…in this score Strauss colourfully and graphically illustrates in sound a mountain expedition and the alpine scenery. Shipway and the fine Brazilian orchestra…bring it to life vividly.

Throughout the journey up and down the mountain I find Shipway a trustworthy and reliable guide. For instance, after night has given way to a radiant sunrise, he sets off on the ascent (track 3) vigorously and purposefully; this is a confident mountaineer. When the summit is reached it’s easy for a conductor to fall into the trap of grandiloquence. The Brazilian performance is majestic at the summit, powered by some sumptuous playing and in the succeeding ‘Vision’ section this very rhetorical music is spaciously delivered.

On the way down Shipway whips up a tempestuous and tumultuous storm—the wind machine is deployed to excellent effect here—and this graphic passage comes across very well.

Eine Alpensinfonie is a spectacular, technicolour score that cries out for the benefits of modern recording technology. The BIS engineers have done it full justice.

This is a super disc. The sound is magnificent—I listened to the disc as a CD—and the performances of both pieces are very fine indeed…Frank Shipway has certainly earned his mountain guide’s badge and his place alongside Haitink and Kempe as an intrepid Alpine explorer. © MusicWeb International Read complete review