Search - Bruckner, R. Strauss, Steinberg :: Symphony 4 / Death & Transfiguration

A fine Steinberg item for your delectation

07/11/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Steinberg is in his element here, with fleet Bruckner and dramatic Strauss.Steinberg knows that there are two ways to do Bruckner: slow or fast, it doesn't matter as long as everything is kept in relative proportion. Steinberg's fast, off on a hunt through the Austrian countryside, through the woods, through the lakelands and villages. The Fourth is Bruckner's "Pastoral" symphony, and Steinberg's beautifully-realized outdoorsiness makes this one of the most descriptive performances of the work. Steinberg knows that Bruckner was often NOT in church.He also knows that Strauss was NEVER in church, and thus comes a Transfiguration of noble proportion, of gloss and color, of dramatic thrust and conviciton. The Pittsburgh Symphony is extraordinary covering itself with glory as it surrenders itself to Steinberg's every nuance. Listening to this performance again after many years, I have to say I've never heard anything by Strauss lavished with such loving direction and dedication.So why just four stars after all this hoo-ha? The Bruckner is about as good as you can get (despite some strange editorial assumptions), but the Strauss needs the supplementation of the kaliedoscopic Dorati from Minneapolis or, later, Detroit. Dorati's extra originality and effort in sorting out all the complexities, compositional and emotional, in a way we can readily absorb, leads us up to a thrilling transfiguration that has to be heard to be believed.All told, this is an excellent reissue and one you should consider seriously."