R. Strauss: Don Quixote & Till Eulenspiegel Gürzenich-Orchester Köln & Markus Stenz

• Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949): Don Quixote, Op. 35:
• 1Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: I. Introduction. Mäßiges Zeitmaß06:08
• 2Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: II. Don Quixote, the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance. Mäßig00:55
• 3Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: III. Sancho Panza. Maggiore01:02
• 4Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: IV. Var. 1, The Adventures of the Windmills. Gemächlich02:26
• 5Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: V. Var. 2, The Battle with the Sheep. Kriegerisch01:37
• 6Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: VI. Var. 3, Dialogue between Knight and Servant. Mäßiges Zeitmaß07:28
• 7Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: VII. Var. 4, Unfortunate Adventure with a Procession of Penitents. Etwas breiter01:46
• 8Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: VIII. Var. 5, Don Quixote's Vigil. Sehr langsam03:54
• 9Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: IX. Var. 6, Dulcinea's Enchantment. Schnell01:09
• 10Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: X. Var. 7, Ride Through the Air. Ein wenig ruhiger als vorher01:09
• 11Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: XI. Var. 8, Ill-Starred Voyage on the Enchanted Boat. Gemächlich01:43
• 12Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: XII. Var. 9, Battle Against the Supposed Enchanters. Schnell und stürmisch01:07
• 13Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: XIII. Var. 10, Duel with the Knight of the Shining Moon. Viel breiter04:07
• 14Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35: XIV. Finale. The Death of Don Quixote. Sehr ruhig05:40
• Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 28:
• 15Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 2814:59
• Total Runtime55:10

Info for R. Strauss: Don Quixote & Till Eulenspiegel

Strauss's 'Fantastic variations on a theme of knightly character', as Don Quixote is subtitled, is one of the composer's most popular tone poems, principally because of the beautifully drawn central characters of the Don (performed by a solo cellist) and Sancho Panza (viola). These roles are luxuriously cast in this new recording, being taken by Hyperion artists Alban Gerhardt and Lawrence Power. The merry tale of Till Eulenspiegel completes this release.

The Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, the very orchestra which gave the premieres of both works in the 1890s, is conducted by Markus Stenz, who has held the position of Principal Conductor since 2003. He visited China with the orchestra in early 2008 and conducted their first ever BBC Prom at the Royal Albert Hall in August 2008. In September 2010 he returned to China with the Gürzenich Orchestra and the Opera of Cologne to conduct the first ever production of Wagner's 'Ring' in Shanghai. Among other posts he is Chief Guest Conductor of the Hallé.

"Mark Stenz is a conductor capable of the most sensitive restraint;a quality that us much in evedience here. There's plenty of detail in the orchetstral texture(very well captured by the recording) , plenty of power where it's needed and also a reflective character to the playing-emphasized by Alban Gerhardt's beautifully shaped playing of the solo cello part and lawrence Power's viola playing." (IRR)

"Richard Strauss, often finicky in his choice of performers, allotted the premieres of Till Eulenspiegel and Don Quixote, in the opinion of many his finest tone poems, to the Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne. Ahead of the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth, the orchestra has repaid the compliment by recording them together, with conductor Markus Stenz. The performance of Don Quixote, in particular, is among the finest on disc. It does, however, break with tradition. Strauss cast the work in the form of a set of variations "on a theme of knightly character," in which a solo cello depicts the Don, while a solo viola indicates Sancho Panza. Strauss intended both parts should be played by the leaders of the respective string sections, though many cellists have since appropriated the piece as a star vehicle. Stenz goes one further by turning it into a double concerto, with Alban Gerhardt's Quixote paired with Lawrence Power's Sancho. The dividends prove enormous in terms of subtleties of characterisation. Gerhardt and Power convey the complex nature of the relationship between the two: one an impossible dreamer, the other hopelessly prosaic. We sense the affection beneath the tension and the dependency behind the arguments, in ways that leave most other recordings in the shade. Stenz's conducting is all about the cumulative impact of small gestures rather than grand statements. We're conscious throughout of the classical form at the work's heart, though Stenz is also marvellous when it comes to those astonishing moments when the Don's fantasies assume a transcendent reality greater than anything on earth. It's nigh-on perfect." (Guardian)

"This is a electrifying duo of tone poems from Cologne. Markus Stenz gets the proportions exactly right. Performance ***** Recording ***** RECORDING OF THE MONTH (BBC Music Magazine)

"There is a great deal to commend this new disc, notably in the solo roles by Alban Gerhardt and Lawrence Power as his Viola playing Sancha Panza…Both Gerhardt and Power are such fine sensitive and expressive musicans that they encapsulate the varies moods of th.eir protagonists poignantly and purposefully." (Gramophone)

Alban Gerhard, ello
Lawrence Power, viola
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
Markus Stenz, conductor

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Booklet for R. Strauss: Don Quixote & Till Eulenspiegel