Richard Strauss'other operas.

[Don Basilio]

By which I mean other than Salome, Elektra, Rosenkavalier, Frau ohne Schatten, Ariadne, Arabella, Capriccio.

I'm not a great one for romanticism in any case - I'm a Jane Austen kind of guy, rather than a Charlotte Bronte bloke.

But Strauss has elements of irony and camp that make the big romantic splurges appealing. I was at the ROH Ariadne recently and thought this was my favourite Strauss opera (also the one I know best - I can hum the tunes.)

Am I missing out on the others? Would I love The Silent Woman or Daphne. The Egytian Helen sound seriously odd. What's it like?

[kuligin]

I have only heard Aegyptiche Helena in a Met broadcast and was not impressed but after hearing a wonderful Daphne by Opera North in the Daniel years, I have tried to hear the others.

Intermezzo at first seems to be a huge amount of recitative with occasional wonderful orchestral interludes, but after hearing it given at Buxton and Edinburgh and acquiring the Sawallisch recording it has certainly grown on me.

I heard Liebe der Danae in Dresden and fell in love with it, and can not understand its neglect.

This year I travelled to Chemnitz to hear Schweigsame Frau and it proved an absolute delight. Sadly could not afford to travel to Palermo for Feursnot!

All these works need large orchestras and have a large number of demanding roles, but performances in Germany seem gradually to be increasing. An article in "Opera" suggests that Covent Garden/ENO feel that Strauss is a risk at the box office, apparently Frau ohne Schatten sold poorly in the stalls, but is that not the case in anything other than core works, the Ampitheatre seems to sell out come what may.

Operabase is a wonderful site for planning a short operatic trip

Ariadne is my favourite too

[Don Basilio]

Thank you. I was beginning to regret starting the thread.

[french frank]

Thank you. I was beginning to regret starting the thread.

For some reason I didn't see it ...

I don't know much of his work - but Ariadne gets a third vote. Salome on the other hand is probably unique in my own limited experience where I was actively disliking/ thinking negatively about it while I was watching it. Die Frau I sort of enjoyed at the time but afterwards wondered why. I confess [hangs head] I have never seen Rosenkavalier.

One often makes up one's mind on totally insufficient evidence, so it is quite easy for me to decide that there others of whom the unknown works seem already more (personally) enticing. More Jane Austen than Bronte!

[slarty]

If you don't mind listening to a mono broadcast(all be it very good sound) then the live 1959 Salzburg Festival performance of DIE SCHWEIGSAME FRAU conducted by Böhm and with an unbelievable cast -
Hilde Güden - Fritz Wunderlich - Hermann Prey and Hans Hotter as Sir John Morosus - is as good as it gets . I have had this performance in my collection for 30 years.

It is still available from DGG on Amazon sellers
but -
It is also available for 12 quid in a box containing 3 other Strauss Operas. Highly recommended.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strauss-Complete-Recordings-Karl-Bohm/dp/B00FQ0VOG8/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1406368344&sr=1-2&keywords=Richard+Strauss+Karl+Bohm

[makropulos]

If you don't mind listening to a mono broadcast(all be it very good sound) then the live 1959 Salzburg Festival performance of DIE SCHWEIGSAME FRAU conducted by Böhm and with an unbelievable cast -
Hilde Güden - Fritz Wunderlich - Hermann Prey and Hans Hotter as Sir John Morosus - is as good as it gets . I have had this performance in my collection for 30 years.

It is still available from DGG on Amazon sellers
but -
It is also available for 12 quid in a box containing 3 other Strauss Operas. Highly recommended.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strauss-Comp...auss+Karl+Bohm

The sound on that second (admittedly v. cheap) set is pretty abysmal in all the operas. The DG sound for that broadcast is much better.

Ariadne's my own favourite Strauss opera. But of the less-known ones, I'd probably go first for DAPHNE. I loved the Opera North production about 20 years ago and often listen to it on CD (Böhm - in the same DG box now). But also I've a very soft spot for FEUERSNOT - and the DG set has a stupendous performance of that from Berlin Radio under Leinsdorf. But there are very few duds. INTERMEZZO has some amazing moments. I think FRIEDENSTAG is the only one that leaves me almost completely cold.

[David-G]

The ending of Daphne is fabulous. It was one of my father's favourite pieces of music.

[Conchis]

After the death of von Hofmanstahl, Strauss never found a collaborator he was completely in tune with and his QC suffered as a result. There are still moments of inspiration in the later works, thoughArabella and Daphne being the best of the bunch, IMO.

[Flosshilde]

I have only heard Aegyptiche Helena in a Met broadcast and was not impressed

How can one not be impressed by an opera which has 'The omniscient sea-shell' as a character ? It does answer that awkward question - how is Menelaus reconciled to Helen after the fall of Troy? It does also have some splendid music.

[Stanfordian]

By which I mean other than Salome, Elektra, Rosenkavalier, Frau ohne Schatten, Ariadne, Arabella, Capriccio.

I'm not a great one for romanticism in any case - I'm a Jane Austen kind of guy, rather than a Charlotte Bronte bloke.

But Strauss has elements of irony and camp that make the big romantic splurges appealing. I was at the ROH Ariadne recently and thought this was my favourite Strauss opera (also the one I know best - I can hum the tunes.)

Am I missing out on the others? Would I love The Silent Woman or Daphne. The Egytian Helen sound seriously odd. What's it like?

Hiya Don Basilio,

I suggest purchasing the excellent 'Opera' magazine the latest issue for August which is a special issue foccusing on Richard Strauss operas. There is an in depth article that deals with virtually the same questions and places Strauss's opera in 3 categories of interest.

[Don Basilio]

I was tempted to order the CDs of Daphne or something else, but I thought it would be better to get to know well those works I already have. I've been listening to Capriccio with Elizabeth Schwarzkopf. It is rather good, isn't it? I'll immerse myself in IElektra next week.

[Parry1912]

But also I've a very soft spot for FEUERSNOT - and the DG set has a stupendous performance of that from Berlin Radio under Leinsdorf.

Agreed! I can't understand why it isn't better known.

Are we also including 'Die Frau ohne Schatten' as one of the lesser known operas?

[Don Basilio]

By which I mean other than... Frau ohne Schatten, Ariadne, Arabella, Capriccio.

I was including Die Frau among the mainline ones. I saw it this spring at ROH but I still want to know it better.

I'm beginning to wonder I'm not missing much (apart from the end of Daphne) in the ones I don't know. I haven't seen or heard Arabella for years. What recording would members recommend?

[Conchis]

I was including Die Frau among the mainline ones. I saw it this spring at ROH but I still want to know it better.

I'm beginning to wonder I'm not missing much (apart from the end of Daphne) in the ones I don't know. I haven't seen or heard Arabella for years. What recording would members recommend?

Lisa Della Casa seemed to own the title role in the 50s and 60s and had, IMO, never been surpassed in the part. I'd recommend either, or both, of her recordings. George London and DFD are on either set, so your choice may hinge on how you feel about them.

[grandchant]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04hyq42