cd/dvd releases

STRAUSS Eine Alpensinfonie/Till Eulenspiegel

WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln - Profil (Edition Günter Hänssler)

This is an outstanding recording by Semyon Bychkov. Of all the Strauss recordings he has produced in the recent years, this interpretation of the Alpine Symphony is the best - it is beautiful and magnificent and I would consider it the best recording in the discography of this work.

Particularly impressive is Bychkov's exceptional talents as a story-teller. His choice of tempi and the balance of volume are appropriate for each scene, and the wonderful narrative he unfolds meets our expectations at every turn.

Furthermore, this magnificent performance is supported by the excellence of the recording. Everything comes across with clarity; the wriggling bass instruments from the beginning to the 'Sunrise', the solemn harmonies of the organ that ring out in several places, the inner voices of the string section which are not drowned even in the orchestral tutti, as well as the wind machine raging in the 'Storm'.
Record Geijutsu, January 10

Semyon Bychkov makes every sound detail with such radiant freshness, that the 'Alpensinfonie' almost appears sandblasted. He exposes the programmatic elements as prominent and sometimes even slightly drastic - like the flock of sheep in 'Auf der Alm' - but at the same time he underlines the symphonic ambitions of the work, the inner cohesion of the themes and motives. Rarely in a recording does the regressiveness of each stop in the over-hasty descent in the thunder storm appear with such febrile clarity in front of the inner eye, and yet without diminishing the brute force of the music.
Especially absorbing are the minutes before the breakout of the storm, in which the anxiety is downright physically perceptible. Given the perfection of the achievement of the orchestra right up to the last desk, and the phenomenal, opulent, but still transparent sound, this Alpine is a ground breaking recording.
Fono Forum, December 09

...an unsurpassably responsive and well-proportioned performance.
BBC Music Magazine, December 09

Semyon Bychkov's reputation for meticulous preparation is confirmed in this handsome recording. From the heavy, Wagnerian silt of the opening, through the gymnastic offstage brass flourishes, the sweetwoodwind chording, the conflagration of thunderstorm and sunset, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln delivers a confident,disciplined performance.
The Independent, December 09

Bychkov's Cologne recordings include a superlative Heldenleben and complete recordings of Elektra and Daphne. The Russian is one of the finest Straussians of our day. This splendid Alpine Symphony underlines his standing. These performances sound as if made under ideal studio conditions. The orchestra seems resplendent in every department - the wonderfully woody clarinet in birdsong phrases, the transparent, cascading strings in the waterfall episode, triumphing horns at the sunrise and on reaching the summit - and Bychkov conducts this once-derided music with absolute conviction, devoid of vulgarity, binding the various sections into a compelling symphonic whole. In Till Eulenspiegel, the wind soloists especially revel in Strauss's comic high jinks and his mock-tragic ending. All told, a glorious addition to the Strauss discography.
The Times, November 09

Bychkov and his Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra prove themselves top-rank Straussians, showcasing the Alpine ascent with gleaming strings, majestic brass and a wonderful sense of spaciousness.
Financial Times, October 09