BaL 13.11.21 - Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie

[Keraulophone]

I wish I knew what you were referring to. I can’t find any Karajan Blu Ray for Strauss.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Karajan-Strauss-Deluxe-Box-box/dp/B00JEPZVYM

[richardfinegold]

That's three times that the Karajan recording has come out top on BaL. This can't be a coincidence and perhaps Karajan's detractors in this work need to consider that they might be wrong.

I don't know which remastering other forumites have but I bought the original LP and then CD (on one track!) and thought both sounded glassy and coarse. I've had new equipment since then and listening to the remastering done for the 2012 Karajan 1980s box was a revelation. I'm presuming that it is the same as this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strauss-Ein...rpt=ABIS_MUSIC

Mine is from an all R Strauss box and I believe was recorded in 1980 and unless a Blu Ray edition exists is supposedly the best remastering, per Amazon reviews. It certainly blows away an Ozawa DVD-A that Picked up when that format tanked. And intepretively, maybe I’m not the one to proclaim here, but I’ve been trying to like this piece in its entirety (as opposed to a few bits here and there) for better than 30 years now, and HvK does a better job of navigating it than say, Kempe, which I can’t get through without feeling like he somehow is trying to turn it into something it isn’t. And I otherwise really enjoy Kempe in Strauss.
HvK hailed from Salzburg. Was he a mountain climber in his younger days? I know he skied a lot.
Does anyone know why Reiner never recorded it?

[Cockney Sparrow]

Just an observation; there isn't much actual discussion about the piece in question, on this thread, the winner, others in the running - or not, etc, etc.
It seems to be going off on all sorts of tangents.

I think it was a fair expectation we would/should get that from the BAL itself. However, we should recognise we need to relinquish that expectation nowadays. What used to be a useful, authoritative survey of a work (at least as a starting point) is no more. Occasionally, as an outlier, something comes along as reminder of what we have lost (Elgar Violin C - whatever one thinks of Owen-Norris). We now have a DJ spinning some discs with someone, very often from the BBC roster (ex New Generation, etc) with some comments or observations.

Its like morning radio generally, its worth isn't sufficient to command full attention, and time is better spent reading The Gramophone where the kind of people we need for the declared purpose of a BAL may still be found - informing, educating.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Does anyone know why Reiner never recorded it?

Reiner didn’t have a high opinion of the work. Indeed, few did until the 1970s, since when there has been a plethora of fine interpretations and recordings.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

OK, well back on track, I was surprised the excellent recent Jurowski didn’t get a look in. I wonder whether the Kempe (perhaps never the best recording quality) is a bit long in the tooth. As a confessed audiophile, I think sound quality matters a lot in a work like this. The LSO/Haitink, even though recorded in the unhelpful acoustic of the Barbican, doesn’t sound bad.

There are two Jurowski recordings, and two from Kempe. The audio quality of the earlier RPO/Kempe is very fine indeed, and it’s my favourite version overall. However, there are a few split notes that may annoy some. The later Dresden recording has better accuracy, but less spontaneity, and more opaque sound.

[LHC]

I wish I knew what you were referring to. I can’t find any Karajan Blu Ray for Strauss. I own the Bruckner, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky sets as well as his Mahler5 and would be interested.

DG produced a deluxe box set of Karajan’s Strauss recordings in 2014 (I think). As well as his DG and Decca orchestral recordings, it includes a live recording of Rosenkavalier from Salzburg. The last disc in the set is a blu ray audio disc of all his analogue recordings on DG, but not Alpensinfonie as that was a digital recording.

I have the set as well, and it worth getting, if you can still find a copy.

[Bryn]

DG produced a deluxe box set of Karajan’s Strauss recordings in 2014 (I think). As well as his DG and Decca orchestral recordings, it includes a live recording of Rosenkavalier from Salzburg. The last disc in the set is a blu ray audio disc of all his analogue recordings on DG, but not Alpensinfonie as that was a digital recording.

I have the set as well, and it worth getting, if you can still find a copy.

A few minutes ago there was o e described as "Collectable" and "like new" for £61.26 including p&p via amazon.co.uk. There are others there for somewhat more. I was briefly tempted but as I have the big DG Karajan box, I changed my mind and cancelled. Be quick if you want it. Bear in mind that the cancellation may take a while to be recorded.

[Edgy 2]

I think it was a fair expectation we would/should get that from the BAL itself. However, we should recognise we need to relinquish that expectation nowadays. What used to be a useful, authoritative survey of a work (at least as a starting point) is no more. Occasionally, as an outlier, something comes along as reminder of what we have lost (Elgar Violin C - whatever one thinks of Owen-Norris). We now have a DJ spinning some discs with someone, very often from the BBC roster (ex New Generation, etc) with some comments or observations.

Its like morning radio generally, its worth isn't sufficient to command full attention, and time is better spent reading The Gramophone where the kind of people we need for the declared purpose of a BAL may still be found - informing, educating.

[pastoralguy]

I’m amazed no one has commented on Mark Simpson’s appalling vocal tics - literally dozens of ‘kind ofs’ and plenty of ‘ummms’. However talented a musician he may be, I don’t think he’s a suitable broadcaster, and I think it’s why we heard so much of AMcG on this occasion.

Reminds me of a certain ‘Prime Minister…’

[richardfinegold]

A few minutes ago there was o e described as "Collectable" and "like new" for £61.26 including p&p via amazon.co.uk. There are others there for somewhat more. I was briefly tempted but as I have the big DG Karajan box, I changed my mind and cancelled. Be quick if you want it. Bear in mind that the cancellation may take a while to be recorded.

I couldn’t find that set on any U.S. site, and as Bryn notes, it appears to be nla. A bit to pricey even for me, especially considering the Blu Ray is somewhat incomplete

[edashtav]

Reiner didn’t have a high opinion of the work. Indeed, few did until the 1970s, since when there has been a plethora of fine interpretations and recordings.

Oh dear, I’m over 50 years behind the times : try as I might, I still don’t ‘get it’.

[Bryn]

Oh dear, I’m over 50 years behind the times : try as I might, I still don’t ‘get it’.

Or perhaps you do?

[richardfinegold]

Oh dear, I’m over 50 years behind the times : try as I might, I still don’t ‘get it’.

[gradus]

Just listened to Kempe's performance, absolutely astonishing, how did the recording engineers cope!

[Barbirollians]

Just listened to Kempe's performance, absolutely astonishing, how did the recording engineers cope!

Which one ? Dresden or RPO ?