Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Symphonia domestica, Op 53 (1903)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Fritz Reiner
rec. 1956
Reviewed as download
HIGH DEFINITION TAPE TRANSFER HDTT9925 [44]
This recording was not one of my top recommendations in my survey of
the work, but that is no reflection upon its quality; it is simply that
there were so many fine versions recorded in the 60s and early 70s, from
such as Szell, Munch, Mehta, Kempe and Karajan, that my selection was almost
arbitrary.
I quote here my observations in that survey, slightly abridged:
“The quality here is extraordinarily satisfying; almost no allowances have to be made for the age of the recording... That sound is complemented by the splendour of the Chicago Symphony; Reiner had the gift of training his virtuoso orchestra into a razor-sharp ensemble without crushing its sense of adventure and spontaneity, so you get to hear performances which combine the advantages of both studio recording and live playing.
Interestingly, Reiner goes for … refinement and delicacy, a decision vindicated by beauty of the orchestral playing, especially in the woodwind section; the balances and sonority of the central Adagio passage are exquisite. As such, the work emerges as much less bombastic than normal; this is the recording for the listener who wants to savour the subtleties of Strauss’ orchestration. Of course, the corollary to that approach is that the ...ahem…climaxes are slightly tame, yet Reiner still packs a punch in the conclusion to the finale.”
Relistening to it in this superb remastering only confirms its desirability and affirms the subtlety of Reiner’s direction and I am newly struck by the sheer virtuosity of the Chicago players, especially the principal trumpet. The finale is a riot of colour and complexity yet the central, quiet section has a gentle repose about it which contrasts beautifully with the cacophony which succeeds it; Reiner builds the introduction to it with patient expertise then from around nine minutes in gradually lets his orchestra off the leash in the mad fugue to thrilling effect, sustaining that tension and excitement throughout the ridiculously extended coda.
Regarding the sound, there is still a little residual hiss (rather than the faint hum I detected in the Sony remastering) but the immediacy and brilliance of the stereo sound are newly revealed here; delicacy, nuance, power and punch a-plenty are present in Reiner’s interpretation and the detail revealed in this HDTT issue only enhances those virtues; this is superior even to what was already a very satisfying remastering. A previous reviewer astutely observes that there is an “LP turn-over” break at exactly six minutes into the Adagio – a minor and forgivable flaw but one which could perhaps have been corrected in this digital age.
Ralph Moore
