Rachel Willis-Sørensen, soprano; Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Andris Nelsons
Sony 824105 (CD, heard as 24/96 WAV download). 2023. Friedemann Engelbrecht, prod. & eng.
Strauss’s sumptuous, late-career are the final flowering of, these four orchestral songs ponder life’s eternal mysteries as they swirl, soar, then climax in sound so grand, ecstatic, and intoxicating that the songs are essential repertoire for any soprano with the pipes, intelligence, and breath control to do them justice.