Richard Strauss: Elektra (2006)

It may at first seem odd that a recording of Strauss' Elektra should feature on the front cover the name and the photograph of the conductor and not of the soprano in the title role. And, after listening to the recording, it may seem odder still. This is not to say that conductor Semyon Bychkov isn't a superlative Strauss conductor. He most surely is. The way he shapes the sonorities into glowing bands, the way he balances the lines into brilliant colors, the way he drives the tempos from climax to orgasmic climax: these ... Read More

It may at first seem odd that a recording of Strauss' Elektra should feature on the front cover the name and the photograph of the conductor and not of the soprano in the title role. And, after listening to the recording, it may seem odder still. This is not to say that conductor Semyon Bychkov isn't a superlative Strauss conductor. He most surely is. The way he shapes the sonorities into glowing bands, the way he balances the lines into brilliant colors, the way he drives the tempos from climax to orgasmic climax: these are the hallmarks of a great Strauss conductor. Nor is this to say that the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln is not a more than a capable Strauss orchestra. It most surely is. Although it lacks a distinctive Strauss sound like, say, the Vienna Philharmonic or the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Köln orchestra still performs with enormous energy and tremendous virtuosity.This is to say that with American soprano Deborah Polaski in the title role, the conductor along with everyone on-stage better... Read Less