Search - R. Strauss, Monteux :: Ein Heldenleben / Tod Und Verklarung

Indispensible reading of Death & Transfiguration

jsa | San Diego, CA United States | 01/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Among the tone poems of Richard Strauss, Death and Transfiguration is probably the least known; yet I think it is his masterpiece. I was pleasantly surprised to read in the excellent liner notes to this release that Pierre Monteux "identified it as his favorite among the Strauss tone poems" as well. There is an other-worldly quality to it that is impossible to describe, but also epic & heroic in the typical style of Strauss without any of the bombastic tendencies that are in much of his work. I remember purchasing this Monteux recording in the early 1970's (it was recorded in 1960, but not issued by RCA until 1969) when it was paired w/Wagner's Siegfried Idyll. I was immediately entranced by it: the contrast of serenity, resurgent moments of life, acceptance & the triumphant conclusion are all wrapped in mystery & tension which Monteux communicates very effectively.



One small objection: Heldenleben, despite somewhat thin sound dating from the late 1940's, overwhelms Transfiguration simply by virtue of its length & position as the first composition on the cd. Siegfried Idyll was recorded at the same time as Death & Transfiguration w/much better sound & was a more interesting companion piece when they were issued together. Nevertheless, this disc merits five stars based on Death & Transfiguration alone - one of the great recordings of the 20th century."

Another Monteux Edition Reappears!

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 12/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Amazon must have cleaned out their storage closets recently because dozens of previously out-of-print classical CDs have been popping up all over the place as new and available. For example, take this classic volume from BMG's "Pierre Monteux Edition." This 15 volume series has been out of print for several years now, and some of the titles are becoming increasingly hard to find. A few weeks ago I was delighted to find this CD, Volume 12 featuring Strauss' "Ein Heldenleben" (with violinist Naomi Blinder) and "Tod und Verklarung," as it was one of the titles I still needed from the original series. This is one of the best titles in the series for two reasons. First, this CD marks the first time that the 1947 account of "Ein Heldenleben" has been released. It is a solid performance with only decent mono sound, but the fact that it is a collector's item elevates its status overall. Second, the 1960 stereo account of "Tod und Verklarung" is sonically one of the best performances of anything Monteux recorded. If you are a Monteux devotee and you missed this disc the first time around like I did, snap it up before it vanishes again!"