It’s an interesting idea for a CD; couple the well known (and original) orchestral version of Richard Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder with the less well known piano version (the first three songs are arranged by Max Wolff and Im Abendrot by John Gribben).  It’s exactly the sort of bold, slightly off the wall idea one might expect from Asmik Grigorian.  So how well does it work?

I’m just not convinced by the piano version; where Gregorian is partnered by Markus Hinterhäuser.  The vocal part, especially when compared with Strauss’ other songs for voice and piano just seems to be written for singing with an orchestra.  It’s not as intricate and subtle as some of the other songs and with piano it seems a bit one dimensional and over dramatic.  It’s not helped on this record by very slow tempi (for example, the piano version of Im Abendrot here runs 8m44 versus 7m16 for the orchestral version) and a “boomy” acoustic.  The singing is OK but the overall effect is ponderous.

The orchestral version, with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by Mikko Franck is fine.  There’s some very nice expressive singing and the orchestra is very good.  There are some interesting interpretative choices.  Im Abendrot, for example, is sung much more brightly than in, say, the Jessye Norman recording and, overall, it sounds like a young  soprano; which, of course, Grigorian is.  It’s a very decent performance but this is a very crowded field.  Just about every A list dramatic, and not-so-dramatic, soprano of the last 70 years or so has recorded these songs.  You can choose from Flagstad, Schwarzkopf, Norman, Isokoski, Lott, Stemme, Davidsen… the list goes on.  I’m not convinced that this record quite makes the top of that list but it’s an interesting take by a younger singer.  One can be sure this will not be the last time Asmik Grigorian records these songs.

It’s being released on February 9th as a physical CD and digitally in MP3 and FLAC (CD quality and 48kHz/24 bit) with a pretty decent booklet.  I listened to the CD quality digital.

Catalogue information: Alpha Records ALPHA1046