OK – so I admit that I am pushing it a bit to claim that today’s choice is “not the original” version – however, the order of the songs is not the same as the order they were composed and different again from the order at the original performance – so I can just about claim it!!
More importantly, this is music that has been waiting a long time to make it into my choices as it ranks very high amongst my favourites. In particular, it is one of the (very many) pieces that I’d be happy to have at my funeral 🙂 Unlike some of my Friday gentle choices this isn’t always quiet and soothing – however the final song “Im Abendrot” eventually fades to the most peaceful ending.
Strauss – poignantly – even quotes the “tranfiguration theme” from his own composition Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration) that featured in my choices way back on Good Friday. That was one of his first compositions – these were among his last – first performed and published posthumously.
There are a lot of versions of this on YouTube and it took me a while to decide which one to share – this is the recording (if I remember correctly) that introduced me to the piece.
Richard Strauss : Vier Letzte Lieder
Comments :
Terry Hudson
My favourite vocal writing by some way. My preference is number three, with that beautiful violin melody, and how the vocal merges in and out of the instrumental seamlessly. Awesome recording too.