Search - R. Strauss, Jones, Bohm :: Salome

Excellent but not great!

jonludwig | 08/21/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It puzzles me that anyone would want to buy this Salome when 2 of Leonie Rysanek's Salome are available. If you want Bohm, go for his set with Rysanek under RCA. That 1972 performance was lauded to the skies at its premier - utterly thrilling, Rysanek's firm, expansive and stunning voice ringing out gloriously at the climaxes. Her voice, esp in the upper register, has this incomparable floating quality that made her famous. And in Superb Stereo too!! Gywneth Jones is excellent. But her performance will not go into the hall of legendary operatic fame. Good as a second set. Inadequate as a first set."

Seduction on Fire

jonludwig | Australia | 02/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I could not believe that this recording of Salome had no reviews. People languish over the awful Behrens version with the worst operatic conductor of all time (Karajan), and ignore this version. Bohm leads this live recording which is truly staggering in its intensity, oh to have been present at the performance. Bohm, as always, allows the music to breath to delve into the many timbres and colours, and yet always keeps the tensions at a feverish pitch. However he dosen't let the orchestra predominate completely by allowing the equal partnership between voices and orchesta. The clarity of every word is audible, a rare feet in Salome. Yet this opera would not survive without a cast par equals. Why should this recording be worthy of a mention, well, Gwyneth Jones!! A voice of tremendous power, unfailing stamina, and yet a youthfulness (the recording is from 1970). The voice dosen't have the steeliness of Nilsson or the vile whimper of Behrens. She is seductive and her voice is in amazing form. Yet when you realise that this recording was not recorded a little at a time but in one evening you realise what an amazing artist she is. Truthfully she is no Ljuba Welitsch (but who is), but her performance is completely different and yet equally valid and totally spine tingling. Furthermore the performance dosen't end their. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is a wonderful Jochanaan, his voice is darker than usually and as always he gives an incisive approach. Richard Cassilly play a wonderful Herodes showing how creepy this king is. Although a truly great performance is given by Mignon Dunn as Herodias truly showing the many colours of her voice. This is a trully magnificent performance worthy of more notice. It has and always remains my belief that a live performance shows what opera is trully about. This performances has all the protaganists become the characters. Magnificent! Brava Dame Gwyneth Jones! Bravo Maestro Bohm!!"