Gundula Janowitz had a very beautiful voice that critics like to describe as "creamy," whatever that means. Strauss had a life-long love affair with the soprano voice. He even married one--not just the voice, the whole woman, of course. His Four Last Songs constitute his dying tribute, and they are probably the most hedonistically gorgeous vocal works in existence. Herbert vo Karajan was a Strauss specialist, as was Janowitz, and together they contrive to perform the songs about as perfectly as they ever have been. The couplings, two orchestral works from the beginning and end of Strauss's career, are quite appropriate: the last of the Four Songs quotes the "Transfiguration" theme from the tone poem. --David Hurwitz

专辑介绍：
施特劳斯最感人的交响诗恐怕要算用23件弦乐器演奏的这首《变形》了。1945年春，纳粹正处于崩溃之际，希特勒的疯狂挣扎给德国带来一场浩劫。已经是80高龄，处世淡泊的施特劳斯，此时却极度绝望，无比痛心于他所热爱的德国文化的毁灭。慕尼黑毁了，德累斯顿被夷为平地。那些曾经是莫扎特、贝多芬、瓦格纳以及施特劳斯本人青年时代首演作品的歌剧院和音乐厅，都消失了。如果说早年的《死与净化》只是一个虚构，那么，此时他所感到的这场悲惨的“变形”，却是实实在在。乐曲在一片阴郁中开头，低音弦乐器奏出四个沉重的令人感到窒息的和弦。由此导出的第二主题令人想起贝多芬《英雄》的“葬礼进行曲”，而乐曲末尾对贝多芬原主题所作的变形，则将老施特劳斯要说的都说了。
理查.施特劳斯早期交响诗杰作之一是《死与净化》。此曲描写一位卧床的病人照施特劳斯的想法是一位毕生追求崇高理想的人，或者是一位艺术家在奄奄一息的弥留之际，一会儿迷糊不醒，一会儿与死亡作抗争，一会儿贪生地回想起童年的欢乐，一会儿又觉得天国或许真是个好去处而更值得迷恋------可分四段的乐曲连续演奏，一气呵成，大体上就是这番过程。（李杭育）

详细内容: RICHARD STRAUSS(1864-1949)1-9.Also sprach Zarathustra op.30 [35'05]10.Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche op.28 [15'30]11.Don Juan op.20 [18'03]12.Salome:Tanz der sieben schleier [10'09]广告语: 理查·斯特劳斯：交响诗《查拉图斯特拉如是说》，《唐璜》，《蒂尔·尔伦施皮戈尔的恶作剧》，歌剧《莎乐美》中的《七重纱舞》/卡拉扬指挥柏林爱乐乐团。《企鹅》评价三星，大师版