Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #63978 in Music
• Released on: 2008-09-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Hybrid SACD, SACD
• Dimensions: .23 pounds
• Running time: 70 minutes

Customer Reviews

A stunningly played account, one of the few rivals to Karajan
Now that the Alpine Sym. has come into its own and one can forget the decades when it was derided as the brontosaurus among Strauss's tone poems, we have a wealth of choice. No work shows off an orchestra's virtuosity as thrillingly -- not even Ein Heldenleben - and so it comes as no surprise that Europe's powerhouse orchestras have dominated the field, particularly Karajan's Berlin account from the early digital era. Now Jansons, with the advantage of spectacularly lifelife sonics, gives the old master a run for his money.

I have only heard the two-channel stereo version, but there's no hesitation in saying that the Royal Concertgebouw's house label must boast some of the best engineers in the world. Every detail in the playing is vibrantly alive. In the Don Juan performance that serves as a warmup, the suave richness of the srings is beyond belief. "Raivshing" is a critical cliche, but it fits here. As intrpreations, both the Don Juan and Alpine Sym. are a trifle soft-grained, lacking Karajan's total command, but overall this is Janson's most energetic reading in years. I am not a worshipper at the altar by any means, but he is very fine in this work.

On musical merits, I'd place this new recording below Blomstedt on Decca, Welser-Most on EMI, and Karajan -- all are more viscerally exciting -- and I won't throw away the gorgeous Vienna Phil. account on Telarc under Previn, but Jansons joins that august company once you include the stunning sonics.

one of the best
Definitely one of the best recordings and up there with Karajan, and Previn on Telarc. Jansons can be too controlled sometimes and lacking fire - but not here. Great sound on SACD too.