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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | R. Strauss: Lieder
Strauss, R: | Ich wollt ein Sträusslein binden, Op. 68 No. 2 Waldseligkeit, Op. 49 No. 1 Das Bächlein, Op. 88 No. 1 Winterweihe, Op. 48 No. 4 Morgen, Op. 27 No. 4 Allerseelen, Op. 10 No. 8 Cäcilie, Op. 27 No. 2 Amor, Op. 68 No. 5 Säusle, Liebe Myrte, Op. 68 No. 3 Freundliche Vision, Op. 48 No. 1 Ständchen, Op. 17 No. 2 Traum durch die Dämmerung, Op. 29 No. 1 Wiegenlied, Op. 41 No. 1 Meinem Kinde, Op. 37 No. 3 Muttertändelei, Op. 43 No. 2 Zueignung, Op. 10 No. 1 Das Rosenband, Op. 36 No. 1 Heimkehr, Op. 15 No. 5 Als mir dein Lied erklang, Op. 68 No. 4 Des Dichters Abendgang, Op. 47 No. 2 An die Nacht, Op. 68 No. 1 Lied der Frauen, Op. 68 |
“This is a performance of transcendent art” proclaimed Opera News on hearing Diana Damrau’s interpretation of Strauss’ Zerbinetta on her last Virgin Classics album, ‘Coloraturas’. In this collection of Strauss songs, recorded in the composer’s hometown, she is joined by the Munich Philharmonic and Christian Thielemann, the leading German conductor of his generation. Soprano Diana Damrau, described by The Sunday Times as “the most dazzling star to have emerged from Germany in recent years” was born in Bavaria. The region’s capital, Munich, was the birthplace of Richard Strauss, and in March 2009 a programme of the composer’s songs was presented at the city’s Gasteig Philharmonie, with Damrau accompanied by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under its Chief Conductor, Christian Thielemann. “Strauss loved female voices,” says Damrau, “and he explores some extreme possibilities in these many-layered songs, each with its different point of view. Sensitivity to the words is vital to telling the story of each song, to capturing the rapid changes of mood and all the colours.” Strauss’ operatic roles for lyric-coloratura soprano, notably Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), Aithra (Die Aegyptische Helena) and Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier) have played an important role in Damrau’s career. As Opera News wrote when reviewing her last Virgin Classics album, ‘Coloraturas’: “Zerbinetta … is one of Damrau's calling cards, having served for her stupendous Met debut in 2005. ‘Grossmächtige Prinzessin’ provides every opportunity to dazzle the listener, with stratospheric high notes, staccatos, roulades and trills, as Zerbinetta cajoles, berates and mocks the gloomy Ariadne. Every note and word reveals Damrau's artistry, the result of constantly questioning and probing into the composer's intentions; while the soprano has a knack for concealing or highlighting technical difficulties at will, here just enough self-absorbed delight breaks to the surface that we are as captivated by Zerbinetta's own theatrical skills as by Damrau's vocal athleticism. Damrau/Zerbinetta even seems to be commanding the orchestra's responses to her whimsical, moody outbursts. This is a performance of transcendent art.” On the new CD, favourites such as ‘Ständchen’, ‘Wiegenlied’, ‘Allerseelen’, ‘Cäcilie’ and ‘Zueignung’ feature alongside more rarely heard numbers, and six tracks recorded under studio conditions now complement the sixteen songs captured live. “Always there is delicacy and an absolute respect for the silky legato that Strauss demands from his soloist. Damrau finds drama in these songs too...the songs that demand diamond-bright coloratura, runs and trills to affright a Zerbinetta hold no terrors...Thielemann has a very special affinity with singers. He also coaxes some fine playing from the Munich orchestra.” International Record Review, January 2011 “What wins this disc the five stars are the facts that Damrau, singing in her native German, is poised ideally between dreamy haze and Schwarzkopfian fussiness...her hallowed pianissimos allow the exquisite detail Thielemann draws from his Munich players to shine...the ineffable balance between voice and orchestra, subtly assisted by the engineering, is a treat throughout.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2011 ***** “Secure in technique, gifted in projecting drama and emotion, Damrau is a peach of a singer...The haunting music; the lyrical voice; the orchestra’s dappled array, with woodwinds curling like climbing roses and violins wafting with fragrant perfume: poesie indeed, in small doses.” The Times, 28th January 2011 **** “With a creamy-voiced soprano such as Renée Fleming, say, the results could be an excess of musical cholesterol, but Damrau’s diamantine timbre brings a welcome edge to the mix...She’s the leading Strauss soprano of the day, and her singing here shows exactly why.” Sunday Times, 30th January 2011 **** “her voice is not ideally voluptuous for Strauss, but she makes up for it by her exceptional musicality, investing every song with meaning, and her clarity of diction. The Munich Philharmonic under Christian Thielemann are splendid partners on a CD that must now be regarded as the best modern introduction to Strauss's songs” Mail on Sunday, 30th January 2011 **** “Her singing is consistently accurate and expressive. I particularly liked her 'Traum durch die Dämmerung', which caught the atmosphere of a secret tryst perfectly...She joins the group of younger sopranos such as Angelika Kirchschlager and Anne Schwanewilms among the leading lyric Strauss singers of the day.” Sunday Telegraph, 30th January 2011 **** “she is not merely a fair-weather soprano. Darker shades, more serious tones lie within her expressive scope than one might at first suppose...Familiar songs such as "Ständchen" gain new life with a smiling intimacy of approach in the first verse and an enriched suggestiveness as dusk falls in the third.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2011 “there are performances of such favourites as Morgen, Allerseelen and Wiegenlied, where her hovering, silvery soprano is heard to perfection...Not all the orchestrations are by Strauss: Christian Thielemann and the Munich Philharmonic really bring home just how marvellous his own instrumentation sounds when placed beside that of some of the other composers” The Guardian, 10th February 2011 **** “When did a German coloratura soprano last handle Richard Strauss’s orchestral songs with such grace and aplomb?...Damrau’s artistry is a combination of vocal noblesse, emotional warmth and instinctive intelligence.” Financial Times, 19th February 2011 **** “This gloriously romantic collection of orchestral settings of Strauss’s songs... shows [Damrau] at her stunning best. Outstanding tracks include Amor, with its airy, witty coloratura, and a magically slow yet gloriously alive Wiegenlied. The accompaniments, as might be expected from Thielemann’s baton, are quite superb.” The Telegraph, 25th February 2011 ***** “These songs demand a variety of vocal weights and colours, and Damrau seems to have it all...Thielemann and the Munich Phil revel in the rich orchestral colours and can be as light as air when required...Damrau brings effortless technique, beautiful tone and unfailing musical instinct to these songs.” Classic FM Magazine, April 2011 *****  BBC Music Magazine
Choral & Song Choice - February 2011 |
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| |  | Edita Gruberova & Friedrich Haider sing Strauss
Strauss, R: | Rote Rosen, AV76 Zueignung, Op. 10 No. 1 Nichts, Op. 10 No. 2 Die Nacht, Op. 10 No. 3 Allerseelen, Op. 10 No. 8 Wer hat’s getan Op. 10 No. 6 bis Barkarole, Op. 17 No. 6 Breit' über mein Haupt Op. 19 No. 2 Du meines Herzens Krönelein, Op. 21 No. 2 Cäcilie, Op. 27 No. 2 Morgen, Op. 27 No. 4 Blauer Sommer, Op. 31 No. 1 Wenn ..., Op. 31 No. 2 Liebeshymnus, Op. 32 No. 3 Wir beide wollen springen, AV 90 Glückes genug Op. 37 No. 1 Leises Lied, Op. 39 No. 1 Junghexenlied, Op. 39 No. 2 In der Campagna Op. 41 No. 2 Weihnachtsgefühl, WoO. 94 Ein Obdach gegen Sturm und Regen, Op. 46 No. 1 Morgenrot, Op. 46 No. 4 Einkehr, Op. 47 No. 4 Malven, AV 304 Blick vom oberen Belvedere, Op. 88 No. 2 Der Stern, Op. 69 No. 1 Der Pokal, Op. 69, No. 2 Lied der Frauen, Op. 68 Amor, Op. 68 No. 5 Als mir dein Lied erklang, Op. 68 No. 4 Säusle, Liebe Myrte, Op. 68 No. 3 An die Nacht, Op. 68 No. 1 Ich wollt ein Sträusslein binden, Op. 68 No. 2 Blindenklage, Op. 56 No. 2 In goldener Fülle Op. 49 No. 2 Waldseligkeit, Op. 49 No. 1 Winterweihe, Op. 48 No. 4 Kling! Op. 48 No. 3 |
“Gruberova, at the peak of her career, is a technically superb and perceptive interpreter in this extensive 1991 selection, matched by Haider's accompaniment. His original notes and translations are sadly lacking.” BBC Music Magazine, November 2009 **** | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Edita Gruberova - Lieder
Brahms: | Lerchengesang Op. 70 No. 2 Auf Dem See op.106 No.2 In Waldeseinsamkeit, Op. 85 No. 6 Das Mädchen (No. 1 from Sieben Lieder, Op. 95) | Dvorak: | Liebeslieder (8), Op. 83 | Strauss, R: | Mädchenblumen (4 songs), Op. 22 An die Nacht, Op. 68 No. 1 Ich wollt ein Sträusslein binden, Op. 68 No. 2 Amor, Op. 68 No. 5 Ich Schwebe, Op. 48 No. 2 Freundliche Vision, Op. 48 No. 1 Schlechtes Wetter, Op. 69 No. 5 |
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| |  | Evelyn Lear Sings Songs by Richard StraussSalzburg & Vienna 1964 & 1965
Strauss, R: | Ständchen, Op. 17 No. 2 Morgen, Op. 27 No. 4 Mein Herz ist stumm, Op. 19 No. 6 Leises Lied, Op. 39 No. 1 Allerseelen, Op. 10 No. 8 Schlechtes Wetter, Op. 69 No. 5 Ich wollt ein Sträusslein binden, Op. 68 No. 2 An die Nacht, Op. 68 No. 1 Säusle, Liebe Myrte, Op. 68 No. 3 Drei Lieder der Ophelia Op. 67 Wiegenlied, Op. 41 No. 1 Ruhe, meine Seele!, Op. 27 No. 1 Befreit, Op. 39 No. 4 Leise Lieder, Op. 41a No. 5 In der Campagna Op. 41 No. 2 Du meines Herzens Krönelein, Op. 21 No. 2 Blindenklage, Op. 56 No. 2 Die Georgine Op. 10 No. 4 Gefunden Op. 56 No. 1 Die Nacht, Op. 10 No. 3 Schlagende Herzen Op. 29 No. 2 Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten, Op. 19 No. 4 Meinem Kinde, Op. 37 No. 3 Zueignung, Op. 10 No. 1 |
“Here...one of Ms. Lear's finest gifts comes immediately to the fore, her immense feelings for words and her ability to sing "on" the word, to bring it forward and give it shape” Dallas Morning News | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Edita Gruberova: The Teldec Recordings
Donizetti: | Il dolce suono mi colpì di sua voce! … Spargi d'amaro pianto (from Lucia di Lammermoor) | Haydn: | The Creation (extracts) | Mozart: | Mia speranza adorata... Ah, non sai qual pena, K416 Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt Voi avete un cor fedele, K217 Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt No, che non sei capace, K419 Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt Ma che vi fece, o stelle...Sperai vicino il lido, K368 Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt Misera, dove son? - Ah! non son' io che parlo! K369 Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt A questo seno deh vieni…Or che il cielo, K374 Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio! K418 Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt Ah se in ciel, benigne stelle, K538 Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen (from Die Zauberflöte) Or sai chi l'onore (from Don Giovanni) Crudele? Ah no, mio bene! ... Non mi dir, bell'idol mio (from Don Giovanni) Dalla sponda tenebrosa (from Lucio Silla) | Strauss, J, II: | Klänge der Heimat (from Die Fledermaus) | Strauss, R: | Rote Rosen, AV76 Zueignung, Op. 10 No. 1 Nichts, Op. 10 No. 2 Die Nacht, Op. 10 No. 3 Allerseelen, Op. 10 No. 8 Wer hat’s getan Op. 10 No. 6 bis Barkarole, Op. 17 No. 6 Breit' über mein Haupt Op. 19 No. 2 Du meines Herzens Krönelein, Op. 21 No. 2 Cäcilie, Op. 27 No. 2 Morgen, Op. 27 No. 4 Blauer Sommer, Op. 31 No. 1 Wenn ..., Op. 31 No. 2 Liebeshymnus, Op. 32 No. 3 Wir beide wollen springen, AV 90 Glückes genug Op. 37 No. 1 Leises Lied, Op. 39 No. 1 Junghexenlied, Op. 39 No. 2 In der Campagna Op. 41 No. 2 Weihnachtsgefühl, WoO. 94 Ein Obdach gegen Sturm und Regen, Op. 46 No. 1 Morgenrot, Op. 46 No. 4 Einkehr, Op. 47 No. 4 Kling! Op. 48 No. 3 Winterweihe, Op. 48 No. 4 Waldseligkeit, Op. 49 No. 1 In goldener Fülle Op. 49 No. 2 Blindenklage, Op. 56 No. 2 An die Nacht, Op. 68 No. 1 Ich wollt ein Sträusslein binden, Op. 68 No. 2 Säusle, Liebe Myrte, Op. 68 No. 3 Als mir dein Lied erklang, Op. 68 No. 4 Amor, Op. 68 No. 5 Lied der Frauen, Op. 68 Der Stern, Op. 69 No. 1 Der Pokal, Op. 69, No. 2 Blick vom oberen Belvedere, Op. 88 No. 2 Malven, AV 304 | Verdi: | È strano! è strano!...Ah! fors è lui (from La traviata) |
Collected Teldec recordings from one of the most acclaimed coloraturas of recent decades. | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Gramophone Awards 2011