Strauss - Don Juan · 4 Letzte Lieder · Tod und Verklärung / Voigt · NYP · Masur

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Here is a portrait of the composer in his buoyant youth and his melancholy old age. Strauss wrote the tone poems in his twenties, the songs 60 years later. Don Juan, in a bright major key, bursts with vigor, confidence, and exultant passion, but ends with a short, subdued, spooky coda in the minor. Death and Transfiguration opens in dark minor and ends in radiant major; along the way, the music dreams, sings, rebels, soars to an ecstatic climax, and subsides into serene resignation. This is death envisioned by a young man: idealized, remote, unreal. The songs, on the other hand, are suffused with an old man's premonition of death's inexorable reality; evoking fragrant gardens and trilling birds, the music ends in peaceful acceptance. Masur, in this live recording, inspires his splendid players to unbridled, superb performances; they revel in Strauss's glittering, luscious orchestration with ravishing solos and a glorious sound. Deborah Voigt's soprano, with its shimmering radiance and vibrant intensity, can blend into or soar above the orchestra; a renowned Strauss interpreter whose effort here compares favorably with the legendary account by Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Voigt approaches the songs in a deeply felt, simple, direct, and outgoing manner, and she gives the composer's arching melodies a riveting, thrilling ecstasy. --Edith Eisler

Strauss - Don Juan · 4 Letzte Lieder · Tod und Verklärung / Voigt · NYP · Masur, Music, Richard Strauss, Kurt Masur, Deborah Voigt, New York Philharmonic, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Orchestral, Orchestral & Symphonic, Romantic Tone Poem/Symphonic Poem for Orchestra, Solo Voice(s) and Orchestra, Vocal

Strauss - Don Juan · 4 Letzte Lieder · Tod und Verklärung / Voigt · NYP · Masur
Average customer rating:

Very good, but......

Generous vocalism

Worst Four Last Songs I've heard

Four Last Song

Four Last Songs

Strauss - Don Juan · 4 Letzte Lieder · Tod und Verklärung / Voigt · NYP · Masur
Richard Strauss , Kurt Masur , Deborah Voigt , and New York Philharmonic
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5, etc.

Panorama: Franz Schubert

ASIN: B00000J7BR
Release Date: 1999-06-08

Tracks:

Don Juan, Tondichtung nach Lenau op. 20: Don Juan, Tone Poem After Lenau
Tod und Verklarung, Sinfonische Dichtung op. 24: Death And Transfiguration, Tone Poem
Four Last Songs For Soprano And Orchestra: Spring
Four Last Songs For Soprano And Orchestra: September
Four Last Songs For Soprano And Orchestra: Going to Sleep
Four Last Songs For Soprano And Orchestra: At Gloaming

Amazon.com

Here is a portrait of the composer in his buoyant youth and his melancholy old age. Strauss wrote the tone poems in his twenties, the songs 60 years later. Don Juan, in a bright major key, bursts with vigor, confidence, and exultant passion, but ends with a short, subdued, spooky coda in the minor. Death and Transfiguration opens in dark minor and ends in radiant major; along the way, the music dreams, sings, rebels, soars to an ecstatic climax, and subsides into serene resignation. This is death envisioned by a young man: idealized, remote, unreal. The songs, on the other hand, are suffused with an old man's premonition of death's inexorable reality; evoking fragrant gardens and trilling birds, the music ends in peaceful acceptance. Masur, in this live recording, inspires his splendid players to unbridled, superb performances; they revel in Strauss's glittering, luscious orchestration with ravishing solos and a glorious sound. Deborah Voigt's soprano, with its shimmering radiance and vibrant intensity, can blend into or soar above the orchestra; a renowned Strauss interpreter whose effort here compares favorably with the legendary account by Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Voigt approaches the songs in a deeply felt, simple, direct, and outgoing manner, and she gives the composer's arching melodies a riveting, thrilling ecstasy. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Very good, but.............2004-03-12

A nice CD. The orchestral work throughout is, of course, exemplary.

Deborah Voigt is a major artist. She possesses a voice of formidable power. She is also a very intelligent artist.

This is a nice performance of Strauss' Four Last Songs. I find no fault.

However, frankly, admire Ms. Voigt though I do, there are simply more involved performances. Several, in fact. I'm not much of a fan of the recent Fleming recording, again, admire her though I do. There are times you want to tell her to trust herself and "just sing it!".

I have two personal favorite recordings of these songs. 1. Janowitz/Karajan, which is almost universally praised, and, especially, Te Kanawa/Solti, which for some reason that simply illudes me, is seldom spoken of. Dame Kiri was in simply unbelieveable voice for these sessions. Her voice absolutely shimmers. And Solti, seemingly in a rare mood of introspection (at least for him), lets this glorious music work its' magic on its' own terms. It is, to my taste, one of the greatest recordings Solti ever made.

Generous vocalism.......2002-02-02

Grand gorgeous gorgeous vocalism and subtle interpretation. I think other listeners have mistaken the fussy, over-done performance of Fleming for musical intelligence (hence, tasteful singers are seen as boring). Voigt finds meaning in the music instead of over-acting each word phrase. Regarding Voigt's sound, listen to early Strauss interpreters such as Ursuleac and Jeritza to get an idea of a real Strauss soprano sound - a sound that Voigt has in spades

That said, I can't give the recording 5 stars for three reasons:

1. the Norman/Masur version is the very very best

2. I was present at the performances from which the recording was made and the recording does not do full justice to her voice and interpretation

and

2. the NY Phil's "Death and Transfiguration" is god-awful (bland, dull sounding, no sparkle, no power, no colors, NO depth, no meaning, etc.)

Worst Four Last Songs I've heard.......2001-12-05

I hate to put anyone down, but of the sixteen renditions of the four last songs I have heard and/or own, this is the worst. I should first enter a caveat and admit that I don't actually like the sound of Voigt's voice - to my ears she sounds unpleasantly metallic (as opposed to "shimmering".) Clearly, this is intensely subjective, so if you like her voice, you may find more to like in this disc than I.

However, quite apart from the tone, the rendition on the whole is lacking in detail and interest, the singing seeming dry and passionless. With a dozen alternatives that at least get these things right (to a greater or lesser extent), this hardly seems worth anyone's time.

As always, a major part of enjoyment of a rendition of these songs will be liking the voice, and then finding out how well they sing them. I can assure you that none of the following singers will disappoint you in their recordings of these songs if you like their voice in the first place: Schwarzkopf; Norman; Studer; Auger; Janowitz; Jurinac; Popp; Fleming, della Casa.

But I suspect even if you like Voigt's voice, this recording could still be a terrible disappointment. I strongly suggest you shop from the list above instead. In particular, if you would like a large voice in these songs, try Norman and Studer - both are exemplary in every respect.

The songs aren't the only thing on this disc, and the NYP should be given credit for virtuosic playing in the tone poems. They are, however, stylistically surpassed by many European competitors who have a more sympathetic approach to and ideal tone for this music eg. the Berlin Philharmonic for Karajan, or the Vienna Philharmonic for Previn, so they provide little reason to make this acquisition.

Four Last Song.......1999-11-29

I own more than 20 Four Last Song recordings and this is one of the best. Ms. Voigt's voice is so free and radiant, not to mention her impaccable German diction. The tempo seems to be the fastest among all the recordings in the market, but I find to be absolutely perfect. In my opinion, Lucia Popp/Klaus Tennstedt, and Jessye Norman/Kurt Masur are the other two excellent recordings that everyone should have.

Four Last Songs.......1999-07-15

I was present at the concert and was looking forward to hearing Voight's rendition of the Four Last Songs. I found it dry and un-moving. I much prefer Rene Flemings recorded rendition.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Burning My Travels Clean

Eugenia Burzio

Equally Cursed & Blessed

Cuba [Live]

Black Box

Maggot Brain [Import]

Gumboots [Cast Recording] [Soundtrack]

Gounod: Faust; Delibes: Coppélia

Fm802 Heavy Rotations: Selection 97 - 00 [Import]

Hommage à Jane Bathori: The Inspiring Muse

Jackson in Your House/Message to Our Folks [Original recording remastered]

Este Es Contreras

Echao Pa'lante

Who Is This Bitch, Anyway?

Put It in Your Mouth