Another excellent "Alpensinfonie" (w/"MacBeth") on Pentatone

[barry guerrero]

Hard on the heels of Luisi's excellent Dresden Alpine Symphony, comes this beautifully recorded one from Pittsburg on the Pentatone label, conducted by Marek Janowski. Overall, I very slightly prefer the Luisi one, simply because the Staatskapelle just "glow" from start to finish. But Pittsburg plays extremely well also, and the Pentatone recording has even more visceral impact - no more so than in the famous "storm", where the wind machine and thunder sheet are closely captured (Janowski takes it a blistering tempo too). Either way, you can't lose. Since the "Four Last Songs" aren't so great on the Luisi, perhaps it makes more sense to get the Janowski for the rarely heard "MacBeth". FYI.

Barry

[david johnson]

i've never had a weak pittsburgh recording.  i'll be checking into this one.

thanx for the info.

dj

[akiralx]

Both on SACD of course - as is another excellent one from Jansons and the Concertgebouw, with Don Juan. 

The Luisi is the one I have and it is superb as Barry says.

[John Kim]

I recently acquired Karajan's digital recording on Karajan Gold series.

The sound has been refurbished remarkably well, opening up the high & low ends and cleaning up some of the opaque quality. It still sounds hard at places where the orchestra goes in fff and beyond, but compared to the previous release that had only ONE track this one, with multiple tracks, is a winner. It also has a very good, natural balance with no hint of spotlighting. I really like Karajan's way with this symphony - taut, intense, and smooth - which is precisely what's needed of this music.

My other favorites are Mehta (LAPO and BPO), Solti, and Haitink. But after hearing this splendidly remastered CD I might put the Karajan ahead of all others.

John,

[John Kim]

I am listening to the Luisi/Dresden/Sony Alpensinfonie right now.

It is outstanding!

A very fluent reading loaded with sensitive phrasing, flexible tempo, great and idiomatic playing, all around, It sounds totally natural and into Strauss' world. The sound quality is top notch too; so perfectly balanced, transparent and 'natural' that I might be sitting just in front of the gigantic mountain with the orchestra playing the music in the foreground.

As much as I love the Karajan and Mehta, this has become one of my top favorites.

Enthusiastically recommended.

John,

[alpsman]

I am waiting for Janowski, and I have for quite a time Luisi/Dresden but not listen yet( beside several other as Nagano,Asahina, Wit, Stein, Barenboim and others)
But I really love this work, it's a perfect imitation of the Alps but also a spiritual and metaphisical work, allegoric of the life itself.

I agree with John, Karajan is outstanding and the remastered cd is better-but no perfect. Mehta and Haitink very good.
Look also for Previn and Wiener philharmoniker in Telarc. The sound is excellent. Also Thielemann and the same orchestra are glorious.

And what about Ozawa and ,ja again, the wieners? (I have also this but not listen yet. Eee the day is only 24h, the music inextinguishable.)
The recordings Ozawa made in the 90's with VPO in Musikverein are excellent, especially as sound.

[John Kim]

If there is one (minor) quibble about the Luisi, it's the last episode which depicts the sunset (both physical and spiritual as alpsman says ) at the Apls. It's quite good but isn't as intense and beautiful as the Karajan which is in a totally different world as his glorious Finale to Mahler Ninth was.

I think the sound quality of the remastered Karajan is quite decent.

John,

[alpsman]

I think the sound quality of the remastered Karajan is quite decent.

Yes I agree 100% the same also for the interpretation.