Repertoire: An Alpine Symphony for the Ages

[@matthewpapadopoulos9587]

For precision, power and grandeur the San Francisco/Blomstedt recording has few peers...

[@martineyles]

I first heard it on a CD included with BBC Music Magazine that my dad had bought and loved it. I was learning to play the Horn at the time, but being a professional wasn't on the cards and I thought this was the kind of piece no amateur orchestra would ever play. I was thrilled to get the opportunity to play the offstage horn parts, when someone was crazy enough to do an amateur performance locally, and to sit on stage to hear the rest of the performance (I was given a token 8 bars or so to play to justify that). I got to do the offstage part again recently. I was able to hear most of the piece during the dress rehearsal this time, but not during the main performance. Still, slightly jealous of the really good 1st horn players that nail the solo with organ. I have an LSO with Haitink recording now, which is fine, but it's not the same as being part of it, even if only in a small way. When it comes to crazy things I thought would never happen, one conductor is planning an amateur performance of Mahler 8!

[@brucehunter1115]

“... variously derided as a film score in search of a film, or a day in the life of an alp “ “...like almost everything by Strauss, it’s full of that pseudo-profundity... with intimations of sublimity that the music never really approaches...” “When you’re faced with a huge, vulgar piece of nonsense like this, then the only thing to do is pull out all the stops and just let it rip....” Another classic and honest review, thank you Dave! I love Horst Stein and Bamberg, an orchestra straining and struggling to reach the summit and you can hear it.

[@thezealouscellist1966]

I have long thought someone ought to make an IMAX film of the Alps to be synched with the piece in real time. Can you just imagine...

[@mickeytheviewmoo]

Wow, kord release has the top spot. Made me smile. On a lighter note, they have the best Karłowicz Violin Concerto as well. Coupled with the Eternal songs it makes a must hear.

[@jgesselberty]

My first experience with this work was the recording by Rudolf Kempe, and I still go back to it. I recently heard a performance by Bychkov and the BBC Symphony which was a real stunner.

[@jmwoods190]

Bychkov's overall interpretation of Eine Alpensinfonie is top-notch. His live Berlin Phil was also very thrilling too!

[@paulmouradian8968]

I really enjoyed your commentary and I agree the recording you demonstrated is excellent even playing through my computer. I am presently playing timpany 1 in this piece with an orchestra and is delightful to play and learn so much about the subtilities of Strauss's orchestra, motifs, themes, shades of timbre and key changes. I agree the wind machine is a novel idea but not always practical while us percussionists and timpanists can make plenty of noise though for GOOD MUSICAL REASONS!!. Anyway this is my first encounter with your utube. I look forward to seeing more. Best wishes. I am a seniour too 75 years old!😄😅😀😄

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Thank you, and welcome!

[@richardjx5442]

Hi Paul👋I heard your performance in Toronto sad you and the gang were SURPRISINGLY good, especially for a community orchestra💪

[@frgraybean]

That Previn recording is amazing. The VPO play as if their lives depend on it! I'll look for the Warsaw. Thanks!

[@WmMorris27]

My two favorite recordings of this piece have to be Mehta with Los Angeles and Ashkenazy with Czech Phil. I'm a tuba player so hearing Roger Bobo and Tommy Johnson in LA for that recording are just amazing. The engineering isn't the best, but I get the feeling that Mehta just lets the ensemble play. For Ashkenazy, I really love how cohesive and clear everything is... you hear so much detail and Supraphon does extremely well with the engineering.

[@ertatta]

Too bad Tom Stevens isn’t playing principal trumpet on it. Not a fan of the engineered sound either, but those 2 stars of the tuba world make it historic for brass players.

[@tubapress]

Speaking of all-star tuba, it was never recorded for release, but back in the 80s Mehta performed this with NY Philharmonic. Warren Deck and Don Harry were ab-so-lute-ly incredible (not to mention the litany of brass heroes like Phil Smith, Joe Alessi, Phil Myers). But for overall, I am partial to the Jarvi/RSNO recording with the inimitable Bob Hughes on Bass/Contrabass trombone.

[@dmntuba]

I am also a Tuba player and the Mehta/Bobo recording is (in my opinion) the overall best. I have even sent Mr. Bobo an email on fb thanking him for that and all his recordings. Don't forget the Planets😁

[@SharpWalkers]

Andrés Orozco-Estrada with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony has quickly become _the_ recording for me. I own the Karajan/Berlin recording too (and I've listened to, and really enjoyed, the Solti/Bavarian recording) but I haven't really listened to it again after coming across that one. It's all but perfect in my book. I'm becoming a bit of a fan of Orozco-Estrada/The Frankfurt Radio Symphony. Wonderful conducter and orchestra, and the recording engineers know what the hell the are doing. They've got a KZbin channel with a lot to watch on it - highly recommended! (It's actually the Hr-sinfonieorchester if you want to be all German about it) Will definately give the Kord/Warsaw a listen, though.

[@davidblackburn3396]

Frankfurt is one of the better orchestras in Europe at the moment, IMHO. Just a few days ago they streamed a superb Dvorak 7. Bravo Orozco-Estrada!

[@wodzimierzwohn114]

Kazimierz Kord is just great conductor :) BTW - it is loseless available on Qobuz

[@MahlerHolic1860]

I have just started a month's free trial by way of a birthday present from Tidal. The Kord recording is there. I will check it out. From memory, Jansons live Prom with the Oslo Phil was very good.

[@marktanney3347]

I found this on KZbin and my first impression was that some KZbin wackjob had divided it up as a gag into 22 short movements, some very short. So I looked it up. . . .

[@davidecarlassara8525]

The storm is actually the reprise, all important themes from the different episodes come in their original key, Nacht (disguised in the violin pattern) b flat minor, Gletscher d minor, Elegie f# minor ecc... now I don't remember everything... but then the c minor Wald theme (that can be generously considered the "second theme" of this "sonata form") comes in E flat, which can be considered to be the main key of the piece, excluded introduction and epilogue in b flat minor. The actual development, even if it brings in a ton of new material, is from "Wanderung neben dem Bache" to "Stille vor dem Sturm".

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I disagree.

[@davidecarlassara8525]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Okay but how do you disagree? Do you see Alpensinfonie as loosely contained in a sonata form at all? And in which framework do you regard the storm as the development? I do agree that there are many formal ambiguities in the piece but I would like to know what makes you believe that the storm is the development, which attributes of the storm or the episodes around the storm bring you to say that the storm is the development.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

​@@davidecarlassara8525 I think you can figure that out pretty easily. I don't mean to put you off, but it's not a debate I feel energized about right now.

[@shawnhampton8503]

I have Ozawa's, Thielemans's, Previn all with Vienna. They are all superb in my opinion. I also have von Karajan's digital version which is amazing as well. Need to check out Solti's.

[@barrysaines254]

I found it, and it's Great!!!!

[@tatters1232006]

KARAJAN

[@1984robert]

My first encounter with this piece was Thielemann's recording with WPO on DGG CD. I love that recording and I love this piece. I've heard this symphoni in live with Budapest Festival Orchestra in Budapest with Marek Janowski but that was a bad performance IMHO.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

So is the Thielemann!

[@jumachav6050]

Regardless of the sound, Mitropoulos made a very swift and exciting version with WPh.

[@EdwardClinton]

Thank you for this review.

[@jaykauffman4775]

Available lossless on Apple Music

[@jlaurson]

One of my very favorite works. Not just of Strauss. I like Kord and Ashkenazy II, but both have problems that keep them from being in my personal Top 3 or even 5. Sound not being the least of them. There's a surprising sleeper, though, of which I have one of those many started-not-finished reviews. (Because there's always another version I first wish to listen to, before continuing.)

[@giorgiopitzalis1166]

an orchestral performance of the thunder machine that amazed me is that of Zdenek Kosler with Czech from 1994. Great orchestra and excellent live recording by Supraphon. Great Dave what do you think? Greetings from Sardinia

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

If you want the thunder machine (and I do) go for Solti on Decca with the Bavarian Radio Symphony. It's thrilling.

[@giorgiopitzalis1166]

@@DavesClassicalGuide I will definitely look for it! Thanks for the advices!

[@bigg2988]

5:50 Well, there ARE ways to physically get down off a mountain (in a storm) in a much shorter span than getting up there, thanks to gravitation, a dark path and a cliff... But I am sure Strauss did not envision that kind of drama, so you are correct, there is a discrepancy in "storytelling" - he probably just opted to wrap the thing up quickly after the great climax, so the impression would remain strong. :) Oh, thanks for the Kord recommendation, I don't think I would have checked out that pretty innocuous-looking CD otherwise. Never judge the book...?

[@bobhamilton4893]

Glissading will do it quite safely in fact

[@burtbassy9645]

There are live performances on KZbin which are also top of the Bill: Sinopoli ( dresden) & Jansons ( Bayern). A must hear!

[@barryguerrero7652]

Hi David. As you know, "Alpine" is a work I really love. I don't know the Kord one , but I really like the Ozawa/Vienna Phil. on Philips (coupled with those awful, tacky brass works) and the Zubin Mehta/L.A. Phil. one. The Mehta one is in the slim box of Richard Strauss works that Decca put together - not bad. The one I thought was rather overrated was the Haitink/Concertgebouw on Philips. It probably was OK, but the critics made such a huge fuss over it. I really like the Kempe/Dresden Staatskapelle one, and a Fabio Luisi/Dresden Staatskapelle one on RCA (I think) is also quite good (great sound!). It's a great piece, if - as you suggest - one doesn't take it too seriously.

[@bplonutube]

When I bought my LP years ago, Kempe’s was recommending. Has it held up compared to these? But not on EMI (Warner) the one on RCA.

[@hendriphile]

I think this was the one of the first (if not the first) modern stereo recordings. I re-heard that LP recently and it is still marvelous.

[@philippborghesi1060]

I have to add the Christian Thielemann recording. It is so well recorded and the vienna philharmonic play with so much care to detail. It is certainly not the most straight forward recording but it is as thrilling as it possibly could be due its attention to detail. And you can hear a hell of a tuba. ;)

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I find that version boring, mannered, and the sonics very unnatural. To each his own!

[@philippborghesi1060]

@@DavesClassicalGuide I appreciate your opinion!

[@ertatta]

I had high hopes for it as well, but where’s the passion. Way too many mics on stage and heavy mixing. Compare to the glory of 4 omni mics that Telarc uses to capture the natural hall sound as only they could back in the day.

[@matthewv789]

I always loved Blomstedt/SFS (I know I’m partisan), but perhaps you thought he took it too seriously and slowly? Not campy enough? I thought it worked: I suppose I never took it as that silly a piece of music in the first place.

[@Godbluffer]

Yeah, to me Blomstedt’s recording is the most perfectly shaped account out there. I think it’s absolutely necessary to broaden the tempo upon reaching the summit, and of course in the gorgeous Ausklang section. Kord on the other hand has little patience for those moments, and I don’t find that exciting at all. I’m also not that impressed by the sonics of the latter. When the orchestra gets loud, there’s no room left to expand, making it sound cramped. Blomstedt gets 10/9 from me, while Kord doesn’t get beyond 7/7, at best. And no, I’m not interested in any of the philosophical stuff either, but I do think it’s more than just a vulgar piece of orchestral bravura, just like e.g. Respighi’s Roman trilogy (which doesn’t have any philosophical pretensions, but often gets played just for the thrills, and too little eye for the tender, reflective moments)

[@LEGITLEGEND4]

I used to be impressed by the Bychkov recording until I listened to the Wit recording and WOW! Vastly superior interpretivly. I never realized how boring the piece as a whole can be until sitting through a performance 58 minutes long...

[@ertatta]

For sheer excitement, the Royal Scottish Orch/Järvi is up there for me along with Vienna/Previn. Berlin/Mehta & San Fran/Bloomstedt are more buttoned down but beautifully performed accounts. Czech Phil/Ashkenazy is another very fine performance, but I must purchase this Warsaw Phil version on kord. Thanku for letting me know.

[@stevieb6368]

Previn/Vienna is fab. As is SNO/Jarvi.

[@davidstein8171]

"Best recordings" are a different gig (and I love your reviews!), but lovers of this piece should not miss Ozawa's live performance with the Vienna Philharmonic in Cologne (1994). Strauss' music is never profound, but it is often miraculous at evoking what profundity "feels like."

[@sbor2020]

Strauss' music is never profound, but it is often miraculous at evoking what profundity "feels like." Nice!!

[@ciupenhauer]

never profound?? boy, Tod Und Verklaerung would like a word

[@pietstamitz1]

Where's Rudolf Kempe? he did this twice, the Staatskapelle sounding glorious and transparant.. (his Domestica however is somewhat disappointing) and where is Strauss himself? Both are to me how the piece should be performed. Kord is impressive!

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I always thought the sonics in the Kempe/Dresden recording let him down, and the RPO version was impossible to source.

[@andrewfeinberg877]

@@DavesClassicalGuide The Kempe/RPO is on Testament and still in print (upon checking the website). When I first heard it, it was on RCA. It is still, for me, one of the best. Also like the Antoni Wit.

[@MD-md4th]

I have the Kempe/Dresden recording and it’s not not listenable due to the recording quality - it’s horrible. In fact, I don’t think I have ever heard a 1970s major label recording of comparably poor quality. It’s shocking really, how you can actually hear the dynamic range being sucked out at the climaxes.

[@chrishaines1677]

How about Kempe with Dresden?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Please read the comments.

[@ScotPeacock]

I’ll have a rummage for this one. I’m on the lookout for an Alpine that absolutely blows the neighbours away, the neighbours in the next street. I have Kempe (Brilliant box reissue), Wit (Naxos), Karajan (Strauss 5CD box, the one with the jester on the front, presumably Till Eulenspiegel), and Jansons with the BBC Welsh Symphony (freebie with BBC Music Mag), which is surprisingly good. Did you ever hear that one, David? So, I’ve yet to properly listen to the Kempe and the Karajan in my collection. Once I do, I’ll try out Jarvi/RSNO and then Kord. The Previn/VPO looks interesting, too. Thanks for the heads-up on those two.

[@ssballs]

Brings back memories from my youth when Kempe came out with it about 50 years ago. I think they liked it....

[@MD-md4th]

Blomstedt/SFO is the best. Outstanding performance and demonstration class sonics (mostly). It’s better than any of the recordings mentioned in this video.

[@sourenkhedeshian]

how about ashkenazy and daniel Barenboim?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

How about them?

[@sourenkhedeshian]

i would like to hear your opinion about ashkenazy and Daniel Barenboim conducting alpine symphony

[@bdc1117]

I think Alpine Symphony comes off better when you know the philosophy behind it (Nietzsche) and its original working title, Der Antichrist, as well as how it works formally, which is actually very interesting. If the storm is the development section, you have to explain why it's preceded by a brief recap of the Night music in the original Bb minor. Well, development sections often start with theme 1, but there's lots on the way up the mountain that sounds developmental. I think of the storm as a subverted recap because its main theme is an inversion of the climbing theme, and the climbers are now on their way down. The music after the summit is mainly recapitulatory, but of course the sonata form divisions become a soup in tone poems. Anyway I've always loved the Previn recording.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I think you have overthought this rather outrageously, but if it works for you, then great.

[@bdc1117]

@@DavesClassicalGuide It's called formal analysis. They encourage it at music school.

[@bdc1117]

@@DavesClassicalGuide And since you're okay with being insulting, people who underthink things are always the best at spotting overthinking. You commented on the work while ignoring its substance, so I offered some.

[@Ivan_1791]

@@bdc1117 I love your comment, glad to see someone reply this.

[@denismorel5089]

​@@bdc1117 All we need to enjoy music is pattern recognition. Unfortunately humans are notoriously susceptible to seeing patterns that aren't really there , and some of those humans are employed at music schools. Just watched Joann Falletta recalling Bernstein teaching them that real understanding comes on an emotional level.

[@dorfmanjones]

I'll stand by the Leningrad Philharmonic under Mravinsky. The sound is a bit dated but the performance is absolutely hair raising and the virtuosity absolute.

[@elliotdavies3555]

I sure hope you're joking!! XD

[@dorfmanjones]

@@elliotdavies3555 Now why would I joke? I'm funnier than that.

[@elliotdavies3555]

@@dorfmanjones you're funny alright! 😛 maybe we're talking about different performances here but the Leningrad version I have has got to be the most hilariously dreadful thing ever recorded. Where all the brass parts of massacred and the first violins get sharper by a semitone over the course of 5 minutes in the middle 😂

[@dorfmanjones]

@@elliotdavies3555 Well, what I hear conforms with what this fellow Roth hears in an Amazon review which you can find. (and no, it's not me.) Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2009 "Not a conductor or orchestra associated with Strauss, and a work magnificently represented by Kempe, Haitink, Mehta, and Previn. Yet... You will hear an equally gripping, but differently conceived performance from this clearly and powerfully recorded 1962 concert. Coloristic effects like the 'hunting' horns beginning the ascent are articulated in patient detail. The delicate oboe solo at 'Precarious Moments' breathes sensitively. Massed brass chords, especially in the trombones, are amazingly powerful & even- no rushing huge climaxes. The 'Summit' section, at a more sustained tempo than usual, is astonishingly well shaped & balanced-no screaming wall of horns & trumpets! The often awkward wind-only passage at the start of 'Epilogue' is absolutely accurate and propulsive. 'Night' ends the performance in intense darkness. The final glissando, like the rest of the performance, is perfectly prepared- faint but firm & clear, not at all schmaltzy. So, not exactly a warm, Bavarian outing, but a masterfully staged, at times ecstatic journey." That says it all.

[@MD-md4th]

⁠I think all Mravinsky / Leningrad recordings should come with complimentary gauze for bleeding ears.

[@jankucera8180]

Ever heard the name Zdeněk Košler? How about his 1995 take with the Czech Phil? (I know, Rudolfinum is too small a space...) Just curious...