Customer Reviews

Strauss: Salome (Great Recordings of the Century)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Generally, late 1970's and 1980's Karajan studio recordings, to my liking at least, must be approached with care and even mistrust. His immense talent not being the subject of discussion, yet as he aged he tended to give a lot more attention to how things were played, how they actually sounded, than to what was being played, somewhat along the lines of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf or Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who also tended to give so much attention to these matters as to sound affected and artificial. Those special qualities (see following paragraph) that so much distinguished his recordings with the Philhamonia Orchestra made during the 1950's for EMI, or his early '60's discs made for Decca, EMI and DG with the Vienna and Berlin orchestras gradually faded along the 1970's and the 1980's.

But not in this recording. This is easily the best conducted Salome in recorded history, and that so in a work that has been particularly lucky in this respect. What we have here is a return in spirit to "das wunder Karajan" of 30 years earlier, to what lay behind the acronym of "Toscawängler" coined by some London critics of the early 1950's when Karajan righfully dazzled audiences all over post-war Europe once the Allied authorities in occupied Germany and Austria allowed him to return to work. That the 70-year old conductor was able to return to his form upon which much of his fame was built is short of miraculous, in a work that so much exhudes the sexual reckoning of youth. Tension along the two hour-long performance never ceases and by the time the final orchestral crashes aurally picture Salome being literally crushed under Herod's soldiers's shields, you breathe in relief. Wow! is most likely what you may be able to utter ...

The recording is based on a Salzburg Festival production for which a formidable cast was assembled. Yet Karajan seemed to view the opera as some kind of extended-length orchestral work with vocal obbligati, as the orchestra is the prime player, indeed the real protagonist. And the VPO gladly picked up the challenge, playing like gods and captured in superb sound that has endured the test of time (the recording dates from 1978!) and puts to shame many a modern disc. Commisioned by HMV to Decca, the latter's engineers no doubt did their best to show their arch-rival EMI colleagues what they could achieve (the producer was Jimmy Lock, the legendary John Culshaw's right hand in many a Decca Vienna recording project).

Featured singers have mostly retired by now, but fortunately for us were caught in their prime, especially Behrens and van Dam. I've seen that others in this site have referred at length to the vocal highlights of this set, so I won't, rather avoiding being repetitive; I agree with all their laudatory comments.

In sum, any newcomer to Salome won't go wrong with this audio-only set. If video is a must, I'd propose the superb Malfitano Berlin performance, a rendition also very well conducted by the much-lamented Giuseppe Sinopoli, yet available only as a VHS tape from Teldec (I don't know if there are plans to issue it in dvd); if video is a must but VHS is a no-no, I'd propose the Covent Garden Peter Hall production available in dvd from Pioneer/Kultur, with Maria Ewing as Salome, conducted by Sir Edward Downes (but don't expect from Sir Edward's remarkable effort Karajan's refinement or Sinopoli's insights). Settle for Malfitano's Covent Garden performance under Dohnányi on a Decca dvd only if that's the only one you can have access to.

After an apparent hiatus from the catalogues, Herbert von Karajan's 1977 recording of "Salome" is back and better than before. The stuffy sound quality of the 1987 remastering has been eliminated, replenishing the recording's essential beauty (and at a more reasonable price). The libretto booklet also includes background on the Salome legend, as well as information about the recording itself.

Hildegard Behrens, relatively unknown at the time of the recording, sings the title role with appropriate "youthfulness" and fresh sensuality, like Catherine Malfitano, Teresa Stratas, and Inga Nielsen. Salome is not to be sung like Brunnhilde, nor as a caricatured "madwoman," as certain others have sung it. She is an adolescent dealing with her sexuality on her own terms (Yeah, baby! Yeah!), or perhaps she is trying to fulfill her spiritual needs (A popular interpretation in our more spiritual times.), or perhaps she seeks a sexual and spiritual union with Jochanaan (The best of all possible worlds.)? Is Salome the perfect Tantrist (Tantris? Good God!)?

As for the orchestra, Karajan and the Wiener Philharmoniker successfully balance the savagery and sensuality of the score, and therefore of Salome's psyche. They unleash the savagery at appropriate times, with thunderous timpani and horns during Jochanaan's ascent from and descent back into the cistern, and the opening of Salome's final scene with Jochanaan's head. Then there are the moments of sensual langour and tenderness as she dreamily rhapsodizes about Jochanaan. And then her cosmic orgasm, as she transcends Herod's court, Jochanaan's head, the world, the moon, the stars, the universe.

Behrens is not my favorite singer. Karajan's later recording also do not appeal to me in general. For instance, his Fidelio with Dernesch and Vickers was marred by weird sound perspectives and constant manipulation of balance which is very annoying. As a result, I resisted buying this set for a while until now. What I heard amazed me beyond imagination!! It's not the normal "bad Karajan" like his Fidelio. It's not the normal below-the-best standard singing from Hildegard Behrens. This is a sinply great recording, worthy of being in the Great Recordings of the Century series. This is definitely Hildegard Behrens' best opera recording, done when she was at her absolute prime. Here, her beauty of tone and line is simply incredible!! Karajan himself is inspired!! The orchestral playing is simply superb. I simply love the final scene when Salome is singing and the little bells tinkle as she caresses Jochanaan's head!! (??? I'm not sure but they sure sound like little bells or a triangle) The tinkling bells! They are sheer magic! It gives the final scene a "little girl" feel. Like an "innocent" 16-year old girl playing with her "toy" but this "toy" is Jochanaan's head!! After listening to the bells in this recording, I'm sure Richard Strauss meant to give the final scene a "nursery school" kind of atmosphere to emphasize the fact that Salome is an adoloscent teenage girl who is just "coming of age", who is just beginning to discover the world. A girl coming out of "innocence". And Hildegard Behrens sounds just like a 16 year old girl. Her voice is silvery, radiant and cuts across the orchestra like a razor sharp blade. And oh! The beauty of her voice!! I was very surprised since I do not quite like some of her later recordings as much. Now I understand why this recording was so critically acclaimed. Karajan is more "refined" compared to other Salomes but this is a different kind of refinement!! Different from the annoying refinement you get from other Karajan recordings. I like this one. I don't think you should be put off by the less than 5 stars given to this by some reviewers below. This Salome is simply sheer magic! Enjoy it! If you don't want to invest in a first hand copy, buy a second hand!! It costs less and I'm sure you will like this recording.

This 1978 studio recording of Salome is among the finest Salomes commercially available, though it can be argued, and it is, that Ljuba Wellitsch's earlier WWII Era recording is the ultimate, since her chilling portrayal of the heroine is largely considered as the creme de la creme. Other superior Salomes have included the Wagnerian/Strauss diva Birgit Nilsson in the 60's and 70's, whose mastership of the German repertoire is mind-blowing. Hildegard Behrens must have grown up admiring Birgit Nilsson for in this critic's personal opinion, Behrens can suitabely be hailed as the successor to the throne of Birgit Nilsson. Hildegard Behrens sang the same repertoire, including Brunhilde at Bayreuth and Tosca at the Met. Behrens arrived late into the opera scene. In this recording she is already 40. Nevertheless, she packs a punch as Salome, perfectly comforming to the vision of Karajan's interpretation, which this recording is all about. Her voice is light and she sings in such a way that she makes her voice appear grander and bigger than it actually is but it works for Salome, since we must take in mind that Salome is a teenager and so a relatively lyric voice with dramatic force behind it is absolutely perfect for the role. The final scene is so well-done and sends chills down my spine.

Herbert Von Karajan had never recorded or staged Salome, though it was inevitable since his involvement with the Salzburg Festival made use of Strauss operas- Ariadne of Naxos and most notably Der Rosenkavalier. Karajan's version of Salome is classical, not modern. He is evoking the Salome that caused a scandal in its premiere. When it was first performed in 1900 something, at the turn of the century, it rocked Edwardian sensibility. Its theme of necrophilia, sexual frustration and not to mention lascivious dancing and the beheading of the very beloved Biblical/Christian figure of John the Baptist was too much to take in for a work of theatre. It was banned in London and when the opera came out, Strauss got himself into trouble, for very few places outside his native Austria would perform the opera. It was banned at the Met for years and not until the 20's did it make a return. The primal intensity of the piece is quite clear throughout and the performers are convincingly dramatic. They include:

Jose Van Dam as Jochanan/John the Baptist. Van Dam is a supremely talented bass baritone. He has experience in such diverse roles as Leporello in Mozart's Don Giovanni, King Phillip in Verdi's Don Carlo and here he performs one very credible John the Baptist. His voice is sonorous and he does play the part of the Prophet well. He is mannered and refined in his lyricism as well. To my knowledge, no other baritone has sung the part so well.

Agnes Baltsa as Queen Herodias. She has a dramatically compelling mezzo soprano voice, though at time she may come off as looney, but as the vindictive and mean-spirited queen she is doing a fabulous job. Baltsa is yet another talented singer with many roles to her credit, among them Bizet's Carmen, Cherubino from Nozze Di Figaro and Rosina in Barber of Seville. She has no problem with the German language though it is also very evident she is more comfortable singing in Italian or French. She is not too bad as the Queen however, eventhough there are superior Queen Herodias out there.

All in all, this is a fine recording, the true stars being Karajan himself and his fine interpretation (not to mention the great recording engineering done in Vienna) Jose Van Dam's Jochanan, Agnes Baltsa's Queen, and the star of the show, the soprano Hildegard Behrens. This was the role that made her a star. She would go on to sing Brunhilde and Tosca, her career extending through the 80's and 90's. But if you are looking for other Salomes that are slightly better look for Solti's recording with the incomparable Birgit Nilsson, or the earlier one with Ljuba Wellitsch or the modern and recent one starring Inge Nielsen.

I have this version along with the Solti/Nilsson; Sinopoli/Studer versions. Still not sure which is my favorite, so I guess they all are! I tend to favor the Karajan because it is the one with the most stunning conclusion. The last 10 minutes of the recording leave you breathless. Karajan works magic yet again as the orchestra takes you to the edge of your seat with its sheer eeriness. Ms. Behrens somewhat surprises me as Salome is not the ideal role for her, but she pulls it off beautifully. Definitely check out this recording as you can often get it at a bargain price. It won't disappoint.

This recording of Salome, made before the Salzburg Festival's assumption of the opera on the stage for their 1978 season, is perhaps the best recording of the masterpiece ever recorded. Herbert von Karajan isthe best Strauss conductor the world has or ever will see, as this recording and his Elektra, Ariadne, Frau Ohne Schatten, and Rosenkavalier has shown us. His complex understanding of Strauss' musical language and his innate sense of his rich, polyphonic lyricism has allowed his conducting of Strauss' music-dramas to bloom in such a way without the intruding loudness and excess energy that afflicts too any other conductors' perceptions of the pieces. No other recording has featured the waltz-like rhythms of Strauss' composition so effectively as Karajan's recording, and his vision is at once seductive, demented, and barbaric, each characteristic complementing each other without overpowering another.

That said, it is also the magnificent cast which makes this recording such a treasure for the music-lover. Although Hildegard Behrens was by no means a young soprano, her voice was at its freshest and most beautiful at this stage of her career. The vocal crisis that would soon affect her middle and low register and her diction are absent from this performance, and her high register glows like no other Salome had before. I find that her transformation from a naive teenager to a selfish, erotically charged, and almost demonic creature is the most compelling assumption of the role on disc, tying in very closely with Catherine Malfitano's excellent interpretation of the Jewish princess. The Jochanaan in this recording is Jose Van Dam, and while he does not have the Wotan-like dimensions of Hans Hotter (with Ljuba Welitsch, 1952) or Bryn Terfel (again, with Malfitano) on the role, he gives it an elegance of phrasing that gives his prophet a Biblical nobility overlooked by many gruff Baptists. A commanding performance. Salome's parents, Agnes Baltsa and Karl-Walter Böhm, are in many ways the best pairing on disc, with special mention going to Böhm for what is in my opinion the most royal and most commanding Herods on disc. I still like the Herodias of mezzos like Hanna Schwarz, Mignon Dunn, Astrid Varnay, and Leonie Rysanek, but Baltsa makes an aggressive creature out of Herodias which gives her character strength and bite. Wieslaw Ochman is the most beautiful Narraboth on disc. All in all, a strong cast with the most competent Strauss conductor to have taken the work to the studios. Highly recommended!

Salome is a very "lucky" opera on disc. There are many superb recordings of Salome and this is one of them. Hildegard Behrens started late as an opera singer. When she made this Salome, she was 40 years old and at the start of her operatic career. She was a bright shining star in the operatic world and her voice was fresh and unspoilt. It is fortunate that this recording was made early because in the later years Behrens would have some vocal problems perhaps because she overused her vocal cords. But here, I find her voice simply marvellous. I've heard some of her other recordings, and her voice isn't that good compared to that in this recording. Her reading here is very compelling. All the vocal demands of the score are met and her voice is silvery and light just like a "16 year old". This is ont of Karajan's best "late" recordings (in general, I prefer Karajan's early "live" performances). So this set deserves to be set beside the legendary Welitsch, Nilsson, Rysanek and Studer.

If you want a vocally faultless Salome, Birgit Nilsson's Salome with Solti on Decca or Birgit Nilsson with Sebastian on Gala (1965 Buenos Aires - a 'live' recording in superb stereo sound) are invincible. If you want a soft and sensuous Salome, Leonie Rysanek on RCA with Karl Bohm and Leonie Rysanek on Golden Melodram with Kempe (and the incomparable Jon Vickers as Herod) are unbeatable both 'live' recordings in superb stereo sound. The tension in the four recordings I mentioned are unbelievably stunning. The Solti is the only studio recording. But John Culshaw has said in his autobiography that it is one of those rare studio recordings when everything was done in sequence. And the Decca sound is superb. Behrens has a wonderful top register, her top notes shining radiantly like the sun. Her voice is silvery. Cheryl Studer on DG (Sinopoli) is also incredible.

So there are many superb Salome sets out there - Birgit Nilsson has two, Leonie Rysanek has two and then we have Behrens and Studer, not to mention the astonishing Ljuba Welitsch. Opera lovers are spoilt for choice. Will this work as a "first choice". Yes! Anyone of the sets I mentioned is perfect as a first choice. As for me, I must have them all.

This is the best recording of this opera! Hildegard Behrens is the perfect Salome! Her voice is big, beautiful and also light, which is what the role needs instead of being heavy! She is also very sexy in this role. Her Salome knows what she wants. Jose Van Dam is forceful as Jochanaan. Karajan lets you hear the beauty in the score and keeps everyone excited. I have heard the dance of the seven veils many times, but karajan makes it erotic. This performance is far from making you want to buy another copy.

For those fortunate enough to have not only heard but experienced a performance by the recently deceased, much missed Hildegard Behrens, either in Strauss or in Wagner operas, this 1977 recording of SALOME is a most appropriate memoir. Behrens may not have had the biggest voice on the opera stage, but her musicianship was impeccable and her acting as fine as any legitimate actor. She was beautiful to see and to hear and could take the audience more deeply into the characters she illuminated than almost any of her colleagues.

In this SALOME her singing is rich and uncannily eerie and sensuous. And with Herbert von Karajan conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and a cast that includes the Jokanaan of José van Dam, the Herodias of Agnes Baltsa, and the Herod of Karl-Walter Böhm, there is consensus that this is the premiere recording of this opera. Though Behrens left a rich legacy of nearly all of the Wagner soprano roles on multiple recordings, this particular recording is likely to be the one that will grow in stature as time passes. It is as finely detailed and sumptuous as Strauss' score indicates, and it is as fine a Salome as we are likely to ever hear and see. For this listener it makes the memories of her appearance in the role with the LA Opera in 1998 and her subsequent appearance in the concert version of the opera in 2001 with the LA Philharmonic even more indelible. Hildegard Behrens was exceptional and the opera world will be less dynamic without her. Grady Harp, August 09

This is UNLIKE most other Karajan recordings and Behrens recordings. Behrens have never sounded so wonderful - this is her best recording. Karajan's conducting is super.