I have been playing an interesting CD on repeat for the past twenty four hours (on-and-off, obviously...). The Artist's Album - Herbert von Karajan.
A curious album. I suspect it has not received as much playing as it ought to have in the five years or so I have owned it. The packaging is excellent - basically a CD-case sized book, full of glossy photos and hagiography in three languages. The actual CD holder is just an envelope stuck to the inside back cover.
People say that von Karajan was the greatest conductor ever; him or Richard Wagner. Who can tell? Certainly not me, that's for sure. But I do have quite a lot of von Karajan in my collection. And this album is overall very nice.
Especially lushly gorgeous are the Finale from Das Rheingold and the Presentation of the Rose from Der Rosenkavalier. This is what makes me think the CD is underplayed, because, as you know, I've only recently got inot Wagner, but the Rhinegold finale is so gorgeous, surely if I had heard it enough times, I would have explored further.
And the Presentation of the Rose...what can I say...justifiably one of the most loved duets in the entire cannon. My parents attended Der Rosenkavalier to celebrate their engagement. On the 25th anniversary, my father bought my mother some silver rose earrings. That is romance...
Over the past few weeks I have also jotted down a less-than-exhaustive list of tunes which have grabbed me:
- Enigma Variations - specifically Nimrod - Elgar. Lyrical and climatical
- Kinderscenen - Schumann. I am currently undergoing a sort of yearning for Schumann. As a youngster he fascinated me -as much the person as the music - then as I grew older he faded from my radar, but I am enjoying listening to the few pieces of his in my collection.
- Symphony No 94 "Surprise" - Haydn.
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