BaL 22.01.11 - Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie

[Richard Tarleton]

That's the one, seen at the top of post 263.

Yes, that's one of the ones I meant - another being the Haitink (I have the LP) - 9th from the top on the left. I can't read them all but there are 2 or 3 more. Here's me on the south side of it, before the descent to Zermatt - looks quite different from the south.

For readers of the Stormy Weather thread, this is my Berghaus jacket.

[Roehre]

That's the one, seen at the top of post 263.

Is this a re-issue or has it still got the record number LSC2923?
I've got a pic of an RCA Victor of which the top is white-ish with much more old-fashioned lettering in black and red than your copy.

[visualnickmos]

The complete collection.

EA - I'm going to put you on the spot (you don't have to answer if you don't want to) but which of your veritable collection would be the one to save "if all the others were swept away?" Hope you don't mind me asking...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Is this a re-issue or has it still got the record number LSC2923?
I've got a pic of an RCA Victor of which the top is white-ish with much more old-fashioned lettering in black and red than your copy.

Mine is the original 1967 Dynagroove with the number SB-6696 (LSC-2923). It still plays perfectly.


Brilliant picture, RT.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

EA - I'm going to put you on the spot (you don't have to answer if you don't want to) but which of your veritable collection would be the one to save "if all the others were swept away?" Hope you don't mind me asking...

Shortlist:

Schuricht
RPO Kempe
Barenboim
Shipway
Stein
Thielemann

Very shortlist:

RPO/Kempe,
Thielemann

Oh, go on then:

RPO Kempe


But I hope I never have to make such a choice.

[Roehre]

Brilliant picture, RT.

especially that cloud / patch of mist, making the picture even more mysterious/majestic

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

.. in fact I'm tempted to steal the picture as my new avatar.

[Richard Tarleton]

.. in fact I'm tempted to steal the picture as my new avatar.

I would be honoured if you did

[soileduk]

Shortlist:

Schuricht
RPO Kempe
Barenboim
Shipway
Stein
Thielemann

Very shortlist:

RPO/Kempe,
Thielemann

Oh, go on then:

RPO Kempe


But I hope I never have to make such a choice.

Blimey, I've just taken a punt on the RPO Kempe, I think....Testament SBT1428 perchance? .Supposed to be a very good recording from any era.
If anyone is interested £10.99 including delivery direct from Testament. River people wanted £15».

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Blimey, I've just taken a punt on the RPO Kempe, I think....Testament SBT1428 perchance? .Supposed to be a very good recording from any era.
If anyone is interested £10.99 including delivery direct from Testament. River people wanted £15».

Here's my review, for what it's worth:-

1966 
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Rudolf Kempe – 48 minutes, 49 seconds

This landmark recording was the first stereo studio version, making a huge impact on its first appearance. All previous recordings had suffered from technical deficiencies, but Kempe’s new recording had the benefit of RCA producer Charles Gerhardt and Decca’s legendary Kenneth Wilkinson as balance engineer.

Kempe’s vision of the work matched the expertise and imagination of the recording team at every stage. From the very first note, one can have no doubt whatsoever that this is a very special recording, with such a tremendous depth and such a sense of atmosphere. Yet every strand of the complex orchestration can be heard as never before. This is very much in the tradition of the Decca sound, with Wilkinson’s influence clearing being of the utmost significance. Perhaps he shared the philosophy of the Decca team that had recently completed Solti’s Ring cycle, believing that recordings should give the listener a distinctive listening experience. Somehow, Wilkinson managed to give the performers a natural sound balance that was nevertheless well lit. It is likely that he used the Decca microphone “tree” that had become the hallmark of that company since the early days of stereo, to which he would have added a small number of spot microphones placed in strategic positions over sections of the orchestra.

During the crescendo that us part of the build-up to the “sunrise”, a glockenspiel plays a single D flat at figure 5, suggesting the first ray of sunshine. In Kempe’s recording, the brightness of that single note speaks volumes about what we can expect for the rest of the performance.

The impact of the sunrise is quite phenomenal, with full and rich sound every bit as good as good as most recent recordings.

Kempe’s view of the work unashamedly favours its programmatic aspect. When the “ascent” theme begins, there is a strong feeling that we are witnessing someone actually setting out to climb an Alpine peak, such is the energy and determination in the playing. Decca engineers were in a class of their own when it came to off-stage ensembles, nearly always sounding natural despite the clever engineering. Strauss’s off-stage band has a sense of distance that is quite uncanny.

The tam-tam crash is spectacular, yet still tasteful. There is no brashness – just a sense of enjoyment which the players seem to share with the conductor. “Entering the forest” demands a mood change, but here the three dimensional depth of acoustic enhances the change. Never has sound balance been more perfect in this work. Woodwind chirpings are delicate and the placing of the solo strings is more natural than in any previous recording, as much a result of the fine judgement of the balance engineer as of the conductor.
The wandering by the stream and waterfall scenes are well balanced in most recordings, but the clarity of counterpoint in Kempe’s RPO version is exceptional. A sense of urgency can be felt as we pass through “flowery meadows”.

Flutter tonguing is completely absent from the mountain pasture scene, and is substituted by rapid single or double tonguing in both oboe and clarinet. However, the cowbells are so prominent that a herd of cows might be walking across the front of the stage. This is very effective, but is must be accepted as a gimmick, and is an unusual example of unnatural sound balance in this recording. Being the first recording of the work with a British orchestra, it comes as no surprise to hear a rock-steady French horn solo at figure 57, without a trace of vibrato.

One of the few negative things about Kempe’s performance is the fact that sometimes Kempe appears to push his orchestra too hard, with a number of errors preserved for posterity. A few retakes might well have solved the problem, but clearly these did not take place.
In the dramatic sequence (thicket-glacier-precarious moments) that comes before the “summit” section, the recorded sound remains perfectly balanced, with a ravishing cello solo heard clearly, yet at an appropriate distance, rather than being artificially spotlit.
There is an impressive rasp on the bass trombones as the “summit” is reached, after which the oboe solo is of the highest quality. It is said that Rudolf Kempe was extremely fussy about his oboists; this solo seems to justify his fanaticism. In no previous recording did the French horns sound as stunning in the “summit” music as it does here. In saying this, I could be influenced by my greater familiarity with the British sound, but if does sound truly glorious.

The original LP has it’s unavoidable side change at figure 85, with a one chord overlap. A change in the level occurs at this point on the Testament CD, which the transfer engineers should have noticed and made the necessary adjustment. This lower dynamic level persists for a while, continuing into the “vision” section, which is marked ff, but sounds quieter. By the time the oboe countermelody appears (figure 90) things have settled down and the balance is practically perfect, with clear, but naturally-sounding counterpoint. Some might complain that the harp sounds unnaturally close compared with a concert hall performance.

The darker sections that follow all exhibit the same characteristics of clarity, commitment, and depth that are the hallmarks of this recording. In the “calm before the storm” the double bassoon can be heard clearly, but at a natural distance. With the horns playing without a hint of vibrato, it may not please all listeners who hear the clarinet solo here with more than a trace of wobble. A few British clarinettists (such as Jack Brymer and Emma Johnson) have played with vibrato, but it is rare, and generally considered unwelcome.
Many conductors play down the wind machine in the thunderstorm, but Kempe unashamedly brings it to the fore. Yet this performance is less exciting than many others, being slightly slower in tempo. Needless to say, the recorded sound is absolutely stunning, and with a balance engineer like Kenneth Wilkinson, you would expect to hear the thunder machine – and you can. The bass tubas at 114 even remind one of the Fafner/Fasolt music from Wagner’s Ring.

Kempe’s appropriately relaxed tempo in the sunset passage is further enhanced by the ideal balance between brass and violins.

What a joy it is to hear the rock steady horn solo at the beginning of the “epilogue”. The woodwind passage that follows has almost perfect tuning, and later the sweet-sounding strings sing ethereally above the rest of the orchestra. This is great music-making, which concludes with a beautifully poised ending.

[Stanfordian]

Here's my review, for what it's worth:-

1966 
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Rudolf Kempe – 48 minutes, 49 seconds

This landmark recording was the first stereo studio version, making a huge impact on its first appearance. All previous recordings had suffered from technical deficiencies, but Kempe’s new recording had the benefit of RCA producer Charles Gerhardt and Decca’s legendary Kenneth Wilkinson as balance engineer.

Kempe’s vision of the work matched the expertise and imagination of the recording team at every stage. From the very first note, one can have no doubt whatsoever that this is a very special recording, with such a tremendous depth and such a sense of atmosphere. Yet every strand of the complex orchestration can be heard as never before. This is very much in the tradition of the Decca sound, with Wilkinson’s influence clearing being of the utmost significance. Perhaps he shared the philosophy of the Decca team that had recently completed Solti’s Ring cycle, believing that recordings should give the listener a distinctive listening experience. Somehow, Wilkinson managed to give the performers a natural sound balance that was nevertheless well lit. It is likely that he used the Decca microphone “tree” that had become the hallmark of that company since the early days of stereo, to which he would have added a small number of spot microphones placed in strategic positions over sections of the orchestra.

During the crescendo that us part of the build-up to the “sunrise”, a glockenspiel plays a single D flat at figure 5, suggesting the first ray of sunshine. In Kempe’s recording, the brightness of that single note speaks volumes about what we can expect for the rest of the performance.

The impact of the sunrise is quite phenomenal, with full and rich sound every bit as good as good as most recent recordings.

Kempe’s view of the work unashamedly favours its programmatic aspect. When the “ascent” theme begins, there is a strong feeling that we are witnessing someone actually setting out to climb an Alpine peak, such is the energy and determination in the playing. Decca engineers were in a class of their own when it came to off-stage ensembles, nearly always sounding natural despite the clever engineering. Strauss’s off-stage band has a sense of distance that is quite uncanny.

The tam-tam crash is spectacular, yet still tasteful. There is no brashness – just a sense of enjoyment which the players seem to share with the conductor. “Entering the forest” demands a mood change, but here the three dimensional depth of acoustic enhances the change. Never has sound balance been more perfect in this work. Woodwind chirpings are delicate and the placing of the solo strings is more natural than in any previous recording, as much a result of the fine judgement of the balance engineer as of the conductor.
The wandering by the stream and waterfall scenes are well balanced in most recordings, but the clarity of counterpoint in Kempe’s RPO version is exceptional. A sense of urgency can be felt as we pass through “flowery meadows”.

Flutter tonguing is completely absent from the mountain pasture scene, and is substituted by rapid single or double tonguing in both oboe and clarinet. However, the cowbells are so prominent that a herd of cows might be walking across the front of the stage. This is very effective, but is must be accepted as a gimmick, and is an unusual example of unnatural sound balance in this recording. Being the first recording of the work with a British orchestra, it comes as no surprise to hear a rock-steady French horn solo at figure 57, without a trace of vibrato.

One of the few negative things about Kempe’s performance is the fact that sometimes Kempe appears to push his orchestra too hard, with a number of errors preserved for posterity. A few retakes might well have solved the problem, but clearly these did not take place.
In the dramatic sequence (thicket-glacier-precarious moments) that comes before the “summit” section, the recorded sound remains perfectly balanced, with a ravishing cello solo heard clearly, yet at an appropriate distance, rather than being artificially spotlit.
There is an impressive rasp on the bass trombones as the “summit” is reached, after which the oboe solo is of the highest quality. It is said that Rudolf Kempe was extremely fussy about his oboists; this solo seems to justify his fanaticism. In no previous recording did the French horns sound as stunning in the “summit” music as it does here. In saying this, I could be influenced by my greater familiarity with the British sound, but if does sound truly glorious.

The original LP has it’s unavoidable side change at figure 85, with a one chord overlap. A change in the level occurs at this point on the Testament CD, which the transfer engineers should have noticed and made the necessary adjustment. This lower dynamic level persists for a while, continuing into the “vision” section, which is marked ff, but sounds quieter. By the time the oboe countermelody appears (figure 90) things have settled down and the balance is practically perfect, with clear, but naturally-sounding counterpoint. Some might complain that the harp sounds unnaturally close compared with a concert hall performance.

The darker sections that follow all exhibit the same characteristics of clarity, commitment, and depth that are the hallmarks of this recording. In the “calm before the storm” the double bassoon can be heard clearly, but at a natural distance. With the horns playing without a hint of vibrato, it may not please all listeners who hear the clarinet solo here with more than a trace of wobble. A few British clarinettists (such as Jack Brymer and Emma Johnson) have played with vibrato, but it is rare, and generally considered unwelcome.
Many conductors play down the wind machine in the thunderstorm, but Kempe unashamedly brings it to the fore. Yet this performance is less exciting than many others, being slightly slower in tempo. Needless to say, the recorded sound is absolutely stunning, and with a balance engineer like Kenneth Wilkinson, you would expect to hear the thunder machine – and you can. The bass tubas at 114 even remind one of the Fafner/Fasolt music from Wagner’s Ring.

Kempe’s appropriately relaxed tempo in the sunset passage is further enhanced by the ideal balance between brass and violins.

What a joy it is to hear the rock steady horn solo at the beginning of the “epilogue”. The woodwind passage that follows has almost perfect tuning, and later the sweet-sounding strings sing ethereally above the rest of the orchestra. This is great music-making, which concludes with a beautifully poised ending.

Hiya Eine Alpensinfonie,
You may have noticed this already but for those who haven't the BBC Philharmonic and the Hallé are combining under Juanjo Mena to perform Richard Strauss's The Alpine Symphony at the Bridgewater, Manchester on Thursday 23rd January 2014. I hope to be attending the rehearsal too at the BBC MediaCityUK, Salford. It's work that I love to hear from time to time and I'm looking forward to the concert.

My treasured recordings of The Alpine Symphony are the Berliner Philharmoniker/Karajan and the Wiener Philharmoniker/Thielemann both on DG.

[Petrushka]

Great review, EA. I appear to have most of those in your pictured collection but of those on your shortlist I am missing Schuricht, Barenboim and Shipway. Personally, I'd have included VPO/Previn on the shortlist otherwise agree with Thielemann and Stein being there. I know you don't like Karajan's recording but one listen to the horns at 'On the Summit' (the Bruch Violin Concerto theme) is enough to convince me of the reason why this has been chosen as the 'winner' twice on BaL.

I'm intrigued enough by Schuricht and Barenboim to want to investigate. Incidentally, if forced to save one from the flames I'd also choose RPO/Kempe. Kempe was himself an oboist (in the Leipzig Gewandhaus) so little wonder he was 'extremely fussy about his oboists'.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Hiya Eine Alpensinfonie,
You may have noticed this already but for those who haven't the BBC Philharmonic and the Hallé are combining under Juanjo Mena to perform Richard Strauss's The Alpine Symphony at the Bridgewater, Manchester on Thursday 23rd January 2014. I hope to be attending the rehearsal too at the BBC MediaCityUK, Salford. It's work that I love to hear from time to time and I'm looking forward to the concert.

My treasured recordings of The Alpine Symphony are the Berliner Philharmoniker/Karajan and the Wiener Philharmoniker/Thielemann both on DG.

I MUST get to that performance.

Thank you so much for the info.

[visualnickmos]

Shortlist:

Schuricht
RPO Kempe
Barenboim
Shipway
Stein
Thielemann

Very shortlist:

RPO/Kempe,
Thielemann

Oh, go on then:

RPO Kempe


But I hope I never have to make such a choice.

Purely hypothetical - I certainly hope you never have to make the choice!

Great answer - it got me smiling wryly! Thanks for taking the time.

[amateur51]

Kempe was widely regarded as being a rather shy, modest yet charismatic musician-conductor who knew how to get the results he wanted without bombast or bullying.

I doubt that there's any film of him conducting Eine Apensinfonie but here he is with RPO conducting Ein Heldenleben.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaVmw8Z1EaU