- Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw
- Conductor: Mariss Jansons
- Audio CD (29 Sep 2008)
- Please Note: Requires SACD-compatible hardware
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Hybrid SACD, SACD
- Label: RCO Live
- ASIN: B001DF6HBW
- Other Editions: MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 174,293 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Now that the Alpine Sym. has come into its own and one can forget the decades when it was derided as the brontosaurus among Strauss's tone poems, we have a wealth of choice. No work shows off an orchestra's virtuosity as thrillingly -- not even Ein Heldenleben - and so it comes as no surprise that Europe's powerhouse orchestras have dominated the field, particularly Karajan's Berlin account from the early digital era. Now Jansons, with the advantage of spectacularly lifelife sonics, gives the old master a run for his money.
I have only heard the two-channel stereo version, but there's no hesitation in saying that the Royal Concertgebouw's house label must boast some of the best engineers in the world. Every detail in the playing is vibrantly alive. In the Don Juan performance that serves as a warmup, the suave richness of the srings is beyond belief. "Raivshing" is a critical cliche, but it fits here. As intrpreations, both the Don Juan and Alpine Sym. are a trifle soft-grained, lacking Karajan's total command, but overall this is Janson's most energetic reading in years. I am not a worshipper at the altar by any means, but he is very fine in this work.
On musical merits, I'd place this new recording below Blomstedt on Decca, Welser-Most on EMI, and Karajan -- all are more viscerally exciting -- and I won't throw away the gorgeous Vienna Phil. account on Telarc under Previn, but Jansons joins that august company once you include the stunning sonics.
I have only heard the two-channel stereo version, but there's no hesitation in saying that the Royal Concertgebouw's house label must boast some of the best engineers in the world. Every detail in the playing is vibrantly alive. In the Don Juan performance that serves as a warmup, the suave richness of the srings is beyond belief. "Raivshing" is a critical cliche, but it fits here. As intrpreations, both the Don Juan and Alpine Sym. are a trifle soft-grained, lacking Karajan's total command, but overall this is Janson's most energetic reading in years. I am not a worshipper at the altar by any means, but he is very fine in this work.
On musical merits, I'd place this new recording below Blomstedt on Decca, Welser-Most on EMI, and Karajan -- all are more viscerally exciting -- and I won't throw away the gorgeous Vienna Phil. account on Telarc under Previn, but Jansons joins that august company once you include the stunning sonics.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Definitely one of the best recordings and up there with Karajan, and Previn on Telarc. Jansons can be too controlled sometimes and lacking fire - but not here. Great sound on SACD too.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Stunning playing and sonics carry the day
15 Oct 2008
Format:Audio CD
Now that the Alpine Sym. has come into its own and one can forget the decades when it was derided as the brontosaurus among Strauss's tone poems, we have a wealth of choice. No work shows off an orchestra's virtuosity as thrillingly -- not even Ein Heldenleben - and so it comes as no surprise that Europe's powerhouse orchestras have dominated the field, particularly Karajan's Berlin account from the early digital era. Now Jansons, with the advantage of spectacularly lifelife sonics, gives the old master a run for his money.
I have only heard the two-channel stereo version, but there's no hesitation in saying that the Royal Concertgebouw's house label must boast some of the best engineers in the world. Every detail in the playing is vibrantly alive. As intrpreations, both the Don Juan and Alpine Sym. are a trifle soft-grained, lacking Karajan's total command, but overall this is Jansons' most energetic recording in a while. I am not a worshipper at the altar by any means, but he rises to his best here.
On musical merits, I'd place this CD below Blomstedt on Decca, Welser-Most on EMI, and Karajan -- all are more viscerally exciting -- and I won't throw away the gorgeous Vienna Phil. account on Telarc under Previn, but Jansons joins that august company once you include the stunning sonics.
I have only heard the two-channel stereo version, but there's no hesitation in saying that the Royal Concertgebouw's house label must boast some of the best engineers in the world. Every detail in the playing is vibrantly alive. As intrpreations, both the Don Juan and Alpine Sym. are a trifle soft-grained, lacking Karajan's total command, but overall this is Jansons' most energetic recording in a while. I am not a worshipper at the altar by any means, but he rises to his best here.
On musical merits, I'd place this CD below Blomstedt on Decca, Welser-Most on EMI, and Karajan -- all are more viscerally exciting -- and I won't throw away the gorgeous Vienna Phil. account on Telarc under Previn, but Jansons joins that august company once you include the stunning sonics.
Excellent Instrumental Presence
18 Sep 2010
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Alpensinfonie has great, simple architecture. The lows of the darkness before the dawn stretch out majestically as the climbers wait to be able to make out the mountain's outline and start the muscular ascent to the quiet peak and the storm-thrashed descent to safe ground before the darkness closes in again. We are at least partially compensated for the lyricism that falls short of Strauss's other works.
Being used to the Chicago-Barenboim recording from 1992, I find I like this Concertgebouw-Jansons version better for its SACD-strength sound. Barenboim may shape the performance to the architecture better, but he also stands back and lets the sections' sounds merge. I prefer the more clearly reproduced sound of the Concertgebouw's sections with a wider dynamic range: the players get a better chance to sell the music.
Details:
-- The Concertgebouw put its wind machine on the "whistling" setting.
-- Their offstage hunting party of horns is really 'way off stage.
Being used to the Chicago-Barenboim recording from 1992, I find I like this Concertgebouw-Jansons version better for its SACD-strength sound. Barenboim may shape the performance to the architecture better, but he also stands back and lets the sections' sounds merge. I prefer the more clearly reproduced sound of the Concertgebouw's sections with a wider dynamic range: the players get a better chance to sell the music.
Details:
-- The Concertgebouw put its wind machine on the "whistling" setting.
-- Their offstage hunting party of horns is really 'way off stage.
Not bad, but not great.
25 Jun 2010
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
As "certified" by Gramophone's recent poll, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Mariss Jansons seems to carry the title of the World's Greatest Orchestra, and whatever one may think of that, there's no doubting they are indeed a magnificent band, and perhaps none better.
However, despite this honor, it has become hard to tell these days unless they are heard "live." For in days gone by, when the orchestra was led by Riccardo Chailly and magnificently recorded by Decca and released in their stupendous SACDs, the Concertgeouw's glory was undeniable. But today under Jansons and recorded "in house," it seems the current engineers are no longer able to equal the results (also in DSD) of what Decca unfailingly achieved in their recordings.
In short, I'd recommend to those wanting to relish Strauss' great orchestration in this colorful extravaganza do so with Christian Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic (DG - SACD only) or best of all interpretively and with excellent sound despite its age, Rudolph Kempe and the Staatskapelle of Dresden (Red Book CD).
As for Jansons' performance of Don Juan, it is very good, despite the distant sound, and of course not up to the standard set by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (RCA)a half-century ago!
However, despite this honor, it has become hard to tell these days unless they are heard "live." For in days gone by, when the orchestra was led by Riccardo Chailly and magnificently recorded by Decca and released in their stupendous SACDs, the Concertgeouw's glory was undeniable. But today under Jansons and recorded "in house," it seems the current engineers are no longer able to equal the results (also in DSD) of what Decca unfailingly achieved in their recordings.
In short, I'd recommend to those wanting to relish Strauss' great orchestration in this colorful extravaganza do so with Christian Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic (DG - SACD only) or best of all interpretively and with excellent sound despite its age, Rudolph Kempe and the Staatskapelle of Dresden (Red Book CD).
As for Jansons' performance of Don Juan, it is very good, despite the distant sound, and of course not up to the standard set by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (RCA)a half-century ago!
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