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The music of the Strauss family remains one of the most popular areas of the orchestral repertory. This remarkable family of six composers created nearly fifteen hundred compositions, notable chiefly for their glorious melodies, but also for their wonderful mastery of the orchestra.
Willi Boskowsky (1909-1991) remains the world's most famous interpreter of this repertoire. Even more than a decade after his death his influence is still profound, his reputation every bit as strong. And this set of five CDs from French EMI tells us why. The feeling for the style is palpable, everything absolutely in its right place, tempi and phrasing immaculately judged.
Of course Boskowsky had recorded much of this music before in performances with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for Decca. Those recordings received enthusiastic acclaim, while some of these EMI performances with the 'pick-up' recording band, the Johann Strauss Orchestra of Vienna, have had a less universal praise. To some extent that came down to the recordings, but they have come up with great freshness in the new transfers and doubts have been swept away. Warm and rich tone have now become allied with detail as and when required. Such is modern technology and all praise to the EMI engineers. As for the orchestral playing it is committed and idiomatic, and one suspects that the Viennese orchestral musicians on parade here are those same musicians who play for the Philharmonic and the Opera too.
With more than five hours of music in the collection, there is inevitably a mixture of well loved classics - they are all here - and the interesting byways of what as an enormous body of music.. And that is precisely how it should be, because when it is well played this music is hugely enjoyable for the first-time listener. One small worry for the English speaking and reading purchaser of these discs is that the notes are only in French. They are also relatively brief. Therefore the marvellous fund of entertaining stories which lies behind the music is not available unless research is done elsewhere, and this is a pity, even at so appealing a price in the bargain range.
Throughout the set it is clear that both orchestra and conductor (Boskovsky always conducted from the leader's desk with the bow) know and love the music. For the performances are lovingly shaped and warmly stylish, as required. In this context it is only possible to suggest examples as an arbitrary insight into the excellence and fun on offer, but it still must be done. Try the exciting cutting edge of the Thunder and Lightning Polka (CD2) as an example of the fast and spirited numbers, or the quite wonderful warmth of phrasing as Roses from the South (CD1) unfolds its wealth of glorious melody.
The glories of the Strauss family's imaginative and colourful orchestration are heard to good advantage here, and the architectural mastery of the larger waltzes of Johann and Josef is delivered by Boskovsky with the utmost assurance. For example, both the Emperor Waltz and Tales from the Vienna Woods are more than ten minutes in duration, veritable tone poems of structural strength and subtlety. There may arguably be more powerful versions of these scores in the catalogue, but there are none which are more genuinely Viennese. Terry Barfoot |
Johann STRAUSS II (1825-1899)
Josef STRAUSS (1827-1880) Eduard STRAUSS (1835-1916) CD1: Johann STRAUSS [59.30] An der schönen blauen Donau, Walzer, Opus 314 Roses du Sud, Walzer, Opus 388 Wiener Blut, Walzer, Opus 354 Fruhlingstimmen, Walzer, Opus 410 Künsterleben Walzer, Opus 316 Kaiserwalzer, Opus 437 G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald, Walzer, Opus 325 CD2: Johann STRAUSS [73.32] Accelerations Walzer, Opus 234 Banditen Polka, Opus 378 Lagunen Walzer, Opus 411 Leichtes Blut Polka, Opus 319 Explosions Polka, Opus 43 Schatz Walzer, Opus 418 Im Sturmschritt Polka, Opus 348 Unter Donner und Blitz Polka, Opus 324 Overture: Karneval in Rom Wein, Weib und Gesang Walzer, Opus 333 Maskesug, Polka Français, Opus 240 Du und Du Walzer, Opus 367 Kreuzfidel, Polka Français, Opus 301 Karnevalsbilder Walzer, Opus 357 Karnevalbotschafter Walzer, Opus 270 CD3: Johann STRAUSS II [64.04] Grüá aus Osterreich, Polka Mazurka, Opus 359 Vom Donaustrande, Polka rapide, Opus 356 Eduard STRAUSS Alpenrose, Polka mazurka, Opus 127 Unter der Enns, Polka rapide, Opus 121 Johann STRAUSS II Overture: Cagliostro in Wien Overture: Das Spitzentuchder Königen Donauweibchen Walzer, Opus 427 Josef STRAUSS Auf Ferienreisen, Polka rapide, Opus 133 Eduard STRAUSS Reiselust, Polka français, Opus 166 Johann STRAUSS II Express, Polka rapide, Opus 311 Wiener Frauen Walzer, Opus 423 Kuá-Walzer, Opus 400 Eduard STRAUSS Wo man lacht und lebt, Polka rapide, Opus 108 Faschingbrief Polka, Opus 203 Auáer Rand und Band, Polka rapide, Opus 168 Mit Vergnügen, Polka rapide CD4: Johann STRAUSS II [58.42] Morgenblätter Walzer, Opus 279 Josef STRAUSS Buchstaben Polka Johann STRAUSS II Feuilleton Walzer, opus 293 Josef STRAUSS Sport-Polka, Opus 170 Johann STRAUSS II Flugschriften Walzer, Opus 300 Gedankenpflug Walzer, Opus 215 I-Tipferl-Polka, Opus 377 Die Leitartikel Walzer, Opus 273 Episode Polka, Opus 296 CD5: Josef STRAUSS [56.44] Dorfschwalben aus Osterreich Walzer, Opus 164 Im Fluge Polka, Opus 230 Delirien Walzer, Opus 212 Vorwärts Polka, Opus 127 Die Schwätzerin Polka, Opus 144 Ohne Sorgen Polka, Opus 271 Feuerfest Polka, Opus 269 Dynamiden Walzer, Opus 173 Frauenherz Polka, Opus 258 Aquarellen Walzer, Opus 257 Jockey Polka, Opus 278 Mein Lebenslauf ist Lieb' und Lust, Walzer, Opus 263 Johann Strauss Orchestra of Vienna Willi Boskovsky Rec 1980-1985, Baumgartner-Kasino, Studio Rosenhügel, Polyhymnia Sudio, Vienna EMI FRANCE 5 74528 2 (5CDs) |
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