Our Summer BAL 37: Strauss Four Last Songs

[verismissimo]

Have we discussed this work recently? It's on my mind because Friday I'm to see Christine Brewer sing them with the Sydney Symphony under its newish musical director David Robertson.

I grew up with Della Casa and Scharzkopf. I see Flott was the winner of regular BAL twelve years ago.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

There are quite a few wonderful recordings of these beautiful songs - Della Casa not the least of them (and the only one AFAIK that presents the Songs in the order in which the composer wrote them) - but the recording that I want to hear most often (the one that I instinctively hear when I think of this work) is that by Gundula Janowitz with Karajan and the BPO.

The Norman/Masur recording is another superb disc - with her voice closer to the first performer, Flagstad - but the very slow speed of In Abendrot (much slower than Strauss' Andante marking - Bohm and Della Casa are much faster) always sounds wrong to me, completely spoiling the mood for me.

Lott sings superbly, of course, but the conducting lacks the imaginative insights of Karajan (on both his recordings - that with Tomawa-Sintow is another superb recording and performance), Bohm, Szell and even Masur - some people may prefer this, of course.

The conducting and orchestral playing on Szell's recording is marvellous. Schwarzkopf is Schwarzkopf; her German enunciation sounds affected and nasty to me, so I've never been able to listen to her recording with any pleasure - now, were there only technology available so that I could put Lott's voice onto Szell's orchestra!

But no: it'd still be Janowitz, the BPO and Karajan on that Desert Island.

[Richard Tarleton]

I first heard this performed live long before I bought a record (my collection in its infancy at the time) by Elizabeth Söderström in her glorious prime, with the Philharmonia/Schmidt-Isserstedt - incidentally a concert our late friend Chris Newman was also present at. In recent years I discovered her BBC Legends performance (RPO/Dorati) recorded just four years later. She has the huge advantage of being a lovely human being, a quality which for me shines across in her voice, as is the case with Flott - whom I heard perform it in the late 90s with Masur/Phil - but I don't have her record.

I really got into the work through the Norman/Masur, and only appreciated just how slow Im Abendrot was on hearing other versions - between 2 and 3 minutes slower - but it is a glorious version.

It's a work I may only listen to a handful of times a year, it's a special occasion - and find (along with the odd broadcast performance) my three versions quite sufficient. Oh yes, the third is...Janowitz . Yes, that's my default version too. I think "silver" when I hear her voice, impossible to express adequately in words but it has a sort of silvery sheen over it, instantly recognisable, but a sort of warm silver, intensely moving, not cold like Schwarzkopf. I just think, HvK might have tolerated a picture of her on the original sleeve, instead of yet another of him in right profile.....

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'm more choosy in this work than in any other.

Only one recording has everything: Lucia Popp/LPO/Tennstedt.

A beautiful voice that eclipses all others I've heard, and a violin solo to die for in no. 3. Can it get better than this? I'm willing to be persuaded.

[amateur51]

Few gripes with what has gone before but I'll throw in Isokoski/Janowski and Brewer/Runnicles as 'interesting' supplements

[slarty]

Has anyone heard the live performance of Karajan and Schwarzkopf from the RFH 20th June 1956 with the Philharmonia.
It was performed with "September" coming after "Abendrot" as the last song to highlight Dennis Brain's solo at the end.
Lovely performance in splendid sound - now issued by Warner Bros in the Karajan box "Choral Music 1947 - 1958"

My own preferences are Auger/Previn and a live performance with Heather Harper and Rudolf Kempe from 1967.

[amateur51]

Has anyone heard the live performance of Karajan and Schwarzkopf from the RFH 20th June 1956 with the Philharmonia.
It was performed with "September" coming after "Abendrot" as the last song to highlight Dennis Brain's solo at the end.
Lovely performance in splendid sound - now issued by Warner Bros in the Karajan box "Choral Music 1947 - 1958"

My own preferences are Auger/Previn and a live performance with Heather Harper and Rudolf Kempe from 1967.

Not heard any of these slarty, many thanks

Can you guide us to the Harper/Kempe please?

[richardfinegold]

I haven't listened to these in years. I think it was a Felicity Lott recording (with Jaarvi?) that hooked me.

[slarty]

Not heard any of these slarty, many thanks

Can you guide us to the Harper/Kempe please?

I have just PM-ed you Am.

[BBMmk2]

I'm more choosy in this work than in any other.

Only one recording has everything: Lucia Popp/LPO/Tennstedt.

A beautiful voice that eclipses all others I've heard, and a violin solo to die for in no. 3. Can it get better than this? I'm willing to be persuaded.

I havn't come across this one! Thanks Fern! :)

I have Janowitz, BPO/Karajan, and Schwarzkopf, LSO, Szell, also c/w 12 orchestral songs.

[Stanfordian]

I'm more choosy in this work than in any other.

Only one recording has everything: Lucia Popp/LPO/Tennstedt.

A beautiful voice that eclipses all others I've heard, and a violin solo to die for in no. 3. Can it get better than this? I'm willing to be persuaded.

Hiya EineAlpensinfonie,

There are a number of excellent recordings of the Strauss Four last Songs. I too greatly admire the Lucia Popp version with the LPO under Tennstedt on EMI. It's readily available on the compilation 'The Very Best of Lucia Popp'. I also enjoy the account from Anja Harteros with the Bavarian RSO/Mariss Jansons on BR Klassik. One of the lesser known accounts I like to play is from Michaela Kaune with North German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Eiji Oue on Berlin Classics.

[Barbirollians]

Sena Jurinac on EMI references live with Fritz Busch .

[makropulos]

Sena Jurinac on EMI references live with Fritz Busch .

That's a great (and interesting) choice which I've only recently discovered.
Otherwise the one I put on more often than any other–and very happily – is Della Casa/Böhm.
But there really are rather a lot of good alternatives aren't there?... Popp (among others) is gorgeous among the more modern recordings.

[Barbirollians]

That's a great (and interesting) choice which I've only recently discovered.
Otherwise the one I put on more often than any other–and very happily – is Della Casa/Böhm.
But there really are rather a lot of good alternatives aren't there?... Popp (among others) is gorgeous among the more modern recordings.

I join with you on Della Casa - indeed she and Popp are my runners up though I enjoy indulging in the Jessye N from time to time .

The Jurinac I have had since its release raved about by the late Alan Blyth in Gramophone in Jan 1990 .

[Petrushka]

Janowitz is my default version too but my real favourite is Della Casa/VPO/Böhm. Much prefer the order of the songs on this recording and everything about it is just so right.

Other recordings on my shelves are Schwarzkopf/Szell, Mattila/Abbado, Popp/Tennstedt and Söderström/Haitink (live, included in the Haitink radio recordings box)