Andrew’s Ways to Enjoy Salome Without Leaving Your Home!

Richard Strauss’ Salome:  Which Recording is Best 

A delightfully witty article from GRAMOPHONE Magazine by James Jolly 

My favorites from his list: 

1961. This recording, featuring Birgit Nilsson in the title role with Sir Georg Solti conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, is the benchmark 

1977. Hildegard Behrens with the Vienna Philharmonic led by Herbert von Karajan; this one also features one of my favorite baritones of all time as Jochanaan, José van Dam 

1994. Another VPO recording, this time led by Christoph von Donhanyi, features Catherine Malfitano (with whom I fell in love after seeing her tour de force performance as the title character in Berg’s Lulu at Chicago’s Lyric Opera many years ago) and Bryn Terfel as Jochanaan. A video recording is available in DVD. 

My greatest disappointment: finding that Maria Ewing never recorded the role – she was my first Salome, also at Lyric Opera.  

Strauss’ Salome on DVD 

1994. Malfitano (see recording above) 

2008. Karita Mattila stars in this Metropolitan Opera HD broadcast recording; Patrick Summers conducts 

2008. David McVicar’s Covent Garden production takes the controversial and disturbing film Salò as its visual reference, setting it in a debauched palace in Nazi Germany; Nadja Michael stars in the title role – as she did in the SFO production I saw in 2009 

The story of Salome in the Movies 

Salomé (2013) – A modern production of Wilde’s play directed by Al Pacino, who also takes on the role of Herod; Jessica Chastain plays the seductress 

Related: Wilde Salomé (2011)– Al Pacino tells the story of how he came to direct Oscar Wilde’s play, in documentary style. He travels to the Mojave desert, and to Ireland and Great Britten to discuss Wilde as a person and playwright and to discuss his love for the author and the play, and go behind the scenes in making the movie. 

Salome (1953) – A big-budget – and very dated – biblical spectacle starring Rita Heyworth in the title role and Charles Laughton as Herod. Per the trailer “You will see a story filmed where it actually happened, in the Holy Land, filmed in color by Technicolor…enacted by a might cast of thousands!” 

You can stream these movies on Amazon Prime. 

For additional ways to enjoy Salome online, click here.