Neville Mosey - 2/8/2012

It has to be the most comprehensive single collection of music by Richard Strauss ever released on disc. As such, it deserves a very warm welcome.
The 36 disc set gets off to a good start with Rudolf Kempe's versions of the best-known orchestral pieces, with a few rarities thrown in for good measure. These recordings, licensed from EMI, and taped during the 1970's, have achieved classic status, a rightly so. Kempe was an outstanding Straussian and his performances, with the fabulous Dresden Staatskapelle and eminent soloists including Paul Tortelier, have been regarded as benchmarks since their original release on LP. The sound, whilst not quite up to recent digital standards, is still truthful analogue and has a pleasing autumnal glow. No apologies need to be made on technical grounds. These recordings take up the first nine discs and cover all the tone poems, the two named symphonies, concertante works and miscellaneous orchestral items. You can buy these 9 discs seaparately.
Discs 10-18 cover the complete chamber works including music for piano. These are licensed from the Arts label and feature excellent artists including Erno Sebestyen and Wolfgang Sawallisch. They are mainly live recordings emanating from the Richard Strauss Institut and Bavarian Radio in Munich. The sound is pure digital from the 1990's. The audience is quiet throughout allowing the listener to concentrate on the music, much of it rarely performed. The chamber music and solo piano genres lie on the margins of Strauss' output and, therefore, are of most interest to the diehard completist and specialist collector. Strauss' true genius lay in his major orchestral works, opera and song. The works contained in this section of the box are well-performed and recorded. There are some wonderful pieces such as the Violin Sonata, a String Trio and a Piano Quartet - early works and not entirely representative of their composer's mature style. There are also some duds - transcriptions of orchestral works, fugues and marches. You will probably listen once to these and then let them gather dust. There are a couple of melodramas, spoken in German with no translations. These are quite heavy-going and of limited interest. There is a little Wedding Prelude for harmonium dating from 1924. This rare piece raises a smile with it's wheezing sonority. It is hardly a masterpiece, though. These 9 discs are available in a separate box.
Disc 19 is licensed from EMI and offers rare choral items with orchestra, conducted by Michel Plasson. Recorded in digital sound in 1997, this is unusual and worthwhile although the repertoire is outside mainstream Strauss, nevertheless well worth hearing. The ballade "Taillefer" is probably better-performed on an Arte Nova recording, but it's close. The soloists are starry, including Felicity Lott. The rarest item on the disc is a song cycle for male voice chorus and orchestra, "The Times of Day". Overall, the disc is a highly desirable inclusion in the set, definitely for Strauss connoisseurs.
Now we move on to the operas. The next three discs are devoted to Karajan's classic 1956 recording of Der Rosenkavalier, featuring Elisabeth Scwarzkopf and Christa Ludwig in the two starring roles with a wonderful supporting cast and the Philharmonia Orchestra in its prime. This is considered to be one of the great recordings of the 20th century and its virtues are well known. It is presented here in its 1987 EMI remastering. The sound is early stereo and is more than adequate. The performance is in a class of its own and is far finer than Karajan's later re-make.
Next up is Sinopoli's 1995 recording of Elektra, licensed from DG. It is a fine performance with Alessandra Marc in the title role. The remaining roles are cast from strength and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna State Opera Chorus are predictably fine. This has always been a recommendable version of the opera and makes a valuable addition to the collection.
We wind the clock back 25 years to 1970 for a crackling, live performance of Salome, from Hamburg and starring the distinguished British soprano, Gwyneth Jones in the title role. I am happy to report that she is vocally on fine form and ably supported by no less than Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in the role of Jochanaan (John the Baptist) who eventually loses his head for her! This is a very vivid live reading conducted by veteran Straussian, Karl Bohm. It has a tremendous sense of occasion, coming from the Hamburg State Opera. It was originally released on DG.
Discs 28-29 feature a terrific studio performance of Ariadne auf Naxos conducted again by Giuseppe Sinopoli. The title role is sung by American soprano, Deborah Voigt, who is superb, but the outstanding performance here is by Ben Heppner as Bacchus. In my view, his is the best modern assumption of the role. With Natalie Dessay and Ann-Sofie von Otter as Zerbinetta and the Composer respectively, it's a marvellous recording and further evidence of the high standards contained within the set.
The next three discs contain another masterpiece, the opera Die Frau ohne Schatten. taken from a live performance in Munich with a stellar cast conducted by Joseph Keilberth in 1963. It marked the re-opening of the opera house there after the war and sets down what was an historic occasion. Here is another recording emanating from DG. The performance is captured in fine sound and features a roll-call of eminent singers: Jess Thomas, Martha Modl, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Hans Hotter and Brigitte Fassbaender. It is self-recommending.
Now follows a rarity. An early opera, Friedenstag. Once again, Sinopoli is in charge of the proceedings,originally released on DG at roughly the same time as an EMI version conducted by Sawallisch, which was probably marginally finer. Nevertheless, Brilliant is to be congratulated on restoring this version to the catalogue. The leading roles are sung by Albert Dohmen and Deborah Voigt. A one-acter lasting 75 minutes, it is probably of most interest to specialist collectors and is the last of the operas included in the collection. What a shame that more mature works such as Daphne, Arabella and others could not be included, presumably because Brilliant does not have licensing rights to these. Some of the operas here are available separately.
Discs 33-35 are devoted to an important aspect of Strauss's output, namely song. Here again, you get the feeling that the items included are limited to what is available to Brilliant Classics under licensing agreements. First we have a single disc recital sung by Mitsuko Shirai accompanied by Hartmut Holl on piano. It is a 1994 digital production licensed from Capriccio, Germany. There are no reservations from the point of view of engineering, but Shirai's approach sometimes seems too boisterous and edgy for the songs presented here, which represent only a small portion of Strauss' output.
The next disc is interesting from an historical point of view as it features the composer himself accompanying a roster of distinguished singers. These recordings, made by Austrian Radio in 1942/3 come from late in his life. Nevertheless, he offers eloquent accompaniments to the famous singers in this 78 minute compilation. It is the only, understandably, mono recording in the entire set, emanating from an effective 1991 remastering by Preiser. A wonderful selection of 34 songs is magically performed by legendary singers including Anton Dermota, Maria Reining and Alfred Poell. Lesser contributions come from Hilde Konetzni and Lea Piltti.
The final disc of music comes from the soprano Charlotte Margiono recorded digitally in 1993 with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Edo de Waart. Her version of the Four Last Songs does not compete artistically with the likes of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf or Gundula Janowitz, but it is nevertheless, a perfectly acceptable performance. Additionally, she gives us 8 songs with orchestral accompaniment featuring several favourites found elsewhere in the set accompanied on piano. These three discs can easily be supplemented by other Strauss song recitals available elsewhere on CD.
The 36th disc is, in fact, a CD-ROM containing a lively essay on the life and works of Strauss by Stephen Jay-Taylor. You will also find synopses and commentaries on the operas. There are no libretti or song texts. This is rather a shame, but considering the price of the collection and the overall artistic excellence of the enterprise it would be churlish to complain.
So there you have it. A bumper bundle of Richard Strauss containing many superlative performances and no disappointments. Technical and performing standards are consistently high. Admittedly, compositional standards are more variable. Other than the fact that some important works are omitted, the whole collection is a remarkable bargain and is highly recommended. If you are interested, grab it before it disappears.