Andrew Rose
2011-10-07 13:45:16 UTC
New release today:
Krauss conducts some of the finest of his friend Richard Strauss
This 32-bit XR remastering fixes recording faults - and sounds truly
magnificent
PASC309 Krauss conducts Strauss
Recorded 1950
Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Andrew Rose
STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra
STRAUSS Don Juan
STRAUSS Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Clemens Krauss
Web page:
http://www.pristineclassical.com/LargeWorks/Orchestral/PASC309.php
Short Notes
Clemens Krauss and Richard Strauss formed a great bond in the 1930s and
1940s, with the conductor giving numerous premières of his friend's work
during this time.
As the age of the LP dawned, Decca sent its recording team to the
Musikverein in Vienna to capture Krauss and his Vienna Philharmonic
playing three of Strauss's finest tone poems for twin LP issues in 1950/51.
The early tape technology, coupled with the fact that these recordings
were still being made primarily with 78s in mind, resulted in flaws
which only now can be addressed - and these fabulous new XR-remastered
transfers finally testify to the superb sound captured by Decca in the
summer of 1950. Krauss is exemplary in these excellent, informed
readings of his great friend's work.
Review Decca original LP issue
Though he was born as late as five years after the production of Don
Juan (written when Strauss was 24), Clemens Krauss has always been
associated with Richard Strauss's music-he conducted the first
performances of the operas Arabella and Friedenstag-and is acknowledged
as one of his finest interpreters. Hence this batch of symphonic poems
will be a considerable attraction to those interested in the niceties of
authentic interpretation, while the general excellence of the Vienna
Phil's performance will appeal to everyone who appreciates first-rate
orchestral playing. As far as interpretation goes, in Till Eulenspiegel
Krauss has some unusual tempi and curious changes of speed which will
cause a raised eyebrow or two, but on the whole there are few surprises.
It is instructive to play these three in their chronological order-Don
Juan 1888; Till (after Macbeth and Tod und Verklärung), 1895;
Zarathustra, 1896. Strauss's flame burned too brightly and fiercely,
consuming itself: how swiftly, after that first brilliant start, the rot
set in! After Zarathustra there were only Quixote (1897) and Heidenleben
(1898) before the barren wastes of the Sinfonia Domestica, the Alpine
Symphony and subsequent silence. Even Zarathustra, for all the size of
its conception, does not escape the charges of pretentiousness and
sentimentality; and how commonplace is that Viennese-beer-house
Tanzlied! Still, there are many fine moments in the score, and in this
particular work the playing is really superb, while the recording, not
altogether satisfactory right at the start, is outstandingly good
later-there is a wonderfully rich tone, for example, from the
double-basses in their fugue subject (Von der Wissenschaft). This is the
only modern recording of this work available in England.
In the first two works the recording is less happy. Don Juan, while the
internal balance is good, is shallow and lacking in resonance, and there
is a bad waver of pitch on the G major chord after the "redhaired woman"
(before the Juan horn theme), which I suspect to be due to a faulty
tape-join. Till, recorded at a sharp pitch which is excruciating to
those who are sensitive to such things, has, especially in the strings,
something of that pinched quality peculiar to L.P. recordings.
Gramophone magazine, January 1951
(L.S.)
Notes On this recording
The recordings of Also sprach Zarathustra and Till Eulenspiegel were
both drawn from Decca's 1970 Eclipse reissue, whereas Don Juan was
transferred from their Ace of Clubs disc. Both presented issues that
have only been resolvable with the latest remastering technology.
The Eclipse LP combines a superior pressing with some really awful fake
stereo processing, which serves to present a particularly nasty, boxy
sound. By negating the fake stereo (and removing any phase errors it
introduced) and then re-equalising in XR processing, a much fuller,
clearer and more extended sound picture emerged, demonstrating what
marvellous performances had been captured in 1950.
Meanwhile Don Juan, whilst in better sound on the earlier mono pressing,
showed most clearly the fact that these recording had been made with
78rpm discs in mind - the central section (equivalent to two 78rpm
sides) was pitched significantly sharper than the two outlying sides.
This has been corrected with Capstan pitch stabilisation processing.
Elsewhere I've attempted to improve poor side joins, but one remains
unfortunately obvious in Zarathustra.
Finally, extensive frequency readings both of the music and the
electrical mains hum indicate that Krauss was using a tuning of A=449Hz,
and this has been restored to the final masters presented here.
Andrew Rose
MP3 Sample Also sprach Zarathustra - opening
http://tinyurl.com/PASC309
Krauss conducts some of the finest of his friend Richard Strauss
This 32-bit XR remastering fixes recording faults - and sounds truly
magnificent
PASC309 Krauss conducts Strauss
Recorded 1950
Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Andrew Rose
STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra
STRAUSS Don Juan
STRAUSS Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Clemens Krauss
Web page:
http://www.pristineclassical.com/LargeWorks/Orchestral/PASC309.php
Short Notes
Clemens Krauss and Richard Strauss formed a great bond in the 1930s and
1940s, with the conductor giving numerous premières of his friend's work
during this time.
As the age of the LP dawned, Decca sent its recording team to the
Musikverein in Vienna to capture Krauss and his Vienna Philharmonic
playing three of Strauss's finest tone poems for twin LP issues in 1950/51.
The early tape technology, coupled with the fact that these recordings
were still being made primarily with 78s in mind, resulted in flaws
which only now can be addressed - and these fabulous new XR-remastered
transfers finally testify to the superb sound captured by Decca in the
summer of 1950. Krauss is exemplary in these excellent, informed
readings of his great friend's work.
Review Decca original LP issue
Though he was born as late as five years after the production of Don
Juan (written when Strauss was 24), Clemens Krauss has always been
associated with Richard Strauss's music-he conducted the first
performances of the operas Arabella and Friedenstag-and is acknowledged
as one of his finest interpreters. Hence this batch of symphonic poems
will be a considerable attraction to those interested in the niceties of
authentic interpretation, while the general excellence of the Vienna
Phil's performance will appeal to everyone who appreciates first-rate
orchestral playing. As far as interpretation goes, in Till Eulenspiegel
Krauss has some unusual tempi and curious changes of speed which will
cause a raised eyebrow or two, but on the whole there are few surprises.
It is instructive to play these three in their chronological order-Don
Juan 1888; Till (after Macbeth and Tod und Verklärung), 1895;
Zarathustra, 1896. Strauss's flame burned too brightly and fiercely,
consuming itself: how swiftly, after that first brilliant start, the rot
set in! After Zarathustra there were only Quixote (1897) and Heidenleben
(1898) before the barren wastes of the Sinfonia Domestica, the Alpine
Symphony and subsequent silence. Even Zarathustra, for all the size of
its conception, does not escape the charges of pretentiousness and
sentimentality; and how commonplace is that Viennese-beer-house
Tanzlied! Still, there are many fine moments in the score, and in this
particular work the playing is really superb, while the recording, not
altogether satisfactory right at the start, is outstandingly good
later-there is a wonderfully rich tone, for example, from the
double-basses in their fugue subject (Von der Wissenschaft). This is the
only modern recording of this work available in England.
In the first two works the recording is less happy. Don Juan, while the
internal balance is good, is shallow and lacking in resonance, and there
is a bad waver of pitch on the G major chord after the "redhaired woman"
(before the Juan horn theme), which I suspect to be due to a faulty
tape-join. Till, recorded at a sharp pitch which is excruciating to
those who are sensitive to such things, has, especially in the strings,
something of that pinched quality peculiar to L.P. recordings.
Gramophone magazine, January 1951
(L.S.)
Notes On this recording
The recordings of Also sprach Zarathustra and Till Eulenspiegel were
both drawn from Decca's 1970 Eclipse reissue, whereas Don Juan was
transferred from their Ace of Clubs disc. Both presented issues that
have only been resolvable with the latest remastering technology.
The Eclipse LP combines a superior pressing with some really awful fake
stereo processing, which serves to present a particularly nasty, boxy
sound. By negating the fake stereo (and removing any phase errors it
introduced) and then re-equalising in XR processing, a much fuller,
clearer and more extended sound picture emerged, demonstrating what
marvellous performances had been captured in 1950.
Meanwhile Don Juan, whilst in better sound on the earlier mono pressing,
showed most clearly the fact that these recording had been made with
78rpm discs in mind - the central section (equivalent to two 78rpm
sides) was pitched significantly sharper than the two outlying sides.
This has been corrected with Capstan pitch stabilisation processing.
Elsewhere I've attempted to improve poor side joins, but one remains
unfortunately obvious in Zarathustra.
Finally, extensive frequency readings both of the music and the
electrical mains hum indicate that Krauss was using a tuning of A=449Hz,
and this has been restored to the final masters presented here.
Andrew Rose
MP3 Sample Also sprach Zarathustra - opening
http://tinyurl.com/PASC309
--
Andrew Rose
Pristine Classical: "The destination for people interested in historic
recordings..." (Gramophone)
www.pristineclassical.com
Andrew Rose
Pristine Classical: "The destination for people interested in historic
recordings..." (Gramophone)
www.pristineclassical.com