Watts/Maltman/Vignoles

Wigmore Hall, LondonAnyone who heard this sensational recital, in which Elizabeth Watts performed an all-Strauss programme that broke with several areas of convention, is unlikely to forget it, writes Tim Ashley

Capriccio

Grange Park, HampshireMusical standards are impressively high in this rare performance of Strauss's great stage work, writes Andrew Clements

RLPO/Vasily Petrenko

Philharmonic Hall, LiverpoolVasily Petrenko's reading of Stravinsky's Petrushka found its innate sense of rage and violence, writes Tim Ashley

Northern Sinfonia/Holliger

Sage, GatesheadA masterclass in multitasking by Heinz Holliger was the standout moment in this concert, writes Alfred Hickling

Elektra

Barbican, LondonThe highly commendable decision to present Strauss's staggering opera uncut couldn't avoid a few inequalities, writes Tim Ashley

Keenlyside/Kirchschlager/Minkowski

Barbican, London:Listening to Lehár, Strauss and Kálmán on period instruments allowed us to appreciate the dry pointedness of their satire

Capriccio

1 star Tim Ashley finds this performance of Strauss's last opera to be a bitter disappointment.

Malher, Berg, Zemlinsky, Wolf, Strauss: Lieder, Damrau/ Lademann

German soprano Diana Damrau is best known for her flamboyant performances of opera’s most exacting coloratura roles. This disc, however, a recital of post-Romantic songs recorded live in Salzburg last year, proves to be a more meditative affair than her … Continue reading →

Strauss: An Alpine Symphony, Weimar Staatskapelle/ Wit

Polish conductor Antoni Wit is one of Naxos’s great finds; a musician of tremendous passion and integrity, whose interpretations frequently outshine those of bigger names on other labels. Here he turns his hand to Strauss’s astonishing symphony, depicting both man’s … Continue reading →