Richard Strauss: Complete Music for Wind Ensemble & Oboe Concerto – Edo de Waart / Heinz Holliger (2CD Set)

• UPC: 8718247710669
• MPN: 8802066
• Brand Name: Newton Classics

Overview

This Newton Classics 2CD set brings together the complete music for wind ensemble by Richard Strauss (1864–1949) alongside the luminous Oboe Concerto in D major, featuring the renowned oboist Heinz Holliger and the New Philharmonia Orchestra under Edo de Waart.

Performing Strauss’s rarely recorded early and late works for winds, the Netherlands Wind Ensemble showcases the composer’s lifelong fascination with wind sonorities—from the youthful charm of the Serenade in E-flat, Op.7 to the autumnal serenity of the Sonatinas and Symphony for Winds (“The Happy Workshop”). A masterclass in instrumental color and craftsmanship, these performances glow with clarity, precision, and warmth, perfectly captured in Decca’s classic 1970s sound and remastered for this Newton Classics edition.

Product Features

• Format: 2CD Set
• Sound: ADD Stereo
• Total Duration: 131′40

• Recording Dates & Locations:

  • December 1970 – Wembley Town Hall, London (Oboe Concerto)
  • January–August 1971 – Various sessions, The Netherlands (Wind Works)

• Performers:

  Producer: Decca Music Group Ltd.
  • Netherlands Wind Ensemble
  • Heinz Holliger – Oboe (Oboe Concerto)
  • New Philharmonia Orchestra – Edo de Waart, conductor
• Original Label: Universal International Music B.V. (1971)
• Reissue Label: Newton Classics B.V. (2010)
• Country of Manufacture: Netherlands
• Genre: Classical
• Style: Late Romantic / Early Modern Wind Ensemble

Interesting Facts

• A Life Framed by Winds: Strauss began and ended his compositional career with works for wind ensemble. His early Serenade, Op.7 (1881) already reveals orchestral mastery, while the Sonatinas and Symphony for Winds (1940s) show the reflective lyricism of his final years.

• “The Happy Workshop”: Written after the devastation of WWII, the Symphony for Winds—nicknamed “The Happy Workshop”—is Strauss’s farewell to life and art, radiating geniality and nostalgia rather than tragedy.

• Heinz Holliger’s Benchmark Recording: The Oboe Concerto was composed for British oboist John de Lancie, but Holliger’s interpretation—graceful yet virtuosic—remains one of the most celebrated in the discography.

• Edo de Waart’s Early Triumph: Then in his thirties, Dutch conductor Edo de Waart was establishing his international reputation through meticulous, elegant performances of Strauss and Mozart, perfectly complementing the Netherlands Wind Ensemble’s finesse.

• An Audiophile Delight: Recorded under Decca’s engineering excellence, these sessions capture the mellow blend of woodwinds with remarkable spatial realism, making this one of the finest-sounding Strauss chamber collections.

Track Listing

CD 1 (65′06)

• Serenade for 13 Wind Instruments, Op.7 – Andante – 2′23
• Suite in B-flat, Op.4, for 13 Wind Instruments I. Praeludium: Allegretto – 5′45 II. Romanze: Andante – 6′37 III. Gavotte: Allegro – 4′00 IV. Introduction and Fugue: Andante cantabile – Allegro con brio – 7′05
• Sonatina No.1 in F major “From an Invalid’s Workshop” I. Allegro moderato – 9′51 II. Romance and Minuet: Andante – Tempo di Menuetto – 9′01 III. Finale: Molto allegro – Meno mosso – Tempo primo – Presto – 13′24

CD 2 (66′34)

• Symphony for Wind Instruments “The Happy Workshop” I. Allegro con brio – 14′15 II. Andantino, sehr gemächlich (Assai commodo) – 4′32 III. Menuet (Etwas lebhaft) – 4′35 IV. Einleitung (Andante) und Allegro – 16′23

• Oboe Concerto in D major I. Allegro moderato – 8′21 II. Andante – 9′51 III. Vivace – Allegro – 8′07

  Heinz Holliger, oboe – New Philharmonia Orchestra / Edo de Waart

Publishers

Decca / Universal International Music B.V. – Original Recordings © 1971 Newton Classics B.V. – Reissue © 2010 Art Direction & Design: Jan Martin Wilschut (BND Amsterdam / Hotsprings) Cover Image: Courtesy of Decca / HH LC 24605 Manufactured and printed in the Netherlands

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