
Very nice list. Do you own recordings of Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos or Daphne?
I have
Elektra (Solti) and
Ariadne (Karajan, Kempe and Levine (DVD), also
Die Frau ohne Schatten (Solti). I don't care for
Rosenkavalier.
Vier Letze Lieder
Don Quixote
Eine Alpensinfonie
Horn concerto no 1
Der Rosenkavalier - complete or just the Dance suite.
Also: Don Juan, the Festliches Praeludium for organ and orchestra, Elektra...
Quote from: Biffo on May 30, 2021, 06:58:58 AM
I have Elektra (Solti) and Ariadne (Karajan, Kempe and Levine (DVD), also Die Frau ohne Schatten (Solti). I don't care for Rosenkavalier.
Very nice. I'd say that Bernstein's recording of
Der Rosenkavalier (w/ Gwyneth Jones, Christa Ludwig, Lucia Popp et. al.) really changed my mind about this opera. It made me wish Bernstein conducted more of the operas. He was a natural in Strauss unlike Solti.