Zubin Mehta’s LAPO recording of Strauss’ ‘Sinfonia Domestica’ has long been considered a benchmark and after a considerable absence from the catalogue reappears here, coupled with the later ‘Parergon’ for piano (left hand) and orchestra. Equally celebrated is Mehta’s reading of the ‘Alpine Symphony’ and the set concludes with one of Strauss’ earliest tone poems, ‘Macbeth’.
RICHARD STRAUSS
CD1
Sinfonia Domestica, Op. 53
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Zubin Mehta
Parergon zur Symphonie Domestica, for Piano (left hand) and Orchestra, Op. 73
Gary Graffman, piano
Wiener Philharmoniker
André Previn
CD2
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Zubin Mehta
Macbeth, Op. 23
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Antal Dorati
Recording producers: Ray Minshull (Sinfonia Domestica, Alpensinfonie); Alison Ames, Ewald Markl, Werner Mayer (Parergon); Paul Myers (Macbeth)
Recording engineers: James Lock, Gordon Parry (Sinfonia Domestica); James Lock (Alpensinfonie); Gernot von Schultzendorff, Reinhild Schmidt (Parergon); Colin Moorfoot (Macbeth)
Recording locations: Royce Hall, University of California, Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.), USA, May 1968 (Sinfonia Domestica), May 1975 (Alpensinfonie); United Artists’ Auditorium, Detroit, USA, October 1982 (Macbeth); Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Vienna, Austria, November 1995 (Parergon)
‘sumptuous analogue Decca sound for Zubin Mehta’s Los Angeles Philharmonic accounts of Sinfonia Domestica and An Alpine Symphony (fine performances both, quite luxuriant, often glorious)’
Classical Source.com
‘magnificently recorded [Sinfonia Domestica] … sonically spectacular [Alpensinfonie]’ International Record Review