Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Complete Music for Wind Instruments
Sonatina No. 1 for 16 wind instruments Aus der Wekstatt eines Invaliden
Sonatina No. 2 for 16 wind instruments Fröhliche Werkstatt
Serenade in E-flat for 13 wind instruments
Suite in B-flat for 13 wind instruments
Till Eulenspiegel (arr. Matthias Pflaum)
Members of Staatskapelle Berlin/Gregor Witt (conductor)
rec. 2020-21, Apollosaal, Staatsoper unter den Linden, Berlin
Capriccio C5497 [2CDs: 100]

Music for a wind band might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you consider the music of Richard Strauss, but the jewels that are contained on this treat of a disc are so precious and so delightful that I defy anyone not to be ensnared by them.

First there’s the music itself. The two major works are the Sonatinas, a title that belies the works’ large scale. The central Romanze of the first, for example, feels like the most ardently poured-out love song you could imagine, with every instrument playing a part in the romantic soundscape, while the second runs a full gamut from its unfeasably exuberant opening to the comically lugubrious opening of its finale. If the Sonatinas are the work of a great composer looking back on a life well spent then the Serenade and Suite date from the beginning of Strauss’s career. They’re no less lovely, though, and if they lack the structural complexities of the later works then they’re still nevertheless approachable and inviting. The finale of the Suite, in particular, has a sensationally beautiful introduction followed by an enormously entertaining fugue.

The textures of this music, written for not much more than a dozen musicians, are a long way from the gargantuan worlds of Ein Heldenleben or Eine Alpensinfonie, but there is gorgeousness aplenty in these pieces, and I’ll wager no one will feel short-changed in terms of this music’s lusciousness. The rippling wonderment of the two “Worskshop” Sonatinas, for example, create a sonic immersion that’s ever bit as satisfying as one of the tone poems, made in some cases even more satisfying by the fact that the textures are so transparent and individually discernible.

And the playing is sensational! But then, of course it is: these are the wind players of the Staatskapelle Berlin, an orchestra that has been honed to perfection by Daniel Barenboim in recent years and was once the orchestra of Strauss himself. Oh, how beautifully they play this music! It feels like a labour of love for them, and they relish every wheeze, gurgle and ripple of this music. One of the most memorable concerts I watched in lockdown was these musicians doing Mozart’s Gran Partita, an experience I thought of frequently while listening. Beyond the odd decoration in an opera, these musicians so seldom get the chance to shine as individuals, but they grab the opportunity with both hands here, and the effect is terrific.

Some of that beauty might, in fact, be put down to the circumstance of recording. These were lockdown recordings, done with social distancing in the Berlin Staatsoper’s Apollosaal, which might help to explain the extra bloom around the sound, as well as the fact that the musicians were almost certainly delighted to be playing together again after such a long period of separation and silence.

As you might expect, there’s a honeyed mellifluousness to the sound that is a luxurious treat to the ear, but Gregor Witt, normally their oboist, shapes the sound in such a way that it never becomes a steamy sonic bath. Instead all of the textures are given point and direction so that not only does the music always know where it’s going, but the listener gets the unmistakeable sense that they’re in safe hands.

Matthias Pflaum’s arrangement of Till Eulenspiegel makes up the final work. It’s a hoot. The horn plays the same role as ever, of course, but the winds fill in the space so successfully that I never once missed the rest of the orchestra. That’s helped by the fact that Pflaum includes parts for the timpani and percussion, a wise move that adds both ballast and colour. However, the winds are the protagonists in this work, so this was an arrangement that was always likely to work, even before you factor in the liquid silkiness and playful mischief of the playing here.

In short, this set is a total treat; beautifully played and luxuriously recorded. I recommend it warmly, and not just to committed Straussians.

Simon Thompson

Help us financially by purchasing from