Salome (In English) with Josephine Barstow
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Salome
Richard Strauss In English Josephine Barstow, Emile Belcourt, Sarah Walker, 1976 London OD 10471-2 |
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Sound Quality:
  This recording of Salome is off the beaten path for many reasons. First of all it is in English (the original language of the Wilde play) and it features the maverick soprano, Josephine Barstow. Barstow's voice is not conventionally beautiful, but she was very capable at singing a variety of styles succesfully. Karajan had the forsight to book her as Amelia in Un ballo in Maschera after having only heard her as Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Personally I have always loved the dark-auburn hue of her voice and she gives a very commited performance as Salome. She is joined by many of the ENO regulars of the seventies including Alberto Remedios as Narraboth and Rosalind Plowright as the Page. The sound is very good. |
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1 Comment on Salome (In English) with Josephine Barstow »
September 24, 2009
richard inverne @ 4:39 pm:
This is a wonderful performance (I was there on the night!) It espouses not only Barstow, who had just entered her more luscious-sounding vocal period to compliment her dramatic skills, but also the fantastically-decadent and louche Herod of Emile Belcourt! Neil Howlett is a Jochanaan simply to be set in the same class as Hermann Uhde. Mark Elder conducts with deep understanding of the Strauss idiom.
However, note that the Narraboth is NOT Alberto Remedios, but his younger brother Ramon, who sang more lyric roles with ENO for several years.