Approximately 50 years separated the composition of Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben and the Vier Letzte Lieder, a period in which world events dramatically changed his career and his perception of himself. The hero of the semi-autobiographical tone poem is in part a reflection of the optimism and boldness of late 19th century Europe, an age of expanding empire and Nietzschean egotism, when the youthful Strauss was at the peak of his powers; whereas the introspection and resignation of the four songs show the composer in ...
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Approximately 50 years separated the composition of Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben and the Vier Letzte Lieder, a period in which world events dramatically changed his career and his perception of himself. The hero of the semi-autobiographical tone poem is in part a reflection of the optimism and boldness of late 19th century Europe, an age of expanding empire and Nietzschean egotism, when the youthful Strauss was at the peak of his powers; whereas the introspection and resignation of the four songs show the composer in the aftermath of World War II, subdued, nostalgic, and approaching the end of his life. The pairing of these works reveals some thoughtfulness in the programming, and the performances by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra are fully attuned to the different sides of Strauss. The reading of Ein Heldenleben is lush, expansive, and full of the passion and assurance that make the work believable, while soprano Dorothea Röschmann delivers the lieder with sympathy...
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Add this copy of Ein Heldenlebenen to cart. $21.80, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by BIS.
