Andris Nelsons’ Major Richard Strauss Project

The combined resources of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Andris Nelsons (courtesy of Crossover Media)

At the beginning of last month, Deutsche Grammophon released a seven-CD anthology as part of a Strauss Alliance project conceived by conductor Andris Nelsons. The composer featured in this project is Richard Strauss; and the “alliance” involves the two orchestras that Nelsons is currently leading, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Given the prodigious number of operas that Strauss composed, this collection is hardly a “comprehensive” account of the his catalog. However, it does account for all ten of the tone poems, listed here (as on their Wikipedia page) in order of opus number:

1. “Aus Italien” (from Italy), Opus 16
2. “Don Juan,” Opus 20
3. “Macbeth,” Opus 23
4. “Tod und Verklärung” (death and transfiguration), Opus 24
5. “Till Eulenspiegel’s lustige Streiche” (Till Eulenspiegel’s merry pranks), Opus 28
6. “Also sprach Zarathustra” (thus spoke Zarathustra), Opus 30
7. “Don Quixote,” Opus 35
8. “Ein Heldenleben” (a hero’s life), Opus 40
9. “Symphonia Domestica,” Opus 53
10. “Eine Alpensinfonie” (an Alpine symphony), Opus 64

Most of the remaining selections involve instrumental excerpts from the operas.

The recordings include performances by two major soloists. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma “assumes the role” of the title character in the Opus 35 tone poem. The other soloist is Yuja Wang. She does not play in any of the tone poems. However, she gives a dynamite performance as the soloist in the D minor “Burleske,” completed in the same year as Opus 16. The Wikipedia page describes this as “a composition for piano and orchestra;” but those willing to scroll down the page will soon discover that the timpani player is as significant a soloist as the pianist. “Burleske” shares a CD with not only Opus 20 but also the other major composition that is not a tone poem, the “Metamorphosen,” scored for 23 solo strings (ten violins, five violas, five cellos, and three basses).

With the exception of Opus 20, all of the tone poems have multiple tracks. The track listings are a definite asset in guiding the listener through the narrative thread of each of those compositions. The only exception is Opus 23, which is not so much a tone poem as it is a more conventional sonata form that develops several of the darker aspects of William Shakespeare’s plot.

While, personally, I am not a great enthusiast of the Strauss tone poems, I find that collecting all of them in one album makes for a useful resource. When it comes to bringing two different orchestras (from two different continents) into the recording project, I am not so enthusiastic. Nevertheless, I am more than satisfied with the expressiveness that Nelsons brings to his performances. If he chose to spread that expressiveness across the two ensembles he currently leads, I find no grounds to question that decision!