“Must one become seventy years old to recognize that one's greatest strength lies in creating musical kitsch?” - Richard Strauss
Dear reader, we have arrived at number 36 on our way toward reviewing the top 50 classical recordings of all-time. For this entry, we turn to the music of one of the quintessential late Romantic composers, German composer Richard Strauss. The recording is one of the very first recordings of the digital recording era, namely Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony) performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan and recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in 1980 at the Philharmonie in Berlin. A work of opulence and grandeur, this recording by Karajan and the Berliners is stunning in its brilliance and sweep. This version has been a classical reference recording almost since the day it was released.
The Composer
Richard Georg Strauss was born in Munich in 1864, the son of the principal horn player in the Munich Court Orchestra. No relation to the Strauss family of Vienna waltz fame, Richard showed musical aptitude early on and took lessons in piano, violin, music theory, harmony, and orchestration. By the time Strauss reached adulthood, he was producing musical compositions of great maturity and sophistication. His father was one of his primary teachers, but he also learned under Ludwig Thuille, a family friend. Overall, his musical education was conservative in style. At the age of 17, he published his Serenade for 13 Winds, Op. 7, which led the conductor Hans von Bulow to declare Strauss “the most striking personality since Brahms.” Bulow would prove important in giving Strauss his first assistant conductor position. Through these early developments in his career, Strauss would grow to admire the writings of Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, and the music of Wagner and Liszt. Strauss would go on to have a very long composing and conducting career, which would take him all over Europe and to the United States.
The influence of Wagner in particular on Strauss's style was to be significant, but at least initially his musically conservative father forbade him from studying Wagner. The music of Richard Wagner was viewed with deep suspicion by the elder Strauss, and it was not until the age of 16 that Richard was able to obtain a score of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. In 1882 he went to the Bayreuth Festival to hear his father perform in the world premiere of Wagner's Parsifal; there are surviving letters to his father detailing his seemingly negative impression of Wagner and his music. Later in life, Strauss would admit that he deeply regretted his conservative hostility to Wagner's music.
Beginning with the “symphonic fantasy” Aus Italien in 1886, Strauss would begin a phase of his career where he would compose many of the most extraordinary symphonic poems in classical music history. It became evident that Strauss had a natural affinity and ability to write music for orchestra. Strauss brought the tone poem to its apogee with such works as Don Juan (1888-89), Ein Heldenleben (1897-98), and Also sprach Zarathustra (1895-96) - which happens to be Strauss’ most recognizable music due to its first minute or so being used in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Strauss possessed a supreme gift for using all the colorful possibilities of the orchestra to dramatic effect, as few ever have. Other well-known Strauss tone poems include Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks), Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Sinfonia Domestica, Don Quixote, Metamorphosen, and Tod und Verklarung (Death and Transfiguration).
Although Strauss grew up in a time when music was changing, with some composers such as Wagner and Bruckner looking ahead by using more groundbreaking styles, Strauss was more conservative. Strauss idolized Mozart and Brahms. Of Mozart, Strauss said, “The most perfect melodic shapes are found in Mozart; he has the lightness of touch which is the true objective.” Of course Strauss’ music does not sound like Mozart, but he certainly had a gift for melody not unlike Mozart. Strauss knew Brahms personally, and actually assisted in the preparation for the world premiere of Brahms’ Symphony no. 4 during his time at the Meiningen Court Orchestra. Strauss would later refer to this time as his “BrahmsschwärmereiIn” or “Brahms Adoration”.
In his use of logic and structure, Strauss had the goal of creating music that tells a story and has meaning. In this sense, Strauss was one of the most “programmatic” composers in history, in other words he composed music that was written to describe extra-musical things. The music follows a narrative, and is meant to be descriptive or to evoke a scene or a mood through a theme or motif. This is one of the most defining features of Strauss’ music, as he himself said, “I want to be able to depict in music a glass of beer so accurately that every listener can tell whether it is a Pilsner or a Kulmbacher.” As such, the music of Strauss is very accessible, relatively easy to follow, and is decidedly tonal in nature. Strauss did not care to be avant-garde, at least not until the latter part of his career. Strauss did face critics that called his music “kitsch”, meaning music which is intended to evoke emotions, sentimentality and positive feelings, but which lacks authenticity and which is superficial and shallow. The accusation that Strauss’ music is kitschy is unfair and inaccurate in my opinion. Even so, what if it is? It doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of it. His development of the symphonic poem in itself was a significant departure from tradition, even though Tchaikovsky was doing something similar at the time.
Around the turn of the century, Strauss became the director of Berlin’s Hofoper, and thus his interests turned more toward opera. After writing those many tone poems, for years Strauss had been gradually moving toward writing more opera. In the early years of the century, Strauss would compose some of his best loved operas including Salome (1903-05), Elektra (1906-08), and Der Rosenkavalier (1909-10). He would continue with several other critically acclaimed operas: Ariadne auf Naxos, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Die ägyptische Helena, and Arabella. From 1919 to 1924, Strauss was the principal conductor of the Vienna State Opera, and in 1920 he co-founded the Salzburg Festival with Max Reinhardt (incidentally the character of Uncle Max in the Sound of Music is based on Reinhardt) and set designer Alfred Rolle. The Salzburg Festival would go on to become one of the most renowned music festivals in the world, and is still going strong over one hundred years later. Strauss would compose more operas during war-time, which were somewhat more adventurous musically, and they were also well-received.
Strauss’ creative output dipped somewhat as he aged, but he then had an “Indian Summer” period from 1942 until his death in 1949 during which he composed several of his most moving and influential pieces including Metamorphosen, Oboe Concerto, Horn Concerto no. 2, and his Four Last Songs.
The latter part of Strauss’ career became embroiled with World War II and more particularly with the Nazi regime in Germany. Strauss’ relationship with Nazism was complicated. In 1933, Strauss was appointed to two positions within Nazi Germany, first as director of the Reichsmusikkammer (Reich Chamber of Music), which promoted "good German music" which was composed by Aryans and seen as consistent with Nazi ideals, while suppressing other, "degenerate" music, which included atonal music, jazz, and, especially, music by Jewish composers. The Chamber was founded in 1933 by Joseph Goebbels as part of the Reich Chamber of Culture, and it operated until the fall of the Nazi Germany in 1945. Strauss was also appointed principal conductor of the Bayreuth Festival, which was founded by Richard Wagner and mostly celebrated Wagner’s own music, after Arturo Toscanini resigned as a form of protest against the Nazi party. While Strauss has been criticized often for his apparent collaboration with the Nazis, his daughter-in-law was Jewish and it seems clear that much of his cooperation with the authorities was done to save her life and the lives of her children (Strauss’ Jewish grandchildren).
Strauss was essentially apolitical in his views, and he did not believe that art and politics should mingle. At the outbreak of World War I, Strauss was asked to sign a manifesto from German artists supporting the role of Germany in the war. Several colleagues signed it, but Strauss refused, noting in his diary “Declarations about war and politics are not fitting for an artist, who must give his attention to his creations and his works."
The truth is Strauss never joined the Nazi party, and he carefully avoided situations where he would be forced to interact with Nazi officials. Strauss’ cooperation was motivated by his hope that Hitler would elevate German art and music, and because Strauss wanted to protect the reputation of composers such Mahler, Debussy, and Mendellsohn whose music had been banned under the Nazis. In 1933, Strauss wrote in his private notebook:
“I consider the Streicher–Goebbels Jew-baiting as a disgrace to German honour, as evidence of incompetence—the basest weapon of untalented, lazy mediocrity against a higher intelligence and greater talent.”
Because Strauss continued to rise in international prominence, the Nazis could not simply discard him. Ultimately, Strauss’ decision to remain apolitical as the head of the Reich Chamber of Music and Bayreuth was not tenable. Strauss is quoted as saying at the time,
“In November 1933, the minister Goebbels nominated me president of the Reichsmusikkammer without obtaining my prior agreement. I was not consulted. I accepted this honorary office because I hoped that I would be able to do some good and prevent worse misfortunes, if from now onwards German musical life were going to be, as it was said, "reorganized" by amateurs and ignorant place-seekers.”
Strauss privately scorned Goebbels and called him "a pipsqueak".
In 1935, Strauss comic opera Die schweigsame Frau premiered in Dresden, an opera that he had worked with his Jewish friend and librettist Stefan Zweig. Because Strauss insisted on Zweig’s name being given equal billing for the opera, the opera was boycotted by the Nazi authorities and later banned after only a few performances. Strauss wrote a letter to Zweig saying,
“Do you believe I am ever, in any of my actions, guided by the thought that I am 'German'? Do you suppose Mozart was consciously 'Aryan' when he composed? I recognise only two types of people: those who have talent and those who have none.”
The letter was intercepted by the Nazi authroities, and Strauss was dismissed from his post as head of the Reich Chamber of Music. Strauss thereafter used his considerable influence to prevent his daughter-in-law and grandchildren from being taken to a concentration camp. Sadly, Strauss could not save other members of his extended family, and some perished in the gas chambers.
In 1945, Strauss completed Metamorphosen, a piece written for 23 strings, in what is his most emotional and heart-wrenching work. Strauss poured out into the music his profound sorrow at the destruction of German artistic institutions including the bombing of every great opera house in Gerrmany. At the end of the war, he wrote:
“The most terrible period of human history is at an end, the twelve year reign of bestiality, ignorance and anti-culture under the greatest criminals, during which Germany's 2000 years of cultural evolution met its doom.”
Strauss is derided in some musical circles because he became quite formulaic in his symphonic poems and operas, and indeed some have quite similar characteristics. Some argue that Strauss did not grow as a composer as he aged, but rather recycled his old ideas, and just made them more sensationalistic and bombastic. My response is this is complete rubbish reflecting snobbery and elitism. If you don’t like the music, that is your preference. But the fact remains that Strauss’ music is still among the most often played music in the classical music world, and if it happens to lift your spirits and make you feel good, what is wrong with that? And besides…I tend to like bombast.
Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony)
The tone poem Eine Alpensinfonie was one of the latest tone poems Strauss composed, created between 1911 and 1915. The previous dozen years or so prior Strauss had been composing mostly operas. Even though the word “symphony” appears in the title, the piece runs uninterrupted for almost an hour, and so it is quite long even by Strauss’ own standards.
Eine Alpensinfonie is a programmatic work portraying the stages of ascent and descent of a mountain over the course of eleven hours. Strauss loved the mountains, even building a home in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria with stunning views of the Alps. Some have said that Strauss was influenced by his reading of Nietzsche, in that the work is also meant to represent the triumph of the individual will of a person achieving their goal without reliance on religious belief.
The program runs as follows:
Nacht (Night)
Sonnenaufgang (Sunrise)
Der Anstieg (The Ascent)
Eintritt in den Wald (Entry into the Forest)
Wanderung neben dem Bache (Wandering by the Brook)
Am Wasserfall (At the Waterfall)
Erscheinung (Apparition)
Auf blumigen Wiesen (On Flowering Meadows)
Auf der Alm (On the Alpine Pasture)
Durch Dickicht und Gestrüpp auf Irrwegen (Through Thickets and Undergrowth on the Wrong Path)
Auf dem Gletscher (On the Glacier)
Gefahrvolle Augenblicke (Dangerous Moments)
Auf dem Gipfel (On the Summit)
Vision (Vision)
Nebel steigen auf (Mists Rise)
Die Sonne verdüstert sich allmählich (The Sun Gradually Becomes Obscured)
Elegie (Elegy)
Stille vor dem Sturm (Calm Before the Storm)
Gewitter und Sturm, Abstieg (Thunderstorm and Tempest, Descent)
Sonnenuntergang (Sunset)
Ausklang (Quiet Settles / Epilogue)
Nacht (Night)
It begins with hushed, mysterious chords before sunrise and then the mountain slowly becomes visible in its majesty. The Night theme is heard on muted horns opposite a chord that gradually grows. Sunrise gloriously follows the mountain theme, and then we begin to hear a new grand melodic theme which will represent the ascent. The ascent includes fabulous hunting horns calling as you might expect in the Alps, echoed by the woodwinds.
The entry into the forest is depicted by a huge chord aided by the organ, and it is spine-tingling. The protagonist moves through various stages of the mountain, including wandering by the brook, stopping at the waterfall, and finding a flowering meadow. The apparition is depicted by some wonderful woodwind effects, and then the entrance to a meadow includes an absolutely gorgeous melody taken up by the strings, uplifting and sentimental.
The climber progresses through an alpine pasture, complete with bird calls and horn calls, followed by a sweet bucolic melody. Tension builds as our protagonist goes through a thicket on a wrong path, where we hear the tension in a discordant, unsettled mood. Next is the glacier, where we hear the icy danger in the dangerous music that evokes more tension and drama. Grandeur is met with an equal amount of fear. In between moments of calm you can hear trepidation.
Finally our climber reaches the summit, represented by a large brassy theme followed by moments of peace and serenity at having made it to the top. We feel the moment when the big theme returns in spectacular fashion, and a fanfare builds into a great climax with the horns and strings singing out in full orchestral glory. This is the BIG MOMENT, and it emanates power and glory.
A more dissonant chord sets in, which becomes more anxious and unsettled. Horns and trumpets play softly in the background. The mist rises, and gradually it becomes darker and cloudy, and there is a somewhat foreboding tone that sets in. A sort of creepy elegie begins, which morphs into the calm before the storm. We hear the timpani roll and quietly the woodwinds in the flutes and clarinets meander while we hear strings murmuring. The tension builds again, and another drum roll portends a storm coming. We hear that foreboding again and this time it swells in volume, with the strings swirling. Finally the storm arrives and it cries out in the brass and organ, with the strings bringing a tempest of wind. The storm becomes dangerous, and the organ blazes through to represent the power of nature. The descent theme begins in the midst of the storm, and we hear the climax of the storm over the mountain.
Sunset arrives, and as the storm settles, we hear the triumphant ascent theme return in changed form. There is still some tension, but our climber is almost out of the storm. There is a rising crescendo on the strings while the brass sing out, signaling accomplishment and survival. Sunset is followed by a relative quiet, played by the organ with soft strings, horn accents, and that feel good triumphant theme again playing softly. The night theme finally returns, this time somewhat louder than at the beginning, with the knowledge that all has gone well up on the mountain and a sweet melody takes us to the finish.
Eine Alpensinfonie is a masterpiece of creative orchestration on a huge scale. I happen to love the music, and I savor even the more grandiose elements of the piece. Once largely ignored by critics and audiences, it is now one of Strauss’ best-loved symphonic poems.
The Recording
Once upon a time, there were very few recordings of Eine Alpensinfonie, so derided and maligned was the score. All that has changed over the years, as recordings of it have proliferated. In fact, many excellent versions have emerged just in recent years as the status of the piece has only grown.
I may have mentioned in earlier posts that I am not particularly a fan of conducting legend Herbert von Karajan, and specifically I find recordings from the latter part of his career to be self-indulgent, overly glossy, and superficial. Having said that, his recording of Eine Alpensinfonie with the Berlin Philharmonic from 1980 on Deutsche Grammophon, from the first days of digital recordings, is one of the greatest recordings of any classical work in my view.
Although this performance was a classic from the beginning, the first incarnation of this recording on CD was almost unlistenable, as the digital overload and sheen made the strings extremely shrill to the point of being painful, and the sound picture lacked depth. Happily, the recording has been remastered quite nicely, and now sounds very good. It still packs a punch in louder passages, and the dynamic range is wide.
Karajan was one of the foremost interpreters of Strauss’ music, and his vision here is to go big with the sound and to bring everything in this piece to the fore. The Berliners are simply breathtaking in their virtuosity, but it is virtuosity at the service of the music and of course Karajan. The strings and brass are stunning in their full tone, and the climaxes are spine-tingling. Sunrise, At the Summit, and the Thunderstorm are obvious places where you notice the full orchestra impact, but other quieter or more subtle passages are every bit as impressive. The musicians were clearly fully engaged, and they play as though this music is in their very bones.
Although Karajan was known to be controlling as a maestro, on this recording I find he is not overly controlling and actually gives the Berliners freedom to attack notes as they see fit. The ensemble between parts of the orchestra is not always perfect, but when they play with this kind of passion and commitment, a few blemishes can be forgiven. This is the Berlin Philharmonic at their very finest, and indeed this may be Karajan’s finest hour on record. Karajan achieves his grand vision of humanity’s encounter with nature, a majestic reading that combines lyricism with a bold and broad sense of power and purpose.
Other recommended recordings
The Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Christian Thielemann, recorded live in 2000, proves Thielemann’s chops as a Straussian. This is a magnificent recording, very well performed and recorded. The playing is glowing, and Thielemann’s broader pacing seems to work perfectly. There is weight of tone here, but also great lyricism, similar to Karajan. The sound is brilliant and immediate.
Rudolf Kempe conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a studio recording from 1966, released on the Testament label. Kempe and the RPO are more lively and engaged here than in Kempe’s Dresden EMI recording, and if Kempe has a fundamentally more “down-to-earth” approach than Karajan, it is still a valid and very enjoyable interpretation. Players really liked playing for Kempe, and there is a palpable sense of joy in this recording. The sound is excellent for the era, clear and warm, from Kingsway Hall in London. There is tremendous balance here, and between the beauty, tension, and power, Kempe shows why he is one of the greatest Strauss advocates of all-time.
Frank Shipway leading the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra, recorded in 2012 for the BIS label. If you are like me, I had never heard of Frank Shipway, and I certainly don’t remember listening to any recordings from the Sao Paulo band. But this is a special recording. The sound is full, warm, and detailed. Honestly, if you listen to this entire performance, you would think this is one of the great orchestras in the world. The brass and woodwinds are spot on, and Shipway is an excellent guide controlling both the power and lyricism of this work.
Vladimir Jurowski leading the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a live recording from 2016 for the LPOs own label. A performance that contains a lot of excitement and sense of occasion, there is no doubt Jurowski captures the spirit of this work. He maintains a nice balance throughout, and the brass are caught magnificently.
Finally, Andre Previn and the Vienna Philharmonic recorded by the Telarc label in 1989 is also one of the best recordings available. Previn is afforded outstanding recorded sound by Telarc, and that certainly adds to the spectacular results. But Previn also understands how important it is not to rush through the climb, while at the same time pushing forward when called for…the climax at the summit is really something to hear.
I hope you enjoy Eine Alpensinfonie as much as I do. Have a great week!
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Notes:
Boyden, Matthew (1999). Richard Strauss. Boston, Massachusetts: Northeastern University Press.
Brennan, Gerald. Reisig, Wayne Gerard. Schrott, Allen. Woodstra, Chris. All Music Guide to Classical Music, The Definitive Guide. All Media Guide. Pp. 1321, 1331. Backbeat Books, San Francisco. 2005.
Gilliam, Bryan; Youmans, Charles (2001). "Richard Strauss". Grove Music Online.
Kennedy, Michael (1999). Richard Strauss: Man, Musician, Enigma. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-02774-8.
Moore, Ralph. http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2021/Nov/Strauss-Alpen-survey.html
Reuth, Ralf Georg (1993). Goebbels. Harcourt Brace. ISBN 9780151360765. times when an artist of my rank has to ask a pipsqueak.
Richard Strauss & Romain Rolland (1968). Rollo Myers (ed.). Richard Strauss & Romain Rolland: Correspondence. Calder, London.
Youmans, "The Role of Nietzsche in Richard Strauss' Artistic Development", 339.
https://www.azquotes.com/author/20851-Richard_Strauss
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Alpine_Symphony