Strauss - Elektra [CD]

It's important to remember that Strauss had his tongue in his cheek when he wrote both Salome and Elektra! That is not to say that they are outright comedies-they are certainly not that, but Strauss was deliberately provoking the critics who as ever paid no regard to the paying public, and after Till Eulenspiegel castigated Strauss for his orchestral profligacy, his egocentricity etc.-while concert goers were clamouring for more and concerts were sold out.
Strauss was also very canny-he knew that all publicity was good publicity and there was nothing like a scandal to draw in crowds-and Salome, with its decadent themes was certainly that! Having weathered the usual critical opprobrium, Strauss's response was to compose a work which to this day requires the biggest orchestra of any opera, and has as it themes girl on girl flagellation, ritual human sacrifice, murder in the bath, matricide, mass slaughter and a main protagonist obsessed with her murdered father and who dances herself to death in an insane frenzy of bloody revenge!! What a good job he toned it down after Salome!!
The default option is the Solti recording, the last great collaboration of the Solti/Nilsson/John Culshaw era in Vienna, and a fitting ending to that collaboration. It is still magnificent, especially in the last re-mastering which went back to unused takes to reconstruct the best possible recorded version.
I have all the modern era recordings, and when I heard Alessandra Marc as Chrysothemis in the rather disappointing Barenboim Berlin Staatskapelle recording, I remember thinking what a pity she was not singing Elektra!
My wish was granted when this superb recording appeared, and I have no hesitation in stating that this is quite the equal of the Solti and surpasses it in many respects.
The sheer impact of the recorded sound is stunning, both viscerally and intellectually for the VPO play with utmost brilliance-even the Solti cannot match this! Sinopoli gives us a more sinuous reading, better balanced in light and shade than Solti, and when climaxes are reached, such as after Elektra's solution to bad dreams, they are overwhelming.
Casting is impeccable, with Marc every note the equal of Nilsson, with even more beautiful tone. Deborah Voigt is firmer voiced and more dramatic-less "pathetic"-than Marie Collier as Chrysothemis, and Hanna Schwarz is a really dangerous and deadly adversary of a Klytemnestra-none of Resnik's admittedly enjoyable "Wicked Witch of the West" histrionics!
At the time of its release, comments were made that Samuel Ramey was not the singer he once was -that may be, but he is nonetheless a fine and noble Orest, and the scene between him and Elektra is very affecting, though here Tom Krause in the Solti does have the edge. The remaining small parts are all first rate, the effects are well chosen and effective, and this set is a triumph all round.
It is now available for a minimal price, and is a "must hear" for all who love this work-and despite my undying affection for the Solti, I would rate this as the first choice for anyone coming to the work anew-though they will want the Solti also!!! Unlimited Stars and Total Recommendation. Stewart Crowe.

Probably the best recorded of all the "Elektra"s I've heard, for me it's the playing of the Vienna Philharmonic which makes this a must have. Much more than with Solti's slam-bang approach you sense that yes, this was the same composer who wrote "Der Rosenkavalier", glorious sounds abound, and Sinopoli achieves remarkable clarity of texture (like Ozawa) without sacrificing power (unlike Ozawa). But Ozawa has Hildegard Behrens as his Elektra. Alessandra Marc has a glorious voice, and rises to most of the roles challenges, but compare her with Behrens (or Astrid Varnay) when she laments the (supposed) death of Orestes and you're brought face to face with grief incarnate, wheras Marc sings with less expression. On the other hand, Behrens has moments of vocal fragility. It's the difference between Callas' and Sutherland's Norma, if you like...Marc, like Dame Joan, sometimes swallows consonants - but the sound she makes is fabulous. Depends what you're looking for. Voight and Schwarz are both very fine. The one major blot on this set, for me, is Ramey as Orestes- wooden of voice and demeanour as if he was sight-reading and didn't understand German.... but not bad enough to preclude five stars A bargain!