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Title: One of the best recordings of Also Sprach Zarathustra, so...
Review: Without a doubt, Wolfgang Sawallisch is one of our foremost interpreters of Richard Strauss. Why this splendid CD is no longer available remains a mystery to me. His gripping account of Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra" may not be as exaggerated as others, but nonetheless it is a splendid version played by one of America's great orchestras. The Philadelphia Orchestra's playing is as lively and warm as any I've heard from their peers in Berlin and Vienna. Both Sawallisch and the Philadelphians are splendid partners for Emmanuel Ax, who offers one of the flashiest performances of Strauss's "Burleske" I've heard yet, replete with great keyboard pyrotechnics. By virtue of these two fine performances this CD is worth owning. As for Sawallisch's rendition of "Don Juan", it is fine in its own right, but isn't nearly as emotionally stirring as those from Reiner or Karajan. Let's hope this fine CD is available again soon.
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