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Site review by Polly Nomial October 3, 2008
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Performance: Sonics: |
A marvellous disc that is full of the joys and swagger of Strauss' early compositions.
Conducting the Radio Symphonie Orchester Wien, Bertrand de Billy is a powerful and persuasive advocate of these relatively early Strauss works (both were composed before he turned 30). Never idle during the "romantic" moments of Don Juan - this is one hot-blooded male on a destructive journey - the tone poem carries all before it with the superb playing of the RSO Wien. One is never tempted to stop and compare this conducting with other vintage accounts which is as much praise as one needs when Strauss, Kempe, Karajan et al can be heard in this music.
Following the most rousing curtain raiser, Aus Italien starts slowly (the opening few bars are uncannily like the opening of Vaughan-Williams London symphony to these ears!) and is surprisingly restrained for much of the work (compared to the stereotype that listeners will recognise from those who venture little beyond the "popular" tone poems). As in Don Juan, de Billy is most persuasive and is never prone to longueurs that disturb the overall conception of the work and the faster sections frequently become whipped into electrifying displays of orchestral bravura whilst still keeping the melodies firmly centred in the listeners mind. At only 56:05, it is a great shame that another piece of Strauss couldn't have been placed onto the disc but I'd far rather have this quality than a sub-standard issue. Less often played than it deserves, this recording is as near definitive as one could wish for at present.
The sound is also of a high standard although there is less definition of instrumental sections than one has become used to from the finest BIS, Pentatone or Channel Classics issues.
Highly enjoyable and recommended.
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Copyright © 2008 John Broggio and SA-CD.net
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