Steve Schwartz wrote in answer to John Smyth:

>>Has anyone had a chance to hear "Joseph's Legende," with Sinopoli and
>>the Dresden? Besides opinions on the performance, I would also like
>>opinions about the recording and audience presence, as it was a live
>>recording.
>
>Not with Sinopoli.  I have the Kempe recording.

I haven't heard the Sinopoli either, but unless Kempe recorded it more than
once, the version Steve refers to is only excerpts:  the whole work runs
over an hour.  I know of one other recording, a Japanese orchestra on
Denon, which I heard once.  It strongly supported Steve's assessment:

>I love Strauss, but, to put it charitably, this work should be
>decently buried.

If you must have it, buy the truncated Kempe which is part of one of his
3-CD sets of the orchestral works.  It will cost you about the same as the
Sinopoli, and you get lots of good Strauss.  Better still, buy the other
two 3-CD sets.  There may be some individual versions that are better, but
for me, Kempe was the right man for this project and nearly 30 years later,
they still sound terrific.

Incidentally, I've noticed that the Koch recordings of early unknown
Strauss have continued to unearth all sorts of what I assume to be
juvenilia.  Has anyone bought/heard any of these?

Richard Pennycuick
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