May: R. Strauss - Don Quixote

[Seán]

Our good friend Darren has contacted me to inform me that he is indisposed at present and will in all likelihood be absent from the forum for a period of a few weeks. As you know he was briefly hospitalised recently and has obviously not fully recovered so he needs time out to look after himself properly and to get himself right. I am sure that you will all wish him a speedy recovery and a swift return to full health. His presence and activity will be missed until his return.

As a consequence of his not being able to do so himself at the moment Darren has asked me to complete his Don Quixote thread rather than just leave it hanging there. I will of course do so out of great respect for a job already well done and almost complete. Given where he started from, I think that Darren did a great job with this thread. I know that it has not been particularly easy for him but he persevered and, I think, prevailed. I would personally like to say well done Darren on your efforts and indeed on the final product!

Once again I wish you a speedy recovery to full health Darren and I hope that it is not too long before we see you back around these parts.

Hi Fergus, I have followed this thread with great interest and I have to confess that I have been amazed at the amount of effort and the quality of the work that Darren has put into it and as a result I do listen to my HvK recording regularly and it presents a welcome alternative to my Bach (Magnificat) explorations -- but more aboout that anon -- I know that there is no better man on this board to bring Darren's work to fruition and to do it the justice it deserves.

I am really sad to hear that Darren will be indisposed for a few weeks and I want to take this opportunity to wish Darren a speedy recovery and I look forward to welcoming him back on his return in the not too distant future.

[fergus]

The Kempe version is very well played and it is also a great recording. The orchestra is the Staatskapelle Dresden. I like Kempe as a Strauss interpreter. I have always felt that the Kempe version is a little on the dark side, a very powerful, assertive performance but still full of pathos and perhaps focusing a little more on the tragedy of the delusion. This aspect of the interpretation can be beautifully melancholic but it is still powerful.

The cellist is the renowned Paul Tortelier who gives a sparkling performance. His tone and phrasing are once again wonderful and he is really very good at performing the whimsical, faster pieces. The Knight’s vigil is wonderfully played but not as purely Romantically as others but it does have its glorious moments; it is infused with this element of melancholy and yearning which is beautiful as is the Death of Don Quixote.

This performance definitely has a different feel to it; powerful, melancholic and beautiful and certainly one to hear.

[fergus]

This is a fine reading and the orchestra play very well. It may well be the acoustic but they sound a little light in places but it does not detract from the performance. The solo cello also does not have the very deep, warm resonance of others. Perhaps this is also a feature of the recording which is a digital 20 bit resolution one so perhaps just a bit cold sounding to my ear. This is not an issue just something that I noticed immediately and therefore needed to comment on it.

Markson for me focuses on the whimsical, quirky nature of the work and although not reaching the extreme highs or lows of the very best in terms of intensity still does a very good job.
I do not know of Alexander Rudin the solo cellist but he does perform admirably throughout. His Knight’s vigil is a pensive one as is his Death of Don Quixote. His are very good performances but would not make one weep as a result of melancholy, despair, regret or sublime beauty.

All in all though, this is a fine performance that I would recommend.

[fergus]

Reiner’s is a very well played version as one would expect from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The strings sound lush and warm and the brass is raucous when required. I would place Reiner’s version among the lyrical versions; I think that his interpretation is that of the Romantic Epic as opposed to a quirky one.

I do not know of Antonio Janigro other than from this performance. His is a good, lyrical performance with very good intonation and lovely phrasing. I felt however that his was a slightly understated performance that lacks somewhat in intensity of expression. It is by no means a poor performance but his Knight’s Vigil reflects this. His playing and especially his phrasing in the Death of Don Quixote is lovely but there is also a certain lack of emotional engagement for me.

[fergus]

Once again we have a version that is played very well and sounds really good. The Zinman interpretation leans towards the assertive side. It is a powerful performance and seeks, in my opinion, to focus on the sense of the Epic Tale. It also has a touch of the quirky feel to it which is a nice mix. The recording is very good and the sound quality is very clear and precise. I think that this is a very successful version and it tells the story very well by infusing lots of drama and things constantly move along swiftly and effortlessly.

Thomas Grossenbacher, the solo cellist here, is another one that I do not know beyond this recording but I do like him a lot. He plays very well, has great intonation, lovely phrasing and gets into the spirit of things with his performance. There is a lot of tenderness in his Knight’s Vigil and his Death of Don Quixote is beautifully contemplative.

This is a very good performance overall and anyone wanting a modern digital version would be very well served with this one.

[Diapason]

Sorry to hear that Darren is not well, here's hoping he makes a speedy recovery and rejoins us soon.

I've really enjoyed listening to the work, although I must admit that somewhere along the way I stopped trying to follow the "story" and just listened to the music without thinking about what it might be trying to represent. Interestingly, I seem to find it easier to enjoy that way.

[Diapason]

Oh, and the recording by the (Irish) National Symphony Orchestra is really rather good. It's not as expansive as the Tonhalle and Zinman, but I found it very playful, and with a lovely sound (especially the strings) that makes it easy to listen to and enjoy. I certainly found myself swept along with the music without getting bogged down in details. One to consider, especially since it costs virtually nothing.

[fergus]

I've really enjoyed listening to the work, although I must admit that somewhere along the way I stopped trying to follow the "story" and just listened to the music without thinking about what it might be trying to represent. Interestingly, I seem to find it easier to enjoy that way.

Funnily I have been speaking to one or two other Forum members who have similiar opinions. I think that, if you let it, the music of Richard Strauss can sweep one along in a wave of emotion; but then I am biased in that direction!

[fergus]

If the final parts of Don Quixote appealed to you one would, in an unashamed attempt to promote the music of one of my favourite composers, strongly recommend seeking out two other works by Strauss namely Metamorphosen and Tod und Verklarung. They are both magnificent pieces of music and both are conveniently on this wonderful CD....

[Jared]

whilst this version also contains one of the finest versions of 4LS recorded...

Thanks very much indeed to Darren for all the hard work you have put in to this project over the past month; I have read it all through, but will in due course go back over it again with the music to hand. Your efforts have been greatly appreciated, and I hope you are fully recovered from your illness, very soon.