Search - Richard [1] Strauss, Claude Debussy, Robert Schumann :: Strauss: Ein Heldenleben; Schumann: Piano Concerto, Op. 54; Debussy: Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune

A Great Strauss Conductor and a Great Strauss Orchestra

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 11/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There was no greater conductor of Richard Strauss's orchestral tone poems than Rudolf Kempe and of course the Staatskapelle Dresden was an orchestra with a long and distinguished tradition of Strauss performances going back to those with the composer himself many of whose operas, including Der Rosenkavalier, were premiered with this orchestra in the pit. And it is no surprise that this performance of the Ein Heldenleben, taken from a live radio broadcast concert on March 15, 1974, is superb. Aside from slightly smudged sonics which sometimes obscure Strauss's always engaging counterpoint, the performance is well-nigh ideal. Particular applause goes to the orchestra's concertmaster, Peter Mirring, for his playing of the lusciously romantic solo violin passages. The studio recording of this piece by Kempe and the Dresden orchestra was made a couple of years earlier and for those familiar with that recording, this one is very similar in its structure, thrust and opulent tonal ambience.



This CD is of a full concert and sandwiched in between the Strauss and the Schumann Piano Concerto is a luscious, ephemeral, beautifully rendered Debussy 'Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune'. There are those who might wonder whether an east German orchestra could make the switch from the full-out romantic echt-Deutsch sound of the Strauss to the delicacy of the Debussy. Have no fear: this is a terrific performance.



The final pièce de résistance is a scintillating performance of the Schumann Piano Concerto with the great American pianist, Malcolm Frager. Frager is not as well-remembered today as he should be, at least partly because of his early death at 56. In his day, though, he was one of America's pianistic mainliners, part of that generation that gave us Gary Graffmann, John Browning and Leon Fleisher. He always had a particular affinity for the Schumann concerto, possibly because his long-time teacher, Carl Friedberg, had studied with Clara Schumann. His performance is, to use James Oestreich's phrase, 'full of bright lights.' Although the Schumann is not really a show-offy virtuoso work, it has plenty of passages in which the pianist can shine gloriously, and Frager does that. His handling of the tricky meters in the final movement is as fine as I've ever heard. I like his recording of the concerto with Jascha Horenstein perhaps a slight bit better, but the fact that this one is a live performance gives it special élan. The sound on this disc is actually better in the concerto, possibly because the orchestration is not as thick as in the Strauss.



These performances are probably not suitable for someone who will have only one recording of each of these pieces, but for those who love the Strauss and have multiple recordings, this one is recommendable. And for those who, like me, adore the playing of Frager, this is a must-have. One must add, however, that for the total timing of these two discs -- 87 minutes -- Profil's price is a bit high.



Scott Morrison"