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On one level, Strauss's Alpine Symphony celebrates the glory of nature; on another, it hymns man's capacity for self-determination. By any reckoning, it is a monumental expression of late romanticism. In lesser hands than those of Bernard Haitink, it can sound episodic, but his talent is to link the first bar with the last to create a concentrated span. Strauss's brilliant orchestration benefits from his purposeful direction and the London Symphony Orchestra rises to every challenge in this excellent live recording. --Robert Cockcroft, Yorkshire Post, 13 August 2010
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am no fan of the LSO sound as recorded in the Barbican-at times it has been acceptable (Les Troyens) , other times awful (Elgar Symphonies).
Recently matters have improved beyond all expectations-the sound of the recent LSO Gergiev Romeo & juliet was superb, and so it is with this recording-mostly! The one let down is the offstage hunting horns which sound too few and too distant and are swamped by the orchestra onstage- but this is a minor glitch in a superb reading. Haitink has added more drama and grandeur to his earlier reading,and the LSO is as magnificent as the RCO.
The storm is the most dramatic and cataclysmic I have heard on recording-and I've got about 15 recordings.The organ and bass organ pedal are wonderfully captured, and the sound is transparent enough for detail to come through.
This goes to the top of the favourites list alongside the earlier Haitink,Karajan and Kempe with the RPO on Testament.At the price, it's a real bargain and supplants the Zinman as a "best value buy"-this would be a best buy at ANY price. Haitink's recent recordings in Dresden and Chicago have been ,to my ears , leaden, dull and uninspiring-what a welcome return to blistering form!!Unreserevdly recommended! Stewart Crowe
Recently matters have improved beyond all expectations-the sound of the recent LSO Gergiev Romeo & juliet was superb, and so it is with this recording-mostly! The one let down is the offstage hunting horns which sound too few and too distant and are swamped by the orchestra onstage- but this is a minor glitch in a superb reading. Haitink has added more drama and grandeur to his earlier reading,and the LSO is as magnificent as the RCO.
The storm is the most dramatic and cataclysmic I have heard on recording-and I've got about 15 recordings.The organ and bass organ pedal are wonderfully captured, and the sound is transparent enough for detail to come through.
This goes to the top of the favourites list alongside the earlier Haitink,Karajan and Kempe with the RPO on Testament.At the price, it's a real bargain and supplants the Zinman as a "best value buy"-this would be a best buy at ANY price. Haitink's recent recordings in Dresden and Chicago have been ,to my ears , leaden, dull and uninspiring-what a welcome return to blistering form!!Unreserevdly recommended! Stewart Crowe
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Alpine Symphony....LSO....Haitink. Who would have thought? If you find this particular combination a bit puzzling and are wondering whether it actually produces good results, puzzle no longer. This is a wonderfully coherent, symphonic reading of Strauss' tone poem, which does not apologize for being big-boned when it needs to be (check out the bass tuba and trombones at the climaxes), but also manages to create a lucid and well-connected musical line which spans the whole work. In too many performances of this piece, one is often aware of travelling from episode to episode, with all the disjointedness that this entails. Haitink, to his credit, is the most discerning of musical judges in this respect. Rarely have I heard a recording and thought "this just sounds right, bingo!".
One may have a personal preference for the burnished gold of the Viennese brass and strings or the power and mighty grandeur of the Berliners under Karajan - but make no mistake, the LSO, in this recording, are on a level playing field with the sophisticated Europeans. In fact, I would say that the brass in the opening section are even more accomplished. The sound is amazingly soft, but also focused and mysterious at the same time. There is some very sensitive playing here as well - particularly in the meadows. The final approach to the summit is gloriously radiant and very well prepared (no sudden climaxes here). Haitink also manages to create a palpable sense of tension in the calm before the storm. The storm itself is very impressive (you might want to play this when the family and neighbours are out!) and the gradual descent into serenity is brought off with a natural elegance of phrasing and some wonderfully rapt playing from all departments. Haitink's rock-solid, unfussy way with this piece really pays dividends - the details are stunningly executed whilst the bigger picture is very well controlled.
For an interesting comparison, listen to Welser-Most's recording with the virtuosic Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. This is an interpretation which is very different to the LSO recording, focusing instead on a more fleet-footed and cinematic approach (clocking in at a swift 45 minutes compared to Haitink's 50). Both are equally valid of course and more importantly, both performances are top-class.
As stated by the previous reviewer, the sound quality in this LSO Live release is surprisingly good, considering it's the Barbican. The listener is offered a clear and detailed sound-stage but with enough air around the orchestra to provide some atmosphere. Personally I thought the offstage hunting horns were just the right dynamic (they are offstage after all and as a result one is aware of the 'outdoor' effect that is surely intended here, almost like the vast distances in the Bavarian Alps). In general, this is a very impressive live recording of what must have been a memorable evening.
One may have a personal preference for the burnished gold of the Viennese brass and strings or the power and mighty grandeur of the Berliners under Karajan - but make no mistake, the LSO, in this recording, are on a level playing field with the sophisticated Europeans. In fact, I would say that the brass in the opening section are even more accomplished. The sound is amazingly soft, but also focused and mysterious at the same time. There is some very sensitive playing here as well - particularly in the meadows. The final approach to the summit is gloriously radiant and very well prepared (no sudden climaxes here). Haitink also manages to create a palpable sense of tension in the calm before the storm. The storm itself is very impressive (you might want to play this when the family and neighbours are out!) and the gradual descent into serenity is brought off with a natural elegance of phrasing and some wonderfully rapt playing from all departments. Haitink's rock-solid, unfussy way with this piece really pays dividends - the details are stunningly executed whilst the bigger picture is very well controlled.
For an interesting comparison, listen to Welser-Most's recording with the virtuosic Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. This is an interpretation which is very different to the LSO recording, focusing instead on a more fleet-footed and cinematic approach (clocking in at a swift 45 minutes compared to Haitink's 50). Both are equally valid of course and more importantly, both performances are top-class.
As stated by the previous reviewer, the sound quality in this LSO Live release is surprisingly good, considering it's the Barbican. The listener is offered a clear and detailed sound-stage but with enough air around the orchestra to provide some atmosphere. Personally I thought the offstage hunting horns were just the right dynamic (they are offstage after all and as a result one is aware of the 'outdoor' effect that is surely intended here, almost like the vast distances in the Bavarian Alps). In general, this is a very impressive live recording of what must have been a memorable evening.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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5 reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
An Alpine Sym. played with dignity, restraint, and tenderness
10 Feb 2010
Format:Audio CD
When LSO Live started out, their live concert recordings were in the budget category, so one couldn't cavil at short timings. Now they are selling at full price, with no filler for the Alpine Symphony. Certainly they aren't alone in that, but with an excellent budget version on Naxos under Antoni Wit, not to mention Zinman on Nuova Arte, and any number of classic mid-price alternatives, I'm not sure this new Haitink recording is competitive.
Having said that, what one looks for first is artistic merit. This is a remake for Haitink, even though his first version with the Concertgebouw dates back several decades. Strauss is among his best composers, and that first Alpine Sym. was a beauty. Its only flaw, in some eyes, was a certain restraint. Does it add dignity to the Alpine Sym. to take it more seriously, or should this gaudy orchestral showcase be played full throttle for thrills and spills? Each listener will have to answer for himself. The new Haitink is definitely one of the dignified ones; tempos are often slow, phrases lovingly lingered over. The LSO plays quite spectacularly, despite being held back by their conductor. The recorded sound from Barbican Hall is close-up and transparent (I've never understood complaints about the sound quality from LSO Live, which has always struck me as first rate). In the end, I much prefer the thrilling accounts from Karajan, Mehta (on Sony, with the Berliners), and Thielemann with Vienna.
Haitink is more like a dream about mountain-climbing than the actual adventure.
Having said that, what one looks for first is artistic merit. This is a remake for Haitink, even though his first version with the Concertgebouw dates back several decades. Strauss is among his best composers, and that first Alpine Sym. was a beauty. Its only flaw, in some eyes, was a certain restraint. Does it add dignity to the Alpine Sym. to take it more seriously, or should this gaudy orchestral showcase be played full throttle for thrills and spills? Each listener will have to answer for himself. The new Haitink is definitely one of the dignified ones; tempos are often slow, phrases lovingly lingered over. The LSO plays quite spectacularly, despite being held back by their conductor. The recorded sound from Barbican Hall is close-up and transparent (I've never understood complaints about the sound quality from LSO Live, which has always struck me as first rate). In the end, I much prefer the thrilling accounts from Karajan, Mehta (on Sony, with the Berliners), and Thielemann with Vienna.
Haitink is more like a dream about mountain-climbing than the actual adventure.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
An Alpine Trip Like None Other
21 Oct 2010
Format:Audio CD
[From ionarts.org]
Later this year I will have a large comparative review of half a dozen or more recordings of Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony. Philippe Jordan's recording, reviewed by Charles a little while ago, will be among them. Ditto a newly released RIAS broadcast with Karl Böhm (audite), Bychkov's WDR recording on PROFIL, the re-release of Welser-Möst's fabulously cinematic LPO recording (EMI), and hopefully a few others. But there is one of the bunch that can't wait until then, and that's Bernard Haitink's with the LSO on the LSO Live label. What a surprise, this one.
Haitink, I love, of course. Especially live, especially in composers like Bruckner. But Richard Strauss? The Alpine Symphony? The LSO? Those are ingredients that don't, on paper, evoke a gritty ascend to the summit, craggy excitement of rock and thunder, shist and lightning. Or particular Bavarian flair. Well, time to give my etch-a-sketch of stereotypes a good shake: this is a riotous interpretation, a tender one, exploring extremes, and with the most deliciously depraved low tuba note I have yet heard recorded... sounding out with such gusto that it would suffice to prove the existence of the `Brown Note' [see SouthPark Episode 317 for the reference], if it weren't a myth. One of my favorite recordings on the LSO Live label and--pending the Alpensinfonie-marathon results--my favorite recording of Strauss' oft-maligned masterpiece.
Later this year I will have a large comparative review of half a dozen or more recordings of Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony. Philippe Jordan's recording, reviewed by Charles a little while ago, will be among them. Ditto a newly released RIAS broadcast with Karl Böhm (audite), Bychkov's WDR recording on PROFIL, the re-release of Welser-Möst's fabulously cinematic LPO recording (EMI), and hopefully a few others. But there is one of the bunch that can't wait until then, and that's Bernard Haitink's with the LSO on the LSO Live label. What a surprise, this one.
Haitink, I love, of course. Especially live, especially in composers like Bruckner. But Richard Strauss? The Alpine Symphony? The LSO? Those are ingredients that don't, on paper, evoke a gritty ascend to the summit, craggy excitement of rock and thunder, shist and lightning. Or particular Bavarian flair. Well, time to give my etch-a-sketch of stereotypes a good shake: this is a riotous interpretation, a tender one, exploring extremes, and with the most deliciously depraved low tuba note I have yet heard recorded... sounding out with such gusto that it would suffice to prove the existence of the `Brown Note' [see SouthPark Episode 317 for the reference], if it weren't a myth. One of my favorite recordings on the LSO Live label and--pending the Alpensinfonie-marathon results--my favorite recording of Strauss' oft-maligned masterpiece.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Superb Alpine Symphony on SACD in surround sound
9 Aug 2010
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A majestic not over the top performance. The 5 Channel surround sound very successfully puts you in "the stalls" maybe 10 to 12 rows back from the stage. The clarity and power of the bass - the organ - is simply amazing!
You do need a multi channel sacd player (preferably a very good one) to experience this. I would think every real music lover would have gone this route by now! If you love the sound of live music - how could you possibly not have? Stereo is only a pale imitation. This and hundreds (more than 3900 actually) of available multi-channel or surround sound hybrid SACDs from LSO Live, Chicago Resound, PentaTone, BIS, Chandos, Tudor and many others now make this marvel of technology possible in your listening room!
Someone above carped about the price. For the experience I get out of hearing the Alpine Symphony in this kind of sound - like 70 to 75% of what I would actually experience in the concert hall, this is real value for money spent! Stereo by comparison gives me about 20 to 25% of the live experience.
Too bad LSO Live, unlike PentaTones sourced from Polyhymnia, BIS, Tudor, Boston Symphony Classics, Chandos, dont give us a discrete center channel. I thought to withhold one star on this issue, not liking my MCH recordings to sound like old quad recordings - but the impact here, particularly the bass, is so spectacular that this center channel recessing problem not-with-standing, I relented and gave all five stars!
However, I must say PentaTone's recording of the Alpine Symphony with the fine orchestra in Pittsburgh, having a discrete center channel adds another 20% in my estimation, of getting closer to the "live" sound of a fine orchestra in a real concert hall. That one unfortunately did not have this organ in the hall. I have both recordings. I would hate to choose between them. I would never even consider a regular CD like the Naxos. Spoiled by splendid sound, that is me!
You do need a multi channel sacd player (preferably a very good one) to experience this. I would think every real music lover would have gone this route by now! If you love the sound of live music - how could you possibly not have? Stereo is only a pale imitation. This and hundreds (more than 3900 actually) of available multi-channel or surround sound hybrid SACDs from LSO Live, Chicago Resound, PentaTone, BIS, Chandos, Tudor and many others now make this marvel of technology possible in your listening room!
Someone above carped about the price. For the experience I get out of hearing the Alpine Symphony in this kind of sound - like 70 to 75% of what I would actually experience in the concert hall, this is real value for money spent! Stereo by comparison gives me about 20 to 25% of the live experience.
Too bad LSO Live, unlike PentaTones sourced from Polyhymnia, BIS, Tudor, Boston Symphony Classics, Chandos, dont give us a discrete center channel. I thought to withhold one star on this issue, not liking my MCH recordings to sound like old quad recordings - but the impact here, particularly the bass, is so spectacular that this center channel recessing problem not-with-standing, I relented and gave all five stars!
However, I must say PentaTone's recording of the Alpine Symphony with the fine orchestra in Pittsburgh, having a discrete center channel adds another 20% in my estimation, of getting closer to the "live" sound of a fine orchestra in a real concert hall. That one unfortunately did not have this organ in the hall. I have both recordings. I would hate to choose between them. I would never even consider a regular CD like the Naxos. Spoiled by splendid sound, that is me!
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