Emil Orlik’s 1917 etching of Richard Strauss (from Wikimedia Commons, public domain)
As was observed at the end of last month, the presence of Richard Strauss on Birgit Nilsson: The Great Live Recordings, released by Sony Classical in celebration of the 100th anniversary of that soprano’s birth, is far more modest than that allotted for Richard Wagner. Strauss is represented by only three operas; but, to be fair, these were the only Strauss roles that Nilsson sang in her appearances at the Metropolitan Opera. Indeed, two of the recordings are taken from Saturday afternoon broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera House. These were performances of “Salome” on March 13, 1965 and “Elektra” on February 27, 1971, both conducted by Karl Böhm. There is also a second performance of “Elektra” from the Vienna State Opera, recorded during a tour in Montreal on September 14, 1967, also conducted by Böhm. Finally, there is a recording of Die Frau ohne Schatten (the woman without a shadow) made at the Bavarian State Opera on September 29, 1976 with Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting. This was the opera that Nilsson sang for her final appearance at the Met during its 1981–1982 season. (It was also the only occasion on which I saw her perform.)
Readers may recall that I have already written extensively (and generously) about Böhm’s rich (but not comprehensive) approach to Strauss in the Deutsche Grammophon retrospective box set Karl Böhm: The Operas. However, on these recordings, Nilsson only appears in Die Frau ohne Schatten in a performance at the Vienna State Opera. As a result, in that earlier collection, our only evidence of the chemistry between Böhm and Nilsson comes from that Vienna recording and a Bayreuth recording of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde (which remains one of my favorite recordings of that opera).
As a result, the Sony Classical collection provides a new dimension of that chemistry; and it is definitely a rewarding one. Indeed, the Met recording of “Elektra” is far more visceral than the one with the Vienna State Opera, which was part of the “visiting entertainment” for Expo 67. Nevertheless, even if Nilsson consistently rises to the levels of intensity that Böhm demands of her, none of these three operas is also about the “blood-and-guts” aspects of Strauss’ rhetoric. The subtle transparencies of the opening measures of “Salome” serve to remind us that some of the most intense moments of the three operas represented in this collection come from scrupulously controlled understatement. Such subdued intensity is more challenging for both conductor and vocalist. However, Böhm clearly appreciated its impact and could elicit the full brunt of that impact through Nilsson’s performances.
Die Frau ohne Schatten is the only opera in this collection that does not unfold over the course of a single act. The narrative is, to say the least, bizarre; and the imagery associated with that narrative is even more so. Back in the days when those of my generation were playing Trivial Pursuit, it provided the basis for one of the more outré questions that could be posed: What opera requires a chorus of six unborn children?
Sawallisch was about one generation younger than Böhm; but, like Böhm, much of his repertoire revolved around both Wagner and Strauss. However, because I am still trying to get my head around this opera (having seen it in performance only once), I would not dare attempt a side-by-side comparison of the two conductors. Nevertheless, I would say that the technical recording work in Vienna made for a somewhat more satisfying listening experience than the document created in Munich.
Ultimately, where Strauss is concerned, the best treats in this Sony collection come from the results that Böhm could summon when he was conducting at the Met.
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