Customer Reviews

Richard Strauss - Salome / Peter Hall · Edward Downes · Maria Ewing, · ROH Covent Garden

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have seen "Salome" at Covent Garden (not this production) and the Met, but I have never felt so felt its intensity. I think this may be, in a curious way, a "chamber" opera; its focus is so on nuances of obsession (usually sexual, of course) that it benefits from close quarters. I have seen Maria Ewing only in this one role, but in this she is stunning; first sinister, then frightening (because wierdly believable), then monstrous. Her two foils are this production's Herod: coward, lecher, bully, but in the end convincingly holding to some limit to indecency; and Johannan (the Baptist), chaste as ivory (as the lady says) and as passionately so as the lady is vile. The orchestra is good, the musical interpretation is right (neither tame nor manic) and the staging, with its creepy moon, suggestive dungeon, and hommages to Klimpt and Beardsley just exactly right. Terrific! Turn your own living room into Sodom and Gommorah.

When I found out that a version of "Salome" had finally come out on DVD, I became very excited. For one thing, this was one version I didn't already own on videotape. I also wanted to see for myself Maria Ewing's infamous portrayal of Salome, which I had heard quite a bit about. Of course, much of this infamy comes from her willingness to take the "Dance of the Seven Veils" to its logical extreme... without even a flesh-colored body stocking to make it more "acceptable" to staid opera fans. Aside from the obvious tabloid titillation of this aspect of her performance, her singing of the role might seem controversial as well. I will concede that, unlike a diligent opera singer, she doesn't hit all the notes "properly." But then, this ain`t bel canto opera. In my opinion, it actually adds an interesting dimension to the role.... rather than going "back" to Richard Wagner, Ewing occasionally takes the role "forward" to Kurt Weill, growling like a cabaret singer, sometimes teetering on the brink of sprechstimme (listen as she waits impatiently for the severed head of Jochanaan, the object of Salome`s sexual obsession).

As Jochanaan, Michael Devlin looks appropriately emaciated with pale blue body makeup and beyond-waist-length hair, making him resemble that musical anti-Christ Marilyn Manson (even though Strauss actually preceded him in that category by about a century). Devlin's Jochanaan is also more pleading in spreading the gospel than singers in other versions, who make him seem more of a great proclaimer. Nonetheless, he still does come off as fanatical... just with a slightly more hysterical edge than other Jochanaans.

Considering the opera's time period, the nods to Aubrey Beardsley and Gustav Klimt in the stage design are very appropriate. I definitely prefer this to Luc Bondy's humorless and snottily spare stage design in the Dohnanyi/Malfitano/Terfel video, which looks like someone set things up for Alban Berg's "Wozzeck" by mistake. And if you want realism, you have it in the deathly pale and bloody severed head that Salome cavorts with in the final scene.

The Covent Garden Orchestra under Edward Downes plays quite well. But then, one has to work hard to mess up "Salome" (like making it tamer than it really is). When compared with other versions, however, the orchestra does not attack the "loud" sections with as much verve and flare as others, such as the Deutsche Oper Berlin in the Sinopoli/Malfitano/Estes video. On the other hand, the orchestra seems more at home in the more waltz-like sections.

As the first "Salome" on DVD, this is a very welcome addition to my relatively small DVD collection. Ingenues to the opera should be sufficiently entertained, and there's enough orchestral flare and campy humor to please die-hard "Salome" fans (particularly stepdad Herod's requisite lechery and mama Herodias` Mrs Slocombe-like hairdo). Nevertheless, I still prefer the Sinopoli/Malfitano/Estes video overall. I can only hope that it will also be taken out of VHS limbo soon and placed on DVD.

The production concentrates on the opera as it was written, that is without glossing over the difficulties (for instance, it is nearly impossible to sing Salome's part without doing what Maria Ewing does - crying and shrieking at certain points is almost certainly what Strauss intended). And, while it is surely not on the cards that there will evr be a child soprano who can sing the part, Maria Ewing is at least credible as a petulant young woman who will literally stop at nothing to get her way.

Many of the reviews complain about Ewing's vocality, but this is exactly what makes the performance so blood-chilling perfect. Rather than just blasting out all the notes as you average battle-axe soprano would, Ewing uses the German "sing-speak" technique that became so briefly popular in the 20th century among composers of dissonance. Much of her banter is spoken in melody with dramatic inflection, although to the musical notes, and is amazingly effective in portraying a fixated, spoiled, and nasty teeny-bopper. She has perfected operatic creepiness as it was intended for this work.

Miss Ewing in the title role was up the task from beginning to end. There are very very few in opera who can meet the high standards of singing with looks to match. Usually, we will allow them to be only close to the character they play IF their vocal ability is outstanding. But, in Miss Ewing's case, there was no compromise in either area. I can and do cast great prase upon Peter Hall and the rest of the cast, but "Salome" stands or falls on its primary star, and she was exactly that. This DVD Opera is among my most prized, and I have played it for friends to their total joy.

Maria Ewing's interpretation of Salome is absolutely stellar. A chilling, sensuous woman with a voice to match her dancing performance. The presentation of this Richard Strauss' opera leaves you in an emotional turbulence long after the opera is over.

AUDBREY BEARDSLEY AND MR. OSCAR WILDE would probably applaud this 'extreme' production ~ a sinful pleasure to see Maria Ewing unlayer this troubled teen's 'tormented' soul . . .the translation's pretty good too ... almost along the lines of mall shopping, but such a pleasure and inspiration to see how Miss Ewing deals with the subject ~ superbly! A consummate artiste we have here - one who not only can emotionally immerse herself in the character and deal with the vocal demands, but also is very technically superior regarding recording 'live'. Here there is no margin to yell "Cut" to deal with a problem costume or a touch of excessive persipiration - this is all dealt with during the long takes - and dealt with superbly. This Lady is a rare beauty!

The rest of the cast? Along the lines of Mel Brooks "Brief History of the World Part I" intentionally funny in a dark, dank way, very dark and dank. Iokannaan? [John?} Another major challenge, practically nude - except for that loin cloth, the blue body make-up and the dreaded dread-locks complete with the Joan Crawford scarlet lips! Almost too much, but it all works .....

Not quite for the neophyte, but an experience worth savoring over and over again ... a brave but accurate vision of the work and the original.

Bravo!

Oh my God! I just finished watching this. Maria Ewing is amazing. Her intense focus is wonderful. I saw a live performance of Salome a few years ago in the midwest and wished the Salome and the whole production had been more intense and a little crazy. The whole thing was just too tame. I came away wondering if Salome could be done convincingly. I wonder no longer. This is a stellar performance. It's true that Ewing doesn't always sing the notes but who cares! She gets across the meaning beautifully. Keneth Riegel is also a standout. Kudos to the whole cast. Highly recommended!!!

Maria Ewing completely embodies Salomé - watching her become Salomé transports you to another world entirely. Highly recommended! (Forget the negative reviews; a role like Salomé shouldn't be 'perfectly sung' - it should be lived.)

I liked the designing extremely.
All of Wilde suggestions are here, for example - purple Herod, green Salome, big yellow full moon...

Fine acting is always part of the English opera productions, and here there is no exception!
Sometimes it's in exchange for the singing, but here it isn't.
All the parts are sung well, even the minors like the page and soldiers.
Devlin and Riegel have strong masculine voices and the sexual tension between these two and Ewing is convincing.
Maria Ewing is the star - she holds her own with this hard role.
Her voice is not as massive as many famous Wagnerian sopranos like Nilsson, but the Wagnerian singing is a matter of tradition.
Salome is not a goddess. She is supposed to be a fragile young woman such as Nedda and Butterfly, which perhaps a lighter dramatic voice fits better.
Ewing can be describe as a light dramatic. I wish she would have recorded the part of Nedda in I Pagliacci.
She has no problem hitting the high notes, either in piano or in forte, and again she looks her part.
How many sopranos are there who could have dropped their clothes off without being embarrassed?

Strongly recommended for the designing, singing and acting!