Strauss: Don Quixote; Schumann: Cello Concerto / Rostropovich, Karajan, et al [Original recording remastered]

Robert Schumann (Composer), Richard [1] Strauss (Composer), Herbert von Karajan (Conductor), Leonard Bernstein (Conductor), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Performer), Orchestre National de France (Orchestra), Herbert von Karajan (Artist), Leonard Bernstein (Artist), Mstislav Rostropovich (Artist), Berlin Philharmonic (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
• Orchestra: Orchestre National de France
• Conductor: Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein
• Composer: Robert Schumann, Richard [1] Strauss
• Audio CD (March 9, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B00000I7WC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,150 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just plain fantastic!, June 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Strauss: Don Quixote; Schumann: Cello Concerto / Rostropovich, Karajan, et al (Audio CD)

The recording of Strauss' Don Quixote is outstanding. Rostropovich did a wonderful job being the crazed knight and bringing the listener right into the story. Karajan does, as usual, a wonderful job keeping the Berlin Philharmonic intact. The real jewel to this CD is the Schumann Cello Concerto. The brilliant conducting my Bernstein brings out the best in Rostropovich and adds to the emotional aspect of the piece.

Buy it now!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mixed Bag, August 3, 2009

By 

Hegelian (Concord, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strauss: Don Quixote; Schumann: Cello Concerto / Rostropovich, Karajan, et al (Audio CD)

This is a great recording of Don Quixote, possibly the best ever, and by itself would merit five stars. However, the same cannot be said of the Rostropovich/Bernstein Schumann concerto, a relatively weak work to begin with, so overall, this is a mixed bag. Assuming you don't have the couplings, I would buy the 2-disc EMI set containg Karajan's equally fine accounts of Ein Heldenleben and Sinfonia Domestica.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Don Quixote by Karajan?, September 4, 2007

By 

Scriabinmahler (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strauss: Don Quixote; Schumann: Cello Concerto / Rostropovich, Karajan, et al (Audio CD)

Karajan made two excellent DG recordings of Don Quixote with P.Fournier & Meneses, but personally I like this EMI recording with Rostropovich best. Rostropovich's style of playing is very appropriate for the characterisation of the knight, and the orchestra part has more urgency and grandeur helped by acoustics of Philharmonie and much emphasis on bass, even though the sound is dry and steely compared to the DG versions.

If you want truly outstanding recordings of the work, my recommendations are Reiner/Janigro RCA Living Stereo & Levine/Met Orchestra DG.