Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Eine Alpensinfonie Op. 64 (1911/15) [46:26]
Four symphonic interludes from Intermezzo Op. 72 (1922) [21:07]
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Franz Welser-Möst
rec. live, 9 and 30 April 2010 (Alpensinfonie); 2 December 2013 (Intermezzo), Herkulessaal der Residenz, Munich, Germany
BR KLASSIK 900124 [68:45]
In his review
of this release Nick Barnard has this to say of Eine Alpensinfonie:
“Approaches to the work seem to sit either side of a basic divide:
on the one hand, present it as a series of technicolour picture postcards
of a day in the Alps; on the other adopt a more philosophical line taking
the Alpine journey as a metaphor for man's life and aspirations
from birth to death. Personally, I prefer the latter - as well presented
as any on a superb Naxos disc from Antoni Wit conducting the Weimar Staatskapelle.
The former approach is epitomised by the recent Andris Nelsons'
recording with the CBSO - a very dynamic and hugely virtuosic performance
but one that sacrifices poise for the sheer athletic delight in its execution.”
I think this comment about a basic divide is spot-on. I haven’t
heard the Wit recording to which Nick refers but I have heard the Nelsons
and tend to share Nick’s
view of it, though Nelsons is exciting and the CBSO play superbly
for him. Unsurprisingly, I’d put Haitink firmly in the ‘philosophical’
camp, as evidenced either by his superb LSO Live recording (review)
or his earlier Amsterdam recording (review),
which I’ve owned for years and which I still rate highly. The work
has come in for criticism in the past but since I like it very much I
take consolation that since noted and discerning Strauss conductors such
as Haitink, Karajan and Kempe have all recorded it more than once there
must be some substance to it.
I find this Welser-Möst performance something of a mixed bag. The
orchestra plays marvellously for him and there are some predictably fine
moments. One comes early on when the BRSO depicts sunrise sonorously,
their horn section sounding suitably imposing. The storm that the mountaineers
encounter on the way down is vividly done. Again, near the end both the
Sunset and the ‘Ausklang’ (‘Waning tones’) section
that follows find the conductor distilling poetry from the music and drawing
eloquent playing from the orchestra. Earlier on I found myself admiring
the delicacy of ‘Auf blumigen Wesen’ (‘On flowering
meadows’) and I approve of the way Welser-Möst drives the music
forward when the glacier is reached.
There are disappointments, too. Chief of these is the arrival at the summit
itself. It’s true that the orchestral sound is thrilling but Welser-Möst
drives the music forward too quickly and as a result negates much of the
grandeur. It may be that he was seeking to avoid bombastic rhetoric and,
if so, that’s to be commended. However, Bernard Haitink (with the
LSO) takes exactly a minute longer for this passage, maximises the grandeur
of the vistas yet avoids sounding overblown. I also feel that in the moments
leading up to the storm Welser-Möst’s performance doesn’t
generate sufficient tension. Overall, and despite the marvellous orchestral
playing – surely this is currently one of the finest European orchestras
– I feel somewhat underwhelmed by this Welser-Möst reading.
It’s good but it doesn’t shake my allegiance to Haitink —
either of his versions, but the one on LSO Live would be my preference
— or Kempe. There are two Kempe recordings available. His Dresden
recording is at present only available, so far as I know, in the big Brilliant
Classics box that includes all his Strauss recordings for EMI (review).
If you don’t want such a large Strauss collection Kempe’s
earlier recording with the Royal Philharmonic, made in 1966 for RCA Victor
is available as a single-disc release from Testament (SBT-1428) and still
sounds pretty good.
Welser-Most offers an interesting and fairly rare filler in the shape
of the Four symphonic interludes that Strauss extracted from his opera
Intermezzo. These were recorded on a separate occasion and, faced
with a smaller ensemble the engineers have opted for sound that is brighter,
closer and up-front. That suits the music rather well. After a vivacious
opening the waltz material that forms the main body of the first piece,
‘Reisefieber und Walzerszene’ (‘Travel fever and Waltz
Scene’) goes with a fine swing; the playing is excellent and the
conductor invests the music with brio. The second piece, ‘Träumerei
am Kamin’ (‘Dreaming by the fireside’), is delicate
and relaxed at first, building to a warmly ardent climax. ‘Fröhlicher
Beschluss’ (‘Happy resolution’) brings the set to an
ebullient ending. These are excellent performances; Welser-Möst appears
to relish the music, as do his players.
The BR Klassik sound is very good in both cases and the notes are interesting.
John
Quinn
Previous reviews: Michael
Cookson and Nick
Barnard
Masterwork Index: Eine
Alpensinfonie
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