Strauss

Here, conductor Andris Nelsons harnesses the talents of his two orchestras, the Boston Symphony and Leipzig Gewandhaus, in spectacular recordings of Richard Strauss’ major orchestral works. Duties are shared equally throughout this ambitious collection. The Boston Symphony scales the dramatic heights of the epic Alpine Symphony (Eine Alpensinfonie) and brings Cervantes’ Don Quixote to spectacular life (alongside solo cellist Yo-Yo Ma at his lyrical best). The Leipzig Gewandhaus, meanwhile, brings both grandeur and tenderness to the evergreen Also sprach Zarathustra, a silvery sheen to the concert suite from Der Rosenkavalier, and, with virtuoso pianist Yuja Wang, a superlative performance of Strauss’ only major work for piano and orchestra, the sparkling Burleske. It’s wonderful to hear rarer gems given such lavish treatment—and also peeking out from the more familiar fare is Strauss’ intimate portrait of family life, Sinfonia Domestica, lovingly performed by the Boston players, and the early symphonic fantasy Aus Italien, given a luscious Elgarian sweep. A treat to finish, too: The mighty Festliches Präludium for organ and orchestra was recorded in Boston by both orchestras combined, with Olivier Latry providing suitably festive organ fireworks.