Josephslegende, the first of Strauss’s two ballets, was composed to a scenario by Hugo von Hofmannsthal and the Anglo-German count Harry von Kessler and received its premiere at Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1914. Strauss struggled to find inspiration in the virtuous character of Joseph, and while the score has some of the delicacy of the recently completed Le bourgeois gentilhomme as well as notable pre-echoes of Eine Alpensinfonie and Die Frau ohne Schatten, the quality of the writing is rarely on the same level. It does, however, provide a feast for the ear with an orchestration that includes quintuple woodwind, celesta, piano, organ, wind machine, and violins divided into three sections.

With the pioneering mono recordings by Kurt Eichhorn and Robert Heger and the more recent versions by Hiroshi Wakasugi and Iván Fischer currently difficult to find on CD and streaming platforms, a new recording is welcome. Fabrice Bollon’s performance is a lyrical and involving one, with excellent playing from the orchestra. At 72 minutes, it’s a more spacious interpretation than those recorded by Giuseppe Sinopoli (64 minutes) and Neeme Järvi (58 minutes), but never sounds slow. Indeed, Järvi’s energetic approach occasionally sounds slightly superficial in comparison. Sinopoli’s performance is especially impressive and enjoys playing of surpassing eloquence from the Staatskapelle Dresden. It also benefits from a slightly more transparent and natural-sounding recording than the new Naxos version. Nevertheless, anyone hearing Bollon’s fine performance is unlikely to be disappointed.