Strauss: Four Last Songs / Orchestral Songs ~ Isokoski

Strauss: Four Last Songs / Orchestral Songs ~ Isokoski
- Music
Strauss songs with orchestra, especially his final masterpiece, the Four Last Songs, have fared well in recordings, with compelling versions by Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Lisa Della Casa, Jessye Norman, Gundula Janowitz, and others of their caliber. But the Finnish soprano Soile Isokoski yields nothing to her distinguished predecessors. For some sopranos, Strauss's soaring melodies invite lingering tempos and arch interpretations that dwell on individual words and syllables, breaking the composer's long lines. Not here. Isokoski's sunlit voice and stunning legato illuminate music and text with restrained feeling. The Four Last Songs are taken at a perfect tempo, slow enough to let their message sink in, fast enough to let the music flow unimpeded. It's a lesson in the artfulness of simplicity, where less tinkering with the music equals more profundity and pleasure. The 11 other songs on the disc are as good, and while the quality of songs and singing is high throughout, it's hard to rid the memory of Isokoski's renditions of "Wiegenlied" and "Morgen!" once you hear them. But the same may be said of "Die heiligen drei KÃ¶nige aus Morgenland" or "Befriet," among others. A disc to treasure. --Dan Davis
Country USA
Brand Ondine
Manufacturer Ondine
Binding Audio CD
ItemPartNumber ODE 982-2
Model ODE 982-2
ReleaseDate 2002-05-21
UnitCount 1
Format CD
UPCs 761195098226
EANs 0761195098226

Country	USA
Brand	Ondine
Manufacturer	Ondine
Binding	Audio CD
ItemPartNumber	ODE 982-2
Model	ODE 982-2
ReleaseDate	2002-05-21
UnitCount	1
Format	CD
UPCs	761195098226
EANs	0761195098226

Strauss: Four Last Songs / Orchestral Songs ~ Isokoski

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