Der junge Richard Strauss
Today, as we celebrate the 150th birthday of Richard Strauss, record label ‘TwoPianists Records’ is bringing out a comprehensive edition of the complete works for voice and piano. The project is the brainchild of Brigitte Fassbaender who has selected singers and accompanists to suit the vast collection of songs. The launch takes place on this 11th June 2014, during the Richard Strauss Festival in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The project enjoys the full support of the Richard Strauss Institute.
The Strauss oeuvre consist of 179 songs and 2 melodramas, the latter being performed by Brigitte Fassbaender herself. The recording has taken place over the month of November 2013 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a picturesque town at the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. Here, Strauss lived and composed the majority of his works for over a period of 40 years. The artists, including 13 singers and 5 accompanists, now breathes the same inspirational mountain air as Strauss himself, whilst recording the fine artworks of his inspired revelations. A complex schedule was necessary to neatly accommodate everyone involved and record over 9 hours of music; some of it rarely, if ever, heard before.
The day before the recording began, the last song ‘Herbstabend’ arrived from a collection in Belgium. It has never been recorded, neither has ‘Aus der Kindheit’. Another novelty in Strauss’ output is the trumpet solo at the end of ‘Die heiligen drei Könige aus Morgenland’, as are the rarities ‘Alphorn’ and ‘Stille Gang’ with horn and violin.
The songs appear in chronological order on the CD, which makes for fascinating listening. Every Strauss lover will be intrigued by the composer’s musical development: from the first song composed at the age of 6 – his mother had to write in the text, because he could not – through to the song, ‘Malven’, – composed during the last year of his life when he was 84 years old.
This recording is, without doubt, unprecedented in its authenticity and is sure to be the established reference edition for many years to come.
The singers taking part in the project are:
Anja-Nina Bahrmann
Juliane Banse
Michelle Breedt
Jeongkon Choi
Markus Eiche
Christian Elsner
Brigitte Fassbaender
Brenden Gunnell
Lucian Krasznec
Christiane Libor
Andreas Mattersberger
Martin Mitterrutzner
Anke Vondung
Manuel Walser
The pianists joining the singers in this artistic venture are:
Christoph Berner
Burkhard Kehring
Malcolm Martineau
Wolfram Rieger
Nina Schumann
