SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................................................... This release inaugurated a new association between Avie, the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln and their Music Director Semyon Bychkov. This studio recording follows over 40 performances of these two seminal Strauss works by Bychkov and the Orchestra, over which time they have developed a definitive collective conviction with which to tell the story of this music. Their London performance of Ein Heldenleben in May 2000 was described by The Guardian as “supremely sumptuous, full of cocksure bravado, cannily sexy … and gloriously played throughout.” In addition, Bychkov and the Orchestra toured the work in Japan, Europe and the United States before committing it to disc.
TRACK LISTING .................................................................................................................................................................................... Richard STRAUSS (1864 - 1949)
1 - 6. Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 (1899) (46:51)
7. Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings (1945) (27:53)
Total time: 74:44
Recorded January 2001 in the Philharmonie, Cologne (Ein Heldenleben), and February 2001
Studio Stolberger Strasse, Cologne, (Metamorphosen)
Recording Producer and Engineer: Francois Eckert
Balance Engineer: Christoph Gronarz (Ein Heldenleben), Rainer Kühl (Metamorphosen)
Digital Editor: Karin Massen (Ein Heldenleben), Walter Platte (Metamorphosen)
