Customer Reviews

Strauss: Four Last Songs / Arabella / Ariadne auf Naxos / Capriccio

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4 star:		(1)
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As one record reviewer put it: "It was a voice unlike any other." Indeed, for sheer vocal beauty no one matches Lisa della Casa, and a quick sampling of this disc's contents will demonstrate why Strauss himself identified her as his ideal Arabella. The voice's glory was its upper register: full, free, intensely colored, and exciting. But she had other gifts: superlative breath control (amazing in this music), naturalness of utterance, and perfect diction. Her tone quality suggests restrained emotion, and although she is Swiss, I can think of no singer who evokes Viennese elegance better. I like lots of singers past and present, and I admire many, but I worship this voice. If the house were on fire, I'd grab this CD before jumping out the window.

Although the Boehm-led 'Four Last Songs' are a classic performance, I find they are my least favorite part of this recording. Boehm's tempos are a little fast and della Casa, for all her beauty, sounds disengaged. But from then on she is matchless. The 'Arabella' duets are stunning, both for the singer's high level of vocal accomplishment and her ability to convey the character's changing moods. She sounds so genuine and unaffected and the voice is so gorgeous that I find myself drawn into the drama as with no other singer. She has good partners in Gueden and Schoeffler, but Poell brays relentlessly. Her rendition of the passage beginning "Und du wirst mein Gebieter sein" is my number one tear-inducing moment in all of recorded history. The 'Ariadne' aria is nicely sung, although she was even better a few years later for EMI/Testament. The 'Capriccio' final scene is ravishing from beginning to end, with della Casa's voice soaring gloriously above the Vienna Philharmonic's lush carpet of sound. For once you will see the moonlight shimmer during the orchestral interlude. It's almost too rich and delicious, like Sachertorte for breakfast.

Decca's remastering brings the singer forward and gives the orchestra more presence, but am I the only one who misses some high frequencies as a result? Although there are some terrific Strauss sopranos around these days, no one should be without della Casa. She DEFINES Strauss singing. Don't deny yourself this superlative musical experience.

Lisa della Casa's recording of the Four Last Songs has been a part of my life for the past twenty years; and in my book it beats all the competition, past, present and (probably) future. It may not be your perfect rendition, because one's response to a voice is such a personal, unpredictable thing; but it is certainly mine. Della Casa's shimmering, silvery soprano soars radiantly above the lush, romantic orchestration; and even after many, many times of listening to this disc, I still find something new in it. I never get tired of it, and it never fails to move me. The excerpts from Arabella are also excellent, although not as well recorded as the Four Last Songs. However, they reward repeated listening, and they preserve della Casa's celebrated interpretation of Arabella (her most famous stage role). Even if you have heard other interpreters of the Four Last Songs, and have your own favourite, please give this a try. For sheer tonal beauty, it cannot be beaten.

From the day it was released all those years ago, this remains one of the most beautiful (Strauss) recordings ever made. It's been available in different versions (I have the earlier release that includes the Wesendonck Lieder with Flagstaf), but it's worth it to get this one for the opera arias. I'm not a big fan of these operas, but it's unlikely you'll ever hear them sung with more beauty or understanding. You may have another favorite recording of the Songs, but you owe it to yourself to listen to what Della Casa does here. And not to slight Bohm either; he obviously knew this music inside out, and is miles ahead of most of his competition.

Regardless of the mixed metaphor in the above title, it needs to be said: Lisa Della Casa's interpretation of the "Four Last Songs" has yet to be equaled, let alone surpassed. I became acquainted with her Strauss in high school through a Richmond lp (Decca/London's bargain label before London's STS), which btw, was also my introduction to Strauss's vocal and operatic music. Since that seminal experience, I've acquired many versions of the "Songs," among them, Flagstad and Furtwangler, Schwarzkoff with both Ackermann and her very special one with Szell, the great Janowitz and Karajan, the Norman and the Masur and my current rave, Fleming with Eschenbach. It's still Della Casa's benchmark performance by which the others can be judged. Her collaboration with Karl Bohm was born through both of them knowing Strauss (who died in 1949)and his desires for the performance of his music.
Also included are the operatic excerpts, which are notable for the deep affinity that Della Casa had with the demanding Straussian roles. As Gerd Uekermann points out in his excellent notes, Della Casa's "name became synonymous with Arabella. . ." Included too are the Act I aria from "Ariadne auf Naxos" and the remarkable closing scene from "Capriccio."
The sound for 1953 and '54 is excellent and Decca employed its best resources with the transfers.
No Straussian would want to be without this disc.
Daniel Reaver.

Strauss is not an easy conductor to sing as it requires a great deal of stamina, control to manage the high tessitura and heady tone. Della Casa's interpretation -the first studio recording of the work sets an example for the rest to follow. Consistently from beginning to end she pours forth luscious silvery reed tones that captures the enigmation of the pieces. Perhaps a little less profound in interpretation but the beauty of the voice is sheer joy. The ease to which she soars is incredible. The rest of the pieces are stunning but I would agree that the Monologue scena from Capriccio crowns this particular disc which the engineers have done exceptionally well in their remastering. There are other great Four Last songs recordings too that often match what Della Casa has delivered and apart from this most cherished disc, any Strauss lover cannot go without the following:
Schwarzkopf with Szell for sheer interpretation although less so for beauty of tone.
Te Kanawa with Davis - the magnificence of the voice is stunning. In a way she parallels Della Casa in their choice of work- they were both exceptional in Strauss and Mozart. Not many people know of this recording.
Norman with Masur- bigger than life and slower but gloriously vibrant.
Janowitz- purity dominates and she gives the work an ethereal quality.
Fleming with Eschenbach- devoid of most mannerisms this is Fleming's most charasmatic Strauss recording to date.
M.Price with Abbado (live)- pity she never recorded it in studio with the likes of Kleiber but the live recording shows the sopranos gift for luminous tone and interpretation.

Overall the standards for the work are exceptional and most past and present day sopranos have recorded the work but most of them apart from the afore-mentioned are not that memorable. But we should find joy in the many that are available to us.

This Decca Legends issue offers exactly the same programme as the newly remastered Naxos disc. There is also a super-bargain Regis, which includes an extra aria from "Ariadne auf Naxos" ("Ein Schönes war") conducted live in 1954 by Böhm and also substitutes a live performance of the final scene from "Capriccio", conducted in 1953 by Johannes den Hertog. The bonus "Ariadne" excerpt and the extra frisson and immediacy derived from the live "Capriccio", in combination with the low price, should make the Regis an attractive alternative; unfortunately their clumsy remastering from LPs has resulted in too much obtrusive "wow and swoosh" to make it wholly recommendable - yet the Regis disc retains its value for the animation of that live "Capriccio" performance and the fact that despite its rough edgy sound and prominent harps, it retains upper frequencies lost in the fuller, richer sound of both the Decca and the Naxos versions. Previous reviewers have wondered whether Decca's re-engineering for the Legends series has not removed too many of those upper frequencies; I can say only that to my ears, the singers have been brought forward and the orchestra has more presence; both welcome improvements, despite the very slightly duller, more muffled quality.

Much has already been written about the creamy beauty of Lisa della Casa's voice, especially in Strauss. The composer called her his ideal Arabella and there is ample evidence for his enthusiasm in these excerpts. There is nothing overt or over-emotive about her singing; the voice soars effortlessly heavenwards, surprising the listener with its power despite its essentially lyric quality. In addition to radiant tone and innate musicality, della Casa had the indefinable ability to touch the heart of both the listener and the character she embodies.

Della Casa here sings the "Four Last Songs" in the order preferred by the composer, although as a modern listener I would need some convincing that this sequence is really artistically preferable. Leaving that aside, it is refreshing to hear these songs sung so straightforwardly; the angelic radiance of her tone, the broad, arcing phrasing on a long breath and the refusal to swoon create spirituality without a trace of sentimentality. First-time listeners might be taken aback by the complementary directness of Böhm's brisk accompaniment; there is little use of ritardando or the courting of stasis so common in more reverential readings - but it suits della Casa's mode perfectly and her interpretation forms a welcome counterpoint to the more indulgent, Romanticised versions we have become used to. Some find her cool in these songs; I suggest that they are not listening properly.

We are then treated to her interpretations of three great Straussian ladies and can again admire the economy with which she portrays their varied emotions. She is equally convincing and adorable in all three rôles, from the ironic playfulness of the Countess, to the wistfulness of Arabella, to the naïve piety of Ariadne - and in glorious voice throughout; the trenchancy of her low A flat on "Totenreich" immediately followed by a ringing B flat on "Hermes" is testament to a voice in prime condition throughout its two registers. Furthermore, this anthology comprises some of the most delicate, moving and sensuous music Strauss ever wrote; the ideal vehicle for such a voice to float and soar in. Is there a more luscious tune in opera than the long-breathed melody which launches Arabella's "Aber der Richtige"? Not when sung as it is here by della Casa, I submit - especially when Gueden answers her with Zdenka's dreamy rejoinder and the two voices intertwine. If I have any criticism at all, it is to cavil about della Casa's occasional use of a half-aspirate to change pitch in the upper reaches of her voice, but otherwise it is voice as close to perfection as one could encounter. She is happily supported by three great Vienna regulars in Hilde Gueden, Paul Schoeffler and Alfred Poell, all perfectly in character and vocally impressive.

For me, however, the centrepiece of this programme is the closing scene from "Capriccio". As much as I love Gundula Janowitz and Renée Fleming in this music, della Casa is the supreme aristocrat in this role, singing with a purity, charm and unfeigned sincerity which are utterly irresistible.

And all the while, we can enjoy the luxury of the finest orchestra possible in this music. The Vienna Philharmonic provides a velvet cushion of sound, utterly at ease in Strauss's idiom. Despite the mono sound, the "Moonlight" music has rarely sounded more magical.

While I still appreciate the added sonority of a modern stereo recording such as that given to Fleming in her marvellous disc of Strauss bon-bons with Susan Graham and Barbara Bonney, I would never want to be without this magnificent souvenir of perhaps the greatest Strauss soprano ever. Similarly, while treasurable recordings of the "Four Last Songs" are legion, every devotee should make room on the shelves for this one, no matter how many versions he owns.

The musical archeologists of the Decca Legends series dig deep in the mud and not seldom have brought up real gems. A brilliant recording, exemplary performance this. Apart from that, the cd offers us a glimpse in a primordial world of the compostion in question: Four Last Songs. How would it feel to listen to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony only four years after completion? Or Wagner's Ring? Here is, the music paper hardly dry, a view on Strauss' swansong by a renowned Strauss interpreter, a divine soprano and an orchestra which was (and is) perhaps the best in the world.

Not hindered by any tradition of interpretation Della Casa and Böhm have formed the standard by which all my favorites must be gauged. Over 55 years old but as fresh as if the songs were recorded yesterday. You can write pages about the spotless textual interpretation, as well as about the suprisingly up-tempo playing (Im Abendrot clocks under 6 minutes!), the original playing order of the songs (3-2-1-4) and so on. And what about Della Casa's excitingly sultry voice with uniquely distinguishing vibrato?

What I like most about this interpretation is its insistence not to trip into the gaping hole of false sentiment this music appears to embody - a trap in which other famous sopranos (Jessye Norman!) so ostensibly plunge. For this is no music for funerals: this is music accepting death as a transition to another phase - not an end but a beginning, no sadness but comfort. Exactly as Strauss' own philosophy comprised - see for instance Death and Transfiguration, music that tends to rise up instead of move downwards into the earth.

Della Casa's rendition, in the Lieder as well as in the operatic fragments, certainly is not faultless. In Arabella now and then an awkward moment appears. Not all notes are spot on nor exquisitely finished. But who cares when listening to a vocal highwire act of such intensity and soaring sensibility. A flesh and blood singer, not a digital perfectionist.

Finally, Lisa Della Casa's aristocratic posture and 'old-fashioned' beauty must be mentioned, two not unimportant features of any operatic actrice, that must have made a live performance including Della Casa into a very exciting evening indeed. The Arabella fragments with that other operatic beauty from days gone past, Hilde Gueden as Zdenka, make the hearts beat faster in more than one aspect.

The first recording of Richard Strauss's famous "Vier letzte lieder" (not counting concert premiere in 1950s where Flagstad sang it) this is a note-perfect interpretation of a classic piece, surprisingly recorded not in usually accepted order but in a way they were originally completed,therefore it starts with "On going to sleep".

The very first time I fell in love with this music,it was the recording by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and my own croatian Lovro von Mata'i' done in the very same year as Della Casa - 1953 - so naturally,listening and loving that one made me prejudiced towards all the other versions. After all these years i still keep my ears open and out of curiosity I like to check what other artist can do with the same material (often I wonder what Schwarzkopf though herself about Jessye Norman 1982 recording? Was she pleased? Upset? Envious? If anybody knows let me know) and thought often its very much the same thing,occasionally its simply the sound of different voice that makes a huge difference. Nothing would ever replace majestic Schwarzkopf for me but I must admit that Della Casa is actually very,very close to the top of what I have heard so far - everything about her singing,poise and sensitivity is inspired,it also helps that she is backed by no less than Wiener Philharmoniker under the baton of celebrated Karl Böhm so prepare yourself to be swept away by the sheer beauty of the music.

The rest of CD is filled with selections from "Arabella", "Ariadne auf Naxos" and "Capriccio" where Della Casa shines perhaps even more - this is impressive beyond words and here finally I stopped to think about Schwarzkopf and simply enjoyed music. Her duets with Hilde Guelden and Paul Schoeffler are such attack on the senses that I couldn't keep still and had to walk a little - it is very interesting that music can make such effect on the listener,absolutely intoxicating!

Some reviewers seem to think that Bohm is brisk in his pacing of the Four Last Songs. I find that he rushes only the last one, Im Abendroth. More objectionable is Bohm's cramped phrasing and lack of expressive flexibility. The other timings don't feel too fast, even though they certainly aren't slow. For the record:


Fruhling: Karajan/Schwarzkopf 3:01
Szell/ Schwarzkopf 3:46
Karajan/ Janowitz 4:03
Bohm/ della casa 3:19
Masur/ J. Norman 3:43

September: Karajan/Schwarzkopf 3:49
Szell/ Schwarzkopf 5:17
Karajan/ Janowitz 4:49
Bohm/ della casa 4:03
Masur/ J. Norman 5:26

Beim Schlafengehen: Karajan/Schwarzkopf 5:03
Szell/ Schwarzkopf 5:22
Karajan/ Janowitz 6:13
Bohm/ della casa 5:16
Masur/ J. Norman 6:05

Im Abendroth: Karajan/Schwarzkopf 6:47
Szell/ Schwarzkopf 8:20
Karajan/ Janowitz 7:05
Bohm/ della casa 6:00
Masur/ J. Norman 9:54

As these timings bear out, Bohm is radically fast in the final song and generally fast througout, though in league with Karajan and schwarzkopf in their live reading; Schwarzkopf's first studio recording with Otto Ackermann in mono was also generally brisk.

I can second all the praise given to these vintage recordings from della Casa, whose silvery lyric soprano was heightened with a touch of inward melancholy that perfeclty suited her for Strauss. The Countess in Nozze di Figaro called upon the same reflective quality. In each recording the voice is forwardly placed compared to th orchestra, which is downright recessive in the Four Last Songs. Over the years I've found della Casa's interpretations placid, despite the voice's lovely feminine allure, and a later singger, Renee Fleming, outdoes her for hseer lustrousness and luxury of voice. But that doesn't take away from her unique status in the Fifties and Sixties. Della Casa sang Ariadne on stage, but her voice can barely reach deep enough -- she tiptoes around the bottom notes of 'Es gibt ein Reich,' and throughut the aria the conducting is cautious and carefu, no doubt to help the singer.

In almost all of these items Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is preferable for intrpretation and ultimate artistry. Della Casa surpasses her in Arabella, her most famous Strauss role, but then, Schwarzkopf only recorded short excerpts in mono under Ackermann, so we don't know how she would have fared in her maturity. In perspective I'd place della Casa on a high plane with Seefried and Gueden among her rough contemporaries and with Janowitz ten years later.

I heard Lisa Della Casa on the radio some time ago - her voice impressed me and I welcome the opportunity to buy some of her recordings at Amazon. Hers was a voice of extraordinary luminosity and timbre, lending a certain etheral quality to her performances. This is not so much brought out in the Vier Letze Lieder part, which suffers a bit from the too high tempo, but in the other parts of the CD her voice and interpretations of her parts really stand out. Listen to the CD as a supreme example of what a human voice can bring across.
Joern W.