Strauss – Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life) – Vinyl LP 180gr HQ

Strauss – Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life) – Vinyl LP 180gr HQ
Sir Thomas Beecham – Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life)
Sir Thomas Beecham Bt., C.H. 1879-1961 Richard Strauss, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life)
• Cut at Abbey Road Studios from the Original Analogue Master Tapes
• Superior Audiophile Pressing
• Supercuts Series

Sir Thomas Beecham as a conductor was largely self-taught. Born into a rich industrial family, he was able to access funds to nurture his musical talent and later found and sustain orchestras, like the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic, featured here in this famous recording of Strauss’s last and largest tone poem. His flamboyant style and acerbic wit often created enemies amongst his peers (Boult found him ‘repulsive’ and Barbirolli mistrusted him) and admirers amongst contemporary composers, such as Strauss, Stravinsky and Sibelius, who sent telegrams for Beecham’s 70th birthday celebrations only for Beecham to quip “Nothing from Mozart?”.
Recorded on April 17 & 22, 1958 at the Kingsway Hall, London. Produced by the legendary Victor Olof and Peter Andry and Engineered by Robert Gooch.
As Olof writes on the sleeve: “This recording… is virtually the last major orchestral work that Sir Thomas Beecham taped… I do not remember his making fun at all during these sessions, as he was apt to do on most occasions.
Maybe he considered this as his lasting memorial to an old friend, little realizing that it would also be his own memorial…”
Cut at Abbey Road Studios from the original stereo analogue master tapes with the Neumann VMS82 lathe fed an analogue pre-cut signal from a specially adapted Studer A80 tape deck with additional ‘advance’ playback head, making the cut a totally analogue process.

Tracklist:
Ein Heldenleben, Symphonic Poem Op. 40
Side A
1. Der Held (The Hero)
2. Des Helden Widersacher (His Adversaries)
3. Des Helden Gefährtin (His Companion)
4. Des Helden Walstatt (His Battlefield) (Beginning)
Side B
1. Des Helden Walstatt (His Battlefield) (Conclusion)
2. Des Helden Friedenswerke (His Peaceful Labours)
3. Des Helden Weltflucht Und Vollendung (His Retirement And Life’s Fulfilment) – Entsagung (Renunciation)

Composed: Richard Strauss
Conductor: Sir Thomas Beecham Bart., C.H.
Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Violin, Soloist: Steven Staryk
Recording Engineer: Robert Gooch
Recording Producer: Peter Andry, Victor Olof
Recorded on April 17 & 22, 1958 at the Kingsway Hall, London.
Reissue of His Master’s Voice ASD 421 from 1961

Released: 2012