Richard Strauss - An Alpine Symphony (Kenneth Woods)

Information

Composer: Richard Strauss

• An Alpine Symphony, Op. 64

Colorado MahlerFest Orchestra

Kenneth Woods, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: MahlerFest Records

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This live recording captures Kenneth Woods leading the Colorado MahlerFest Orchestra in Richard Strauss’s monumental Eine Alpensinfonie, performed at Macky Auditorium, Boulder, on May 18, 2024. A single, uninterrupted 50-minute arc of music, Strauss’s symphonic journey through the Alps unfolds in sweeping sonic grandeur, from the first light of dawn to the triumphant summit and descent. This performance, recorded by Jonathan Galle and produced by Timothy Burton, employs the new Breitkopf & Härtel critical edition, incorporating Strauss’s original idea of alphorns in one striking passage. Positioned in the balcony boxes, their resonant calls heightened the drama of the work, creating an unforgettable aural spectacle.

Kenneth Woods (b. 1968) is an American conductor, cellist, and writer. Trained at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and in workshops with Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman, Jorma Panula, and others, he built an international career across the US and UK. He served as principal guest conductor of the Orchestra of the Swan (2009), later becoming principal conductor (2013) and artistic director (2016) of the English Symphony Orchestra, where he championed new commissions and established the John McCabe Composer in Association. In the US, he has directed the Oregon East Symphony since 2000 and became artistic director of Colorado MahlerFest in 2015.

High Resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz