Repertoire: The BEST Strauss Four Last Songs

My own personal favorite among the three recordings is that with Jessye Norman. Her dynamic range, pitch-perfect intonation, and flawless command of phrasing in this, as in almost all her recordings, set her truly apart as one of the greatest sopranos ever. Her rendition of the Strauss is truly in a league of its own.

My favourite is Gundula Janowitz ; her voice gives me goosebumps and takes me into the stratosphere !

As a pianist I worked with Schwarzkopf, Janowitz and Norman, all amazing singers. My choice? In this rep it has to be Jessye, just for the amazing pace of the pieces. I adore 'slow!' Having said that, there really isn't ever a better or best recording, there are just different recordings and each are superb in their own right.

Jessey Norman's "So tief im Abendrot" passage is about 10 seconds longer than the average soprano... I LOVE IT!

Te Kanawa will always be my favorite (the recording with Andrew Davis)

Jessye Norman and Kirt Masur---top anything out there. Not just singing but also the orchestra!

Lucia Popp/Tenststedt is absolutely wonderful IMO. The Norman recording is also fantastic.

Want to second the emotion re Lucia Popp. Have been listening to her for 2 days solid. Divine, divine, divine

Lucia Popp is the one that brings the tears to the eyes (even though I have a massive problem with the works themselves that I won't go into here but that doesn't stop them from working on me effectively, he is a very good composer after all) in her live performance with Solti that is here on YouTube.

Love Norman too but I also must put a word in for Kiri te Kanawa. She really excels in this repertoire

Dave Hurwitz is utterly charming and informative.

I heard Lucia Popp (with Tennstedt) first, and she remains the best for me. I wonder why.

Hearing Jessye Norman and Sergiu Celibidache perform the Four Last Songs live in Munich in 1992 was probably the most beautiful 20 minutes of my entire life. (She got also 20(!) Minutes of standing ovations. The audience – me included – was out of its mind. No encores, by the way.) It has spoiled me for all time for all other interpretations. Fortunately there is the very similar recording with her and Kurt Masur. I always have to think with other singers that they take everything so quickly because they don't have the breath to take things slowly. Jessye Norman sings at one point with one breath for 14(!) seconds at full volume over a huge symphony orchestra! Anyone who understands German poetry (not even all native speakers do!) has to admit that anything faster than Jessye's interpretation simply doesn't do the text justice. <– Here I (as a native speaker) strongly disagree with you, David! The text matters and the music has to serve it. The poems are about death and world-disengagement and one large, long, final exhale. Breathless musical tempo is the exact opposite of what the poems mean. So, why listen to Lieder at all, when the text doesn't matter? BTW: Jessye had an immaculate German pronunciation. She started her career in Germany after all.

Thank you for this evaluation. I love Schwarzkopf in this even in the Szell recording she lacks sound on the low notes, especially in the first song. But boy, her singing is just enchanting. Lately I discovered a live Leontyn Price recording which was amazing, and a very rare one with Elly Ameling. Amazing as well..

"Vier letzte Lieder": marvellous score!!! I pick Gundula Janowitz with Karajan.

My fave is the Kiri Te Kanawa and Georg Solti Decca recording with the Vienna Phil. Glorious!!!! Bonus are a ton of Strauss songs with Sir Georg at the keyboard. Delightful.

Lisa della Casa for me.

Elly Ameling and Lucia Popp - clear, light, flexible, brilliant in strength, purity and emotional resonance

I want the Norman recording played at my funeral.

Jessy Norman sang perfect in german , compering to many of the English others speaking singers. My favourites are Kirsten Flagstad ,Jesse Norman and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.