George Prêtre’s association with the music of Richard Strauss is stronger than most classical CD collectors might realize. Prêtre, in fact, led the Paris premiere of the composer’s valedictory opera Capriccio, and led an excellent 1986 recording of Also Sprach Zarathustra with the Philharmonia Orchestra in tow. Two out of the three selections here further Prêtre’s Straussian credentials. One is a lovingly indulgent and lascivious performance of the Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, brewed with more schlag than sinew, but gorgeously played all the same. Prêtre’s leisurely spin through Till Eulenspiegel’s misadventures leaves lots of room for superbly characterized brass and wind rejoinders, with several whipped up climaxes along the way.
At 18:49, Prêtre’s Don Juan clocks in among the slowest versions on record. That in itself is not an issue. What bothers me is how the lyrical passages are evened out to the point where they sound slack and directionless. Nor does the conductor’s sluggish dispatch of the jaunty opening theme and its recapitulation come anywhere close to the verve, élan, and urgency Szell, Reiner, and Kempe bring to this music. Still, it’s a great disc for showing off your sound system, if not a primary recommendation among the two tone poems’ umpteen hundred recorded versions.
