This new live Also Sprach Zarathustra is not a recording for showing off your hi-fi equipment. The reverberant hall acoustic imparts a halo that slightly muffles the highest frequencies. This, combined with conductor John Fiore’s somewhat reined-in dynamics makes the famous Sunrise sequence register with less than thrilling impact. But this is about the only flaw in Fiore’s conducting, as he leads an involving performance, with flowing tempos and an elastic rubato that’s wholly suitable to the music. The Düsseldorf orchestra provides playing of high energy, with the woodwinds taking a star turn at the end of The Convalescent section, while the strings sound richly sweet in The Shadow Dwellers. Fiore saves his best for last, with an exciting build-up to the great, brass drenched climax near the close.
Gerhard Oppitz lends his considerable pianistic talents to Strauss’ quasi-Lisztian Burleske, playing with assured swiftness and calculated bravura. Fiore is of the same mind as he leads the Düsseldorf players in a powerful and propulsive accompaniment. The live recording places soloist and orchestra in natural perspective. In a crowded field this can’t be a first recommendation, though it’s a generally fine effort all the same, and it has its moments.
