# Richard Strauss



## Sandy (Dec 23, 2009)

I love many of his vocal songs but his operas tend to send me to the off switch. Opera is my favorite musical form but there is something about Richard Strauss that begins to annoy me. Can anyone here share this or explain it?

I attended a live recital done by Joan Sutherland and her singing Strauss was incredibly beautiful but again 2 songs were enough. No one does Bellini better than Dame Sutherland and I could hear her sing all day and night. 

Sandy


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

IMHO the best way to appreciate leader is to follow them with the words (I don't know the singular of leader). Language is an important barrier, don't you think so? More than five leader for me it is enough whoever the composer is/was. Alban Berg would be the ONLY exception.

Martin


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## powerbooks (Jun 30, 2012)

I don't feel R. Strauss annoying at all. Maybe you like Bel Canto more than romantic music of Strauss.


I always claim that Richard Strauss is one of the two best composers for female voices in operas, especially duets and trios of sopranos and mezzos. Der Rosenkavalier final trio is the prefect example of best balance of three voices.

The Four Last Song is another example of divine creation: heavenly music!


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## powerbooks (Jun 30, 2012)

Der Rosenkavalier, the memorable classic:






Four Last Songs, No. 3 Beim Schlafengehen, one of the many Flemings:


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

Sandy said:


> I love many of his vocal songs but his operas tend to send me to the off switch. Opera is my favorite musical form but there is something about Richard Strauss that begins to annoy me. Can anyone here share this or explain it?
> 
> I attended a live recital done by Joan Sutherland and her singing Strauss was incredibly beautiful but again 2 songs were enough. No one does Bellini better than Dame Sutherland and I could hear her sing all day and night.
> 
> Sandy


It is difficult to convince you... Berlioz is the same for me, I love R. Strauss, _Die Frau ohne Schatten _ (the woman without a shadow) is probably the one I prefer. You don't NEED to like his music. You just don't like it... That would be all, no drama.

Martin


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Sandy said:


> I love many of his vocal songs but his operas tend to send me to the off switch. Opera is my favorite musical form but there is something about Richard Strauss that begins to annoy me. Can anyone here share this or explain it?
> 
> I attended a live recital done by Joan Sutherland and her singing Strauss was incredibly beautiful but again 2 songs were enough. No one does Bellini better than Dame Sutherland and I could hear her sing all day and night.
> 
> Sandy


I wouldn't say I get annoyed, but I'm not as enthusiastic as others about them. I kind of have to make myself listen to them. Poeple often say that he writes wonderfully for the female voice, and that might be the problem for me. Too many women.

On the other hand, I can't even make myself listen to Sutherland.

Non gustibus disputandum est.


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## AndyS (Dec 2, 2011)

I love his tone poems, and Vier letzte lieder, but outside of Elektra and Salome (both of which I love), I'm not that familiar with his operas - the only other one I have is Der Rosenkavalier, which i've not spent much time with yet


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

I used to have his Ariadne auf Naxos with Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle, didn't like it much to watch. Then for some reason I had it on while I was reading, and found myself really enjoying the music without paying much attention to it. Played it all over again just to be sure and it was really very enjoyable. Then I got another version - the one with Dessay as Zerbinetta, actually - and all the unfunny comedy in the first act just destroyed my ability to enjoy it. DK where that Norman/Battle DVD is now, been looking for a replacement.


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

Just listened to Salome conducted by Fritz Reiner and remembered how stunning this short recording is (just highlights recorded). The dance of the veils is stunning. And I do love Inga Borkh.
Then I listened to Solti's disc with Birgitta Nilsson. I want to like it but just can't. Solti's dance of the veils is way way too fast and just a mush....awful!
Reiner gives him a lesson in pacing here! It reminds of the end of the immolation scene in Götterdämmerung. Some conductors just mess it up big time and others do it brilliantly. So far I have never bothered with Solti's Wagner!


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## AndyS (Dec 2, 2011)

I keep meaning to check out the Reiner/Borkh highlights recording. I keep hearing she was brilliant in both of these

I have to say though, I find it hard to listen to anyone other than Nilsson in the title role. I know she doesn't sound anything like a young girl, but my word, listening to her sing the finale is like nothing on earth. I find it so exciting


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

AndyS said:


> I keep meaning to check out the Reiner/Borkh highlights recording. I keep hearing she was brilliant in both of these
> 
> I have to say though, I find it hard to listen to anyone other than Nilsson in the title role. I know she doesn't sound anything like a young girl, but my word, listening to her sing the finale is like nothing on earth. I find it so exciting


I recommend you do my friend. Have a look + listen to these two clips on youtube:

The dance of the veils -Reiner/Borkh
*



*I just love that opening...could listen to it 1000 times!

And the finale!
*



*


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## AndyS (Dec 2, 2011)

Yashin said:


> I recommend you do my friend. Have a look + listen to these two clips on youtube:
> 
> The dance of the veils -Reiner/Borkh
> *
> ...


She's good mate. Very good - still don't have the excitement of Nilsson singing the role but there is a dramatic intensity there that is great than Nilsson.

She does sound a bit like a more robust Schwarzkopf though. Who I'm not a fan of... But that's because she had nothing extra ordinary about her. I think that Borke does have that quality if that makes sense


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

AndyS said:


> She's good mate. Very good - still don't have the excitement of Nilsson singing the role but there is a dramatic intensity there that is great than Nilsson.
> 
> She does sound a bit like a more robust Schwarzkopf though. Who I'm not a fan of... B*ut that's because she had nothing extra ordinary about her.* I think that Borke does have that quality if that makes sense


Them's be fightin' words, mister!


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## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

wow that final trio is really nice


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

OK OK....

But what about Reiner? The start of that Dance of the veils sends my spine tingling!


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

I never liked Nilsson's Salome much either, she might have the dramatic power for Wagner, and then some, but her voice seemed too heavy for Salome, not a young temptress. My personal preference from the versions i've heard would be Malfitano under Dohnányi.


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

quack said:


> I never liked Nilsson's Salome much either, she might have the dramatic power for Wagner, and then some, but her voice seemed too heavy for Salome, not a young temptress. My personal preference from the versions i've heard would be Malfitano under Dohnányi.


Yes, the old VHS and now the DVD of Malfitano is very good in my opinion. I know she was quite old and is not to everyones taste but boy can she sing and act!


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Caballe would never have been a credible Salome on stage (though she tried, and the Dance of the Seven Veils was . . . different). But I love her on the Leinsdorf recording with Milnes as Jochanaan.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Yashin, I've always loved Solti's recordings of Salome, Elektra, Rosenkavalier , Arabella and Frau O.S., as well as his Wagner. I actually prefer his to Reiner, which masterly as they are, seem just too calculated and 
contolled for me . 
Solti is much more spontaneous,warm, emotional and dionisian Wagner and Strauss conductor - just what the music needs . Reiner was a brilliant technician, but something of a control freak, which was also true of George Szell . 
I've been a huge fan of the Strauss operas for decades . IMHO, his lesser-known operas such as the early Feuersnot , and the later operas such as Die Agyptische Helena, Die Schweigsame Frau Intermezzo, Daphne, Friedenstag, and
Die Liebe der Danae are quite underrated and tend to be unfairly dismissed by too many critics.
But having gotten to know them better in recent years on recordings, they've definitely grown on me .
Try the recordings of Helena with either Dorati or Botstein, Intermezzo with Sawallisch , Daphne with either Boehm or Bychkov, Friedenstag with Sinopoli, Danae withu Botstein , and if you can find it , the EMI recording of Schweigsame with Janowski . We badly need a first-rate new recording of the last named .
Feuersnot, his second opera,has an excellent recording with Bernd Weikle,Julia Varady and Heinz Fricke conducting .


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

Thanks Superhorn. I just realised how much Strauss i do not know and how little i actually listen too.

My recent conversion is to Elektra having watched the brilliant DVD with Irene Theorin and Rene Pape. It is stunning and i learned so much about the opera from it. Previously i only had cd recordings - the Eva Marton one with Sawallisch conducting and the one i prefer is the Alexandra Marc recording with Sinopoli conducting. Salome...well i only have the Solti one and as i say i just don't like it...can't explain it.

Then there is Der Rosenkavalier. Love the DVD with Nina Stemme and now have the one with anne schwanewilms which is ok. On cd i like the Hendricks, Te Kanawa cd.

Never heard Daphne nor Die Liebe der Danae. The latter i would like to see the newish DVD of. Daphne i recall a DVD with June Anderson but it got poor reviews and i am not sure i want the Fleming cd (any good?).


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

And don't miss the classic Decca Elektra with Nilsson, Regina Resnik and Tom krause with Solti and the VPO !
It's a performance of devastating power ,and Nilsson's Elektra is stunning . And it's uncut,too, unlike most other Elelktra recordings, live or studio . The only other uncut ones are Sawallissch and the recent one with Semyon Bychkov conducting on Profil . I have not heard this last one .


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

I'm really enjoying his orchestral works and lieder. The Alpensinfonie is fantastic. I am really eager to start collecting his work.


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