Viennese Waltz Transcriptions
Richard STRAUSS
Till Eulenspiegel - einmal anders (arr. Hasenöhrl) [8:23]
Johann STRAUSS II
Wein, Weib und Gesang, op.333 (arr. Berg) [12:45]
Josef LANNER
Steyrische Tänze, op.165 (arr. Weinmann) [5:27]
Johann STRAUSS II
Rosen aus dem Süden, op.388 (arr. Schoenberg) [9:37]
Johann STRAUSS I
Wiener Gemüts-Walzer, op.116 (arr. Weinmann) [7:09]
Johann STRAUSS II
Schatzwalzer, op.418 (arr. Webern) [8:24]
Berliner
Soloisten, Elisabeth Leonskaja (piano), Philip Moll (harmonium)
rec. April 1989, Teldec Studios, Berlin. DDD
WARNER APEX
2564 68642-1 [52:27]
I like transcriptions of Viennese Waltzes and I like transcriptions of classical
works by the boys of the Second Viennese School. Ergo, I love transcriptions
of those, by them. An Apex reissue of a Teldec recording offers
just that: The Berlin Soloists with Elisabeth Leonskaja and Philip Moll (piano
and harmonium, respectively) tackle J.Strauss II with “Wein, Weib und
Gesang”, “Rosen aus dem Süden”, “Schatzwalzer” in
transcriptions by Berg, Schoenberg and Webern, respectively. Josef Lanner and
J.Strauss I are represented with an Alexander Weinmann transcription of the
Styrian Dances op.165 and the Wiener Gemüts-Walzer. All that is
ably performed and it suffices for intuitive swaying to and fro while listening.
It doesn’t, however, possess that last bit of keenness and bite that
would lift it above other such collections, of which there are a fair amount
by now. The flimsy, bare-bones presentation - next stop mp3 - doesn’t
help, either. What makes the release noteworthy at all is the first piece included.
Richard Strauss’ “Till Eulenspiegel” arranged, transformed,
and waltzified. There’s a reason the Viennese composer, musicologist,
and teacher Franz Hasenöhrl (1885-1970; that’s his real name, by
the way, in case you are thinking “surely ‘Bunny-ears’ has got to
be a pseudonym) called it: “Till Eulenspiegel - quite different!”
Perhaps that’s enough of a curiosity to pique your interest. Or you just
want to dip into these transcriptions (MusicWeb’s Paul
Serotsky likes them) at a budget price and you don’t mind the lack
of presentation - in which case the Apex disc has its obvious attractions.
Myself, I rather prefer the Berlin
Classics recording of the Berliner Streichquartett which contains
the same J.Strauss II hits - and a few more - and is played with a greater
affinity for the musical region in which the sounds of the Waltz King and the
Pantonalists merge and become one. The Berlin Soloists’ recording, in
comparison, sounds much more like straight-forward Strauss, except with a harmonium.
If you like either of those discs or transcriptions in general, do also look
for À nos amours, a
disc on Ambroisie by the chamber group Diabolicus (conducted by Dietrich
Henschel). Rather than just going with J.Strauss II or his musical or
actual relatives or his namesake, it adds Wagner, Schubert, Luigi Denza, and
Ferruccio Busoni arrangements by Schoenberg (four by him - one by Berg, one
by Erwin Stein, and the Siegfried-Idyll doesn’t need transcription)
to the mix. And Diabolicus plays with the verve and edge that turns each bit
from forgettable finger-food into an unforgettable amuse-gueule.
Jens F. Laurson
Enough of a curiosity to pique your interest … see Full Review