BaL 22.01.11 - Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie

[amateur51]

mobile, exciting, powerful yet subtle

Oh Mister Sloane!

"I'd the upbringing a nun would envy and that's the truth. Until I was fifteen I was more familiar with Africa than my own body."

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'll have to dig it out and have a listen.

Do let us know how you get on.

[BBMmk2]

I did like Andris Nelsons at the Proms recently, so his Alpine pretty good then?

[EdgeleyRob]

Do let us know how you get on.

Well to my (non expert) ear it sounds wonderful!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well to my (non expert) ear it sounds wonderful!

Don't be too concerned, for most "experts" would agree with you about the Karajan recording. I was looking it up today in York library, in the Gramophone Classical Good CD & DVD Guide 2006. It spoke well of the Karajan, placing it in the top 2, and then went on to list many of its shortcomings in ensemble, accuracy and tuning. The one area I am in general agreement with the plaudits/praise is for Karajan's grasp of the structure of the work. But Haitink is equally fine in this respect.

Incidentally, there is a Karajan DVD of a live performance that would be worth investigating.

[BBMmk2]

EA, I have bought, also the CBSO/Andris Nelsons account. I thought rather good!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

EA, I have bought, also the CBSO/Andris Nelsons account. I thought rather good!

Yes, it is isn't it. Probably in my top half-dozen, along with RPO/Kempe, Previn, Solti, Thielemann & Haitink. (Versions 28-30 arrived thus morning )

[StephenO]

Wit on Naxos is a remarkable bargain and a very convincing performance. Otherwise I'd go for Haitink, Thielemann or Dresden/Kempe. I haven't heard his RPO version. IMO Karajan's is one of his least successful Strauss recordings.

[Barbirollians]

I only have the Dresden/Kempe but have ordered the Haitink on Newton Classics - is it a straight transfer of the Philips original recording ?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I only have the Dresden/Kempe but have ordered the Haitink on Newton Classics - is it a straight transfer of the Philips original recording ?

I think it must be, and if so, it's extremely good. It would probably have been the top BaL recommendation, had it been available at the the time of the broadcast.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've just come across another version that I didn't even know existed: Tabakov conducting the Sofia Philharmonic. It's the slowest performance I've ever heard, but it never drags. And unlike many Eastern European orchestras, the Sofia Phil. does not have wobbly horns. The sound of the wind machine is very different though - quite scary, as though Dracula is rushing through Transylvania. Overall, a real gem.

Incidentally, I never tire of this work - possibly an advantage of having so many recordings, having acquired 20 more since the BaL broadcast.

[Tapiola]

Eine Alpensinfonie,

I picked up a recording of this work yesterday in a local charity shop (for £3): a live Mravinsky/Leningrad PO account from 1962 on Olympia (but originally recorded by Melodiya). I believe this recording is also present on one of the big Mravinsky boxes. I have not had a chance to listen properly yet. The liner notes - positively glowing about the performance - are by a Mr Robert Cowan.

Are you (or anyone else) familiar with this recording?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sorry, I can't help you on this one, as it's one of the few recordings I don't have, though it has been on order from Presto for a few weeks. They have to import it, so it could be a while yet. It was praised on BaL, but the excerpt played did indicate some rather rough playing.

[ostuni]

I do have it, in its BMG/Melodiya guise, though I haven't listened to it for ages. Yes, it's very 'live': my abiding memory is of some excruciatingly bad tuning between orchestra and organ towards the end, which I think has put me off getting it off the shelves again. It's coupled with a live 1st horn concerto from 1964, with a very Russian-sounding Vitaly Buyanovsky soloing.

[Tapiola]

Eine Alpensinfonie and ostuni,

Thanks for your comments. I am normally a big fan of Mravinsky and the Leningraders and I hope to have a proper listen this weekend. I will look forward to the organ part!