Search - Richard [1] Strauss, Kurt Masur, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig :: The Jessye Norman Collection - Richard Strauss Lieder

A must-have CD pair

Edward F. Schlenk | iowa | 05/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jessye Norman's voice is a force of nature, and this collection of Richard Strauss songs shows it off beautifully. Her singing style on these discs shows awesome power when singing with the full Gewandhaus Orchestra (disc 1) and delicate intimacy when singing with the wonderfully responsive piano accompaniment of Geoffrey Parsons (disc 2). Throughout, Jessye Norman's musicianship and diction remain both expressive and crystal clear.



For me the "Four Last Songs" of Richard Strauss, which begin the first disc, are the epitome of vocal music. As sung by Jessye Norman, they restore my faith in humanity. The additional Strauss songs add to that pleasure.



Both discs were recorded in the mid-1980's using DDD technology. The sound engineering is excellent. The somewhat distant-sounding mike placement in the first few bands improves with the more intimate sound of the later bands of disc 1 and the entirety of disc 2. The liner notes unfortunately do not include the text or translation of the songs, and give no internet address to download them from the record company. These might be available from other sources, but are not essential to the enjoyment of these discs.



All in all, this is one of those must-have CD pairs for anyone who appreciates what poetry, music, and the human voice can achieve together. These songs will bring many hours of pleasure to the attentive listener.

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