Following their excellent Lutosławski and Shostakovich discs, the NDR Elbphilharmonie and their music director Krzysztof Urbański now turn to some of Richard Strauss’ best-known music in their latest installment of their ongoing series of recordings for Alpha. To which one can only ask: Why? It is a question worth asking when the competition consists of a virtual roll-call of the greatest conductors of the last century, starting with the composer himself.

Just to be clear, none of these are bad recordings, and one can imagine themselves emerging from a concert hall fairly pleased after hearing Urbański’s readings live. On records, however, superior alternatives are at least as plentiful as Don Juan’s lovers.

Speaking of which, the opening riff of the eponymous tone poem which he inspired falls flat with excessively tenutoed and legatoed articulation that robs this music of the sensuality, charm, and dazzle its composer intended to convey. Till Eulenspiegel hobbles about with none of the insouciance of the best performances, resigned from the start to his unhappy destiny. And the revelations of Also sprach Zarathustra seem to go no further than the performers’ navels.

Alpha’s sound is warm, with fine midrange presence (if a touch shallow in the bass), but is hardly enough to save these perfunctory performances.

Pass.

If only he had spent at least half as much attention on Strauss as he did on his hair…