Post by j***@aol.comPost by r***@gmail.comPost by Wagner FanPost by j***@aol.comPost by Wagner FanEvery so often I go on music binges and for better or worse my latest one is
Strauss's Ein Heldenleben. So far my two favorites are both live - Asahina,
and Karajan from a 1974 Carnegie Hall Concert. Any others I should look out
for????? (I have the Mengelberg) Wagner Fan
I haven't listened to the 1974 HvK yet, but not long ago an earlier
performance with Karajan/NYPO was posted thanks to the dedication of
some rmcr regulars, and it was wonderful. Assuming you have the former
in "in house" sound, you should probably also get at least one of
HvK's studio recordings too.
Sawallisch is good to have because of the different ending, among
other reasons.
After that, it's all speculation as to what you will find at the
Mengelberg level (I assume you have both his Amsterdam and NY
recordings). Haitink, Bychkov (in wonderful sound), Celibidache,
Schuricht, Monteux/BSO, Toscanini, Kempe, Reiner, Carlos Kleiber are
among those who have been near the top of the list for me at one time
or another.
--Jeff
Its funny that no one mentions Asahina and for me he is one of the very best
and most exciting of all Wagner Fan
Asahina was mentioned by the OP.
I think Wagner Fan knows that. :-)
Post by r***@gmail.comI second the suggestion of Beecham,
Reiner, Karajan etc. Barbirolli is very different- a wallow indeed -
but for a more recent recording Kempe in the EMI or Brilliant box is
excellent too.
Kempe is so old by now, it pains me to think of it as the most recent
possible selection. But it still sounds great!
Bychkov does have superb sound and is an excellent performance as
well. Blomstedt/SF similarly has great sound and is a worthy addition
to any Ein Heldenleben collection.
--Jeff- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
As far as sound quality is concerned, the best sounding Heldenleben -
by far - that I have heard is Sinopoli's on DG. DG have committed
many, many sound sins, but the sound quality they achieved here is
astonishing. They got the balance between athmosphere and definition,
presence and ambience just right and the recording allows the special
sound of the orchestra (which Sinopoli aptly called "a kind of art
deco sound") to shine and scintillate without being too harsh and
bright. Musically, it is excellent, too, the way Sinopoli opens up and
illuminates the textures makes optimum use of the way they play this
music in Dresden, as complex chamber music rather than a bombastic
blockbuster. But the climaxes are still very impressive, all the more
so since they are in the right places and properly built up to.
Unfortunately, this recording is not easy to find although Arkivmusic
offer a CD-R version.
Luisi's recent recording with the SD is less lush sonically, more
concentrated and recorded more close-up but it also sounds very good
and it is also musically very solid with the orchestra in top form,
without maybe being quite on the level of Kempe and Sinopoli as it is
not quite as free as those. But his recording also has the original
quiet ending, so it is definitely worth having.
Another no to easy to find Heldenleben which should be in every
Strauss collection is Böhm's with the WP, also on DG. For some reason,
this has never been released on CD in the Western world, but it is
available from Japan. It was recorded in the 70s. The sound is very
"natural" and the playing shows this orchestra/conductor combination
at its best.