Leonie Rysanek, Gerhard Stolze, Astrid Varnay,
Dietrich Fischer- Dieskau, Wieslaw Ochman
Ferdinand Leitner

Bayerischen Staatsoper, München
On tour in Monaco
July 26, 1971

OD 10467-2

Leonie Rysanek stated in an article early on in her career that she would avoid the role of Salome.  Thank god that she changed her mind as it is almost impossible to imagine a more ideal proponant of this notoriously difficult part.  It is true that by the seventies her voice may have lacked the innocence of a teenager, but she makes up for it in pure sensuality of tone.  The final scene is like an erotic catharsis for her.   And her top is simply gleaming.  She has some great support from the other members of the cast.  Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's may not make the same kind of vocal impact as some of his colleagues, but he brings across the fanatical single-minded mystery of the character and his curse of Salome is bone-chilling.  I have no problem holding up Gerhard Stolze as one of the greatest singing actors of his generation.  The voice was not pretty but he never makes any apologies for that and uses his tone to great effect without being a charicature.  Astrid Varnay is a very campy Herodias.  I have included "Ich kann nicht sitzen" with Rysanek as a bonus.  The sound is very good.