Richard Strauss: Orchestral music

[BBMmk2]

This composer's orchestral music, for me is probably the climax in German musical though at the time till his death in 1945, with that amzing time capsule of a piece for string orchestra Metarmorphosen. With this particular composition, it certainly took me a good few years to try and understand it or even begin to. The recording that really helped me was BPO?Karajan.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Those late orchestral works are rather special. His oboe concerto is quite wonderful.

[Mr Pee]

This composer's orchestral music, for me is probably the climax in German musical though at the time till his death in 1945, with that amzing time capsule of a piece for string orchestra Metarmorphosen. With this particular composition, it certainly took me a good few years to try and understand it or even begin to. The recording that really helped me was BPO?Karajan.

That Karajan Metamorphosen would certainly be one of my Desert Island Discs- I have yet to hear a recording to equal it- and the Tod und Verklarung that's coupled with it is also pretty special.

[umslopogaas]

No problems with Karajan, but the recording for me is the 1969 ASMF LP conducted by Marriner, on Argo (ZRG 604). Wagner's Siegfried Idyll on the other side. Still got it, forty plus years later.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That Karajan Metamorphosen would certainly be one of my Desert Island Discs- I have yet to hear a recording to equal it- and the Tod und Verklarung that's coupled with it is also pretty special.

I completely agree, Mr Pee; 'tho' I wonder if Bbm meant his earlier recording, which was originally coupled with the full-band Beethoven Grosse Fuge and now comes with the Four Last Songs (Gundula Janowitz - another DID) and the Oboe Concerto?

The Marriner mentioned by umsloppo uses the size of ensemble Strauss wrote for - 'tho' Karajan's request to perform it with a larger String Orchestra was sanctioned by the composer.

[BBMmk2]

Ah Ferney. I did mean Mr Pee's recordingf.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Ah Ferney. I did mean Mr Pee's recordingf.

[Nick Armstrong]

That Karajan Metamorphosen would certainly be one of my Desert Island Discs

I was heavily into Metamorphosen some years ago and acquired / tried most...

Extensive testing led to a surprising 'winner' for me - the performance by the Vienna Phil under .... André Previn (Phillips, nla.). It displaced the Karajan in my allegiance, it seems to let the music speak and breathe for itself more, to my ears.

[Thropplenoggin]

Timely thread, BBM.

I haven't clicked with Strauss yet, though I must say, I haven't tried that hard.

I had a breakthrough listen to Schoenberg's Verklarte Nacht this week (Boulez conducting), and Gurrelieder (Salonen), though I accept these are his easier works (!). Still, I do feel ready to try some orchestral Strauss.

Happy to receive some recommendations for the tone poems or other works, most of which will no doubt be available on Qobuz.

[BBMmk2]

Thropps, there is one work that i would reccomend beofre EA does!!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Happy to receive some recommendations for the tone poems or other works, most of which will no doubt be available on Qobuz.

The Four Last Songs (Soprano & orchestra) - as near to heaven as we're likely to get. (And with Herbie & the Berlin Band supporting Gundula Janowitz *, closer than I'm ever likely to get! Other versions are readily available, many of them very good indeed.)


( * = the emoticon is actually part of the spelling of her name. It's like a sort of umlaut.)

[Thropplenoggin]

Thropps, there is one work that i would reccomend beofre EA does!!

But which version?!!

[Thropplenoggin]

The Four Last Songs (Soprano & orchestra) - as near to heaven as we're likely to get. (And with Herbie & the Berlin Band supporting Gundula Janowitz *, closer than I'm ever likely to get! Other versions are readily available, many of them very good indeed.)


( * = the emoticon is actually part of the spelling of her name. It's like a sort of umlaut.)

Thanks, FHG.

Bizarrely, I hadn't thought of these as 'orchestral works'. I am already familiar with these works (Jessye Norman, Lucia Popp, Lisa Della Cassa).

[Ferretfancy]

I was heavily into Metamorphosen some years ago and acquired / tried most...

Extensive testing led to a surprising 'winner' for me - the performance by the Vienna Phil under .... André Previn (Phillips, nla.). It displaced the Karajan in my allegiance, it seems to let the music speak and breathe for itself more, to my ears.

Caliban
I was just about to endorse the Previn as I read your recommendation. The recording is superb as well.

[Lordgeous]

No problems with Karajan, but the recording for me is the 1969 ASMF LP conducted by Marriner, on Argo (ZRG 604). Wagner's Siegfried Idyll on the other side. Still got it, forty plus years later.

Me too!