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Strauss - An Alpine Symphony
 
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Strauss - An Alpine Symphony

~ Richard [1] Strauss (Composer), Antoni Wit (Conductor)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
Price: £4.98 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

  • Conductor: Antoni Wit
  • Composer: Richard [1] Strauss
  • Audio CD (29 May 2006)
  • SPARS Code: DDD
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Naxos
  • ASIN: B000FGGKHQ
  • Other Editions: MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 31,453 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.

Samples
Song Title Time Price
Listen  1. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Nacht (Night) - 3:56£0.69
Listen  2. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Sonnenaufgang (Sunrise) - 1:28£0.69
Listen  3. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Der Anstieg (The Ascent) - 2:16£0.69
Listen  4. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Eintritt in den Wald (Entry into the Wood) - 6:07£0.69
Listen  5. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Wanderung neben dem Bache (Wandering by the Stream) -0:48£0.69
Listen  6. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Am Wasserfall (At the Waterfall) -0:14£0.69
Listen  7. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Erscheinung (Apparition) -0:45£0.69
Listen  8. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Auf blumigen Wiesen (On Flowering Meadows) -0:56£0.69
Listen  9. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Auf der Alm (On the Alpine Pasture) - 2:37£0.69
Listen10. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Durch Dickicht und Gestrupp auf Irrwegen (Straying through Thicket and Undergrowth) - 1:31£0.69
Listen11. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Auf dem Gletscher (On the Glacier) - 1:04£0.69
Listen12. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Gefahrvolle Augenblicke (Dangerous Moments) - 1:29£0.69
Listen13. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Auf dem Gipfel (On the Summit) - 5:19£0.69
Listen14. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Vision - 3:58£0.69
Listen15. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Nebel steigen auf (Mists rise) -0:20£0.69
Listen16. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Die Sonne verdustert sich allmahlich (The Sun gradually darkens) -0:56£0.69
Listen17. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Elegie - 2:11£0.69
Listen18. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Stille vor der Sturm (Calm before the Storm) - 3:07£0.69
Listen19. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Gewitter und Sturm, Abstieg (Thunder and Storm, Descent) - 3:54£0.69
Listen20. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Sonnenuntergang (Sunset) - 2:14£0.69
Listen21. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Ausklang (Final Sounds) - 6:34£0.69
Listen22. Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233: Nacht (Night) 2:18£0.69

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk

Written between 1911 and 1915, the Alpine Symphony was Strauss's last tone poem. Originally inspired by his participation in a real mountaineering expedition in his youth, during which the party lost its way on the ascent and was overtaken by a thunderstorm on the descent, it is perhaps the ultimate example of musical tone-painting. Its 22 connected sections depict not only the elements, the sights and sounds of nature, the rising and setting of the sun, but also the climbers' experiences and responses: the struggle through thickets, the fear at being lost, the exultation of reaching the summit. Using his unparalleled skill in exploiting and combining instrumental colors and timbres, Strauss employs an enormous orchestra, including an organ and a wind-and-storm machine, to paint a graphic, kaleidoscopic picture of nature. Beyond such obvious effects as pizzicati for raindrops, harps for a waterfall, woodwinds for bird calls, and timpani crashes for thunder, he magically evokes mist and rain, the peaceful flowering meadows, the icy glacier, even a "vision" of the Spirit of the Mountain. An even greater miracle is that, without a real symphonic structure, he succeeds in connecting these 22 contrasting, disparate sections and melding them into a coherent whole. He achieves the former tonally with incomparable organic modulations and the latter thematically with his characteristic soaring, ecstatic melodies so reminiscent of his great operatic soprano parts. The playing is most excellent; the soloists are wonderful, individual instruments and sections stand out yet blend into a seamless, multi-colored tapestry. --Edith Eisler

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (5)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Naxos' Greatest Achievement?, 24 Aug 2006
Straight off the bat it has to be said this is a remarkable PERFORMANCE. The Weimar Orchestra is a hidden jewel and I would take a bet that this will be the start of it's international rehabilitation. Every section of the orchestra contributes distinctively - rich and passionate string playing, powerful sonorous brass with glorious horns, characterful plangent woodwinds. All of these qualities are brought together to serve a performance of this piece by Wit which sweeps away any reservations that one might have previously had that it is no more than a sumptuously scored aural picture postcard. The liner notes link the pictorial element - storm/sunrise/descent etc to Nietzsche's philosophical ideas. In Wit's hands with tempi broadly paced and climaxes carefully built this conception finally rings true.

Naxos in recent years particularly have produced recordings of tremendous quality - Arnold 9, Bax String Quartets, the Bliss recordings, Tintner's Bruckner but I suspect this is the first time when it can be truely said that they have topped ALL other performances in a very competitive field.

To my ear the engineering is excellent - the orchestra set in a believable concert hall acoustic allowing detail yet warmth. It is NOT the multi-miked over-analytical engineering that some enjoy but instead it provides a beautifully believable listening environment. Yet at the same time many details are audible which are lost in other performances. If you like Strauss you will love this disc, without doubt one of the recordings of the year. Congratulations to all concerned!
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An Everest of a Performance, 28 Aug 2006
By Ashfield Records "Stephen Cooke" (Rheindahlen, Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
As an aficionado of Richard Strauss in general, and of his tone poems in particular, this performance of An Alpine Symphony by Antoni Wit and the Staatskapelle Weimar is , quite simply, one of the most intense and dramatic available. Slower then most recordings , it neither drags its heels nor outstays its welcome and can be placed alongside those of Rudolf Kempe, Clemens Krauss, Wilhelm Mengelberg and Serge Koussevitsky. The recording, too, is excellent - clear and spacious. One of the bargains of the year.
The only downside is that the recording is not available on vinyl !
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9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars You Can Do Better, 4 Jul 2006
By J Scott Morrison (Middlebury VT, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
I wouldn't venture to guess how many recordings of Strauss's 'Alpine Symphony' there have been, going all the way back to Strauss himself conducting it. But the competition is fierce. The present recording with Antoni Wit conducting the Staatskapelle Weimar is not bad, but it's also not among the best. First, there is the matter of the sound. The recording level is very low and you'll have to crank up your volume to hear everything. Not in itself a serious problem, but I do think it affects the overall depth of sound. Second, though, and much more important, there is rather a mishmash when we get to the really loud and complicated passages, such as 'Gewitter und Sturm, Abstieg' ('Thunder and Storm, Descent'). Although the individual sections of the Weimar orchestra are good, somehow they don't always mesh very well. The most appealing sections of the performance are those with relatively thin textures and slower tempi, such as 'Auf der Alm' ('On the Alpine Pastures'). Wit does a reasonably creditable job but he does tend to linger a bit more than I'd prefer. Finally, the symphony is the only work on the CD, adding up to a mere 54 minutes. Even at budget price, this is not much of a bargain.

My own current favorites for the Alpine Symphony are the recent recording by Franz Welser-Möst and the remarkable Mahler Jugendorchester and the performance by David Zinman and the Zurich Tonhalle. I believe the latter is available singly but I have it in the extraordinary box of most of Strauss's orchestral music, a sensational value. And then there is the wonderful long-time favorite of many, the performance by Rudolf Kempe and the Dresden Staatskapelle. I also like, a pleasant surprise to me, the version with Vladimir Ashkenazy conducting the Czech Philharmonic.

So, as the title says, you can do better.

Scott Morrison
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best ever!!
I have had a long love affair with the Alpensinfonie, since first hearing the work in 1963. There have been several magnificent recordings, my personal favourites have always been... Read more
Published on 16 Jul 2007 by Geoffrey W. Fawcett

5.0 out of 5 stars A marvellous "Alpensinfonie"
I agree with the other reviewers who admire this performance. Antoni Wit gives a performance of "Eine Alpensinfonie" which confirms its position as one of Strauss's finest... Read more
Published on 9 Jan 2007 by Mr. Christian Hoskins

5.0 out of 5 stars Take the Climb
I'm no expert on the Alpine Symphony - but as an introduction to it, and at a bargain price, I think this performance takes some beating. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2006 by Number 6

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