Strauss, R: Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils (Tanz der sieben Schleier, Schleiertanz)

Gustavo Dudamel, Gramophone magazine’s "Artist of the Year" 2011 and Grammy award winner 2012, leads the classical summer live and TV event of 2012: The Summer Night Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic.

The concert takes place on June 7th in the gardens of Schönbrunn Palace. Last year’s Summer Night Concert was a huge success.

In 2012 a total of 62 countries on five continents will share in the spectacle, including a BBC4 broadcast in the UK.

This year the main theme is Dances and Waves, a programme showcasing symphonic and operatic highlights.

It is often said that Richard Strauss had a lifelong love affair with the soprano voice, and it is certainly true that many of his finest operatic roles were written with that voice in mind. In addition, the quality of his writing for sopranos regularly shows their instruments off to maximum advantage. Sopranos have genuine cause to the grateful to him.

Collected here are some of Strauss’s greatest heroines – whether regal (the Marschallin in Rosenkavalier), demented (Salome and Elektra), or crafty (the Empress in Frau ohne Schatten). These highlights feature not only great solo scenes (the final scene of Salome, Elektra’s monologue) but also some sublime ensembles (Arabella, Ariadne auf Naxos, the closing scene of Rosenkavalier). The singers represent some of the leading Strauss sopranos of their day – Della Casa, Guede, Crespin, Söderström, Silja and, of course, Nilsson – as well as some of the great Strauss conductors: Solti, Böhm, Dohnányi. Many of the recordings were made by the Wiener Philharmoniker in one of Decca’s iconic recording venues, the Sofiensaal, over a period of some twenty years

Beginning with two rascally characters - the deluded Don Quixote and the prankster Till Eulenspiegel, this set includes remarkable recordings from the catalogues of Philips and Deutsche Grammophon, with some recordings appearing on CD internationally for the first time - Haitink's "Don Quixote", Jochum's blazing "Till Eulenspiegel" and shimmering Rosenkavalier Waltzes (both sets) and Munchinger's recording of the sextet from Capriccio. Sinopoli's "Metamorphosen", previously coupled with Bruckner's Eighth symphony and long unavailable, finds its rightful place in this Strauss collection. In addition to the Rosenkavalier and Capriccio moments, we have other orchestral music from Strauss's operas, all conducted by Sinopoli and concluding with one of the most exciting and thrillingly-recorded versions of the Dance of the Seven Veils.

Given Bernstein's sheer sweep of the music of Richard Strauss (the Salome excerpts are spine-tingling) it is a pity he didn't record any more. These precious recordings with Montserrat Caballe are valuable not only for Bernstein's advocacy of Strauss on record but also for the Spanish singer's shimmering interpretations - girl-like in the opera, ravishing in the five orchestral songs. The coupling, the famous extended Prologue from Boito's Mefistofele, complete with choral forces, is one of Bernstein's most sought-after recording and is done with all his characteristic élan. Long unavailable, this recording is restored to the catalogue at budget price.