Not a bad find for $1.99 at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. At this point in my life, I know very little about classical music. My main gateway to that world is Glenn Gould. Which I suspect is a perverse entrance to 'long-hair' music. This year, and due to classical music selections in various used record stores, I'm finding a lot of great sounds. Richard Strauss "Four Last Songs" was totally unknown to me, except for David Bowie's love for this music. If Bowie loved it, then I'm going to listen to it. I don't have the actual recording that he had, but the Elisabeth Schwarzkopf / George Szell version is a wow.
Strauss wrote the "Four Last Songs" as a parting gift or a reflexion on approaching death. Goth classical? No, not exactly. Three of the songs have text by Hermann Hesse. They're simple, but with stark imagery of time passing, and the moment when peace arrives. It's not a downer but emotionally charged, with a profound sense of soul. Which comes to Schwarzkopf's voice which is amazing. A stunning looking woman, with a beautiful voice, what can go wrong? Well, she does have a murky relationship with Hitler and company, that is similar to the relationship between Leni Riefenstahl and the Nazis. Nevertheless, a fascinating biography that needs to be read by me (and you). Still, her singing is a perfect element in the cocktail of Strauss's music with the addition of Szell's orchestration.
The flip side is five additional songs that are just as great as "The Last Four Songs." Strauss was one of Glenn Gould's favorite composers, and now hearing this album, I need to explore this composer's music. And oddly enough, Gould recorded some of Strauss's songs with Schwarzkopf, that apparently didn't go well. It makes my head explode thinking of those two in the same room. Sony put out a CD of those recordings, but I haven't had the chance to locate the CD, but it is on YouTube. Also, I suspect that I'm going to purchase more versions of Strauss's "Four Last Songs" in the very near future. Any recommendations?
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