Reviews for
GMCD 7204 - Richard Strauss
CLASSICAL MUSIC ON THE WEB - OCTOBER
Richard STRAUSS
Also sprach Zarathustra, op.30;
Don Quixote, op.35 (a)
 James Krieger (cello) (a); Roger
Benedict (viola) (a),
Philharmonia Orchestra/Djong
Victorin Yu.
Guild GMCD 7204 [77'
44"]
When I first saw this I thought of all the Reiners, Kempes and
Karajans that had been here before and asked myself: was it worth doing? Well, I have to
say it was. Yu shares with the great Straussians of the past an ability to maintain a
Mozartian clarity in the most crowded textures, to create excitement without hysteria and
to languish without losing the basic pulse. Furthermore, the beautifully balanced
recording creates an impression of wide dynamic range without actually going beyond what
can reasonably be encompassed in a normal living-room. The overall impression is of great
musicality and in fact after a while I found myself listening to the music rather than the
performance. Would that this happened more often!
In Don the soloists are balanced as members of the
orchestra and their playing is similarly closer to chamber music than concerto-style
projection. Since Strauss wished to have the parts played by the front desks of the
orchestra this would seem all to the good, and for most of the time it does so. But it has
to be said that the "greats" have got an emotional charge out of the Don's death
which is missing here. What should be the culmination of the whole great work seems a bit
bland.
All the same, this is an issue that can be recommended with
every confidence. The Reiners, Kempes and Karajans are never going to be exactly
surpassed, but here is a slap in the face to the
"they-don't-make-them-like-that-any-more" brigade. And with excellent notes on
music and performers in three languages, full documentation and numerous track entries,
Guild have clearly taken a lot of care over the "total product".
Christopher Howell
Also Sprach Zarathustra
Don Quixote
Page created 18.10.2000
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