The Music Pages | October 2008

This month’s crop of Eloquence releases focuses on the music of Richard Strauss. All his major tone poems are included across the compilations, as well as his concertos and his most important songs (including the Four Last Songs). In fact, this is a mini Richard Strauss edition on Eloquence! Some of the recordings are rare and all are time-honoured and the music, much of it scored for an orchestra in excess of 100 players, is colourful, romantic and lavish.
	Cat. No.: 480 0411 Barcode: 0028948004119 Label: DG Eloquence 2CD Release Date: October			Giuseppe Sinopoli STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben; Don Juan; Also sprach Zarathustra; Tod und Verklärung ARTISTS Dresden Staatskapelle New York Philharmonic Giuseppe Sinopoli TRACK LISTING RICHARD STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben Don Juan Also sprach Zarathustra Tod und Verklärung Four great Straussian heroes (including Strauss himself), in sumptuous readings by Giuseppe Sinopoli. Also sprach Zarathustra and Tod und Verklärung receive taut, thrilling readings from the New York Philharmonic. Ein Heldenleben and Don Juan are spacious and gloriously recorded with plenty of colourful orchestral detail. RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 480 0478 Barcode: 0028948004782 Label: DG Eloquence 2CD Release Date: October			Giuseppe Sinopoli; Bernard Haitink; Eugen Jochum; Karl Munchinger STRAUSS: Don Quixote; Till Eulenspiegel; Rosenkavalier Waltzes; Metamorphosen; Sextet from Capriccio; Frau ohne Schatten Fantasy; Love Scene: Feursnot; Dance of the 7 Veils: Salome ARTISTS Giuseppe Sinopoli Bernard Haitink* Karl Münchinger** Eugen Jochum TRACK LISTING RICHARD STRAUSS: Don Quixote* Till Eulenspiegel+ Rosenkavalier Waltzes+ Metamorphosen Sextet from Capriccio** Frau ohne Schatten Fantasy Feursnot: Love Scene Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils Beginning with two rascally characters – the deluded Don Quixote and the prankster Till Eulenspiegel, this set includes remarkable recordings from the catalogues of Philips and Deutsche Grammophon, with some recordings appearing on CD internationally for the first time – Haitink’s “Don Quixote”, Jochum’s blazing “Till Eulenspiegel” and shimmering Rosenkavalier Waltzes (both sets) and Münchinger’s recording of the sextet from Capriccio. Sinopoli’s “Metamorphosen”, previously coupled with Bruckner’s Eighth symphony and long unavailable, finds its rightful place in this Strauss collection. In addition to the Rosenkavalier and Capriccio moments, we have other orchestral music from Strauss’s operas, all conducted by Sinopoli and concluding with one of the most exciting and thrillingly-recorded versions of the Dance of the Seven Veils. RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 480 0408 Barcode: 0028948004089 Label: Decca Eloquence 2CD Release Date: October			Zubin Mehta; Andre Previn; Antal Dorati STRAUSS: Sinfonia domestica; Parergon zur Symphonie Domestica; Eine Alpensinfonie; Macbeth ARTISTS Zubin Mehta Gary Graffman; André Previn* Antal Dorati+ TRACK LISTING RICHARD STRAUSS: Sinfonia domestica Parergon zur Symphonie Domestica* Eine Alpensinfonie Macbeth+ Zubin Mehta’s LAPO recording of Strauss’s Sinfonia Domestica has long been considered a benchmark and after a considerable absence from the catalogue reappears here, coupled with the later Parergon for piano (left hand) and orchestra. Equally celebrated is Mehta’s reading of the Alpine Symphony, and the set concludes with one of Strauss’s earliest tone poems, Macbeth. RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 480 0404 Barcode: 0028948004041 Label: Decca Eloquence 2CD Release Date: October			Herbert Blomstedt; Lorin Maazel; Vladimir Ashkenazy STRAUSS: Burleske; Duet-Concertino; Oboe Concerto; Aus Italien; Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme ARTISTS Jean-Yves Thibaudet; Herbert Blomstedt* Gordon Hunt; Dimitri Ashkenazy; Kim Walker; Vladimir Ashkenazy° Vladimir Ashkenazy** Lorin Maazel TRACK LISTING STRAUSS: Burleske* Duet-Concertino° Oboe Concerto° Aus Italien** Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme Relative rarities among his output are Richard Strauss’s concertos, many written later in his life. This collection brings together works for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (the Duet Concertino) and the scintillating Burleske for piano and orchestra. In addition to conducting the concertos, Ashkenazy also conducts the early tone poem “Aus Italien” and Maazel’s humorous reading of Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme with the Vienna Philharmonic is restored to the catalogue. RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 480 0414 Barcode: 0028948004140 Label: DG Eloquence CD Release Date: October			Karita Mattila; Christine Schaefer; Claudio Abbado STRAUSS: Four Last Songs; Orchestral Songs ARTISTS Christine Schaefer [1]-[5] Karita Mattila [6]-[15] Berliner Philharmoniker Claudio Abbado TRACK LISTING 1 Wiegenlied 2 Das Rosenband 3 Liebeshymnus 4 Das Bächlein 5 Morgen 6 Gesang der Apollopriesterin 7 Freundliche Vision 8 Cäcilie 9 Verführung 10 Frühlingsfeier 11 Waldseligkeit 12-15 Vier Letzte Lieder Strauss had a lifelong affair with the soprano voice, and many of his songs were written with his (reputedly shrewish) wife Pauline’s voice in mind. This collection brings together five songs performed with crystalline purity by Christine Schaefer as well as some more dramatic settings performed by Karita Mattila, concluding with Mattila’s reading of the immortal Four Last Songs (Vier Letzte Lieder). RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 480 1283 Barcode: 0028948012831 Label: Decca Eloquence CD Release Date: October			Sir Georg Solti \| VERDI: Aida - highlights ARTISTS Leontyne Price Jon Vickers Rita Gorr Robert Merrill Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma Sir Georg Solti TRACK LISTING VERDI: Aida – highlights Highlights from Solti’s thrilling reading of Aida, recorded in July 1961. With four of the leading Verdi singers of the 1960s and plenty of Soltian fire in the belly, this disc of highlights includes more than 71 minutes of music, including all the great arias and scenes – Celeste Aida, the Triumphal March and the final love duet when Aida and Radamès are entombed alive. RETURN TO THE TOP