BaL 13.07.19 - Strauss: Four Last Songs

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30
Building a Library: Iain Burnside listens to and compares recordings of Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs.
Strauss composed his great swansong for the female voice when he was 84. They are settings of the German poets Hermann Hesse and Joseph von Eichendorff and the themes of death and reconciliation are portrayed in music of the most aching wistfulness and melancholy. They were more or less his final completed works and are among the most popular pieces in the orchestral song repertoire. The list of sopranos who have recorded these songs is a roll call of the most beautiful voices of the last 70 years. Iain Burnside has a very difficult choice to make.

Available recordings:-

Martina Arroyo, Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester, Günter Wand
Britt-Marie Aruhn, Stockholm Royal Orchestra, Siegfried Kohler *
Arleen Auger, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Andre Previn
Barbara Bonney, André Previn
Barbara Bonney, Malcolm Martineau
Christine Brewer, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Donald Runnicles (SACD)
Sophia Brommer, Alexander Schmalcz
Lisa Della Casa, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Böhm
Qilian Chen, Shanghai Opera House Orchestra, Dirk Brossé
Lise Davidsen, Philharmonia Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen
Melanie Diener, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, David Zinman *
Jane Eaglen, London Symphony Orchestra, Donald Runnicles *
Rebecca Evans, Roger Vignoles
Kirsten Flagstad, Philharmonia Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Kirsten Flagstad, Orchestra of the Städtische Oper Berlin, Georges Sébastian
Renée Fleming, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach
Renee Fleming, Münchner Philharmoniker, Christian Thielemann
Heather Harper, London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hickox *
Anja Harteros, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons
Anja Harteros, Staatskapelle Dresden, Fabio Luisi
Anja Harteros, Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann (DVD/Blu-ray)
Soile Isokoski, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Marek Janowski
Gundula Janowitz, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Konrad Jarnot, Helmut Deutsc
Sena Jurinac, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent *
Kiri Te Kanawa, Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti
Barbara Hendricks, Wolfgang Sawallisch (piano)
Barbara Hendricks, Philadelphia Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch *
Yvonne Kenny, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Johannes Fritzsch *
Hellen Kwon, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Adrian Leaper *
Lisa Larsson, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Douglas Boyd (SACD)
Evelyn Lear
Felicity Lott, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi
Aase Nordmo Løvberg,
Charlotte Margiono, Radio Filharmonisch Orkest Holland, Edo de Waart
Karita Mattila, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Waltraud Meier, Joseph Breinl
Ricarda Merbeth, Weimar Staatskapelle, Michael Halász
Aga Mikolaj, WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln, Karl Sollak *
Anna Netrebko, Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim
Birgit Nilsson, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam *
Jessye Norman, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Kurt Masur
Christiane Oelze, Eric Schneider
Polina Pasztircsák, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Alexander Rahbari *
Lucia Popp, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennsted
Lucia Popp, London Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas
Leontyne Price, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf *
Dorothea Röschmann, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin (SACD)
Anneliese Rothenberger, London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn *
Sylvia Sass, Hungarian State Orchestra, Ervin Lukács
Anne Schwanewilms, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Markus Stenz
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Ackermann
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Berliner Philharmoniker, István Kertész
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Wiener Symphoniker, Paul Kletzki
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Radio Symphonie Orchester Berlin, George Szell
Nina Stemme (soprano), Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Antonio Pappano *
Cheryl Studer, Staatskapelle Dresden, Giuseppe Sinopoli *
Sharon Sweet, London Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos *
Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Roman Trekel, Oliver Pohl
Deborah Voigt, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Kurt Masur *
Erin Wall, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis


* = download only

[CallMePaul]

I have the Fleming/ Thielemann version, which I have not played for some time. As Flagstad gave the first performance I will be interested to hear either of her performances. Of other older versions, Lisa Della Casa was a great Straussian and I am more interested in her than in Schwarzkopf, although her versions with both Ackermann and Szell are classics. Until I saw this list I had no idea that the songs could be performed with piano, let alone that they have been recorded that way,

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Many thanks, Alpie

So many, many great recordings of this gorgeous work - but it is the Janowitz/BPO/Karajan that I would dash into a burning house to save from the flames.

[visualnickmos]

A splendid list, once more. Thank you, Alpie.

I have a few versions. I recently listened to Barbara Hendricks/Philadelphia Orchestra/Sawallisch; I am paricularly fond of this recording.

[Stanfordian]

Thanks so much for the list Alpie,

One of my first-choice accounts isn’t on the list:
Michaela Kaune - NDR Radiophilharmonie / Eiji Oue - Berlin Classics

I admire this account from Anja Harteros,:
Anja Harteros, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons - BR Klassik

This early account by Renée Fleming is one I greatly admire:
Renée Fleming, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach - RCA

Another fine account is from Lucia Popp:
Lucia Popp, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt - EMI

I can’t take to the Soile Isokoski account which is praised in some quarters (Watch it go and win):
Soile Isokoski, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Marek Janowski - Ondine

I have around thirty accounts of the 'Four Last Songs'.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I've a reasonable shelf-load already:
Della Casa/ Bohm
Jurinac/ Sargent
Te Kanawa/ Solti (and also with Andrew Davis)
Lott/ Jarvi
Norman/ Masur
Schwarzkopf/ Ackermann and /Szell
Plus Harper/ Del Mar once on a commercial BBC CD, and Schwarnewilms/ Elder on BBC MM.

But other versions still sound so tempting: Bonney, Flagstad, Hendricks, Janowitz, Popp, Price...and no doubt the eventual winner if not so far listed!

[richardfinegold]

A splendid list, once more. Thank you, Alpie.

I have a few versions. I recently listened to Barbara Hendricks/Philadelphia Orchestra/Sawallisch; I am paricularly fond of this recording.

I really enjoy that version and I also enjoy Felicity Lott. I have heard Fleming and Eschenbach here in Concert, at The CSO summer home, and it was stupendous, but never got around to purchasing the Houston disc

[gurnemanz]

I shall always have a special affection for Lisa Della Casa and Böhm - the first recording I owned. That Ace of Clubs LP, also with the Ferrier's Mahler Rückert songs, kept me company for many years. Other older recordings of interest are:
Sena Jurinac and Fritz Busch live at Stockholm - lovely singing, orchestra not so great and each song gets clapped.
Eleanor Steber at the end of her career (appropriately so maybe in these end-of-life songs) in 1971 with James Levine. Orchestra alas also not at its best.

I remember hearing Kiri sing them in a live broadcast in 1972 - it must have been good if it's stuck in my memory.

Most recent live performance and very impressively done was Eva-Maria Westbroek with Philharmonia Orchestra and Christoph von Dohnányi, followed by another "last" in the shape of Bruckner 9 - at Anvil, Basingstoke.

Jessye Norman is special, also Popp/Tennstedt, but I think I will always come back to Gundula Janowitz.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I heard my first live orchestrally-accompanied 4 Last Songs last Saturday: Emma Bell/ Oxford PO/ Papadopoulos. (It was supposed to be Angela Ghiorghiu but she was indisposed)

Bell was good, indeed pretty amazing, but her voice seemed already too big, rich and powerful for the work - most of the time she seemed to be using chest voice and there wasn't much of the lyric-soprano delicate tracery that I'd been hoping for. Wasn't surprised to read that she's already moving into Wagner - she should do well there. And yes, I do know that the 1st performance was by Flagstad, quite a Wagnerian: that's why I'd like to hear her recordings.

[AmpH]

Always been rather smitten by Arleen Auger with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Andre Previn ( c/w Ein Heldenleben ) on one of the four marvellous Richard Strauss VPO / Previn discs on Telarc.

[cloughie]

Always been rather smitten by Arleen Auger with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Andre Previn ( c/w Ein Heldenleben ) on one of the four marvellous Richard Strauss VPO / Previn discs on Telarc.

Absolutely wonderful, and coupled with a very good Heldenleben. I just love the Four Last Songs and have many recordings .om performances over the years, mostly by inappropriate soloists oversinging, and the usually good,Anne Schwanewilms succumbing to the heat a year or two ago, though her Bridgewater Hall recording with the Halle and Elder on BBC MM is very good indeed. In addition to Arleen Auger I would recommend Felicity Lott with SNO/Jarvi, Te Kanawa/Solti and I really like Barbara Bonney with the superb piano accompaniment of Malcolm Martineau. the list mentions another version with Andre Previn but I have yet to find it!

[LMcD]

Many thanks, Alpie

So many, many great recordings of this gorgeous work - but it is the Janowitz/BPO/Karajan that I would dash into a burning house to save from the flames.

Another vote here for Janowitz/Karajan - and the Galleria reissue couples it with the Oboe Concerto and Metamorphosen, which is a real bonus!

[Petrushka]

Janowitz/BPO/Karajan, Popp/LPO/Tennstedt and della Casa/VPO/Böhm vie for favouritism here and anything that dislodges these in my affections will have to be something very special indeed. Can't see that happening.

Of others on my shelves, I'm taken with Schwanewilms/Halle/Elder on a BBC MM CD.

I'm with Ferney in that the Janowitz has it.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I first became aware of the existence of this work when EMI marketed the Schwarzkopf/Szell recording. It was some years before I actually heard it, and it was that Proms performance by Dame Kiri that made me fall in love with the work. I have both of her recordings - too closely miked for my liking, and several others that came as couplings with a certain tone poem. Also Flagstad/Furtwangler - the world premiere.

But the one that really stands out, head and shoulders above all others, is Popp/Tennstedt. I thought perfection was an impossible dream until I heard this.

[vinteuil]

.

Elisabeth Meyer-Topsøe is quite special -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000025ZCE

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