Superlative performances from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paray. The sound quality is also superb for its era.
This collection just might have the most off-putting title of all time. It’s also inappropriate, as one of the five selections, the Invitation to the Dance,Paul Paray and the Detroit Symphony play 'Dances of Death' (yech!) is all carefree froth and has nothing whatever to do with the grim reaper; in the contrary,
it’s a delightful depiction of a breezy, whirlwind dance without even a hint of impending doom and the liner notes don’t pretend otherwise. In any event, Paray consistently places his musical emphasis on the lyrical dance element of these pieces rather than on the darker stuff, and generally slights the diabolic energy to which most other conductors give equal measure and which forms much of their appeal – the Danse Macabre sounds playful and disarming and the Strauss, with its demonic overtones, emerges far more bright and sprightly than we are accustomed.
The Schmitt is a relative rarity in which Paray’s lyricism nicely complements the composer’s own darker and more dramatic 1930 EMI recording. Given Paray’s interpretive bent, perhaps the producer’s penchant for a melodramatic title would have been better served by "Life in the Shadows of Death."
MP3 320 · 135 MB
