Richard Strauss: Orchestral Songs II "Befreit"

Richard Strauss was a master of orchestral colour, but he was also a supreme songwriter, drawing endless inspiration from the treasures of German poetry and the tradition of Schubert and Schumann. For this 1994 celebration of Strauss's orchestral songs, recorded live in the composer's adopted hometown of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, conductor Roberto Abbado and the Münchner Rundfunkorchester are joined by four outstanding sopranos. The programme features lullabies, visions of nature, and the poetry of Clemens Brentano, as well as a rare performance of Die heiligen drei Könige – Strauss's expansive, typically colourful retelling of the Nativity story.

Soloists: 

Mechthild Gessendorf (Singer), Susan Anthony (Soprano), Hellen Kwon (Soprano)

Ensemble: 

Munich Radio Orchestra

Conductor: 

Roberto Abbado