RICHARD STRAUSS (1864-1949): Complete Works for Voice and Piano (with two First Recordings).

Description: 179 songs and two melodramas, recorded over the 30 days of November last year in Strauss' hometown of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Everything is presented chronologically and two songs receive First Recordings - Herbstabend, TrV226 and Aus der Kindheit. Particularly noteworthy is that 90% of the songs are performed in their original key and by the voice-type originally intended. The project was overseen by famous mezzo Brigitte Fassbaender, who performs the melodramas, and she provides an introductory note in the first of two booklets, crammed with information and period photos of Strauss and his family and biographies of the artists.  The second is devoted solely to the texts and translations (and more period photos). This must be one of the hugest bargains in the history of CDs. 9 CDs. German-English texts. Anja-Nina Bahrmann, Juliane Banse, Christiane Libor (sopranos), Michelle Breedt, Anke Vondung (mezzos), Jeongkon Choi, Christian Elsner, Brendan Gunnell, Lucian Krasznec, Martin Mitterrutzner (tenors), Markus Eiche, Manuel Walser (baritones), Andreas Mattersberger (bass), Brigitte Fassbaender (speaker), Yamei Yu (violin), Christoph Eß (horn), Christoph Berner, Burkhard Kehring, Malcolm Martineau, Wolfram Rieger, Nina Schumann (pianists).