Reviews:

“…It’s a bit harder to make a similar impression with the canonical tone poems, in part because they have an even stronger discography than the operas—but Manfred Honeck’s ear-opening collection from Pittsburgh (Till, Don Juan, and Tod und Verklärung) reminds us that there is still plenty of musical nourishment in what might seem to be depleted fields. Engineering, too, is state of the art.” —Peter J. Rabinowitz, Fanfare

“No modern conductor, that is, except for Manfred Honeck, who blows away the dust bunnies and makes these three tone poems truly eventful once again. His Till Eulenspiegel is mirthful and wicked, his Tod und Verklärung full of dignity and drama, and his Don Juan dashing and ultimately tragic. Characterful, vibrant playing from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and lifelike engineering cap this disc’s stunning success.” —Raymond Tuttle, Fanfare

“Manfred Honeck’s interpretations have huge personality, and mostly in the right way. … The poetry is intense, yielding in Don Juan the most beautiful oboe cantilena ever. … The orchestra plays passionately and luminously, with the brass thrusting when they need to be. … the recorded Strauss celebrations are going well in 150th-anniversary year.” —David Nice, BBC Music Magazine

“If any music seems ideally suited for the multichannel super audio format, the lavish orchestral tone poems of Richard Strauss must be at the top of the list. This hybrid SACD of Strauss’ Don Juan, Death and Transfiguration, and Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks is a sonic feast for audiophiles, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck delivers these orchestral masterpieces with high energy, vivid tone colors, and crisp details that are a sheer delight to experience…” —Blair Sanderson, AllMusic

“Recordings like this restore one’s faith in the possibility of true musical greatness. Manfred Honeck conducts this music as do few others today. He’s not afraid to have a good time, nor is he a strict literalist. … For all of their larger-than-life qualities, Honeck remains sensitive to every dynamic nuance, intricacy of balance, and rhythmic quirk. Every one of these versions ranks with the best available. … The Pittsburgh Symphony plays the living daylights out of this music. Really, is there another group out there today that can play with this kind of bravura? … a huge victory for serious classical music lovers everywhere.” —David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday

“Maestro Honeck conducts the noble introduction to Don Juan with an heroic feel to this moody and colourful score in which a sumptuous and ripe sensuality predominates. With a striking range of orchestral colour the Pittsburgh orchestra’s stormy and robust surges of restless energy are almost overpowering. …” —Michael Cookson, MusicWeb International

“It really doesn’t get better than this. … From Don Juan’s opening bars, it is impossible not to smile at this recording’s dynamism. In the notes Honeck itemizes a ticking clock, labored breathing, and irregular accents indicating a distorted gait, etc., all of which are astoundingly vivid. …[I] am glad that Till Eulenspiegel closes this program. The twisting clarinet precisely portrays Till’s expiration.” —Grant Chu Covell, La Folia

“This is quite a disc. Manfred Honeck’s live performances from June 2012 bring so much to admire, not least a thrilling electricity, heaps of chutzpah, revelatory detail and sparky temperament… just sit back and marvel at the PSO’s breathtaking sheen, swaggering virtuosity and remarkable composure (fabulous horns throughout). … In short, an exceptionally stimulating and hugely charismatic Strauss anthology. Do try and hear it for yourselves!” —Andrew Achenbach, ClassicalEar

“The mastery of the orchestra which is the hallmark of Richard Strauss’s achievement has been well served by the SACD medium, but this particular combination of three of the composer’s greatest tone poems has not heretofore appeared together in surround sound, and it is a particular pleasure to enjoy this combination played with such dedication and verve by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck.” —Barry Forshaw, Classical CD Choice

“…what Maestro Honeck and his team offer are vigorous performances and excellent, live, hybrid multichannel SACD sound. … With Honeck it’s all about the excitement. … Death and Transfiguration, Op. 24 … [is] both dreadful and peaceful, ominous and tranquil, dramatic and serene, at least in Honeck’s hands, and he builds a commendably steady momentum as the work unfolds. The conclusion is as touching as any I’ve heard … ” — John J. Puccio, Classical Candor

“Manfred Honeck is one of the few conductors who may call themselves successors of the greatest, Karajan und Co. On this SACD this outstanding musician conducts a Strauss program which one must count among the best having been published in the last years.” —Alain Steffen, Pizzicato

“There’s an incredible elasticity and flexibility at work here. Manfred Honeck’s interventionist, hyper-romantic approach to three of Strauss’s most accessible tone poems pays enormous dividends…Everything sounds stupendous – this has to be the best-played, best-recorded Strauss anthology for years… Honeck’s players project with such chutzpah that any resistance is futile. A magnificent achievement.” —Graham Rickson, The Arts Desk

“Audiophiles will be delighted as this American firm (Reference Recordings) is synonymous with high quality techniques and top-flight artistry…Manfred Honeck masterfully manages the layering of sound and the thematic transitions…a fundamentally masterful orchestra. …the PSO exhibits desire and exceptional collective jubilation…very refreshing. …Honeck continues to assert himself as one of the most relevant conductors of our time…” —Pierre-Jean Tribot, ResMusica

“As if to emulate the protagonist portrayed in Don Juan, Op. 20, conductor Manfred Honeck delivers the opening pages of this orchestral masterpiece with a swift, impulsive, impetuous and almost arrogant demeanor, true and relevant to the character. The members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra respond with aplomb and sparkle… Whereas the opening minute impresses by its bravura, the final closing minute, by its dead quiet, will give you the shivers…” —Jean-Yves Duperron, Classical Music Sentinel

“These works have never suffered for lack of recordings. Thus, a new recording must offer something innovative, and Honeck and the PSO certainly accomplish that.” — Henry Schlinger, Culture Spot LA