Search - Paul Schöffler, Richard [1] Strauss, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra :: Sir Thomas Beecham Conducts Richard Strauss

Glorious Strauss from 1947, but in quite dated sound

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 03/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It wasn't until the LP era and then the advent of stereo that oepra came to be realistically recorded. You'll need tolerance to listen to these 1947 excerpts from Ariadne auf Naxos and Elektra under Beecham, but if you can get past the boxy sound and occasional microphone distortion, these are glorious recordings. Beecham had just held a Strauss festival in London, a great celebration of the 85-year-old composer, who came out of exile to attend(taking the first airplane ride of his life) and even conducted a performance of his Sinfonia Domestica.



There are great Strauss singers like Maria Cebotari and Ljuba Welitsch to be heard here, and no one is less than good--most of them came from the company of the Vienna State Opera--but it's Beecham's show musically. He proves himself to be a committed, warm-hearted Straussian. No wonder, since he premiered Elektra, Salome, and Rosenkavalier in London. I wish the sound were better; it's dim even by the standards of the time. But the surfaces are completley silent, and after a period of adjustment I found it easy to get into the prevailing spirit of the venture, which is both intense and joyous."