COMPOSERS: R Strauss
LABELS: EMI
WORKS: 8 Lieder, Op. 10
PERFORMER: Lucia Popp (soprano), Wolfgang Sawallisch (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: CDC 7 49318 2 DDD (1985)
Like Elgar, Richard Strauss had a distinctly erratic taste in poetry. But when he set it to music he was more often than not able to rise above it. This disc of early and late songs demonstrates this perfectly, not least because the radiance and commitment of Lucia Popp (who sadly died last year) shine through every bar, as does the stylish musicianship of Wolfgang Sawallisch, as adept a pianist as he is conductor. Antony Bye
R Strauss: 8 Lieder, Op. 10
Like Elgar, Richard Strauss had a distinctly erratic taste in poetry. But when he set it to music he was more often than not able to rise above it. This disc of early and late songs demonstrates this perfectly, not least because the radiance and commitment of Lucia Popp (who sadly died last year) shine through every bar, as does the stylish musicianship of Wolfgang Sawallisch, as adept a pianist as he is conductor. Antony Bye
Our rating
5
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:32 pm