Kirsten Flagstad; “VIER LETZTE LIEDER“; (World Premiere 1950); Richard Strauss

This channel is the re-establishment of previous channels that have been sadly terminated. ================== Kirsten Flagstad--soprano Wilhelm Furtwängler--conductor Philharmonia Orchestra 1950 ==================== Sequence of the songs Roth’s 1950 published sequence follows neither the order of composition of the songs (Im Abendrot: May 6, 1948; Frühling: July 20, 1948; Beim Schlafengehen: August 4, 1948; September: September 20, 1948) nor that of the 1950 premiere (by Kirsten Flagstad conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler). Although most recordings adhere to Roth, some stay with Flagstad/Furtwängler – Beim Schlafengehen, September, Frühling, Im Abendrot. The latter include Sena Jurinac’s 1951 recording with the Stockholm Philharmonic conducted by Fritz Busch; Lisa Della Casa’s 1953 recording with the Vienna Philharmonic under Karl Böhm; and Felicity Lott’s 1986 recording with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Neeme Järvi. There is no authority because Strauss did not conceive a cycle, but he did entrust the premiere to Flagstad.