Search - Richard [1] Strauss, Michael Halasz, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra :: Strauss: Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme / Intermezzo Interludes

Three and one-half stars for this curiousity

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 09/28/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Michael Halasz, who qualifies as the closest thing there is to a house conductor for the Naxos label, released this CD of Richard Strauss's incidental music for the stage play "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme" and 4 orchestral excerpts from the Strauss opera "Intermezzo" in 1999. What is curious about Amazon's re-release is the MP3 availability.



I don't know much about downloading since I am over 50 and have never done it. I don't own an ipod and don't care to own one, nor do I care to listen to music through my computer. As a general rule, those of us from an older generation that grew up spending all our cash on home stereo systems care more about sound than the cheap value deliverable through an ipod download.



However, I have been tempted to consider downloads a time or two when something I wanted wasn't a good buy on CD and the a la carte nature of downloads -- in other words, the ability to select only a few tracks from a CD for at a greatly discounted price -- made it a potentially pragmatic and respectable purchase.



Having closely looked over the goods avaialble here, I'm not sure anyone can say that about what Amazon offers. Traditionalists and others that still buy CDs can buy the entire CD new from Amazon for about $9. They can buy it a lot cheaper (more than 50 percent less than list price) from a number of Amazon dealers. If you are inclined to download the tracks, you can do so for 90 cents per track.



This may seem like a good idea until you look at what Amazon is making available. Anyone that's ever heard the main offering here knows the biggest chunk of music (more than 9 minutes' worth) occurs in the final movement, "The dinner", where Strauss's music accompanies an on stage dining episode. However, you cannot buy that track via MP3 for some unfathomable reason. So anyone wanting to download the music to their ipod can grab everything except the most important part, the conclusion, and they'll pay more for the download than most buyers will pay for the CD.



Economics aside, these are alternately sprightly, tender and determined performances by Halasz and the Australian orchestra, whose players shine in their independent solo sections during the stage music. They are appropriately weighty and 20th century in their approach to the opera excerpts, as well. I liked Halazs' interpretation of the suite better than the last one I heard by Anthony Hogwood, although I like Hogwood's sidebar, a dramatic version of Bizet's incidental music for L'Arleisienne, better than what accompanies the theater music here."

Strange Interlude

Jeffrey Harris | Texas | 07/01/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Don't you love Richard Strauss?! His music is really beautiful. I have always loved the suite from "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme", but that's not why I own this CD. When I get this CD out, I like to listen to the other item, the Intermezzo Interludes. These instrumental bits from one of Strauss's late operas sound immediately like the Strauss of "Der Rosenkavalier" and "Ariadne auf Naxos", although this music lacks the sheer inspiration of those compositions. It's nice music, though, and if you like Strauss, you will probably enjoy taking this one down off the shelf every now and then as I do. The Australian orchestra plays well. Interestingly, these Interludes feature a prominent obligato piano part in a couple of movements. It works well, and yes, there are waltzes! What more do you need to know?! Buy it!"