Tim Mahon writes:

>I have two specific recordings Don might like to try (and the Prof, if
>he doesn't already have them).  The Alpensinfonie recording which, for me,
>dispels any thought that it could EVER have been thought an 'also-ran' is
>a December 1980 recording with von Karajan leading the Berlin Phil.  This
>is a simply awesome recording, often played at high volume late at night
>when I lived in California and could do that sort of thing without the
>neighbors playing merry hell!  It's on Deutsche Grammophon 'Karajan Gold
>Edition' 439 017-2

I too have fond memories of this particularly cd.  Seventeen years ago, on
the day my divorce became final, I played the lp version of this recording,
and soared into a new life.  No idea really why I played this particular
piece at the time, but to this day I still find it invigorating and
refreshing.  Happily married since then with two lovely children, I still
play this piece for the sheer joy of it.  Simply a great recording of a
great work.

>The other recording, also DG but this time in the 'Originals' series
>(447 422-2) is again von K and the Berliners, playing Tod und Verklarung
>and Metamorphosen (which from memory is where this started) and then
>Gundula Janowitz with an incredible rendering of the four last songs.
>The recordings are from 1971 and 1974 but are truly stupendous -- well
>worth searching out.

And I enjoy this as well.  Anyone familiar with Previn's\VPO recording?

>As an aside, Metamorphosen is one of those pivotal pieces for me which,
>given the right circumstances, can be almost epiphanous (if there is
>such an adjective).

As an epiphany cannot really be planned, you have just messed things up
for those who have not yet listened to this piece.  Then again, on a
technicality, if epiphanous is not a proper word, they may all be saved.

>...  My date that evening scoffed at the program, declaring that she never
>listened to anything after Beethoven.  Metamorphosen changed her mind big
>time -- to the extent that she is now buying any Stravinsky and Part she
>can get her hands on (and how she got there from Strauss is beyond me.
>but at least it's post-Ludwig!)

Just curious to know if she visited Gustav and Anton along the way.

Thomas Heilman
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