Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben; Suite from "Der Rosenkavalier"

On this CD:

1. Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life), tone poem for orchestra, Op. 40
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Philharmonia, Christopher Warren-Green
Conducted by Arpad Joo

2. Der Rosenkavalier, opera: Suite for orchestra (1909 - 10)
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Philharmonia, Christopher Warren-Green
Conducted by Arpad Joo

Tracks:

Introduction
Ride Of The Valkyries
Mars, The Bringer Of War
Montagues And Capulets
Sabre Dance
William Tell Overture (Conclusion)
In The Hall Of The Mountain King
The Hut On Fowl's Legs
The Great Gate At Kiev
Fanfare For The Common Man
Allegro Con Brio
Marche Au Supplice (March To The Scaffold)
Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)
Circus Maximus
Les Toreadors
Finlandia, Op.26
1812 Overture, Op.49 (Conclusion)

Tracks:

Procession Of The Nobles
Rakoczy March
Ritual Fire Dance
The Hero's Battlefield
Pines Of The Appian Way
Dies Irae
Allegro Con Brio
Allegretto
Air Et Danse Bacchanale
Farandole
Infernal Dance Of King Kastchei
O Fortuna
The Wedding Of Kije
Hurricane
Marche Slave, Op.31

Customer Reviews:

Good job.......2005-08-26

I remember when I was little, I had this cd, but i lost it. I bought a similiar type of one through TIme Life and decided to try the Classical Thunder one. I have like it so far.

Masterful!.......2005-06-15

This two CD set is magnificent. I got the set in the early 1990's when it was advertised on television, along with other releases in Time Life's set. I was struck by the interpretations of the conductors. Whenever I hear these pieces now, I judge them against this recording. Amazing selection as well. There are staples of orchestra repetoire, like Beethoven symphonies, but also gems that are not heard very often, like the Rimsky-Korsakov "Procession of the Nobles." A very impressive recording.

Great CD of Classical music's power pieces!.......2005-06-07

I got this CD when I was around 16 because I loved a lot of the music on this double CD set. As a student pursuing a Music Education major, it has been a great asset for my musically, and just great for listening to. I will drive on short trips and take this with me and blast it louder than the guy in the next car blasting rap music. I also take it skiing as it sets a great tempo down the mountain. This is a great CD for anyone that loves music.

Average customer rating:

Outstanding performances
Reviving a Lost Love
Not for beginners...
One of the very best of all EMI sets! The 2nd coming for all Straussians!
terrible, awful, hideous, lousy

Strauss: Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works
Bruckner: The Complete Symphonies
Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies & Tone Poems
Liszt: Works for Piano and Orchestra
Symphonies 1-3 / Piano Concerto 1-4 / Isle of Dead

ASIN: B000026D4K
Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

Horn Concerto No. 1 In E Flat Major, Op. 11: I: Allegro
Horn Concerto No. 1 In E Flat Major, Op. 11: II: Andante
Horn Concerto No. 1 In E Flat Major, Op. 11: III: Allegro
Horn Concerto No. 2 In E Flat Major: I: Allegro
Horn Concerto No. 2 In E Flat Major: II: Andante con moto
Horn Concerto No. 2 In E Flat Major: III: Rondo (Allegro molto)
Oboe Concerto In D Major: I: Allegro moderato
Oboe Concerto In D Major: II: Andante
Oboe Concerto In D Major: III: Vivace
Duett-Concertino: I; Allegro moderato
Duett-Concertino: II: Andante
Duett-Concertino: III: Rondo (Allegro ma non troppo)

Tracks:

Burleske
Parergon zur Sinfonia Domestica, Op. 73
Panathenaenzug, Op. 74

Tracks:

Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 28
Don Juan, Op. 20
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: The Hero
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: The Hero's Adversaries
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: The Hero's Wife
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: Certainty Of Victory
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: The Hero's Battlefield
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: War Fanfares
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: The Hero's Work Of Peace
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: The Hero's Withdrawl From The World
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: Renunciation

Tracks:

Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 8: I: Allegro
Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 8: II: Lento
Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 8: III: Rondo
Sinfonia Domestica, Op. 53: Bewegt - Thema I - Thema II - Thema III
Sinfonia Domestica, Op. 53: Scherzo (Munter)
Sinfonia Domestica, Op. 53: Wiegenlied - Massig langsam
Sinfonia Domestica, Op. 53: Adagio - (Langsam)
Sinfonia Domestica, Op. 53: Finale (Sehr lebhaft)

Tracks:

Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30
Tod und Verklarung, Op. 24
Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59

Tracks:

Salome, Op. 54: Dance Of The Seven Veils
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme - Suite, Op. 60: Overture
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme - Suite, Op. 60: Jourdain - Minuet
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme - Suite, Op. 60: The Fencing Master
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme - Suite, Op. 60: Entrance and Dance of the Tailors
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme - Suite, Op. 60: Minuet of Lully
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme - Suite, Op. 60: Courante
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme - Suite, Op. 60: Entry Of Cleonte
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme - Suite, Op. 60: Intermezzo (Prelude To Act 2)
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme - Suite, Op. 60: The Dinner
Schlagobers, Op. 70: Waltz
Josephslegende, Op. 63: Symphonic Fragment

Tracks:

Metamorphosen: Study For 23 Solo Strings
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Night
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Sunrise
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: The Ascent
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Entering The Forest
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Strolling By The Stream
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: By The Waterfall
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Apparition
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: In Flowery Meadows
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: In A Mountain Pasture
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Lost In The Thickets And Undergrowth
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: On The Glacier
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Dangerous Moments
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: On The Summit
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Vision
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Mists Rise Up
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: The Sun Grows Dark
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Elegy
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Quiet Before The Storm
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: A Thunderstorm - Descent
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Sunset
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Conclusion
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64: Night

Tracks:

Aus Italien, Op.16: I: Andante
Aus Italien, Op.16: II: Allegro molto con brio
Aus Italien, Op.16: III: Andantino
Aus Italien, Op.16: IV: Finale (Allegro molto)
Macbeth, Op. 23: Symphonic Poem

Tracks:

Don Quixote, Op. 35: Introduktion (Massiges Zeitmass)
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Massig (Don Quixote)
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Maggiore (Sancho Panza)
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation I: The adventure with the windmills
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation II: The battle with the sheep
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation III: Discourse between knight and squire
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation IV: The adventure with the pilgrims
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation V: The knight's vigil
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation VI: The meeting with Dulcinea
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation VII: The ride through the air
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation VIII: The voyage in the enchanted boat
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation IX: The combat with the two magicians
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Variation X: The defeat of Don Quixote
Don Quixote, Op. 35: Finale (Sehr ruhig)
Dance Suite from harpsichord pieces by Francois Couperin: I: Entree and stately round
Dance Suite from harpsichord pieces by Francois Couperin: II: Courante
Dance Suite from harpsichord pieces by Francois Couperin: III: Carillon
Dance Suite from harpsichord pieces by Francois Couperin: IV: Sarabande
Dance Suite from harpsichord pieces by Francois Couperin: V: Gavotte
Dance Suite from harpsichord pieces by Francois Couperin: VI: Tourbillon - Wirbeltanz
Dance Suite from harpsichord pieces by Francois Couperin: VIII: Allemande
Dance Suite from harpsichord pieces by Francois Couperin: VIII: March

Amazon.com essential recording

When it comes to the music of Richard Strauss, none of the world's great orchestras has a more distinguished tradition than the Staatskapelle Dresden. As pit orchestra of the Dresden Court Opera, the Staatskapelle was involved in the premieres, between 1901 and 1911, of Feuersnot, Salome, Elektra, and Der Rosenkavalier; later, with Karl Böhm conducting, its players participated in the premiere of Daphne. Most of Strauss's major tone poems have been in the Dresden orchestra's concert repertory since completion.

Back in the 1970s, EMI was able to capitalize on this association when it reunited the Staatskapelle with Rudolf Kempe--a native of Dresden, one of the master conductors of the 20th century, and an absolutely authoritative Straussian--for an integral recording of Strauss's orchestral works and concertos. The cycle was warmly received when it was originally released on LP, and it has become one of the treasures of the CD catalog since EMI reissued it whole, in three volumes, in 1992. With this latest repackaging, the whole impressive enterprise becomes available in one box.

Across the board, Kempe and the Dresdeners give magnificent readings of the music. Their Zarathustra is imposing and grand; their Heldenleben suitably heroic and quite smashingly played; their Till Eulenspiegel and Don Juan delightfully brisk, characterful, and exultant (the latter is dispatched in a blazing 16:06, and receives as ardent and exhilarating a reading as you are ever likely to encounter on disc). One of the finest of all the offerings is the account of Eine Alpensinfonie, a Kempe favorite and still a sonic knockout after nearly three decades.

The less familiar orchestral works are here, as well, including the early tone poems Aus Italien and Macbeth and the admittedly rather frothy ballet scores Josephslegende and Schlagobers. Of special value are the accounts of all Strauss's concerted works, from the early Violin Concerto (played by Ulf Hoelscher) and Burleske for piano and orchestra (with Malcolm Frager as soloist), through Don Quixote (featuring Paul Tortelier in magisterial form) and the two horn concertos, to the Oboe Concerto of 1946 and the final Duett-Concertino for clarinet and bassoon.

It's hard to imagine any label tackling such a project in today's bottom-line environment, or coming up with such definitive readings from today's performers. All the more reason to celebrate the appearance of this compendium. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding performances.......2007-05-13

Rudolf Kempe's interpretations of Richard Strauss orchestral works (almost complete - one miss the orchestral songs) have been classic recordings since they first appeared on record in the early seventies (1970-75).

Especially fine are his interpretations of the core works, e.g., the symphonic poems Also sprach Zarathustra, Ein Heldenleben, Eine Alpensinfonie, Tod und Verklärung, Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel, Don Quixote. All these are given first rate interpretations.

Furthermore, you get outstanding interpretations of Strauss' two horn concertos as well, with Peter Damm's superb horn playing, and an outstanding performance of Metamorphosen.

There is simply no rival to this collection of "core works of Richard Strauss".

In addition, this box collects also Strauss less interesting orchestral works - see Amazon's listing above. These minor works receive fine interpretations and performances too, but the main attraction is of course the core works above.

Sound quality is very fine - just excellent analogue stereo - and the orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, was one of the top orchestras in the world when these sessions were put on record.

Warmly recommended!

Reviving a Lost Love.......2006-08-07

The highest praise for any conductor must be that he rekindles enthusiasm and love for music that had been recently abandoned. In his autobiography, the conductor Felix Weingartner confesses that he had grown out of touch with Strauss' music; until hearing this set, I had felt the same, with only a few exceptions. But Rudolf Kempe and his really great Staatskapelle Dresden have won me back to Richard's orchestral music. So far, I have only heard part of the set: Zarathustra, Heldenleben, Till, Tod und Verklaerung, Der Buerger als Edelmann, Don Juan, Burleske, and Sinfonia Domestica, but my appetite is whet for more. Because of the refined, subtle, and yet intense conducting of Kempe, what used to strike me as cheap and taudry now strikes me as profound and moving. And the sheer musical skill of Strauss in thematic invention and counterpoint never ceases to amaze. Kempe was truly, in my not so humble opinion, the greatest conductor of the German classics following Furtwaengler; Karajan was empty and shallow by comparison. Kempe brings to this music the same passion and dignity that he brought to Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, Schumann, and other of "his" composers. To make just one comparison, Reiner's Zarathustra, once hallowed by me as by most listeners, now sounds like overripe, rotting fruit as compared to the passionate yet thoughtful quality that Kempe brings to it. The Staatskapelle Dresden, by the way, sounds like the greatest orchestra in the world, only matched by the Berlin Philharmonic under Kempe or Furtwaengler, an orchestra that produces incidentally beautiful sounds but whose main goal is the projection and characterization of the music. No virtuosity for its own sake, just musicianship, musicianship, and more musicianship. EMI's sound is the very epitome of how to record an orchestra: Impactful, yet smooth and detailed, with natural perspectives and no spotlighting. This set belongs in every music lover's library.

Not for beginners..........2006-07-16

Most boxed sets have their ups and downs because no conductor is equally sympathetic to all of a composer's works. Kempe is no exception to this rule.

The masterpieces, Zarathustra, Heldenleben, and Quixote, are superb here. Kempe clarifies Strauss' complex textures in a way that other conductors like Karajan don't. Most of the time, I prefer to hear these works Karajan's way, but it's nice to hear what Kempe does with them, too. No one does Sinfonia Domestica the way Kempe does it...with such gentleness and humor. I listened to Reiner's recording for years, but I put it up for sale on amazon after I heard the Kempe. With all four of these large tone poems, Kempe and Karajan are all I really need.

The Don Juan is just about the best I've ever heard. It is so vital and exciting! Better than Karajan or any other I know. It is hard to imagine that Macbeth will ever be done better than this either. Macbeth is one of the reasons I own this set, but it's hardly one of Strauss' masterpieces. Speaking of non-masterpieces, I also treasure Kempe's recordings of Strauss' strange works for piano and orchestra. The Burleske has more poetry but less excitement than the classic Byron Janis/Reiner recording.

Kempe's recordings of the Horn Concertos are truly awful. Listen to the weak, watery tones of the first-chair horn player stepping into the solo spotlight. One listen to the mono recordings of Dennis Brain conducted by Sawallisch shows what is missing: bold, ringing tone and lots of excitement. If I only knew Kempe's recordings, I wouldn't even care about these pieces.

The bad news continues with the Oboe Concerto (weak oboist) and the charming Duet Concertino (weak bassoon).

Kempe misses the raucous fun that charges the best recordings of Till Eulenspiegel. This is a limp dishrag of a performance (until the last few minutes). At the very start of the performance, you will hear a familiar sound -- our weak horn player from the concertos playing a solo -- and you will long to stop the CD and reach for a different recording.

Metamorphosen is one of my favorite pieces by Strauss. Kempe, as is his wont, tries mightily to clarify Strauss' dense counterpoint here, and I appreciate the effort. I hear things here that I miss in other recordings. But this reading does not move me the way others have. Ormandy, to name just one. Death and Transfiguration is another one that Ormandy did better. Kempe is too fast at times! Really fast!

My greatest disappointment with this set is a recording that has been acclaimed by many as one of the greatest Strauss recordings ever made...Kempe's take on Eine Alpensinfonie. I have lived for many years with the Karajan recording, and I must say that Kempe misses many of the moments that I have come to treasure in Karajan's version. One example would be those 20 horns playing! Karajan makes this absolutely thrilling, which I'm sure is what Strauss intended. With Kempe, this telling touch by Strauss passes by unremarkably. The slow, quiet passage at the summit lacks magic. The apotheosis at the top of the mountain is certainly thrilling in Kempe's hands, but he misses too much on the way up. By the way, his cowbells sound almost comically bad. He certainly does bring out the beauty of the closing sections of the work, though.

If you are really serious about getting to know Strauss' music, this is a necessary purchase for the rarities that will probably never be done better like the Violin Concerto and the pieces I've already mentioned. If you just want Strauss' most famous works, this is a waste of your money (no matter how cheap it is!)because there's a lot of stuff here that either isn't very good or that you probably won't want to listen to that often. You would be better off buying Karajan's recordings (the 1970s recordings, not the remakes from the 80s) of the big three tone poems and then filling in the smaller ones as your interests dictate. Casual listeners will never need to hear pieces like Macbeth or the piano works that make this set so vital to Strauss-aholics like me!

One of the very best of all EMI sets! The 2nd coming for all Straussians!.......2006-02-10

The great Strauss tone poems soar to the highest level imaginable! With Kempe's genius, the lesser works become great! Kempe resists all temptation to be banal or bombastic. He directs the Staatskappele Dresden with a silken, burnished tone yet with restraint that has a radiant glow that never sacrifices the inherent capacity of the music to thrill, deeply move, or elevate to another plain. Each work played is in itself the guide: conductor and orchestra let the works deliver their own brilliance. The Don Juan and Dead and Transfiguration are soul piercing, along with Ein Heldenleben, and....... The Staatskapelle Dresden has always been an inspired ensemble and in Kempe's hands they are simply put, magnificent, delivering one thrilling performance after another. Like Wagner and Faith, you get Strauss or you don't. If you do get it, this set is beyond self recommendation; Buy this set before it disappears from the shelves. Classical Cd shelves these days have hidden boomerangs. One minute here, next minute.....boing going gone)...! The concert hall may never hear greater performances of Strauss' orchestral works as we hear on these nine disks. The sound is nothing short of a rich, full timber as Kempe leads then with inspired and interpretive genius . This all may sound over the edge but I don't think so and I don't think you will be disappointed. Strauss has been served in splendor by the Dresden musicians under Kempe's baton. [Although in an aside I must say that Raphael Fruhbeck de Burgos and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra's performance this past summer of Don Juan and the Rosenkavalier suite were superb.] Then I think of the BSO with Levine...., their Strauss should be something else. Bravo and kudos to all for bringing us this gift. Booklet is very well done with one exception. There is not a word in the booklet about Rudolf Kempe and/or the orchestra itself. 10 stars anyway!!

terrible, awful, hideous, lousy.......2005-04-22

The problem with the "classics" is that too many hacks have hacked them to pieces. My opinion of these recordings, for whatever it is worth, is that they simply do not do justice to Strauss's magnificent music.

There is a reason they are a "bargain". I would avoid this set.
Sometimes a boxed set is a good deal, but this one is not. I find the entire set unspeakably dull and literally unlistenable.

In any event, this is merely my opinion. The majority of the other reviewers think its terrific.

Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben; Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme

Average customer rating:

Here Is My Illuminating Review Of This Album
Beware the 'sound' of the future
A masterful new Heldenleben, graced with spectacular sonics

Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben; Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Schubert: Symphony No. 9 "The Great"
Debussy: La Mer
Dvorák: Tone Poems
Mahler: Symphony No. 4; Berg: Sieben frühe Lieder
Saint-Saëns: Piano Trios

ASIN: B000BU992E
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Tracks:

The Hero - Guy Braunstein
The Hero's Adversaries - Guy Braunstein
The Hero's Companion - Guy Braunstein
The Hero's Battlefield - Guy Braunstein
The Hero's Works Of Peace - Guy Braunstein
The Hero's Retirement From The World And The Fulfillment Of His Life - Guy Braunstein
Overture To Act I - Berliner Philharmoniker
Menuett - Berliner Philharmoniker
The Fencing Master - Berliner Philharmoniker
Entrance And Dance Of The Tailors - Berliner Philharmoniker
Lully's Minuet - Berliner Philharmoniker
Courante - Berliner Philharmoniker
Entrance Of Cleonte - Berliner Philharmoniker
Intermezzo: Prelude To Act II - Berliner Philharmoniker
The Dinner - Berliner Philharmoniker

Amazon.com

All of Strauss' symphonic poems tell a story, but in Ein Heldenleben the subject is his own life. Casting himself as the Hero, the hostile music critics as Adversaries, his compositions as Works of Peace, his Flight from the World as Consummation, the 34-year-old composer seems to succumb to unabashed egotism and grandiosity. However, his self-indulgence is redeemed by his music, which abounds with soaring, rapturous melodies, breath-taking modulations and gorgeous, scintillating orchestral colors. A solo violin represents the Hero's Companion, Strauss' beloved but famously difficult wife; their love scene contains some of his most ravishing, ecstatic music. Equally striking is his mordantly satirical depiction of the cacophonously bickering Adversaries, who rear their malicious heads even during moments of triumphant fulfillment. Toward the end, Strauss slyly tempts listeners to "Name that tune!" with almost 30 quotes from his own works. The orchestra is wonderful; Guy Braunstein plays his virtuosic solo brilliantly but sounds distant. He comes through better in the prominent, fiendishly difficult violin part of the Suite Strauss assembled from his incidental music to Moliére's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. Scored for 37 instruments, it depicts the comedy's characters and situations in delightfully witty "modernized" baroque dances, some using themes from Lully; the Finale is a Viennese waltz. The players revel in Strauss' mischievous humor and their own virtuosity. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Here Is My Illuminating Review Of This Album.......2006-09-22

Simon Rattle is a conductor I passionately want to champion. He is a very talented guy who's crazy about music and he always manages to convey that enthusiasm. He also is not afraid to engage with the public and be a spokesman for modern works and offbeat repertoire. He's got the kind of cheerful, pleasant, warm personality that we haven't seen in barely any conductors since Leonard Bernstein. Now Simon is at the helm of possibly the deepest, most virtuosic orchestra in the whole wide world, the Berlin Philharmonic. I think Rattle's achievements back in Burmingham were sizable but hardly extraordinary when you get down to it, I mean how many works of music has Simon recorded where you feel it might be the definitive performance of a piece? Not many I should say. I do however think in his Berlin Philharmonic appointment as chief conductor Rattle will ultimately surpass the achievement of Claudio Abbado, but he will not approach the glory days of the godlike masters Herbert von Karajan and Wilhelm Furtwangler.

Let's begin then, already this past year Rattle has deluged the market with interesting CDs, for instance Dvorak's Late Symphonic Poems, a Schubert 9th that many hate, Messaien's Illuminations of the Beyond, ( a work I find tedious compared to Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony ), a Debussy La Mer and various pieces, Brahms' 1st Piano Concerto and so on. Apart from Debussy, Rattle has not tried to invade Karajan's territory until this recording of Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben.

Down below, you have two opposing perspectives on this recording and the quality of sound it receives. One reviewer says great, another says atrocious. Let me be the voice of reason. The sound on this CD is pretty good for the most part. Compared to the thin, muffled sound of Rattle's Vienna Philharmonic Beethoven cycle, ( see my review ), this Ein Heldenleben sounds splendid, but I have heard more lush, wide-ranging digital engineering from the likes of Decca and even EMI in the 70's. Are all the great sound guys dead at EMI these days? They used to be exceptional. Altogether, the sound is close up and highlights the orchestra from many angles. It does not sound like it was recorded in a closet, that is a gross exaggeration! The sound is good, it's just not state of the art, however that's not a deal breaker, the performance stands up to it's competitors. Overall I would say the aural engineering is on par with many of it's competitors.

As a performance, this is mostly a riveting good time, the opening Hero section is passionate and full of vigor, the critics are sharp and nasty, the Hero's Wife section is where Simon Rattle starts to sag a bit, especially in the rapturous second portion where the orchestra takes up the Strauss couple's ecstasy and contentment with one another. Here Rattle slows the music down a tad and seems to try and wallow in it instead of letting the musical line take it's natural direction as Karajan always did on his records. The Battle Section is fierce and involving with plenty of inner detail and spotlighting of the instruments, which some people won't take to. The later passages follow up an altogether terrific interpretation. I would have loved to hear this in concert! The sound on the recording as I mentioned above is not as lush or expansive as in the best sounding Heldenlebens, for instance Karajan's outstanding EMI version from the 70's and Blomstedt's version with the San Francisco Symphony on Decca, ( a note, Blomstedt's Denon version is lame and tame by comparison ).

So why should you listen to my opinion exactly? Well, I am a huge fan of Richard Strauss, everything from his tone poems, operas, songs, concerti, even his outlandishly neglected choral music! He is one of the supreme masters of composition even if his music many times lacks the profound nature that can be found in Bach, Beethoven and Wagner, Strauss is still one of the most brilliant musicians who ever lived. I have listened to many Ein Heldenlebens. Let me count them and give quick insights on each version I either own or heard. Here goes, Reiner/RCA from 1955, ( good but a tad mechanical ), Karajan/DG from 1959 ( terrific but Karajan would go on to do even better ), Eugene Ormandy/Sony Essential Classics, ( a rollicking good time, certainly a garish account, it's a shame that the sound sucks compared to the best versions ), Barbirolli/EMI from the late 1960's, ( incredibly expansive, even slow reading, but engaging and interesting in it's own way ), Solti/Decca from the 1970's, ( intense, fierce, brilliant, but lacks inner qualities ), Karajan/EMI from 1974, ( this EMI Karajan is the best Heldenleben in my opinion, awesome performance all the way through with the most thrilling Battle Scene ever recorded! Sound is lush and expansive, A must own. ), Rudolf Kempe/EMI, also from the 70's, ( good work but not first class ). Haitink/Philips, 70's again, ( fine account but somewhat understated in Haitink's typical vein ). Karajan/DG Karajan Gold from the early 1980's, ( another monumental performance but the sound can be a bit rough, early digital edge, you know! ). Blomstedt/Denon, ( this earlier Blomstedt account with the Dresden orchestra is too tame for it's own good, I was sleepy and not involved ). Blomstedt/Decca, ( Blomstedt's second go at Hero's Life with the San Francisco Symphony is much better and has terrific sound! Still, he's no Karajan! ). Wolfgang Sawallisch/EMI, from the 1990's ( good, classy playing by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Sawallisch uses Strauss' original, quiet ending, where the music just fades away, no massive fortissimo like in every other version. Guess what, that fortissimo is great and I sorely missed it! Oh well, still a decent record ). Simon Rattle/EMI 2005, ( the one I'm reviewing, braniac! This is a damn fine job by Rattle, a good choice but not the best ). Christian Thieleman/DG 2003, ( this Vienna Philharmonic performance is Rattle's most inspired recent competitor. It's massive, perhaps slightly over emphatic and bloated but nonetheless very satisfying and perceptive, great sound ).

Well, there you have it! I just gave you a rundown of over a dozen Heldenlebens, I hope you were taking notes! Isn't this the best review ever? Hahaha! Simon is strongly competitive overall in this music but the honor goes to Herbert von Karajan in the end, anyone who disagrees with that simply doesn't have a clue!

1st place, Karajan on EMI from 1974, available in the Karajan Edition or Karajan Collection, same remastering by the way! 2nd place is Karajan on DG Karajan Gold from the 1980's or the early 1959 version, both great but the digital one has the edgy sonics as I mentioned. 3rd place, take your pick, Rattle/EMI, Reiner/RCA, Solti/Decca, Thielemann/DG or Blomstedt/Decca, any of these versions is a winner but not a champion. If you want a more historical perspective, you can seek out Thomas Beecham or Clemens Krauss, ( Strauss' main conductor back in the day ), or even the master Richard Strauss himself conducting Heldenleben, I haven't heard Strauss himself, but it must be good!

Did I mention that Rattle also conducts the suite Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme on this CD? This is not a favorite of mine by any measure, how can the composer of Ein Heldenleben, Salome and Elektra also fashion together this pedestrian bourgeoise score? The modernists must have had a field day ripping Strauss a new one over this music, although some composers like Stravinsky would be guilty later of similar stylings in his neo-classical phase for instance. All in all this is one of the many different facets of Strauss' persona, the fire-breathing hero on the one hand and the middle class dork on the other. If you want a great performance of Le Bourgeois Genhilhomme, go to Fritz Reiner, this Simon Rattle version doesn't measure up, it's too dull. It was recorded in the studio and the sound is tame compared to the vibrancy and immediacy of the coupled Heldenleben performance which was recorded live!

Has this been the longest review you've ever read? If you have read it, I hope it was worth your time. I'll just go now and listen to Karajan's great performance of the sadly neglected masterpiece Sinfonia Domestica. Later I'll listen to some of Solti's version of Die Frau Ohne Schatten, one of the most heavenly operas ever composed by the way! Why am I wasting so much time writing this review then? Right, I'm going now, at least I'll know this was helpful to all you Strauss fans!

Beware the 'sound' of the future.......2006-07-26

Buyer beware: this is what the dumbing down of sound recording in the face of the victory of market forces has in store for us for the future for classical music recording. This is a horrible recording. Everything you DON'T want front and centre here is just that. Unbelievably, the strings are super over-balancd, rendering melodic detail in the wind and brass irrelevant. The recording is spectacularly 2-dimensional (I mean, who cares when you are listening through an i-pod anyway!) and any sense of perspective one might expect is pretty much eradicated in the first 20 seconds. This makes the performance sound (even if it isn't, but who could tell?) utterly superficial: loud, unsubtle, totally un-engraciating, and ultimately really flat. I took out my old Blomstedt/Dresden recording from 20 years ago on Denon, and . . . oh, what a difference!
This new recording sounds as if it was recorded in my bedroom closet, and having been to the Berlin Phil in their hall, it is about as far from the experience as it is possible to get. No idea what the other reviewer has in mind as an exemplar, but we sure don't see eye to eye! Rattle continues his terrible recording record. Players and administrators seem to like him, but precious few great performances seep through his grasp - despite having the world's greatest orchestra at his beck and call!
Terrible. Pathetic. Sad.

A masterful new Heldenleben, graced with spectacular sonics.......2006-02-12

Herbert von Karajan, who turned the Berlin Phil. into the almost superhuman ensemble it remains today, conducted Strauss all his life but avoided Mahler until near the end. Simon Rattle has done the opposite, so it's significant that he decided to tread on sacred ground and record one of Karajan's most famous showpieces. The result is a triumph: this is totally committed conducting that crackles with more excitement than any of Karajan's analog or digital versions.

EMI has given Rattle superbly detailed sonics across a huge dynamic range; there is no comparison with the boomy bass and shrill violins found in Karajan's classic 1959 account on DG. The multi-miking here may offend purists, since no inner detail is left out--if you still want to hear th second flute while the brass is blasting away, here you go. I for one find the impact of this CD almost unbearable. The flood of sound comes close to the shivering excitment of the real thing (Rattle recently overhwlmed the New YOrk critics and public with this same Heldeleben performance in Carnegie Hall, which I attended).

My chief objection to Rattle's conducting has been its fussiness, and in the long, enraptured section devoted to the hero's beloved, Rattle dawdles self-consciously over every sugary bar. But elsewhere he uncovers so much new detail that I was won over; this is a Heldenleben that underlines every expressive stroke from Strauss rather than being embarrassed by excess. The generous filler is a graceful, sensitively small-scale reading of the Bourgeois Gentilhomme Suite that Strauss concocted to resuce a pastiche of 18th-century music from the original, unworkable version of Ariadne auf Naxos. Both readings are from 2005, the Heldenleben recorded at a live concert, the Bourgeois Gentilhomme in the studio.

Without a doubt this CD sets a new standard in performance for one of Strauss's most extravangant tone poems. It's hard to imagine another orhestra that could duplicate it (if you have doubts, there's a new live Heldenleben from the Royal Concertgebouw under Mariss Jansons to put beside this one).

The Most Uplifting Classics in the Universe

Average customer rating:

The Most Uplifting Classics in the Universe

Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Classical Blast

ASIN: B0002JUX9C
Release Date: 2004-08-17

Tracks:

Handel - Water Music, III.
Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, I. Allegro
Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto, III. Allegro Molto Vivace
Beethoven - Symphony No. 5, IV. Allegro
Dvorak - "In Nature's Realm" Overture
Holst - The Planets, Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity
Mozart - Piano Sonata NO. 11, III. Alla Turca - Allegretto
Vivaldi - The Four Seasons, Spring, I. Allegro
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4, II. Andantino in mode de Canzona
Dukas - Fanfare preceding "La Peri"
Mozart - Piano Sonata NO. 16, I. Allegro
Saint-Saens - Carnival of the Animals, XIII. The Swan

Tracks:

Bruckner - Symphony No. 4 "Romantic", First Movement
Mozart - Symphony No. 39, IV. Allegro
Handel - Water Music, XII. Alla Hornpipe
Strauss - Ein Heldenleben, 1. The Hero
Tchaikovsky - Symphony NO. 5 "Pathetique", II. Allegro con grazia
Dvorak - Symphony No. 8, I. Allegro con brio
Beethoven - Sextet, III. Rondo - Allegro
Bach - Orchestral Suite No. 1, III. Gavotte
Mozart - Flute Concerto in 2, I. Allegro aperto

Orchestral Excerpts for Bass Trombone, Tenore Tuba, Bass Trumpet

Average customer rating:

Good, but not the best methods for bass trombonists
Mulcahy Rocks, Reynolds is Hilarious!
Very Helpful
A perfecrt resource...almost!

Orchestral Excerpts for Bass Trombone, Tenore Tuba, Bass Trumpet

Manufacturer: Summit(Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Orchestral Excerpts for Tuba
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Charles Vernon, Bass Trombone
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Orchestral Excerpts For Horn

ASIN: B0000038JV
Release Date: 1995-07-18

Tracks:

Bass Trbn: Sarabande in c - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
Bass Trbn: Till Eulenspeigel, Zarathustra, Ein Heldenleben - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
Bass Trbn: Miraculous Mandarin/Sym No.9/Vn Con - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
Bass Trbn: Hungarian March, Rome And Juliet - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
Bass Trbn: Sym No.1 - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
Bass Trbn: Sym No.7/Sym in d - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
Bass Trbn: The Creation/Hary Janos - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
Bass Trbn: Syms No.5, 6, 7, 9 - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
Bass Trbn: Pictures/Romeo And Juliet/Pines Of Rome/Gazza Ladra - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
Bass Trbn: Sym No.3 - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
Bass Trbn: Sym No.5 - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
Bass Trbn: Lohengrin, Ride Of Valkyries - Jeffrey Reynolds/Los Angeles Phil
Bass Tpt: Intro - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
Bass Tpt: Das Rheingold - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
Bass Tpt: Die Walkure - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
Bass Tpt: Siegfried - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
Bass Tpt: Die Gotterdammerung - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
Tenor Tuba: Bydlo - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
Tenor Tuba: Sym No.7 - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
Tenor Tuba: Don Quixote - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
Tenor Tuba: Ein Heldenleben - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym
Tenor Tuba: The Planets - Michael Mulcahy/Chicago Sym

Customer Reviews:

Good, but not the best methods for bass trombonists.......2007-07-05

After listening to the excerpts, I recognized Jeffrey Reynolds' perspective. He is an experienced player, but some of his advice is not as practical as it seems. For the Franck excerpt, common orchestral practice is to play the f-sharp as written: it is an applicable range study and should be kept intact. The Schumann excerpt is not played as written also, and should be taken literally in the context that it was written. Mr. Reynolds' approach to Wagner is interesting, especially to Die Walkure. It's not for everyone, but it may be beneficial to some. The Kodaly is well presented, as well as the Mahler, Berg, and Strauss excerpts. All things considered, it is a decent aide for study, but should not be seen as a "this is how it must be done" collection of excerpts.

Mulcahy Rocks, Reynolds is Hilarious!.......2006-10-26

Okay, for anyone seriously interested in what NOT to do in an audition, make sure to listen to Reynolds on this disc. There's a reason this CD is infamous, and he's the reason. Even his advice is pretty awful. Take part of the D Major down an octave because the commitee won't notice? Hah! That kills me every time.

Mulcahy rocks on this, though. Just listen to the VAlhalla theme and tell me he's not a monster.

Then, go back and listen to Reynolds play Ein Heldenleben with 'oblique intonation' and 'questionable sound' and roll on the floor for a while.

Very Helpful.......2006-05-27

This CD was very helpful for me, a student bass trombonist. The CD enables you to not only hear the exerpt, but also listen to what the performer says about it and how it should be played. Mr. Reynolds, as well as Mr. Mulcahy played the exerpts beautifully.

A perfecrt resource...almost!.......2000-08-02

The Orchestra Pro series are a very useful tool to student musicians trying to get a grasp on how the major symphonic excerpts should be played. More useful, however is the spoken commentary, which resembles a one on one lesson with the performer. The bass trumpet and tenor tuba excerpts are played beautifully by Mulcahy. The bass trombone playing or Reynolds often leaves the listener wondering if he could not have done a slightly better job on some of the excerpts. All in all this CD is a great resource for those trying to get their foot in the door of the orchestral music scene.

Average customer rating:

It's not just music!

Orchestral Excerpts for English Horn

Manufacturer: Summit(Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005RGI3
Release Date: 2002-01-08

Tracks:

Symphony No.9
Cantata No.1
St. Matthews Passion #60
St. Matthews Passion #65
Rob Roy Overture
Roman Carnival Overture
Symphonie Fantastique
La Mer
Nocturnes
Three Cornered Hat
Concerto In G
Ma Mere L'Oye
Rhapsodie Espagnol
Pines Of Rome
Concerto De Aranjuez
William Tell Overture
Symphony No.8
Don Quixote
Ein Heldenleben
Le Sacre Du Printemps
Un Ballo In Maschera
Tristan Und Isolde

Customer Reviews:

It's not just music!.......2006-11-28

I was sorely disappointed...the entire CD is littered with commentary about the music by the English horn player. While the information she provides is potentially interesting to some listeners, I was wanting a music selection of dedicated English horn music. I found the (lengthy) verbal excerpts distracting and irritating to the point that I never listened to the CD again after it's initial run.

The music is great, though, when it's actually playing, despite the fact that you don't get the entire piece...

Average customer rating:

Orchestral Excerpts for Trombone

Manufacturer: Summit(Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Orchestral Excerpts for Tuba

ASIN: B0000038JF
Release Date: 1994-05-31

Tracks:

Requiem
Hungarian March/Sym Fantastique
Con
Sym No.9
Prld Act III, Lohengrin/Ride Of The Valkyries/Tannhauser Ov
Bolero
Sym No.3
Sym No.3
Sym No.1 & 2
Sym No.5
William Tell/La Gazza Ladra
Sym No.3
Sym No.6
Firebird Ste/Petrouchka
Russian Easter/Scheherazade
Till Eulenspiegel/Ein Heldenleben/Sprach Zarathustra
Sym No.4 & 7
Mathis Der Maler/Symphonic Metamorphosis

Average customer rating:

Tunes For Workout

Manufacturer: Direct Source Label
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Mozart for Your Morning Workout

ASIN: B00005YCZK
Release Date: 2000-02-15

Average customer rating:

Minnesota Orchestra Showcase

Manufacturer: Reference Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Exotic Dances from the Opera

ASIN: B00004YWRK
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Tracks:

Tone Poem After Lenau, Op.20
Looking Glass Insects
Valentino Dances
Finlandia
Baba Yaga
The Firebird Suite
Hopak
Von Der Jugend (Of Youth)
Appalachian Spring
Candide Suite
Ein Heldenleben
Alborada Del Gracioso

Lorin Maazel - Richard Strauss / Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Kempe Vs. Maazel is closer than one would think
Very Good But Not Great Richard Strauss from Maazel
boring and over rated
Overall, the recordings well worth it!

Lorin Maazel - Richard Strauss / Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Richard Strauss , Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra , and Lorin Maazel
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000IYO1
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

Sinfonia Domestica - Thema I (Bewegt)
Sinfonia Domestica - Thema II (Sehr lebhaft)
Sinfonia Domestica - Thema III (Ruhig)
Sinfonia Domestica - Scherzo (Munter)
Sinfonia Domestica - Massig langsam (Wiegenlied)
Sinfonia Domestica - Adagio (Langsam)
Sinfonia Domestica - Finale (Sehr lebhaft)
Tod und Verklarung (Death and Transfiguration)
Thus Spake Zarathustra, Op.30: Night Wanderer's Song
Rosenkavalier Ste, Op.59
Don Juan, Op.20

Tracks:

Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spake Zarathustra) - Einleitung (Introduction)
Zarathustra - Von den Hinterweltlern (Of the People of the Unseen World)
Zarathustra - Von der grossen Sehnsucht (Of the Great Longing)
Zarathustra - Von den Freuden und Leidenschaften (Of Joys and Passions)
Zarathustra - Das Grablied (Dirge)
Zarathustra - Von der Wissenschaft (Of Science)
Zarathustra - Der Genesende (The Convalescent)
Zarathustra - Das Tanzlied (Dance Song)
Zarathustra - Das Nachtwandlerlied (Night Wanderer's Song)
Rosenkavalier Suite
Don Juan

Tracks:

Till Eulenspiegels lustige Steiche (Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks)
Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life) - Der Held (The Hero)
Heldenleben - Des Helden Widersacher (The Hero's Adversary)
Heldenleben - Des Helden Gefahrtin (The Hero's Companion)
Heldenleben - Des Helden Walstatt (The Hero's Battlefield)
Heldenleben - Des Helden Friedenswerke (The Hero's Works of Peace)
Heldenleben - Des Helden Weltflucht und Vollendung (The Hero's Flight from Reality and Fulfillment)

Tracks:

Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony) - Nacht (Night)
Alpensinfonie - Sonnenaufgang (Sunrise)
Alpensinfonie - Der Anstieg (Ascent)
Alpensinfonie - Eintritt in den Wald (Entrance into the Forest)
Alpensinfonie - Wanderung neben dem Bache (Walking by the Brook)
Alpensinfonie - Am Wasserfall (At the Waterfall)
Alpensinfonie - Erscheinung (Vision)
Alpensinfonie - Auf blumige Wiesen (To flowery Meadows)
Alpensinfonie - Auf der Alm (At the Alpine Meadow)
Alpensinfonie - Durch Dickicht und Gestrupp auf Irrwegen (Wandering through Thicket and Undergrowth)
Alpensinfonie - Auf dem Gletscher - On the Glacier
Alpensinfonie - Gefahrvolle Augenblicke (Dangerous Moments)
Alpensinfonie - Auf dem Gipfel (At the Summit)
Alpensinfonie - Vision
Alpensinfonie - Nebel steigen auf (Rising Mist)
Alpensinfonie - Die Sonne (The Sun)
Alpensinfonie - Elegie (Elegy)
Alpensinfonie - Stille vor dem Sturm (Calm before the Storm)
Alpensinfonie - Gewitter und Sturm, Abstieg (Thunderstorm, Descent)
Alpensinfonie - Sonnenuntergang (Sunset)
Alpensinfonie - Ausklang (Conclusion)
Alpensinfonie - Nacht (Night)
Macbeth - Allegro, un poco maestoso; Presto
Macbeth - Moderato maestoso
Macbeth - Allegro, un poco maestoso

Amazon.com

Richard Strauss's gift for evocative musical description was uncanny, to the point where it was joked he could set even a grocery list or a pint of beer to music. In fact, his various tone poems--the form with which he first gained fame as a composer--actually develop an orchestral vocabulary to depict topics ranging from Nietzsche's Superman to a fierce storm on the Alps and a day in the life of a nuclear family. This set gathers Lorin Maazel's interpretations from the last few years (with perhaps the greatest tone poem of the whole canon, Don Quixote, still to come in a planned future recording). Maazel--currently music director of the Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, an ensemble of high-powered soloists modeled on Toscanini's famous NBC orchestra--is returning to some of these works for his third take, and his vision seems to have clarified in particular for the vistas of Ein Heldenleben and the Alpine Symphony as for the idealistic poetry of Death and Transfiguration and Don Juan.

While these accounts don't achieve the degree of narrative thrust of Kempe's indispensable versions or the astonishing ensemble opulence of Karajan's Strauss, Maazel highlights his orchestra's solo prowess at every possible moment, and textures are often given a marvelous clarity. The feeling such technical perfection imparts can be distant, as in what should be the most fevered passages of Zarathustra. But Maazel brings a loving touch to the much-dismissed Domestic Symphony as well as conviction to the early Macbeth. And the orchestra's wizardry--particularly the winds--gives much pleasure, especially in the deftly humored account here of Till Eulenspiegel. Both Zarathustra and the Sinfonia Domestica are still available as single-CD issues, as well. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Kempe Vs. Maazel is closer than one would think.......2005-10-02

There are two competing sets at mid-to-budget price of the major orchestral works of Richard Strauss, this RCA set and the much more complete one from Kempe on EMI. Although the Kempe has been a darling of critics for decades, he wasn't in truth a major interpreter of these works, just a solid, unintrusive Kapellmeister type. None of his readings, with the possible exception of Don Quixote with Paul Tortelier as collo soloist, would rank as a first choce, but none are eccentric, either. Kempe's specialty was to find delicacy and refinement in works that often come off blantantly.

With Maazel we have a very intrusive interpreter who is ocnstantly fiddling with the details of Strauss's writing and who is apt at any moment to deliver a little shock by turning a phrase unexpectedly. At first I found this intrusiveness irritating, but Maazel is quite a technician. There is no doubt that he has ideas, agree with them or not. His Bavarian forces sound to me about as virtuosic as the Dresden Staatskepelle for Kempe. Maazel's set is in much better sound than Kempe's, demonstration quality, in fact. That counts for a lot in these splashy works. If only Maazel had given his musicians free rein to go over the top in climaxes, but the orgiastic isn't his style; being in total control is.

In the end, as the owner of both sets, I find about equl rewards in them, even though critics greatly favor the Kempe, a choice that doesn't seem completely valid to me unless you happen to want all the esoterica of Strauss's output.

Very Good But Not Great Richard Strauss from Maazel.......2002-12-28

Perhaps I'm a bit jaded, having heard exceptional accounts of some of Strauss's tone poems from the likes of Karajan and Sawallisch, but Maazel's Strauss tone poem cycle is simply a very well recorded, brilliantly performed set that offers few new insightful thoughts into either Strauss's musical intentions or Maazel's. Maazel does a great job emphasizing the rich orchestral textures of Strauss's scores, but rarely is it played with much conviction and warmth; notable exceptions include brilliant performances of Ein Alpensinfonie - although among the best, I still prefer Solti's glistening account with the Bavarian Radio Symphony - and Macbeth. However, fans of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra will not be disappointed by their exquisite playing that is just as splendid as their peers in Berlin and Vienna. Yet if you are interested in profound, riveting accounts of Strauss's scores, I recommend listening to recordings by Previn and the Vienna Philharmonic, and Blomstedt and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, as well as those from Sawallisch and Karajan.

boring and over rated.......2000-05-11

I am a Lorin Maazel fan. I had no idea, however, that his R. Strauss tempi and balances were so boring. I was completely let down by these recordings. the only bonus was the recording technology they chose to employ, but overall, it was a total waist of time and money.

Overall, the recordings well worth it!.......1999-12-17

Lorin Maazel is not a neurotic conductor (nor was Richard Strauss the composer). Strauss had a tremendous gift of imaginative invention, vividness, and portrayal of the subjects and the heroes behind his symphonic poems. There's no doubt that Strauss took the ideas of Franz Liszt (the father of symphonic poems) and developed the genre further.

Lorin Maazel and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra managed to achieve the balance in their performances and they sound as if they played the works out of admiration rather than anything else. Vividness, excitement, and commitment are all present in these recordings, especially of Eine Alpinesinfonie.

However, Strauss, though not a neurotic, was a composer of drama. Therefore, performances with drama will tend bring out more effectively the vividness, imaginative, and the descriptive ever so characteristic aspects of Strauss symphonic poems (and his operas). Maazel and the Bavarian were able to bring out those aspects of Strauss' works to some effectiveness. Their main drawback included too much emphasis on balance and not much on daringness. The climax of Death and Transfiguration, for example lacks the element of surprise Rudolf Kempe or Herbert von Karajan were able to portray. It is as if Maazel's performance with the Bavarian, though distinguished, conscientously tried to ignore the ruggedness so much a part of Strauss' tone poems (such as Ein Heldenlaben). Forget the meticulousness for a while, just tell us the story that will keep us awake and excited.

This set (or separate CDs previously issued) is recommendable. But if you're the one that needs to feel compelled and/or pumped up, go for the recordings of Herbert von Karajan or Rudolf Kempe, or even Sir George Solti (the best conductor of Strauss' operas by the way!).

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