Richard Strauss - opera recordings

[Parry1912]

Please note that many of these pieces are chamber arrangements of orchestral pieces, like the violin/piano version of the violin concerto

Yes, and most of the rest are early pieces. Much as I love his music, I'll wait until I've got all the operas(!) before I buy that.

[Dave2002]

The Brilliant box is only £48 this week - http://www.selections.com/AL381/rich...edition-35cds/ Might have to order quickly. You can never tell whether the price is going to go back up or not. If it does it'll probably go up on Thursday.

Ariadne auf Naxos has some amazing singing. The DVD with Gruberova is good.

[Chris Newman]

I remember William Mann, in a Gramophone review of Sawallisch's EMI recording, describing it as "the Strauss opera everyone loves best after Der Rosenkavalier" (although adding "not me, I have other favourites"). Times have clearly changed.

Incidentally, he liked the Sawallisch recording (with Julia Varady and Fischer-Dieskau) best of all.

Today I went to Bath for the day and looked in their HMV shop. I got another Arabella (DVD this time) for £8.

Arabella........Renee Fleming
Zdenka.........Julia Kleiter
Mandryka......Morten Frank Larsen
Matteo.........Johan Weigel
Chorus and Orchestra of the Opernhaus Zurich
Conducted by Franz Welser-Most
Directed by Gotz Friedrich (2007)

I have not heard/watched it yet. Some reviews on Amazon are very positive especially for the ladies. Larsen gets mixed reviews ranging between the ecstatic and remarks that he is wobbly but he was a last minute substitute for an indisposed Thomas Hampson.