Pentatone Exclusive

Johann Strauss Waltzes

Wiener Symphoniker

17,9928,49
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Original Recording Format: DSD 64
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 Waltzes in a Symphonic Format
“He´s got the devil in him”. Hyppolite de Villemessant, the head of the daily newspaper ”Figaro”, became an ardent admirer of Johann Strauss jr. after hearing a concert by the “King of the Waltz” during the World Fair in Paris in 1867. And the influential publicist recommended French musicians and public to listen to the ingenious composer Johann Strauss and his devilish waltzes. But surprisingly Johann Strauss, as he explained to his third wife Adele, was no dancer.
In those days this intimate dance for two caused a scandal: bodily contact, public displays of sensuality, lasciviousness and eroticism were frowned upon. The waltz, due to these attributes and its suburban origins earned a dubious name; particularly it’s intoxicating effect would, evidently, lead to a loosening of good morals: “The waltz is an invention of the devil”, wrote a Viennese newspaper in 1869. Ballrooms will pave the way for the conception of illegitimate children, or so feared guardians of Christian morality.

Tracklist

Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.
1.
Kaiserwalzer Op. 437
11:29
2.
Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald Op. 325
12:56
3.
Kunstlerleben Op. 316
09:44
4.
Nordseebilder Op. 390
08:50
5.
An der schonen blauen Donau Op. 314
10:30
6.
Rosen aus dem Suden Op. 388
09:53

Total time: 01:03:22

Additional information

Label

SKU

PTC5186052

Qualities

, ,

Channels

, ,

Artists

Composers

Genres

,

Conductors

Instruments

Original Recording Format

Producer

Job Maarse

Recording Engineer

Erdo Groot, roger de Schot

Recording location

Konzerthaus, Vienna

Recording Software

Pyramix

Recording Type & Bit Rate

DSD64

Release DateApril 10, 2015

Press reviews

Musicweb International

“The Russian-born conductor Yakov Kreizberg, who died at the age of 51, is one of those figures I’ve known about but failed to investigate. Until now, that is. In the wake of Gustavo Dudamel’s New Year’s Day Concert 2017 and the sometimes heated debate it generated I went trawling for some soothing Strauss. My first hit on NativeDSD was Kreizberg’s 2004 recording with the Wiener Symphoniker, of which he was principal guest conductor from 2003 to 2009. Having reviewed Manfred Honeck’s Salzburg Straussfest with the same orchestra I thought this a good opportunity to sample Kreizberg’s art and hear the Vienna Symphony Orchestra on home turf (the Konzerthaus).

There’s no denying the VSO’s fine playing which, under Kreizberg, seems far more spontaneous than it does under Honeck. Then there’s the startling presence of Pentatone’s recording, evident from that ear-pricking introduction to the Emperor Waltz. There’s plenty to smile about here, with supple – but not swoony – rhythms and just enough control from the podium to sustain a sense of hauteur.

Even in the Konzerthaus the VSO timps have an unusual, slightly hollow quality, but that matters not a jot when the recording is this good. In particular, balance engineer Erdo Groot manages to ‘terrace’ the sound in a way that brings out all the variety and richness of Strauss’s multi-layered score. Really, one has to marvel at the composer’s ability to reinvent – and reinvigorate – this dance form. Of course, Kreizberg’s attention to blend, colour and dynamics is equally important. And what a glorious climax to this imperial – and imperious – opener, the DSD recording full and fearless to the very end.

The stand-out performance here is Tales from the Vienna Woods, due in no small measure to Wilfried Scharf and his zither. And while Kreizberg is always clear-eyed he also has a feel for the incipient schmaltz of these pieces. There’s beauty too, the ease and elegance of the VSO’s playing keeping me in goose-bumps much of the time. But Scharf is the real star here, his solos adding a wonderful sense of gemütlichkeit to the proceedings. He certainly deserves an ovation for his wistful sign-off; ditto Groot and recording engineer Roger de Schot, who capture it all so well.

Artist’s Life, premiered just three days after The Blue Danube, is nicely shaped and naturally sprung. Kreizberg, admirably focused throughout, then coaxes his orchestra into a magnificent and proportionate finale; thanks to those fine balances the snare-drum roll emerges from the mix just as it would in the concert hall. As for North Sea Pictures, it was composed on the promenade at Wyk, on the North Sea island of Föhr. From its brooding preamble the music soon morphs into a rippling waltz, the bass drum a reminder of the ocean’s elemental power. Not Strauss at his best, perhaps, but I can’t imagine the work better done than it is here.

Next up is The Blue Danube, which sounds as eloquent and evocative as ever. Again, Kreizberg combines gentle discipline with a degree of indulgence that allows his players to ‘go with the flow’ as it were. That said, he insists on clarity of textures, and that reveals felicities and flourishes that aren’t always audible in this much-played piece. Others may bring out more of the river’s majesty, but few gauge its eddies and currents as well as Kreizberg does. He’s equally insightful in the medley Roses from the South, culled from Strauss’s operetta The Queen’s Lace Handkerchief. It’s a genial thing, full of lovely touches. At one point I thought: is that a cuckoo calling from a distant copse?

In his review of Kreizberg’s all-Russian album with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Nick Barnard refers to a booklet photograph of the conductor, already ill, ‘beaming from ear to ear’. I’d like to think this Strauss collection pleased him as much; it certainly brightened up a dull January day for me. These polished, very personal performances have now piqued my interest in this conductor, whose Pentatone recordings are all available from NativeDSD. His Monte Carlo ones, on that orchestra’s own label, look pretty enticing too.

Spirit-renewing performances, supremely well played and recorded; a must for audiophiles and Strauss fans alike.

Reviewed as a Stereo DSD64 download from NativeDSD with the album’s PDF booklet included.”

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