Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs

Richard [1] Strauss (Composer), Antonio Pappano (Conductor), Liora Grodnikaite (Performer), Royal Opera House Chorus and Orchestra Covent Garden (Orchestra), Nina Stemme (Performer), Gerhard Siegel (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Liora Grodnikaite, Nina Stemme, Gerhard Siegel
• Orchestra: Royal Opera House Chorus and Orchestra Covent Garden
• Conductor: Antonio Pappano
• Composer: Richard [1] Strauss
• Audio CD (May 8, 2007)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B000MV93EG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,698 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This gifted Swedish soprano, rapturously praised internationally in Wagner, is clearly eager to stake a claim in Strauss. She has the necessary vocal strength, wide range, fine musicianship, clear textual delivery, and flexibility. But listen to legendary benchmarks of Strauss singing (Ljuba Welitsch in the Salome scene, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf or Lisa della Casa in the other material on this disc) and you'll hear voices of pristine timbre and absolute steadiness, both of which Stemme lacks; her vibrato might be less intrusive in the theater, but on records it consistently puts her at a disadvantage, especially in Strauss. Even if the Salome finale offers a certainly amount of feverish excitement, throughout the program the singing generally wants variety of color. With the Capriccio Countess, the line-by-line specificity for this demanding characterization – above all, the lady's abundant charm – is conspicuously missing. Likewise, phrase after phrase of the Four Last Songs lacks profile, and here the vibrato prevents Stemme from achieving the serenity so crucial to this sublime music. EMI provides fine supporting singers (but why weren't the Capriccio Majordomo's opening lines included?) and a splendid Strauss orchestra, that of London’s Royal Opera House, elegantly led by music director Antonio Pappano. --Roger Pines

Product Description

Tracklisting:

Richard Strauss- Songs & Scenes
Salome (Hedwig Lachmann after Oscar Wilde)
1. Letzte Szene: "Ah! Du wolltest mich nicht deinen Mund"

Capriccio (Clemens Krauss/Richard Strauss)
2. Mondscheinmusik
3. Letzte Szene: "Morgen mittag um elf!"

Four Last Songs
4. Frühling (Hermann Hesse)
5. September (Hermann Hesse)
6. Beim Schlafengehn (Hermann Hesse)
7. Im Abendrot (Joseph von Eichendorff)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fine addition to the Strauss catalog., July 23, 2007

By 

OperaOnline.us "OperaOnline.us" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs (Audio CD)

For her debut solo recital disc on the EMI label, dramatic soprano wunderkind chose to record Richard Strauss' "Four Last Songs" along with the final scenes from "Salome" and "Cappricio." Hearing Ms. Stemme perform these is a revelation, and she demonstrates why no one else can do quite what she does. Her performance here is stellar, dramatic, and, perhaps, unmatched by any of her peers. Ms. Stemme is able to move from that bombastic and dramatic final scene from "Salome" to the pensive and stately final scene from "Cappricio" with ease. Moving from a vengeful teenage girl to a wiser, elegant Countess and then into the "Four Last Songs," she uncovers the dramatic tension of each piece with care, allowing each piece to build, as her rich, powerful soprano voice caresses each note. The booklet accompanying the CD includes an introductory essay on Richard Strauss and his music by Michael Tanner, song texts, and translations in German and French. Unfortunately, no artist biographies or notes from Ms. Stemme are included. Considering that these pieces have been recorded so often, this release is a welcome breath of fresh air. Nina Stemme's recording is a more than fine addition to the Strauss catalog that no lover of the soprano voices should be without. (RTS) This review appeared at OperaOnline.us

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Marvellous Salome, May 24, 2007

By 

Dag Kyndel "Kottebo" (Stockholm, Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs (Audio CD)

Stemme makes a most dramatic, marvellous interpretation, one of the best I have ever heard, of the final scene of Salome. The sheer power in her voice points forward to Elektra and Brünnhilde. And the orchestra is in top form. The reason why I do not give this record five stars is to be found in the final scene from Capriccio. Stemme seems not quite to understand the depts of this role. The best recording ever made of this scene is done by Elisabeth Söderström, CBE - also on EMI.
It is wonderful to hear a "Hochdramatische" sing Vier letzte Lieder! Strauss obviously wanted this kind of voice, and here Stemme, I must confess, scores over Flagstad. Ms. Stemme has to attend to a small vibrato. But: Do not miss this record!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A gratifying new voice for Strauss, May 19, 2007

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs (Audio CD)

Amazon seems to have hired a new reviewer, and for once I hear what he hears. As Mr. Pines points out, Stemme's voice has a prominent vibrato that probably helps it carry in the opera house but is intrusive on CD when she sings either loud or high. It's unusual to hear a dramatic soprano undertake these songs, even though Kirsten Flagstad debuted them with Furtwangler. For anyone who wants to hear a Deborah Voigt-style voice in the Four Last Songs, Stemme does well, and Pappano provides really superior accompaniment, in a class with Karajan and Szell.

Stemme's capacious voice makes more sense in the final scene from Salome, where Pappano again provides great accompaniment, as good as anyone could want in terms of vividness and excitement. My reaction is about the same as to the songs. I like Stemme's timbre, despite the vibrato (which, alas, will probably turn into a wobble fairly soon), and she makes Salome's yearning for Jokanaan poignant rather than crazed or sexually abandoned. There have been almost no voices recently that can encompass this taxing role, so congratualtions to Ms. Stemme, who dives in fearlessly, even if her achievement is only partial. In the end, it will be Pappano's contribution and EMI's excellent recorded sound that I will remember.