Richard Strauss: Don Quixote; Till Eulenspiegel

Overview

Two of Richard Strauss' most lavishly scored tone poems receive exciting performances from Markus Stenz and the G?rzenich Orchester-K?ln on this 2013 Hyperion disc, and the exceptional reproduction makes "Don Quixote" and "Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche" especially rich and vivid. The orchestra has a strong track record in playing late Romantic music, having already made extraordinary recordings of the symphonies of Mahler and Tchaikovsky, so this excursion into Strauss' music seems like a natural extension of its repertoire. Under Stenz's direction, the musicians play with real intensity and vivid tone colors, and the energy is consistently high in both performances, equal to the best studio work they have produced. Add to this the luscious sound of Hyperion's recording, which gives the orchestra a wonderful aural space to play with full sonorities and a wide dynamic range to take advantage of Strauss' orchestral subtleties. The featured soloists are cellist Alban Gerhardt and violist Lawrence Power, who represent "Don Quixote" and Sancho Panza respectively, and the microphone placement puts them front and center in the expansive sound field, so they have a nearly palpable presence. While "Don Quixote" is the main showpiece, "Till Eulenspiegel" is also played with bravado and brilliance, though coming after 40 minutes of Strauss' most picturesque music may put it at a disadvantage, so listening to it with fresh ears is recommended.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/09/2013
Label:	Hyperion Uk
UPC:	0034571179605
Rank:	76043

Tracks

1. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Introduction. M¿¿¿¿iges Zeitma¿¿
2. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Don Quixote, the knight of the sorrowful countenance. M¿¿¿¿ig
3. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Sancho Panza. Maggiore
4. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Variation 1: The adventures of the windmills. Gem¿¿chlich
5. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Variation 2: The battle with the sheep. Kriegerisch
6. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Variation 3: Dialogue between knight and servant. M¿¿¿¿iges Zeitma¿¿
7. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Variation 4: Unfortunate adventure with a procession of penitents. Etwas breiter
8. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Variation 5: Don Quixote's vigil. Sehr langsam
9. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Variation 6: Dulcinea's enchantment. Schnell
10. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Variation 7: Ride through the air. Ein wenig rubiger als vorber
11. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Variation 8: Ill-starred voyage on the enchanted boat (Barcarolle). Gem¿¿chlich
12. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Variation 9: Battle against the supposed enchanters. Schnell und st¿¿rmisch
13. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Variation 10: Duel with the knight of the shining moon. Viel breiter
14. Don Quixote, Op. 35~Finale: The death of Don Quixote. Sehr ruhig
15. Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks), Op. 28

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Alban Gerhardt   Primary Artist,Cello
Lawrence Power   Primary Artist,Viola
Markus Stenz   Primary Artist,Conductor
G¿¿rzenich Orchestra of Cologne   Primary Artist,Orchestra
Torsten Janicke   Orchestra Leader

Technical Credits

Catrin Motitz   Photography
Viola Scheffel   Liner Note Translation
Andrew Keener   Recording Producer
Simone Canetty-Clarke   Photography
Jack Liebeck   Photography
Jens Schunemann   Engineer
Tim Parry   Booklet Editor
Simon Perry   Executive Producer
Richard Strauss   Composer
Gustav Klimt   Cover Painting
Michael Kennedy   Liner Notes