Transfiguration

Track Listings

1. Transfiguration 1

2. Transfiguration 2

3. Transfiguration 3

4. Transfiguration 4

Transfiguration,Misha V. Stefanuk,Misha V. Stefanuk,Miscellaneous,New Age

Transfiguration

Tracks:

Transfiguration #1
Vincent O'Brien
Sad, Sad Song
Undertaker
Duet For Guitars #3
Outta My Head
Involuntary
Helicopter
Poor Boy, Minor Key
Fool Says
Get To The Table On Time
A Voice At The End Of The Line
Dead Man
Let's Dance
Transfiguration #2

Amazon.com

M. Ward has been championed by Howe Gelb, who released Ward's 2000 debut disc Duet for Guitars #2 on his Ow Om label, and Conor Oberst, who brought Ward on the road with Bright Eyes. In 2001, Ward earned some small measure of acclaim for his sophomore effort, End of Amnesia, and if the Portland, Oregon-based songwriter keeps making records as inventive and thoroughly rewarding as this third album, he won't be unknown long. Full of snappy, loping pop tunes interwoven with mellow instrumental passages, Transfiguration of Vincent shows Ward to be a terrific folk and blues guitarist, a perceptive, witty storyteller, and--in tossing piano, percussion, harmonica, and various other instruments into mixes that never feel the least bit cluttered--an imaginative arranger. He's also an expressive vocalist, whether in a winsome upper register that recalls Ben Harper or his sandy-throated midrange. There's not a weak moment on this dark-horse gem of a disc. --Anders Smith Lindall

Customer Reviews:

The One I Listen To When I Need Anything.......2006-04-28

Hi, I simply would like to express my affinity for M. Ward; to me, this album is brilliant. Please share an email with me if you feel the same, at jgarafolo@comcast.net. Thanks. Always, J.G.

Exceptionally honest music.......2005-09-09

Unfortunately, I had never heard of M. Ward until this year, and realized I was missing out on a truly gifted musician and songwriter.

This album, dealing with death (sometimes directly with Undertaker and Dead Man and sometimes indirectly) is poignant without being depressing, and the only complaint I could possibily have is that it's possibly too uplifting for a song dealing with the consequences of the death of a close friend/relative.

The production is perfect and the guitar work is great. The songwriting is sparse, but sometimes less is more.

I think the best tracks are "Helicopter" and "Vincent O'Brien". The David Bowie cover, if it wasn't so damn good, would be a poor fit with the overall album.

A Great CD.......2005-07-07

This is lovely stuff. The other reviews say why much better than I can, but I just had to add to the adoration.

M Ward Transfigures Genres: Great Music.......2005-03-23

Throw the Velvet Underground's "Loaded", Tom Waits "Swordfish Trombones" a few old bakelite `78s and a dash of those sad-sweet memories (the ones that you love to recall and long to relive) into your kitchen aid mixer (or an audio mixer for that matter) and the result would be something similar to M Wards "Transfiguration of Vincent". This album is a real gem and has a sublime and profound quality that lies just out of reach of proper description. I will admit the fact that I bought this album only after buying (and falling in live with) "Transistor Radio". If you've heard this latest of M Ward's works and enjoyed it I am positive that you will also appreciate this earlier work. While "Transfiguration of Vincent" is somewhat more muted in style and form than "Transistor Radio" it doesn't make it a lesser album.

Sometimes crooning, sometimes strong, Ward's voice hovers between pointed focus and some dreamy oblivion. The music equally is not definable in one genre. One could say that this album is of a progressive/experimental folk style but even this seems limiting once you hear the music. It is evocative of some other time yet at the same time current.

Yes, M Ward delivers a great album with "Transfiguration of Vincent" if you are a fan of Uncle Tupelo, Tom Waits, Wilco or even Elliot Smith you should certainly appreciate this album. It is great background music for social events and also great quiet time music while also being great driving music. You'll like this album... Its Involuntary...

-- Ted Murena

#3 Ward Highway: A Growing Star.......2005-02-22

This, M Ward's third CD, places him in the forefront of a modern movement that is clearly progressive while simultaneously sounding regressive, feeling dusty with age, and manifesting a genius that is pure and untempered. His music defies description except to say it is coming from somewhere seeped in the early blues with a Neil Young overlay and the feel of country, blues, pop, and folk. I am beginning to believe, the more I listen to this CD, that if Neil Young heard it he would say: "That's it...that is what I was trying to sound like...listen to those chord progressions and chord changes...that's it". People point to Tom Waits and others as Ward's forebearers but the muse here is genuinely unique and the sounds are those that only a budding genius could make. The opening rif of "Fool Says" feels like it came from Abbey Road but by song's end you have been dipped in Young and Dylan. I dare you to listen to "Get to the table on time" and not imagine yourself there as the Ward family calls their prodigal son to come down from the attic for dinner. M Ward makes beautiful music---sounds like you have never encountered---and he sings along with the melodies as if he can't help himself. Who could if they had this much soul? It is all coming from a very deep place inside him and you owe it to yourself before you pass---the main issue he is addressing on this CD---to hear these songs because they are the most soulful and melodic tunes you will have heard in quite some time. This man lives in his own songful world and I can't thank him enough for sharing it with us on Transfiguration. If you put this CD on your stereo it will be a long time before you take it off. The more you listen the deeper it gets---just like M Ward, I suspect. This is genius, pure genius, and you need to hear it. If when you have given Transfiguration a good listen and find yourself wanting more of the same (yet beautifully different), then go backwards on the Ward Highway to End of Amnesia or forward to Transitor Radio. You will be very glad you did. Enjoy!

Strauss: Four Last Songs / Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Average customer rating:

The Perfect Four Last Songs
Absolutely Beautiful!
Karajan really puts a damper on things
Fantastic readings of some of Strauss's most beautiful work
Gorgeous Gundula

Strauss: Four Last Songs / Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra, Don Juan / Karajan
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Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie
Strauss: Four Last Songs; Songs with Orchestra; Rosenkavalier Suite
Gundula Janowitz Songs: Strauss Liszt & Schubert

ASIN: B000001GQF
Release Date: 1996-01-23

Tracks:

Tod Und Verklarung Op. 24
Metamophosen: Metamorphosen
Veir Letzte Leider: Fruhling
Veir Letzte Leider: September
Veir Letzte Leider: Beim Schafengehen
Veir Letzte Leider: Im Abendot

Amazon.com

Gundula Janowitz had a very beautiful voice that critics like to describe as "creamy," whatever that means. Strauss had a life-long love affair with the soprano voice. He even married one--not just the voice, the whole woman, of course. His Four Last Songs constitute his dying tribute, and they are probably the most hedonistically gorgeous vocal works in existence. Herbert vo Karajan was a Strauss specialist, as was Janowitz, and together they contrive to perform the songs about as perfectly as they ever have been. The couplings, two orchestral works from the beginning and end of Strauss's career, are quite appropriate: the last of the Four Songs quotes the "Transfiguration" theme from the tone poem. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

The Perfect Four Last Songs.......2007-04-20

Of all the Straussians who have sung the composer's autumnal pieces, I think the best of the lot is Gundula Janowitz. Her ethereal, diaphanous, and floating voice fits these songs perfectly, and her natural sense of expression conveys that aura of old age, wisdom, and reflection radiated by these songs. Although hers is the kind of voice that wouldn't have the deep, low notes for Frühling, the rest of the songs sound like pearls falling off a string. In September and Beimschlafengehen, she has no rivals, and her Im Abendrot has that reflective sense of retirement that only she can bring to this glorious music. That said, I think that in addition to Janowitz, you must hear Lisa della Casa and Soile Isokoski in these songs. Janowitz is partnered by the orchestral forces of THE Straussian conductor, Herbert von Karajan. His feeling for the poetry in these pieces is unrivaled by any other conductor except Karl Böhm, and the Berlin forces play a ravishing account of this music. The balance is just right, and Karajan caresses the orchestral forces to a soft cushion of sound for Janowitz. All the resignment and wisdom of Strauss' final masterpieces can be found in this rendition of the music. The Metamorphosen and the Tod und Verklärung that precede these are also played with the finesse and the smoothness of the Berliners. Bravo!

Absolutely Beautiful!.......2006-07-19

Gundula Janowitz did an amazing job on the Four Last Songs by Strauss. Her tone is so beautiful with clarity, and her voice is so expressive. She also does not over sing these delicate songs which I heard oversung, and it ruins each piece. Of course, Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic are amazing and perfect for Richard Strauss. The violin solo in the "third" of the four last songs is amazing and heartbreaking. You dont even have to be a Strauss fan to love this cd. Anybody who loves music has to love Strauss's Four Last Songs which can be described as some of the most beautiful music written.

Karajan really puts a damper on things.......2006-07-14

There are fervent Herbert von Karajan fans out there and a lot of people love this album, but I just don't see what the fuss is all about. Karajan's interpretations here seem daft and un-comprehending. In the sleeve notes, the Berlin Philharmonic concertmaster is quoted to say that Karajan quickly gave the orchestra a clear idea of what he wanted in rehearsals, so that in performance he could largely "let the orchestra play itself," taking over to provide leadership and an interpretive touch "at key moments." And that's exactly the sense I get in so many passages here: that Karajan is simply letting everyone play, not guiding or directing or shaping things.

The playing of the Berlin Philharmonic---the orchestra that is, by many if not by general consensus, held to be the world's finest---is of course spectacular. In fact, the orchestra is so good that all a conductor has to do to bring things off pretty well is to start and stop them together, and frankly for a great deal of this disk that seems to be the extent of Karajan's involvement. So many expressive nuances in these scores go by without emphasis, as though Karajan isn't even aware of them.

In the Four Last Songs, I much prefer Schwarzkopf and Szell with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. There, the phrasing is astute and expressive, heightening the effect of these scores, where Karajan deflates everything and largely sabotages the effect these gorgeous orchestral songs ought to have. Furthermore Schawarzkopf is gentle and tender where Janowitz, for as much as she sings arching, elegant phrases, is often rather overblown by comparison.

The exception here, though, and the reason for a 3-star rating rather than only 2, is the Metamorphosen, Op. 142. This is a remarkable, complex work that reveals itself more and more with multiple listenings, and the reading here is a real masterpiece. Perhaps Karajan deserves the credit, or perhaps the smaller ensemble (23 strings) fosters an atmosphere of chamber playing so that the orchestral musicians themselves are primarily responsible for the interpretive contribution here... given just how much Karajan muffles the expressive content in the other two works, I tend to think the latter is probably closer to the truth.

Fantastic readings of some of Strauss's most beautiful work.......2005-10-29

What more can I say that other reviewers have not already said? Karajan's direction of the BPO remains unsurpassed for Strauss. The BPO from the 1960's through the mid-70's was at its absolute apex and it shows, especially in the electric and beautiful "Tod und Verklarung" and the reflective "Metamorphosen". These interpretations of those two major tone-poems remain the definitive recordings for me; I have heard other performances, but none have moved me in this way.
I have to be honest, I am not a huge fan of Lieder in general - vocal works are not my bag, really. Still, if you enjoy this medium, then these pieces must not be missed, as they certainly are beautiful, and Gundula Janowitz has one of the most gorgeous classical voices.
Overall, this disc is can't miss - fantastic sound and performance, affordable price and a huge runtime (77+ minutes). A must have for Straussians.

Gorgeous Gundula.......2005-10-26

This is a must have CD for Janowitz's singing alone. Recently, many overpowered Wagnerian sopranos have attempted to perform the four last songs, but they are invariably miscast for these intimate works. Janowitz's singing here is precisely on the mark for the kind of atmosphere Strauss calls for. Karajan seems to fulfill every demand a signer could have here with gorgeous coloring, balance and pacing, always allowing Janowitz to breathe. These four last songs are part of my desert island collection.

Tod und Verklaerung likewise is an excellent rendition by Karajan. Death becomes palpable in a very naturalistic reading of this very naturalistic tone poem. The Metamorphosen on the other hand are the low spot on this disc and the reason for the "only" four stars rating. It seems emotionally overwrought and unconvincing as a whole. We have here unfortunately another example of excessively lush, chocolatey string overkill so common in later Karajan recordings. It seems wholly inappropriate for what is Strauss at his most experimental and non-romantic. A bit more clarity and emotional restraint would have helped.

Strauss: Til Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks/Don Juan/Death And Transfiguration

Average customer rating:

Strauss served straight, no chaser
Can't Go Wrong
One of the essential Strauss tone poem recordings.

Strauss: Til Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks/Don Juan/Death And Transfiguration

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000025JH
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Op. 28
Don Juan, Op. 20
Death And Transfiguration, Op. 24

Customer Reviews:

Strauss served straight, no chaser.......2003-01-12

George Szell was not a conductor much given to bombast. Clarity, precision and directness were his watchwords, and his overall approach serves the music of his onetime boss very, very well. Strauss' lushly (not to mention densely) scored tone-poems are creamy enough without the conductor upping the cholesterol count, and this Szell does not do. What he does is present the music straight, letting it speak for itself, and the Cleveland Orchestra--which Szell turned from an okay provincial ensemble into one of the world's great orchestras (which it still is)--responds brilliantly. The sound quality is dated and a little constricted, but that's a minor complaint.

Can't Go Wrong.......2002-07-30

In general, I don't think you can go wrong with Szell's magnificent accounts of these perenial Strauss favorites. The Columbia sound of the 60s was in many ways far superior to modern recorded sound, warmer and much more live. And Szell was a great conductor for this kind of music. It doesn't require an extreme personality, and in fact, doesn't respond well to that kind of conducting. Szell was nothing if not workmanlike...just what Strauss' tone poems need.

One of the essential Strauss tone poem recordings........1998-12-07

Yet another great Szell/Cleveland recording. It seemed that everything George Szell touched in the recording studio turned to gold, and this fabulous recording is no different. Along with Reiner's 1954 'Zarathustra' and Karajan's 1959 'Heldenleben' and 1976 'Don Quixote,' this is one of the truly essential Strauss tone poem recordings. Szell, who was an assistant to Strauss himself, removes the usual bombastic interpretive dust and lets the music speak clearly and articulately. Everything that is marvelous about this music Szell simply gives you--no show, nothing overdone. And this makes the music all the more effective. For instance, in Death and Transfiguration, the first three statements of the 'Transfiguration' theme are much faster than usual. This may lead some to say that Szell is being cold and unemotional. But where Szell's genius lies is that he realizes the truly climactic statement of this theme is at the end of the piece. When Szell reaches the final, orgasmic statements of the theme, he then drastically slows the tempo down. This makes the moment 100 times as effectice, moving and powerful as usual. Just one among many marvels that listeners will find in these great recordings.

Average customer rating:

One of Fahey's best
One of the best Acoustic Guitar cds I have ever heard
For Guitarists and Acoustic Lovers Alike
Great acoustic guitar
Distinctly John Fahey

The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death
John Fahey
Manufacturer: Takoma
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003Z92
Release Date: 1997-06-24

Tracks:

Beautiful Linda Getchell
Orinda-Moraga
I Am The Resurrection
On The Sunny Side Of The Ocean
Tell Her To Come Back Home
My Station WIll Be Changed After While
101 Is A Hard Road To Travel
How Green Was My Valley
Bicycle Built For Two
The Death Of The Clayton Peacock
Brenda's Blues
Old Southern Medley
Come Back Baby
Poor Boy
Saint Patrick's Hymn

Amazon.com essential recording

1959's self-released Blind Joe Death had an enigmatic spare cover that read "Blind Joe Death" on one side and "John Fahey" on the other. The playful 20-year-old "American primitive" guitarist had created an alternate identity: that of the obscure, unknown guitar great Blind Joe Death. The album's material was influenced by the down and dirty country blues of Mississippi John Hurt, Bukka White, and Charley Patton, all manner of old-timey vernacular sound, and 20th-century classical music. This haunting release only contains one of the original recordings; the rest are far more nimble-fingered versions from 1964 (and from '67). As expertly compiled on this disc, Transfiguration presents an opportunity to crawl inside the head of a master musician just as the world of sound unfolds before him. By the time the listener hears the sparkling '67 cuts, a magical, syncretic transformation has occurred. The idiosyncratic artist revisits these plaintive, resonant songs yet again in 1988 on the moody I Remember Blind Joe Death. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews:

One of Fahey's best.......2005-10-24

This album is great and should be a must for those who like more traditional Fahey. i myself love all of his stuff, yes even Womblife and City of Refuge. "On the sunny Side of the Ocean" might be my favorite Fahey composition ever and the album is worth buying for that alone. IF YOU LIKE OR PLAY THE ACCOUSTIC GUITAR YOU MUST OWN THIS ALBUM!

One of the best Acoustic Guitar cds I have ever heard.......2005-09-28

I put off buying a John Fahey cd for a long time, and choose this one because of the title. This is a different John Fahey than the one I saw in concert at a record store in Austin in 1999 or 2000. When I saw him, he played electric guitar in a very minimalistic style. He did no fingerpicking or old time music at all. I find this cd very restful and it gives me a feeling like finding an old photo album from 100 years ago at a country thrift store and looking at the yellowed and faded photos of men with strange facial hair and women in corsets.
Although I mostly prefer electric guitar music, I play this cd a lot. I think people who like John Fahey would also like Tony McManus, Leo Kottke, Adrian Legg (saw an incredible concert by him in San Francisco a few years back), Rooster Kiev (blues meets mid-eastern dance music)and let's not forget Doc Watson!

For Guitarists and Acoustic Lovers Alike.......2005-08-19

I've played guitar for 30+ years, and I was exposed to John Fahey very early on. His "Blind Joe Death" album (along with Ry Cooder's early albums) changed the way I looked at technique and tone. They made we want to find similarly obscure (if not weird) tunes and bring a personal touch to them. If you're not a guitarist, you're still going to love this very excellent album (though I'm not a big fan of Track 1). Fahey equally rewards both the casual and the careful listener.

If you play guitar or are into music theory, the outstanding liner notes include guitar tunings for each track. Some of these tunings are unique to Fahey. Unlike Kottke, for example, most of Fahey's tunes aren't difficult to play -- if you're going to try, having the right tunings will help immensely. Fahey is not flashy or fast -- he's about atmosphere and creative touches that most guitarists wouldn't think of. I probably prefer "Blind Joe Death" to this CD, but not by much. This is elegant, creative, and unusual guitar music.

Great acoustic guitar.......2005-01-30

Without realising the spine of my albumn had disintegrated, the ancient disc slipped through my thumbs to the floor. The faintest thwack, but, alas, two tiny fragments remained on the floor, ruining the perfection of a thirty year plus piece of Fahey. And damn it, it was my favourite Fahey! Not that I have the exhaustive repository of a true fan or the professional guitar knowledge. And not that I find anything but willful obsfucation in his need for masking as Blind Joe and the feigned erudition of liner notes that go nowhere. But if the jokes helped him stabilize sufficiently to make these delicate and eloquent compositions, then bless him. I also have some things with a dixie-sounding ensemble on 'River & Religion' and
'Old Fashioned Love' with its incomparable and transporting version of,'A Persian Market'. And the surprisingly sprightly'Christmas Albumn'. But this one is very atmospheric stuff and a rich complement to those two early, rurally inspired and similarily resilient Band albums. Looks like I'll have to upgrade to CD.

Distinctly John Fahey.......2004-12-28

In nearly every review of John Fahey, the remark is made that he spawned the career of the famous, inimitable Leo Kottke. While I do not intend to disparage Kottke, and listen to "6 and 12 String Guitar" quite frequently, John Fahey should be listened to because he is John Fahey, and "The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death" should be listened to because, quite simply, it is the best finger-picking guitar record I have ever heard.

Comparing Fahey to Kottke is, for fans of jazz, like comparing Thelonious Monk to McCoy Tiner, or, for fans of rock, imagine someone comparing Jimi Hendrix to Kurt Cobain. Sure, the first two played piano in a distinctive, personal, and prolific style, and the second two were both amazing guitarists. But skill and style are quite different, and although both Kottke and Fahey are finger-picker guitarists of similar skill, the emotions and styles they convey are quite different.

That being said, "Transfiguration" is an incredible album unlike any other I have ever heard. Fahey plays guitar with a brooding deliberateness that other guitars can only approximate. Kottke comes close on tracks like "Busted Bicycle," but that only scratches the surface of things that Fahey accomplishes on this record. I can listen to it for a week straight and not need to hear anything else; the range of emotion that it conveys is that wide. Whereas Kottke is fun to listen to, or Hendrix is emotional and Monk is unique, Fahey is pretty much everything.

I highly endorse this album and wish I had heard it sooner.

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

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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 : Also Sprach Zarathustra / Previn, Vienna PO

Average customer rating:

One of R. Strauss', and Previn's, finest albums.
Outstanding performances of the best Strauss tone poems.
The one song is longer than most people think but I like it

Richard Strauss : Also Sprach Zarathustra / Previn, Vienna PO

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben - Four Last Songs / Auger, Previn
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra, Don Juan / Karajan
Richard Strauss Concert
Stravinsky: Rite Of Spring, Fireworks, Petrouchka / Ozawa, Tilson Thomas, Chicago Symphony

ASIN: B000003CUV
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Tracks:

Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30
Tod Und Verklarung, Op. 24 (Death And Transfiguration)

Customer Reviews:

One of R. Strauss', and Previn's, finest albums........2005-05-19

This is one of Richard Strauss's, and Previn's, finest albums. The performances on two of the composer's most beloved works are overall good, and Telarc has done a marvelous job with its always superior sound quality.

The fanfare from Thus Spaka Zarathustr is probably the single most famous music by Strauss, ever since it became the intro for 2001 The Space Oddysey, and that segment alone is what I consider to be the highlight of the album. Brilliant brass, thunderous timpani (some other recordings of the timpani solo sounded more round and fat; this one is more sharp and full of intensity), and at the climax, the trumpets, as triumphant as they should be, really pierces the air.

It's worth a listen for any Richard Strauss fan.

P.S. - Strauss' Alpine Symphony under the same conductor, orchestra, and label, was a bit pale; you gotta get Karajan's performance on that piece.

Outstanding performances of the best Strauss tone poems........2002-10-29

Also Sprach Zarathustra and Death and Transfiguration are, in my opinion, the most beautiful of Strauss' tone poems. Zarathustra is probably the best known of the Strauss tone poems because its opening bars were used in the movie 2001 a Space Odyssey. But there is much more to Zarathustra than its glorious opening bars; it is a masterpiece from beginning to end. Death and Transfiguration, the second work on this CD, is on a par with Zarathustra. This is an ideal coupling of the two most beautiful and magnificent Strauss tone poems. And Andre Previn and the great Vienna Philharmonic give them outstanding performances. I bought this CD at its original full price and feel that I got my money's worth. At its current bargain price this CD is an outstanding value.

The one song is longer than most people think but I like it.......1999-10-28

The first two minutes of this song are what is at the beggining of Space Odeyessey 2001 but then there are 30 more minutes after that of other music. It very well portrays the whole feeling of the future. But I dont know what Also Sprach Zarathustra even means.

Average customer rating:

first-rate interpretations, second-rate recorded sound
Not worth it!!!!!!!
Wonderful Interpretation throughout.

Strauss: Tone Poems

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00002DF9N
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

An Alpine Symphony, Op.64: Night - Sunrise - Berliner Philharmoniker
An Alpine Symphony, Op.64: The Ascent - Berliner Philharmoniker
An Alpine Symphony, Op.64: Entering The Wood - Berliner Philharmoniker
An Alpine Symphony, Op.64: Wandering By The Brook - By The Waterfall - Apparition - Berliner Philharmoniker
An Alpine Symphony, Op.64: Flowery Meadows - On The Mountain Pasture - On The Wrong Track Through Thickets And Undergrowth - On The Glacier - Berliner Philharmoniker
An Alpine Symphony, Op.64: Precarious moments - On The Summit - Vision - Berliner Philharmoniker
An Alpine Symphony, Op.64: Rising Mists - The Sun Gradually Dims - Elegy - Berliner Philharmoniker
An Alpine Symphony, Op.64: Calm Before The Storm - Berliner Philharmoniker
An Alpine Symphony, Op.64: Thunderstorm, Descent - Berliner Philharmoniker
An Alpine Symphony, Op.64: Sunset - Berliner Philharmoniker
An Alpine Symphony, Op.64: Epilogue - Night - Berliner Philharmoniker
Don Juan, Op.20: Tone Poem After Nikolaus Lenau - Berliner Philharmoniker
Waltzes From Act III - Berliner Philharmoniker

Tracks:

Thus Spake Zarathustra, Op.30: Introduction - Michel Schwalbe
Thus Spake Zarathustra, Op.30: Of The Backworldsmen - Michel Schwalbe
Thus Spake Zarathustra, Op.30: Of The Great Longing - Michel Schwalbe
Thus Spake Zarathustra, Op.30: Of Joys And Passions - Michel Schwalbe
Thus Spake Zarathustra, Op.30: The Song Of The Grave - Michel Schwalbe
Thus Spake Zarathustra, Op.30: Of Science - Michel Schwalbe
Thus Spake Zarathustra, Op.30: The Convalescent - Michel Schwalbe
Thus Spake Zarathustra, Op.30: The Dance Song - Michel Schwalbe
Thus Spake Zarathustra, Op.30: Song Of The Night Wanderer - Michel Schwalbe
Festival Prelude, Op.61 - Wolfgang Meyer
Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Op.28 - Berliner Philharmoniker
Salome, Op.54: Dance Of The Seven Veils - Berliner Philharmoniker

Tracks:

A Hero's Life, Op.40: The Hero - Erich Muhlbach
A Hero's Life, Op.40: The Hero's Adversaries - Erich Muhlbach
A Hero's Life, Op.40: The Hero's Companion - Erich Muhlbach
A Hero's Life, Op.40: The Hero's Battlefield - Erich Muhlbach
A Hero's Life, Op.40: The Hero's Works Of Peace - Erich Muhlbach
A Hero's Life, Op.40: The Hero's Retirement From The World And Fulfilment - Erich Muhlbach
Death And Transfiguration, Op.24 - Staatskapelle Dresden

Customer Reviews:

first-rate interpretations, second-rate recorded sound.......2006-07-30

What admirable interpretations from Böhm! He breathes so much character into each of the musical "paragraphs" in these readings. Each theme is given its own distinct tempo, chosen with exceptional judgement to emphasize its idiosyncracies and expressive character; and Böhm can turn his orchestra on a dime when a good deal of contrast is called for between the end of one paragraph and beginning of the next. There's also enourmous dynamic range and contrast, form the softest pianissimi to thundering fortissimi. These are readings that really bring out the broad ebb and flow of these long pieces, emphasizing the structure, the architecture of them. They're really fantastic.

Do be warned, though, that the recorded sound is very dated: generally it's rather one-dimensional and the resolution is not very high, so that you mostly hear only the most prominent voices of the ensemble at any given time. It's at its worst in the Alpine Symphony, which sounds like a scratchy, screechy 1930's film soundtrack. In the rest of the pieces it ranges from good to serviceable; but if there's any repertoire that really benefits from today's high-fidelity recording technology, massive post-Romantic orchestral scores like these are certainly a front-runner. Buy this set for the marvellous interpretations, but you'll want to explore other, better-recorded readings as well to really hear the full depth and resonance of the orchestral sound.

Not worth it!!!!!!!.......2006-07-19

This seems like a great deal with the amount of material and the price, but the truth is "cheap price, cheap recordings" . I highly suggest if you want to get the most of Richard Strauss's tone poems you should buy different recordings. The main thing I was disappointed with on this box set was the recording of An Alpine Symphony. The recording of the alpine symphony was too old and weak, sloppy and loud (only at times),and just ok overall. The alpine symphony is on the first cd so I after I listened to that, I had a bad attitude about the rest of it. Even though, all of the other recordings are pretty good or ok.

Personally, I would suggest Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic when it comes to Richard Strauss's tone poems.

Wonderful Interpretation throughout........2006-01-01

This collection is a wonderful package in that it brings together one of Strauss's life friends and largest advocates (Karl Bohm) with two incredible GERMAN orchestras playing their own nationalistic music.

These recordings rank among my most cherished and loved. Highlights (for me) include the climax of sunrise in the Alpine Symphony, the huge reverberations as the massive sound of the fff chords carry over into silence in Heldenleben, and the wicked-crazy horns as they rip through the Waltz from Rosenkavalier.

These are prime interpretations (better, I feel than any other -- and I mean ANY - sorry Karajan fans!!!). And these two wonderful forces play their musical heritage with passion and brilliance.

As another reviewer pointed out, the sound quality leaves something to be desired, however it is not quite as bad as they would have us believe. What we first must take into account is that Strauss' huge tone poems put enormous demands on the recording equipment of its day that could not be met. Also, Bohm was stressed above all else that "the melody be prominent". Yes - as a result the recording really kicks out the melody line.

Okay - take that into account and listen to these with some imagination. I assure you that you will be able to hear the detail of Strauss' music - but more importantly the style and idea of it. Listen like you would look at a black and white photo. While the B&W leaves more for your imagination, you still "get the picture" - and sometimes the B&W reveales more! It's exactly the same with this incredible box of Strauss.

The interpretation is absolutely stunning and revealing. Bohm nailed this on the head and truly captured the essence of this music. I feel this is a wonderful place for you to start if you know little Strauss - and if you know much about Strauss, this is a great place for you to hear a different, but seemingly perfect interpretation of Strauss.

Strauss: Metamorphosen/Tod und Verklarung (Metamorphoses/Death and Transfiguration)

Average customer rating:

Absolutely Stunning
Very Famous Strauss Metamophosen plus Death and Transfiguration
Transcendent Strauss from Karajan, in excellent sound
Spiritual Music Of The Highet Order
Excellent throughout except a minor "droput" in 2nd track

Strauss: Metamorphosen/Tod und Verklarung (Metamorphoses/Death and Transfiguration)
Strauss , Berliner Philharmoniker , and Herbert Von Karajan
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000E2OB
Release Date: 1983-11-01

Tracks:

Metamorphoses
Death And Transfiguration, Op.24

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Stunning.......2006-12-02

I first heard Metamorphosen via Karajan's first recording, reissued on DG's originals series with his earlier Tod und Verklärung and Vier letzte lieder. The earlier recording is very good, but when I heard that Karajan even topped himself on this later recording, I couldn't hesitate to pick it up. It turns out the general opinion of this recording is correct. The performance is absolutely stunning, with just a little more dramatic pulse and greater clarity of string texture than the earlier performance. Also the sound is better. This CD rightly was assigned a Rosette in the Penguin Guide.

In the CD liner, it says that Strauss wrote Metamorphosen in response to the near total destruction of the city of Dresden during WWII, including many of its concert halls in which Strauss premiered many of his works. Scored for 23 strings, the music is profoundly emotional, simultaneously beautiful and tragic. The CD liner article also describes Strauss's string writing from a purely technical standpoint as "masterly in the extreme" and I could not have described it better myself. It is easily my favorite thing by Strauss, a much finer piece of music than even his more famous Also Sprach Zarathustra, IMHO.

Karajan was perhaps the finest interpreter of Strauss who has ever yet lived, and he pretty much owns this work. The Berlin Philharmonic responds superbly with string playing of the utmost refinement and power. The Tod und Verklärung is also magnificent and shares the same qualities as the Metamorphosen, but the disc is well worth the cost just for the Metamorphosen. The sound is good early digital, not quite as fine as the best modern digital, but more than adequate in conveying the performances. This CD is a little spendy but it is well worth every penny. Buy it from an Amazon Marketplace seller for cheaper if you have to, but whatever you do, just buy it!

Very Famous Strauss Metamophosen plus Death and Transfiguration.......2006-11-08

This is one of Herbert von Karajan's greatest recordings from his last decade, the 1980's. This album won the Gramophone orchestral record of the year award and it has always received the coveted Penguin Guide "Rosette Award" in every edition of that publication. I want to state first of all that this performance of Death and Transfiguration has been remastered and re-released on a different CD. It was re-released on Karajan Gold, catalog number 439 039-2, coupled with Karajan's digital Ein Heldenleben.

That Karajan Gold disc has much better sound in Death and Transfiguration than the CD you are looking at here. Please if you want to hear Karajan's greatest Death and Transfiguration, ( yes this one from the 1980's ), go buy that Karajan Gold disc with it's great sound. However, the Metamorphosen on this CD, to the best of my knowledge, has never been remastered, it's always been available here. The sound is fine, early digital, there is no glassiness or digital edge but there is also an overriding smoothness in texture. I know that this is primarily a Karajan attribute and not just the recording's fault but if DG ever decides to remaster this Metamophosen, they are really going to have a winner on their hands. Basically the sound is a bit too soft-grained for my liking.

The performance itself is masterful, in a category of it's own, this Metamorphosen is Karajan's greatest and the only competition I have ever found for it is Furtwangler's recording from 1947. Furtwangler is faster than Karajan but Karajan compensates with just as much emotion and utterly stunning string virtuosity which has never been surpassed. Get Furtwangler and Karajan, you won't regret it, they are the pinnacle in the recorded history of this Strauss masterpiece. Karajan's Death and Transfiguration is magnificient too, possibly the best ever, just do yourself a favor and get it on the remastered Karajan Gold CD if you want to hear Karajan's interpretation given full justice by great engineering.

Transcendent Strauss from Karajan, in excellent sound.......2006-03-03

Listening to these spellbinding performances made me wonder if in fifty years Karajan will still be viewed as a lesser conductor than Furtwangler. The Metamorphosen is played with supernatural ensemble by the strings of the Berlin Phil.--Furtwangler never built up th orchestra to nearly this level. Karajan's phrasing in Tod und Verklarung shows unsurpassed delicacy and instinctive musicality--Furtwangler had both qualities in abundance, but he doesn't excel Karajan here.

These recordings date from 1983 and come in excellent digital sound without bite or edginess in the upper registers. I think Metamorphosen, inspired by Strauss's grief over the destruction of beloved oepra houses in Munich and Dresden by Allied bombing, is spiritually deeper than Death and Transfiguration, which has more than a touch of sentimental hokum. But Karajan raises them both to the same level through his integrity and astonishing technique. In all, this is one of his transcendent Strauss CDs, a composer whose music Karajan had mastered completely.

Spiritual Music Of The Highet Order .......2005-12-02

What can I say about the mysterious and spiritual nature of this music ? This music is like Wagner's Parsifal in its spirituality and has hints of Mahler. Karajan conducts the Berlin Philharmonic with its stunning string harmony (it was said that the strings even rose and fell in unison). The music is sublime. Richard Strauss dramatized the Death of Christ and his Ressurection in a long, symphonic poem of great beauty. The strings are pivotal in this piece and with Karajan at the helm the music has never sounded more beautiful. I, too, heard the cracking sound at one point in the Transfiguration. But I don't care. This is ultimately the best recording of this work. Karajan probably conducted this piece with his eyes closed. It is music that is peaceful but powerful. It is music you can definately meditate to. Karajan totally gets Strauss, his fellow Austrian and with Karajan's experience with Wagner and Mahler, this particular work and the Metamorphosis is transcendent in his hands. This recording is seldom found in stores as I have not seen it There is another later recording of it, but that one is not as good. This one finds everything where it should be. Karajan has never had a more glorious moment.

Excellent throughout except a minor "droput" in 2nd track.......2004-09-05

This is definitely the best Metamorphosen on disc, and Death & Transfiguration is equally superb, although I haven't herad other interpretations, so I will not compare.
Everything about this CD is great - performances, sound, (very clear, balanced, transparent, with realistic depth, playing is great - it's BPO strings, after all)... except one minor issue that I have: in Death & Transfiguration, about 23:01 there is kind of few seconds' "cracking" i.e. small noise that sounds as kind of dropuout in digital domain. Shame, since quality of this digital recording is otherwise excellent throughout. Did anyone else notice this, or perhaps it's just my sample of disk?
However, do not hesitate to order this CD if You like great string playing and orchestration, rich passionate harmonies and ever-changing subtle melodies.

Average customer rating:

Truly great Strauss conducting from Haitink
5 grandes poemas y una hermosa suite
Get this for the wonderful Heldenleben.
Zarathustra said "nevermore"
Just onde for Jochum?

Richard Strauss: 5 Great Tone Poems

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000004198
Release Date: 1994-08-16

Tracks:

Don Juan, Op. 20
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 -: Der Held
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 -: Des Helden Widersacher
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 -: Des Helden Gefahrtin
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 -: Des Helden Walstatt
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 -: Des Helden Friedenswerke
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 -: Des Helden Weltflucht und Vollendung
Les joyeuses plaisanteries de Till l'Espiegle: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op.28

Tracks:

Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30: (Sonnenaufgang)
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30: Von den Hinterweltlern
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30: Von der grossen Sehnsucht
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30: Von den Freuden und Leidenschaften
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30: Das Grablied
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30: Von der Wissenschaft
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30: Der Genesende
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30: Das Tanzlied
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30: Das Nachtwandlerlied
Mort et transfiguration: Tod und Verklarung, Op. 24
Der Rosenkavalier, Op.59: First Suite of Waltzes
Der Rosenkavalier, Op.59: Second Suite of Waltzes

Customer Reviews:

Truly great Strauss conducting from Haitink.......2005-09-18

Philips outdid itself with wonderfully warm, clear, detailed sonics for Haitink's Also Sprach Zarathustra, and he obliged the engineers with a super-detailed reading that is riveting in every way. There is not a touch of Solti's vulgarity, and although I never thought I'd say it, this recording sounds better and comes off more dramatically than even Karajan's. Let's call it a tie. Everything else is wonderful as well.

5 grandes poemas y una hermosa suite.......2004-11-30

Bernard Haitink gano los mas pretigiosos premios con su serie de grabaciones de los poemas sinfónicos de Liszt y siguio su marcha de espectacular interpretacion con estos poemas sinfónicos verdaderamente notables.
Muerte y transfiguración, vida de heroe, don Juan y la siempre reducida a la introduccion Asi hablo Zaratustra son obras musicales que permaneceran como muchas en lo mas alto de la composición clasica y Haitink entre sus interpretes mas sobresalientes.
Este es un Cd de colección con obras grandiosas, geniales, llenas de emocion y magia, de sentimentalismo y plenas de innovadora genialidad.
Suma a esta maravillosa coleccion una sublime pieza de gran belleza, la suite del Caballero de la Rosa es notable y ademas en la soberbia direccion de Eugen Jochum, quien tomando a su cargo la orquesta del concertgebouw (patrimonio de Haitink) nos deslumbra y hace que la elección sea mas que satisfactoria, verdaderamente irresistible.

Get this for the wonderful Heldenleben........2003-08-25

The star of this Duo set is the Heldenleben, which alone is enough to justify the money spent. Hermann Krebbers plays the violin solos magnificently and Haitink gives a strongly expansive reading. However, the same expansive approach does not work too well in "Zarathustra" and "Tod", which have a certain Brucknerian stodginess. You will be left wishing for a bit more pace and brio in the playing. "Don Juan" and "Till Eulenspiegel" are excellently paced and played however. They are among the best performances I have ever heard.

Zarathustra said "nevermore".......2001-02-04

I thought it was impossible for any conductor or orchestra to screw up the introduction to "Also Sprach," but Haitink and the Concertgebouw prove it can be done. I will mainly focus on this introduction, as I am rarely able to listen to any more after hearing such an abomination right away. The orchestra leaves spaces in the passages wide enough to drive a truck through, and at the finale there is enough time to get up for some coffee between each chord. For anyone who saw 2001 and wanted a really good recording of the intro, plus some other good works, do not buy this album. It merely leaves you cold and angry that anyone would treat a piece of such majesty so. It's choppy, aimless, and infuriating. You can bet I will never again purchase any album that features the name Haitink.

Just onde for Jochum?.......2000-07-18

excelent music, lots of listening time and...why just one op. for Jochum?

R. Strauss: Till Eulenspiel; Don Juan; Death & Transfiguration [SACD]

Average customer rating:

Szell, Strauss, and the Cleveland Orchestra-A Great Combo!!
Another Szell classic

R. Strauss: Till Eulenspiel; Don Juan; Death & Transfiguration [SACD]

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Dvorak Symphony No. 7 & Carnival Overture & Smetana Die Moldau / Szell, Cleveland Orchestra (SACD)
Mahler: Symphony No. 10; Walton: Partita for Orchestra; Stravinsky: Firebird Suite [SACD]
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 ("Eroica"); Overtures [SACD]
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4; Midsummer Night's Dream; Hebrides [SACD]
Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 4; Weber: Oberon Overture [SACD]

ASIN: B00003WGO0
Release Date: 2000-01-11

Customer Reviews:

Szell, Strauss, and the Cleveland Orchestra-A Great Combo!!.......2005-08-18

After reading the other reviews,I decided to get this and am I glad I did. This is truly wonderful Strauss. I have owned Solti and Jarvi. Both are excellent. What this SACD only recording has over the others is Szell's interpretation and the immaculate playing of the Cleveland Orchestra. At nearly 50 years old, this is so much better than any of the new recordings out there.
The clarity is perfect. Very little hiss. All the choirs of the orchestra are clearly laid out. I truly enjoy the drive that Szell has in this reportoire. The horn section deserves raves for Don Juan. The solo horn in Till is spot on.
And while Death and Transfiguration may not have that emotional drive of Karajan, this one is delivered without the overt emotionalism that can ruin other interpretations.
Certainly a great recording.

Another Szell classic.......2002-01-28

George Szell has been very well served in Sony Classical's reissues on SACD of classics from its back catalogue. This is another gem, comprising three of the great tone poems of Richard Strauss, as conducted by one of the greatest exponents of his orchestral music on record.

As with the others in this series, Sony's untampered DSD transfer lets us hear all of the musical information on the original master tapes, without any artificial noise reduction or processing. The high frequency notes and wide dynamic range which are so much better on SACD than conventional CD serve this music well. There is so much more to be heard than on the recent CD transfers and infinitely more than on the original LP. You can hear every bit of the orchestral texture in these complex scores, and the recordings are so realistic that you can even hear Szell vocalizing and audibly urging on his forces! Very highly recommended.

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