Richard Strauss’s Elektra premiered in 1909, representing the cutting edge of modernist expressionism. Two years later, Der Rosenkavalier proved an even bigger triumph. Also to a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, this opera was crammed with tuneful waltzes in imitation of the ‘other Strauss’. Musically it seemed like a backward step, but Strauss had never aimed to be progressive. A true man of the theatre, he simply treated Hofmannsthal’s subject matter as the drama demanded. Hearing both works today, it is clear they have much in common: soaring soprano lines, restless chromatic harmonies and extremely lush orchestration.

Strauss prepared two “Waltz Sequences” from Der Rosenkavalier for concert use. A longer suite was arranged by the conductor Artur Rodzinski. It was reworked later by Josef Krips, who restored the concluding music of the opera in place of Rodzinski’s inflated ending. (The Rodzinski version is performed here, but I prefer the Krips.) The suite from Elektra is new: “conceptualised” by Manfred Honeck and realised by Tomáš Ille.

In both cases I miss the vocal component, especially in the Presentation of the Rose and the great final trio of Rosenkavalier. In the melodramatic Elektra, all of Strauss’s orchestral wizardry is expended on pointing the text and supporting the singers. With obvious exceptions, like the portentous Agamemnon motif (which opens and closes the work) and the agitated music following Klytämnestra’s dream, the orchestral suite feels like an extended accompaniment.

Even so, there are advantages to this disc. One is the striking standard of playing and conducting, from the team that produced an award-winning Dvorˇák Eighth. Honeck moulds the phrasing with care and understanding. Then there is Reference Recordings’ sound: for decades this company has been renowned for the truth, depth and impact of its sonics. Even through two channels, this Hybrid SACD sounds magnificent.