Customer Reviews

Strauss: Salome [Blu-ray]

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NADJA MICHAEL finally brings total meaning to the character of SALOME ~ the others ?
OK, Great, fine for their own specific period, BUT here we have the utterly sublime combination of teen-age confusion about "Love"; an "Object of Love" [dirty, ugly, smelly, yet aloof and seemingly "pure"; the rest? A strange den of depraved World Leaders - thriving and wallowing in their own little worlds of Lust and Corruption until Salome breaks the "mirror".

THE DANCE: FINALLY MAKES TOTAL SENSE - a disturbing, grotesque "Ginger and Fred" inspired waltz - moments leading up to the waltz are quite fascinating to watch ~ especially the "child" seduction, think "Hitchcock waltzing with Grace Kelly" and you'll get the idea.

The back projection during the waltz is also very disturbing ~ a giant alien eye -oe - an ancient Persian demon ... watching?

The severed head sequence is also riveting and must have been exhauting emotionally for Ms.Michael.

This Artist commits to the work totally without any fear - and that's the grandeur of this production!

Be warned - this one has nudity - not female, and gore ~ appropriate gore.

NOT BE MISSED BY THE INTELLIGENT VIEWER.

[Cannot wait for Ms. Michael's "MACBETH" on DVD - the Munich verision].

See the doco first. David MacVicar constantly swears and comes across as a vulgar lout. The setting in this production is tastless and even ridiculous. Jews swanning about in a Nazi palace? The singing was OK but not exceptional. Herod and Herodias are grossly overweight, which might be acceptable for Herod but Herodias is supposed to be equally licentious and I cannot imagine any young Roman stud being interested in this lady. The fabulous Astrid Varnay in the old Böhm recording is also overweight but she carries the role with a fearsome sexual power. The famed dance is a sick miss-hit. This is really a terrible production. Of course the sound and picture quality are good but as an operatic experience the SD Sinopoli and Böhm are vastly better and the ROCG version with Maria Ewing is worth a look despite awful picture quality. We are lucky to have three Elektras on Blu-ray as I write, hopefully we may get more Salome offerings as well. In the meantime save your money on this release or rent if you feel you must see it.

Oscar Wilde's play on Salome was published in Paris in 1893. Richard Strauss composed the opera and had its first performance in 1905. Now the director David McVicar has had a shot at it. The production is based on Pasolini's 1975 film version of Salo, which in itself is based upon de Sades novel, the 120 days of Sodom(1785). This film shows how the killings mounted in Mussolini's puppet republic of Salo, as Nazi power crumbled. I supposed David wanted to show in his production of Salome, under Fascism, how when all restraints are taken away, a person is capable of anything. I did like Davids documentary. He swears. That means he is a real person, instead of an inane superfical, hello ducky type,who thinks the theatre is all that there is to life. David has obviously lived.

The stage setting in Salome is devided into two parts, the top where a party is taking place. The bottom in a wash room come toilet room. Well in a toilet situation, anybody is capable of anything, especially when disturbed. I like the lighting,Emerald green. But the problem is that the blurb on the back of the case of the opera, states that it is set in a debauched palace in Nazi Germany. I believe it is set in 1938. The problem is that there are Jews in the opera. Surely in this period in Germany, they would have been sent to Concentration Camps. Or at least Jews would have been persona non grata here. Maybe, David should have set Salome in a mythical Fascist State. Another problem is that much to my disappointment, there was no debauchary. A few naked ladies wandering around, all rather harmless really. Harmless as a Nuns tea party. Naked bloke though. Sorry ladies he wears a coat most of the time.He also stands around aimlessly.

As for the singing, Nadja Michael as Salome is bearable, but she does not dance, sort of wanders around, being chased by a fat bloke who cannot dance through seven rooms. God knows why. Some rubbish about finding herself. She seemed lost to me. The tubby bloke looked tired, never recovered. The best singer was Michael Volle, as John. He throws himself around. He is good. I like it when his head is chopped off. Blood drips from the rubber head. Apart from that the conducting is a matter of taste. For me Salome should be conducted briskly, so that it brings out the melody, the tension, so at the end you feel exhilarated. I felt as if I had been to a party I did not want to go to. Phillipe Jordan reminds me of a bloke who goes through the motions, and feels he must give the punters their monies worth, so he builds up the pace, then it is all too much for him and he goes back to slow. Others may disagree with me, as I have already said it is a matter of taste.

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