Erich Leinsdorf - Erich Leinsdorf Conducts Wagner, Strauss & Rimsky-Korsakov (2014)

Urania's double-disc compilation of recordings by Erich Leinsdorf is probably of greatest interest to fans of this esteemed conductor, but the casual classical listener will find much to enjoy in the colorful selections. Presenting recordings Leinsdorf made in Los Angeles with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Concert Arts Symphony Orchestra between 1957 and 1961, this collection is remarkable for its clear and vibrant sound, and the recordings show that phenomenal things were accomplished in the early days of stereo recording. Beyond the great audio quality is the playlist, with popular orchestral works by Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, sure to attract fans of orchestral spectaculars. Disc 1 is devoted to excerpts from Wagner's music dramas, Die Walküre, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, and Siegfried's Funeral March from Götterdämmerung, with one of Strauss' tone poems, Tod und Verklärung, filling the remainder of the CD. The second disc continues the Strauss segment of the program with Till Eulenspiegel's lustige Streiche and instrumental interludes from the opera Die Frau ohne Schatten. To conclude with a vivid showstopper, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade rounds out the package with a sumptuous display of orchestral sonorities. Leinsdorf was one of the 20th century's great maestros, especially noted for his interpretations of Romantic works, and this generous album is an appealing introduction to his catalog.