Strauss: Four Last Songs

Chuck Jackson · Post by **Chuck Jackson** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:17 am

Nope, but a whole bunch of great sopranos have.

Chuck"bring a book to rehearsal for this piece"Jackson

Chuck Jackson · Post by **Chuck Jackson** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:04 am

I would say the same thing about "The Song of the Earth" by Mahler and New World. Wonderful works, but if one were to add up the tuba notes in all those it wouldn't equal all of the notes in Fountains. Here's the rub, I wouldn't walk across the street to hear a free performance of Fountains, but would seek out the Mahler and Strauss on a daily basis as I feel they are far superior works. Having played both, I would much rather listen to them than to sit on stage and play a few notes, it gets in the way of the enjoyment for me. So, if inclined, bring a book, preferably the poetry that "Four Last Songs" are taken from, they make me cry like a baby whenever I listen to them.

Chuck

jsswadley · Post by **jsswadley** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:25 am

Or did you mean a transcription for tuba of the vocal music? I don't believe there is one, but at least two of the songs would work out for tuba/piano pretty well. Some trombonists play the Mahler "Songs of a Wayfarer" and they work out nicely. As well as the first Strauss horn concerto works out on tuba, the second is not very playable or listenable on tuba. John

Chuck Jackson · Post by **Chuck Jackson** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 1:35 pm

From a technical standpoint, these songs are the most treacherous in the soprano's repetoire. A total commnad of close to a three octave range is called for as is the ability to pick notes out of the air. Whereas the Mahler and Brahms Songs gently lead the vocalist into their respective entrances, the underlying harmonies of Strauss give no tonal underpinning. Then top it with the interpretive demands of conveying the depth of feeling required make them the provenance of a seasoned artist. Lastly, they lose alot when done with piano. The arching horn lines and violin solo's are lost at the keyboard. I like Lott's performance as well as Te Kanawa's. As far as tuba goes, why not. They are, after all, songs. Finding the depth of meaning in a voiceless instrument would leave me hanging, but if one were to absorb the texts (they truly are magnificent) and convey the feeling, they could be brought off. Go for it.

Chuck"who remains supportive, if somewhat dubious"Jackson

Chuck

Chuck Jackson · Post by **Chuck Jackson** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:17 pm

She has a lighter voice than the other two. The best, IMHO, is the Jessye Norman with the Leipzig Gewandhaus with Masur. She seems to have the proper gravity in her understanding of the text and depth of color in her voice that, for me, projects the pathos and eventual exultation, that the text requires. The orchestra is superb, especially the horn playing.

Chuck

finnbogi · Post by **finnbogi** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:14 am

Brian Molinar wrote:Well, either a transcription or a recording would be interesting to hear about. I know Perantoni transcribed and recorded Mahler's Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen a number of years ago, and Floyd Cooley did Strauss' Vier ernste GesÃ¤nge as well.

Actually, Vier ernste GesÃ¤nge is by Brahms, but Floyd Cooley did certainly record them.
As for recordings of Strauss's Vier letzte Lieder, I'll second Chuck's recommendation of Jessye Norman with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.
I also have a great old recording with Kirsten Flagstad and Philharmonia, conducted by FurtwÃ¤ngler.

tubiker · Post by **tubiker** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:58 am

Gundula Janowitz, Karajan and the Berlin Phil get my vote.

The most exercise the tuba player is going to get is lifting up the mute and placing it in the bell, very very quietly............

Well, that and the long note practice

Lie back and enjoy

Andrew Murray

Chuck Jackson · Post by **Chuck Jackson** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 12:41 pm

If I brought a book, it would be the score to follow

So would I, if the stooooopid thing weren't so expensive. As for Jandulska?/BPO/Karajan recording, I thought it was an incredibly bad transfer to cd. I have the original vinyl and it is warm and very lovely, on the cd she comes across as screechy and inexact. Too bad, it is a landmark recording of the work. The plus with the cd is that you get a GREAT performance of "Death and Transfiguration".

Chuck"who still would rather read the poetry"Jackson

jsswadley · Post by **jsswadley** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:05 pm

I'll leave it to "discotuba" to play the second Strauss horn concerto on tuba. To me it sounds fiddly and difficult on tuba. Do none of you like the Scharzkopf/Szell Vier Letzte Lieder? For me the greatest is Lisa della Casa with Karl Boehm and the Vienna Philharmonic. It is forgotten today that she was the great Strauss singer and brought Arabella to life every time she sang it. John