[78-L] Started off as pictures and Bach

[DAVID BURNHAM]

After mentioning several definitive recordings which stood alone, "Gaite Parisienne" came to mind.  Although there have been a number of recordings of this work, for me Fiedler has always owned it and still does.  I think he recorded it four times, (78rpm, early mono, early stereo and later stereo) and for me the last stereo is the most spectacular, even though when they mastered it for SACD they used the earlier stereo version.  There was another 78 version on Columbia, I've forgotten who conducted it but I don't think I've ever listened to it since I'm prejudiced towards Boston.  However today while I was driving, I pulled out a DGG  CD of it conducted by Paul Strauss and the Radio Orchestra of Berlin and was quite blown away by it.  The sound, (from 1956 I think), is spectacular and the interpretation is at least the equal to Fiedler and, I believe, often surpasses him.  There were so many musical details which I had never noticed before.  My
 only complaint is that it's not complete.  Paul Strauss imbues it with a Vienese gaity, even though there's nothing Vienese about the work.  The other works on the CD, Le Beau Danube, (which I think is a ballet, it's about half an hour long and,of course, includes the waltz), and some overtures, also benifit from the crisp sound and superb interpretation.  I don't think I've ever run across this Paul Strauss before, and have to wonder if he's descended from one of the famous Strauss families.

db