Cheryl Strauss Einchon

Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 34 years. During the Nazi era, he debuted at the Salzburg Festival, with the Vienna Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, and during World War II he conducted at the Berlin State Opera. Generally regarded as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, he was a controversial but dominant figure in European classical music from the mid-1950s until his death. Part of the reason for this was the large number of recordings he made and their prominence during his lifetime. By one estimate, he was the top-selling classical music recording artist of all time, having sold an estimated 200 million records.

The most famous and enduringly successful composer of nineteenth-century light music, Johann Strauss II captivated not only Vienna but the whole of Europe and America with his abundantly tuneful waltzes, polkas, quadrilles and marches. This unique collection brings together for the first time ever his entire orchestral output.

In honor of the 150th anniversary of Richard Strauss' birth, DG gives us this collection featuring the composer as conductor. While on the surface this would seem a wonderful opportunity to hear his music as Strauss intended it, this set winds up being something else: an examination of what happened when 19th century conducting styles met 20th century technology. For while Strauss is regularly feted as being one of the great conductors of his era, those who know also emphasize the fact that he didn't like recording all that much. Thus, this Strauss set is fascinating evidence of how recording technology can alter our perceptions of music.

The Vienna Boys 'Choir specializes to a certain extent in Strauss: Strauss' music means Vienna, is the sung business card of the Waltz City. Since the 1920s, the waltzes and polkas of the Strauss family have been an integral part of the concert repertoire of the Vienna Boys' Choir. Six times they were guests at the traditional New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic. The first recording of the Donauwalzer with the Vienna Boys Choir was made in 1933. Stories from the Vienna Woods were recorded in 1937, and a whole record with Strauss appeared in the USA in 1939; the last one appeared in 1999. High time for a new edition!

Cheryl Deserée took home the 2017 Academy Of Western Artists award for Western Swing Female Vocalist Of The Year and it’s easy to hear why after a listen to her brand new release, Dreamy! Cheryl blends her traditional country, western swing and jazz influences in a unique style that is all her own. I was reminded of this wonderful project titled Great Hawaiian Hits by The Mills Brothers as I was listening to Cheryl’s album. They were one of my dad’s favorites and a group I didn’t fully appreciate until after his passing. Hearing Cheryl’s new project certainly brought a smile as a few of the tracks brought back the memory of this album and happy to hear new generations with a beautiful blending of styles. Deserée delivers standout sultry and smoky vocals throughout this project that is so aptly titled. Dreamy feels like the perfect record to put on to really get lost in each performance.