Artistically at least, the Herbert Blomstedt/San Francisco Symphony/Decca Records partnership was one of the most successful of the 1990s. For the most part the performances were excellent, while the recordings boasted natural, high impact sound. This Alpine Symphony is a case in point: Blomstedt has clearly mastered the terrain of Strauss’ musical travelogue as he renders both the big, dramatic passages (Sunrise, Summit, Storm) and the more delicate and quiet ones (Pasture, Elegy, Final Sounds) with imagination and authority. The San Francisco Symphony takes to this music as if it were newly composed, offering playing of high enthusiasm and virtuosity. The brass–given much critical and prominent music–steals the show. But the winds weigh in powerfully, as certainly do the strings, whose divided parts in the opening and closing Night sequences make it seem as if the whole journey takes place in a dream. Decca’s vivid, spacious recording captures the full dynamic range of the performance–and it’s pretty wide, so be careful with your volume setting.
The disc opens with a quite muscular Don Juan–not the super-virile protagonist in Reiner’s, Kempe’s, and Szell’s fiercely driven performances, but imposing nonetheless. Here the strings dominate, and the San Francisco players make sweet, swooning sounds in the love music. Don Juan and An Alpine Symphony are not necessarily two works I’d play together in one sitting, but this disc presents both in top-notch performances. Order it from Arkivmusic.com’s “on-demand” service to hear for yourself.
