“These Want Lists are difficult for me, because, Lord knows, I want everything… My philosophy is that basic repertoire will seldom make my Want List because, in this age of redundancy, priority should be given to that which is new or at least unfamiliar. Having written that, I start with an exception. Strauss’s orchestral works are being recorded with as much frequency as ever, but no modern conductor even approaches the standards set by Kempe, Szell, Karajan, Ormandy, and a few others in the recent past. No modern conductor, that is, except for Manfred Honeck, who blows away the dust bunnies and makes these three tone poems truly eventful once again. His Till Eulenspiegel is mirthful and wicked, his Tod und Verklärung full of dignity and drama, and his Don Juan dashing and ultimately tragic. Characterful, vibrant playing from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and lifelike engineering cap this disc’s stunning success.” —Raymond Tuttle, Fanfare
Labels: Fanfare Magazine, Manfred Honeck, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Raymond Tuttle, Review, Strauss, Want List