Search - Richard Strauss, Friedrich Haider, Adrianne Pieczonka :: Complete Orchestral Lieder

A must for Moll fans

Jamie Henderson | London , UK | 05/06/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This boxed set, claims Nightingale Classics, is the world premiere recording of Richard Strauss's orchestral songs; as such, it is a release well worth hearing, even though not all the performances give the lieder sufficient advocacy. Praise must be given straight away for the magnificent voice of the bass Kurt Moll; the thrilling gravitas of his singing in the rarely heard 'Das Thal' and 'Der Einsame' are worth the price of this set alone. Gruberova's long experience of singing Strauss (this is her fourth recording of some of these songs) also shines through; she excels not just in the coloratura extravagances of the Brentano lieder (disc 3), but is also moving in 'Freundliche Vision'. The remaining singers are more variable: Petia Petrova is rather bland in the fascinating 15 minute song 'Notturno' (but it is well sung), and I find Bo Skovhus' gruff baritone not to my taste (though again the songs themselves should be heard - listen to 'Nachtliger gang' and note its echoes of 'Elektra'). Judith Howarth, the most vocally wayward of the singers (she must watch her pitch) can also be quite exciting when at her best (hear 'Fruhlingsfeier' and the last two of the 'Holderin Hymnen'). And I must admit to rather liking the light lyric tenor of Peter Straka, though his 'white' tone is not right for some of the songs he has been allocated; they require a tenor of the heft of Peter Seiffert or Gosta Winbergh. Adrianne Pieczonka is a frustrating singer: her tone is often beautiful and soars in the opening bars of 'Fruhling' from the Four Last Songs, but at other times her readings are so perfunctory that the magic of the song can be totally missed. Take one of my favourites, 'Winterweihe', which goes for nothing; one must listen to Schwarzkopf and Szell to hear how much emotion can be wrung from the phrase 'Das Rad der Zeit mag rollen'. Part of the blame for some less than classic readings must lay at the feet of Friedrich Haider's not always idiomatic conducting and a too recessed orchestral sound; but these criticisms aside, I feel this recording is a must for fans of Strauss lieder, and admirers of Moll and Gruberova in particular."

Luxurious Set of All of Strauss' Orchestral Songs

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 10/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not sure how Nightingale Records has the courage to record and issue this compendium of the complete orchestral songs of Strauss, but the result is a splendid addition to the record library. Generously spaced over three CDs the unifying factor here is that the many songs are not excerpted from various recordings from various years with a range of soloists that span a long period of time. This project was recorded with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice conducted by Friedrich Haider and while this is not one of the top ranking ensembles in the world, there is a lovely sound and a unifying presence that adds to the enjoyment of the wide collection.



Recorded in the year 2000 some of the soloists were well-established Strauss specialists - Edita Gruberova, Kurt Moll - and some were to grow into that range. Bo Skovhus, Peter Strake, and Judith Horvath are all fine singers, if not particularly suited to the Strauss sound. The one singer that has since this recording proven herself to be one of the upcoming great Straussian singers is Adrianne Pieczonka, a Canadian soprano who recently distinguished herself as a definitive Marschallin in the Los Angeles Opera production of 'Der Rosenkavalier'. Here she literally embraces the beauties of 'Ruhe, Meine Seele', 'Morgen', and 'Cäcilie' with all the promise of the great Straussian heroine she is surely becoming.



For everyone who loves the works of Richard Strauss this set will be a welcome addition to the library. Recommended. Grady Harp, October 05"