Aus Italien is such a beautiful and enjoyable work that it’s really amazing that it hasn’t been performed more often. On balance, this is its finest recorded performance. The combination of Riccardo Muti’s feeling for rhythm and ensemble discipline and the Berlin Philharmonic’s elegance and virtuosity makes for gorgeous results in the voluptuous introduction, with an extra dash of brilliance in the finale. Don Juan isn’t quite so special. Of course, it has been recorded about a billion times, and while splendidly played, there’s a certain lack of sheer spontaneity that quicker interpretations project more effectively (Kempe, for example, takes about 16 minutes, as did Strauss himself, while Muti requires more than 18). Still, if you’re up for 40 minutes of early Straussian orchestral splendor, then this on-demand reissue from Arkivmusic.com will be most welcome in your collection. [8/14/2007]
