Search - Richard Strauss, Richard Kraus, West German Radio Symphony Orchestra :: Strauss: Elektra (Richard Kraus, Chor und Symphonieorchester des WDRS, Koln, 1953)

White Hot Drama - Buy it now!

Daniel Mitrano | 09/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, the sound is not the greatest, but do NOT let that stop you from buying this amazing recording. Varnay is stunning with her magnificent voice- powerful, expressive, dark but not limited in tonal variety... rich throughout from bottom to top and those high notes held no fear for her. And even if her voice were not so wonderful, this performance would be remarkable for her grasp of the character and ability to clearly communicate both sides of Elektra: the frightening, violent obsessiveness along with the sympathetic, wounded woman. She pulls out some sweet high soft notes that will have you asking, how can she do that and sing such a titanic Brunhilde?
Res Fischer makes a wonderfully characterful Klytemnestra- making a few grotesque groans- but not too many. She never crosses the line into comical exaggeration. Quite the opposite- her moans and whispers are quite compelling. Many who want more honest vocalism in this part will disagree, but I judge a Klytemestra (indeed a whole performance of Elektra) in part by her laugh after she hears that Orest is dead, and her offstage screams when she is murdered, and Fischer REALLY delivers the goods on both counts. Her laugh is shrieky and the last scream sounds like a good movie scream- so violent in the throat that you wonder how a singer would consent to do it (I am assuming that she did her own- you may wonder if she did, which means that it's a really good scream).
That's not to say that this recording cheats in the musicanship department- the orchestra does a fine job, and the moments before the murders are really taut with suspense, more so than any other recording I've heard (thanks in no small part to Ms. Varnay). And if you want pure lyrical ecstasy, try the Chrysothemis/Elektra duet at the end- Rysanek and Varnay- what more do you want?
As you might expect, having Hotter as Orest is almost too luxurious- it sounds as if Wotan walked in the front door. This really is an amazing recording- really outstanding amongst all recordings of this work- vintage or contemporary. And the most shocking thing about it is the price- stop reading this review and click order before this vanishes forever!"

A great performance

Daniel Mitrano | 06/29/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Astrid Varnay's performance of the title role here is astonishing. Recorded before the voice began to deteriorate, she is totally secure vocally, making the part sound easy, and she is excellent dramatically too. I think Varnay is possibly the most underrated and unfairly criticised of singers. For my money she is probably the greatest dramatic soprano of the century - Flagstad and Nilsson may be superior in purely vocal terms (though neither of them was perfect), but Varnay is undoubtedly in a different league from either of them artistically.Rysanek offers an early example of her famed, intense Chrysothemis, Res Fischer is a first-rate, spooky Kytämnestra, and Hotter a fine Orest. Even the maids are excellent - compare them to the supporting cast on any modern recording and they win hands down.The sound is a bit odd - the singers are VERY heavily favoured over the orchestra, which can sometimes add to the atmosphere (Klytämnestra's 'Ich habe keine guten Nächte' sounds extremely creepy when she seems to be whispering it right into your ear) but more often detracts from it. Varnay's and Rysanek's are big voices that could do with a bit more space round them, whilst the orchestra is extremely important in Elektra and ought to be heard. Nevertheless, it's good to hear a performance where you can really hear these singers in roles that count among their greatest achievements, without the distraction of poor sound or audience noise. The performance has the standard stage cuts. Very highly recommended."

Miracle

Daniel Mitrano | 08/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording, in mono, in 1953 puts DDD productions in shame. UNLIKE many mono recordings, this mono is NOT DRY - it is superb mono and there is almost no tape hiss AT ALL. This is one of the great Elektras of the 20th century, don't miss the performance - there are no modern stereo digital Elektras that can compete with this recording - only the Solti and Bohm Elektras can beat this."