Ferdinand Leitner’s Strauss places sonority and structure ahead of pure orchestral bravura. In his hands Till Eulenspiegel comes off as a wry and sly figure rather than the rambunctious lout portrayed by George Szell. Of course, the Bavarian Radio Symphony cultivates a more rounded sound than the Cleveland Orchestra, yet it’s a sound that glows with beautifully polished timbres. Also Sprach Zarathustra receives a straightforward reading that’s more concerned with inner depth than surface excitement. Of Joys and Passions is argued seriously and soberly, in marked contrast to Fritz Reiner’s darkly passionate energy or Herbert von Karajan’s majestic sweep. Leitner holds a sure and steady pace leading up to the big climax at the conclusion of Dance song, and while this is a wholly logical approach, I do miss the feeling of an irresistible trajectory that Reiner evokes in this passage.
Finally, Leitner’s elegant shaping of the Horn Concerto complements Jack Meredith’s boisterous, intelligent fashioning of the solo part. The 1970s live recordings capture the warmly resplendent acoustic of Munich’s Herkulessaal in solid, wide-ranging analog sound. Is this the last Strauss CD you’ll ever want? Certainly not, but this deeply considered, finely realized, and beautifully played collection nonetheless merits your investigation.
