Strauss: Ein Heldenleben | Norddeutsche Orchesterakademie, Felix Mildenberger

Konzertmeister: Youngkun Kwak
Zum fünfjährigen Jubiläum haben sich die 118 Musiker der Norddeutschen Orchesterakademie eines der großen Glanzstücke der Orchestermusik vorgenommen: Richard Strauss’ opulente Tondichtung »Ein Heldenleben«. Ein musikalisches Abenteuer voller schillernder Momente, innigen Liebesklängen, beißendem Spott - und einem ausladenden Schlachtengemälde.
Aufzeichnung aus der Elbphilharmonie, 28. Juni 2023. Es dirigierte Felix Mildenberger.
00:00 Opening
00:35 I. Der Held
04:52 II. Des Helden Widersacher
08:24 III. Des Helden Gefährtin
22:25 IV. Des Helden Walstatt
31:55 V. Des Helden Friedenswerke
41:29 VI. Des Helden Weltflucht und Vollendung
48:50 Applaus
Credits
Produktion: Peter Boekels
Tonmeister: Udo Potratz (Aufnahme), Sebastian Paschen (Schnitt, Mischung)
Kameras: Philip Sudheimer, Vincent de Fallois, Lydia Ramos
Schnitt: Peter Boekels

[@fouriouslive1010]

Wow!

[@user-zm5ss5xo9y]

A fine performance, but not particularly outstanding if you have heard other performances, live or studio-recorded (including recordings of live performances). Let me just cite a specific passage of a few bars. What happened to the trumpets starting at about 3:00 (hardly audible here) and, according to the score, reaching a crescendo at about 3:18 (here completely drowned out by the orchestra). Of course, it could be the recording engineers who failed to capture the actual performance (i.e., the audience present there might have heard it clearly inside the concert hall). Nonetheless, try listen to the same passage under the baton of Semyon Bychkov (with WDR, two versions available on KZbin), Seiji Ozawa (with various orchestras), and even century-old recordings of Willem Mengelberg (to whom R. Strauss dedicated this orchestral masterpiece) and you will hear the difference, and not just the passage cited.

[@TheDarkenLP]

its not a professional Orchestra, thats why its not particulary outstanding... Inform yourself first

[@SanktNiklas]

you might want to consider that 95% of the musicians here are amateurs. It seems not really fair to compare this performance with recordings of professional orchestras.

[@fouriouslive1010]

Nevertheless…There are many professional orchestras which would not get to the level of this performance quality.