David Nice applauds the Sinfonia of London’s Strauss, Korngold and Schreker
Metamorphosen
R Strauss: Metamorphosen; Korngold: Symphonic Serenade; Schreker: Intermezzo Sinfonia of London/John Wilson
Chandos CHSA 5292 (CD/SACD) 64:22 mins
Context matters:, composed as a memorial to what Richard Strauss described in his diary as ‘irreplaceable monuments of architecture and works of art… destroyed by a criminal soldiery’ (he meant the Nazis, not the Allies), as news was coming in of the massacre in Bucha. So the tears were bound to roll. Objectively, though, this is a deep and powerful interpretation of a great masterpiece. Wilson’s 23 Sinfonia of London strings are some of the best in the world (if only the players were listed); the solos have supreme eloquence, the perfectly released dynamics, top-to-bottom sonorousness and staggered entries reinforce how Strauss achieves his impact.