BaL 13.11.21 - Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie

[Alison]

I enjoy every bar myself and never tire of it

[HighlandDougie]

I had just received the Kempe set in its latest Warner remasterings. 2 conclusions:
1) The newest remasterings really breathe life into this set
2). I still dislike the Alpine Symphony. There is about 2 minutes of worthwhile music surrounded by half an hour of high calorie Straussian bombast. Come to think of it that sums up Zarathustra and Metamorhisen as well.

While I have some sympathy with Richard's views on Eine Alpensinfonie and Zarathustra (to which I would add my particular Straussian bête-noire, Tod und Verklärung), I'm not sure that I've ever thought of Metamorphosen as up there making a lot of noise with a large orchestra. Written in very different circumstances to the afore-mentioned trio of works (not to mention the other pair of works which, for me, tend to outstay their welcome - Aus Italien and especially the Sinfonia Domestica), twenty three strings do not bombast make but something rather more rueful and reflective. Or am I missing something?

[cloughie]

I enjoy every bar myself and never tire of it

With you there Alison to which I add Also and Heldenleben particularly played through big speakers!
What a shame Reiner never recorded it!

[richardfinegold]

That still leaves around 20 minutes unaccounted for.

Touché. Also I see upthread that described the Karajan as “thrilling” , and so consistency is not one of my virtues

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'll be interested to hear whether the thunderstorm gets a mention this time around. William Mival evidently ran out of time in his BaL. Once past the summit, he missed out a huge chunk in his review, and made an instant switch to sea level.

Talking of the thunderstorm, it's something of challenge for the engineers (as well as for the players). I think Horst Stein dispensed with the wind machine altogether, replacing it with a recording of real wind. As for the thunder machine, Kenneth Wilkinson managed to make it audible in the RPO/Kempe recording, made by Decca engineers for RCA, but now on Testament.
Then there's that cor anglais solo, submerged in the Vision section, that can so easily be submerged. Should the engineers give a helping hand? I can't decide.

Other issues include oboe flutter tonguing, which is very difficult, and some oboists replace it with rapid repeated notes.

[BBMmk2]

I'll be interested to hear whether the thunderstorm gets a mention this time around. William Mival evidently ran out of time in his BaL. Once past the summit, he missed out a huge chunk in his review, and made an instant switch to sea level.

Talking of the thunderstorm, it's something of challenge for the engineers (as well as for the players). I think Horst Stein dispensed with the wind machine altogether, replacing it with a recording of real wind. As for the thunder machine, Kenneth Wilkinson managed to make it audible in the RPO/Kempe recording, made by Decca engineers for RCA, but now on Testament.
Then there's that cor anglais solo, submerged in the Vision section, that can so easily be submerged. Should the engineers give a helping hand? I can't decide.

Other issues include oboe flutter tonguing, which is very difficult, and some oboists replace it with rapid repeated notes.

Regarding real wind, what about real thunderstorms, too?

[Ein Heldenleben]

I think this review is concentrating too much on orchestra sound especially the brass and not enough on conductor and performance . A succession of wonderful brass moments is not a performance .Also the word “fantastic “ is being liberally employed . And why no Kempe?

[Barbirollians]

I think this review is concentrating too much on orchestra sound especially the brass and not enough on conductor and performance . A succession of wonderful brass moments is not a performance .Also the word “fantastic “ is being liberally employed . And why no Kempe?

Same old story - small shortlist no time to discuss others properly due to the endless McGregor interruptions.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Same old story - small shortlist no time to discuss others properly due to the endless McGregor interruptions.

I was thinking he’s actually drawing on a bigger range than usual . Karajan, Welser-most, Bohm , Solti, Haitink , Bychkov , Jansons, Theileman and one other ? (Blomstedt) (and Nelsons )
The “winner “ is fairly clear don’t you think ?

[Darloboy]

I just hope it doesn't go the same way as last time, pushing a version to the top that I would dismiss in the first five minutes for several reasons.

Oh dear…

[Ein Heldenleben]

Oh dear…

This morning it was evident from the first moment Herbert laced up his boots that he would reach the (reviewer’s) “summit” first despite Sir Georg’s cardiac arrest-inducing tempi…

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I was thinking he’s actually drawing on a bigger range than usual . Karajan, Welser-most, Bohm , Solti, Haitink , Bychkov , Jansons, Theileman and one other ? (Blomstedt) (and Nelsons )
The “winner “ is fairly clear don’t you think ?

If you want to make any performance sound good, simply pair it with the ridiculous Welser-Möst, who reaches the summit, ticks it off his list, and then says, “Right, pals, off to the pub”.
The problem with choosing a winner is the episodic nature of the work. This review made this dilemma very clear.

[Ein Heldenleben]

If you want to make any performance sound good, simply pair it with the ridiculous Welser-Möst, who reaches the summit, ticks it off his list, and then says, “Right, pals, off to the pub”.
The problem with choosing a winner is the episodic nature of the work. This review made this dilemma very clear.

I’ll have to give H v K another listen . I must be missing something. Do you have a spare CD?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I’ll have to give H v K another listen . I must be missing something. Do you have a spare CD?

No. One's enough.

I did notice AMcG pushing the HvK whenever it was mentioned. I also noticed that they only discussed the good bits - nothing about the off-stage band being nothing of the kind, the suspect tuning, or the recorded imbalance of the strings.

[Ein Heldenleben]

No. One's enough.

I did notice AMcG pushing the HvK whenever it was mentioned. I also noticed that they only discussed the good bits - nothing about the off-stage band being nothing of the kind, the suspect tuning, or the recorded imbalance of the strings.

Dare I ask what would your “winner” would be ? Or are there sectional winners ?