[78-L] Started off as pictures and Bach

[Don Cox]

On 02/11/2013, DAVID BURNHAM wrote:

> 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.
> 
Another good recording is the one on the Naxos label, conducted by
Manuel Rosenthal, who himself arranged the ballet (in 1938) from
Offenbach's tunes. This disc also includes a second xuite from 1953,
called "Offenbachiana".

Regards
-- 
Don Cox
doncox at enterprise.net