Gramophone Magazine names the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s new Strauss release an “Editor’s Choice” recording for the new March issue!
Not surprisingly, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra play these three masterly symphonic poems with virtuosity, great feeling and a glorious patina of string tone, and the rich hall resonance is well caught by the SACD recording. But what make these performances so outstanding are Manfred Honeck’s interpretations, which vividly bring out the music’s emotional and pictorial detail. First this comes in the heroine’s reaction to Don Juan’s seductions. … [Death and Transfiguration] closes with the main theme built to a great climax. It is a solemn culmination that does not sound in the least overplayed here but richly and almost totally overwhelms the listener with its depth of feeling. … This is one of the outstanding Strauss CDs of the year; the quality of playing and recording makes it very recommendable indeed.” —Ivan March, Gramophone
The full review is available online for Gramophone subscribers