Columbia SAX 2545: Szell conducts Richard Strauss

Columbia SAX 2545
Richard Strauss: Symphonia Domestica
The Cleveland Orchestra
George Szell, conductor

Pressing: UK, ER1, semi-circle first

Date first published: 1964

Stampers: YAX 1128-2E, YAX 1129-2E

Performance: 8/10

Sound: 6/10

Price range: $24-98 (mean $58) on popsike.com

Comments: What an interesting concept ... to write a musical work depicting a day in the life of a family.  Quite a contrast from more adventurous themes as "Don Quixote", "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks", and my favorite, "Death and Transfiguration".  Nonetheless, and whether you like them or not, Richard Strauss knew how to communicate these images in the form of orchestral tone poems.  The Symphonia Domestica has seen less studio recording time compared to Strauss' other tone poems, as evidenced by arkivmusic.com, which lists 37 separate recordings for this work compared to 108 for Tod und Verklarung and 168 for Til Eulenspiegel.  This must have been one of the first stereo recordings released, the other one that I am aware of being Fritz Reiner's recording on RCA (released straight onto VICS-1104 without a Living Stereo incarnation).  The music is charming and the performance is quite lovely, though I have to admit, the day in the life of this family is perhaps a bit more tranquil than those of most other people I know.  The sound quality is what one would expect from a decent US Columbia recording (the US issue was MS 6627); remember, this was not recorded by EMI.  Don't expect much openness or naturalness to the orchestral sound here.  Dynamic range is also a bit restricted, though given the more lyrical nature of a good part of the music, I didn't mind it much.  I'd like to get my hands on the Reiner with the Chicago Symphony, which I would anticipate to sound superior in almost every aspect.  According to the RCA Bible, the VICS got a 10+ and Very Good rating, with the associated comments: "Another one of RP's favorites.  A bit dry but quite transparent sounding."


Audio setup: VPI Aries 1 turntable, JMW Memorial tonearm, Lyra Delos cartridge, Parasound JC3 phono stage, Musical Fidelity M6i integrated amplifier, Von Schweikert VR2 floorstanding speakers