This performance, captured in excellent stereo sound, easily stands alongside some of the finest accounts of Salome on record. Leonie Rysanek is in superb voice, singing with total commitment and an impressive range of nuance and finesse. The supporting cast is equally strong, with Astrid Varnay delivering an over-the-top Herodias and Hans Hopf offering a suitably frenetic Herod. The Bavarian State Opera orchestra plays with remarkable precision and color, shaped by Rudolf Kempe's insightful leadership, which brings clear purpose to even the score's most intricate details.